Activity management device, activity management system, and activity management method

Abstract

An activity management device includes a data acquirer, an inferrer, an information acquirer, and an outputter. The data acquirer acquires in-residence data relating to a living environment of a user and acquired in a residence of the user. The inferrer infers a past or future change event in the lifestyle pattern of the user based on the in-residence data acquired by the data acquirer. The information acquirer acquires recommendation information which is information corresponding to the change event inferred by the inferrer and which prompts the user to perform an activity according to the change in the lifestyle pattern. The outputter outputs the recommendation information acquired by the information acquirer.

1 . A method comprising:
 accumulating, in a storage, log data indicating use of electric power in respective electric apparatuses in a plurality of timings of each day, the electric apparatuses are installed in a building;   determining, based on at least part of the accumulated log data, a current routine that a user of the building performs in a first time zone of each day; and   presenting, when the determined current routine is different from a past routine in the first time zone, recommendation information for reducing an energy cost in the building according to the determined current routine.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining whether or not the determined current routine is different from the past routine in the first time zone.   
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the current routine is related to
 whether or not the user is absent from the building, or 
 whether the user is active in the building in a night time or a daytime. 
   
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein
 the log data includes at least one of
 on/off information indicating whether the respective electric apparatuses are in an ON state or in an OFF state in the plurality of timings, or 
 power usage information indicating an amount of electric power consumed by each of the electric apparatuses in the plurality of timings. 
 
 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the log data includes on/off information indicating whether the respective electric apparatuses are in an ON state or in an OFF state in the plurality of timings, and   the determining includes
 determining, based on the on/off information, whether at least one first electric apparatus, which is at least one of the electric apparatuses, is in the ON state or in the OFF state in the first time zone, and 
 determining, when it is determined that the at least one first electric apparatus is in the OFF state in the first time zone, the current routine that the user is absent from the building in the first time zone. 
   
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the at least one first electric apparatus includes at least one of an air conditioner, a television set, or an illumination apparatus.   
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the log data includes power usage information indicating an amount of electric power consumed by each of the electric apparatuses in the plurality of timings, and   the determining includes
 determining, based on the power usage information, whether or not a first amount of electric power consumed by a first electric apparatus, of the electric apparatuses, in the first time zone is greater than a value corresponding to standby power, and 
 determining, when it is determined that the first amount is not greater than the value, the current routine that the user is absent from the building in the first time zone. 
   
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the log data includes power usage information indicating an amount of electric power consumed by each of the electric apparatuses in the plurality of timings, and   the determining includes
 analyzing, based on the power usage information, transition of a total amount of electric power consumed by the electric apparatuses in each time zone, and 
 determining, when it is determined that a first total amount of electric power in the first time zone is lower than a second total amount of electric power in a second time zone, the current routine that the user is absent from the building in the first time zone. 
   
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the recommendation information includes at least one of
 a message for recommending the user to change a contract in a electricity price related to the building, or 
 a message for recommending the user to use a photovoltaic cell and/or a storage battery. 
   
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the presenting includes causing a display to display the recommendation information.   
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the presenting includes uploading the recommendation information to a server to allow the user to access the uploaded recommendation information.   
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 acquiring, from the accumulated log data in the storage, first log data related to first electric power that has been supplied to at least a first electronic apparatus of the electric apparatuses within a latest predetermined period,   wherein the determining is based on the acquired first log data.   
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the current routine is a routine that the user performs in the first time zone on one or more days of the week within one or more months.   
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein
 the one or more days of the week are weekdays.   
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the current routine is a routine repeated over more than one month period.   
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 acquiring an additional information including at least one of a buyable-electricity price, a sellable-electricity price, an electricity price plan, or a consumption tax rate; and   determining the recommendation information according to the determined current routine and the additional information.   
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 specifying the user from among a plurality of users of the building,   wherein the recommendation information is presented to the user, but is not presented to another user.   
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the presenting is performed at a timing that is determined according to the determined current routine.   
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving the log data from a plurality of sensors, each of which detects the electric power supplied to a corresponding one of the electric apparatuses.   
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein
 the plurality of sensors are disposed in a distribution board and are associated with respective branch circuits.   
     
     
         21 . A device comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory storing a program that causes the processor to execute operations including
 accumulating, in a storage, log data indicating use of electric power in the respective electric apparatuses in a plurality of timings of each day, the electric apparatuses are installed in a building; 
 determining, based on at least part of the accumulated log data, a current routine that a user of the building performs in a first time zone of each day; and 
 presenting, when the determined current routine is different from a past routine in the first time zone, recommendation information for reducing an energy cost in the building according to the determined current routine. 
   
     
     
         22 . A system comprising:
 the device according to  claim 21 ;   a plurality of sensors, each of which detects the electric power supplied to a corresponding one of the electric apparatuses; and   the storage, in which the log data are accumulated.