JP7623199B2 - Indoor environment control device and indoor environment control method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an indoor environment management device and an indoor environment management method.

Conventionally, systems have been proposed that provide a comfortable indoor space by controlling the indoor environment, such as temperature and illuminance, in an indoor space used by multiple users.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an indoor environment control device that controls the indoor environment using air conditioners and lighting devices that adjust the temperature and illuminance for each control unit that divides the indoor space. The indoor environment control device disclosed in Patent Document 1 is a device that obtains the presence or absence of occupants for each control unit from image data captured by a camera of the indoor space, and controls the air conditioners and lighting devices to change the temperature and illuminance for the control unit with occupants and the temperature and illuminance for the control unit with no occupants.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-193727

As described above, the indoor environment control device disclosed in Patent Document 1 controls air conditioners and lighting devices depending on whether or not there are occupants in each control unit. However, with the indoor environment control device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the temperature and illuminance are adjusted to uniform values for control units with occupants, so it is not possible to provide an indoor environment suitable for each occupant. Furthermore, when providing an indoor environment suitable for each occupant, it is desirable to reduce environmental impact and running costs by considering not only comfort but also energy conservation.

The present invention was made in consideration of these circumstances, and aims to provide an indoor environment management device and an indoor environment management method that can achieve both a comfortable indoor environment and energy conservation.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems, and provides an indoor environment control device according to one embodiment of the present invention,
An indoor environment management device controls a plurality of environmental conditioning devices, each of which is capable of adjusting a plurality of environmental index values representing an indoor environment of an indoor space to a predetermined set value for each of the virtually divided sections of the indoor space, to manage the indoor environment,
a group information acquisition unit that acquires, for each group, as group information when a plurality of users who use the indoor space are classified into a plurality of groups based on a predetermined classification criterion, the number of users belonging to the group and a combination of the setting values that realizes the indoor environment suitable for the group;
an energy consumption information acquisition unit that acquires, for each of the plurality of environmental conditioning devices, energy consumption information that defines an amount of energy consumption for each of the sections and each of the set values when each of the plurality of environmental conditioning devices is used;
The system further includes an arrangement determination unit that determines an arrangement of each of the groups relative to the plurality of partitions and a combination of setting values of each of the partitions for the plurality of environmental conditioning devices based on the group information and the energy consumption information so as to minimize the energy consumption.

According to an indoor environment management device and an indoor environment management method according to one embodiment of the present invention, the group information acquisition unit acquires, for each group, as group information, the number of users belonging to the group and a combination of setting values that realizes an indoor environment suitable for the group, the energy consumption information acquisition unit acquires, for each environmental adjustment device, energy consumption information that defines the amount of energy consumption by section and by setting value when each of the multiple environmental adjustment devices is used, and the placement determination unit determines, based on the group information and the energy consumption information, the placement of each group in the multiple sections and the combination of setting values for each section for the multiple environmental adjustment devices so as to minimize energy consumption.

Therefore, the indoor environment index values of each section of an indoor space used by multiple users are adjusted to a combination of settings that realizes an indoor environment suitable for each group into which the multiple users are classified, while minimizing energy consumption using multiple environmental control devices. Therefore, an indoor space can be provided to multiple users in a state where both a comfortable indoor environment and energy conservation are achieved.

1 is an overall configuration diagram showing an example of an indoor environment control system 100 according to an embodiment. 2 is a schematic plan view showing an example of an indoor space 20 of a building 2. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of an indoor environment management device 1 according to an embodiment. 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing a clustering method for a user U and an example of group information 115 acquired by a group information acquisition unit 121. FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing an example of energy consumption information 116 acquired by an energy consumption information acquisition unit 122. FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing an example of placement information 117 generated by a placement determination unit 123. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the indoor environment management device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings.

Figure 1 is an overall configuration diagram showing an example of an indoor environment management system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a schematic plan view showing an example of a building 2.

The indoor environment management system 100 is a system that manages the indoor environment of the indoor space 20 of a building 2 used by multiple users U in a state that balances comfort and energy conservation, and provides it to the multiple users U. Note that although detailed structure of the building 2 is omitted in Figures 1 and 2, the building 2 is constructed by any construction method, such as reinforced concrete construction, steel frame construction, steel reinforced concrete construction, wood construction, etc.

The building 2 is, for example, made up of multiple floors and has windows 22 in predetermined positions. The indoor space 20 is a space formed inside the building 2, and is, for example, a space used as an open space or a shared office. For this reason, the indoor space 20 is one in which walls and partitions are omitted as much as possible, and equipment such as chairs, tables, whiteboards, and projectors (not shown) are arranged in a reconfigurable layout.

The indoor environment of the indoor space 20 is represented by multiple environmental index values such as temperature, humidity, wind speed, illuminance, lighting color (color temperature), and sound (noise). The indoor environment of the indoor space 20 is managed for each virtually divided section 21. The sections 21 are each section 21 when the indoor space 20 is divided, for example, into a mesh shape. FIG. 2 illustrates a case in which the indoor space 20 is divided into 15 sections 21 (divided vertically into 3 and horizontally into 5), and each section 21 is assigned a unique section ID (A1 to C5) and managed. Note that the size, shape, and division method when dividing the indoor space 20 into multiple sections 21 are not limited to the above example and may be changed as appropriate.

The indoor environment management system 100 is specifically configured to include a plurality of environmental adjustment devices 3 that adjust a plurality of environmental index values that represent the indoor environment of the indoor space 20, an indoor environment management device 1 that controls the plurality of environmental adjustment devices 3 to manage the indoor environment of the indoor space 20, an information display device 4 that displays various information such as the indoor environment and usage status of the indoor space 20 to a user U, and a network 5 that connects each device so that they can communicate with each other.

The environmental adjustment device 3 is configured as a device capable of adjusting the environmental index value of the indoor environment to a predetermined set value for each section 21 of the indoor space 20. The environmental adjustment device 3 is configured, for example, as an air conditioner that adjusts the temperature, humidity, and wind speed of the indoor space 20 as the environmental index value, a humidity control device that adjusts the humidity of the indoor space 20 as the environmental index value, a ventilation device or a blower device that adjusts the wind speed of the indoor space 20 as the environmental index value, a lighting device that adjusts the illuminance and lighting color (color temperature) of the indoor space 20 as the environmental index value, a blind device that adjusts the illuminance, lighting color (color temperature), and sound (noise) of the indoor space 20 as the environmental index value, and an automatic window opening and closing device that adjusts the temperature, humidity, wind speed, and sound (noise) of the indoor space 20 as the environmental index value. The environmental adjustment device 3 may be a device that adjusts a specific environmental index value by one device, or may be a device that adjusts multiple environmental index values. In this embodiment, the multiple environmental adjustment devices 3 are configured as an air conditioner 30 that adjusts the temperature of the indoor space 20 and a lighting device 31 that adjusts the illuminance of the indoor space 20, as shown in FIG. 1.

As shown in FIG. 1, the air conditioner 30 includes a plurality of air outlets 300 and air inlets (not shown) arranged at positions corresponding to each compartment 21, and an air conditioner control device 301 that controls the temperature, flow rate, and wind direction of the air blown out from each air outlet 300. The number and positions of the air outlets 300 and air inlets (not shown) may be changed as appropriate, and they may be arranged on the wall or floor in addition to the ceiling. The air conditioner 30 may employ any air conditioning method, and may employ an air conditioner 30 that utilizes thermal storage in the building structure.

As shown in FIG. 1, the lighting device 31 includes a plurality of lighting devices 310 arranged at positions corresponding to each section 21, and a lighting control device 311 that controls the illuminance, lighting color, etc. of each lighting device 310 when it is turned on. Note that the number and positions of the lighting devices 310 may be changed as appropriate.

The indoor environment management device 1 controls multiple environmental adjustment devices 3 (in this embodiment, air conditioners 30 and lighting devices 31) to manage the indoor environment of the indoor space 20. The indoor environment management device 1 is configured, for example, with a general-purpose or dedicated computer that functions as a server or cloud. Details of the indoor environment management device 1 will be described later.

The information display device 4 is composed of, for example, an administrator terminal device 40 installed in a management room (which may be remote) of the building 2, a signboard device 41 such as a digital signage installed at the entrance of the indoor space 20, and a user terminal device 42 such as a smartphone or tablet carried by the user U. The information display device 4 accepts various operational inputs via an input screen and displays various information on a display screen.

Network 5 may use any communication method, either wired or wireless.

(Configuration of the indoor environment management device 1)
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the indoor environment management device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

The indoor environment management device 1 includes an input unit 10 including a keyboard, a touch panel, etc., a storage unit 11 including a HDD, an SDD, a memory, etc., a control unit 12 including a processor such as a CPU, an MPU, a GPU, etc., a communication unit 13 which is a communication interface with the network 5, and an output unit 14 including a display, a speaker, etc. Note that the input unit 10 and the output unit 14 may be omitted, in which case the information display device 4 may function as the input unit 10 and the output unit 14.

The memory unit 11 stores an indoor environment management program 110, building specification information 111, device specification information 112, weather information 113, user information 114, group information 115, energy consumption information 116, and placement information 117. Note that the above-mentioned various information stored in the memory unit 11 may be stored in one or more storage devices capable of communicating with the indoor environment management device 1 instead of being stored in the memory unit 11.

By executing the indoor environment management program 110, the control unit 12 functions as an information management unit 120, a group information acquisition unit 121, an energy consumption information acquisition unit 122, an arrangement determination unit 123, a control information output unit 124, and a display information output unit 125.

The building specification information 111 includes, for example, the width, depth, ceiling height, and insulation performance of the indoor space 20, and the position and dimensions of the windows 22, as information that represents the specifications of the building 2. The building specification information 111 is obtained, for example, from design data of the building 2 input from the administrator terminal device 40.

The device specification information 112 includes, for example, the device type, installation location, and power consumption of the environmental conditioning devices 3 as information representing the specifications of each of the multiple environmental conditioning devices 3. The device specification information 112 is obtained, for example, from design data of the building 2 input by the administrator from the administrator terminal device 40.

The weather information 113 includes, for example, outside temperature, outside humidity, weather, solar radiation, etc., as information that represents the weather conditions at the location of the building 2. The weather information 113 may be obtained from an external weather information service, or may be observation data observed by weather observation sensors (for example, an outside thermometer, an outside hygrometer, a pyranometer, a sunshine meter, a rain gauge, etc.) installed in the building 2.

The user information 114 includes, as information about the user U, personal information such as the organization to which the user U belongs, the schedule information of the user U, and usage history information indicating the date and time and the section 21 when multiple users U used the indoor space 20 in the past. Each user U is assigned a unique user ID and the above information is managed. The personal information and schedule information are obtained, for example, by the user U inputting it from the user terminal device 42. The usage history information is obtained, for example, based on the entry and exit records of the user U, the position detection records of the user terminal device 42, the results of person recognition using camera images, etc.

The information management unit 120 acquires the above building specification information 111, device specification information 112, weather information 113, and user information 114, and stores them in the memory unit 11. The information management unit 120 may acquire the building specification information 111 and device specification information 112, for example, when the building is completed or renovated, and may acquire the weather information 113 and user information 114 every time a predetermined time has passed (for example, every hour, every day, etc.) or when information is updated. At that time, the information management unit 120 may add information or update information depending on the newly acquired information.

The group information acquisition unit 121 acquires, for each group G, the number of users U belonging to the group G and a combination of setting values that realize an indoor environment suitable for the group G, as group information 115 when multiple users U who use the indoor space 20 are classified into multiple groups based on a predetermined classification criterion.

For example, the group information acquisition unit 121 may adopt a predetermined clustering method as a predetermined classification criterion, and acquire the group information 115 by classifying the usage history information of the user information 114 stored in the storage unit 11 using the predetermined clustering method. At this time, when referring to the usage history information of the user information 114, the group information acquisition unit 121 may extract usage history information for a specific day of the week or time period by setting, for example, a day of the week or a time period as a condition for classification, and acquire the group information 115 when the users U who used the indoor space 20 on the specific day of the week or time period are classified into a plurality of groups G. In this case, the group information acquisition unit 121 may acquire the group information 115 when the users U who used the indoor space 20, for example, during the time period from 9:00 to 12:00 every Monday (not every week, but at a predetermined rate such as three or more times a month) are classified into a plurality of groups G.

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing a clustering method for user U and an example of group information 115 acquired by the group information acquisition unit 121. The clustering method can be any method, such as a non-hierarchical clustering method such as the k-means clustering method shown in Figure 4 or a hierarchical clustering method.

Figure 4 shows a case where the group information acquisition unit 121 acquires the location of the section 21 when each user U previously used the indoor space 20, and the temperature and illuminance of that section 21 from the usage history information of the user information 114, and performs a clustering process, classifying the acquired information into three groups G1 to G3 as group information 115.

The first group G1 is made up of 10 users U, and the combination of indoor environment settings suitable for the first group G1 is a temperature of 24°C and an illuminance of 500 lx. The second group G2 is made up of 6 users U, and the combination of indoor environment settings suitable for the second group G2 is a temperature of 26°C and an illuminance of 600 lx. The third group G3 is made up of 14 users U, and the combination of indoor environment settings suitable for the third group G3 is a temperature of 28°C and an illuminance of 700 lx.

The group information acquisition unit 121 may acquire the group information 115 according to, for example, the purpose and content of the work performed by each user U as a predetermined classification criterion. Specifically, the group information acquisition unit 121 may acquire the group information 115 for each time period of each day by using the schedule information of the user information 114 stored in the storage unit 11 and analyzing, for example, the time periods during which each user U plans to perform work such as office work, meetings, and breaks as the purpose and content of the work.

The energy consumption information acquisition unit 122 acquires, for each environmental adjustment device 3, energy consumption information 116 that defines the amount of energy consumed by each section 21 and by each set value when each of the multiple environmental adjustment devices 3 is used. For example, the energy consumption information acquisition unit 122 acquires the energy consumption information 116 for each environmental adjustment device 3 based on a predetermined simulation process that uses the building specification information 111, the device specification information 112, and the weather information 113 stored in the memory unit 11.

Specifically, the energy consumption information acquisition unit 122 uses a thermal environment prediction model that reflects conditions such as heat transfer, heat dissipation, and heat storage based on the building specification information 111 and the weather information 113, and calculates the amount of energy consumption of the air conditioner 30 required to adjust the temperature of each section 21 to a set value by referring to the device specification information 112. Also, the energy consumption information acquisition unit 122 uses a visual environment prediction model that reflects conditions such as the range of sunlight based on the building specification information 111, and calculates the amount of energy consumption of the lighting device 31 required to adjust the illuminance of each section 21 to a set value by referring to the device specification information 112. Note that when it is considered that the amount of energy consumption changes over time, the energy consumption information acquisition unit 122 acquires the energy consumption information 116 for each time period by calculating the amount of energy consumption for each time period.

Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the energy consumption information 116 acquired by the energy consumption information acquisition unit 122. Figure 5 shows energy consumption information 116A of the air conditioner 30 and energy consumption information 116B of the lighting device 31 as the energy consumption information 116 when the indoor space 20 is divided into 15 sections 21 (divided into 3 vertically and 5 horizontally). Each numerical value in the section 21 shown in Figure 5 represents, for example, the energy consumption amount in kWh.

The energy consumption information 116A of the air conditioner 30 consists of three energy consumption tables 116A1 to 116A3 that define the energy consumption by section 21 and by setting value. The energy consumption table 116A1 defines the energy consumption of the air conditioner 30 required to adjust the temperature of each section 21 to a setting value of 24°C. The energy consumption table 116A2 defines the energy consumption of the air conditioner 30 required to adjust the temperature of each section 21 to a setting value of 26°C. The energy consumption table 116A3 defines the energy consumption of the air conditioner 30 required to adjust the temperature of each section 21 to a setting value of 28°C. The energy consumption tables 116A1 to 116A3 by setting value are not limited to the example shown in FIG. 5, and may be defined for setting values other than 24°C, 26°C, and 28°C, or may be defined for four or more setting values.

The energy consumption information 116B of the lighting device 31 consists of three energy consumption tables 116B1 to 116B3 that define the energy consumption for each section 21 and for each set value. The energy consumption table 116B1 defines the energy consumption of the lighting device 31 required to adjust the illuminance of each section 21 to the set value of 500 lx. The energy consumption table 116B2 defines the energy consumption of the lighting device 31 required to adjust the illuminance of each section 21 to the set value of 600 lx. The energy consumption table 116B3 defines the energy consumption of the lighting device 31 required to adjust the illuminance of each section 21 to the set value of 700 lx. The energy consumption tables 116B1 to 116B3 for each set value are not limited to the example shown in FIG. 5, and may be defined for set values other than 500 lx, 600 lx, and 700 lx, or may be defined for four or more set values.

The placement determination unit 123 determines the placement of each group G relative to the multiple sections 21 and the combination of setting values of each section 21 relative to the multiple environmental adjustment devices 3 so as to minimize energy consumption based on the group information 115 and the energy consumption information 116, and generates placement information 117 including the determined information.

When generating the placement information 117, the placement determination unit 123 may employ a predetermined optimization method in which the constraints include the group information 115, the energy consumption information 116, the building specification information 111 stored in the storage unit 11, and the maximum number of users U who can use one section 21 (maximum number of people using one section), and the like, and the objective function is to minimize energy consumption. As the predetermined optimization method, for example, a metaheuristic method such as mathematical programming or an evolutionary algorithm may be employed. Note that, for example, the section 21 dedicated to meetings may be fixed as a constraint condition, and not only the energy consumption but also, for example, the comfort of users U and business efficiency may be considered as an objective function. Furthermore, the maximum number of people who can use one section may be changed as appropriate.

Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the placement information 117 generated by the placement determination unit 123. Figure 6 shows the placement information 117 for 15 partitions 21 (divided into 3 vertically and 5 horizontally) with the maximum number of people using each partition set to 4.

The first group G1 is made up of 10 users U, so three sections 21 (A1, A2, A3) are assigned as the layout of the sections 21, and the three sections 21 (A1, A2, A3) are set as a combination of set values of temperature 24°C and illuminance 500lx. The second group G2 is made up of six users U, so two sections 21 (B4, B5) are assigned as the layout of the sections 21, and the two sections 21 (B4, B5) are set as a combination of set values of temperature 26°C and illuminance 600lx. The third group G3 is made up of 14 users U, so four sections 21 (C2, C3, C4, C5) are assigned as the layout of the sections 21, and the four sections 21 (C2, C3, C4, C5) are set as a combination of set values of temperature 28°C and illuminance 700lx.

The control information output unit 124 outputs control information for operating each of the multiple environmental conditioning devices 3 based on the combination of setting values of each section 21 for the multiple environmental conditioning devices 3 determined by the placement determination unit 123. The control information output unit 124 transmits the control information to the multiple environmental conditioning devices 3 (in this embodiment, the air conditioner 30 and the lighting device 31) via the network 5, for example. The control information includes an operation command for operating the environmental conditioning device 3 according to the combination of setting values of each section 21 for a section 21 in which any of the groups G1 to G3 are placed, but for a section 21 in which none of the groups G1 to G3 are placed, the control information may include an operation command to turn off the operation of the environmental conditioning device 3 or an operation command to operate the environmental conditioning device 3 according to the default setting value.

The display information output unit 125 outputs display information that causes the information display device 4 to display the arrangement of each group G in the multiple partitions 21 determined by the arrangement determination unit 123. The display information output unit 125 transmits the display information to the information display device 4, for example, via the network 5.

The display information may be any data format that allows the layout of each group G1 to G3 to be visually recognized on the display screen of the information display device 4, as shown in FIG. 6, for example. The display information may be data for a web browser or an application installed on the information display device 4, or may be image-format data that can be attached to e-mails, SNS messages, etc. The display information may display not only the allocation of the layout of each group G1 to G3 to the multiple sections 21, but also the combination of setting values of each section 21 for the multiple environmental adjustment devices 3.

The display information output unit 125 may output the display information for a specific user U. In this case, the display information output unit 125 may transmit the display information to a user terminal device 42 held by the specific user U via the network 5, for example. The display information may also display information identifying the location of a section 21 assigned to a group G to which the specific user U belongs. This allows the user U to know the location of a section 21 suitable for him/her, and move to that location to work.

(Operation of the indoor environment management device 1)
Next, the operation of the indoor environment control device 1 having the above configuration will be described.

Figure 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the indoor environment management device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Here, the indoor environment management method in which the indoor environment management device 1 controls multiple environmental adjustment devices 3 to manage the indoor environment is mainly described, and the information required to execute the indoor environment management method (e.g., building specification information 111, device specification information 112, weather information 113, and user information 114) is described as being acquired by the information management unit 120 and stored in the memory unit 11.

When a predetermined placement determination condition is satisfied, the indoor environment management device 1 executes a series of processes shown in FIG. 7. The predetermined placement determination condition may be satisfied periodically, such as once or multiple times a day (e.g., 9:00, 12:00, 15:00), or may be satisfied periodically every time a predetermined time has passed (e.g., in seconds, minutes, hours, days, etc.). The predetermined placement determination condition may be satisfied immediately, for example, when a predetermined execution command is received from the manager terminal device 40 or a higher-level device (not shown) of the indoor environment management device 1, or when the usage status of the indoor space 20 changes (e.g., when the number of users U using the indoor space 20 changes by a predetermined number).

First, in step S100 (group information acquisition process), the group information acquisition unit 121 classifies multiple users U into multiple groups using a predetermined classification criterion (e.g., a predetermined clustering method) based on the usage history information in the user information 114, and acquires, for each group G, the number of users U belonging to the group G and a combination of setting values that realize an indoor environment suitable for the group G, as group information 115.

At this time, the group information acquisition unit 121 extracts usage history information from the user information 114, for example, based on the day of the week and time period when the placement determination condition was satisfied, and acquires group information 115 when users U who have previously used the indoor space 20 on the same day of the week and time period as the placement determination condition are classified into multiple groups G. As a result, the current or most recent usage status of the indoor space 20 is estimated from the usage history trends when multiple users U used the indoor space 20 in the past, and then the users are classified into multiple groups G, so that the indoor space can be appropriately managed according to the usage status of the users U. Here, it is assumed that the group information 115 shown in FIG. 4 has been acquired.

Next, in step S110 (energy consumption information acquisition process), the energy consumption information acquisition unit 122 acquires energy consumption information 116A for adjusting each section 21 to a predetermined setting (24°C, 26°C, 28°C) using the air conditioning device 30, and energy consumption information 116B for adjusting each section 21 to a predetermined setting (500lx, 600lx, 700lx) using the lighting device 31.

For example, the energy consumption information acquisition unit 122 executes a simulation using a thermal environment prediction model and a visual environment prediction model that reflect the weather information 113 at the time when the placement determination condition is satisfied, thereby acquiring energy consumption information 116A of the air conditioning device 30 and energy consumption information 116B of the lighting device 31, as shown in FIG. 5. As a result, the energy consumption information 116 (116A, 116B) is calculated taking into account factors that change from moment to moment, so that more accurate energy consumption information 116 can be dynamically acquired.

Next, in step S120 (placement determination process), the placement determination unit 123 determines the placement of each group G with respect to the multiple sections 21 and the combination of setting values of each section 21 with respect to the multiple environmental adjustment devices 3 so as to minimize energy consumption based on the group information 115 and the energy consumption information 116, and generates placement information 117 including the determined information. Here, it is assumed that the placement information 117 shown in FIG. 6 has been acquired.

Next, in step S130 (control information output step), the control information output unit 124 outputs control information for operating each of the multiple environmental control devices 3 based on the combination of setting values of each section 21 for the multiple environmental control devices 3 determined by the placement determination unit 123 in step S120. As a result, the air conditioner 30 and the lighting device 31 operate according to the control information, and the temperature and illuminance of the indoor space 20 are adjusted according to the combination of setting values of each section 21.

Next, in step S140 (display information output process), the display information output unit 125 outputs display information that causes the information display device 4 to display the arrangement of each group G with respect to the multiple sections 21 determined by the arrangement determination unit 123 in step S120. As a result, the display information is displayed, for example, on the display screen of the information display device 4 as a layout of each group G1 to G3 as shown in FIG. 6, and is visually recognized by the user U and the manager of the building 2.

Then, the series of processes shown in FIG. 7 ends. Note that each step may be interchanged or omitted as long as it does not affect the operation. For example, steps S130 and S140 may be interchanged.

As described above, according to the indoor environment management device 1 of this embodiment, the group information acquisition unit 121 acquires, for each group G, as group information 115, the number of users U belonging to the group G and a combination of setting values that realizes an indoor environment suitable for the group G, the energy consumption information acquisition unit 122 acquires, for each environmental adjustment device 3, energy consumption information 116 that determines the amount of energy consumption by section 21 and by setting value when each of the multiple environmental adjustment devices 3 is used, and the placement determination unit 123 determines, based on the group information 115 and the energy consumption information 116, the placement of each group G relative to the multiple sections 21 and the combination of setting values for each section 21 relative to the multiple environmental adjustment devices 3 so as to minimize the amount of energy consumption.

Therefore, the indoor environment index value of each section 21 of the indoor space 20 is adjusted by the multiple environmental adjustment devices 3 to minimize energy consumption while realizing an indoor environment suitable for each group G into which the multiple users U are classified. Therefore, the indoor space 20 can be provided to the multiple users U in a state where both the comfort of the indoor environment and energy conservation are achieved.

Other Embodiments
Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the technical concept of the present invention.

In the above embodiment, the indoor environment management program 110 has been described as being stored in the storage unit 11, but it may also be provided by being recorded in an installable or executable file format on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM or DVD. Also, the indoor environment management program 110 may be provided by being stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and downloaded via the network.

1...Indoor environment management device,
2... Building, 3... Environmental control device, 4... Information display device, 5... Network,
10: input unit, 11: storage unit, 12: control unit, 13: communication unit, 14: output unit,
20: indoor space, 21: compartment, 22: window, 30: air conditioning device, 31: lighting device,
40: Manager terminal device, 41: Signboard device, 42: User terminal device,
100...Indoor environment control system,
110: indoor environment management program, 111: building specification information, 112: device specification information,
113...weather information, 114...user information, 115...group information,
116, 116A, 116B...Energy consumption information,
116A1 to 116A3, 116B1 to 116B3...Energy consumption table,
117: placement information, 120: information management unit, 121: group information acquisition unit,
122 ... energy consumption information acquisition unit, 123 ... placement determination unit,
124: control information output unit, 125: display information output unit,
300: Air outlet, 301: Air conditioning control device, 310: Lighting equipment, 311: Lighting control device,
G, G1-G3: Group, U: User

Claims (6)

An indoor environment management device controls a plurality of environmental conditioning devices, each of which is capable of adjusting a plurality of environmental index values representing an indoor environment of an indoor space to a predetermined set value for each of the virtually divided sections of the indoor space, to manage the indoor environment,
a group information acquisition unit that acquires, for each group, as group information when a plurality of users who use the indoor space are classified into a plurality of groups based on a predetermined classification criterion, the number of users belonging to the group and a combination of the setting values that realizes the indoor environment suitable for the group;
an energy consumption information acquisition unit that acquires, for each of the plurality of environmental conditioning devices, energy consumption information that defines an amount of energy consumption for each of the sections and each of the set values when each of the plurality of environmental conditioning devices is used;
and an arrangement determination unit that determines an arrangement of each of the groups with respect to the plurality of sections and a combination of setting values of each of the sections with respect to the plurality of environmental conditioning devices, based on the group information and the energy consumption information, so as to minimize the amount of energy consumption.
Indoor environmental control device. The group information acquisition unit
acquiring the group information by classifying usage record information when a plurality of users use the indoor space using a predetermined clustering method;
The indoor environment control device according to claim 1 . The energy consumption information acquisition unit
acquiring the energy consumption information based on a simulation process using building specification information of a building constituting the indoor space, device specification information of the plurality of environmental conditioning devices, and meteorological information at a location of the building;
The indoor environment control device according to claim 1 or 2. a display information output unit that outputs display information for displaying the arrangement of each of the groups determined by the arrangement determination unit on a display device;
The indoor environment control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The plurality of environmental conditioning devices are
An air conditioner that adjusts the temperature of the indoor space as the environmental index value; and
At least a lighting device that adjusts the illuminance of the indoor space as the environmental index value.
The indoor environment control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4. 1. An indoor environment management method in which a computer controls a plurality of environmental conditioning devices, each of which is capable of adjusting a plurality of environmental index values representing an indoor environment of an indoor space to predetermined setting values, for each virtually divided section of the indoor space, to manage the indoor environment, comprising:
a group information acquisition process for acquiring, for each group, the number of users belonging to a group and a combination of the setting values that realizes the indoor environment suitable for the group, as group information when a plurality of users who use the indoor space are classified into a plurality of groups based on a predetermined classification criterion;
an energy consumption information acquisition step of acquiring, for each of the plurality of environmental conditioning devices, energy consumption information that defines an amount of energy consumption for each of the sections and each of the set values when each of the plurality of environmental conditioning devices is used;
and determining an arrangement of each of the groups with respect to the plurality of sections and a combination of setting values of each of the sections with respect to the plurality of environmental conditioning devices based on the group information and the energy consumption information so as to minimize the amount of energy consumption.
Indoor environmental control methods.

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