JP7737848B2 - Battery replacement timing suggestion device - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a battery replacement timing suggestion system and method that suggest when to replace the battery of a sensor attached to a device.

For example, patrol inspections of plants such as thermal power plants involve a variety of tasks, such as palpation, reading meters such as analog meters, detecting abnormal sounds, and checking for steam leaks. These tasks may need to be performed several times a day in shifts, and if performed by patrol personnel (people), issues such as increased inspection costs and a shortage of personnel have arisen. Measures to reduce the inspection costs of patrol inspections have been attempted, such as digitizing the measurements of analog meters using wireless sensors and sending the data wirelessly via the wireless sensors to mobile devices carried by patrol personnel.

JP 2013-67047 A

The above-mentioned wireless sensors are powered by the onboard battery, so the battery must be replaced. Since many wireless sensors are installed in plants, the labor costs associated with battery replacement are high.

Patent Document 1 discloses that, in meter reading operations using a battery-powered handheld terminal equipped with a printer function, the order in which batteries are used before meter reading operations begins is determined based on the operation schedule, power consumption for each operation type, and remaining battery charge information, and the timing for battery replacement is also displayed. When recommending battery replacement for wireless sensors, as in Patent Document 1, if the timing for battery replacement is determined based on the inspection schedule, power consumption for each sensor, and remaining battery charge information, only the battery replacement may be performed, which could result in labor costs being incurred just for the battery replacement, creating the problem of battery replacement not being appropriate from the perspective of labor costs.

In light of the above-mentioned circumstances, an object of at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is to provide a battery replacement timing suggestion system and a battery replacement timing suggestion method that can reduce the labor costs associated with battery replacement.

A battery replacement timing suggestion system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes:
A battery replacement timing suggestion system that suggests a battery replacement timing for a sensor attached to a device,
an inspection timing acquisition unit capable of acquiring an inspection timing of the device;
a battery remaining capacity acquisition unit capable of acquiring information regarding the remaining battery capacity of the sensor;
a prediction unit configured to predict a recommended replacement time for the sensor when the remaining battery charge falls below a threshold, taking into consideration information about the remaining battery charge of the sensor acquired by the remaining battery charge acquisition unit;
a determination unit configured to determine a battery replacement time for the sensor in consideration of the inspection time of the device acquired by the inspection time acquisition unit and the recommended replacement time predicted by the prediction unit; and
and a suggestion unit configured to suggest the timing for replacing the battery of the sensor determined by the determination unit.

A battery replacement timing suggestion method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes:
A battery replacement timing suggestion method for suggesting a battery replacement timing for a sensor attached to a device, comprising:
an inspection timing acquisition step of acquiring an inspection timing of the device;
a remaining battery capacity acquisition step of acquiring information about a remaining battery capacity of the sensor;
a prediction step of predicting a recommended replacement time when the remaining battery charge of the sensor will fall below a threshold, taking into consideration information about the remaining battery charge of the sensor acquired in the remaining battery charge acquisition step;
a determination step of determining a battery replacement time for the sensor in consideration of the inspection time of the device acquired in the inspection time acquisition step and the recommended replacement time predicted in the prediction step;
and a proposing step of proposing the timing for replacing the battery of the sensor determined in the determining step.

At least one embodiment of the present disclosure provides a battery replacement timing suggestion system and a battery replacement timing suggestion method that can reduce the labor costs associated with battery replacement.

1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a battery replacement timing suggestion system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 1 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a method for estimating a recommended time for battery replacement according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 1 is a flow diagram of a battery replacement timing suggestion system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a battery replacement timing suggestion system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 1 is a flow diagram of a battery replacement timing suggestion system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a battery replacement timing suggestion system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 1 is a flow diagram of a battery replacement timing suggestion system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 1 is a flow diagram of a battery replacement timing suggestion system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 1 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a method for estimating a recommended time for battery replacement according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 1 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a method for estimating a recommended time for battery replacement according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

Hereinafter, several embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, etc. of components described as embodiments or shown in the drawings are merely illustrative examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
For example, expressions expressing relative or absolute arrangement such as "in a certain direction,""along a certain direction,""parallel,""orthogonal,""center,""concentric," or "coaxial" not only express such an arrangement exactly, but also express a state in which there is a relative displacement with a tolerance or an angle or distance to the extent that the same function is obtained.
For example, expressions such as "identical,""equal," and "homogeneous" that indicate that something is in an equal state not only indicate a state of strict equality, but also indicate a state in which there is a tolerance or a difference to the extent that the same function is obtained.
For example, expressions representing shapes such as a square shape or a cylindrical shape not only represent shapes such as a square shape or a cylindrical shape in the strict geometric sense, but also represent shapes including uneven portions, chamfered portions, etc., to the extent that the same effect can be obtained.
On the other hand, the expressions "comprise,""include," or "have" one element are not exclusive expressions that exclude the presence of other elements.
Note that the same components will be denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a battery replacement timing suggestion system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The battery replacement timing suggestion system 10 (10A) according to some embodiments suggests a battery replacement timing TB for a sensor 30 attached to a device 20.

(Recovery of sensor output)
The sensor 30 is powered by power from an onboard battery 31 and is configured to be able to acquire the state of the device 20 to which the sensor 30 is attached as a measurement value (measurement result). The sensor 30 is configured to be able to transmit a sensor output SO. The sensor output SO includes sensor identification information (sensor ID) for identifying the sensor 30 that outputs the sensor output SO, the measurement value acquired by the sensor 30 that outputs the sensor output SO, and information IB regarding the remaining battery charge of the battery 31 installed in the sensor 30 that outputs the sensor output SO. Note that the device 20 may include piping, wiring, etc. connected to the device 20, and the sensor 30 may be attached to these piping or wiring.

As shown in FIG. 1, each sensor 30 includes a measurement unit 32 configured to acquire the measurement values, a memory unit 33 configured to store the measurement values acquired by the measurement unit 32, and a transmission unit 34 configured to transmit the measurement values stored in the memory unit 33 via wireless communication together with the sensor identification information and information IB related to the remaining battery charge.

The measurement unit 32 is configured to be able to measure a desired physical quantity related to the device 20 to which the sensor 30 is attached (at least one of mechanical properties, electromagnetic properties, thermal properties, acoustic properties, chemical properties, or spatial or temporal information related to the device 20).

The measurement unit 32 may include a digital meter 32A, an analog meter 32B, or the like. If the measurement unit 32 includes a digital meter 32A, the digital value detected by the digital meter 32A is stored in the memory unit 33.

When the measuring unit 32 includes an analog meter 32B, it is preferable that the measuring unit 32 further includes a converter 35 capable of outputting a digital value corresponding to the analog value detected by the analog meter 32B, and an imaging device (e.g., a camera) 36 that captures an image of the meter portion that displays the analog value detected by the analog meter 32B. In this case, the digital value converted by the converter 35 and the imaging data (image or video) captured by the imaging device 36 are stored in the memory unit 33.

In the illustrated embodiment, the battery replacement timing suggestion system 10 is mounted on a terminal 40. The sensor 30 is configured to be able to wirelessly communicate with the mobile terminal 50 via a first wireless communication method (e.g., Bluetooth (registered trademark)). The terminal 40 is configured to be able to wirelessly communicate with the mobile terminal 50 via a second wireless communication method (e.g., Wi-Fi (registered trademark)) that has a faster communication speed and a longer communication distance than the first wireless communication method. Note that the transmission of information between the terminal 40 and the mobile terminal 50 is not limited to the second wireless communication method described above. Information may also be transmitted via wireless communication other than the second wireless communication method, wired communication (e.g., Ethernet (registered trademark)), or via a storage medium such as an SD card. The terminal 40 or the mobile terminal 50 may include a wired connection unit capable of wired communication or a storage medium connection unit to which a removable storage medium can be connected.

The mobile terminal 50 includes a first communication unit 51 configured to be able to communicate wirelessly with the transmitter 34 of the sensor 30 using a first wireless communication method, a second communication unit 52 configured to be able to communicate wirelessly with the third communication unit 41 of the terminal 40 using a second wireless communication method, and a memory unit 53 that stores the sensor output SO.

The sensor output SO of the sensor 30 is sent from the transmitter 34 of the sensor 30 to the first communication unit 51 of the mobile terminal 50 via wireless communication. The sensor output SO received by the first communication unit 51 is stored in the memory unit 53.

The communication distance of the radio waves transmitted from the transmitter 34 is not long (e.g., within 10 meters), so in order to acquire the sensor output SO from the sensor 30, a device (mobile terminal 50) including the first communication unit 51 is moved near the sensor 30. In the illustrated embodiment, the transmitter 34 includes a wireless tag 34A that is powered by the power of the battery 31 installed in the sensor 30 and is configured to output the sensor output SO as radio waves.

Hereinafter, any area where multiple sensors 30 to be inspected are installed will be referred to as inspection area IA. An inspector carrying a mobile terminal 50 patrols the inspection area IA at predetermined intervals (patrol inspection intervals), performing a patrol inspection in which he passes near each of the multiple sensors 30. During the patrol inspection, when the mobile terminal 50 comes within communication distance of the radio waves transmitted from the transmitter 34 of each sensor 30, the first communication unit 51 of the mobile terminal 50 receives the sensor output SO from the transmitter 34.

The terminal 40 includes a third communication unit 41 configured to be able to wirelessly communicate with the second communication unit 52 of the mobile terminal 50 using the second wireless communication method, and a database unit 42 that stores the sensor output SO. The third communication unit 41 receives the sensor output SO from the second communication unit 52 via wireless communication. The sensor output SO received by the second communication unit 52 is stored in the database unit 42. In the illustrated embodiment, the terminal 40 is provided outside the inspection area IA.

Inspections (regular inspections) of the equipment 20 are performed at predetermined intervals (equipment inspection intervals). The equipment inspection interval is longer than the patrol inspection interval, and patrol inspections are performed multiple times between the previous inspection of the equipment 20 and the next inspection of the equipment 20. The database unit 42 stores the sensor output SO of each sensor 30 for each patrol inspection.

As shown in FIG. 1, the inspection system 1 includes a plurality of devices 20 installed in an inspection area IA, a plurality of sensors 30 attached to the plurality of devices 20, a terminal 40, and a mobile terminal 50. The inspection system 1 includes a battery replacement timing suggestion system 10. The database unit 42 of the inspection system 1 may be installed external to the terminal 40. In this case, the database unit 42 may be configured to be able to communicate with the terminal 40 via wired or wireless communication. The database unit 42 may also be configured to be able to communicate wirelessly with the mobile terminal 50.

(First battery replacement timing suggestion system)
As shown in FIG. 1, a battery replacement timing suggestion system 10 (10A) according to some embodiments includes an inspection timing acquisition unit 11, a battery remaining capacity acquisition unit 12, a prediction unit 13, a determination unit 14 (14A), and a suggestion unit 15.

The inspection timing acquisition unit 11 is configured to be able to acquire the inspection timing TA of the equipment 20. In the illustrated embodiment, the inspection timing TA of the equipment 20 is created in advance and stored in the database unit 42. The inspection timing acquisition unit 11 acquires the inspection timing TA of the equipment 20 from the database unit 42. The inspection timing TA of the equipment 20 may include, for example, information regarding the next inspection date of the equipment 20.

The battery remaining capacity acquisition unit 12 is configured to be able to acquire the above-mentioned information IB regarding the remaining battery capacity. In the illustrated embodiment, the information IB regarding the remaining battery capacity is sent in advance from the sensor 30 to the terminal 40 and stored in the database unit 42. The battery remaining capacity acquisition unit 12 acquires the information IB regarding the remaining battery capacity from the database unit 42. The information IB regarding the remaining battery capacity may include, for example, the voltage value of the battery 31 during each patrol inspection (when the sensor 30 acquires the sensor output SO).

The prediction unit 13 is configured to predict the recommended replacement time TR for the sensor 30 when the remaining battery charge falls below a threshold, taking into account information IB about the remaining battery charge of the sensor 30 acquired by the remaining battery charge acquisition unit 12.

Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a method for estimating the recommended battery replacement timing in one embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 shows a graph with the horizontal axis representing the time since the start of use of the battery 31 and the vertical axis representing the voltage value of the battery 31. Figure 2 plots the voltage values of the battery 31 obtained during each patrol inspection. The remaining battery capacity is determined from an approximate line AL, which is a linear approximation of the voltage values of the battery 31 obtained during each patrol inspection. The approximate line AL is represented, for example, by a linear function in which the initial voltage V0 is set to 100% and the recommended replacement voltage VR, which is the voltage at which the remaining battery capacity reaches a threshold, is set to 0%.

The prediction unit 13 may calculate the recommended replacement time TR, which is the time corresponding to the predetermined recommended replacement voltage VR, from the predetermined recommended replacement voltage VR based on an approximate straight line AL as shown in FIG. 2. An approximate curve may be created using polynomial approximation or the like from the voltage values of the battery 31 acquired during each patrol inspection, and the prediction unit 13 may calculate the recommended replacement time TR, which is the time corresponding to the predetermined recommended replacement voltage VR, from the predetermined recommended replacement voltage VR based on the approximate curve.

The determination unit 14 (14A) is configured to determine the battery replacement time TB for the sensor 30, taking into consideration the inspection time TA for the device 20 acquired by the inspection time acquisition unit 11 and the recommended replacement time TR predicted by the prediction unit 13.

The suggestion unit 15 is configured to suggest the battery replacement timing TB of the sensor 30 determined by the determination unit 14. The suggestion unit 15 may be configured to display the battery replacement timing TB on a display screen 43 mounted on the terminal 40. The suggestion unit 15 may be configured to display the inspection timing TA of the device 20 together with the battery replacement timing TB on the display screen 43.

With the above configuration, the battery replacement time TB for the sensor 30 is determined taking into account the inspection time TA and recommended replacement time TR for the device 20, making it possible to replace the battery for the sensor 30 at the same time as inspecting the device 20. By replacing the battery for the sensor 30 at the same time as inspecting the device 20, inspection work such as moving the sensor 30 to its installation location can be reduced, thereby reducing the labor costs (man-hours) related to battery replacement compared to when the battery for the sensor 30 is replaced separately.

Figure 3 is a flow diagram of a battery replacement timing suggestion system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 3, the above-mentioned determination unit 14 is configured to align the battery replacement timing TB of a sensor 30 whose recommended replacement timing TR falls within a first predetermined period TL1 based on the inspection timing TA of the device 20 with the inspection timing TA of the device 20.

The first specified period TL1 is a period shorter than the equipment inspection interval. The first specified period TL1 may be, for example, the day on which the equipment 20 is inspected, within one week from the day on which the equipment 20 is inspected, or within one month from the day on which the equipment 20 is inspected.

As shown in FIG. 3, the determination unit 14 (14A) aligns the battery replacement time TB of the sensor 30 whose recommended replacement time TR falls within the first predetermined period TL1 with the inspection time TA of the device 20. Here, aligning the battery replacement time TB of the sensor 30 with the inspection time TA of the device 20 includes setting the battery replacement date of the sensor 30 to the inspection date of the device 20. In this case, the battery 31 is replaced on the inspection date of the device 20, together with the inspection of the device 20, or before or after the inspection of the device 20.

As shown in FIG. 3, the determination unit 14 (14A) adjusts the battery replacement time TB of a sensor 30 for which a recommended replacement time TR does not exist within the first predetermined period TL1 to the recommended replacement time TR of the sensor 30. Here, adjusting the battery replacement time TB of a sensor 30 to the recommended replacement time TR of the sensor 30 includes adjusting the battery replacement date of the sensor 30 to the same day as the recommended replacement time TR of the sensor 30. In this way, if the recommended replacement time TR of the sensor 30 (recommended replacement date) is before the inspection date of the device 20 or after the first predetermined period TL1, the battery of the sensor 30 is replaced independently.

With the above configuration, by aligning the battery replacement time TB of a sensor 30 whose recommended replacement time TR falls within the first predetermined period TL1 with the inspection time TA of the device 20, it is possible to replace the battery of the sensor 30 at the same time as inspecting the device 20. When considering the battery 31 alone, it is preferable to replace the battery at the recommended replacement time TR of the battery 31, which reduces the labor costs (man-hours) associated with the battery replacement. However, when considering the inspection of the device 20 and the replacement of the sensor 30 together, replacing a battery 31 whose recommended replacement time TR falls within the first predetermined period TL1 in conjunction with the inspection of the device 20 increases the labor efficiency of the battery replacement and reduces the labor costs (man-hours) associated with the battery replacement.

(First battery replacement timing suggestion method)
A battery replacement timing proposing method 100 according to some embodiments is a method for proposing the battery replacement timing TB described above. As shown in Fig. 3 , the battery replacement timing proposing method 100 (100A) includes an inspection timing acquisition step S101, a remaining battery capacity acquisition step S102, a prediction step S103, a determination step S104 (S104A), and a proposing step S105. Note that, as shown in Fig. 3 , the battery replacement timing proposing method 100 may include a patrol inspection step S106 in which the above-described patrol inspection is performed and the sensor output SO is stored in the database unit 42 before the inspection timing acquisition step S101 and the remaining battery capacity acquisition step S102.

Some steps in the battery replacement timing suggestion method 100 may be performed by the battery replacement timing suggestion system 10, by a device or equipment other than the battery replacement timing suggestion system 10, or manually.

In the illustrated embodiment, the inspection timing acquisition step S101 is performed by the inspection timing acquisition unit 11. The remaining battery charge acquisition step S102 is performed by the remaining battery charge acquisition unit 12. The prediction step S103 is performed by the prediction unit 13. The determination step S104 (S104A) is performed by the determination unit 14 (14A). The proposal step S105 is performed by the proposal unit 15.

In the inspection timing acquisition step S101, the inspection timing TA of the device 20 is acquired. In the remaining battery capacity acquisition step S102, information IB regarding the remaining battery capacity of the sensor 30 is acquired. In the prediction step S103, the recommended replacement timing TR for the sensor 30, at which the remaining battery capacity will fall below a threshold, is predicted, taking into account the information IB regarding the remaining battery capacity of the sensor 30 acquired in the remaining battery capacity acquisition step S102.

In the determination step S104 (S104A), the battery replacement time TB for the sensor 30 is determined taking into consideration the inspection time TA for the device 20 acquired in the inspection time acquisition step S101 and the recommended replacement time TR predicted in the prediction step S103. In the proposal step S105, the battery replacement time TB for the sensor 30 determined in the determination step S104 is proposed.

According to the above method, by determining the battery replacement time TB for the sensor 30 taking into account the inspection time TA and recommended replacement time TR for the device 20, it is possible to perform the battery replacement for the sensor 30 at the same time as the inspection of the device 20. By performing the battery replacement for the sensor 30 at the same time as the inspection of the device 20, it is possible to reduce the inspection work and shared work, such as moving the sensor 30 to its installation location, and therefore reduce the labor costs (man-hours) related to the battery replacement compared to performing the battery replacement for the sensor 30 alone. Because the cost of the batteries (such as button batteries or dry batteries) used in the sensor 30 is significantly lower than the labor costs of workers, reducing the labor costs (man-hours) related to battery replacement effectively reduces the maintenance costs of the sensor 30.

(Second Battery Replacement Timing Proposal System)
4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a battery replacement timing proposal system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. A battery replacement timing proposal system 10 (10B) according to some embodiments proposes battery replacement times TB for the plurality of sensors 30 attached to the plurality of devices 20. As shown in FIG. 4 , the battery replacement timing proposal system 10 (10B) includes the remaining battery capacity acquisition unit 12, the prediction unit 13, the determination unit 14 (14B), and the proposal unit 15. In the illustrated embodiment, the battery replacement timing proposal system 10 is installed in a terminal 40.

The above-mentioned remaining battery charge acquisition unit 12 may be configured to acquire information IB relating to the remaining battery charge of each of the multiple sensors 30. In the illustrated embodiment, the information IB relating to the remaining battery charge is sent in advance from each of the multiple sensors 30 to the terminal 40 and stored in the database unit 42. The remaining battery charge acquisition unit 12 acquires the information IB relating to the remaining battery charge of each of the multiple sensors 30 from the database unit 42. Each of the multiple sensors 30 is provided in the inspection area IA.

The prediction unit 13 described above may be configured to predict the recommended replacement time TR at which the remaining battery charge falls below a threshold for each of the multiple sensors 30, taking into account information IB about the remaining battery charge of the sensor 30 acquired by the remaining battery charge acquisition unit 12.

The determination unit 14 (14B) is configured to determine the battery replacement time TB for each of the multiple sensors 30, taking into account the recommended replacement time TR for each of the multiple sensors 30 predicted by the prediction unit 13.

The above-mentioned suggestion unit 15 may be configured to suggest the battery replacement timing TB for each of the multiple sensors 30 determined by the determination unit 14. The suggestion unit 15 may be configured to display the battery replacement timing TB for each of the multiple sensors 30 on a display screen 43 installed in the terminal 40.

With the above configuration, the battery replacement time TB for each of the multiple sensors 30 is determined taking into account the recommended replacement time TR for each of the multiple sensors 30, making it possible to replace the batteries of several sensors 30 together. By replacing the batteries of several sensors 30 together, shared work such as transporting the sensors 30 to their installation locations can be reduced, thereby reducing the labor costs (man-hours) associated with battery replacement compared to replacing the batteries of each sensor 30 individually.

Figure 5 is a flow diagram of a battery replacement timing suggestion system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 5, when the sensor 30 with the earliest recommended replacement timing TR among the multiple sensors 30 is designated as the nearest sensor 30F, the above-mentioned determination unit 14 (14B) is configured to align the battery replacement timing TB of a sensor 30 whose recommended replacement timing TR falls within a second predetermined period TL2 based on the recommended replacement timing TR of the nearest sensor 30F to the battery replacement timing TB of the nearest sensor 30F.

The second predetermined period TL2 may be the day of the recommended replacement time TR for the most recent sensor 30F, within one week from the recommended replacement time TR for the most recent sensor 30F, or within one month from the recommended replacement time TR for the most recent sensor 30F.

As shown in FIG. 5 , the determination unit 14 (14B) adjusts the battery replacement time TB of the nearest sensor 30F and the battery replacement time TB of the sensor 30 whose recommended replacement time TR falls within the second predetermined period TL2 to the recommended replacement time TR of the nearest sensor 30F. Here, adjusting the battery replacement time TB of the sensor 30 to the recommended replacement time TR of the nearest sensor 30F includes setting the battery replacement date of the sensor 30 to the same day (recommended replacement date) as the recommended replacement time TR of the nearest sensor 30F. In this case, the battery replacement of the sensor 30 whose recommended replacement time TR falls within the second predetermined period TL2 is performed together with the battery replacement of the nearest sensor 30F on the recommended replacement date, or before or after the battery replacement of the nearest sensor 30F. Note that if there is no sensor 30 whose recommended replacement time TR falls within the second predetermined period TL2, the battery replacement of the nearest sensor 30F is performed independently on the same day (recommended replacement date) as the recommended replacement time TR of the nearest sensor 30F.

As shown in FIG. 5, the determination unit 14 (14B) may set the battery replacement time TB of a sensor 30 that does not have a recommended replacement time TR within the second predetermined period TL2 as the recommended replacement time TR for each sensor 30. Here, setting the battery replacement time TB of a sensor 30 to the recommended replacement time TR for each sensor 30 includes setting the battery replacement date of the sensor 30 to the same day as the recommended replacement time TR for each sensor 30. For a sensor 30 that does not have a recommended replacement time TR within the second predetermined period TL2, the battery of that sensor 30 is replaced independently after the second predetermined period TL2. Note that if there are multiple sensors 30 that do not have a recommended replacement time TR within the second predetermined period TL2, the determination unit 14 (14B) may match the battery replacement times TB of some of the sensors 30.

With the above configuration, by matching the battery replacement time TB of a sensor 30 whose recommended replacement time TR falls within the second predetermined period TL2 with the battery replacement time TB of the nearest sensor 30F, it is possible to replace the batteries of several sensors 30 together. When considering a single battery 31, it is preferable to replace the battery 31 at the recommended replacement time TR of that battery 31, which reduces the labor costs (man-hours) associated with the battery replacement. However, when considering multiple batteries 31, replacing batteries 31 whose recommended replacement time TR falls within the second predetermined period TL2 together with batteries 31 whose recommended replacement time TR has arrived increases the labor efficiency of the battery replacement and reduces the labor costs (man-hours) associated with the battery replacement.

(Second battery replacement timing suggestion method)
A battery replacement timing proposing method 100 according to some embodiments is a method for proposing battery replacement timings TB for a plurality of sensors 30 attached to a plurality of devices 20. As shown in FIG. 5 , the battery replacement timing proposing method 100 (100B) includes the above-described inspection timing acquisition step S101, the above-described remaining battery capacity acquisition step S102, the above-described prediction step S103, a determination step S104 (S104B), and the above-described proposal step S105. In the illustrated embodiment, the determination step S104 (S104B) is performed by the determination unit 14 (14B). Note that the battery replacement timing proposing method 100 (100B) does not include the above-described inspection timing acquisition step S101.

In the remaining battery charge acquisition step S102, information IB relating to the remaining battery charge of each of the multiple sensors 30 is acquired. In the prediction step S103, the recommended replacement time TR, at which the remaining battery charge falls below a threshold, for each of the multiple sensors 30 is predicted, taking into account the information IB relating to the remaining battery charge of each of the sensors 30 acquired in the remaining battery charge acquisition step S102.

In the determination step S104 (S104B), the battery replacement time TB for each of the multiple sensors 30 is determined taking into account the recommended replacement time TR for each of the multiple sensors 30 predicted in the prediction step S103. In the proposal step S105, the battery replacement time TB for the sensor 30 determined in the determination step S104 is proposed.

The above method allows the battery replacement times TB for each of the multiple sensors 30 to be determined taking into account the recommended replacement times TR for each of the multiple sensors 30, making it possible to replace the batteries of several sensors 30 together. By replacing the batteries of several sensors 30 together, shared work such as transporting the sensors 30 to their installation locations can be reduced, thereby reducing the labor costs (man-hours) associated with battery replacement compared to replacing the batteries of each sensor 30 individually.

(Third Battery Replacement Timing Proposal System)
6 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a battery replacement timing proposal system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the battery replacement timing proposal system 10 (10C) includes the inspection timing acquisition unit 11 described above, the remaining battery capacity acquisition unit 12 described above, the prediction unit 13 described above, a determination unit 14 (14C), and the proposal unit 15 described above, as shown in FIG. 6. In the illustrated embodiment, the battery replacement timing proposal system 10 (10C) is installed in a terminal 40.

The inspection timing acquisition unit 11 may be configured to acquire the inspection timing TA for each of the multiple devices 20. In the illustrated embodiment, the inspection timing TA for each of the multiple devices 20 is created in advance for each device 20 and stored in the database unit 42. The inspection timing acquisition unit 11 acquires the inspection timing TA for each of the multiple devices 20 from the database unit 42. The inspection timing TA for each device 20 may include, for example, information regarding the next inspection date for the device 20. Each of the multiple devices 20 is provided in an inspection area.

The determination unit 14 (14C) is configured to determine the battery replacement timing TB for each of the multiple sensors 30, taking into consideration the recommended replacement timing TR for each of the multiple sensors 30 predicted by the prediction unit 13 and the inspection timing TA for each of the multiple devices 20 acquired by the inspection timing acquisition unit 11.

With the above configuration, the battery replacement time TB for each sensor 30 is determined taking into account the inspection time TA for each device 20 and the recommended replacement time TR for each sensor 30, making it possible to perform battery replacement for several sensors 30 at the same time as inspecting the device 20. By performing battery replacement for sensors 30 at the same time as inspecting the device 20, inspection work and shared work such as transporting the sensors 30 to their installation locations can be reduced, further reducing the labor costs (man-hours) associated with battery replacement.

Figure 7 is a flow diagram of a battery replacement timing suggestion system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 7, the above-mentioned determination unit 14 (14C) is configured to align the battery replacement timing TB of an in-period sensor 30IP, which is a sensor 30 whose recommended replacement timing TR falls within a first predetermined period TL1 based on the inspection timing TA of the device 20, with the inspection timing TA of the device 20.

As shown in FIG. 7, the determination unit 14 (14C) aligns the battery replacement time TB of the in-period sensor 30IP with the inspection time TA of the reference device 20 (the device 20 for which the recommended replacement time TR of the in-period sensor 30IP falls within the first predetermined period TL1). Here, aligning the battery replacement time TB of the in-period sensor 30IP with the inspection time TA of the reference device 20 includes setting the battery replacement date of the in-period sensor 30IP to the inspection date of the reference device 20. In this case, the battery 31 of the in-period sensor 30IP is replaced on the inspection date of the reference device 20, together with the inspection of the reference device 20, or before or after the inspection of the reference device 20.

With the above configuration, by aligning the battery replacement time TB of the in-period sensor 30IP, whose recommended replacement time TR falls within the first predetermined period TL1, with the inspection time TA of the device 20, it is possible to perform battery replacement of the in-period sensor 30IP at the same time as inspecting the device 20.

Note that the determination unit 14 (14C) may be configured to match the inspection time TA of any of the multiple devices 20 when the in-period sensor 30IP is present within the first predetermined period TL1 of multiple devices 20. For example, the determination unit 14 (14C) may be configured to match the inspection time TA of the earliest device 20 among the multiple devices 20. Furthermore, when determining whether a sensor 30 is an in-period sensor 30IP, the determination unit 14 (14C) may make the determination based only on the inspection time TA of the device 20 to which the sensor 30 is attached.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 7 , the above-mentioned determination unit 14 (14C) is configured to set the battery replacement time TB of an out-of-period sensor 30OP whose recommended replacement time TR does not exist within a first predetermined period TL1 based on the inspection time TA of the device 20 as an out-of-period sensor 30OP, and the sensor with the earliest recommended replacement time TR among the out-of-period sensors 30OP as a nearest sensor 30F, to the battery replacement time TB of the nearest sensor 30F.

As shown in FIG. 7 , the determination unit 14 (14C) sets the battery replacement time TB of the nearest sensor 30F (earliest out-of-period sensor 30OP) and the battery replacement time TB of the out-of-period sensor 30OP whose recommended replacement time TR falls within the second predetermined period TL2 to the recommended replacement time TR of the nearest sensor 30F. Here, setting the battery replacement time TB of the out-of-period sensor 30OP to the recommended replacement time TR of the nearest sensor 30F includes setting the battery replacement date of the out-of-period sensor 30OP to the same day (recommended replacement date) as the recommended replacement time TR of the nearest sensor 30F. In this case, the battery replacement of the out-of-period sensor 30OP whose recommended replacement time TR falls within the second predetermined period TL2 is performed on the recommended replacement date, together with the battery replacement of the nearest sensor 30F, or before or after the battery replacement of the nearest sensor 30F. If there are no out-of-period sensors 30OP for which a recommended replacement time TR falls within the second predetermined period TL2, the battery of the nearest sensor 30F will be replaced independently on the day of the recommended replacement time TR for the nearest sensor 30F (recommended replacement date).

As shown in FIG. 7 , the determination unit 14 (14C) may set the battery replacement time TB of an out-of-period sensor 30OP that does not have a recommended replacement time TR within the second predetermined period TL2 as the recommended replacement time TR of each out-of-period sensor 30OP. Setting the battery replacement time TB of an out-of-period sensor 30OP to the recommended replacement time TR of each out-of-period sensor 30OP here includes setting the battery replacement date of the out-of-period sensor 30OP to the same day as the recommended replacement time TR of each out-of-period sensor 30OP. For an out-of-period sensor 30OP that does not have a recommended replacement time TR within the second predetermined period TL2, the battery of the out-of-period sensor 30OP is replaced independently after the second predetermined period TL2. Note that if there are multiple out-of-period sensors 30OP that do not have a recommended replacement time TR within the second predetermined period TL2, the determination unit 14 (14C) may match the battery replacement times TB of some of the out-of-period sensors 30OP.

With the above configuration, by aligning the battery replacement time TB of an out-of-period sensor 30OP whose recommended replacement time TR falls within the second predetermined period TL2 with the battery replacement time TB of the nearest sensor 30F, it is possible to perform battery replacement for several sensors (out-of-period sensors 30OP) together. In this case, it is possible to propose an optimal battery replacement time for each of the multiple batteries 31, which reduces the labor costs (man-hours) associated with battery replacement.

(Third Battery Replacement Timing Proposal Method)
7, a battery replacement timing proposing method 100 (100C) according to some embodiments includes the above-described inspection timing obtaining step S101, the above-described remaining battery capacity obtaining step S102, the above-described prediction step S103, a determination step S104 (S104C), and the above-described proposing step S105. In the illustrated embodiment, the determination step S104 (S104C) is performed by the determination unit 14 (14C).

In the determination step S104 (S104C), the battery replacement timing TB for each of the multiple sensors 30 is determined taking into consideration the inspection timing TA for each of the multiple devices 20 acquired in the inspection timing acquisition step S101 and the recommended replacement timing TR for each of the multiple sensors 30 predicted in the prediction step S103. In the proposal step S105, the battery replacement timing TB for the sensors 30 (in-period sensors 30IP and out-of-period sensors 30OP) determined in the determination step S104 is proposed.

According to the above method, the battery replacement time TB for each of the multiple sensors 30 is determined taking into account the inspection time TA for each of the multiple devices 20 and the recommended replacement time TR for each of the multiple sensors 30. This allows battery replacement for several sensors 30 to be performed together or in conjunction with the inspection of the device 20. This reduces shared work such as transporting the sensors 30 to their installation locations, thereby reducing the labor costs (man-hours) associated with battery replacement compared to replacing the batteries of each sensor 30 individually.

Figure 8 is a flow diagram of a battery replacement timing suggestion system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the system is configured to determine the battery replacement timing TB for each of the multiple sensors 30, further taking into consideration the work period WP required to replace the battery of each of the multiple sensors 30.

The database unit 42 pre-sets and stores the work period required to inspect each of the multiple devices 20, the work period WP required to replace the batteries of each of the multiple sensors 30, and the upper limit of the inspector's work period. As shown in FIG. 8, the determination unit 14 references the work period required to inspect each of the multiple devices 20, the work period WP required to replace the batteries of each of the multiple sensors 30, and the upper limit of the inspector's work period, stored in the database unit 42. If, on the day of the scheduled battery replacement time TB, the sum of the work period required for the inspection and the work period WP is equal to or greater than the upper limit of the inspector's work period, the determination unit 14 is configured to change the battery replacement time TB for at least one sensor 30 to another day so that it is less than the upper limit. Furthermore, if the sum of the work period required for the inspection and the work period WP on the day of the scheduled battery replacement time TB is less than the upper limit of the inspector's work period, the determination unit 14 is configured to leave the battery replacement time TB for the sensor 30 unchanged, and to keep it aligned with the inspection time TA for the device 20 and the battery replacement times TB for other sensors 30.

With the above configuration, by taking into account the work period WP required to replace the batteries of each of the multiple sensors 30, it is possible to prevent the inspection of the equipment 20 and the battery replacement of the sensors 30 from exceeding the planned work time. In this case, it is possible to propose an optimal battery replacement time TB that takes into account the workload of the workers.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 8 , the determination step S104 described above includes an adjustment step S107 in which the battery replacement timing TB of each of the multiple sensors 30 is adjusted, taking into account the work period WP required for battery replacement for each of the multiple sensors 30. In the adjustment step S107, if the sum of the work period required for the inspection and the work period WP on the day of the scheduled battery replacement timing TB is equal to or exceeds the upper limit of the inspector's work period, the battery replacement timing TB of at least one sensor 30 is changed to another day so that it is less than the upper limit. Furthermore, in the adjustment step S107, if the sum of the work period required for the inspection and the work period WP on the day of the scheduled battery replacement timing TB is less than the upper limit of the inspector's work period, the battery replacement timing TB of the sensor 30 is not changed, but remains consistent with the inspection timing TA of the device 20 or the battery replacement timing TB of another sensor 30.

(Method for estimating recommended battery replacement timing)
9 and 10 are explanatory diagrams illustrating a method for estimating the recommended battery replacement timing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Each of FIGS. 9 and 10 shows a graph in which the horizontal axis represents the time since the start of use of the battery 31 and the vertical axis represents the voltage value of the battery 31. Each of FIGS. 9 and 10 plots the voltage values of the battery 31 acquired during each patrol inspection. The remaining battery capacity is calculated from an approximate line AL, which is a linear approximation of the voltage values of the battery 31 acquired during each patrol inspection. The approximate line AL is represented by a linear function, for example, in which the initial voltage V0 is 100% and the recommended replacement voltage VR, which is the voltage at which the remaining battery capacity reaches a threshold, is 0%.

Figure 9 shows multiple approximate straight lines AL (AL1, AL2, AL3) with different sensing frequencies SF, which are the frequency of measurements made by the measurement unit 32 of the sensor 30. The multiple approximate straight lines AL include a first approximate straight line AL1, a second approximate straight line AL2 with a lower sensing frequency SF than the first approximate straight line AL1, and a third approximate straight line AL3 with a lower sensing frequency SF than the second approximate straight line AL2. For example, the first approximate straight line AL1 is obtained by linearly approximating the voltage values (circular plots in Figure 9) of the battery 31 acquired from the sensor 30, which measures daily by the measurement unit 32. The second approximate straight line AL2 is obtained by linearly approximating the voltage values (square plots in Figure 9) of the battery 31 acquired from the sensor 30, which measures weekly by the measurement unit 32. The third approximate line AL3 is obtained by linearly approximating the voltage value of the battery 31 (the triangular plot in Figure 9) obtained from the sensor 30, which measures monthly using the measurement unit 32.

As shown in Figure 9, as the sensing frequency SF increases, the consumption rate of the battery 31 tends to increase. The sensing frequency SF of each of the multiple sensors 30 is stored in the database unit 42. When the sensing frequency SF of a sensor 30 is changed, the sensing frequency SF stored in the database unit 42 is updated. The multiple approximate straight lines AL (AL1, AL2, AL3) described above are created in advance and stored in the database unit 42 before prediction is made in the prediction unit 13.

The prediction unit 13 may refer to the sensing frequency SF of each sensor 30 and multiple approximate straight lines AL (AL1, AL2, AL3) stored in the database unit 42, and calculate the recommended replacement time TR, which is the time corresponding to the recommended replacement voltage VR, from the preset recommended replacement voltage VR based on the approximate straight line AL corresponding to the sensing frequency SF of the sensor 30 being predicted. In this case, when the sensing frequency SF of the sensor 30 being predicted and stored in the database unit 42 is changed, the prediction unit 13 calculates the recommended replacement time TR based on the approximate straight line AL corresponding to the changed sensing frequency SF. Note that instead of multiple approximate straight lines AL with different sensing frequencies SF, multiple approximate curves such as polynomial approximations with different sensing frequencies SF may be pre-stored in the database unit 42. Each of the multiple approximate curves may be created from the voltage value (actual measurement value) of the battery 31 for each sensing frequency SF obtained during each patrol inspection. The prediction unit 13 may calculate the recommended replacement time TR based on an approximate curve corresponding to the sensing frequency SF of the sensor 30 performing the prediction, from among multiple approximate curves with different sensing frequencies SF.

As shown in Figure 9, when the sensing frequency SF is changed at time T1, the recommended replacement time TR1 calculated based on the approximate straight line AL (AL1) corresponding to the sensing frequency SF before the change is significantly different from the recommended replacement time TR2 calculated based on the approximate straight line AL (AL3) corresponding to the sensing frequency SF after the change. The error between the recommended replacement time TR2 and the actual recommended replacement time can be made smaller than the recommended replacement time TR1.

Figure 10 shows multiple approximate lines AL (AL4, AL5, AL6) with different logging times LT, which are the time the sensor 30 continues automatic measurement. The multiple approximate lines AL include a fourth approximate line AL4, a fifth approximate line AL5 with a shorter logging time LT than the fourth approximate line AL4, and a sixth approximate line AL6 with a shorter logging time LT than the fifth approximate line AL5.

As shown in Figure 10, as the logging time LT increases, the consumption rate of the battery 31 tends to increase. The logging time LT of each of the multiple sensors 30 is stored in the database unit 42. When the logging time LT of a sensor 30 is changed, the logging time LT stored in the database unit 42 is updated. The multiple approximate straight lines AL (AL4, AL5, AL6) described above are created in advance and stored in the database unit 42 before prediction is made by the prediction unit 13.

The prediction unit 13 may reference the logging time LT of each sensor 30 stored in the database unit 42 and multiple approximate straight lines AL (AL4, AL5, AL6) and calculate the recommended replacement time TR, which is the time corresponding to the recommended replacement voltage VR, from the preset recommended replacement voltage VR based on the approximate straight line AL corresponding to the logging time LT of the sensor 30 being predicted. In this case, when the logging time LT of the sensor 30 being predicted and stored in the database unit 42 is changed, the prediction unit 13 calculates the recommended replacement time TR based on the approximate straight line AL corresponding to the changed logging time LT. Note that instead of multiple approximate straight lines AL with different logging times LT, multiple approximate curves based on polynomial approximations with different logging times LT may be pre-stored in the database unit 42. Each of the multiple approximate curves may be created from the voltage values (actual measured values) of the battery 31 for each logging time LT obtained during each patrol inspection. The prediction unit 13 may calculate the recommended replacement time TR based on an approximate curve corresponding to the logging time LT of the sensor 30 for which the prediction is being made, from among multiple approximate curves with different logging times LT.

In some embodiments, the prediction unit 13 described above is configured to predict the recommended replacement time TR for the sensor 30 by further considering at least one of the sensing frequency SF of the sensor 30 or the logging time LT of the sensor 30 in addition to the information IB regarding the remaining battery charge.

With the above configuration, the consumption rate of the battery 31 varies depending on the sensing frequency SF and the logging time LT. By taking into account the sensing frequency SF and the logging time LT in addition to the information IB about the remaining battery charge, the prediction unit 13 can predict the recommended replacement time TR with greater accuracy than when only the information IB about the remaining battery charge is considered. In particular, if the sensing frequency SF or the logging time LT changes during the process, the prediction unit 13 can take the sensing frequency SF and the logging time LT into account to accurately predict the recommended replacement time TR after the sensing frequency SF or the logging time LT changes.

When the logging interval, which is the time interval between automatic measurements by the sensor 30, becomes shorter, the consumption rate of the battery 31 tends to increase. The prediction unit 13 described above may be configured to predict the recommended replacement time TR of the sensor 30 by further taking into account the logging interval of the sensor 30. The prediction unit 13 described above may also be configured to predict the recommended replacement time TR using multivariate analysis such as multiple regression analysis or machine learning, using at least one of the sensing frequency SF, logging time LT, or logging interval as a variable.

In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 1, 4, and 6, the sensor 30 described above is powered by an onboard battery 31 and is configured to acquire the state of the device 20 to which the sensor 30 is attached as a measured value, and is also configured to transmit information IB relating to the measured value and remaining battery charge.

With the above configuration, by receiving the sensor output SO transmitted from the sensor 30, it is possible to obtain information IB about the sensor's measurement value and the remaining battery charge. The recommended replacement time TR can then be predicted taking into account the information IB about the remaining battery charge transmitted from the sensor 30. In this case, it is easy to obtain the information IB about the sensor's measurement value and the remaining battery charge. By storing and accumulating the information IB about the remaining battery charge transmitted from the sensor 30, it is possible to accurately predict the recommended replacement time TR.

The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but also includes modifications to the above-described embodiments and appropriate combinations of these embodiments.

The contents described in the above-mentioned embodiments can be understood, for example, as follows:

1) A battery replacement timing suggestion system (10) according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure includes:
A battery replacement timing suggestion system (10) that suggests a battery replacement timing (TB) for a sensor (30) attached to a device (20), comprising:
an inspection timing acquisition unit (11) capable of acquiring an inspection timing (TA) of the device (20);
a battery remaining capacity acquisition unit (12) capable of acquiring information (IB) relating to the remaining battery capacity of the sensor (30);
a prediction unit (13) configured to predict a recommended replacement time (TR) at the sensor (30) when the remaining battery level falls below a threshold, taking into consideration information (IB) about the remaining battery level of the sensor (30) acquired by the remaining battery level acquisition unit (12);
a determination unit (14) configured to determine a battery replacement time (TB) of the sensor (30) in consideration of the inspection time (TA) of the device (20) acquired by the inspection time acquisition unit (11) and the recommended replacement time (TR) predicted by the prediction unit (13);
and a suggestion unit (15) configured to suggest the battery replacement timing (TB) of the sensor (30) determined by the determination unit (14).

According to the configuration of 1) above, the battery replacement timing (TB) for the sensor (30) is determined taking into account the inspection timing (TA) and recommended replacement timing (TR) for the device (20), making it possible to perform the battery replacement for the sensor (30) at the same time as the inspection of the device (20). By performing the battery replacement for the sensor (20) at the same time as the inspection of the device (20), inspection work and shared work such as moving the sensor (30) to its installation location can be reduced, thereby reducing the labor costs (man-hours) related to the battery replacement compared to performing the battery replacement for the sensor (30) alone.

2) In some embodiments, the battery replacement timing suggestion system (10) described in 1) above,
The determination unit (14) is configured to align the battery replacement time (TB) of the sensor (30) whose recommended replacement time (TR) falls within a first predetermined period (TL1) based on the inspection time (TA) of the device (20) with the inspection time (TA) of the device (20).

According to the configuration of 2) above, by aligning the battery replacement time (TB) of the sensor (30) whose recommended replacement time (TR) falls within the first predetermined period (TL1) with the inspection time (TA) of the device (20), it is possible to replace the battery of the sensor (30) at the same time as inspecting the device (20). When considering the battery (31) alone, it is preferable to replace the battery at the recommended replacement time (TR) of the battery (31), which reduces the labor costs (man-hours) associated with the battery replacement. However, when considering the inspection of the device (20) and the replacement of the sensor (30) together, replacing the battery (31) whose recommended replacement time (TR) falls within the first predetermined period (TL1) in conjunction with the inspection of the device (20) increases the labor efficiency of the battery replacement and reduces the labor costs (man-hours) associated with the battery replacement.

3) A battery replacement timing suggestion system (10) according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure,
A battery replacement timing suggestion system (10) that suggests battery replacement timings (TB) for a plurality of sensors (30) attached to a plurality of devices (20),
a battery remaining capacity acquisition unit (12) capable of acquiring information (IB) relating to the remaining battery capacity of each of the plurality of sensors (30);
a prediction unit (13) configured to predict a recommended replacement time (TR) at which the remaining battery charge falls below a threshold value for each of the plurality of sensors (30) in consideration of information (IB) on the remaining battery charge of the sensor (30) acquired by the remaining battery charge acquisition unit (12);
a determination unit (14) configured to determine a battery replacement time (TB) for each of the plurality of sensors (30) in consideration of the recommended replacement time (TR) for each of the plurality of sensors (30) predicted by the prediction unit (13);
and a suggestion unit (15) configured to suggest the battery replacement timing (TB) of the sensor (30) determined by the determination unit (14).

According to the configuration of 3) above, the battery replacement timing (TB) for each of the multiple sensors (30) is determined taking into account the recommended replacement timing (TR) for each of the multiple sensors (30), making it possible to replace the batteries of several sensors (30) together. By replacing the batteries of several sensors (30) together, shared work such as transporting the sensors (30) to their installation locations can be reduced, thereby reducing the labor costs (man-hours) associated with battery replacement compared to replacing the batteries of each sensor (30) individually.

4) In some embodiments, the battery replacement timing suggestion system (10) described in 3) above,
The determination unit (14) is configured to, when the sensor (30) among the plurality of sensors (30) whose recommended replacement time (TR) is earliest is designated as the nearest sensor (30F), match the battery replacement time (TB) of the sensor (30) whose recommended replacement time (TR) is within a second predetermined period (TL2) based on the recommended replacement time (TR) of the nearest sensor (30F) to the battery replacement time (TB) of the nearest sensor (30F).

According to the configuration of 4) above, by aligning the battery replacement time (TB) of a sensor (30) whose recommended replacement time (TR) falls within the second predetermined period (TL2) with the battery replacement time (TB) of the nearest sensor (30F), it is possible to replace the batteries of several sensors (30) together. When considering a single battery (31), it is preferable to replace the battery (31) at its recommended replacement time (TR), which reduces the labor costs (man-hours) associated with battery replacement. However, when considering multiple batteries (31), replacing batteries (31) whose recommended replacement time (TR) falls within the second predetermined period (TL2) together with batteries (31) whose recommended replacement time (TR) has arrived increases the labor efficiency of the battery replacement and reduces the labor costs (man-hours) associated with battery replacement.

5) In some embodiments, the battery replacement timing suggestion system (10) described in 3) above,
The system further includes an inspection timing acquisition unit (11) capable of acquiring the inspection timing (TA) of each of the plurality of devices (20),
The determination unit (14) is configured to determine the battery replacement time (TB) of each of the plurality of sensors (30) by further considering the inspection time (TA) of each of the plurality of devices (20) acquired by the inspection time acquisition unit (11).

According to the configuration of 5) above, the battery replacement timing (TB) for each sensor (30) is determined taking into account the inspection timing (TA) for each device (20) and the recommended replacement timing (TR) for each sensor (30), making it possible to perform battery replacement for several sensors (30) at the same time as inspecting the device (20). By performing battery replacement for the sensors (30) at the same time as inspecting the device (20), inspection work and shared work such as transporting the sensors (30) to their installation locations can be reduced, further reducing the labor costs (man-hours) associated with battery replacement.

6) In some embodiments, the battery replacement timing suggestion system (10) described in 5) above,
The determination unit (14)
The battery replacement time (TB) of the sensor (30) whose recommended replacement time (TR) falls within a first predetermined period (TL1) based on the inspection time (TA) of the device (20) is adjusted to coincide with the inspection time (TA) of the device (20),
The sensor (30) whose recommended replacement time (TR) does not fall within the first predetermined period (TL1) based on the inspection time (TA) of the device (20) is designated as an out-of-period sensor (30OP), and the sensor among the out-of-period sensors (30OP) whose recommended replacement time (TR) is the earliest is designated as a nearest sensor (30F).The battery replacement time (TB) of the out-of-period sensor (30OP) whose recommended replacement time (TR) falls within a second predetermined period (TL2) based on the recommended replacement time (TR) of the nearest sensor (30F) is configured to be aligned with the battery replacement time (TB) of the nearest sensor (30F).

According to the configuration of 6) above, by aligning the battery replacement time (TB) of a sensor (30) whose recommended replacement time (TR) falls within the first predetermined period (TL1) with the inspection time (TA) of the device (20), it is possible to perform battery replacement of the sensor (30) at the same time as the inspection of the device (20). Furthermore, by aligning the battery replacement time (TB) of an out-of-period sensor (30OP) whose recommended replacement time (TR) falls within the second predetermined period (TL2) with the battery replacement time (TB) of the nearest sensor (30F), it is possible to perform battery replacement of several sensors (30OP) together. In this case, it is possible to propose an optimal battery replacement time for each of multiple batteries (31), which reduces the labor costs (man-hours) associated with battery replacement.

7) In some embodiments, the battery replacement timing suggestion system (10) according to any one of 1) to 6) above,
The determination unit (14) is configured to determine the battery replacement timing (TB) for each of the plurality of sensors (30) by further considering the work period (WP) required for battery replacement for each of the plurality of sensors (30).

According to the configuration of 7) above, by taking into account the work period (WP) required for battery replacement for each of the multiple sensors (30), it is possible to prevent the inspection of the equipment (20) and the battery replacement of the sensors (30) from exceeding the scheduled work time. In this case, it is possible to propose an optimal battery replacement time (TB) that takes into account the workload of the workers.

8) In some embodiments, the battery replacement timing suggestion system (10) according to any one of 1) to 7) above,
The prediction unit (13) is configured to predict the recommended replacement time (TR) of the sensor (30) by further considering at least one of a sensing frequency (SF) of the sensor (30) or a logging time (LT) of the sensor (30).

According to the configuration of 8) above, the consumption rate of the battery (31) varies depending on the sensing frequency (SF) and logging time (LT). By taking into account the sensing frequency (SF) and logging time (LT) in addition to the information (IB) related to the remaining battery charge, the prediction unit (13) can predict the recommended replacement time (TR) with higher accuracy than when only the information (IB) related to the remaining battery charge is taken into account. In particular, when the sensing frequency (SF) and logging time (LT) change midway, the prediction unit (13) can take into account the sensing frequency (SF) and logging time (LT) to accurately predict the recommended replacement time (TR) after the change in the sensing frequency (SF) and logging time (LT).

9) In some embodiments, the battery replacement timing suggestion system (10) according to any one of 1) to 8) above,
The sensor (30) is powered by the power of an installed battery (31) and is configured to be able to acquire the state of the equipment (20) to which the sensor (30) is attached as a measured value, and is also configured to be able to transmit the measured value and information (IB) relating to the remaining battery capacity.

According to the configuration of 9) above, by receiving the sensor output transmitted from the sensor (30), it is possible to obtain the sensor measurement value and information (IB) relating to the remaining battery charge. Then, the recommended replacement time (TR) can be predicted taking into account the information (IB) relating to the remaining battery charge transmitted from the sensor (30). In this case, it is easy to obtain the sensor measurement value and information (IB) relating to the remaining battery charge. By storing and accumulating the information (IB) relating to the remaining battery charge transmitted from the sensor (30), it is possible to accurately predict the recommended replacement time (TR).

10) A battery replacement timing suggestion method (100) according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure includes:
A battery replacement timing suggestion method (100) for suggesting a battery replacement timing (TB) of a sensor (30) attached to a device (20), comprising:
An inspection time acquisition step (S101) of acquiring an inspection time (TA) of the device (20);
a remaining battery capacity acquisition step (S102) of acquiring information (IB) relating to the remaining battery capacity of the sensor (30);
a prediction step (S103) of predicting a recommended replacement time (TR) at the sensor (30) when the remaining battery level falls below a threshold, taking into consideration information (IB) relating to the remaining battery level of the sensor (30) acquired in the remaining battery level acquisition step (S102);
a determination step (S104) of determining a battery replacement time (TB) of the sensor (30) in consideration of the inspection time (TA) of the device (20) acquired in the inspection time acquisition step (S101) and the recommended replacement time (TR) predicted in the prediction step (S103);
and a proposing step (S105) of proposing the battery replacement timing (TB) of the sensor (30) determined in the determining step (S104).

According to method 10) above, by determining the battery replacement time (TB) for the sensor (30) taking into account the inspection time (TA) and recommended replacement time (TR) for the equipment (20), it is possible to perform the battery replacement for the sensor (30) at the same time as the inspection of the equipment (20). By performing the battery replacement for the sensor (20) at the same time as the inspection of the equipment (20), inspection work such as moving the sensor (30) to its installation location and shared work can be reduced, thereby reducing the labor costs (man-hours) related to the battery replacement compared to performing the battery replacement for the sensor (30) alone.

11) A battery replacement timing suggestion method (100) according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure includes:
A battery replacement timing suggestion method (100) for suggesting battery replacement timing (TB) of a plurality of sensors (30) attached to a plurality of devices (20), comprising:
a remaining battery capacity acquisition step (S102) capable of acquiring information (IB) relating to the remaining battery capacity of each of the plurality of sensors (30);
a prediction step (S103) of predicting a recommended replacement time (TR) at which the remaining battery charge of each of the plurality of sensors (30) falls below a threshold value, taking into consideration information (IB) relating to the remaining battery charge of each of the sensors (30) acquired in the remaining battery charge acquisition step (S102);
a determination step (S104) of determining a battery replacement time (TB) for each of the plurality of sensors (30) in consideration of the recommended replacement time (TR) for each of the plurality of sensors (30) predicted in the prediction step (S103);
and a proposing step (S105) of proposing the battery replacement timing (TB) of the sensor (30) determined in the determining step (S104).

According to method 11) above, the battery replacement timing (TB) for each of the multiple sensors (30) is determined taking into account the recommended replacement timing (TR) for each of the multiple sensors (30), making it possible to replace the batteries of several sensors (30) together. By replacing the batteries of several sensors (30) together, shared work such as transporting the sensors (30) to their installation locations can be reduced, thereby reducing the labor costs (man-hours) associated with battery replacement compared to replacing the batteries of each sensor (30) individually.

1 Inspection system 10 Battery replacement timing proposal system 11 Inspection timing acquisition unit 12 Battery remaining capacity acquisition unit 13 Prediction unit 14 Determination unit 15 Proposal unit 20 Equipment 30 Sensor 30F Proximate sensor 30IP In-period sensor 30OP Out-of-period sensor 31 Battery 32 Measurement unit 32A Digital meter 32B Analog meter 33 Memory unit 34 Transmission unit 34A Wireless tag 35 Converter 36 Photography device 40 Terminal 41 Third communication unit 42 Database unit 43 Display screen 50 Portable terminal 51 First communication unit 52 Second communication unit 100 Battery replacement timing proposal method AL, AL1 to AL6 Approximation line IA Information IB Battery information LT Logging time S101 Inspection timing acquisition step S102 Battery remaining capacity acquisition step S103 Prediction step S104 Determination step S105 Proposal step S106 Patrol inspection step S107 Adjustment step SF Sensing frequency SO Sensor output TA Inspection time TB Battery replacement time TL1 First predetermined period TL2 Second predetermined period TR Recommended replacement time VR Recommended replacement voltage WP Work period

Claims (7)

A battery replacement timing suggestion device configured to suggest a battery replacement timing for a sensor attached to a device,
a storage unit for storing the inspection timing of the device and the remaining battery charge of the sensor;
a predicting unit configured to predict a recommended replacement time when the remaining battery charge in the sensor falls below a threshold based on the remaining battery charge stored in the storage unit, based on association information that associates the remaining battery charge with a time since the start of use of the battery; and
The system is configured to propose the earliest future periodic inspection time of the device as the replacement time of the battery of the sensor for which the recommended replacement time falls within a first predetermined period that is a period that includes an inspection date of the device and is shorter than an interval between periodic inspections of the device ,
the storage unit is configured to store a work time required to inspect the device, a work time required to replace a battery of one of the sensors, and an upper limit of the work time for the device on the inspection date;
The battery replacement timing suggestion device
The system is configured to limit the number of sensors whose battery replacement times are to be synchronized on the inspection day of the device so that the sum of the work time required for inspecting the device to be performed on the inspection day of the device and the work time required for battery replacement of at least one of the sensors to be performed on the inspection day does not exceed the upper limit value of the work time on the inspection day of the device.
Battery replacement suggestion device. A battery replacement timing suggestion device configured to suggest battery replacement times for a plurality of sensors attached to a plurality of devices,
a storage unit for storing the remaining battery power of each of the plurality of sensors;
The system is configured to predict a recommended replacement time for each of the plurality of sensors when the remaining battery charge falls below a threshold value from the remaining battery charge of each of the plurality of sensors stored in the storage unit based on association information that associates the remaining battery charge with the time since the start of use of the battery; and
When the sensor having the earliest recommended replacement time among the plurality of sensors is defined as a nearest sensor, the recommended replacement time of the nearest sensor is proposed as the battery replacement time of the sensor having the recommended replacement time within a second predetermined period which is a predetermined period starting from the recommended replacement time of the nearest sensor.
Battery replacement suggestion device. A battery replacement timing suggestion device configured to suggest battery replacement times for a plurality of sensors attached to a plurality of devices,
a storage unit for storing inspection times of the plurality of devices and remaining battery levels of the plurality of sensors;
and predicting a recommended replacement time for each of the plurality of sensors when the remaining battery charge falls below a threshold value from the remaining battery charge of each of the plurality of sensors stored in the storage unit based on association information that associates the remaining battery charge with the time since the start of use of the battery; and
The method is configured to propose the earliest future periodic inspection time for the device as the replacement time for the battery of the sensor for which the recommended replacement time falls within a first predetermined period that includes an inspection date of any one of the plurality of devices and is a period that is shorter than an interval between periodic inspections of the device , and
When the sensor for which the recommended replacement time does not exist within the first predetermined period is defined as an out-of-period sensor, and the sensor for which the recommended replacement time is earliest among the out-of-period sensors is defined as a nearest sensor, the recommended replacement time of the nearest sensor is proposed as the battery replacement time of the out-of-period sensor for which the recommended replacement time exists within a second predetermined period, which is a predetermined period starting from the recommended replacement time of the nearest sensor.
Battery replacement suggestion device. the storage unit is configured to store a work time required to inspect the device, a work time required to replace a battery of one of the sensors, and an upper limit of the work time for the device on the inspection date;
The battery replacement timing suggestion device
The system is configured to limit the number of sensors whose battery replacement times are to be synchronized on the inspection day of the device so that the total of the work time required for inspecting the device on the inspection day of the device and the work time required for replacing the batteries of the sensors on the inspection day does not exceed the upper limit value of the work time on the inspection day of the device.
The battery replacement timing suggestion device according to claim 3 . the storage unit is configured to store the operation time required for battery replacement of one of the sensors and an upper limit of the operation time on the most recent battery replacement date of the sensor;
The battery replacement timing suggestion device
The system is configured to limit the number of sensors whose battery replacement times are to be synchronized with the battery replacement date of the most recent sensor so that the total work time required for battery replacement of the sensors to be performed on the battery replacement date of the most recent sensor does not exceed the upper limit value of work time on the battery replacement date of the most recent sensor.
4. The battery replacement timing suggestion device according to claim 2 or 3. the storage unit is configured to store at least one of a sensing frequency of the sensor and a logging time of the sensor;
the association information is information that associates at least one of a sensing frequency of the sensor and a logging time of the sensor with the remaining battery charge and a time since the start of use of the battery,
The battery replacement timing suggestion device
and predicting the recommended replacement time when the remaining battery charge of the sensor falls below the threshold value from at least one of the sensing frequency of the sensor stored in the storage unit or the logging time of the sensor and the remaining battery charge stored in the storage unit based on the association information.
The battery replacement timing suggestion device according to any one of claims 1 to 5. the sensor is driven by power from a battery mounted thereon and is configured to be able to transmit the remaining battery charge;
The storage unit is configured to store the remaining battery charge transmitted from the sensor.
7. The battery replacement timing suggestion device according to claim 1.