JP7760041B2 - Monitoring system, server and monitoring method - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a monitoring system, a server, and a monitoring method.

Various technologies have been proposed for monitoring elderly people, such as those living alone. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a safety confirmation system that monitors the behavior of a person being monitored by checking the on/off status of lighting devices installed in the person's home, so that the person being monitored does not become aware that they are being monitored.

In this safety confirmation system, the cloud server references the on/off history of lighting devices in the home of the person being monitored and generates safety information according to pre-registered safety notification rules.The cloud server then transmits the generated safety information to external devices carried by the person being monitored, such as family members living separately from the person being monitored or a care manager.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-218969

In this type of monitoring, it is important to detect not only the behavior of the person being monitored within the home, but also whether or not the person being monitored is going out.

In this case, for example, by installing motion sensors throughout the home, it is possible to detect with high accuracy when the person being monitored leaves the house. However, this is costly and there are concerns that it may cause discomfort to the person being monitored.

In addition, if the person being monitored always carries a mobile phone, smartphone, or other mobile device equipped with a GPS (Global Positioning System) function, it is possible to determine the person's current location and therefore to confirm whether the person being monitored has left their home. However, there is a problem in that the person being monitored does not always carry the mobile device, making it unreliable as a basis for determining whether the person has left their home.

Therefore, there is a need to propose new technologies that will improve reliability while respecting privacy when detecting whether or not the person being monitored is out.

This disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned situation, and aims to provide a monitoring system, server, and monitoring method that can improve reliability while respecting privacy when detecting whether a person being monitored is out or not.

In order to achieve the above object, the monitoring system according to the present disclosure includes:
a device information acquisition means for acquiring device information relating to the operation of devices installed in the home of the person being watched over ;
an elevator information acquisition means for acquiring elevator information relating to the operation of an elevator installed in a building to which the residence belongs;
device information storage means for storing the device information;
an elevator information storage means for storing the elevator information;
The device further includes a behavior estimation means for estimating the behavior of the person being watched over based on the device information stored in the device information storage means and the elevator information stored in the elevator information storage means.

According to the present disclosure, the behavior of the person being monitored is estimated based on device information regarding the operation of devices installed in the home and elevator information regarding the operation of elevators installed in the building to which the home belongs, thereby making it possible to improve reliability in detecting whether the person being monitored has gone out while respecting their privacy.

FIG. 1 shows an overall configuration of a monitoring system according to a first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a cloud server according to a first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a user terminal according to a first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a cloud server according to a first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the relationship between the estimated behavior of a subject and requirements in the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a user notification screen according to the first embodiment; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a user notification screen according to the first embodiment; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a user notification screen according to the first embodiment; 1 is a flowchart showing a procedure of a monitoring process according to the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a user notification screen according to a modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a user notification screen according to a modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a monitoring system according to a second embodiment. 10 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a cloud server according to a second embodiment. Flowchart showing the procedure of elevator call processing in the second embodiment

The following describes in detail the embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1)
1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a monitoring system 1 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. The monitoring system 1 is an example of a monitoring system according to the present disclosure, and is a system for monitoring a resident of a house H (hereinafter referred to as a "subject"), who is an example of a monitoring target according to the present disclosure. The monitoring system 1 includes a cloud server 2, a device 3 and a router 4 installed in the house H, an elevator management device 5 installed in a building B, such as an apartment building, to which the house H belongs, and a user terminal 6. The house H is located on the second or higher floor of the building B.

<Cloud Server 2>
The cloud server 2 is an example of a server according to the present disclosure. The cloud server 2 is a server computer installed and operated by a manufacturer, a sales company, or the like of the device 3 and the elevator E installed in the building B, and is connected to a network N, which is a wide area network such as the Internet. As shown in FIG. 2 , the cloud server 2 includes a communication interface 20, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 21, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 22, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 23, and an auxiliary storage device 24. These components are connected to each other via a bus 25.

The communication interface 20 is hardware for communicating with other devices via the network N. The CPU 21 provides overall control over the cloud server 2. Details of the functions of the cloud server 2 realized by the CPU 21 will be described later. The ROM 22 stores multiple pieces of firmware and data used when these firmware are executed. The RAM 23 is used as a working area for the CPU 21.

The auxiliary storage device 24 is composed of readable/writable non-volatile semiconductor memory, a hard disk drive (HDD), etc. Examples of readable/writable non-volatile semiconductor memory include an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, etc. The auxiliary storage device 24 stores various programs, including a program (hereinafter referred to as the "monitoring program") for monitoring the behavior of the subject who is a resident of house H and notifying related parties of information based on the monitoring results, as well as data used when these programs are executed. Related parties include, for example, the subject's relatives, a care support service staff member, and a staff member of the company that manages building B.

Cloud server 2 can obtain the above-mentioned monitoring program or update programs for updating the monitoring program from other servers via communication over network N. These programs can also be stored and distributed on computer-readable recording media such as CD-ROMs (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), DVDs (Digital Versatile Discs), magneto-optical disks, USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, HDDs, SSDs (Solid State Drives), and memory cards. When such a recording medium is directly or indirectly attached to the cloud server 2, the cloud server 2 can read and import the monitoring program or update programs from the recording medium.

<Device 3>
The device 3 is an example of a device according to the present disclosure. The device 3 is, for example, a home appliance known as an IoT (Internet of Things) device, an information appliance, a network appliance, a smart appliance, or the like, such as an air conditioner, a lighting device, or a television. The device 3 is wirelessly connected to a router 4, which is a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) router such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark), and includes hardware for communicating with the cloud server 2 via the router 4.

Device 3 transmits information about its own operation (hereinafter referred to as "device information") to cloud server 2 at regular intervals (e.g., every minute). The device information includes identification information that can uniquely identify device 3, the current date and time, information indicating the operating status, and measurement results from sensors equipped on device 3 (e.g., thermal image sensors such as infrared thermography, temperature sensors, etc.). Device 3 identification information is, for example, the serial number and IP address of device 3.

The operating state includes information indicating whether the device is operating or stopped, and the operation details. For example, if device 3 is an air conditioner, the operation details include the operating mode (cooling, heating, fan, dehumidification, etc.) and the set temperature, fan speed, timer settings, etc. If device 3 is a lighting device, the operation details include the output level, etc., and if device 3 is a television, the operation details include the channel, volume, etc. Device 3 may be configured to communicate with cloud server 2 via an external communication adapter (not shown).

<Elevator control device 5>
The elevator management device 5 is a computer that manages the operation of the elevator E installed in the building B. The elevator management device 5 includes hardware for communicating with the cloud server 2 via the network N. The elevator management device 5 transmits information about the operation of the elevator E (hereinafter referred to as "elevator information") to the cloud server 2 at regular intervals (for example, every minute). The elevator information includes identification information that can uniquely identify the elevator E, the current date and time, destination designation information that indicates the destination designated by the user of the elevator E, and the operation record of the elevator E during the regular interval.

<User terminal 6>
The user terminal 6 is an example of a terminal device according to the present disclosure. The user terminal 6 is an electronic device carried by the relevant person, and is, for example, a smart device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal.

As shown in Figure 3, the user terminal 6 includes a display 60, an operation reception unit 61, a communication interface 62, a CPU 63, a ROM 64, a RAM 65, and an auxiliary storage device 66. These components are interconnected via a bus 67.

The display 60 is composed of a display device such as a liquid crystal display, an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display, etc. Under the control of the CPU 63, the display 60 displays various screens etc. in response to operations by the user (i.e., a person related to the subject).

The operation reception unit 61 is configured to include one or more input devices such as push buttons, touch panels, touch pads, etc., and receives operation input from the user and outputs a signal related to the received operation to the CPU 63.

The communication interface 62 is hardware for communicating with other devices via the network N. The CPU 63 provides overall control of the user terminal 6. The ROM 64 stores multiple pieces of firmware and data used when these pieces of firmware are executed. The RAM 65 is used as a working area for the CPU 63.

The auxiliary storage device 66 is composed of readable and writable non-volatile semiconductor memory such as EEPROM and flash memory. The auxiliary storage device 66 stores various programs, including an application program (hereinafter referred to as the "monitoring app") for receiving the monitoring service provided by the monitoring system 1, and data used when these programs are executed.

The user terminal 6 can acquire the monitoring app or an update program for updating the monitoring app via communication from the cloud server 2 or another server. These programs can also be stored and distributed on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, DVD, optical magnetic disk, USB memory, HDD, SSD, or memory card. When such a recording medium is directly or indirectly attached to the user terminal 6, the user terminal 6 may read and acquire the monitoring app or update program from the recording medium.

<Functional configuration of cloud server 2>
Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the cloud server 2. As shown in Fig. 4, the cloud server 2 includes a setting reception unit 200, a device information acquisition unit 201, an elevator information acquisition unit 202, a behavior estimation unit 203, and a notification unit 204. These functional units are realized by the CPU 21 executing the above-mentioned monitoring program stored in the auxiliary storage device 24.

The setting reception unit 200 accepts settings for information related to the monitoring service from users who are involved. The user can use the monitoring app to set various information via the user terminal 6. For example, the user can set the name of the target person, the target person's address, identification information for device 3, notification conditions, etc. via the user terminal 6. The identification information for device 3 can be automatically obtained and set from device 3 when the user uses the monitoring app at the target person's residence H. The setting reception unit 200 stores the setting information related to the settings accepted from the user in the setting information storage unit 240. The setting information storage unit 240 is a memory area provided by the auxiliary storage device 24.

The device information acquisition unit 201 is an example of a device information acquisition means according to the present disclosure. The device information acquisition unit 201 receives and acquires the above-mentioned device information sent from the device 3 installed in the subject's residence H. The device information may be sent from the device 3 in response to a request from the cloud server 2, or may be sent voluntarily from the device 3. The device information acquisition unit 201 sorts the acquired device information in chronological order and stores it in the device information storage unit 241. In other words, the device information storage unit 241 stores a history of the device information. The device information storage unit 241 is a memory area provided by the auxiliary storage device 24, and is an example of a device information storage means according to the present disclosure.

The elevator information acquisition unit 202 is an example of an elevator information acquisition means according to the present disclosure. The elevator information acquisition unit 202 receives and acquires the above-mentioned elevator information sent from the elevator management device 5 installed in the building B to which the subject's residence H belongs. The elevator information may be sent from the elevator management device 5 in response to a request from the cloud server 2, or may be sent spontaneously from the elevator management device 5. The elevator information acquisition unit 202 sorts the acquired elevator information in chronological order and stores it in the elevator information storage unit 242. In other words, the elevator information storage unit 242 stores the history of the elevator information. The elevator information storage unit 242 is a memory area provided by the auxiliary storage device 24, and is an example of an elevator information storage means according to the present disclosure.

The behavior estimation unit 203 is an example of a behavior estimation means according to the present disclosure. The behavior estimation unit 203 estimates the behavior of the subject based on the equipment information stored in the equipment information storage unit 241 and the elevator information stored in the elevator information storage unit 242. In detail, the behavior estimation unit 203 estimates the behavior of the subject based on the history of the equipment information and elevator information, and the previous estimation result. In this embodiment, the behavior estimation unit 203 estimates the behavior of the subject as going out, coming home, being out, or being at home. Each estimation method will be described below.

<Presumed outing>
5 , if the previous estimation result was that the subject was at home and the elevator E arrived at the subject's residential floor and moved to the first floor within a first hour or more and a second hour after the operation state of the device 3 changed from operating to stopped, the behavior estimation unit 203 estimates that the requirements for going out are met and that the subject has gone out. The first and second times mean, for example, the following times. That is, assuming that the subject's behavior when the operation state of the device 3 changed from operating to stopped was leaving the house H or starting to prepare to go out, the first time means the shortest time required from the subject leaving the house H to using the elevator E, and the second time means the longest time required from the subject starting to prepare to go out to using the elevator E.

For example, the user can determine the first and second times from the target person's daily behavior and set them in the cloud server 2 using a monitoring app. Alternatively, the user can use the monitoring app to set the distance from the entrance of the residence H to the elevator boarding and disembarking location on the residential floor, and the cloud server 2 can determine the first and second times based on the set distance. Alternatively, the cloud server 2 can derive the first and second times through learning.

If the operating state of device 3 changes from operating to stopped due to a prior timer setting, the behavior estimation unit 203 may determine that the requirements for going out are not met. Furthermore, if device 3 is equipped with a human presence sensor such as a thermal image sensor, the behavior estimation unit 203 may estimate that the subject has gone out if the human detection result of the human presence sensor changes from detected to not detected, or even if the operating state of device 3 has not changed from operating to stopped, as long as the other above conditions are met.

<Estimated return home>
5 , the activity estimation unit 203 estimates that the subject has returned home if the previous estimation result was that the subject was out and the operation state of the device 3 changed from a stopped state to an operating state, satisfying the requirements for returning home. Note that if the operation state of the device 3 changed from a stopped state to an operating state due to a pre-set timer, the activity estimation unit 203 may determine that the requirements for returning home are not satisfied. Furthermore, if the device 3 is equipped with a human presence sensor such as a thermal image sensor, the activity estimation unit 203 estimates that the subject has returned home if the previous estimation result was that the subject was out and the human detection result of the human presence sensor changed from undetected to detected, regardless of the operation state of the device 3.

<Presumed to be out and about>
As shown in FIG. 5, the behavior estimation unit 203 estimates that the subject is out when the previous estimation result is out or out and the above-described requirement of returning home is not satisfied.

<Estimated time at home>
As shown in FIG. 5, the activity estimation unit 203 estimates that the subject is at home if the previous estimation result is that the subject has returned home or is at home and the above-mentioned conditions for going out are not met.

The behavior estimation unit 203 sorts behavior information, including the current date and time and estimation results, in chronological order and stores it in the behavior information storage unit 243. In other words, the behavior information storage unit 243 stores the history of behavior information. The behavior information storage unit 243 is a memory area provided by the auxiliary storage device 24.

The notification unit 204 is an example of a notification means according to the present disclosure. The notification unit 204 notifies the user, who is the relevant party, of information related to monitoring based on the estimation results by the behavior estimation unit 203. For example, when there is a change in the behavior of the subject, the notification unit 204 generates notification information including information indicating that the subject has gone out or returned home and the current time, and transmits this to the user terminal 6. Upon receiving this notification information, the user terminal 6 displays a user notification screen such as that shown in FIG. 6 on the display 60, for example, by push notification.

Furthermore, for example, if the target person goes out at a time different from the planned outing time previously set by the user, the notification unit 204 generates notification information including information indicating this and the current time and sends it to the user terminal 6.

Furthermore, for example, even if there is no change in behavior, the notification unit 204 generates notification information including information indicating whether the user is at home or out and the current time at regular intervals and transmits it to the user terminal 6. Figure 7 shows an example of a user notification screen displayed on the display 60 of the user terminal 6 in this case. The user can use the monitoring app to set in advance whether or not to receive notification information at regular intervals. The user can also use the monitoring app to set in advance the time interval for reception. The user can also use the monitoring app to set in advance the time period for receiving notification information at regular intervals.

Furthermore, for example, if the user continues to be out beyond a predetermined maximum time limit for going out, the notification unit 204 generates notification information including information indicating this and the current time, and sends it to the user terminal 6. Figure 8 shows an example of a user notification screen displayed on the display 60 of the user terminal 6 in this case. The user can use the monitoring app to set the maximum time limit for going out in advance.

In addition, the notification unit 204 may generate notification information indicating the current situation of the subject or the subject's behavior history in response to the user's operation using the monitoring app, and transmit this to the user terminal 6. In this case, when the notification information is received by the user terminal 6, the monitoring app displays a screen based on the notification information.

<Monitoring process>
9 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the monitoring process executed by the cloud server 2. The cloud server 2 executes the following monitoring process at regular time intervals (for example, every minute).

(Step S100)
The cloud server 2 acquires the device information from the device 3. After that, the process of the cloud server 2 proceeds to step S101.

(Step S101)
Cloud server 2 acquires elevator information from elevator management device 5. After that, the process of cloud server 2 transitions to step S102.

(Step S102)
The cloud server 2 estimates the behavior of the subject person based on the history of the device information, the history of the elevator information, and the previous estimation result. After that, the process of the cloud server 2 proceeds to step S103.

(Step S103)
The cloud server 2 determines whether or not a notification is necessary for the user. Whether or not a notification is necessary is determined based on whether or not there has been a change in behavior and the setting information stored in the setting information storage unit 240. As a result, if a notification is necessary (step S103; YES), the processing of the cloud server 2 proceeds to step S104. On the other hand, if a notification is not necessary (step S103; NO), the cloud server 2 ends the monitoring processing for this cycle.

(Step S104)
The cloud server 2 generates the notification information. After that, the process of the cloud server 2 proceeds to step S105.

(Step S105)
The cloud server 2 transmits the generated notification information to the user terminal 6. After that, the cloud server 2 ends the monitoring process for this cycle. Upon receiving the notification information, the user terminal 6 displays a user notification screen such as that shown in FIG. 6 on the display 60 by, for example, a push notification.

As described above, the monitoring system 1 in this embodiment estimates the behavior of the subject based on device information regarding the operation of device 3 installed in residence H and elevator information regarding the operation of elevator E installed in building B to which residence H belongs. This makes it possible to improve the reliability of detecting whether the subject has gone out while respecting their privacy.

In addition, based on the estimated behavior of the subject, meaningful information regarding monitoring will be appropriately notified to the subject's relatives and other relevant parties, enabling them to monitor the subject appropriately.

(Variation 1)
The device 3 is not limited to a home appliance, and may be, for example, a human presence sensor that detects a person using infrared rays, visible light, sound waves, or sound sense. The router 4 may also function as the device 3. That is, the router 4 may transmit device information, which is information about its own operation, to the cloud server 2 at regular intervals (for example, every minute).

(Variation 2)
A plurality of devices 3 that are communicatively connected to the cloud server 2 may be installed in the subject's home H. In this case, if there are a plurality of devices 3 equipped with human presence sensors, and if any of the human presence sensors detects a person, the behavior estimation unit 203 of the cloud server 2 excludes "outside" and "out" from the subject's behavior.

(Variation 3)
The device 3 may transmit the device information to the cloud server 2 spontaneously when triggered by a change in its operating state, rather than transmitting the device information to the cloud server 2 at regular time intervals. In this case, the device 3 equipped with a human presence sensor spontaneously transmits the device information to the cloud server 2 not only when its operating state changes, but also when the detection result of the human presence sensor changes.

(Variation 4)
The cloud server 2 may send the notification information to the user terminal 6 by email.

(Variation 5)
There may be multiple related parties for one target person. In this case, the cloud server 2 transmits the same notification information to the user terminal 6 of each related party.

(Variation 6)
If the subject possesses a terminal device similar to the user terminal 6 (see Figure 3) and a monitoring app is installed on the terminal device, the setting reception unit 200 of the cloud server 2 may accept settings for information regarding the monitoring service not only from related parties but also from the subject, and the notification unit 204 may send notification information to the terminal device.

(Variation 7)
The notification unit 204 may generate notification information taking into account the device information stored in the device information storage unit 241. For example, if the target person goes out without stopping the operation of the device 3, the notification unit 204 generates notification information including information indicating this and the current time, and transmits it to the user terminal 6. An example of a user notification screen displayed on the display 60 of the user terminal 6 in this case is shown in FIG. 10. Furthermore, if the target person is at home but the operation state of the device 3 remains stopped beyond a predetermined upper stop time limit, the notification unit 204 generates notification information including information indicating this and the current time, and transmits it to the user terminal 6. An example of a user notification screen displayed on the display 60 of the user terminal 6 in this case is shown in FIG. 11.

(Variation 8)
As shown in FIG. 5 , the activity estimation unit 203 may estimate going out, coming home, going out, and being at home, as well as getting ready to go out. Specifically, if the previous estimation result was being at home and the operation state of the device 3 changes from operating to stopped (or if the human detection result by the human presence sensor changes from detected to undetected), the activity estimation unit 203 estimates that the period from when the elevator E arrives at the floor where the subject lives until it moves to the first floor is getting ready to go out. Furthermore, if the getting ready to go out state continues for a third hour or more, the activity estimation unit 203 may determine that an abnormality, such as poor health, has occurred in the subject, and the notification unit 204 may notify the user terminal 6 that an abnormality may have occurred while the subject was getting ready to go out.

Similarly, the behavior estimation unit 203 may estimate the time immediately before or immediately after returning home. Specifically, if the previous estimation result was that the subject was out and the elevator E moved from the first floor to the floor where the subject lives, the behavior estimation unit 203 estimates the time immediately before or immediately after returning home as the period from when the operating state of the device 3 changes from a stopped state to when it is operating (or when the human detection result by the human presence sensor changes from undetected to detected). Furthermore, if the time immediately before or immediately after returning home state continues for a fourth hour or more, the behavior estimation unit 203 may determine that an abnormality such as poor health has occurred in the subject, and the notification unit 204 may notify the user terminal 6 that an abnormality may have occurred immediately before or immediately after the subject returned home.

For example, the user can determine the third and fourth times based on the target person's daily behavior and set them on the cloud server 2 using a monitoring app.

(Variation 9)
The cloud server 2 may be configured with a plurality of separate servers. In this case, the cloud server 2 may be configured with, for example, a device information management server that acquires and manages device information from the device 3, an elevator information management server that acquires and manages elevator information from the elevator management device 5, and a monitoring server that monitors the target person based on the device information acquired from the device information management server and the elevator information acquired from the elevator information management server.

(Variation 10)
An identification information acquisition device for acquiring user identification information may be installed in the elevator E or at the boarding and disembarking locations on each floor of the elevator E. The identification information acquisition device is an example of a first identification information acquisition means according to the present disclosure. The identification information acquisition device is communicatively connected to the elevator management device 5 and transmits user information, including the acquired user identification information and the current date and time, to the elevator management device 5. The elevator management device 5 transmits the user information received from the identification information acquisition device to the cloud server 2. The setting information stored in the setting information storage unit 240 of the cloud server 2 includes identification information of the target person set in advance by the relevant person. In this way, the behavior estimation unit 203 of the cloud server 2 can more accurately estimate the target person's behavior using the user information received from the elevator management device 5.

In addition, since the cloud server 2 can detect when the subject has entered the elevator E to go home, it is possible to operate the device 3 before the subject arrives home. This makes it possible to turn on the lighting device or start the air conditioning before the subject arrives home, improving the subject's comfort.

The above-mentioned identification information acquisition device is, for example, a receiving device that receives wireless signals periodically transmitted via Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy (BLE) communication from a mobile device such as a mobile phone or smartphone carried by the subject. Such wireless signals include the subject's identification information (e.g., ID (identifier)). Furthermore, for example, the identification information acquisition device may be an IC tag reader that reads information including the subject's identification information (e.g., ID) from an IC tag worn by the subject. Alternatively, the identification information acquisition device may be a device that captures the subject's fingerprint as the subject's identification information, or a visible camera composed of an image sensor such as a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) or CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) that captures the subject's facial image as the subject's identification information.

(Modification 11)
A transmitter that periodically transmits a wireless signal including floor information indicating the floor may be installed at each boarding and disembarking location of the elevator E. The transmitter is an example of a first transmitter according to the present disclosure. In this case, a mobile device such as a mobile phone or smartphone carried by the subject receives the wireless signal transmitted from the transmitter to acquire the floor information, and transmits location information including the subject's identification information (e.g., ID), the acquired floor information, and the current time to the cloud server 2. In this way, the behavior estimation unit 203 of the cloud server 2 can more accurately estimate the subject's behavior by using the location information received from the subject's mobile device.

In addition, the cloud server 2 can detect when the subject has entered the elevator E to go home, and can operate the device 3 before the subject arrives home. This makes it possible to turn on the lighting device or start the air conditioning before the subject arrives home, improving the subject's comfort.

(Variation 12)
In each of a plurality of other buildings different from building B, the identification information acquisition device of variant 10 may be installed in the elevator or at the boarding and disembarking locations of each elevator floor, and an elevator management device 5 similar to variant 10 may be installed. The identification information acquisition device is an example of the second identification information acquisition means according to the present disclosure. In this way, when the subject stops by any of the plurality of buildings while out and about, the notification unit 204 of the cloud server 2 can notify relevant parties of the subject's specific whereabouts.

In addition, by having the relevant person use the monitoring app to set in advance the building and time period that the target person is scheduled to visit, the cloud server 2 can determine whether the target person's outing during that time period is normal. For example, if the target person does not visit the building during that time period, or visits a different building, the notification unit 204 of the cloud server 2 sends notification information indicating this to the user terminal 6. This allows the relevant person to know whether the target person has arrived at their destination normally.

(Variation 13)
The transmitter of Variation 11 may be installed at the elevator boarding and disembarking location on each floor in each of a plurality of buildings other than building B. The transmitter is an example of a second transmitter according to the present disclosure. In this way, when a subject carrying the mobile terminal of Variation 11 stops by any of the plurality of buildings while out and about, the notification unit 204 of the cloud server 2 can notify relevant parties of the specific location of the subject.

(Variation 14)
The monitoring system 1 may be applied to monitoring a resident (i.e., a subject) of a house equipped with a home elevator. In this case, the subject's home corresponds to building B, the home elevator corresponds to elevator E, and each room in the home corresponds to house H. The monitoring system 1 of this modification can monitor the subject's entry and exit from each room by using device information and elevator information of the devices 3 installed in each room.

Alternatively, the monitoring system 1 may be applied to monitoring employees in an office building. In this case, the employee corresponds to the target person, the office building corresponds to building B, the elevator in the office building corresponds to elevator E, and each room and other predetermined locations in the office building correspond to residence H. In this modified monitoring system 1, by predetermining the relationship between the device 3 installed in each room etc. and the target person, the behavior of the target person in the office building can be monitored using device information and elevator information for the device 3 related to the target person. The monitoring system 1 can also be applied to monitoring one or more targets, such as patients, people requiring care, students, etc. in hospitals, nursing homes, schools, etc.

(Variation 15)
An IC tag reader that reads information from IC tags attached to items may be installed in the elevator E, and the information read by the IC tag reader may be transmitted to the cloud server 2 via the elevator management device 5. In this way, it becomes possible to monitor whether items in the house H are being improperly taken by a third party other than the target person.

(Variation 16)
All or part of the functional units (see FIG. 4 ) of the cloud server 2 may be implemented by dedicated hardware, such as a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a combination thereof.

The technical ideas of each of the above-mentioned variations may be realized individually or in appropriate combinations.

(Embodiment 2)
Next, a description will be given of a second embodiment of the present disclosure. In the following description, components and the like common to the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

Figure 12 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of monitoring system 1A in embodiment 2 of the present disclosure. Monitoring system 1A is an example of a monitoring system according to the present disclosure, and is a system for monitoring a resident of house H (hereinafter referred to as the "subject"), who is an example of a monitored person according to the present disclosure, and for improving the convenience of the subject when using an elevator. Monitoring system 1A includes a cloud server 2A, equipment 3 and a router 4 installed in house H, an elevator management device 5A installed in building B, such as an apartment building, to which house H belongs, and a user terminal 6. House H is located on the second floor or higher of building B.

<Cloud Server 2A>
The cloud server 2A is an example of a server according to the present disclosure. The cloud server 2A is a server computer installed and operated by a manufacturer, a sales company, or the like of the device 3 and the elevator E installed in the building B, and is connected to a network N, which is a wide area network such as the Internet. The hardware configuration of the cloud server 2A is the same as that of the cloud server 2 in the first embodiment (see FIG. 2). Details of the functions of the cloud server 2A will be described later.

<Elevator control device 5A>
The elevator management device 5A is an example of an elevator management means according to the present disclosure. The elevator management device 5A is a computer that manages the operation of an elevator E installed in a building B. Like the elevator management device 5 of the first embodiment, the elevator management device 5A includes hardware for communicating with the cloud server 2A via a network N, and transmits elevator information, which is information related to the operation of the elevator E, to the cloud server 2A at regular intervals (e.g., every minute). The elevator management device 5A also controls the elevator E to move to the floor where the target person resides, in accordance with a command from the cloud server 2A.

<Functional configuration of cloud server 2A>
13 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of cloud server 2A. As shown in FIG. 13, cloud server 2A includes a setting reception unit 200, a device information acquisition unit 201, an elevator information acquisition unit 202, a behavior estimation unit 203, a notification unit 204, and a call command unit 205. These functional units are realized by CPU 21 of cloud server 2A executing a monitoring program and an elevator use support program stored in auxiliary storage device 24. The monitoring program is a program for monitoring the behavior of a subject who is a resident of house H and notifying related parties of information based on the monitoring results of the subject, and the elevator use support program is a program for supporting the subject's use of elevator E.

In the cloud server 2A, the functions of the setting reception unit 200, the equipment information acquisition unit 201, the elevator information acquisition unit 202, the behavior estimation unit 203 and the notification unit 204 are the same as those of the cloud server 2 in embodiment 1.

The call command unit 205 is an example of a call command means according to the present disclosure. When it is necessary to call elevator E to the floor where the target person resides, the call command unit 205 commands the elevator management device 5A to call elevator E. Specifically, the call command unit 205 determines whether it is necessary to call elevator E to the floor where the target person resides based on the latest equipment information stored in the equipment information storage unit 241 and the setting information stored in the setting information storage unit 240.

In this embodiment, if the operating state of device 3 changes from operating to stopped during the scheduled elevator usage time period included in the setting information, the call command unit 205 determines that it is necessary to call elevator E to the floor where the target person resides. The scheduled elevator usage time period is a time period during which the target person is likely to use elevator E, and is set in advance by the relevant user via the monitoring app.

In addition, if the equipment 3 is equipped with a human presence sensor such as a thermal image sensor, the call command unit 205 may determine that it is necessary to call the elevator E to the floor where the target person resides if the detection result by the human presence sensor changes from detected to undetected, and even if the operating state of the equipment 3 has not changed from operating to stopped, as long as it is during the scheduled time period for elevator use.

When the call command unit 205 determines that it is necessary to call elevator E to the floor where the target person resides, it generates call command information and sends it to the elevator management device 5A. The call command information includes information indicating the call floor (i.e., the floor where the target person resides) and the scheduled time of use. The scheduled time of use is the time when the target person is scheduled to arrive at the elevator boarding and disembarking location on the call floor. The scheduled time of use is determined by adding the time required for the target person to travel (hereinafter referred to as the "required travel time") to the current time.

For example, the user can determine the travel time required from the subject person's daily activities and set it in the cloud server 2A using the monitoring app. Alternatively, the user can use the monitoring app to set the distance from the entrance of the residence H to the elevator boarding and disembarking location on the residential floor, and the cloud server 2A can determine the travel time required based on the set distance. Alternatively, the cloud server 2A can derive the travel time required by learning.

Upon receiving the call command information, the elevator management device 5A controls the operation of elevator E so that elevator E arrives at the call floor by the scheduled time of use.

<Elevator call processing>
14 is a flowchart showing the procedure of elevator call processing executed by the cloud server 2 A. The cloud server 2 A executes the following elevator call processing at regular time intervals (e.g., every minute) in parallel with the above-described monitoring processing.

(Step S200)
The cloud server 2A acquires the latest device information from the device information storage unit 241. After that, the processing of the cloud server 2A transitions to step S201.

(Step S201)
Cloud server 2A reads and acquires the setting information from setting information storage unit 240. After that, the processing of cloud server 2A transitions to step S202.

(Step S202)
The cloud server 2A determines whether it is necessary to call the elevator E to the floor where the target person resides, based on the latest device information and the scheduled elevator use time period included in the setting information. As a result, if it is necessary to call the elevator E to the floor where the target person resides (step S202; YES), the processing of the cloud server 2A proceeds to step S203. On the other hand, if it is not necessary to call the elevator E to the floor where the target person resides (step S202; NO), the cloud server 2A ends the elevator call processing for this cycle.

(Step S203)
Cloud server 2A determines the scheduled time of use based on the current time and the required travel time. After that, the process of cloud server 2A transitions to step S204.

(Step S204)
Cloud server 2A generates call command information including information indicating the floor to be called and the scheduled time of use. After that, the process of cloud server 2A transitions to step S205.

(Step S205)
The cloud server 2A transmits the generated call command information to the elevator control device 5A. After that, the cloud server 2A ends the elevator call process for this cycle. Upon receiving the call command information, the elevator control device 5A controls the operation of the elevator E so that the elevator E arrives at the target user's floor by the target user's scheduled usage time.

As described above, the monitoring system 1A in this embodiment estimates the behavior of a subject based on device information regarding the operation of device 3 installed in residence H and elevator information regarding the operation of elevator E installed in building B to which residence H belongs. This makes it possible to improve the reliability of detecting whether a subject has gone out while respecting privacy.

In addition, based on the estimated behavior of the subject, meaningful information regarding monitoring will be appropriately notified to the subject's relatives and other relevant parties, enabling them to monitor the subject appropriately.

Furthermore, when the subject goes out, elevator E can be automatically moved to the subject's residential floor, significantly improving convenience for the subject when going out.

(Variation 1)
The monitoring system 1A may be configured to have the configuration of variant example 12 in embodiment 1 added, and if the behavior estimation unit 203 estimates that the subject person has stopped by any of the multiple buildings while going out, the call command unit 205 may call elevator E to the first floor.

In this case, the call command unit 205 may call elevator E to the first floor when a preset required time for returning home corresponding to the building has elapsed since the behavior estimation unit 203 estimated that the subject has stopped by one of the multiple buildings. The user can use the monitoring app to set the required time for returning home corresponding to each building in the cloud server 2A. In this way, when a subject who has stopped by one of the multiple buildings arrives at building B on their way home, there is a high possibility that they will be able to immediately use elevator E, significantly improving convenience for the subject when returning home.

(Variation 2)
The monitoring system 1A may be configured to have the configuration of variant example 13 in embodiment 1 added, and if the behavior estimation unit 203 estimates that the subject person has stopped by any of the multiple buildings while going out, the call command unit 205 may call elevator E to the first floor.

In this case, similar to the above-described first modification, the call command unit 205 may call the elevator E to the first floor when a predetermined required time for returning home corresponding to the building has elapsed after the behavior estimation unit 203 estimates that the subject has stopped by any of the plurality of buildings. In this way, when the subject who has stopped by any of the plurality of buildings arrives at building B on his/her way home, the subject is more likely to be able to immediately use the elevator E, thereby significantly improving convenience for the subject when returning home.
(Variation 3)
All or part of the functional units of the cloud server 2A (see FIG. 13 ) may be implemented by dedicated hardware, such as a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, an ASIC, an FPGA, or a combination thereof.

(Variation 4)
Modifications 1 to 15 of the first embodiment can also be applied to this embodiment.

The technical ideas of each of the above-mentioned variations may be realized individually or in appropriate combinations.

This disclosure is susceptible to various embodiments and modifications without departing from its broad spirit and scope. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments are intended to illustrate the disclosure and do not limit the scope of the disclosure. In other words, the scope of the disclosure is defined by the claims, not the embodiments. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and within the meaning of equivalent disclosures are deemed to be within the scope of the disclosure.

This disclosure can be suitably adopted in technology for monitoring the elderly, disabled people, etc.

1, 1A Monitoring system, 2, 2A Cloud server, 3 Equipment, 4 Router, 5, 5A Elevator management device, 6 User terminal, 20, 62 Communication interface, 21, 63 CPU, 22, 64 ROM, 23, 65 RAM, 24, 66 Auxiliary storage device, 25, 67 Bus, 60 Display, 61 Operation reception unit, 200 Setting reception unit, 201 Equipment information acquisition unit, 202 Elevator information acquisition unit, 203 Behavior estimation unit, 204 Notification unit, 205 Call command unit, 240 Setting information storage unit, 241 Equipment information storage unit, 242 Elevator information storage unit, 243 Behavior information storage unit

Claims (12)

a device information acquisition means for acquiring device information relating to the operation of devices installed in the home of the person being watched over ;
an elevator information acquisition means for acquiring elevator information relating to the operation of an elevator installed in a building to which the residence belongs;
device information storage means for storing the device information;
an elevator information storage means for storing the elevator information;
A monitoring system comprising: a behavior estimation means for estimating the behavior of the person being monitored based on the equipment information stored in the equipment information storage means and the elevator information stored in the elevator information storage means. A terminal device;
The monitoring system according to claim 1 , further comprising: a notification unit that transmits notification information based on the behavior of the person being watched over estimated by the behavior estimation unit to the terminal device. a first identification information acquisition means for acquiring identification information of the elevator user;
The monitoring system according to claim 1 , wherein the behavior estimation means estimates the behavior of the person being watched over, taking into account the identification information acquired by the first identification information acquisition means. further comprising a second identification information acquisition means for acquiring identification information of users of elevators installed in buildings other than the building;
The monitoring system according to claim 1 , wherein the behavior estimation means estimates the behavior of the person being watched over, taking into account the identification information acquired by the second identification information acquisition means. a first transmitter that is installed at a boarding and alighting location of each floor of the elevator and that transmits a wireless signal including floor number information that indicates the floor number;
The mobile terminal is carried by the person being watched over and receives the wireless signal transmitted from the first transmitter to acquire the floor number information.
The monitoring system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the behavior estimation means estimates the behavior of the person being watched over, taking into account floor number information acquired by the mobile terminal. a second transmitter that is installed at a boarding and alighting location of each floor of an elevator installed in a building different from the building, and that transmits a wireless signal including floor number information that indicates the floor number;
A mobile terminal carried by the person being watched over and configured to receive the wireless signal transmitted from the second transmitter and acquire the floor number information,
The monitoring system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the behavior estimation means estimates the behavior of the person being watched over, taking into account floor number information acquired by the mobile terminal. an elevator management means for managing the operation of the elevator;
A monitoring system as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a call command means that determines whether it is necessary to call the elevator to the floor where the person being monitored lives based on the equipment information stored in the equipment information storage means, and if it is determined that it is necessary to call the elevator, commands the elevator management means to call the elevator to the floor where the person being monitored lives. The monitoring system of claim 7, wherein when the call command means determines that it is necessary to call the elevator, it determines the time at which the monitored person will use the elevator based on the time required for the monitored person to move, and commands the elevator management means to have the elevator arrive at the occupied floor by the determined time. The monitoring system of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the behavior estimation means estimates that the person being watched over has left the house if the elevator arrives at the floor where the person being watched over lives and moves to the first floor within a first hour or more and a second hour or less after the device changes from an operating state to a stopped state. The monitoring system of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the behavior estimation means estimates that the person being watched over has left the building if the elevator arrives at the floor where the person being watched over lives and moves to the first floor within a first hour or more and a second hour or less after the person detection result by the device changes from detected to undetected. a device information acquisition means for acquiring device information relating to the operation of devices installed in the home of the person being watched over ;
an elevator information acquisition means for acquiring elevator information relating to the operation of an elevator installed in a building to which the residence belongs;
device information storage means for storing the device information;
an elevator information storage means for storing the elevator information;
A server comprising: a behavior estimation means for estimating the behavior of the person being watched over based on the device information stored in the device information storage means and the elevator information stored in the elevator information storage means. The device information acquisition means acquires device information relating to the operation of devices installed in the home of the person being watched over , and stores the acquired device information in the device information storage means;
an elevator information acquisition means for acquiring elevator information relating to the operation of an elevator installed in a building to which the house belongs, and storing the acquired elevator information in an elevator information storage means;
A monitoring method in which a behavior estimation means estimates the behavior of the person being watched over based on the equipment information stored in the equipment information storage means and the elevator information stored in the elevator information storage means.