This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-142205, filed May 29, 2007, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a control method and apparatus for controlling devices shared in a plurality of spaces.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has been disclosed a system which stores, in advance, an operating schedule comprising combinations of operating times and operating devices (a TV conference system, slide, overhead projector, and the like), and when the use of a room such as a conference room is reserved, executes a procedure for operating an air conditioning device, lighting device, curtain, and the like so as to make the room have an environment suitable for the purpose of use at the reservation time and allowing the operating devices set in the operating schedule to be used at the reservation time (see, for example, JP-A H9-128446(KOKAI)).
Consider actual facilities. Assume that one facility is assigned to a plurality of sections (e.g., two sections, namely the “first conference room” and “second conference room”) significant to users. For example, a conceivable situation is that when one room used as a conference room in the past is partitioned into two conference rooms, although lighting devices and the outlets of an air conditioner are separately provided, the part which cools air is shared by the two conference rooms.
Consider a facility in which a plurality of spaces (the first and second conference rooms in this case) share one device (e.g., a lighting device). When such a facility is to be used, the following problem arises. Assume that the lighting device shared by the two conference rooms takes two values, namely ON and OFF. Assume that each conference room is equipped with an operation unit for operating the lighting device, and each operation unit has three buttons, namely “conference”, “presentation”, and “disconnection (nonuse)”. Obviously, the lighting device is required to be ON during a conference and be OFF during a presentation.
If one of the first and second conference rooms is in the state of “conference”, and the other is in the state of “disconnection (nonuse)”, it suffices to turn on the lighting device. In contrast, if one room is in the state of “conference” and the other room is in the state of “presentation”, the request to turn on the lighting device collides with the request to turn it off.
When a provided facility is to be used according to the convenience and tastes of users who use the facility, there is no way to avoid the above collision. When such a collision arises, it is necessary to determine how to handle this, i.e., whether to turn on or off the lighting device in the above facility.
Under the circumstances, the present invention provides a facility control system and apparatus which can control one or a plurality of shared devices shared in a plurality of spaces so as to optimize the use of the devices in accordance with the use state of each space.
According to embodiments of the present invention, a facility control system for controlling one or more devices shared in a plurality of spaces, a plurality of operation units being equipped in the spaces respectively, each operation unit configured to input a operation request for operating the devices; the system includes:
a first memory to store, for each space, a use schedule including a reservation time, a use purpose of the space during the reservation time, and users of the space during the reservation time;
a second memory to store attribute information of each user;
a priority calculation unit configured to calculate a priority level of each space during the reservation time of each space based on at least one of the use purpose of each space and the attribute information of each user of each space;
a first detection unit configured to detect a type of the operation request input from each operation unit provided in each space;
a second detection unit configured to detect, whenever the type of the operation request is detected by the first detection unit for each space, a collision between types of the latest operation requests detected for respective spaces based on the types; and
a control unit configured to operate the devices according to one of the types which is detected for one of the spaces whose priority level is highest when the collision is detected.
Referring to
As shown in
The operation units 11a and 11b provided in the respective spaces are so-called switches each to which one of a plurality of types of values (e.g., three types of values x1, x2, and x3 in this case) is input as an operation request to the shared device L1.
The facility control system in
The priority controller 100 includes a priority calculation unit 101, state table storage unit 102, and device control unit 103. The state table storage unit 102 stores state tables corresponding to the respective spaces. For example, state tables 102a and 102b respectively correspond to the spaces R1 and R2.
The facility use management unit apparatus 110 includes a state management database (state management DB) 111 and a user management database (user management DB) 112.
Assume that the spaces R1 and R2 are first and second conference rooms in accordance with
As operation requests to the lighting device L1 which are input from the operation units 11a and 11b, three types of values, namely “ON”, “OFF”, and “NULL” can be set. Although these three types of operation requests are provided from the facility provider side, users can freely discriminate and use the three types of operation requests.
Consider, for example, a case in which a user discriminates these three types of operation requests as “conference”, “presentation”, and “disconnection (nonuse)”. In this case, the user associates, for example, “conference” with “ON” of the lighting device L1, “presentation” with “OFF” of the lighting device L1, and “disconnection (nonuse)” with “NULL” of the lighting device L1. Note that such setting table set on the user side can be stored in the state management DB 111.
The operation units 11a and 11b each have buttons corresponding to the respective operation requests. When the user presses the “conference” button, an operation request to turn on the lighting device L1 is output to the priority controller 100. When the user presses the “presentation” button, an operation request to turn off the lighting device L1 is output to the priority controller 100. “NULL” associated with the “disconnection” button is set to “OFF”. When the user presses the “disconnection” button, an operation request to turn off the lighting device L1 is output to the priority controller 100. Assume that in this case, the user can arbitrarily set “NULL” to “ON”, “OFF”, or “NULL” as it is.
The state management DB 111 stores the use schedules for the first and second conference rooms R1 and R2.
As shown
“Reservation time” includes the scheduled start time of use of the conference room and the scheduled end time of use of the conference room. The starting time of the “Reservation time” is the scheduled start time of use, the end time of the “Reservation time” is the scheduled end time of use. As use purposes of each conference room, “liaison conference”, “job training”, “meeting”, “reception”, and the like are set in advance. One of these purposes is selected as “user purpose” in the use schedule. The user list includes the names, divisions, and the like of users who use the corresponding conference room in the corresponding time zone.
Each user can access the state management DB 111 from his/her terminal via a network. For example, the person who is to reserve the first conference room accesses the state management DB 111 and registers a use schedule like that shown in
The user management DB 112 stores attribute information such as the names, divisions, positions, and the like of all users who can use the first and second conference rooms in
The state management DB 111 also stores a first control table indicating the states (ON, OFF, and collision) corresponding to combinations of operation requests from the operation units 11a and 11b in the respective conference rooms.
Note that each user can access the state management DB 111 from his/her terminal via a network. For example, a user having the right to register and update data in the first control table accesses the state management DB 111 from his/her terminal to register/update the first control table like that shown in
As shown in
Assume that an operation request from one of the first and second conference rooms is “conference”, and an operation request from the other conference room is “presentation”. In this case, the operation request “conference” requires to turn on the lighting device L1, whereas the operation request “presentation”, which conflicts with the former request, requires to turn off the lighting device L1. That is, the operation requests collide with each other, and the lighting device L1 is set in the collision state.
When such a collision occurs, the priority controller 100 calculates priority levels corresponding to the operation requests from the two conference rooms on the basis of the use purposes of the respective conference rooms in the use schedules stored in the state management DB 111, the attributes of the users of the respective conference rooms stored in the user management DB 112, and the like as well as the operation requests input from the operation units 11a and 11b.
Note that each user can arbitrarily set determination criteria for priority levels.
The priority table in
Assume that in this case, each priority level takes two values, namely “0” and “1”, and “1” takes priority over “0”. The priority table shown in
In the priority table in
Each component of the priority controller 100 in
When the priority controller 100 is started, the state tables 102a and 102b of the respective spaces are initialized to “NULL” (step S1).
The priority calculation unit 101 of the priority controller 100 includes timers (timers A and B). In the timer A, a scheduled start time of use or scheduled start time of use +/−α (α is predetermined time) in the next use schedule is set. In the timer B, an impending expiration date or expiration date +/−α in the state table is set.
Assume that a use schedule like that shown in
In step S2, the scheduled start time of use in the use schedule nearest to the current time is set in the timer A (step S2). In this case, the scheduled start time of use in the use schedule in
The process then advances to step S3, in which the priority calculation unit 101 detects the following four events:
the elapse of the scheduled start time of use set in the timer A (the timeout of the timer A)
the expiration of the pending expiration date in the state table set in the timer B (the timeout of the timer B)
the update of the state management DB 111 (the update of the use schedule, the registration of new data, the deletion of data, and the like)
an operation request from the operation unit
If the priority calculation unit 101 detects the update of the state management DB 111 (step S4) or the timeout of the timer A (step S5), the process advances to step S6 to calculate the priority level of the updated/newly registered use schedule.
Assume that when the use of a conference room corresponding to a given use schedule is complete, the next use schedule for the conference room has been stored in the state management DB 111. In this case, the priority calculation unit 101 may calculate the priority level of an operation request for the conference room based on the next use schedule. Alternatively, after the use of a conference room based on a given use schedule is complete, the priority calculation unit 101 checks the use schedule stored in the state management DB 111 at predetermined time intervals. If the current time coincides with the scheduled start time of use in the use schedule or precedes the scheduled start time of use by a predetermined time, the priority calculation unit 101 calculates a priority level corresponding to each conference room.
In step S6, the priority calculation unit 101 reads out, for example, “use purpose” in the first conference room use schedule stored in the state management DB 111, and refers to a priority table like that shown in
The priority calculation unit 101 records the priority levels calculated for the respective conference rooms in the state tables corresponding to the respective conference rooms (step S6).
In each of the state tables corresponding to the respective conference rooms, as shown in
For example, the user who has reserved the first conference room operates the operation unit 11a to input an operation request Ia around the scheduled start time of use of the first conference room R1 “10:10”. When the priority calculation unit 101 detects an operation request input from each of the operation units 11a and 11b, e.g., the operation request Ia (step S7), the process advances to step S9 to record the type of detected operation request Ia and the time of the detection of the operation request Ia in the state table 102a.
When the priority calculation unit 101 detects the timeout of the timer B (step S8), since the use of the conference room associated with the use schedule is complete, the process advances to step S9 to delete the record on the state table corresponding to the conference room and regard the operation request as “disconnection (nonuse)”. That is, the priority calculation unit 101 sets the state table to “NULL”.
Every time the priority calculation unit 101 updates the state tables 102a and 102b (i.e., whenever the priority calculation unit 101 detects a operation request, and whenever the use of a conference room is complete), the priority calculation unit 101 activates the device control unit 103. The activated device control unit 103 reads out the state tables stored in the state table storage unit 102, and refers to the first control table like that shown in
If the device control unit 103 determines in step S10 that there is a collision between the operation requests recorded on the respective state tables, the process advances to step S12.
In step S12, the device control unit 103 controls the lighting device L1 on the basis of the priority levels recorded on the respective state tables. That is, the device control unit 103 controls the lighting device L1 in accordance with one of the operation requests recorded on the state tables 102a and 102b which has a higher priority level. Assume that the operation request “conference” from the first conference room has the priority level “1”, and the operation request “presentation” from the second conference room has the priority level “0”. In this case, the device control unit 103 outputs the control signal O(y1) to set the lighting device L1 in the “ON” state in accordance with the operation request from the first conference room.
If both of the state tables have the same priority level, priority is given to one of the state table corresponding to the earlier “operation time” in one of the state tables. That is, the device control unit 103 controls the lighting device L1 in accordance with the type of operation request corresponding to the earlier “operation time”. Alternatively, priority may be given to an earlier “expiration date” in one of the state tables. Priority may also be given to a later “operation time” or “expiration date”. Alternatively, the current state can be maintained or the operation requests can be discarded. As described above, the user can make settings, in advance, about how to control the lighting device L1, when two operation requests have the same priority level. Such information (the method of controlling the lighting device L1 when operation requests have the same priority level) may be registered in the state management DB 111. For example, a user having the right to update the method of controlling the lighting device L1 when operation requests have the same priority level accesses the state management DB 111 from his/her terminal to register the control method in it.
When the above processing is complete, the process advances to step S13. In step S13, the priority calculation unit 101 refers to the state table for each space to set an expiration date near the current time in the timer B.
The process then returns to step S2. In step S2, if there is a use schedule that is running for each conference room, the scheduled start time of use in the next use schedule is set in the timer A. If this time has already been set, the process immediately advances to step S3. The subsequent processing is the same as that described above.
If it is determined in step S8 that the expiration date in the state table has passed (the timer B has timed out), the priority calculation unit 101 deletes the record on the state table in step S9. However, the present invention is not limited to this. If no schedule is registered after the expiration of the expiration date, and the continuation of the conference is detected by some means (e.g., human sensors 12a and 12b provided in the respective conference rooms), the priority calculation unit 101 may prolong the expiration date while the presence of any person in the conference room is detected by the human sensor.
According to the use schedules shown in
In addition, this embodiment need not have the state table storage unit 102, and the operation units 11a and 11b in the respective spaces may include the state tables 102a and 102b. In this case, every time the priority calculation unit 101 or the device control unit 103 detects an operation request from each of the operation units 11a and 11b, the device control unit 103 detects a collision by inquiring of the record contents of the state table from each operation unit.
As described above, according to the first embodiment, when using a facility in which one device is shared in a plurality of spaces, it is possible to control the shared device so as to optimize its operation in accordance with the use states of the respective spaces based on the use purposes of the respective spaces, the attributes of the users, and the like.
In this embodiment, the facility provider (e.g., a rental service company which rents out a building or a room in a building) provides users (e.g., tenants) who use the facility with the spaces R1 and R2, the shared device L1 shared in the spaces, and the operation units 11a and 11b which are provided in the respective spaces and used to input a plurality of operation requests to the shared device L1.
The user management DB 112 and the state management DB 111 store information which can be arbitrarily set on the facility user side, e.g., a first control table like that shown in
When, therefore, using the above facility provided by the facility provider, a user can easily and conveniently use the facility by registering information suited to his/her convenience in the user management DB 112 or the state management DB 111 without changing the provided facility.
The above description has exemplified the case in which one device is shared in two spaces. However, the above description applies to a case in which one device is shared in three or more spaces. If, for example, a collision between operation requests is detected, it suffices to control the device in accordance with an operation request from a space with the highest priority level.
The different portions between the first and second embodiments will be described below.
In the first embodiment, a priority level takes two values, namely “0” and “1”. However, in practice, it is not so easy to determine a priority level. Consider, for example, a study meeting within a division with a general manager serving as an observer and a meeting with a customer. In this case, the latter can be said to be higher in priority than the former. If a collision occurs between meetings with customers, a meeting including a person with a higher position is likely to be more important. In addition, if the first conference room has a window and the second conference room has no window, lighting control is preferably performed for the second conference room with higher priority.
In order to reflect such determination, it suffices to use a method of determining the priority level of operation by assigning priority levels to the use form of a conference room, users, and the conference room itself and adding up the priority levels. More specifically, a priority table like that shown in
In the priority table in
In step S1 in
First of all, the priority calculation unit 101 reads out the first conference room use schedule stored in the state management DB 111, and obtains information indicating that the conference room to be used is the “first conference room” and “reception” as “use purpose” from the use schedule. At this time, the priority calculation unit 101 also reads out the positions of the respective users listed in “user list” in the use schedule from the user management DB 112. The priority calculation unit 101 then obtains priority levels corresponding to “first conference room” and “reception” from the priority table shown in
Note that the assignment of priority levels like that shown in
The different portions between the first and third embodiments will be described below.
The first embodiment has exemplified the case in which a lighting device L1 as a shared device takes only two states, namely the ON and OFF states. However, there is a device capable of adjusting brightness or temperature in a given range to one of a plurality of level values in a continuous or stepwise manner, such as a lighting device capable of stepless light control or an air conditioner. When such a device is to be used, a brightness or temperature value (level value) to be set in the device is obtained in consideration of a priority level (a priority level taking two values, i.e.,“0”/“1”, as in the first embodiment or a priority level taking multilevel values as in the second embodiment) at the time of collision.
Assume that the brightness (state) of a lighting device can take 100 steps from “0” (OFF) to “99” (FULL ON), and a collision has occurred between the operation request “conference” and the operation request “presentation” from the first and second conference rooms, as described above. In this case, a device control unit 103 obtains the state (level value) of the lighting device by using the priority level calculated in the first or second embodiment in step S7 in
facility state=99×{priority of “conference”/(priority of “conference”+priority of “presentation”)}
Determining the level value of brightness of the lighting device L1 by using a ratio proportional to the priority level of each conference room (each operation request) in this manner makes it possible to control the device to become darker for a presentation with a higher priority level and become brighter for a conference with a higher priority level.
The different portions between the first and fourth embodiments will be described below.
The first embodiment has exemplified the case in which one shared device is used. The fourth embodiment will exemplify a case in which a plurality of (two in this case) shared devices are shared in a plurality of spaces (first and second conference rooms R1 and R2).
The same reference numerals as in
It is possible to set three types of common operation requests to each of the shared devices (the lighting device L1 and the curtain opening/closing device L2) to be input from operation units 11a and 11b. The three types of common operation requests to each device include individual operation requests (“ON”, “OFF”, and “NULL”) to the lighting device L1, and individual operation requests (“open”, “close”, and “NULL”) to the curtain opening/closing device L2. Such combinations can be arbitrarily set on the user side.
In this case, these three types of common operation requests are discriminated as “conference”, “presentation”, and “disconnection (nonuse)”. The second control table shown in
In the second control table, three common operation requests may be defined differently for each of first and second conference rooms R1 and R2, or three common operation requests may be defined commonly for the first and second conference rooms R1 and R2, as shown in
In the second control table in
If, for example, a user having the right to register and update data in the second control table accesses the state management DB 111 from his/her terminal and registers/updates the second control table shown in
As shown in
Assume that a common operation request from one of the first and second conference rooms is “conference” and a common operation request from the other conference room is “presentation”. In this case, the common operation request “conference” requires to turn on the lighting device L1 and “open” the curtain opening/closing device L2, whereas the common operation request “presentation” requires to turn off the lighting device L1 and “close” the curtain opening/closing device L2. The common operation requests therefore collide with each other. That is, the state between the lighting device L1 and the curtain opening/closing device L2 is a collision state.
Upon detecting such a collision state in step S5 in
Assume that a priority level takes two values, namely “1” and “0” as in the first embodiment. In this case, if the common operation request “conference” from the first conference room has the priority level “1” and the common operation request “presentation” from the second conference room has the priority level “0”, the priority controller 100 outputs a control signal O1(y11) to the lighting device L1 to set it in the “ON” state, and outputs a control signal O2(y21) to the curtain opening/closing device L2 to set it in the “open” state.
The above description applies to a case in which a priority level takes multilevel values as in the second embodiment. That is, if the priority level of the second conference room is higher than that of the first conference room, the priority controller 100 outputs a control signal O1(y12) to the lighting device L1 to set it in the “OFF” state and outputs a control signal O2(y22) to the curtain opening/closing device L2 to set it in the “closed” state.
Assume that a common operation request from the first conference room is “conference”, and a common operation request from the second conference room is “presentation”. In this case, the above collision state occurs. Since the first conference room has a window, even if the curtain opening/closing device L2 opens the curtain, and the lighting device L1 is turned off, no inconvenience may occur in a conference and presentation in the two conference rooms. In such a case, therefore, in step S7 in
In addition, it suffices to determine the state (level value) of a shared device, of a plurality of shared devices as control targets, which can be adjusted to one of a plurality of level values, by using a ratio proportional to the priority level of each conference room (each operation request).
As described above, according to the first to fourth embodiments, when a facility in which a plurality of devices are shared in a plurality of spaces is to be used, the shared devices can be controlled to optimize the use of the facility in accordance with the use state of each space based on the use purpose of each space, the attributes of users, and the like.
The techniques of the present invention described in the first to fourth embodiments can be distributed as computer-executable programs by being stored in recording media such as magnetic disks (flexible disks, hard disks, and the like), optical disks (CD-ROMs, DVDs, and the like), and semiconductor memories. Causing the computer to execute the programs can make the computer function as the priority controller 100, state management DB 111, and user management DB 112.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2007-142205 | May 2007 | JP | national |