JP7850936B2 - Display methods, information processing systems, equipment management systems, and communication methods - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to display methods and the like in connection with equipment management systems.

A power management system is known that estimates and displays the power consumption of various power systems, such as air conditioning, lighting, and outlet systems, for each managed facility (e.g., a building). In this power management system, a power monitoring device is connected to a PAC air conditioner, an access control system, and a lighting control system via a network connection (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2014-120108

This invention provides a display method, etc., that can display a screen according to whether or not the user has the necessary permissions.

A display method according to one aspect of the present invention is a display method executed by an information terminal capable of communicating with an equipment management system that manages equipment installed in one or more facilities, and includes a display step of displaying a display screen on a display unit of the information terminal according to whether or not the user of the information terminal has the necessary permissions, wherein the presence or absence of permissions includes the presence or absence of administrator privileges and the presence or absence of control privileges for the equipment.

A program according to one aspect of the present invention is a program for causing the information terminal to execute the display method described above.

An information processing system according to one aspect of the present invention is an information processing system capable of communicating with an equipment management system that manages equipment installed in one or more facilities, comprising a display unit and an information processing unit that displays a display screen on the display unit according to whether or not the user of the information processing system has the necessary permissions, wherein the presence or absence of permissions includes the presence or absence of administrator privileges and the presence or absence of control privileges for the equipment.

An equipment management system according to one aspect of the present invention is an equipment management system for managing equipment installed in one or more facilities, comprising a communication unit that communicates with an information terminal having a display unit, wherein the communication unit transmits information to the information terminal for displaying a display screen on the display unit according to the user's authority status of the information terminal, and the authority status includes the presence or absence of administrator authority and the presence or absence of control authority for the equipment.

A communication method according to one aspect of the present invention is a computer system for managing equipment installed in one or more facilities, and is performed by a computer system capable of communicating with an information terminal having a display unit. The method includes the step of transmitting information to the information terminal for displaying a display screen on the display unit according to the user's authority status, wherein the authority status includes administrator authority and control authority for the equipment.

A program according to one aspect of the present invention is a program for causing the computer system to execute the aforementioned communication method.

The display method of the present invention can display screens according to the user's permissions.

Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a display system according to an embodiment. Figure 2 shows an example of an alarm list screen. Figure 3 shows an example of registration information. Figure 4 is a sequence diagram of operation example 1 of the display system according to the embodiment. Figure 5 shows an example of the location list screen. Figure 6 is a sequence diagram of operation example 2 of the display system according to the embodiment. Figure 7 shows an example of a menu screen that appears when the user does not have administrator privileges. Figure 8 shows an example of a menu screen that appears when a user has administrator privileges. Figure 9 shows an example of an administration screen. Figure 10 shows an example of an administration screen where a pop-up window is displayed indicating whether or not an individual has permissions. Figure 11 shows an example of a device status display screen that appears when the user does not have control privileges. Figure 12 shows an example of a device status display screen that appears when the user has control privileges. Figure 13 shows an example of a settings screen for configuring site permissions for multiple users on a site-by-site basis. Figure 14 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a modified display system.

The embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments described below are all comprehensive or specific examples. The numerical values, shapes, materials, components, arrangement and connection configurations of components, steps, and step order shown in the following embodiments are examples only and are not intended to limit the present invention. Furthermore, components in the following embodiments that are not described in an independent claim will be described as optional components.

Please note that each diagram is a schematic representation and not necessarily a strictly accurate depiction. Furthermore, in each diagram, substantially identical components are given the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations may be omitted or simplified.

(Embodiment)
[composition]
First, the configuration of the display system according to the embodiment will be described. Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the display system according to the embodiment.

The display system 10 is a system capable of displaying information about equipment installed in each of the multiple facilities 90 on an information terminal 30. The facilities 90 are, for example, large multi-story buildings (non-residential facilities) used as commercial facilities or offices. The facilities 90 may also be other non-residential facilities such as hospitals or factories, or even residences (single-family homes or apartment buildings). Specifically, the display system 10 comprises an equipment management system 20 and multiple information terminals 30. The number of information terminals 30 is not particularly limited. The display system 10 only needs to have at least one information terminal 30.

The equipment management system 20 is a system that controls and monitors equipment installed in each of the multiple facilities 90. Each of the multiple facilities 90 is equipped with multiple lighting fixtures 21, multiple air conditioning fixtures 22, multiple measuring instruments 23, a control device 24, and a gateway device 25. The equipment management system 20 also includes a server system 26 outside of the multiple facilities 90.

Thus, the multiple lighting fixtures 21, multiple air conditioning fixtures 22, multiple measuring instruments 23, control device 24, and gateway device 25 are installed in facility 90, while the server system 26 is installed outside facility 90. "Installed in facility 90" can be rephrased as "installed within the premises of facility 90." If facility 90 is considered as a building, the equipment installed in facility 90 may include not only equipment installed within the building but also equipment installed outside the building.

The lighting equipment 21, air conditioning equipment 22, and measuring instrument 23 are each examples of equipment installed in facility 90. The lighting equipment 21 illuminates the space within facility 90, and the air conditioning equipment 22 regulates the temperature of the space within facility 90 by supplying temperature-controlled air. The measuring instrument 23 measures the energy consumption (electricity) within facility 90. The measuring instrument 23 may also be a sensor (sensing device). Specifically, the measuring instrument 23 may be a device that senses the state of the space within facility 90, such as the presence or absence of people, the number of people, and environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity, and brightness. The number of lighting equipment 21, air conditioning equipment 22, and measuring instrument 23 provided by the equipment management system 20 is not particularly limited.

The control device 24 is a device that controls and monitors equipment installed in facility 90, and can communicate with the server system 26 via the gateway device 25. Equipment control includes turning equipment on and off, and changing equipment settings. Furthermore, the control device 24 can notify the server system 26 via the gateway device 25 of any abnormalities or other issues (hereinafter also referred to as alarm occurrences) in equipment installed within facility 90.

For convenience, the following explanation assumes that one control device 24 in the equipment management system 20 manages three types of equipment: lighting equipment 21, air conditioning equipment 22, and measuring equipment 23. However, the equipment management system 20 may have multiple control devices 24. For example, the equipment management system 20 may have a separate control device 24 for each type of equipment.

The gateway device 25 is a communication device that allows the control device 24 to communicate with the server system 26 via a wide-area communication network such as the Internet.

The server system 26 is a system that performs information processing to display a list of alarms related to equipment installed in each of the multiple facilities 90 on the information terminal 30, and is implemented by one or more web servers (cloud servers). Figure 2 shows an example of the alarm list screen. Specifically, the server system 26 comprises a communication unit 27, an information processing unit 28, and a storage unit 29.

The communication unit 27 is a communication circuit for the server system 26 to communicate with the control device 24 and the information terminal 30. The communication unit 27 performs communication using, for example, a wide-area communication network. This communication may be wired or wireless.

The information processing unit 28 performs information processing to display the above-mentioned alarm list screen on the information terminal 30. This information processing includes, for example, providing (transmitting) the display screen information to the information terminal 30. The information processing unit 28 is implemented, for example, by a microcomputer, but may also be implemented by a processor. The functions of the information processing unit 28 are realized, for example, by the microcomputer or processor constituting the information processing unit 28 executing a computer program stored in the storage unit 29.

The storage unit 29 is a storage device that stores information necessary for information processing performed by the information processing unit 28, as well as computer programs executed by the information processing unit 28. The storage unit 29 is implemented, for example, by an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), but may also be implemented by semiconductor memory or the like.

The information terminal 30 is an information terminal that displays the above-mentioned list of alarms. The information terminal 30 is a portable information terminal such as a smartphone or tablet, but it may also be a stationary information terminal such as a personal computer. The user of the information terminal 30 is assumed to be a field worker who, when an alarm related to equipment installed in the facility 90 occurs, goes to the location of the equipment affected by the alarm and performs on-site work. The information terminal 30 comprises an operation reception unit 31, a display unit 32, a communication unit 33, an information processing unit 34, and a storage unit 35.

The operation reception unit 31 receives user input. The operation reception unit 31 is implemented, for example, by a touch panel. If the information terminal 30 is a stationary information terminal, the operation reception unit 31 is implemented by a mouse or keyboard, etc.

The display unit 32 displays various screens, such as the alarm list screen mentioned above. The display unit 32 is implemented using a display panel such as a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL panel.

The communication unit 33 is a communication circuit for the information terminal 30 to communicate with the server system 26. The communication unit 33 performs wireless communication, for example, using a mobile communication network.

The information processing unit 34 performs display processing, such as displaying various screens in response to user operations. The information processing unit 34 is implemented, for example, by a microcomputer, but may also be implemented by a processor. The functions of the information processing unit 34 are realized, for example, by the microcomputer or processor constituting the information processing unit 34 executing a computer program stored in the storage unit 35.

The storage unit 35 is a storage device that stores the information necessary for the display processing described above. The information stored in the storage unit 35 includes a computer program executed by the information processing unit 34. This computer program is, for example, a dedicated application program for the display system 10, which is pre-installed in the storage unit 35 by the user. The storage unit 35 is implemented, for example, by a semiconductor memory.

After installing the application program on the information terminal 30, user registration is performed. As a result of user registration, the server system 26 stores information about one or more users who share the alarm list screen shown in Figure 2 as registration information. Figure 3 shows an example of registration information stored in the storage unit 29 of the server system 26. The registration information includes the ID of the installed application program and the user name. In the following embodiments, the application program is abbreviated as "app," and the application program ID is abbreviated as "app ID." The registration information may also include permissions; in the example in Figure 3, the presence or absence of administrator privileges, the presence or absence of device control privileges, and the presence or absence of access privileges to information related to the base (facility 90) are associated.

[Example of operation 1: Display of the alarm list screen]
The following describes an example of operation 1 for displaying the alarm list screen (Figure 2) by the display system 10. Figure 4 is a sequence diagram of operation example 1 of the display system 10. In the following description, the server system 26 communicates with one control device 24 installed in a certain facility 90, but the server system 26 can perform similar operations with control devices 24 installed in other facilities 90. Also, the gateway device 25 is not shown in the sequence diagram of Figure 4.

The control device 24 manages the status of equipment such as lighting equipment 21, air conditioning equipment 22, and measuring equipment 23, which are connected to the control device 24 via communication. When it determines that an abnormality has occurred in the equipment (hereinafter also referred to as an alarm occurring), it sends an alarm notification (via the gateway device 25) to the server system 26 (S11).

The conditions for determining what state of the equipment triggers an alarm are pre-registered in the control device 24. Examples of these conditions include: the lighting equipment 21 failing to light up despite a lighting command being transmitted; the internal temperature of the air conditioning equipment 22 exceeding a predetermined temperature (the air conditioning equipment 22 is overheating); or the measured value of the measuring instrument 23 being outside a predetermined range (an abnormal value).

The communication unit 27 of the server system 26 receives an alarm notification. The alarm notification includes the facility 90 ID, the ID of the equipment that caused the alarm, information indicating the specific content of the alarm (abnormality), and time information indicating the time the alarm occurred. Based on the received alarm notification, the information processing unit 28 updates the management information stored in the storage unit 29, which includes the management information of the equipment installed in facility 90 (S12). The management information is information compiled from the alarm notification.

The processes described above in steps S11 and S12 are performed each time the control device 24 determines that an alarm has occurred in the equipment.

Furthermore, when the control device 24 determines that the equipment that triggered the alarm has recovered, it sends a recovery notification (via the gateway device 25) to the server system 26 (S13).

The communication unit 27 of the server system 26 receives a recovery notification. The recovery notification includes the facility 90 ID, the ID of the recovered equipment, and time information indicating the time of recovery. Based on the received recovery notification, the information processing unit 28 updates the management information stored in the storage unit 29, specifically the management information for the equipment installed in facility 90 (S14).

The processes described above in steps S13 and S14 are performed each time the control device 24 determines that the equipment has been restored.

In this way, the server system 26 manages, using management information, whether an alarm has occurred in equipment installed in facility 90 and whether that equipment has recovered. This management information also includes information on whether an alarm has occurred in equipment installed in other facilities 90 and whether that equipment has recovered. The information terminal 30, on which the above application is installed, can visualize this management information and present it to the user as an alarm list screen (Figure 2).

For example, the user performs a predetermined operation to instruct the information terminal 30 to execute the above application, and the operation reception unit 31 receives the predetermined operation (S15). Once the operation reception unit 31 receives the predetermined operation, the information processing unit 34 sends a request to display the list screen to the server system 26 using the communication unit 33 (S16). In other words, the communication unit 33 sends a display request to the server system 26. The display request includes the application ID of the application installed on the information terminal 30.

The communication unit 27 of the server system 26 receives a display request. Based on the received display request, the information processing unit 28 transmits display screen information, which visualizes management information and displays it as an alarm list screen, to the information terminal 30 using the communication unit 27 (S17). In other words, the communication unit 27 transmits the display screen information to the information terminal 30. When generating the display screen information, the information processing unit 28 performs processes such as converting the facility ID 90 in the management information to a pre-registered facility name 90 (e.g., "Tokyo Building" in the alarm list screen in Figure 2), and converting the equipment ID to a pre-registered equipment name (e.g., "Lighting Equipment 2F West Side" in the alarm list screen in Figure 2).

The communication unit 33 of the information terminal 30 receives display screen information. The information processing unit 34 displays the alarm list screen (Figure 2) on the display unit 32 based on the received display screen information (S18). The same processing as in steps S15 to S18 is performed when the alarm list screen is updated, and when various display screens described later are displayed or updated in response to user operations.

On the alarm list screen, alarm information for a single device is displayed in predetermined units. These predetermined units are those specific to each type of alarm, including alarms related to device malfunctions and alarms related to abnormal device measurements. These units can also be considered as units specific to each type of device.

In the example shown in Figure 2, one unit of alarm information includes an icon 32a indicating whether the alarm is active or has been resolved, time information 32b, the name of the equipment 32c, a responder display area 32d, an icon 32e indicating the response status, a setting icon 32f, and the name of the facility 90 32g. Multiple units of alarm information (multiple alarm information units) are sorted and displayed in a list, for example, based on the time information.

In the above-described predetermined unit (unit classification), the occurrence of an alarm and the recovery from the occurrence of that alarm are considered as a single unit (the same unit). Therefore, when the server system 26 receives an alarm notification, one unit of alarm information is generated, and this generated alarm information is updated when the server system 26 receives a recovery notification corresponding to that alarm notification. Specifically, the icon 32a is updated from "alarm occurring" to "recovered," and the time information 32b is updated from the time the alarm occurred to the time the alarm was recovered.

Furthermore, within the above-described unit, the occurrence of an alarm and the recovery from the occurrence of such an alarm may be treated as separate units. That is, when the server system 26 receives an alarm notification, one unit of alarm information may be generated, and when the server system 26 receives a recovery notification corresponding to that alarm notification, another unit of alarm information may be generated.

As explained above, the display system 10 (communication unit 27 of the server system 26) can transmit (output) information for displaying alarm information generated by the equipment on the information terminal 30 (display unit 32) in predetermined units.

In example 1, the determination of whether an abnormality occurred in the equipment (an alarm was triggered) was made by the control device 24. However, this determination may also be made by the server system 26 based on data collected from the control device 24 and other sources.

[Display of the person in charge and the status of the response]
Incidentally, the user viewing the alarm list screen in Figure 2 (i.e., the user of the information terminal 30) is assumed to be a field worker who, when an alarm related to equipment installed in facility 90 occurs, goes to the location of the equipment that is the subject of the alarm and performs on-site work. Therefore, the alarm information in the alarm list screen in Figure 2 includes a responder display area 32d that shows the responder (the person in charge of on-site work) corresponding to the alarm information. The responder displayed in the responder display area 32d can be specified by any user (any of the multiple users corresponding to multiple information terminals 30; the same applies hereinafter). Specifically, the specification of the responder is performed by operating the setting icon 32f.

In this way, the display system 10 can help multiple users corresponding to multiple information terminals 30 understand who is responsible for each alarm by displaying the person responsible for each alarm on the alarm list screen.

Furthermore, the alarm information in the alarm list screen shown in Figure 2 includes an icon 32e indicating the status of on-site work. In other words, the alarm list screen displays the status of responses to the alarm information. While the icon 32e indicating the response status can be changed by any user, it is primarily intended to be changed by the user designated as the responder. Specifically, the response status is changed by operating the settings icon 32f. The response status can be selected from options such as "Not Responded," "In Progress," "Completed," and "No Action Required." Immediately after an alarm occurs, the icon 32e indicating the response status will be "Not Responded."

In this way, the display system 10 can support multiple users connected to multiple information terminals 30 in sharing the response status by displaying the response status for each alarm on the alarm list screen.

[Displaying the list of locations screen]
The alarm list screen has a tab 32h labeled "Location List". Tab 32h is an operation area for transitioning from the alarm list screen to the location list screen. When tab 32h is selected, the location list screen is displayed on the display unit 32. Figure 5 shows an example of the location list screen.

As shown in Figure 5, the site list screen displays alarm information for equipment installed at each of the multiple facilities 90, on a facility-by-facility basis. Hereafter, the alarm information on the site list screen will be referred to as "first alarm information" to distinguish it from the alarm information on the alarm list screen (hereinafter referred to as "second alarm information").

In the example in Figure 5, four rounded square icons corresponding to four first alarm information items are displayed. Specifically, the first alarm information indicates whether or not an alarm has occurred in at least one of the devices installed in the facility 90 corresponding to the first alarm information. In the example in Figure 5, since an alarm has occurred in at least one device installed in the Tokyo Building (an example of facility 90), the icon corresponding to the Tokyo Building displays "Alarm in Progress." On the other hand, since no alarm has occurred in the devices installed in the Osaka Building (an example of facility 90), the icon corresponding to the Osaka Building displays "No Alarms."

Please note that the Nagoya Building (an example of facility 90) does not support the display of alarm information because the building's administrator has not contracted for (or does not wish to use) an alarm service. Therefore, the icon corresponding to the Nagoya Building displays "No Alarm Integration."

The server system 26 can display such a site list screen on the display unit 32 of the information terminal 30 based on a sequence similar to the sequence shown in Figure 4. In other words, the display system 10 (communication unit 27 of the server system 26) can transmit (output) information to the information terminal 30 for displaying a site list screen on the display unit 32, which shows the first alarm information for equipment installed in multiple facilities 90 on a facility-by-facility basis, based on the management information described above.

Furthermore, the site list screen includes a tab 32i labeled "Alarm List." Tab 32i is an operation area for transitioning from the site list screen to the alarm list screen. When tab 32i is selected, the alarm list screen shown in Figure 2 is displayed on the display unit 32.

[Example of operation 2: Display of screens according to permissions]
The following describes example 2 of the operation performed by the display system 10 to display a screen according to the user's permissions. Figure 6 is a sequence diagram of operation example 2 of the display system 10. Operation example 2 describes the operation to display a menu screen.

For example, a user performs a predetermined operation to display a menu screen on the information terminal 30 running the above application, and the operation reception unit 31 receives the predetermined operation (S21). Once the operation reception unit 31 receives the predetermined operation, the information processing unit 34 sends a menu screen display request to the server system 26 using the communication unit 33 (S22). In other words, the communication unit 33 sends a display request to the server system 26. The display request includes the application ID of the application installed on the information terminal 30.

The communication unit 27 of the server system 26 receives a display request. The information processing unit 28 compares the application ID included in the received display request with the registration information stored in the storage unit 29 to determine whether the user has administrator privileges (S23). It then uses the communication unit 27 to transmit display screen information for displaying a menu screen corresponding to the presence or absence of administrator privileges to the information terminal 30 (S24). In other words, the communication unit 27 transmits display screen information to the information terminal 30.

The communication unit 33 of the information terminal 30 receives display screen information. Based on the received display screen information, the information processing unit 34 displays a menu screen on the display unit 32, corresponding to whether the user has administrator privileges (S25).

For example, if it is determined in step S23 that the user does not have administrator privileges, then in step S25, a menu screen like the one shown in Figure 7 will be displayed. Figure 7 is an example of a menu screen displayed when the user does not have administrator privileges. As shown in Figure 7, the menu screen is equipped with menus such as "Alarm List," "Graphics," and "Point Search."

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S23 that the user has administrator privileges, then in step S25, a menu screen like the one shown in Figure 8 is displayed. Figure 8 is an example of a menu screen displayed when the user has administrator privileges. As shown in Figure 8, the menu screen when the user has administrator privileges includes a "Management Screen" menu 32j, which is not displayed on the menu screen when the user does not have administrator privileges.

When "Admin Panel" is selected, the admin panel is displayed. In other words, the admin panel is displayed only if the user has administrator privileges; otherwise, it is not displayed. Figure 9 shows an example of the admin panel.

The management screen shown in Figure 9 displays a list of permissions for multiple users (the user themselves and other users). Specifically, the permissions refer to administrator privileges and device control privileges.

When a user is selected in the administration panel, a pop-up screen appears showing the permissions for the selected user. Figure 10 shows an example of the administration panel with a pop-up screen showing the permissions for an individual (the selected user). The screen displays whether the individual has administrator privileges, device control privileges, and site-specific privileges.

Location privileges refer to access rights (viewing rights) to information related to multiple facilities 90 (locations). In the example in Figure 10, the names of the facilities 90 to which the selected user has access privileges are listed. The names of facilities 90 to which the selected user does not have access privileges are not displayed.

Furthermore, the screen indicating individual user permissions includes a settings change icon 32k. Users with administrator privileges can use the settings change icon 32k to change the administrator privileges, device control privileges, and site privileges for multiple users. Thus, the screen showing individual user permissions in Figure 10 also serves as a settings screen for configuring user permissions on a per-user basis.

Furthermore, the inclusion of the settings change icon 32k is not mandatory. For example, if the permission settings for multiple users can only be changed by the operator of the device management system 20, and user changes are not permitted, then the settings change icon 32k does not need to be provided.

As explained above, the display system 10 (communication unit 27 of the server system 26) can transmit (output) information for displaying a screen that corresponds to whether the user of the information terminal 30 has administrator privileges. Upon receiving this information, the information terminal 30 can display a screen that corresponds to whether the user has administrator privileges.

[Examples of display screens depending on whether control privileges are present or not]
In the above operation example 2, an example of displaying a screen depending on whether or not the user has administrator privileges was described. However, the display system 10 can also display a screen depending on whether or not the user has control privileges, following a sequence similar to that in Figure 6. Figure 11 is an example of a device status display screen that is displayed when the user does not have control privileges, and Figure 12 is an example of a device status display screen that is displayed when the user has control privileges.

As shown in Figure 11, when the user does not have administrator privileges, the device status display screen only shows the device status, and no operation area for controlling the device is provided. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 12, when the user has administrator privileges, the device status display screen includes an operation area 32l for controlling the device in addition to the device status. In other words, the device status display screen in Figure 12 is also a control screen for controlling the device, and device control is only possible if the user has control privileges. Device control is achieved, for example, by sending a control request from the information terminal 30 (via the server system 26 and gateway device 25) to the control device 24 based on user operations on the operation area 32l.

Thus, the display system 10 (communication unit 27 of the server system 26) can transmit (output) information for displaying a screen according to whether or not the user of the information terminal 30 has control privileges. Upon receiving this information, the information terminal 30 can display a screen according to whether or not the user has control privileges.

[Example of display screen depending on whether or not site authority is present]
The display system 10 can also display screens according to the user's site permissions (hereinafter also referred to as access permissions) according to a sequence similar to that in Figure 6. For example, the first alarm information displayed on the site list screen in Figure 5 and the second alarm information displayed on the alarm list screen in Figure 2 are changed according to the site permissions.

For example, if a user has permission to access information for four facilities 90—Tokyo Building, Osaka Building, Nagoya Building, and Fukuoka Building—the location list screen will display four first alarm information entries (four icons) corresponding to the four facilities 90, as shown in Figure 5. Additionally, the alarm list screen will display a list of second alarm information entries for the equipment installed in the four facilities 90.

In contrast, if a user only has permission to access information for the Osaka Building, the location list screen will only display one primary alarm (one icon) corresponding to the Osaka Building, and the alarm list screen will only display secondary alarm information for equipment installed in the Osaka Building.

Thus, the display system 10 (communication unit 27 of the server system 26) can transmit (output) information for displaying a screen corresponding to whether the user of the information terminal 30 has location access privileges. Upon receiving this information, the information terminal 30 can display a screen corresponding to whether the user has location access privileges.

Furthermore, on the location list screen, the first alarm information for at least some of the facilities 90, according to the user's access rights on the information terminal 30, is displayed on a facility-by-facility basis. In other words, the location list screen also serves as a list screen of the facilities 90 to which the user has access rights.

By the way, the menu screens in Figures 7 and 8, such as "Alarm List," "Point Search," and "History," are menus for displaying single-site screens that show information about equipment installed at a single facility 90 (location). For example, when "Alarm List" is selected, a screen displaying a list of alarms for equipment installed at a particular facility 90 is shown.

In contrast, the alarm list screen in Figure 2 and the site list screen in Figure 5 are multi-site screens displayed when "Multi-site Monitoring" is selected in the menu screens of Figures 7 and 8.

Therefore, the menu screen of a user who only has access rights to one facility 90 as part of their site privileges does not need to display the "Multi-site Monitoring" menu. In other words, the "Multi-site Monitoring" menu may only be displayed on the menu screen of a user who has access rights to multiple facilities 90 as part of their site privileges. Thus, the information terminal 30 may display different menu screens depending on the strength of the user's site privileges (the number of sites they have access rights to).

[Example of the settings screen]
In the above embodiment, the screen in Figure 10 showing whether an individual has permissions was explained as a settings screen for setting permissions (administrator permissions, control permissions, and site permissions) for multiple users on a per-user basis. Here, regarding site permissions, permissions for multiple users may be set for each site. Figure 13 is a diagram showing an example of a settings screen for setting site permissions (access permissions) for multiple users for each site (facility 90), and specifically, it is a settings screen for setting access permissions for information related to the Tokyo Building.

According to this settings screen, users with administrator privileges can set site permissions for multiple users on a site-by-site basis.

[Variations in the structure]
In the above embodiment, the equipment management system 20 controlled and monitored equipment installed in each of the multiple facilities 90, but it may also control and monitor equipment installed in a single facility 90. In this case, the display system 10 is an on-premise system installed within a single facility 90, and the control device 24, server system 26, and information terminal 30 may communicate using a local communication network. Figure 14 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a display system according to such a modified example. The display system 10a shown in Figure 14 can perform the same operations as the display system 10.

[Other variations]
In the above embodiment, the display of various screens on the display unit 32 of the information terminal 30 was achieved by the information terminal 30 (information processing unit 34) executing an application, but it may also be achieved by executing a general-purpose browser. In other words, the display system 10 may be implemented as an open system that does not require the installation of an application or the like.

In the above embodiment, some or all of the processes described as being permitted to any user may be permitted only to specific users. For example, if a rule is established stating that only users with administrator privileges can designate a responder, then some or all of the processes described as being permitted to any user can be permitted only to specific users with the necessary privileges.

Furthermore, while the above embodiment primarily describes a display screen assuming that the information terminal 30 is a portable terminal, the display screen may also be one that assumes a relatively large screen, such as that of a personal computer. For example, it is possible to display the alarm list screen in Figure 2 and the location list screen in Figure 5 side by side on a single display screen, in which case tabs 32h and 32i can be omitted.

[Effects, etc.]
The following describes examples of inventions that can be obtained from the disclosures in this specification, and explains the effects and other benefits that can be obtained from these examples.

Invention 1 is a display method executed by an information terminal 30 that can communicate with an equipment management system 20 that manages equipment installed in one or more facilities 90. This method includes a display step of displaying a display screen on a display unit 32 of the information terminal 30, depending on whether the user of the information terminal 30 has the necessary permissions. The permissions include the presence or absence of administrator privileges and the presence or absence of equipment control privileges.

This display method allows for the display of screens based on the user's permissions.

Invention 2 is a display method of Invention 1, wherein, when the user has administrator privileges, the display step displays an administration screen as the display screen, indicating whether other users have privileges. Figure 9 shows an example of the administration screen in Invention 2.

This display method allows you to show an administration screen that indicates whether other users have permissions.

Invention 3 is a display method according to Invention 1 or 2, wherein, when the user has administrator privileges, the display step displays a settings screen for setting the privileges of other users. The screen showing the presence or absence of individual privileges (including the settings change icon 32k) in Figure 10 is an example of a settings screen in Invention 3.

This display method allows access to an administrative screen for setting other users' permissions.

Invention 4 is a display method, one of Inventions 1 to 3, in which the equipment management system 20 manages equipment installed in multiple facilities 90, and the presence or absence of authority includes the presence or absence of access rights to information related to the multiple facilities 90. The location authority in the above embodiment is an example of access rights in Invention 4.

This display method allows for the display of screens that correspond to whether or not the user has access rights to information related to multiple facilities 90.

Invention 5 is a display method of Invention 4, wherein, if the user has access rights, the display step displays a list screen of facilities 90 to which the user has access rights. Figure 5, the location list screen, and Figure 10, the screen indicating whether an individual has access rights, are examples of the facility 90 list screen in Invention 5.

This display method allows the user to view a list of facilities 90 to which they have access rights.

Invention 6 is a display method of Invention 5, wherein, when the user has administrator privileges, the display step displays a settings screen for setting access rights for other users for each facility 90. Figure 13 shows an example of the settings screen in Invention 6.

This display method allows for the display of a settings screen for configuring access permissions for other users on a per-facility basis.

Invention 7 is a display method of Invention 5, wherein, when the user has administrator privileges, the display step displays a settings screen for setting access permissions for other users on a per-user basis. Figure 10, showing the screen indicating the presence or absence of individual permissions (including the settings change icon 32k), is an example of the settings screen in Invention 7.

This display method allows you to show a settings screen for configuring access permissions for each user.

Invention 8 is a display method, one of Inventions 1 to 7, in which, when the user has control authority, the display step displays the device's control screen as the display screen. Figure 12 shows an example of the device's control screen according to Invention 8.

This display method allows for the display of screens based on whether or not control privileges are present.

Invention 9 is a program for causing the information terminal 30 to execute any of the display methods from Inventions 1 to 8.

Such programs can display screens based on the user's permissions.

Invention 10 is an information processing system capable of communicating with an equipment management system 20 that manages equipment installed in one or more facilities 90. The system comprises a display unit and an information processing unit that displays a screen on the display unit according to the user's authority level, with the authority level including administrator privileges and equipment control privileges. The information terminal 30 is an example of this information processing system.

Such information processing systems can display screens according to the user's permissions.

Invention 11 is an equipment management system 20 for managing equipment installed in one or more facilities 90, comprising a communication unit 27 that communicates with an information terminal 30 having a display unit 32. The communication unit 27 transmits information to the information terminal 30 for displaying a display screen on the display unit 32 according to the user's authority status. The authority status includes the presence or absence of administrator authority and the presence or absence of equipment control authority.

Such a device management system 20 can display screens according to the user's permissions.

Invention 12 is a computer system for managing equipment installed in one or more facilities 90, and is a communication method executed by a computer system capable of communicating with an information terminal 30 having a display unit 32. The method includes the step of transmitting information to the information terminal 30 for displaying a display screen on the display unit 32 according to the user's authority status, with the authority status including administrator authority and equipment control authority. The equipment management system 20 (server system 26) is an example of the computer system in Invention 12.

This type of communication method allows for the display of screens based on the user's permissions.

Invention 13 is a program for causing a computer system to execute the communication method of Invention 12.

Such programs can display screens based on the user's permissions.

(Other embodiments)
Although embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above.

For example, in the above embodiment, various systems such as a display system, a device management system, or an information processing system may be implemented by a single device or by multiple devices. When a system is implemented by multiple devices, the components of the system (especially the functional components) may be distributed among the multiple devices in any manner.

Furthermore, the communication method between devices in the above embodiment is not particularly limited. Also, a relay device (not shown) may be involved in the communication between devices.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the processing performed by a specific processing unit may be performed by another processing unit. Also, the order of multiple processing steps may be changed, or multiple processing steps may be executed in parallel.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, each component may be realized by executing a software program suitable for that component. Alternatively, each component may be realized by a program execution unit, such as a CPU or processor, reading and executing a software program recorded on a recording medium, such as a hard disk or semiconductor memory.

Furthermore, each component may be implemented by hardware. For example, each component may be a circuit (or integrated circuit). These circuits may form a single circuit as a whole, or they may be separate circuits. Also, each of these circuits may be a general-purpose circuit or a dedicated circuit.

Furthermore, general or specific embodiments of the present invention may be implemented as a system, apparatus, method, integrated circuit, computer program, or recording medium such as a computer-readable CD-ROM. They may also be implemented as any combination of a system, apparatus, method, integrated circuit, computer program, and recording medium.

For example, the present invention may be implemented as a method executed by various systems (computers) such as the display system, device management system, or information processing system of the above embodiment, or as a program (computer program product) for causing a computer to execute the method. Furthermore, the present invention may be implemented as a computer-readable, non-temporary recording medium on which such a program is recorded.

Furthermore, the present invention also includes forms obtained by applying various modifications to each embodiment as conceived by those skilled in the art, or forms realized by arbitrarily combining the components and functions of each embodiment without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

10, 10a Display system 20 Equipment management system (computer system)
21 Lighting equipment (equipment)
22 Air conditioning equipment (equipment)
23. Measuring Instruments (Equipment)
27 Communications Department 30 Information Terminals (Information Processing Systems)
32 Display unit 34 Information processing unit 90 Facility

Claims (12)

A display method performed by an information terminal that can communicate with an equipment management system that manages equipment installed in one or more facilities,
The process includes a display step in which a display screen corresponding to whether or not the user of the information terminal has permission is displayed on the display unit of the information terminal,
The presence or absence of the aforementioned authority includes the presence or absence of administrator authority and the presence or absence of control authority for the aforementioned device .
The aforementioned administrator privileges include the authority to change whether or not administrator privileges exist, and whether or not control privileges for the device exist.
If the user has administrator privileges, the display step includes displaying a settings screen for setting the permissions of other users for each user, indicating whether or not they have administrator privileges and whether or not they have control privileges for the device . The display method according to claim 1, wherein if the user has administrator privileges, the display step displays an administration screen indicating whether other users have privileges. The aforementioned equipment management system manages the equipment installed in multiple facilities,
The display method according to claim 1, wherein the presence or absence of the aforementioned authority includes the presence or absence of access rights to information related to the plurality of facilities. The display method according to claim 3 , wherein, if the user has the access rights, the display step displays a list of facilities for which the user has access rights as the display screen. The display method according to claim 4 , wherein if the user has administrator privileges, in the display step, a settings screen for setting the access rights of other users for each facility is displayed as the display screen. The display method according to claim 4 , wherein, if the user has administrator privileges, the display step displays a settings screen for setting the access rights of other users on a user-by-user basis as the display screen. The display method according to claim 1, wherein, if the user has the control authority, the display step displays the control screen of the device as the display screen. A program for causing the information terminal to execute the display method described in any one of claims 1 to 7 . An information processing system that can communicate with an equipment management system that manages equipment installed in one or more facilities,
Display unit and
The system includes an information processing unit that displays a display screen on the display unit according to whether or not the user of the information processing system has the necessary permissions,
The presence or absence of the aforementioned authority includes the presence or absence of administrator authority and the presence or absence of control authority for the aforementioned device .
The aforementioned administrator privileges include the authority to change whether or not administrator privileges exist, and whether or not control privileges for the device exist.
If the user has administrator privileges, the information processing unit displays a settings screen on the display unit for setting the permissions of other users for each user, indicating whether or not they have administrator privileges and whether or not they have control privileges for the equipment . A device management system for managing equipment installed in one or more facilities,
It is equipped with a communication unit that communicates with an information terminal having a display unit,
The communication unit transmits to the information terminal information for displaying a display screen on the display unit according to whether or not the user of the information terminal has permission.
The presence or absence of the aforementioned authority includes the presence or absence of administrator authority and the presence or absence of control authority for the aforementioned device .
The aforementioned administrator privileges include the authority to change whether or not administrator privileges exist, and whether or not control privileges for the device exist.
If the user has administrator privileges, the communication unit transmits information to the information terminal, as a display screen, that allows the display unit to show a settings screen for setting the permissions of other users for each user, indicating whether or not the user has administrator privileges and whether or not the user has control privileges for the device . A computer system for managing equipment installed in one or more facilities, and a communication method performed by a computer system capable of communicating with an information terminal having a display unit,
The transmission step includes sending information to the information terminal for displaying a display screen on the display unit according to whether or not the user of the information terminal has permission,
The presence or absence of the aforementioned authority includes the presence or absence of administrator authority and the presence or absence of control authority for the aforementioned device .
The aforementioned administrator privileges include the authority to change whether or not administrator privileges exist, and whether or not control privileges for the device exist.
A communication method in which, if the user has administrator privileges, the transmission step transmits to the information terminal information to display a settings screen for setting the permissions of other users for each user, including whether or not the user has administrator privileges and whether or not the user has control privileges for the device . A program for causing the computer system to execute the communication method described in claim 11 .