JP7716622B2 - A program and a computer that runs the program - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to notification technology, and in particular to a program for notifying information and a computer that executes the program.

The purifying section of an air purifier is, for example, a filter made of a fiber or sponge-like material with a certain thickness and with numerous holes inside, allowing air to pass through. The purifying section filters the air drawn in through the intake port by passing the air through the numerous holes. The filtered air is then blown out of the air purifier through the outlet (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2019-60584 A

By connecting devices such as air purifiers to a network, the detection results of the sensors installed in the devices are displayed on terminal devices such as smartphones. When multiple devices are installed in the same space, such as a room, the detection results of each device are displayed on the terminal device. Users must estimate the air quality in that space by checking multiple detection results.

This disclosure has been made in light of these circumstances, and its purpose is to provide technology that notifies users of the air quality in a space.

To solve the above problem, one aspect of the program disclosed herein causes a computer to execute the following steps: externally acquiring air quality information that includes the values of multiple types of components and that is a compilation of detection results from multiple devices located in the same space; deriving an index that indicates the air quality in the same space based on the values of the multiple types of components included in the acquired air quality information; and displaying the derived index on a screen.

The problem is also solved by a computer that executes the program.

Another aspect of the present disclosure is also a program that causes a computer to execute the following steps: acquiring, from each of a plurality of devices with different air control functions, detection results from a different type of sensor mounted on each of the plurality of devices with different air control functions; deriving air quality information that summarizes the detection results from two or more of the plurality of devices with different air control functions, the detection results being mounted on different types of sensors and arranged in a single room that is the same space, and the air quality information includes values of a plurality of types of components; and outputting the derived air quality information, wherein the deriving step derives the air quality information by performing statistical processing for each component on the detection results from the two or more devices with different air control functions that are arranged in the single room that is the same space, and the statistical processing involves performing statistical processing on multiple detection results for the same component acquired from the two or more devices with different air control functions that are arranged in the single room that is the same space.

The problem is also solved by a computer that executes the program.

In addition, any combination of the above components, and any conversion of the expression of this disclosure into a method, device, system, recording medium, computer program, etc., are also valid aspects of this disclosure.

This disclosure makes it possible to notify users of the air quality in a single space.

1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating the configuration of a notification system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a room in which the notification system of FIGS. 3(a)-(c) are diagrams showing information in the notification system of FIGS. 1(a)-(c). 4(a) and 4(b) are diagrams showing the configurations of the server and the terminal device in FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b). 5A to 5C are diagrams showing an outline of the processing in the control unit of FIG. 4B. 6(a) to 6(c) are diagrams showing screens displayed on the display unit of FIG. 4(b). FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram showing a display procedure by the notification system of FIGS.

Before describing specific examples of the present disclosure, the findings underlying the examples will be explained. In recent years, by connecting devices to the Internet, device information is displayed on terminal devices such as smartphones. For example, if a device is equipped with a temperature sensor, temperature information is displayed on the terminal device. As the number of devices connectable to such networks increases, multiple devices may be installed in a single space. In such a situation, if information obtained from the devices is displayed on the terminal device for each device, the user must check and estimate the information from multiple devices in order to understand the temperature of that space. Therefore, there is a need to present the space information required by the user in a more understandable manner by collecting, calculating, and displaying device information on a space-by-space basis.

Figures 1(a)-(c) show the configuration of the notification system 1000. The notification system 1000 includes an air purifier 100, a ventilation fan 110, an air conditioner 120, a router 200, a network 300, a server 400, a terminal device 500, and a smart speaker 600. The air purifier 100, the ventilation fan 110, and the air conditioner 120 are collectively referred to as devices.

Air purifier 100 is a device with a removal function for removing dust, pollen, house dust, etc. floating in the air. Air purifier 100 is equipped with, for example, a thermometer for measuring temperature, a hygrometer for measuring humidity, a particulate matter sensor for measuring the density of particulate matter such as PM2.5, a gas sensor for measuring gas density, and a dust sensor for measuring dust density. The thermometer, hygrometer, particulate matter sensor, gas sensor, and dust sensor are collectively referred to as sensors.

The ventilation fan 110 is a device that uses a fan to forcibly exhaust indoor air, exhaust smoke, or replace it with outdoor air (ventilation). The ventilation fan 110 is equipped with, for example, a thermometer for measuring temperature, a hygrometer for measuring humidity, and a CO2 sensor for measuring CO2 density. The thermometer, hygrometer, and CO2 sensor are also collectively referred to as sensors. The air conditioner 120 is a type of air conditioning equipment and is a device that adjusts the temperature and humidity of indoor air. The air conditioner 120 is equipped with, for example, a thermometer for measuring temperature and a hygrometer for measuring humidity. The thermometer and hygrometer are also collectively referred to as sensors. In this way, different types of sensors are installed for each device.

The air purifier 100, ventilation fan 110, and air conditioner 120 have wireless or wired communication capabilities and can communicate with a router 200 installed in the facility where they are installed. The router 200 communicates with terminal devices 500 and smart speakers 600 within the facility, as well as with a network 300 outside the facility. The network 300 is, for example, the Internet, and is composed of wired communication, wireless communication, or a combination of both. A server 400 is connected to the network 300.

With this configuration, the detection results from the sensors of the air purifier 100, ventilation fan 110, and air conditioner 120 can be confirmed on the terminal device 500 or smart speaker 600. The terminal device 500 or smart speaker 600 transmits a signal requesting the transmission of the detection results (hereinafter referred to as a "request signal") to the server 400 via the router 200 and network 300. The server 400 transmits the request signal to the air purifier 100, ventilation fan 110, and air conditioner 120 via the network 300 and router 200. The air purifier 100, ventilation fan 110, and air conditioner 120 transmit the detection results to the server 400 via the router 200 and network 300. The server 400 transmits the detection results to the terminal device 500 and smart speaker 600 via the network 300 and router 200. The terminal device 500 and smart speaker 600 display the detection results or output them as audio.

If the terminal device 500 and smart speaker 600 output the sensor detection results as is, it would be difficult for the user to understand. Therefore, the server 400 performs processing on the detection results and transmits the processing results to the terminal device 500 and smart speaker 600 via the network 300 and router 200. The terminal device 500 and smart speaker 600 display the processing results or output them as audio. This processing is explained in detail below.

Figure 2 shows the configuration of a room in which the notification system 1000 is installed. The facility is, for example, a residence, and includes multiple rooms. Each of the multiple rooms includes, for example, a living room 700, a bedroom 710, a dining room 720, and a Japanese-style room 730. The living room 700, bedroom 710, dining room 720, and Japanese-style room 730 can be considered to be a single space independent of each other. The living room 700 is equipped with a first air purifier 100a and a second air purifier 100b, while the bedroom 710 is equipped with a third air purifier 100c, a first ventilation fan 110a, and an air conditioner 120. The dining room 720 is equipped with a fourth air purifier 100d, and the Japanese-style room 730 is equipped with a fifth air purifier 100e and a second ventilation fan 110b. The first air purifier 100a, the second air purifier 100b, the third air purifier 100c, the fourth air purifier 100d, and the fifth air purifier 100e are collectively referred to as air purifiers 100, and the first ventilation fan 110a and the second ventilation fan 110b are collectively referred to as ventilation fans 110. Here, multiple devices equipped with the same sensor are installed in the living room 700, and multiple devices equipped with different sensors are installed in the bedroom 710 and the Japanese-style room 730.

3(a)-(c) show information in the notification system 1000. FIG. 3(a) shows the detection results of the first air purifier 100a and the second air purifier 100b installed in the living room 700 of FIG. 2. The temperature and humidity values detected by the first air purifier 100a are shown as raw values. Furthermore, the gas detection values, small dust detection values, large dust detection values, and PM2.5 detection values of the first air purifier 100a are each shown as six levels of contamination levels ranging from 0 to 5. For example, the larger the detection value, the closer the contamination level approaches "5." To achieve this six-level evaluation, multiple thresholds are preset in the first air purifier 100a, and the detected value is compared with the multiple thresholds. Furthermore, the pollen detection value of the first air purifier 100a is shown as two levels of contamination levels ranging from 0 to 1. The contamination level "0" indicates that no pollen is detected, and the contamination level "1" indicates that pollen is detected. The same applies to the second air purifier 100b. Figures 3(b) and 3(c) will be described later.

Figures 4(a) and 4(b) show the configuration of the server 400 and the terminal device 500. The server 400 in Figure 4(a) includes a communication unit 410, a control unit 420, and a storage unit 430. As described above, the detection results of each of the multiple devices are transmitted to the server 400 via the router 200 and the network 300. The multiple devices are, for example, the air purifier 100, the ventilation fan 110, and the air conditioner 120 shown in Figures 1 and 2. Each detection result includes identification information "ID" for identifying the device that sent the result. The communication unit 410 receives the detection results. The communication unit 410 outputs the received detection results to the control unit 420. Therefore, it can be said that the control unit 420 acquires the detection results of each of the multiple devices from each of the multiple devices. The control unit 420 stores the detection results in the storage unit 430 based on the ID included in the detection results.

The memory unit 430 stores the detection results for each ID. The memory unit 430 also stores the correspondence between the ID and the identification information of the space in which the device with that ID is installed (hereinafter referred to as the "space ID"). For example, in Figure 2, the living room 700 is assigned the space ID "1", the bedroom 710 is assigned the space ID "2", the dining room 720 is assigned the space ID "3", and the Japanese-style room 730 is assigned the space ID "4". Based on the correspondence stored in the memory unit 430, the control unit 420 compiles the detection results of each device stored in the memory unit 430 into detection results for each space ID. This is equivalent to compiling the detection results of each device into detection results for each room, i.e., for each same space.

For example, the detection results for space ID "1" are those of sensors mounted on the first air purifier 100a and the second air purifier 100b located in the living room 700. Therefore, these detection results include temperature, humidity, gas detection values, dust (small and large), particulate matter (PM2.5), and pollen detection values. In other words, values for multiple types of components are acquired. The control unit 420 derives air quality information that combines the detection results from two or more devices located in the same space and includes values for multiple types of components. Specifically, the control unit 420 performs statistical processing for each component on the detection results from two or more devices located in the same space. Here, air quality information collectively refers to information on air temperature, humidity, gas, dust (small and large), particulate matter (PM2.5), pollen, etc.

If the temperature in the first air purifier 100a is 22°C and the temperature in the second air purifier 100b is 24°C, the control unit 420 averages these temperatures to derive a temperature of "23°C" for the living room 700. The control unit 420 also performs averaging processing on humidity, as with temperature. The control unit 420 also compares the gas detection value in the first air purifier 100a with the gas detection value in the second air purifier 100b and selects the maximum value. For example, if the gas detection value in the first air purifier 100a indicates a contamination level of "1" and the gas detection value in the second air purifier 100b indicates a contamination level of "3," the gas detection value in the living room 700 is determined to be a contamination level of "3." The control unit 420 also performs processing on the detection values for dust (fine and large), particulate matter (PM2.5), and pollen, similar to that for the gas detection values. Here, control unit 420 may use any of the minimum, maximum, or average values for each component. This process is shown in FIG. 3(b). As a result, control unit 420 generates information on the air quality in living room 700, which includes multiple types of components such as temperature, humidity, gas detection values, dust (small and large) detection values, particulate matter (PM2.5) detection values, and pollen detection values.

Furthermore, the detection results for space ID "2" are the detection results from sensors installed in the third air purifier 100c, first ventilation fan 110a, and air conditioner 120, which are located in bedroom 710. Therefore, these detection results are temperature, humidity, gas detection values, dust (small and large) detection values, particulate matter (PM2.5) detection values, pollen detection values, and CO2 detection values. Here, the CO2 detection value is output only from the first ventilation fan 110a, while the gas detection values, dust (small and large) detection values, particulate matter (PM2.5) detection values, and pollen detection values are output only from the third air purifier 100c. Therefore, the control unit 420 considers the CO2 detection value from the first ventilation fan 110a to be the CO2 detection value in bedroom 710. The control unit 420 also regards the gas detection values, dust (small and large) detection values, particulate matter (PM2.5), and pollen detection values from the third air purifier 100c as the detection values for the bedroom 710. The same processing as for the living room 700 is performed for temperature and humidity. As a result, the control unit 420 generates air quality information for the bedroom 710 that includes multiple types of components, such as temperature, humidity, gas detection values, dust (small and large) detection values, particulate matter (PM2.5), pollen detection values, and CO2 detection values.

The control unit 420 performs similar processing for the dining room 720 with space ID "3" and the Japanese-style room 730 with space ID "4." The communication unit 410 transmits the air quality information for each space to the terminal device 500 via the network 300 and router 200.

The terminal device 500 in FIG. 4(b) includes a communication unit 510, a control unit 520, a display unit 530, and an operation unit 540. The communication unit 510 receives air quality information from the server 400. The communication unit 510 outputs the air quality information to the control unit 520. Therefore, it can be said that the control unit 520 acquires from the server 400 air quality information that includes values of multiple types of components and that summarizes the detection results of multiple devices located in the same space. In particular, the values of the multiple types of components included in the air quality information are two or more of temperature, humidity, gas detection values, dust (fine and large) detection values, particulate matter (PM2.5) detection values, pollen detection values, and CO2 detection values.

The control unit 520 derives an index indicating the air quality of a space based on the values of multiple components contained in the air quality information for that space. Figures 5(a)-(c) show an overview of the processing performed by the control unit 520. Figure 5(a) shows the data structure of a table used to derive an index. The vertical axis shows the pollution level relative to the gas detection value, while the horizontal axis shows the pollution level relative to the dust (small and large) detection value, particulate matter (PM2.5) detection value, and pollen detection value. When the pollution level on the vertical axis is "0" and the pollution level on the horizontal axis is "0," an index with the message "Clean" surrounded by a first-colored ring is associated. When the pollution level on the vertical axis is "1" and the pollution level on the horizontal axis is "0," or when the pollution level on the vertical axis is "2" and the pollution level on the horizontal axis is "0" or "1," an index with the message "Smell" surrounded by a second-colored ring is associated. If the dirt level on the horizontal axis is "1" and the dirt level on the vertical axis is either "0" or "1," or if the dirt level on the horizontal axis is "2" and the dirt level on the vertical axis is any of "0" to "2," an indicator with the message "dusty" surrounded by a ring of the second color is associated.

When the dirt level on the vertical axis is "3" and the dirt level on the horizontal axis is any of "0" to "2," or when the dirt level on the vertical axis is "4" and the dirt level on the horizontal axis is any of "0" to "3," or when the dirt level on the vertical axis is "5" and the dirt level on the horizontal axis is any of "0" to "4," an indicator with a third-colored ring surrounding the message "Smelly" is associated. When the dirt level on the horizontal axis is "3" and the dirt level on the vertical axis is either "0" or "3," or when the dirt level on the horizontal axis is "4" and the dirt level on the vertical axis is any of "0" to "4," or when the dirt level on the horizontal axis is "5" and the dirt level on the vertical axis is any of "0" to "5," an indicator with a third-colored ring surrounding the message "Dusty" is associated. Here, the first, second, and third colors are different from one another. For example, the first color is green, the second color is yellow, and the third color is red. The first, second, and third colors may also be defined by differences in density. For example, the first color is displayed as the lightest and the third color is displayed as the darkest.

The control unit 520 maps the gas detection values included in the air quality information to the vertical axis. The control unit 520 also selects the maximum value from the dust (small, large) detection values, particulate matter (PM2.5) detection values, and pollen detection values included in the air quality information. The control unit 520 then maps the maximum value to the horizontal axis. As a result, the control unit 520 obtains a single index that encloses a message in a circle. In other words, the control unit 520 derives a single index based on the relationship between one of the dust (small, large) detection values, particulate matter (PM2.5) detection values, and pollen detection values and the gas detection values.

The control unit 520 also classifies the multiple types of components included in the air quality information into three icon display sensor groups as shown in Figure 5(b). The control unit 520 classifies the detected values of dust (small and large), particulate matter (PM2.5), and pollen into the icon display sensor group "house dust/pollen," the detected values of particulate matter (PM2.5) into the icon display sensor group "PM2.5," and the detected values of gas into the icon display sensor group "odor."

The control unit 520 selects the maximum contamination level from the detection values of dust (small and large), particulate matter (PM2.5), and pollen in the icon display sensor group "House Dust/Pollen." The control unit 520 determines the number of icons from the selected maximum contamination level based on the relationship shown in Figure 5(c). The control unit 520 also determines the number of icons from the detection values of particulate matter (PM2.5) in the icon display sensor group "PM2.5" based on the relationship shown in Figure 5(c). The control unit 520 also determines the number of icons from the detection values of gas in the icon display sensor group "Odor" based on the relationship shown in Figure 5(c). The results of this processing are shown in Figure 3(c).

The control unit 520 generates a screen based on one derived index and the number of icons in the icon display sensor group, and displays the screen on the display unit 530. Figures 6(a)-(c) show screens displayed on the display unit 530. As shown in Figure 6(a), the name of the room is displayed in the space display field 800. In this example, the space is assumed to be the living room 700. Below the space display field 800, a temperature/humidity display field 810 is located. The temperature/humidity display field 810 shows the temperature and humidity in the living room 700. Below the temperature/humidity display field 810, an index 820 derived by the control unit 520 is displayed.

Furthermore, at the bottom of the screen, an odor group 830, a PM2.5 group 840, and a house dust/pollen group 850 are arranged horizontally. The odor group 830 displays the number of icons specified for the icon display sensor group "Odor." The PM2.5 group 840 displays the number of icons specified for the icon display sensor group "PM2.5." The house dust/pollen group 850 displays the number of icons specified for the icon display sensor group "House dust/Pollen." Figures 6(b)-(c) show screens for a different space from that shown in Figure 6(a). This is shown in the same way as Figure 6(a), so a description thereof will be omitted here.

The operation unit 540 is an interface that accepts user operations. The operation unit 540 is, for example, a touch panel or buttons. If the operation unit 540 is a touch panel, the display unit 530 and the operation unit 540 are configured as an integrated unit. The smart speaker 600 in Figure 1 performs the same processing as the terminal device 500, so a description thereof will be omitted here. In this case, the smart speaker 600 outputs audio instead of displaying on the terminal device 500.

Compared to FIG. 1(a), the notification system 1000 in FIG. 1(b) includes a first base station device 310a and a second base station device 310b, collectively referred to as base station devices 310. A SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card 320 can be inserted into the air purifier 100. The air purifier 100 connects to the first base station device 310a and communicates with the server 400 via the network 300. The terminal device 500 connects to the second base station device 310b and connects to the server 400 via the network 300. In other words, the air purifier 100 and the terminal device 500 connect to the server 400 without going through the router 200. Compared to FIG. 1(a), the notification system 1000 in FIG. 1(c) does not include the network 300 or the server 400. Therefore, the processing previously performed by the server 400 is now executed by the terminal device 500 or smart speaker 600.

The subject of the device, system, or method disclosed herein comprises a computer. When this computer executes a program, the functions of the subject of the device, system, or method disclosed herein are realized. The computer's main hardware configuration is a processor that operates according to the program. The processor may be of any type, as long as it can realize the functions by executing the program. The processor is composed of one or more electronic circuits, including semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs) or large-scale integration (LSIs). Multiple electronic circuits may be integrated into a single chip, or may be provided on multiple chips. Multiple chips may be integrated into a single device, or may be provided on multiple devices. The program is recorded on a non-transitory recording medium such as a computer-readable ROM, optical disc, or hard disk drive. The program may be pre-stored on the recording medium, or may be supplied to the recording medium via a wide-area communication network, including the Internet.

The operation of the notification system 1000 configured as described above will now be described. Figure 7 is a sequence diagram showing the display procedures performed by the notification system 1000. The terminal device 500 sends a request signal to the server 400 (S10). The server 400 sends a request signal to the first air purifier 100a (S12) and to the second air purifier 100b (S14). The first air purifier 100a sends the detection results to the server 400 (S16), and the second air purifier 100b sends the detection results to the server 400 (S18). The server 400 derives air quality information that summarizes the detection results for each room (S20). The server 400 sends the air quality information to the terminal device 500 (S22). The terminal device 500 derives an index based on the air quality information (S24) and displays a screen including the index on the display unit 530 (S26).

According to this embodiment, a single index indicating the air quality in a single space is displayed on the screen based on the values of multiple components contained in air quality information that summarizes the detection results of multiple devices located in the same space, thereby making it possible to notify the user of the air quality in that single space. Furthermore, since the air quality in that single space is notified, the user can instantly grasp the information about the space. Furthermore, since the values of the multiple components contained in the air quality information are two or more of gas detection values, dust detection values, particulate matter detection values, and pollen detection values, the user can grasp the details of the air quality. Furthermore, since a single index is derived based on the relationship between one of the dust detection values, particulate matter detection values, and pollen detection values and the gas detection value, the air quality in that single space can be easily notified.

In addition, the system derives air quality information that combines detection results from two or more devices located in the same space and includes values for multiple components, making it possible to notify the air quality in a single space. Furthermore, air quality information is derived by performing statistical processing for each component on the detection results from two or more devices located in the same space, improving the accuracy of the derived air quality. Furthermore, the maximum value is selected for statistical processing, making it possible to notify the worst air quality.

An overview of one aspect of the present disclosure is as follows: A program of one aspect of the present disclosure causes a computer to execute the following steps: externally acquiring air quality information that includes the values of multiple types of components and that is a compilation of detection results from multiple devices located in the same space; deriving an index that indicates the air quality in the same space based on the values of the multiple types of components included in the acquired air quality information; and displaying the derived index on a screen.

The values of the multiple types of components included in the air quality information acquired in the acquisition step may be two or more of gas detection values, dust detection values, particulate matter detection values, and pollen detection values.

The values of multiple types of components included in the air quality information acquired in the acquiring step may include gas detection values, and the deriving step may derive an index based on the relationship between one of the dust detection value, particulate matter detection value, and pollen detection value and the gas detection value.

Computers that execute these described programs are also within the scope of this disclosure.

Another aspect of the present disclosure is also a program. This program causes a computer to execute the steps of: acquiring detection results from each of a plurality of devices; deriving air quality information that combines detection results from two or more of the plurality of devices that are located in the same space and that includes values for multiple types of components; and outputting the derived air quality information.

The deriving step may derive air quality information by performing statistical processing for each component on the detection results from two or more devices located in the same space.

The deriving step may involve selecting the maximum value as a statistical process.

The values of the multiple types of components included in the air quality information derived in the deriving step may be two or more of gas detection values, dust detection values, particulate matter detection values, and pollen detection values.

Computers that execute these described programs are also within the scope of this disclosure.

The present disclosure has been described above based on examples. These examples are merely illustrative, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications are possible in the combination of each component or each treatment process, and that such modifications are also within the scope of the present disclosure.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 100 Air purifier 110 Ventilation fan 120 Air conditioner 200 Router 300 Network 310 Base station device 320 SIM card 400 Server 410 Communication unit 420 Control unit 430 Storage unit 500 Terminal device 510 Communication unit 520 Control unit 530 Display unit 540 Operation unit 600 Smart speaker 1000 Notification system

Claims (4)

acquiring, from each of a plurality of devices with different functions for controlling air, detection results of different types of sensors mounted on the devices;
a step of deriving air quality information that is a compilation of the detection results from two or more devices among the plurality of devices, each device having a different type of sensor and a different function for controlling air, and that includes values of a plurality of types of components;
and outputting the derived air quality information;
The deriving step derives the air quality information by performing statistical processing for each component on the detection results from two or more devices that have different functions for controlling air and are arranged in one room that is the same space;
The statistical processing is a program that performs statistical processing on multiple detection results of the same component obtained from two or more devices with different functions for controlling air placed in a single room, which is the same space. The program described in claim 1, wherein the deriving step selects the maximum value as a statistical process. The program described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the values of the multiple types of components included in the air quality information derived in the deriving step are two or more of gas detection values, dust detection values, particulate matter detection values, and pollen detection values. A computer that executes the program described in any one of claims 1 to 3.