JP7716664B2 - Air flow creation system and air flow creation method - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to an airflow creation system and airflow creation method for creating airflow, for example, inside a facility.

Patent Document 1 discloses a droplet reach range control system. This control system includes a first acquisition unit, a second acquisition unit, an estimation unit, and a control unit. The first acquisition unit acquires environmental information indicating at least one of wind speed, wind direction, temperature, humidity, and spatial scale within a space. The second acquisition unit acquires subject information indicating the facial position and orientation of each of a first subject and a second subject present within the space. The estimation unit estimates the reach range of droplets from the first subject based on the environmental information and the subject information. If the breathing range of the second subject is present within the reach range, the control unit adjusts the environment within the space so that the breathing range is outside the reach range.

International Publication No. 2020/044826

This disclosure provides an airflow creation system that can easily reduce the risk of infectious diseases in living organisms inside a facility.

An airflow creation system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a detection unit, a first acquisition unit, a determination unit, a decision unit, and a control unit. The detection unit detects a living organism within a facility. The first acquisition unit acquires infection information related to an infectious disease for the living organism detected by the detection unit from a recording medium carried by the living organism or an image of the living organism . The determination unit determines an infection stage indicating the degree of infection of the living organism detected by the detection unit based on the infection information acquired by the first acquisition unit. When the detection unit detects multiple living organisms with different infection stages in a space within the facility that may share air, the decision unit determines an airflow such that the living organism with a lower infection stage is upwind of the living organism with a higher infection stage. The control unit controls an air conditioning device that adjusts the airflow so that the airflow determined by the decision unit is created in the space.

An airflow formation method according to one aspect of the present disclosure detects a living organism inside a facility, acquires infection information relating to an infectious disease for the detected organism from a recording carrier carried by the detected organism or an image of the organism , determines an infection stage indicating the degree of infection of the detected organism based on the acquired infection information, and when multiple living organisms with different infection stages are detected in a space inside the facility that may share air, determines an airflow such that the living organisms with lower infection stages are upwind of the living organisms with higher infection stages, and controls air conditioning equipment to adjust the air flow so that the determined airflow is formed in the space.

These comprehensive or specific aspects may be realized as a system, method, integrated circuit, computer program, or computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, or as any combination of a system, method, integrated circuit, computer program, and recording medium.

An airflow creation system according to one aspect of the present disclosure has the advantage of easily reducing the risk of infectious diseases in living organisms within a facility.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an outline of an air flow creation system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the risk of infection of a living organism inside a facility according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of an air flow created by the air flow creation system according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the air flow creation system according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an outline of an air flow creation system according to a first modified example of the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an outline of an air flow creation system according to a second modified example of the embodiment.

In recent years, growing attention has been paid to the risk of infectious diseases such as COVID-19, including the onset of infection through the ingestion of minute infectious substances suspended in exhaled breath (including droplets and aerosols). In this regard, importance is being placed on airborne infection control measures, such as the use of masks to prevent the spread of infectious substances and the importance of indoor ventilation. In particular, given the frequent occurrence of multiple people (living organisms) staying in highly airtight dwellings (facilities) such as homes for extended periods of time, widespread attention has also been paid to the risk of infection within the home. In light of the above, the inventors have come up with the present disclosure.

The following describes the embodiments in detail, with reference to the drawings.

The embodiments described below are comprehensive or specific examples. The numerical values, shapes, materials, components, component placement and connection configurations, steps, and step order shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the claims.

Furthermore, the figures are not necessarily strict illustrations. In each figure, substantially identical components are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations may be omitted or simplified.

(Embodiment)
[composition]
1 is a block diagram showing an overview of an air flow creation system 100 according to an embodiment. The air flow creation system 100 according to the embodiment is a system for reducing the risk of infection of a living organism 4 inside a facility 2 with an infectious disease.

Infectious diseases are caused by inhaling pathogens such as viruses or germs into the respiratory tract, i.e., infectious diseases transmitted through the respiratory tract. Respiratory infections are divided into airborne infections and droplet infections. Airborne infections may include, for example, measles, tuberculosis, or chickenpox. Droplet infections may include, for example, influenza, mumps, or COVID-19.

Living organism 4 is a person or animal that may develop an infectious disease caused by respiratory tract infection as described above. Living organism 4 may include, for example, not only humans but also pets such as dogs, cats, mink, or ferrets, as well as livestock such as cows or chickens. In the following, unless otherwise specified, the living organism 4 will be described as a human.

The facility 2 is, for example, a facility where multiple living organisms 4 can reside or stay. The facility 2 may include, for example, a residential facility such as a detached house or an apartment building. The facility 2 may also include, for example, facilities such as a school, hospital, nursing home, or library, as well as commercial facilities such as a shop or office, or industrial facilities such as a factory. In the following, unless otherwise specified, the facility 2 will be described as a detached house where multiple people reside.

In this embodiment, the airflow creation system 100 is realized by a server device. For example, a cloud server can be used as the server device. Alternatively, an edge server, a home server, a workstation, or any combination thereof may be used as the server device. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the server device will be described as being installed inside the facility 2.

As shown in FIG. 1, the airflow creation system 100 includes a detection unit 11, a first acquisition unit 12, a determination unit 13, a decision unit 14, a control unit 15, and a memory unit 16. The detection unit 11, the first acquisition unit 12, the determination unit 13, the decision unit 14, and the control unit 15 may each be implemented using, for example, a processor (not shown) and a memory (not shown) storing instructions. It should be noted that the detection unit 11, the first acquisition unit 12, the determination unit 13, the decision unit 14, and the control unit 15 may each be implemented using dedicated electronic circuits.

The detection unit 11 detects a living organism 4 inside the facility 2. Here, the detection unit 11 not only detects whether or not a living organism 4 is present inside the facility 2, but also identifies and detects the living organism 4. The detection unit 11 also detects the position of the living organism 4 inside the facility 2. Below, examples of means for detecting the living organism 4 by the detection unit 11 are listed. Note that the detection means shown below are only examples, and it goes without saying that detection means other than the examples shown below may exist. Furthermore, the detection unit 11 may apply one of the detection means shown below, or a combination of multiple detection means.

The detection unit 11 communicates with, for example, one or more cameras installed inside the facility 2 via a communications network. Each camera captures images of the interior of the facility 2 and transmits the captured still or moving images to the detection unit 11. The detection unit 11 then detects living organisms 4 present inside the facility 2 by performing appropriate image analysis processing on the still or moving images captured by each camera.

The detection unit 11 also communicates with one or more tag readers installed, for example, inside the facility 2, via a communications network. Each tag reader is a device that acquires information stored in an IC (Integrated Circuit) tag, which is a type of RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag, by wirelessly communicating with the IC tag. The IC tag is held by the living organism 4. The IC tag stores information that can individually identify the living organism 4. The detection unit 11 detects the living organism 4 present inside the facility 2 by acquiring the information stored in the IC tag read by each tag reader.

The detection unit 11 also communicates with one or more transceivers installed, for example, inside the facility 2, via a communications network. Each transceiver is a device that acquires information stored in a portable device, such as a smartphone or wristwatch carried by a living organism 4 (here, a person), by wirelessly communicating with the portable device. The portable device stores information that can individually identify the living organism 4. The detection unit 11 detects the living organism 4 present inside the facility 2 by acquiring the information stored in the portable device acquired by each transceiver.

The first acquisition unit 12 acquires infection information related to an infectious disease for the living organism 4 detected by the detection unit 11. The infection information may include information that directly indicates whether or not the living organism 4 has developed an infectious disease. The infection information may also include information such as the state or behavior of the living organism 4 that suggests whether the living organism 4 has developed an infectious disease, is likely to develop an infectious disease, or is not likely to develop an infectious disease. Examples of infection information are listed below. Note that the infection information shown below is only an example, and it goes without saying that there may be infection information other than the examples shown below.

Infection information may include, for example, test results as to whether or not living organism 4 has developed an infectious disease. For example, if the infectious disease is COVID-19, infection information may include test results from a PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) test. In this case, infection information indicating that the PCR test result is positive is information that directly indicates that living organism 4 has developed an infectious disease.

In addition, the infection information may include information indicating whether the living organism 4 is exhibiting symptoms, such as coughing or fever, that indicate that the living organism 4 has or is suspected of having an infectious disease. For example, infection information indicating whether the living organism 4 is coughing or sneezing, the number of coughs or sneezes per unit time if present, whether there is a fever, whether there is sweating, or pulse rate, etc., is information indicating whether the living organism 4 is suspected of having an infectious disease.

In addition, infection information may include, for example, information indicating that living organism 4 has been ordered to stay at home. Circumstances in which living organism 4 is ordered to stay at home may arise, for example, when a predetermined period of time has not passed since living organism 4's fever subsided, when living organism 4 moves to an area different from its residential area (for example, outside the prefecture), when living organism 4 travels overseas, or when living organism 4 has had relatively close contact with an infected person who has developed an infectious disease. For example, infection information indicating that living organism 4 has been ordered to stay at home is information indicating that living organism 4 is suspected of having developed an infectious disease.

In addition, infection information may include information indicating that living organism 4 has engaged in behavior that is likely to result in the onset of an infectious disease. Here, behavior that is likely to result in living organism 4 developing an infectious disease is, for example, visiting a place where the so-called three Cs of closed spaces, crowded places, and close contact may occur. Places where the three Cs may occur may include, for example, restaurants where eating and drinking involve conversation, karaoke bars, event venues for meetings and live performances, exam venues at schools, or ceremonial halls for weddings, funerals, etc. For example, infection information indicating that living organism 4 has engaged in behavior that is likely to result in the onset of an infectious disease is information indicating that living organism 4 is suspected of developing an infectious disease.

In addition, the infection information may include information indicating that the living body 4 is a target for protection from infectious diseases. Here, the living body 4 to be protected is, for example, an elderly person, an infant, a pregnant woman, or a patient with a respiratory disease, who is at risk of developing a serious infection if they develop it.

The first acquisition unit 12 acquires infection information by receiving infection information entered by, for example, the living body 4 or a person related to the living body 4 using an information terminal (not shown) from the information terminal via a communications network. In other words, the first acquisition unit 12 acquires infection information based on self-reporting by the living body 4 or a person related to the living body 4. The information terminal is, for example, a smartphone or tablet computer with a touch panel display. Furthermore, for example, the information terminal may be a desktop computer or laptop computer with an input device (e.g., a mouse and keyboard) and a display. Alternatively, the information terminal may be a controller dedicated to the airflow creation system 100. Communication between the first acquisition unit 12 and the information terminal may be, for example, a wired communication circuit or a wireless communication circuit, but is not limited to these.

The first acquisition unit 12 may also be configured to automatically acquire infection information without relying on self-reporting by the living body 4 or a person related to the living body 4. Examples of acquisition means for automatically acquiring infection information by the first acquisition unit 12 are listed below. Note that the acquisition means listed below are only examples, and it goes without saying that acquisition means other than the examples listed below may exist. The first acquisition unit 12 may apply one of the acquisition means listed below, or a combination of multiple acquisition means.

For example, assume that the detection unit 11 detects the living body 4 by communicating with each tag reader via a communications network, and that infection information is stored in an IC tag held by the living body 4. In this case, the first acquisition unit 12 can indirectly acquire the infection information from the IC tag via each tag reader. Note that the infection information can be written to the IC tag in advance by the living body 4 or a person related to the living body 4.

Also, for example, assume that the detection unit 11 detects the living body 4 by communicating with each transceiver via a communications network, and that infection information is stored in a portable device carried by the living body 4. In this case, the first acquisition unit 12 can indirectly acquire the infection information from the portable device via each transceiver. Note that the living body 4 or a person related to the living body 4 can input the infection information into the portable device in advance.

Even if infection information is not stored in the IC tag or portable device, if there is another system that manages infection information on living organisms 4, the first acquisition unit 12 can acquire infection information on living organisms 4 from that other system. In other words, when the first acquisition unit 12 acquires identification information on living organisms 4 from the IC tag or portable device, it can acquire infection information on living organisms 4 from that other system by requesting infection information corresponding to this identification information from that other system.

Also, for example, assume that the detection unit 11 detects the living organism 4 based on still images or video images captured by each camera. In this case, the first acquisition unit 12 can acquire infection information by analyzing the still images or video images captured by each camera to see if the living organism 4 is coughing or performing other actions. Furthermore, if each camera is a thermal camera, for example, the first acquisition unit 12 can also acquire infection information by analyzing the body temperature of the living organism 4 in the still images or video images captured by each camera.

The first acquisition unit 12 may acquire infection information based on the self-reporting of the living body 4 or a person related to the living body 4, or may acquire infection information automatically, or may combine both.

The determination unit 13 determines the infection stage indicating the degree of infection of the living organism 4 detected by the detection unit 11, based on the infection information acquired by the first acquisition unit 12. In this embodiment, the infection stages include at least three stages: Stage 1, in which the living organism 4 has developed an infectious disease; Stage 2, in which the living organism 4 is suspected of having developed an infectious disease; and Stage 3, in which the living organism 4 has not developed an infectious disease. In this embodiment, the infection stages also include Stage 4, which is lower than Stage 3 and indicates that the living organism 4 is a target for protection from an infectious disease. In other words, in this embodiment, the determination unit 13 determines that the living organism 4 is at one of the infection stages from Stage 1 to Stage 4. Below are listed examples of infection stage determinations made by the determination unit 13. Note that the determination example shown below is just one example, and it goes without saying that there may be determination examples other than those shown below.

For example, if the infection information of the living body 4 includes information indicating that the test result for an infectious disease is positive, the determination unit 13 determines that the infection stage of this living body 4 is at stage 1. Also, for example, if the infection information of the living body 4 includes information indicating that the living body 4 is exhibiting symptoms such as a fever, the determination unit 13 determines that the infection stage of this living body 4 is at stage 2. Also, for example, if the infection information of the living body 4 includes information indicating that the test result for an infectious disease is negative and also includes information indicating that the living body 4 has been ordered to stay at home, the determination unit 13 determines that the infection stage of this living body 4 is at stage 2. Also, for example, if the infection information of the living body 4 includes information indicating that the living body 4 has engaged in behavior that is likely to result in the onset of an infectious disease, the determination unit 13 determines that the infection stage of this living body 4 is at stage 2.

Furthermore, for example, if the information does not include both information indicating that the living body 4 has developed an infectious disease and information indicating that the living body 4 is suspected of having developed an infectious disease, the determination unit 13 determines that the infection stage of this living body 4 is at stage 3.Furthermore, for example, if the infection information of the living body 4 includes information indicating that the living body 4 is a target for protection from infectious diseases, the determination unit 13 determines that the infection stage of this living body 4 is at stage 4.

When the detection unit 11 detects multiple living organisms 4 at different infection stages in a space 21 that may share air within the facility 2, the determination unit 14 determines an airflow 6 such that living organisms 4 at lower infection stages are upwind of living organisms 4 at higher infection stages. Here, the higher the likelihood that a living organism 4 has developed an infectious disease, the higher the infection stage, and the higher the likelihood that a living organism 4 has not developed an infectious disease, the lower the infection stage. In this embodiment, the infection stages increase in order from stage 4, stage 3, stage 2, and stage 1.

The space 21 referred to here may include, for example, not only a single room, but also multiple adjacent rooms. In the case of multiple adjacent rooms, if there is an opening/closing member 3 (see Figures 2 and 3) such as a window or door on the wall that forms the boundary between them, the air between the rooms is shared via the opening/closing member 3 when the opening/closing member 3 is open. Therefore, in this case, multiple adjacent rooms correspond to a space 21 that can share air, regardless of whether the opening/closing member 3 is open or not.

Specifically, the determination unit 14 determines the airflow 6 based on the positions in the space 21 of the multiple living organisms 4 detected by the detection unit 11 and the positions and performance of the air conditioning equipment 7 that can be controlled by the control unit 15. If information indicating the positions and performance of the air conditioning equipment 7 is stored in advance in the memory unit 16, it can be referenced by reading it from the memory unit 16.

For example, assume that the detection unit 11 detects the presence of two living organisms 4 in the space 21. Here, if the determination unit 13 determines that the infection level of one of the two living organisms 4 is higher than that of the other living organism 4, the decision unit 14 determines an airflow 6 such that the other living organism 4 is upwind and one living organism 4 is downwind, i.e., an airflow 6 directed from the other living organism 4 to one living organism 4. Conversely, if the determination unit 13 determines that the infection level of one living organism 4 is lower than that of the other living organism 4, the decision unit 14 determines an airflow 6 such that one living organism 4 is upwind and the other living organism 4 is downwind, i.e., an airflow 6 directed from one living organism 4 to the other living organism 4.

Furthermore, for example, if three or more living organisms 4 are detected in the space 21, the determination unit 14 determines the airflow 6 so that the living organism 4 determined by the determination unit 13 to be at the highest infection stage among these living organisms 4 is located downwind, and the remaining living organisms 4 are located upwind.

Note that if the multiple living organisms 4 detected in the space 21 are at the same infection stage, the determination unit 14 does not determine the airflow 6, i.e., does not perform any particular action. For example, if all of the multiple living organisms 4 detected in the space 21 are at the third stage (i.e., they have not developed an infectious disease), the determination unit 14 does not determine the airflow 6.

The control unit 15 controls the air conditioning equipment 7 to adjust the air flow so that the airflow 6 determined by the determination unit 14 is formed in the space 21. In this embodiment, multiple air conditioning equipment 7 are installed inside the facility 2. Furthermore, each air conditioning equipment 7 is capable of communicating with the control unit 15 via a communications network. Therefore, the control unit 15 can remotely control each air conditioning equipment 7 by sending a control signal to each air conditioning equipment 7 via the communications network.

The air conditioning equipment 7 may include an air conditioner, a blower, or a ventilation fan 71 (see Figures 2 and 3). The blower may include, for example, a fan, a circulator, or an air purifier. The air conditioner and the blower in the air conditioning equipment 7 are both devices that create airflow 6 by blowing air into the space 21. On the other hand, the ventilation fan 71 in the air conditioning equipment 7 is a device that creates airflow 6 by drawing in air from the space 21 and discharging it to the outside of the space 21. In the embodiment, the air conditioning equipment 7 includes a ventilation fan 71 that exhausts air from the space 21 to the outside. Here, "outside" may refer to the outside of the space 21, and does not necessarily have to be the outside of the facility 2.

The control unit 15 transmits a control signal via the communications network to those air conditioning devices 7, among the plurality of air conditioning devices 7, that can contribute to the formation of the airflow 6 determined by the determination unit 14. As a result, the air conditioning devices 7 that receive the control signal operate in accordance with the control content included in the control signal, thereby forming the airflow 6 determined by the determination unit 14 in the space 21.

The memory unit 16 is a storage device that stores various types of information. The memory unit 16 is realized, for example, by a semiconductor memory, but is not particularly limited and any known means of electronic information storage can be used. The memory unit 16 stores, for example, infection information acquired by the first acquisition unit 12 in association with identification information for the living body 4. The memory unit 16 also stores the infection stage determined by the determination unit 13 in association with identification information for the living body 4. Furthermore, the memory unit 16 stores information indicating the location and performance of the air conditioning equipment 7.

The significance of forming the airflow 6 will be explained below with reference to Figures 2 and 3. Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram of the risk of infection of a living organism 4 inside a facility 2 in an embodiment. Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram of the airflow 6 formed by an airflow creating system 100 in accordance with an embodiment.

Figures 2 and 3 both show two adjacent rooms 22A and 22B, each bounded by a door 31 serving as an opening/closing member 3, as a space 21 that can share air inside the facility 2. In the example shown in Figures 2 and 3, the door 31 is open. Furthermore, a ventilation fan 71 serving as air conditioning equipment 7 is installed in room 22A, one of the two adjacent rooms 22A and 22B. Furthermore, Figure 2 shows that the air flow creation system 100 according to the embodiment is not functioning, and therefore no air flow 6 is being formed. On the other hand, Figure 3 shows that the air flow creation system 100 according to the embodiment is functioning, and therefore an air flow 6 is being formed.

In the example shown in Figures 2 and 3, it is assumed that there are two living organisms 4 in the space 21, and that one living organism 4, the first living organism 4A, is at the first infection stage, and the other living organism 4, the second living organism 4B, is at the third infection stage.

In the example shown in Figure 2, because no airflow 6 is formed, the breath 5 exhaled from the first living organism 4A, which is in the first stage of infection, drifts disorderly within the space 21. The breath 5 here may include, for example, droplets exhaled from the living organism 4 as well as aerosols exhaled from the living organism 4. For this reason, in the example shown in Figure 2, the breath 5 drifting within the space 21 may reach the second living organism 4B, which may inhale the breath 5, potentially introducing infectious substances contained in the breath 5 into its body. In other words, in the example shown in Figure 2, the risk of infection of the living organism 4 (here, the second living organism 4B) with an infectious disease tends to be high. Note that arrow A1 in Figure 2 represents the flow of the breath 5.

In contrast, in the example shown in Figure 3, the airflow creating system 100 creates an airflow 6 such that the second living organism 4B, which is in the third infection stage, is upwind and the first living organism 4A, which is in the first infection stage, is downwind. Therefore, in the example shown in Figure 3, the breath 5 exhaled from the first living organism 4A is pushed away by the airflow 6, making it difficult for the breath 5 to reach the second living organism 4B. Therefore, in the example shown in Figure 3, it is difficult for the second living organism 4B to inhale the breath 5, reducing the possibility of introducing infectious substances into the body. In other words, the example shown in Figure 3 makes it possible to reduce the risk of the living organism 4 (here, the second living organism 4B) becoming infected with an infectious disease.

[Operation]
An example of the operation (air flow creation method) of air flow creation system 100 according to the embodiment will be described below with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation (air flow creation method) of air flow creation system 100 according to the embodiment.

First, the detection unit 11 detects whether or not a living organism 4 is present inside the facility 2 (S1). Process S1 is executed continuously. Then, if a living organism 4 is present inside the facility 2 (S2: Yes), the first acquisition unit 12 acquires infection information of the living organism 4 detected by the detection unit 11 (S3). The infection information acquired by the first acquisition unit 12 is stored in the memory unit 16 in association with the identification information of the living organism 4. Then, the determination unit 13 determines the infection stage of the living organism 4 based on the infection information acquired by the first acquisition unit 12 (S4). The infection stage determined by the determination unit 13 is stored in the memory unit 16 in association with the identification information of the living organism 4. On the other hand, if a living organism 4 is not present inside the facility 2 (S2: No), the first acquisition unit 12 and the determination unit 13 do not execute anything in particular.

Next, if multiple living organisms 4 are detected in the space 21 (S5: Yes), the determination unit 14 reads the infection stage of each of these living organisms 4 from the memory unit 16 and compares the infection stages of each of these living organisms 4 (S6). On the other hand, if multiple living organisms 4 are not detected in the space 21 (S5: No), the determination unit 14 does not execute anything in particular. Then, if the infection stages of these living organisms 4 are not the same (S6: Yes), the determination unit 14 determines an airflow 6 such that living organisms 4 with lower infection stages are upwind of living organisms 4 with higher infection stages (S7). On the other hand, if the infection stages of these living organisms 4 are the same (S6: No), the determination unit 14 does not execute anything in particular.

The control unit 15 then controls one or more target air conditioning devices 7 so that the airflow 6 determined by the determination unit 14 is formed in the space 21 (S8). The control of the one or more air conditioning devices 7 continues, for example, until multiple living organisms 4 are no longer detected in the space 21.

[Effects, etc.]
As described above, the airflow creation system 100 according to the embodiment includes the detection unit 11, the first acquisition unit 12, the determination unit 13, the decision unit 14, and the control unit 15. The detection unit 11 detects a living organism 4 inside the facility 2. The first acquisition unit 12 acquires infection information related to an infectious disease for the living organism 4 detected by the detection unit 11. The determination unit 13 determines an infection stage indicating the degree of infection of the living organism 4 detected by the detection unit 11 based on the infection information acquired by the first acquisition unit 12. When the detection unit 11 detects multiple living organisms 4 with different infection stages in a space 21 that may share air inside the facility 2, the decision unit 14 determines an airflow 6 such that living organisms 4 with lower infection stages are upwind of living organisms 4 with higher infection stages. The control unit 15 controls the air conditioning equipment 7 to adjust the air flow so that the airflow 6 determined by the decision unit 14 is created in the space 21.

This has the advantage that the breath 5 exhaled from living organisms 4 at a high infection stage is pushed away by the airflow 6, making it less likely for the breath 5 to reach living organisms 4 at a low infection stage. This makes it less likely for living organisms 4 at a low infection stage to inhale the breath 5, reducing the likelihood of infectious substances being taken into the body. In other words, this has the advantage of making it easier to reduce the risk of living organisms 4 at the facility 2 contracting an infectious disease.

In particular, if facility 2 is a residential facility, situations where multiple residents are likely to be relatively close together are likely to occur, and if no measures are taken, there is a high possibility of infection occurring within the home. Even in such cases, by creating airflow 6 using the airflow creating system 100 according to the embodiment, it is expected that the probability of infection occurring within the home will be reduced.

Compared to the droplet reach range control system disclosed in Patent Document 1, the airflow creation system 100 according to the embodiment has the advantage that it is easier to reduce the risk of infection of the living organisms 4 with an infectious disease using a simple method, since it does not need to detect the facial orientation of each of the multiple living organisms 4 to estimate the reach range of droplets. Furthermore, the airflow creation system 100 according to the embodiment only creates an airflow 6 when multiple living organisms 4 at different infection stages are present in the space 21. Therefore, for example, when multiple living organisms 4 at the same infection stage are present in the space 21, unnecessary airflow 6 is not created, and the airflow 6 is less likely to cause discomfort to the living organisms 4.

Furthermore, in the air flow creation system 100 according to the embodiment, the infection stage includes at least three stages: a first stage in which the living organism 4 has developed an infectious disease; a second stage in which the living organism 4 is suspected of having developed an infectious disease; and a third stage in which the living organism 4 has not developed an infectious disease.

This has the advantage that, compared to when the infection stage includes only two stages, stage 1 and stage 3, it is easier to reduce the possibility of other living organisms 4 developing an infectious disease via a living organism 4 suspected of having developed an infectious disease.

Furthermore, in the air flow creation system 100 according to the embodiment, the infection stage further includes a fourth stage, which is lower than the third stage and indicates that the living body 4 is a target for protection from infectious diseases.

This has the advantage of further reducing the risk of infection for living organism 4, which is at risk of becoming seriously ill if it develops an infectious disease.

Furthermore, in the air flow creation system 100 according to the embodiment, the air conditioning equipment 7 includes a ventilation fan 71 that exhausts air from the space 21 to the outside.

This has the advantage that the ventilation fan 71 can exhaust exhaled air 5, which may contain infectious substances floating in the space 21, to the outside, thereby further reducing the risk of infection of the living body 4 with an infectious disease.

In addition, the airflow creation method according to the embodiment detects a living organism 4 inside the facility 2. In addition, the airflow creation method according to the embodiment acquires infection information related to an infectious disease for the detected living organism 4. In addition, the airflow creation method according to the embodiment determines the infection stage, which indicates the degree of infection of the detected living organism 4, based on the acquired infection information. In addition, in the airflow creation method according to the embodiment, when multiple living organisms 4 with different infection stages are detected in a space 21 that may share air inside the facility 2, an airflow 6 is determined such that living organisms 4 with lower infection stages are upwind of living organisms 4 with higher infection stages. In addition, the airflow creation method according to the embodiment controls an air conditioning device 7 that adjusts the air flow so that the determined airflow 6 is formed in the space 21.

This has the advantage that the breath 5 exhaled from living organisms 4 at a high infection stage is pushed away by the airflow 6, making it less likely for the breath 5 to reach living organisms 4 at a low infection stage. This makes it less likely for living organisms 4 at a low infection stage to inhale the breath 5, reducing the likelihood of infectious substances being taken into the body. In other words, this has the advantage of making it easier to reduce the risk of living organisms 4 at the facility 2 contracting an infectious disease.

(Modification)
While the airflow creation system and airflow creation method according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure have been described based on respective embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments. Various modifications conceivable by those skilled in the art to the present embodiments and configurations constructed by combining components of different embodiments may also be included within the scope of one or more aspects of the present disclosure, provided they do not deviate from the spirit of the present disclosure.

[First Modification]
5 is a block diagram showing an overview of air flow creation system 100A according to a first modified example of the embodiment. Air flow creation system 100A according to the first modified example differs from air flow creation system 100 according to the embodiment in that it further includes second acquisition unit 17. Air flow creation system 100A according to the first modified example also differs from air flow creation system 100 according to the embodiment in that determination unit 14 determines air flow 6 by further referring to floor plan information acquired by second acquisition unit 17.

The second acquisition unit 17 acquires floor plan information relating to the floor plan of the facility 2. The floor plan information is, for example, information showing a blueprint of the facility 2, and may include information showing the positions of walls, opening/closing members 3, etc. in the facility 2. The floor plan information may also include, for example, information showing the positions of fixtures, etc. installed inside the facility 2. The floor plan information may also include, for example, BIM (Building Information Modeling) data for the facility 2.

The second acquisition unit 17 acquires floor plan information, for example, by receiving floor plan information entered by the living body 4 or a related person of the living body 4 using an information terminal from the information terminal via a communications network. The second acquisition unit 17 may also acquire floor plan information by transmitting a request signal requesting floor plan information to a terminal operated by, for example, the management company that manages the facility 2 or the design company that designed the facility 2, and receiving the floor plan information from the terminal.

The determination unit 14 determines the airflow 6 based on the floor plan information acquired by the second acquisition unit 17. In other words, the determination unit 14 determines the airflow 6 by comprehensively taking into consideration not only the positions in the space 21 of the multiple living organisms 4 detected by the detection unit 11 and the positions and performance of the air conditioning equipment 7 that can be controlled by the control unit 15, but also the positions of walls and other objects that may obstruct the flow of air in the space 21.

As described above, the air flow creation system 100A according to the first modified embodiment further includes a second acquisition unit 17 that acquires floor plan information related to the floor plan of the facility 2. The determination unit 14 determines the air flow 6 based on the floor plan information acquired by the second acquisition unit 17.

This allows the airflow 6 to be determined based further on the layout of the facility 2, so it is expected that the airflow 6 can be determined to further reduce the risk of infection of living organisms 4 with infectious diseases.

[Second Modification]
6 is a block diagram showing an overview of an air flow creation system 100B according to a second modified example of the embodiment. The air flow creation system 100B according to the second modified example differs from the air flow creation system 100A according to the first modified example of the embodiment in that it further includes a notification unit 18.

The notification unit 18 notifies the user when it is necessary to operate the manually openable/closable opening/closing member 3 that connects the space 21 to the outside in order to form the airflow 6 determined by the determination unit 14. The opening/closing member 3 in this case is, for example, a window or a door.

Specifically, the determination unit 14 determines the airflow 6 by further referring to information indicating the open/closed state of the opening/closing member 3 in addition to the floor plan information acquired by the second acquisition unit 17. Here, the determination unit 14 may determine the airflow 6 regardless of the open/closed state of the opening/closing member 3, or may not be able to determine the airflow 6 because the opening/closing member 3 is closed and obstructing the air flow.

In the latter case, the notification unit 18 transmits a notification signal containing information instructing the living body 4 or a person associated with the living body 4 to an alarm device installed in the facility 2 or an information terminal used by the living body 4 or a person associated with the living body 4, for example via a communications network. The alarm device or information terminal receiving the notification signal notifies the living body 4 or a person associated with the living body 4 by outputting the information as audio via a speaker or displaying the information on a display. This allows the living body 4 or a person associated with the living body 4 to open the opening/closing member 3, thereby forming the airflow 6.

As described above, the air flow creation system 100B according to the second modified embodiment further includes a notification unit 18. The notification unit 18 notifies the user when the manually openable/closable opening/closing member 3, which connects the space 21 with the outside, needs to be operated in order to create the air flow 6 determined by the determination unit 14.

This has the advantage that, even if there is an opening/closing member 3 that may hinder the formation of the airflow 6, the living body 4 or a person related to the living body 4 can be encouraged to open the opening/closing member 3, making it easier to form the airflow 6.

[Other Modifications]
In the embodiment, the first modified example, and the second modified example, the air in the space 21 is exhausted to the outside by the ventilation fan 71, but this is not limited to this. For example, even if the opening/closing member 3 is closed in the space 21 and the ventilation fan 71 is not operating, that is, even if the space 21 is sealed from the outside, if an air current 6 is formed, the air current 6 can be expected to dilute the exhaled breath 5 of an infected person, thereby reducing the probability of infection of a non-infected person.

In the embodiment, the first modified example, and the second modified example, the infection stages all include a total of four stages, stage 1 through stage 4, but this is not limited to this. For example, the infection stages do not have to include stage 4. Also, for example, the infection stages do not have to include stage 2. In other words, the infection stages may include only two stages indicating whether or not an infectious disease has developed. Note that the infection stages may include two or more of stages 1 through 4, or may include even more stages. For example, stage 2, in which living organism 4 is suspected of having an infectious disease, may be divided into even more stages indicating varying degrees of suspicion.

In the embodiment, the first modified example, and the second modified example, the determination unit 14 regards multiple adjacent rooms having an opening/closing member 3 at their boundary as a space 21 that can share air, regardless of whether the opening/closing member 3 is open or not, but this is not limited to this. For example, if information indicating whether the opening/closing member 3 is open or not can be obtained, the determination unit 14 may regard multiple adjacent rooms having an opening/closing member 3 at their boundary as a space 21 that can share air only when the opening/closing member 3 is open.

In the embodiment, the first modification, and the second modification, the control unit 15 controls only the air conditioning equipment 7, but this is not limited to this. For example, if the opening/closing member 3 can be remotely controlled, the control unit 15 may also control the opening and closing of the opening/closing member 3. In this case, the determination unit 14 may determine the airflow 6 by further referring to information indicating that the opening/closing member 3 can be opened and closed.

In the embodiment, first modification, and second modification, the airflow creation systems 100, 100A, and 100B are all constructed as local systems targeting one facility 2, but this is not limited to this. For example, the airflow creation systems 100, 100A, and 100B may be constructed as a cloud system that collectively manages multiple facilities 2. In this case, for example, even if a living organism 4 residing or staying in a given facility 2 visits another facility 2, the other facility 2 can create an airflow by referring to the infection information of the living organism 4.

The present disclosure can be used, for example, as an airflow creation system for creating airflow inside a facility.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Detection unit 12 First acquisition unit 13 Determination unit 14 Decision unit 15 Control unit 16 Memory unit 17 Second acquisition unit 18 Notification unit 2 Facility 21 Space 22A, 22B Room 3 Opening/closing member 31 Door 4 Living body 4A First living body 4B Second living body 5 Exhaled breath 6 Air flow 7 Air conditioning equipment 71 Ventilation fan 100, 100A, 100B Air flow formation system A1 Arrow

Claims (7)

a detection unit that detects living organisms inside the facility;
a first acquisition unit that acquires infection information related to an infectious disease of the living body from a record carrier carried by the living body detected by the detection unit or an image of the living body ;
a determination unit that determines an infection stage indicating a degree of infection of the living body detected by the detection unit based on the infection information acquired by the first acquisition unit;
a determination unit that, when a plurality of living organisms with different infection stages are detected by the detection unit in a space that may share air inside the facility, determines an airflow such that the living organisms with a lower infection stage are upwind of the living organisms with a higher infection stage;
a control unit that controls an air conditioning device that adjusts the flow of air so that the airflow determined by the determination unit is formed in the space,
Airflow shaping system. The infection stage includes at least three stages: a first stage in which the living body has developed the infectious disease; a second stage in which the living body is suspected of having developed the infectious disease; and a third stage in which the living body has not developed the infectious disease.
The air flow creation system of claim 1 . The infection stage further includes a fourth stage, which is lower than the third stage and indicates that the organism is a target for protection from the infection.
The air flow creation system according to claim 2 . The air conditioning equipment includes a ventilation fan that exhausts air in the space to the outside.
The air flow creation system according to any one of claims 1 to 3. A second acquisition unit that acquires floor plan information related to the floor plan of the facility is further provided,
The determination unit determines the airflow further based on the floor plan information acquired by the second acquisition unit.
The air flow creation system according to any one of claims 1 to 4. and a notification unit that notifies a user when an opening/closing member that connects the space with the outside and that can be manually opened and closed is required to be operated in order to form the airflow determined by the determination unit.
The air flow creation system according to claim 5 . Detects living organisms inside the facility,
acquiring infection information about an infectious disease of the living body from a record carrier carried by the detected living body or an image of the living body ;
determining an infection stage indicating the degree of infection of the detected living body based on the acquired infection information;
When a plurality of living organisms with different infection stages are detected in a space that may share air inside the facility, an airflow is determined such that the living organisms with a lower infection stage are upwind of the living organisms with a higher infection stage;
controlling an air conditioning device that adjusts the flow of air so that the determined airflow is formed in the space;
Airflow formation method.