Design support device and design support system

Abstract

This technology provides design support to facilitate the design of penetrations in walls, floors, ceilings, etc., within a plant. [Solution] The design support device of the present invention comprises: a virtual space creation unit that creates image data of a virtual space that simulates the site of the design target; a penetration creation support unit that has the function of creating a penetration target area in the virtual space, and when it obtains information regarding the design specifications of the penetration to be created in the penetration target area from an external device, it can create image data of an installation area image by superimposing an image of an area in which a penetration can be formed on an image of the penetration target area in the virtual space; and a communication unit that is connected to an external device so as to be communicative, receives information regarding the design specifications of the penetration from the external device, and transmits the image data of the installation area image created by the penetration creation support unit to the external device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a design support apparatus and a design support system.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, various techniques related to design work for power plants have been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 discloses an apparatus for generating three-dimensional layout adjustment CAD (Computer Aided Design) data for easily and quickly generating three-dimensional layout adjustment CAD data for a route for arranging cable storage components at the time of initial planning of plant design.

Prior Art Literature

Patent Literature

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, when newly installing long equipment such as piping, ducts, conduits and the like across sections in an existing plant (such as a power plant), it is necessary to provide a penetration (through hole) for passing the long equipment through the walls, floors and / or ceilings provided between the sections. However, since there are many already installed facilities (interfering objects) in the existing plant, it takes a great deal of labor to study and design the formation location of the penetration. The technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 does not study the design related to the penetration for installing long equipment.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above situation, and an object of the present invention is to provide a design support technique that facilitates the design of penetrations provided in walls, floors, ceilings, etc. in a plant.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0006] To solve the above problems, the design support device of the present invention comprises a virtual space creation unit, a penetration creation support unit, and a communication unit. The virtual space creation unit creates image data of a virtual space that simulates the site to be designed. The penetration creation support unit has the function of creating a penetration in the penetration target area of ​​the virtual space. When the penetration creation support unit obtains information regarding the design specifications of the penetration to be created in the penetration target area from an external device, it can create image data of an installation area image in the virtual space by superimposing an image of the area where a penetration can be formed on the image of the penetration target area. The communication unit is connected to the external device in a communicative manner, receives information regarding the design specifications of the penetration from the external device, and transmits the image data of the installation area image created by the penetration creation support unit to the external device.

[0007] Furthermore, in order to solve the above problems, the design support system of the present invention comprises an information processing device used by a user and the design support device of the present invention. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention with the above configuration, it is possible to provide a design support technology that facilitates the design of penetrations in walls, floors, ceilings, etc., within a plant. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a design support system related to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a hardware configuration diagram of a computer device applicable as a design support device and a designer terminal included in a design support system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a functional block diagram of a design support device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a functional block diagram of a penetration creation support unit included in a design support device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This is a functional block diagram of a designer terminal included in a design support system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of a plan view of a wall to be fitted with a penetration when designing a penetration using a design support device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of penetration information to be input when designing a penetration using a design support device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of operation of the installation area output unit within the penetration creation support unit of a design support device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] This figure shows another example of a planar image of a wall to be fitted with a penetration when designing a penetration using a design support device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] This figure shows an example of operation of the installation area output unit within the penetration creation support unit of a design support device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] This figure shows an example of operation of the construction drawing output unit within the penetration creation support unit of a design support device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] This figure shows an example of operation of the position setting unit within the penetration creation support unit of a design support device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] This figure shows an example of operation of the position setting unit within the penetration creation support unit of a design support device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] This figure shows an example of operation of the route confirmation unit within the penetration creation support unit of a design support device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] This figure shows an example of operation of the route confirmation unit within the penetration creation support unit of a design support device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] This figure shows an example of operation of the through-hole list output unit within the through-hole creation support unit of a design support device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] This figure shows an example of the configuration of a through-hole list created by the operation of the through-hole list output unit within the through-hole creation support unit of a design support device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18]FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating one configuration example of a penetration list created by the operation of a penetration list output unit in a penetration creation support unit of a design support apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 19] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a design method when creating a penetration in a wall in contact with a radiation-contaminated area by the penetration creation support unit of the design support apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 20] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a design method when creating a penetration in a wall in contact with a radiation-contaminated area by the penetration creation support unit of the design support apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 21] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a design method when creating a penetration in a wall in contact with a radiation-contaminated area by the penetration creation support unit of the design support apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 22] FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of a design support system according to Modification 1 of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, a design support system according to an embodiment of the present invention and a design support apparatus included therein will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. Note that, as an example, a design support system and a design support apparatus that can be used in design work for a power plant will be described below.

[0011] <Configuration of Design Support System> FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a design support system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the design support system 1 includes a design support apparatus 2 and a designer terminal 3 (external device). The design support apparatus 2 is communicably connected to the designer terminal 3 via a communication network 4.

[0012] The design support device 2 consists of information processing devices such as the computer device 10 (see Figure 2 below), which will be described later. The design support device 2 has various functions, such as creating a virtual space that simulates the interior and exterior of the facilities (site) such as the building of the power plant to be designed, creating new equipment objects and updating existing equipment objects in the virtual space based on the designer's input operations, and design support functions for penetrations (through holes) for installing long equipment. The "virtual space" created by the design support device 2 (the "virtual space" displayed on the display unit 34 of the designer terminal 3, which will be described later) includes not only three-dimensional virtual spaces but also two-dimensional virtual spaces.

[0013] Furthermore, the design support device 2 also has the function of inputting various CAD data of the power plant to be designed, and the function of reflecting (projecting, etc.) the CAD data entered by the designer (hereinafter referred to as "CAD input information") onto the virtual space.

[0014] In other words, the design support device 2 is equipped with various functions to support the designer's design work in a virtual space that simulates the interior and exterior of facilities such as the buildings of a power plant. The various functions of the design support device 2 will be explained later with reference to the drawings. Here, "objects" refer to equipment such as pipes, ducts, conduits, connection boxes, valves, panels, racks, and other equipment that are installed in the spaces inside or on the exterior walls of facilities such as the buildings of a power plant.

[0015] The designer terminal 3 is an information processing device used by designers (users) involved in plant design work, such as those responsible for system design, equipment design, construction design, or on-site construction planning. It consists of an information processing device such as the computer device 10 (see Figure 2 below). Specifically, the designer terminal 3 can consist of an information processing device equipped with computing and communication functions, such as a personal computer, smartphone, or tablet.

[0016] The designer terminal 3 receives various image data in the virtual space created by the design support device 2 and displays the image data in the virtual space on the display unit 34, which will be described later. The designer terminal 3 also acquires operation information related to the designer's access operations to the virtual space created by the design support device 2 and the designer's work operations in the virtual space, and transmits this operation information to the design support device 2 via the communication network 4. Furthermore, the designer terminal 3 transmits various CAD input information entered by the designer to the design support device 2.

[0017] The design support device 2, upon receiving operation information and CAD input information from the designer terminal 3, performs image control processing so that the designer's work content corresponding to this information is reflected in the virtual space. Specifically, the design support device 2 applies image control processing to, for example, the virtual space, objects, penetrations, the walls, floors, and / or ceilings that form the penetrations, in order to reflect the designer's work content. The design support device 2 then transmits the image data from the virtual space, which has undergone image control processing, to the designer terminal 3. As a result, an image reflecting the designer's operations (work content) is displayed in the virtual space shown on the display unit 34 of the designer terminal 3, which will be described later. The various functions of the designer terminal 3 will be explained later with reference to the drawings.

[0018] The communication network 4 can be configured as, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) or a WAN (Wide Area Network) such as the Internet, and can communicate via wired or wireless connection. Furthermore, if the design support device 2 and the designer terminal 3 are located in close proximity (for example, in the same room), a short-range wireless communication method such as Bluetooth® or WiFi® may be used as the communication method for the communication network 4.

[0019] <Hardware configuration of design support equipment and designer terminal> Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a computer device 10 that can be used as a design support device 2 and a designer terminal 3.

[0020] As shown in Figure 2, the computer device 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, and RAM (Random Access Memory) 13 connected to the bus line 18. The computer device 10 also includes a network interface 14, an operating device 15, a display device 16, and non-volatile storage 17, all connected to the bus line 18. Although not shown in Figure 2, the computer device 10 also includes various interfaces used for inputting and outputting various types of data (various types of information) with external devices.

[0021] The CPU 11 reads the program code for the software that implements the various processing functions of the design support device 2 and the designer terminal 3 from the ROM 12 into the RAM 13 and executes it. At this time, various data such as variables and parameters that occur during the calculation process are temporarily written to the RAM 13.

[0022] Network I / F14 is composed of, for example, a NIC (Network Interface Card) and transmits and receives various types of data between connected devices via wireless communication.

[0023] The operating device 15 is composed of, for example, keys and buttons, and generates an operation signal corresponding to the operation content input by the operator (designer, etc.) and supplies the operation signal to the CPU 11. The display device 16 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal panel, and displays characters, images, etc. on the screen. Alternatively, the display device 16 may be configured as a touch panel, in which case the display device 16 and the operating device 15 are configured as an integrated unit.

[0024] In this embodiment of the design support system 1, the designer operates an operating device 15, such as a key, button, mouse, or touch panel, provided on the designer terminal 3, to perform various operations in the virtual space displayed on the display screen of the display device 16.

[0025] Furthermore, in the design support system 1 of this embodiment, the designer can perform various operations in the virtual space using an HMD (Head Mounted Display) and a controller that is held in the hand or worn on the user. In this case, in the designer terminal 3, the HMD on which the virtual space is displayed becomes the display device 16, and the controller for performing various operations in the virtual space displayed on the HMD becomes the operating device 15. In this case, the HMD (display device 16) and the controller (operating device 15) and the CPU 11 may be connected to each other using a short-range wireless communication method such as Bluetooth or WiFi in the designer terminal 3.

[0026] The non-volatile storage 17 can consist of, for example, an HDD (Hard disk drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), a flexible disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD (Compact Disc)-ROM, a CD-R, magnetic tape, or non-volatile memory. The non-volatile storage 17 stores the OS (Operating System), various parameters, and various programs for making the computer device 10 function as the design support device 2 and the designer terminal 3, respectively. In addition to the ROM 12 and the non-volatile storage 17, information (data) such as programs, tables, and files for realizing the functions of the design support device 2 and the designer terminal 3 may be stored on recording media such as an IC (Integrated Circuit) card, an SD card, or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc).

[0027] Furthermore, if the design support device 2 is configured as a server device, the design support device 2 may not include the aforementioned operating device 15 and / or display device 16.

[0028] <Configuration of the design support system> Figure 3 is a functional block diagram of a design support device 2 according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 3, the design support device 2 comprises a control unit 20, a storage unit 22, and a communication unit 23.

[0029] The control unit 20 is included in the CPU 11 in Figure 2 and reads program code for realizing the various functions that can be executed in the design support device 2 (described later) from the ROM 12 in Figure 2 into the RAM 13 and executes it. The storage unit 22 is included in the non-volatile storage 17 and / or RAM 13 in Figure 2 and consists of memory that can read and write data. It stores various information used in processing to realize the various functional units included in the control unit 20, and various design support information created when the various functional units are executed. The communication unit 23 is included in the network I / F 14 in Figure 2 and transmits and receives various information (data) with the designer terminal 3, which can be connected via the communication network 4. The internal configuration of each part of the design support device 2 will be described below.

[0030] [Control Unit] As shown in Figure 3, the control unit 20 functionally comprises a design support tool unit 201 and a CAD tool unit 202. The design support tool unit 201 performs various support functions when a designer designs a power plant in a virtual space. For example, the design support tool unit 201 performs various functions such as creating a virtual space for the power plant to be designed, creating objects for new equipment and updating objects for existing equipment in the virtual space, and providing design support for penetrations when installing long equipment. The CAD tool unit 202 performs functions such as inputting various CAD input information for the power plant to be designed.

[0031] (Configuration of the design support tools section) As shown in Figure 3, the design support tool unit 201 functionally comprises a virtual space creation unit 211, an object creation support unit 212, a penetration part creation support unit 213, and an information retrieval unit 214. The following describes the operation overview of each functional unit of the design support tool unit 201.

[0032] (1) Virtual Space Creation Unit The virtual space creation unit 211 creates image data of a virtual space that simulates the interior and exterior of the facilities (site) such as the buildings of the power plant to be designed. Specifically, the virtual space creation unit 211 creates three-dimensional and two-dimensional image data of the virtual space using point cloud data of the actual site of the power plant to be designed, stored in the site information storage unit 221 (described later) within the memory unit 22, and / or three-dimensional CAD data of the site stored in the CAD data storage unit 226 (described later). Existing technologies can be used as the method for creating the image data of the virtual space. In addition, the virtual space creation unit 211 also performs image processing to reflect the designer's CAD input information, acquired via the communication network 4 and the information input unit 215 (described later) within the CAD tool unit 202, into the virtual space.

[0033] The virtual space creation unit 211 then outputs image data of the created virtual power plant (including image data of the virtual space reflecting CAD input information) to the communication unit 23. As a result, the image data of the virtual power plant is transmitted to the designer terminal 3 via the communication network 4, and the image of the virtual space is displayed on the display unit 34 (for example, an LCD panel or HMD) of the designer terminal 3, as described later.

[0034] (2) Object creation support unit The object creation support unit 212 acquires operation information corresponding to tasks such as object creation operations and various editing operations performed directly by the designer on the designer terminal 3 in the virtual space, via the communication network 4, and performs image processing of the object according to the operation information. The object creation support unit 212 also performs image processing to reflect the designer's CAD input information, acquired via the communication network 4 and the information input unit 215 in the CAD tool unit 202 (described later), onto the object.

[0035] The object creation support unit 212 then outputs image data of the object, which has undergone image processing corresponding to the designer's operation information and CAD input information mentioned above, to the communication unit 23. As a result, the image data of the object after image processing is transmitted to the designer terminal 3 via the communication network 4 and displayed on the display unit 34 of the designer terminal 3 (for example, an LCD panel or HMD), which will be described later. In other words, the display unit 34 of the designer terminal 3 will display an image that reflects the operations (work content) performed by the designer on the virtual space.

[0036] More specifically, the object creation support unit 212 provides the following various support functions for the designer's object creation and / or editing work in the virtual space. • A function that allows designers to create desired objects in a virtual space and freely place them at any location (object creation function). • A function that combines multiple objects of the same type placed in a virtual space to create a single object (object merging function). • In a virtual space, when there are multiple possible cable routes for connecting two objects (equipment) with a cable, this function calculates the optimal cable route between the two objects (cable route calculation function). A function (object placement determination function) that determines whether a predetermined object (equipment) created at a predetermined location in a virtual space satisfies the placement conditions of that predetermined object. - A function (object movement determination function) that determines the interference status of other objects (equipment: interference objects) with the movement of a predetermined object (equipment: interference object) when a predetermined object (equipment) created at a predetermined location in the virtual space is moved within the virtual space.

[0037] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the object selection function, object movement function, and object attribute information display function can be operated in common when the various functions described above are executed. The attribute information includes various information such as the object's management number (management symbol), name, ID, installation location (coordinates in the virtual space), installation area name, size, type, installation (placement) constraints, creator, creator's comments, and creation date and time, and these pieces of information are combined into a single set.

[0038] Furthermore, the image data of objects created by the object creation support unit 212 is, for example, image data simulating equipment such as pipes, ducts, conduits, connection boxes, valves, panels, racks, and other devices. Such image data of objects for each type of equipment to be designed is stored in advance in the tool information storage unit 223, which will be described later, within the storage unit 22.

[0039] (3) Through-hole creation support unit The penetration creation support unit 213 provides various support functions for designers when designing penetrations in a virtual space. For example, when installing long equipment spanning across areas in a power plant under design, the penetration creation support unit 213 has various support functions for setting various design information such as the installation location, size, and construction method of penetrations (through holes) for passing long equipment through walls, floors, and / or ceilings that demarcate areas. An example of the internal configuration of the penetration creation support unit 213 for executing these various support functions is shown in Figure 4. Figure 4 is a functional block diagram of the penetration creation support unit 213.

[0040] As shown in Figure 4, the penetration section creation support unit 213 functionally includes an installation area extraction unit 231, a construction drawing creation unit 232, a position setting unit 233, a route confirmation unit 234, and a penetration section list creation unit 235. The penetration section creation support unit 213 also transmits image data and various information created by these functional units, that is, image data and various information reflecting the designer's work content, to the designer terminal 3 via the communication unit 23 and the communication network 4. As a result, the image data and various information created by each functional unit of the penetration section creation support unit 213 are displayed on the display unit 34 of the designer terminal 3, which will be described later.

[0041] The general outline of the processing performed by each functional unit is as follows. The specific details of the processing and operation performed by each functional unit will be explained later with reference to the diagrams.

[0042] The installation area extraction unit 231 determines, based on CAD input information regarding the design of the penetration, whether there is one or more areas (hereinafter referred to as "candidate installation areas") on the wall, floor, ceiling, etc. (hereinafter collectively referred to as "penetration target area") where the penetration can be formed. The CAD input information regarding the design of the penetration input to the installation area extraction unit 231 includes, for example, information regarding the design specifications of the penetration (opening shape of the through hole, opening size, etc.). Furthermore, if multiple penetrations are to be formed on the penetration target area, information regarding the design specifications of each penetration is individually input to the installation area extraction unit 231 as CAD input information, and the installation area extraction unit 231 determines, based on the input information regarding the design specifications of the multiple penetrations, whether there is one or more candidate installation areas on the penetration target area where multiple penetrations can be formed.

[0043] If it is determined that there is one or more candidate installation areas on the area to be penetrated where a penetration (or multiple penetrations) can be formed, the installation area extraction unit 231 extracts the one or more candidate installation areas. The installation area extraction unit 231 then creates image data (see Figure 8, etc., described later) that maps the regions of the extracted candidate installation areas onto an image of a virtual space that includes the area to be penetrated and existing objects (interfering objects) installed and / or placed adjacent to it. In other words, the installation area extraction unit 231 creates image data (image data of the installation area image) by superimposing the image of the region of the candidate installation area onto the image of the area to be penetrated (including the image of existing objects).

[0044] On the other hand, if, for example, it is determined that there are no candidate installation areas on the area to be penetrated where a penetration can be formed due to the influence of objects (interferences) placed around the area to be penetrated, the installation area extraction unit 231 determines whether the object can be removed and whether a penetration can be formed in the object's installation area if the object is removed, based on information about the object such as its type, importance, responsibility, and whether it can be removed or not (information about the object). If it is determined that the object can be removed and that a penetration can be formed in the object's installation area if the object is removed, the installation area extraction unit 231 extracts the object's installation area as a candidate installation area. In this case, the installation area extraction unit 231 creates image data (see Figure 9, described later) that maps the installation area of ​​the object to be removed as a candidate installation area where a penetration can be formed, on an image of the virtual space including the area to be penetrated and existing objects (interferences) placed therein and / or adjacent to it.

[0045] The construction drawing creation unit 232 retrieves various information about the penetration, the area to be formed within the penetration, and the surrounding area of ​​the penetration by searching (referencing) the point cloud data of the site stored in the site information storage unit 221 (described later) within the memory unit 22, the three-dimensional CAD data of the site stored in the CAD data storage unit 226 (described later), and the information about the design target penetration stored in the penetration information storage unit 227 (described later). Then, the construction drawing creation unit 232 sets the construction method for the penetration based on the various information (design conditions for the penetration). Furthermore, the construction drawing creation unit 232 reflects the various information collected and the information about the set construction method in the design drawing of the area surrounding the area to be formed with the penetration, by appropriately adding it to the design drawing of the surrounding area of ​​the area to be formed with the penetration (see Figure 11 described later).

[0046] The position setting unit 233 creates image data by superimposing images of each penetration onto an image in a virtual space that includes the area to be penetrated (wall, floor, or ceiling) and existing objects (interference objects) installed and / or placed in close proximity to it, based on CAD input information regarding the formation position of the penetration entered by the designer. In other words, the position setting unit 233 creates a position diagram (see Figures 12 and 13 described later) that shows the positional relationship between the penetration and the interference objects already installed and / or placed in close proximity to the area to be penetrated. The position setting unit 233 then determines whether the penetration overlaps (interferes with) the interference object on the position diagram, and if the penetration overlaps with the interference object, it creates image data by superimposing an image on the position diagram with information indicating that the formation (installation) of the penetration is not possible. If the position setting unit 233 determines that the formation of the penetration is not possible, the designer re-enters the CAD input information regarding the formation position of the penetration, operates the position setting unit 233 again, and reconfirms the formation position of the penetration.

[0047] The route confirmation unit 234 determines whether a predetermined penetration formed at the position set (determined) by the position setting unit 233 and a long object (hereinafter referred to as the "connecting long object") which is located on the installation route of the long equipment and is scheduled to be connected to the predetermined penetration can actually be connected on site.

[0048] For example, if there are no other existing interferences (equipment) between the opening of the predetermined penetration and the long object to which it is connected that would obstruct the installation route of the long equipment, the route confirmation unit 234 determines that the predetermined penetration and the long object to which it is connected can be connected along that installation route. In this case, the route confirmation unit 234 creates image data (see Figure 14 described later) by superimposing an image of the installation route onto an image of a virtual space that includes the predetermined penetration, the long object to which it is connected, and their surrounding areas.

[0049] On the other hand, for example, if other existing interference objects (equipment) are positioned between the opening of a predetermined penetration and the long object to which it is connected, in such a way that they block the installation route of the long equipment, the route confirmation unit 234 determines that the predetermined penetration and the long object to which it is connected cannot be connected via that installation route. In this case, the route confirmation unit 234 creates image data (see Figure 15 described later) by superimposing an image of the installation route and an image of information indicating that the predetermined penetration and the long object to which it is connected cannot be connected onto an image of a virtual space including the predetermined penetration, the long object to which it is connected, and their surrounding areas.

[0050] The penetration list creation unit 235 creates information summarizing the design items of a penetration (hereinafter referred to as the "penetration list") when all the design considerations for the penetration examined by the installation area extraction unit 231, construction drawing creation unit 232, position setting unit 233, and route confirmation unit 234 described above have been passed and the design of the penetration is complete. The penetration list creation unit 235 also stores the created penetration list in the penetration information storage unit 227.

[0051] Furthermore, when a designer uses the various functional units of the aforementioned penetration creation support unit 213 to design a penetration, the designer operates the units in the following order: installation area extraction unit 231, construction drawing creation unit 232, position setting unit 233, route confirmation unit 234, and penetration list creation unit 235, or in the following order: installation area extraction unit 231, position setting unit 233, construction drawing creation unit 232, route confirmation unit 234, and penetration list creation unit 235.

[0052] (4) Information Retrieval Department The design support device 2 of this embodiment is equipped with a search function for various related information (hereinafter referred to as "object-related information") of objects (equipment) placed in a virtual space. The object-related information includes, for example, various information such as actual external images of the object (equipment) (photographs, external drawings, etc.), design drawings, design specifications, equipment specifications, placement specifications, legal information regarding placement, and jurisdiction (company / other company jurisdiction). The information retrieval unit 214 searches and collects related information for an object (equipment) based on information such as its name included in the attribute information of the object (equipment) selected by the designer. Multiple objects may be selected as the target of the information search.

[0053] Furthermore, the design support device 2 also includes a search function for various related information (hereinafter referred to as "penetration-related information") of penetrations formed in penetration target areas (walls, floors, ceilings, etc.) arranged in a virtual space. The penetration-related information includes various information such as actual external images of the penetration and its surroundings (photographs, external drawings, etc.), design drawings, design specifications, specifications, and installation conditions of the penetration. The information search unit 214 searches and collects penetration-related information based on the identification information of the penetration selected by the designer (name, management code, ID, etc.), the identification information of the penetration target area (wall, floor, ceiling) where the penetration is formed (name, management code, ID, etc.), etc. In this case, there may be multiple penetrations selected as the information search target.

[0054] The information retrieval unit 214 can use existing search methods, such as a conversational search method using generation AI (Artificial Intelligence) or a keyword input search method, to retrieve object-related information and penetration-related information. In this case, the object-related information and penetration-related information desired by the designer can be appropriately searched and collected.

[0055] When a designer performs a search operation for object-related information, the information retrieval unit 214 searches (references) various information stored in the equipment-related information storage unit 225 (described later) within the memory unit 22, and retrieves (acquires) related information for the object being searched from this information. The information retrieval unit 214 then outputs the collected object-related information to the communication unit 23. As a result, the collected object-related information is transmitted to each designer terminal 3 via the communication network 4, and the object-related information is displayed in the virtual space shown on the display unit 34 (described later) of each designer terminal 3.

[0056] Furthermore, when a designer performs a search operation for penetration-related information, the information retrieval unit 214 searches (references) various information stored in the field information storage unit 221, equipment-related information storage unit 225, and penetration-related information storage unit 227 within the memory unit 22, and retrieves (acquires) the penetration-related information to be searched from this various information. The information retrieval unit 214 then outputs the collected penetration-related information to the communication unit 23. As a result, the collected penetration-related information is transmitted to each designer terminal 3 via the communication network 4, and the penetration-related information is displayed in the virtual space shown on the display unit 34 of each designer terminal 3, as described later.

[0057] In this embodiment, although not shown in the figures, the display screen of the display unit 34 (e.g., an LCD panel or HMD) of the designer terminal 3 displays images of search tools for object-related information and penetration-related information that the designer can operate, separately from the image of the virtual space. In this case, the images of the search tools for object-related information and penetration-related information may be configured to be displayed at all times outside the image of the virtual space, or they may be superimposed on the image of the virtual space when the designer operates the search tools for object-related information and penetration-related information. Furthermore, the search tools for object-related information and penetration-related information include an execution button for the information search function, and the image data of this search tool is stored in advance in the tool information storage unit 223 in the storage unit 22, which will be described later.

[0058] When a search is performed, the designer selects the object (equipment) or penetration to be searched in the virtual space displayed on the display unit 34 of their designer terminal 3 (described later), and then operates the execution button of the search tool for object-related information or penetration-related information, which displays an image (input form, etc.) indicating the start of the search for object-related information or penetration-related information. Next, the designer enters information (terms) that will serve as the search key for object-related information or penetration-related information into the displayed input form, etc., which executes the information search, and the search results are displayed in the virtual space. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the system may be configured to automatically perform a search for object-related information based on the attribute information of the object after the image indicating the start of the search for object-related information is displayed in the virtual space. Alternatively, the system may be configured to automatically perform a search for penetration-related information based on the identification information of the penetration or the identification information of the part to which the penetration is formed (see Figures 17 and 18 described later) after the image indicating the start of the search for penetration-related information is displayed in the virtual space. Furthermore, the object-related information or penetration-related information search function of this embodiment also allows for the selection of multiple objects or multiple penetration-related information, and simultaneous searching of object-related information for those multiple objects or multiple penetration-related information.

[0059] In this embodiment, an example configuration has been described in which the object-related information search function and the penetration-related information search function are performed by a single information search unit 214, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The object-related information search function unit and the penetration-related information search function unit may be provided separately, with the former search function unit included in the object creation support unit 212 and the latter search function unit included in the penetration-related information creation support unit 213.

[0060] (Configuration of the CAD tools section) As shown in Figure 3, the CAD tool unit 202 functionally includes an information input unit 261. The information input unit 261 acquires (receives) CAD input information entered by the designer through operations on the designer terminal 3 via the communication network 4 and the communication unit 23, and outputs the acquired CAD input information to the design support tool unit 201. In the design support tool unit 201, which has received the CAD input information, the virtual space creation unit 211, the object creation support unit 212, and / or the penetration part creation support unit 213 perform processing according to the content of the CAD input information.

[0061] [Storage] The memory unit 22 stores, for example, various information necessary for creating a virtual space. The memory unit 22 stores, for example, point cloud data and 3D CAD data of the actual site of the power plant to be designed. The memory unit 22 also stores, for example, image data of the virtual space, image data of objects (equipment), attribute information of objects, related information of objects, image data of each designer's avatar, and various information related to the design of penetrations.

[0062] Specifically, as shown in Figure 3, the storage unit 22 functionally includes a field information storage unit 221, a virtual space data storage unit 222, a tool information storage unit 223, an object information storage unit 224, an equipment-related information storage unit 225, a CAD data storage unit 226, and a penetration information storage unit 227.

[0063] The site information storage unit 221 stores point cloud data (site information) of the actual site of the power plant being designed. This site information is pre-stored in the site information storage unit 221 and is used by the virtual space creation unit 211 when creating image data of a virtual space that simulates the interior and exterior of facilities (site) such as the buildings of the power plant.

[0064] The virtual space data storage unit 222 stores image data of the virtual space created by the virtual space creation unit 211.

[0065] The tool information storage unit 223 stores image data of objects that simulate equipment such as pipes, ducts, conduits, power panels, racks, connection boxes, and valves, which are created in the virtual space. That is, image data of objects having a basic shape that simulates equipment such as pipes, ducts, conduits, power panels, racks, connection boxes, and valves is stored in the tool information storage unit 223 in the form of a toolbox. The tool information storage unit 223 also stores image data of various operation tools (e.g., object creation tools, search tools, etc.) that can be operated by the designer when performing the various functions described above, which are superimposed on the virtual space or displayed in a different location from the virtual space. Furthermore, the tool information storage unit 223 also stores image data of each designer's avatar that is displayed in the virtual space.

[0066] The object information storage unit 224 stores image data of objects created or modified (updated) by the object creation support unit 212, as well as attribute information of those objects.

[0067] The equipment-related information storage unit 225 stores various information about the equipment actually installed in the power plant being designed. For example, various object-related information such as actual external images of the object (equipment) (photographs, external drawings, etc.), design drawings, design specifications, equipment specifications, layout specifications, legal information regarding the layout, and jurisdiction (jurisdiction information) is stored in the equipment-related information storage unit 225. In addition, the equipment-related information storage unit 225 stores various information about structures such as walls, floors, and ceilings provided around the equipment (objects) in the power plant (for example, specification information such as material, thickness, surface shape, fire resistance, etc., and external photographs). In this embodiment, an example in which the equipment-related information storage unit 225 is provided within the design support device 2 is described, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the equipment-related information storage unit 225 may be provided in a database or the like provided outside the design support device 2.

[0068] The CAD data storage unit 226 stores three-dimensional CAD data of the actual site of the power plant being designed. This information is pre-stored in the CAD data storage unit 226 and is used by the virtual space creation unit 211 when creating image data of a virtual space that simulates the interior and exterior of the facilities (site) such as the power plant building. The CAD data stored in the CAD data storage unit 226 is also used when projecting (overlaying) the CAD data onto the virtual space for display (see Figure 16 described later).

[0069] The penetration information storage unit 227 stores various types of information, such as construction drawings of the area around the penetration target (see Figure 11 below), positional diagrams showing the positional relationship between the penetration and surrounding interfering objects (see Figures 12 and 13 below), and a penetration list (see Figures 17 and 18 below), all created by the penetration creation support unit 213. The penetration information storage unit 227 also stores identification information of the area where the penetration is formed (walls, floors, ceilings, etc.), which is set when setting the installation route for long equipment, and information on the type of equipment passing through the penetration (e.g., pipes, ducts, conduits, etc.). Furthermore, the penetration information storage unit 227 stores information related to the penetration, such as information on the construction method of the penetration (specifications, etc.) and past construction records of the penetration (photographs, exterior drawings, etc.).

[0070] [g section] The communication unit 23 transmits to the designer terminal 3 via the communication network 4 images of the virtual space, objects, and penetrations created by the control unit 20, various information about the objects (attribute information, etc.), various information about the penetrations (construction drawings, location diagrams, penetration lists, etc.), and image data of each designer's avatar. The communication unit 23 also receives various operation information from the designers regarding the virtual space and CAD input information entered by the designers transmitted from the designer terminal 3, and outputs the received information to the control unit 20.

[0071] <Designer terminal configuration> Figure 5 is a functional block diagram of the designer terminal 3. As shown in Figure 5, the designer terminal 3 comprises a control unit 31, a storage unit 32, an operation unit 33, a display unit 34, and a communication unit 35. For the sake of explanation, Figure 5 only shows the processing functions related to the design support processing performed by the design support device 2.

[0072] The control unit 31 is included in the CPU 11 in Figure 2 and reads program code for realizing various functions that can be executed on the designer terminal 3 from the ROM 12 in Figure 2 into the RAM 13 and executes it. The storage unit 32 is included in the non-volatile storage 17 and / or RAM 13 in Figure 2 and consists of memory that can read and write data. The operation unit 33 is included in the operating device 15 in Figure 2. The display unit 34 is included in the display device 16 in Figure 2 and consists of, for example, an LCD panel or HMD. The communication unit 35 is included in the network I / F 14 in Figure 2 and transmits and receives various information (data) with the design support device 2 which can be connected via the communication network 4. The following describes the general configuration and operation of each part of the designer terminal 3.

[0073] [Control Unit] As shown in Figure 5, the control unit 31 functionally includes an information acquisition processing unit 311, an information display processing unit 312, and an information output processing unit 313.

[0074] The information acquisition processing unit 311 acquires various image data and various information created by the design support device 2, i.e., various design support information, which are received by the communication unit 35.

[0075] The various image data acquired by the information acquisition processing unit 311 includes, for example, image data of the virtual space, image data of various objects (equipment), image data of the designer's avatar, and image data in which images of the penetration area are superimposed on images of the area to be penetrated (walls, floors, ceilings, etc.), as well as various image data related to design support. The various information acquired by the information acquisition processing unit 311 also includes, for example, attribute information and related information of objects, and a list of penetration areas and related information. In other words, the information acquisition processing unit 311 acquires various design support information for the penetration area received by the communication unit 35 as appropriate during the design phase of the penetration area (for example, image data of candidate installation areas for the penetration area, image data of construction drawings and location maps around the area to be penetrated, information indicating the failure of the set route, a list of penetration areas, etc.).

[0076] The information acquisition processing unit 311 then outputs the virtual space, various objects, and various design support information (various image data and information related to design support) acquired from the design support device 2 to the information display processing unit 312. The information acquisition processing unit 311 also stores the acquired design support information in the storage unit 32.

[0077] The information display processing unit 312 outputs various design support information (various image data and information related to design support) related to the virtual space, various objects, and various penetrations acquired by the information acquisition processing unit 311 to the display unit 34, and also controls the display unit 34 to display these.

[0078] Furthermore, the information output processing unit 313 acquires operation signals performed by the designer on the virtual space via the operation unit 33, such as object creation operations, various editing operations (modification operations, merging operations, movement operations, etc.), various judgment operations (placement judgment operations, movement judgment operations, etc.), and input operations of various CAD input information, and outputs operation information corresponding to these operation signals to the communication unit 35. As a result, various operation information (work content information) of the designer on the virtual space is transmitted to the design support device 2 via the communication network 4.

[0079] [Storage] The storage unit 32 stores various design support information (various image data and information related to design support) related to the virtual space, various objects, and various penetrations acquired by the information acquisition processing unit 311, which is displayed on the display unit 34. In this embodiment, information on operations performed on the virtual space by the designer via the operation unit 33 may also be stored in the storage unit 32. That is, the operation history information of the designer in the design support work of a power plant may be stored in the storage unit 32.

[0080] [Operation section] The operation unit 33 is provided on the designer terminal 3 and consists of, for example, keys, buttons, a mouse, a touch panel, etc. Furthermore, when the designer uses an HMD to perform design support work, the operation unit 33 consists of a controller that the designer holds in their hand or wears. When the designer performs a predetermined operation (predetermined task) on the virtual space using the operation unit 33, such as keys, buttons, a mouse, a touch panel, or a controller, the operation unit 33 acquires an operation signal corresponding to that predetermined operation and outputs the operation signal to the control unit 31 (information output processing unit 313).

[0081] [Display] The display unit 34 displays various image data related to the design support of virtual spaces, various objects, and various penetrations, which are input from the control unit 31 (information display processing unit 312), on the display screen 34a provided on the display unit 34 (see Figures 6 to 16 described later). In addition, the display unit 34 can also display attribute information and related information of various objects (equipment), as well as a list of penetrations of various penetrations (see Figures 17 and 18 described later) and related information, according to the designer's requests (operations).

[0082] [g section] The communication unit 35 receives, for example, various design support information (various image data and information related to design support) related to the virtual space, various objects, and various penetrations created by the design support device 2 via the communication network 4. The communication unit 35 also transmits, for example, operation information for the designer's operation unit 33, input from the control unit 31 (information output processing unit 313), to the design support device 2 via the communication network 4.

[0083] <Examples of various functions in the penetration creation support unit> [Overview of the design procedure for penetrations performed by the designer] Before explaining specific operational examples of each functional unit within the penetration creation support unit 213, we will outline the design procedure for penetrations performed by the designer.

[0084] When installing new long-length equipment (e.g., pipes, ducts, electrical conduits, etc.) across areas in an existing power plant, the design of the penetrations for the long-length equipment formed in the areas where the penetrations are to be formed (walls, floors, and / or ceilings) between the areas is generally carried out according to the following procedure. (Step 1) Examination and setting of the installation route for long equipment (hereinafter referred to as the "long equipment route"). (Step 2) Examination and setting of the penetration section. (Step 3) Examination and setting of the location for forming the penetration. (Step 4) Examination and setting of construction methods for penetrations. (Step 5) Detailed examination of the installation location of the penetration and on-site survey. (Step 6) Identify any interfering objects (existing equipment, etc.) around the installation site of the penetration.

[0085] In step 1, the designer sets the routes for long objects. For example, the designer may manually set the routes by referring to design drawings, etc., or the designer may set the routes in a virtual space of the site created by the design support device 2. In this case, multiple routes for long objects may be set regardless of the setting method. In this case, regardless of the setting method, the designer identifies the parts (walls, floors and / or ceilings) on the routes for which penetrations need to be formed, and also sets the type of long equipment (e.g., pipes, ducts, conduits, etc.) that will pass through (house) each penetration formed in each of the target penetration areas.

[0086] In step 1, if, for example, the design support device 2 is used as the method for setting the long object route, the designer sets the long object route using the object creation function of the object creation support unit 212. At this time, the parts on the long object route where penetrations need to be formed (walls, floors and / or ceilings) are automatically identified, and the identification information (name, management symbol, ID, etc.) of the parts where penetrations need to be formed is stored in the storage unit 22 (penetration information storage unit 227). At this time, the designer also sets the type of long equipment (e.g., pipes, ducts, conduits, etc.) to be passed through each penetration to be formed in each part where penetrations need to be formed in the virtual space, and stores this setting information in the storage unit 22 (penetration information storage unit 227). In step 1, the designer also creates long object objects in the virtual space as appropriate along the set long object route, and stores the information (image data, attribute information) of these long object objects in the storage unit 22 (object information storage unit 224). In this case, the designer may use the cable route calculation function of the object creation support unit 212 of the design support tool unit 201 to set the optimal long-route.

[0087] In step 2, the designer sets the hole diameter (opening size) and hole shape (opening shape) for each penetration, based on information such as the type of long equipment (e.g., pipes, ducts, conduits, etc.) to be passed through (stored) in each penetration to be formed in the target area for penetration (wall, floor, or ceiling), and the drilling method.

[0088] In step 3, the designer sets the location for each penetration in the area where the penetration will be formed (wall, floor, or ceiling).

[0089] In step 4, the designer examines and extracts the design (formation) conditions for the penetration based on the conditions of the area where the penetration will be formed and the conditions set for the area where the penetration will be formed (walls, floors, ceilings, etc.). When examining the design conditions for the penetration, the designer obtains information about the area surrounding the penetration (areas demarcated by the penetration, etc.) by referring to, for example, a virtual space, 3D CAD data, design drawings, etc., and examines the design conditions that should be considered when creating the penetration. Then, the designer sets the construction method according to the design conditions of each penetration based on the design conditions of each penetration in the area where the penetration will be formed (walls, floors, or ceilings).

[0090] Furthermore, design conditions to be considered when creating a penetration (hereinafter referred to as "penetration conditions") include, for example, whether the area partitioned by the penetration is an area where normal work is possible (safety zone, etc.), a fire-resistant zone, an explosion-proof zone, a radioactive contamination zone, etc., and whether any of the following restrictions are imposed on the area where the penetration is formed or the area where the penetration is to be formed: fire protection requirements, airtightness requirements, water intrusion (waterproofing treatment) requirements, waterproofing requirements, relative displacement requirements, earth pressure requirements, oil protection requirements, watertightness requirements, lead hair requirements, etc.

[0091] Furthermore, in areas where airtightness requirements are set, it is not possible to form a penetration in that area. In areas where water intrusion requirements are set, waterproofing treatment is necessary, and water intrusion requirements are design conditions that should be considered when forming a penetration in areas where water leakage is expected, such as walls or floors below sea level. When a penetration is formed between different buildings, relative displacement requirements are set, and in this case, it is necessary to create the penetration while considering that the distance (gap distance) between buildings may change (displace) due to earthquakes, etc. In addition, when the outdoor side of the penetration is underground, earth pressure requirements are set, and in this case, it is necessary to form the penetration using a special construction method in order to prevent water leakage from the outside to the inside through the penetration due to earth pressure.

[0092] In step 5, the designer conducts an on-site survey of the location (formation position) of the penetration and examines whether it is actually possible to form the penetration. If it is not possible to form the penetration, the designer returns to step 3 and repeats the examination and setting process from step 3 onwards. In step 6, the designer clarifies any interfering objects (existing equipment, etc.) around the location of the penetration and along the route of the long object, and examines whether it is possible to form the penetration. If it is not possible to form the penetration, the designer returns to step 3 and repeats the examination and setting process from step 3 onwards. If it is determined in step 6 that the penetration can be formed, the designer proceeds to create marking drawings and drawings showing the removal of interfering objects.

[0093] In the series of design procedures for penetrations performed by the designer as described above, especially from step 3 onwards, if the design of the penetration does not proceed with a thorough understanding of the site conditions of the power plant, the site survey in step 5 may reveal that the penetration cannot be formed, requiring a reassessment. In this case, time will be wasted. Therefore, in the design of penetrations, how accurately and quickly the consideration and setting in step 3 are carried out with a thorough understanding of the site conditions is a crucial point in the design of penetrations. Accordingly, in the design support system 1 of this embodiment, the various functions of the penetration creation support unit 213 within the design support tool unit 201 provide support for the considerations from step 3 onwards as described above, supporting the design and construction plan of the penetration, and aiming to improve the accuracy and speed of the penetration design.

[0094] The following describes specific examples of the operation of each functional unit (installation area extraction unit 231, construction drawing creation unit 232, position setting unit 233, route confirmation unit 234, and penetration list creation unit 235) of the penetration creation support unit 213.

[0095] [Example of operation of the installation area extraction unit] Figure 6 is a plan view of a virtual wall 50 (an example) in the virtual space that is the target of forming a penetration, as displayed on the display screen 34a of the display unit 34 of the designer terminal 3. In the example shown in Figure 6, images (plan views) of equipment objects 51 placed close to the wall 50 in the virtual space, and two long objects 52 and 53 installed on the wall 50, which may become interference objects in the penetration, are also displayed superimposed on the image of the wall 50. Note that Figure 6 shows an example where the existing equipment object 51 is installed near the lower left corner of the wall 50, and the existing two long objects 52 and 53 are installed parallel to each other along the upper edge (near the ceiling) of the wall 50.

[0096] Figure 7 also shows an example of the configuration of the penetrations formed in the wall 50 shown in Figure 6. In the example shown in Figure 7, four circular penetrations A to D and a rectangular penetration E are formed in the wall 50. The opening sizes of the four penetrations A to D are the same, and the opening size of penetration E is larger than that of penetrations A to D.

[0097] After the designer accesses the virtual space, with the wall 50 shown in Figure 6 displayed on the display screen 34a of the designer terminal 3, the designer uses the operation unit 33 to input the opening shapes and sizes (information related to the design specifications of the penetrations) of the four penetrations A to D and penetration E shown in Figure 7 as CAD input information, and then starts the operation of the installation area extraction unit 231. The operation to start the operation of the installation area extraction unit 231 is performed, for example, by pressing the execution button (not shown) for the installation area extraction function displayed on the display screen 34a of the designer terminal 3. This operation transmits the CAD input information and the operation command for the installation area extraction unit 231 to the installation area extraction unit 231 in the penetration creation support unit 213 via the communication unit 35 of the designer terminal 3, the communication network 4, the communication unit 23 of the design support device 2, and the information input unit 215 in the CAD tool unit 202.

[0098] Meanwhile, the installation area extraction unit 231, which receives CAD input information (opening shape and size of the penetration) and operation commands, determines whether there are candidate installation areas on the wall 50 where penetrations A to E can be formed, based on the placement positions of various existing interferences near the wall 50 (equipment object 51, two long object objects 52, 53), the opening sizes of penetrations A to E, etc. If this determination determines that there are candidate installation areas on the wall 50 where penetrations A to E can be formed, the installation area extraction unit 231 creates image data by mapping the extracted candidate installation area onto the image of the wall 50. In other words, it creates image data that reflects the extraction result of candidate installation areas where penetrations A to E can be formed by the installation area extraction unit 231 onto the image data of the wall 50. If multiple candidate installation areas are extracted, the installation area extraction unit 231 maps each candidate installation area in a different manner.

[0099] The installation area extraction unit 231 then outputs image data of the wall 50, on which the area of ​​the candidate installation area is mapped, to the communication unit 23. As a result, the image data of the wall 50, on which the area of ​​the candidate installation area is mapped, is transmitted to the designer terminal 3 via the communication network 4, and the image data is displayed on the display screen 34a of the designer terminal 3.

[0100] Figure 8 is an image (plan view) of the wall 50 with the areas of potential installation areas mapped, as displayed on the display screen 34a of the designer terminal 3. In the example shown in Figure 8, the installation area extraction unit 231 extracts installation area candidates 54 in which all of the penetrations A to E can be formed, and installation area candidates 55 in which only penetrations A to D can be formed, and the areas of each installation area candidate are mapped in different ways. As a result, the designer can easily and quickly recognize that penetrations A to E can be formed on the wall 50, and also identify the areas in which they can be formed.

[0101] In this example, we have described an example in which, in the area to be penetrated (wall, floor, or ceiling), the regions of the candidate installation area 55 in which some of the multiple penetrations can be formed are also mapped, but the present invention is not limited to this. The invention may also be configured to map only the regions of the candidate installation area in which all of the multiple penetrations can be formed. Furthermore, the method for extracting the regions of the candidate installation area on the image (planar image) of the wall 50 can be, for example, an extraction method used in existing image processing technology.

[0102] [Another example of operation of the installation area extraction unit] Here, we will explain the various processes performed by the installation area extraction unit 231 when it determines that there are no candidate installation areas for penetration sections A to E, in the process of determining whether or not there are candidate installation areas for penetration sections A to E.

[0103] Figure 9 is a plan view of a wall 60 (an example) in the virtual space that is the target for forming a penetration, as displayed on the display screen 34a of the display unit 34 of the designer terminal 3. This is a plan view of a wall 60 where it can be determined that there are no candidate installation areas for penetrations A to E. In the example shown in Figure 9, two existing equipment objects 61 and 62 are placed close to the wall 60, and these two equipment objects 61 and 62 are positioned to block the area near the bottom of the wall 60 (near the floor). Also, in the example shown in Figure 9, three existing long objects 63 to 65 are installed parallel to each other along the upper edge of the wall 60 (near the ceiling), and these three long objects 63 to 65 are positioned to block the space above the two equipment objects 61 and 62. The penetrations to be formed in the wall 60 are four circular penetrations A to D and a rectangular penetration E, similar to the example shown in Figure 7.

[0104] In the arrangement of the two equipment objects 61, 62 and the three long objects 63-65 relative to the wall 60 shown in Figure 9, the surface of the wall 60 is almost completely covered by these interfering objects, so the installation area extraction unit 231 determines that there are no candidate installation areas for penetrations A-E.

[0105] However, in this case, the installation area extraction unit 231 lists removable equipment in order of ease of removal, based on information defined for each object, such as equipment type, importance, responsibility (information on the equipment's governing body (company / other company)), and whether or not it can be removed. The information that serves as the criteria (priority) for ease of removal (equipment type, importance, responsibility, etc.) is set in advance by the designer. Next, the installation area extraction unit 231 performs a determination process to determine whether or not candidate installation areas for penetrations A to E can be obtained if easily removable (removable) objects (equipment) are removed. If this determination process determines that candidate installation areas for penetrations A to E can be obtained by removing removable objects (equipment), the installation area extraction unit 231 extracts the placement area of ​​the removable objects (equipment) as a candidate installation area and maps the area of ​​the candidate installation area. At this time, the area of ​​the candidate installation area is mapped by superimposing it with the image of the object to be removed.

[0106] In the example shown in Figure 9, equipment objects 61 and 62 are difficult to remove, while long object objects 63 to 65 are easy to remove (removable). In this case, the area after removing long object objects 63 to 65 is large enough to form penetrations A to E. Therefore, in the example shown in Figure 9, the installation area extraction unit 231 extracts the placement area of ​​the easy-to-remove (removable) long object objects 63 to 65 as a candidate installation area, and creates image data by superimposing it with images of the long object objects 63 to 65.

[0107] The installation area extraction unit 231 then outputs image data of the wall 60, on which the area of ​​the candidate installation area is mapped, to the communication unit 23. As a result, the image data of the wall 60, on which the area of ​​the candidate installation area is mapped, is transmitted to the designer terminal 3 via the communication network 4, and the image data is displayed on the display screen 34a of the designer terminal 3. An example of this is shown in Figure 10.

[0108] In the example shown in Figure 10, on the display screen 34a of the designer terminal 3, candidate installation areas 66 are displayed, which are mapped by superimposing images of the long objects 63-65 onto the placement areas of the long objects 63-65 that are easy to remove (removable). As a result, the designer can easily and quickly recognize that penetrations A-E can be formed in the wall 60 by removing the long objects 63-65.

[0109] [Example of operation of the construction drawing creation unit] When a designer initiates the operation of the construction drawing creation unit 232 in the virtual space displayed on the display screen 34a of the designer terminal 3, the operation command for the construction drawing creation unit 232 is transmitted to the construction drawing creation unit 232 in the penetration creation support unit 213 via the communication unit 35 of the designer terminal 3, the communication network 4, the communication unit 23 of the design support device 2, and the information input unit 215 in the CAD tool unit 202. The operation to initiate the operation of the construction drawing creation unit 232 is performed, for example, by pressing the execution button (not shown) for the construction drawing creation function displayed on the display screen 34a of the designer terminal 3.

[0110] Then, the construction drawing creation unit 232, upon receiving the operation command, creates a construction drawing of the area surrounding the area where the penetration target is to be formed, as follows. Figure 11 shows an example of the operation of the construction drawing creation unit 232. In the example shown in Figure 11, a construction drawing is created for two areas (area A1 and area A2) separated by the wall 50 shown in Figure 6, where area A1 is a fire-prevention area and area A2 is an area where normal work is possible. Also, in order to simplify the explanation, in Figure 11 only penetration E is shown among the penetrations A to E formed in the wall 50 shown in Figure 6, and only the equipment object 51 (interference object) is shown among the interference objects arranged and / or installed around the penetration.

[0111] When an operation command is input, the construction drawing creation unit 232 collects various information from the storage unit 22, such as the following information 301 to 303. • Information 301: Information on the type of equipment (e.g., piping, ducting, electrical conduit, etc.) passing through the penetration (penetration E in the example shown in Figure 11). • Information 302: Specifications describing the penetration conditions (e.g., areas where normal work is permitted, fire protection zones (fire protection requirements), explosion protection zones, radiation contamination zones, airtightness requirements, water intrusion requirements, waterproofing requirements, relative displacement requirements, earth pressure requirements, oil protection requirements, watertightness requirements, lead hair requirements, etc.), and a classification (design) drawing of the area surrounding the penetration. • Information 303: The thickness of the area to be penetrated (wall 50 in the example shown in Figure 11), and spatial information around the penetration, specifically information such as the type, importance, responsibility, and whether or not it can be removed of interfering objects (equipment object 51 in the example shown in Figure 11) placed and / or installed around the penetration.

[0112] Information 301 is pre-set when setting the long route including the penetration to be designed and is stored in the penetration information storage unit 227. The specification information for the penetration conditions included in Information 302 is also pre-stored in the penetration information storage unit 227. Furthermore, the classification (design) diagram of the area surrounding the penetration included in Information 302 and Information 303 can be collected from the point cloud data of the site stored in the site information storage unit 221, the 3D CAD data of the site stored in the CAD data storage unit 226, and the equipment information stored in the equipment-related information storage unit 225. Note that the information to be collected is not limited to the above example, and it is possible to configure the system so that some of the various types of information included in Information 301 to 303 are not collected, or other information may be collected in addition to the above types of information.

[0113] Next, the construction drawing creation unit 232 lists candidate construction methods for the penetration based on the various information collected (information 301-303, etc.). If there are multiple candidate construction methods, all of these methods are listed.

[0114] The construction drawing creation unit 232 then adds the collected information (information 301-303, etc.) and the information on the construction method of the penetration, which has been listed based on that information, to the classification (design) drawing of the area surrounding the area where the penetration will be formed, and creates a construction drawing. After that, the construction drawing creation unit 232 outputs the image data of the created construction drawing to the communication unit 23. As a result, the image data of the construction drawing is transmitted to the designer terminal 3 via the communication network 4, and the construction drawing is displayed on the display screen 34a of the designer terminal 3.

[0115] In the example of the construction drawing shown on the display screen 34a in Figure 11, information 304, "Fire Protection Zone," is added as a penetration condition in area A1 on one side of the opening of the penetration E, and information 305, "Power panel, high importance, under the jurisdiction of Company P, cannot be removed, ...," is added as a blown-out type to the equipment object 51. Also in the example of the construction drawing shown in Figure 11, information 306, "Thickness = ** mm, ...," is added as a blown-out type to the wall 50, and information 307, "Piping, Fire protection requirement, Construction method a, Construction method b, ...," is added as a blown-out type to the penetration E. Note that the display methods of various information on the construction drawing are not limited to this example and can be set arbitrarily.

[0116] The above operation of the construction drawing creation unit 232 displays the construction drawing of the area around the penetration target as shown in Figure 11 on the display screen 34a of the designer terminal 3. This allows the designer to easily and quickly recognize information about the area to be penetrated (walls, floors, ceilings, etc.), the penetration conditions, the construction method of the penetration, and the spatial information around the penetration.

[0117] [Example of position setting unit operation] When a designer inputs the location of a penetration on the target area (wall, floor, ceiling, etc.) as CAD input information on the display screen 34a of the designer terminal 3 and starts the operation of the position setting unit 233, the CAD input information (location of the penetration) and the operation command for the position setting unit 233 are transmitted to the position setting unit 233 in the penetration creation support unit 213 via the communication unit 35 of the designer terminal 3, the communication network 4, the communication unit 23 of the design support device 2, and the information input unit 215 in the CAD tool unit 202.

[0118] The designer inputs the location of the penetration by, for example, entering the location information into the input form (not shown) for the location of the penetration displayed on the display screen 34a of the designer terminal 3. In this case, the designer inputs the location of the penetration by referring to the image of the area to be penetrated (wall, floor, ceiling, etc.) on which the candidate installation area displayed on the display screen 34a is mapped. The operation to start the position setting unit 233 is performed by, for example, pressing the execution button (not shown) for the position setting function displayed on the display screen 34a of the designer terminal 3.

[0119] Then, the position setting unit 233, which receives CAD input information (the formation position of the penetration) and operation commands, creates image data (position map data) by superimposing the image of the penetration at its formation position onto the image of the area to be penetrated (wall, floor, ceiling, etc.). At this time, the position setting unit 233 determines whether or not the image of the penetration and the image of any interfering objects (equipment objects, long objects, etc.) will overlap (interfere) when the penetration is formed at the input formation position. For this determination method, for example, a method used in existing image processing technologies to determine whether or not images overlap can be used.

[0120] Then, if it is determined that the image of the penetration and the image of the interfering object (such as an equipment object or a long object) do not overlap, the position setting unit 233 outputs the created image data (position map data) to the communication unit 23. As a result, the image data is transmitted to the designer terminal 3 via the communication network 4, and an image in which the image of the penetration is superimposed on the image of the area to be penetrated (wall, floor, ceiling, etc.) (including the image of the object) is displayed on the display screen 34a of the designer terminal 3. An example of this is shown in Figure 12.

[0121] Figure 12 is a plan view (location diagram) in which images of penetrations A to E are superimposed on an image of wall 50 (including images of equipment object 51 and long object objects 52 and 53) as shown in Figure 6. In Figure 12, for reference, the areas of candidate installation areas 54 and 55 shown in Figure 8 are enclosed by dashed lines, but in the actual display screen 34a, the areas of candidate installation areas 54 and 55 are not displayed. However, the areas of candidate installation areas 54 and 55 may be superimposed on the image in which images of penetrations A to E are superimposed on the image of wall 50.

[0122] In the example shown in Figure 12, penetrations A and B are formed within the candidate installation area 55, and penetrations C to E are formed within the candidate installation area 54. The designer can then easily recognize, by looking at the image (location diagram) shown in Figure 12 displayed on the display screen 34a, that each penetration is formed within the area of ​​the candidate installation area, and therefore can be adopted (determined) as the formation location for each penetration.

[0123] On the other hand, if it is determined that the image of the penetration and the image of the interfering object overlap, the position setting unit 233 superimposes an image of cautionary information (warning) indicating that the penetration cannot be formed at the input formation position onto the already created image in which the image of the penetration is superimposed on the image of the area to be penetrated (wall, floor, ceiling, etc.) (including the image of the interfering object). The position setting unit 233 then outputs image data to the communication unit 23 in which the image of the penetration and the cautionary information (warning) indicating that the penetration cannot be formed are superimposed on the image of the area to be penetrated (including the image of the interfering object). As a result, this image data is transmitted to the designer terminal 3 via the communication network 4, and the image in which the image of the penetration and the cautionary information (warning) indicating that the penetration cannot be formed are superimposed on the image of the area to be penetrated (including the image of the interfering object) is displayed on the display screen 34a of the designer terminal 3. An example of this is shown in Figure 13.

[0124] Figure 13 is a planar image in which images of penetrations A to E and a warning information 400 indicating that penetrations cannot be formed are superimposed on an image of wall 50 (including images of equipment object 51 and long object objects 52 and 53) as shown in Figure 6. In Figure 13, for reference, the areas of candidate installation areas 54 and 55 shown in Figure 8 are enclosed by dashed lines, but in the actual display screen 34a, the areas of candidate installation areas 54 and 55 are not displayed. However, the areas of candidate installation areas 54 and 55 may be superimposed on the image in which images of penetrations A to E are superimposed on the image of wall 50.

[0125] In the example shown in Figure 13, penetrations A and B are formed within the candidate installation area 55, and penetrations C and D are formed within the candidate installation area 54. However, penetration E is formed slightly outside the candidate installation area 54 and overlaps (interferes with) the equipment object 51. In this case, a warning message 400 indicating that penetration E cannot be formed, "(Note) Interference!", is displayed in the form of a callout. Note that the display format of the warning message 400 is not limited to this example and can be set arbitrarily.

[0126] Furthermore, if a warning message 400 indicating that penetration E cannot be formed is displayed, as in the example shown in Figure 13, the designer re-enters the formation positions of penetrations A to E and operates the position setting unit 233 again. The designer then repeatedly inputs the formation positions (CAD input information) of penetrations A to E and operates the position setting unit 233 repeatedly until penetrations A to E are formed within the areas of the candidate installation areas 54 and 55, as in the example shown in Figure 12.

[0127] The above operation of the position setting unit 233 displays the location of the penetration on the target area (wall, floor, ceiling, etc.) on the display screen 34a of the designer terminal 3, allowing the designer to easily and quickly recognize the location of the penetration and whether or not it can be formed. As a result, the work of setting (determining) the location of the penetration becomes easier, and the time required for this setting work is also reduced.

[0128] [Example of the route confirmation section in operation] The route confirmation unit 234 outputs support information when a designer determines whether a new penetration formed on a penetration target area (wall, floor, ceiling, etc.) can be connected to a long object located on a long object route within the target area that flows through the penetration and is intended to connect to the penetration, i.e., the long object to which the connection will take place.

[0129] When the designer starts the route confirmation unit 234 while the penetration target is displayed on the display screen 34a of the designer terminal 3, the operation command for the route confirmation unit 234 is transmitted to the route confirmation unit 234 in the penetration creation support unit 213 via the communication unit 35 of the designer terminal 3, the communication network 4, the communication unit 23 of the design support device 2, and the information input unit 215 in the CAD tool unit 202. The operation to start the route confirmation unit 234 is performed, for example, by pressing the execution button (not shown) for the route confirmation function displayed on the display screen 34a of the designer terminal 3.

[0130] When an operation command is input to the route confirmation unit 234, it first creates image data (hereinafter referred to as "three-dimensional site image data") that displays the surrounding site of the penetration target area (wall, floor, ceiling, etc.) where the penetration target is formed in a virtual space in three dimensions. This three-dimensional site image data is created based on the point cloud data of the site stored in the site information storage unit 221 and the three-dimensional CAD data of the site stored in the CAD data storage unit 226. In this three-dimensional site image data, images of, for example, the penetration, the penetration target area (wall, floor, ceiling, etc.) where it is formed, the area partitioned by the penetration target area, and various equipment objects (including long objects at the interface) placed in the area are displayed.

[0131] Next, the route confirmation unit 234 creates image data by superimposing an image of the long object route corresponding to the penetration target onto a three-dimensional field image of the area surrounding the penetration. Then, the route confirmation unit 234 determines, on the three-dimensional field image with the long object route image superimposed, whether or not there is an interfering object that obstructs the route connecting the penetration target within the long object route to the long object object it connects to. This determination is based on whether or not there is an overlap between the image of the long object route and the image of the interfering object. For example, this determination method can utilize existing image processing techniques that determine whether or not there is an overlap between images.

[0132] If it is determined that the image of the long object route and the image of the interfering object do not overlap, the route confirmation unit 234 outputs the created image data, in which the image of the long object route is superimposed on the three-dimensional field image of the area around the penetration, to the communication unit 23. As a result, this image data is transmitted to the designer terminal 3 via the communication network 4, and the image in which the image of the long object route is superimposed on the three-dimensional field image of the area around the penetration is displayed on the display screen 34a of the designer terminal 3. An example of this is shown in Figure 14.

[0133] Figure 14 is an image in which an image of the long object route 401 passing through penetration E is superimposed on a three-dimensional field image of the area around wall 50 shown in Figure 6. In Figure 14, for the sake of simplicity, only penetration E is shown among the newly created penetrations A to E in wall 50. Furthermore, in the example shown in Figure 14, an equipment object 71 is placed as an interfering object between penetration E and the long object object 70 at the interface, and near the long object route 401, in area A2.

[0134] Furthermore, in the example shown in Figure 14, the size of the equipment object 71 is relatively small and does not obstruct the long object route 401. In this case, the warning information 402 indicating that the long object route is not valid, as described later, is not displayed on the display screen 34a. Therefore, the designer can easily and quickly recognize from the positional relationship between the long object route 401 passing through the penetration E, the long object object 70 at the connection point, and the equipment object 71 in area A2, as displayed on the display screen 34a, that the currently set combination of the formation position of the penetration E and the long object route 401 is feasible.

[0135] On the other hand, if it is determined that the image of the long object route and the image of the interfering object overlap, the route confirmation unit 234 creates image data by superimposing a warning image indicating that the long object route 401 cannot be used on the already created image, which is the three-dimensional field image of the area around the penetration. The route confirmation unit 234 then outputs the image data, which superimposes the image of the long object route and the warning image indicating that the long object route cannot be used on the three-dimensional field image of the area around the penetration, to the communication unit 23. As a result, this image data is transmitted to the designer terminal 3 via the communication network 4, and the image with the image of the long object route and the warning image indicating that the long object route cannot be used superimposed on the three-dimensional field image of the area around the penetration is displayed on the display screen 34a of the designer terminal 3. An example of this is shown in Figure 15.

[0136] Figure 15 is an image in which an image of the long object route 401 passing through penetration E and a warning image indicating that the long object route 401 cannot be used are superimposed on a three-dimensional field image of the area around wall 50 shown in Figure 6. In addition, for the sake of simplicity, only penetration E is shown in Figure 15 out of the new penetrations A to E created in wall 50. Furthermore, in the example shown in Figure 15, an equipment object 72 (interference object) of a size that blocks the long object route 401 is placed between penetration E and the long object object 70 at the interface in area A2.

[0137] In the example shown in Figure 15, a white "X" mark is superimposed on the image of the long object route 401 as a warning indicating that the long object route 401 cannot be used, and a warning message 402 with the text "(Note) Route not valid!" is displayed in a speech bubble. Note that the display method of the warning is not limited to this example and can be set arbitrarily.

[0138] Based on the warning displayed on screen 34a indicating that the long object route 401 cannot be used, the designer can easily and quickly recognize that the combination of the currently set penetration E formation position and the long object route 401 is unsuitable. In this case, the designer will appropriately reconsider whether the equipment object 72 (interfering object) can be removed (moved), whether the long object route 401 (placement position of the long object object 70 at the connection point) can be changed, and whether the formation position of the penetration E can be changed.

[0139] The above operation of the route confirmation unit 234 allows the designer to easily and quickly consider the feasibility of adopting both the penetration formation location and the long object route. In this embodiment, the image of the long object route is superimposed on a three-dimensional on-site image of the area to be penetrated (wall, floor, ceiling, etc.), but the present invention is not limited to this, and the image of the long object route may not be superimposed on a three-dimensional on-site image of the area to be penetrated. However, superimposing the image of the long object route on a three-dimensional on-site image of the area to be penetrated makes the positional relationship between the long object route and interfering objects clearer, making it easier to determine whether the set route is acceptable or not.

[0140] [Example of operation of the penetration list creation unit] When a designer creates a list summarizing the various information about the penetrations that have been finally determined using the various design support functions for penetrations described above, the designer initiates the operation of the penetration list creation unit 235 on the display screen 34a of the designer terminal 3. The operation of initiating the operation of the penetration list creation unit 235 is performed, for example, by pressing the execution button (not shown) for the penetration list creation function displayed on the display screen 34a of the designer terminal 3. As a result, the operation command for the penetration list creation unit 235 is transmitted to the penetration list creation unit 235 in the penetration creation support unit 213 via the communication unit 35 of the designer terminal 3, the communication network 4, the communication unit 23 of the design support device 2, and the information input unit 215 in the CAD tool unit 202.

[0141] When an operation command is input to the penetration list creation unit 235, it first creates image data (location map data) by superimposing images of the penetrations onto a planar image (including images of interfering objects) of the area to be designed where the penetrations will be formed (walls, floors, ceilings, etc.). Furthermore, based on the CAD data of the area to be designed where the penetrations will be formed, the penetration list creation unit 235 creates image data (two-dimensional image data) by projecting (superimposing) images of the CAD grid lines on the planar image of the area to be formed onto the location map of the area to be formed.

[0142] The penetration list creation unit 235 then outputs image data to the communication unit 23, which is an image of the CAD grid lines projected onto a location diagram of the area to be penetrated. This image data is then transmitted to the designer terminal 3 via the communication network 4, and an image (two-dimensional image) of the CAD grid lines projected onto the location diagram of the area to be penetrated is displayed on the display screen 34a of the designer terminal 3. An example of this is shown in Figure 16.

[0143] Figure 16 is a planar image in which three CAD grid lines ScA, ScB, and ScC are projected (superimposed) onto an image of the wall 50 in which the penetrations A to E shown in Figure 12 are formed (location diagram: including images of equipment object 51 and long object objects 52 and 53). By viewing this image, in which the three CAD grid lines ScA, ScB, and ScC are projected (superimposed) onto an image of the wall 50 in which the penetrations A to E are formed (location diagram) displayed on the display screen 34a, the designer can easily and quickly recognize the placement (formation) of the penetrations A to E in CAD.

[0144] Furthermore, the penetration list creation unit 235 creates a penetration list for each area within the penetration target area (walls, floors, ceilings, etc.) defined by grid lines on the CAD system. This list includes, for example, identification information for the penetration target area, identification information for the penetration to be formed, and information regarding the construction method of the penetration (type information). The penetration list created by the penetration list creation unit 235 is stored in the penetration information storage unit 227 within the memory unit 22.

[0145] Figures 17 and 18 are examples of penetration lists created from an image (location diagram) in which three CAD grid lines ScA, ScB, and ScC are projected (superimposed) onto an image in which penetrations A to E are formed in the wall 50 shown in Figure 16. Figure 17 is an example of a penetration list 410 for the area between grid lines ScA and ScB on the wall 50 shown in Figure 16, and Figure 18 is an example of a penetration list 420 for the area between grid lines ScB and ScC on the wall 50 shown in Figure 16. In the examples shown in Figures 17 and 18, each penetration list is presented as table-like data.

[0146] As shown in Figure 17, the penetration list 410 for the area between grid lines ScA and ScB is defined by associating the following into a set: identification information 411 for the part to which the penetration is formed (wall, floor, ceiling, etc.), the location of the penetration 412, identification information 413 for the penetration, the type of the penetration 414 (information related to the construction method), and link information 415 to point cloud data. Similarly, as shown in Figure 18, the penetration list 420 for the area between grid lines ScB and ScC is defined by associating the following into a set: identification information 421 for the part to which the penetration is formed, the location of the penetration 422, identification information 423 for the penetration, the type of the penetration 424 (information related to the construction method), and link information 425 to point cloud data.

[0147] Furthermore, the identification information 411 and 421 for the target area of ​​the penetration within each penetration list specifies information such as name, management symbol, and ID to identify the target area (wall, floor, or ceiling). The location of the penetration 412 and 422 can specify any information that indicates the area of ​​the penetration defined by the grid lines of the CAD. The identification information 413 and 423 for the penetration specifies information such as name, management symbol, and ID to identify the penetration. The type of the penetration 414 and 424 specifies information indicating the type of construction method (e.g., name, management symbol, etc.). In addition, the link information 415 and 425 for the point cloud data is set to jump to the storage address of related information such as photographs and specifications of the area around the penetration stored in the site information storage unit 221 within the memory unit 22, and read the related information.

[0148] In the example shown in Figure 16, penetrations A and B are formed in the area between grid lines ScA and ScB, and penetrations C to E are formed in the area between grid lines ScB and ScC. Therefore, in the penetration list 410 for the area between grid lines ScA and ScB shown in Figure 17, for penetration A, the management symbol "X" for wall 50 is defined as the identification information 411 for the part to be formed, the information indicating the area between grid lines ScA and ScB, "ScA-ScB", is defined as the location 412 for the penetration, the management symbol "A" for penetration A is defined as the identification information 413 for the penetration, the management symbol "a" for the construction method a of penetration A is defined as the type of penetration 414, and "Link A" is defined as the link information 415 for the point cloud data. Furthermore, in the penetration list 410, for penetration B, the management symbol "X" for wall 50 is defined as the identification information 411 for the part to be formed, the information "ScA-ScB" is defined as the location of the penetration 412, the management symbol "B" for penetration B is defined as the identification information 413 for penetration, the management symbol "a" for the construction method a of penetration B is defined as the type of penetration 414, and "Link B" is defined as the link information 415 for point cloud data.

[0149] On the other hand, in the penetration list 420 of the area between grid lines ScB and ScC shown in Figure 18, for penetration C, the management symbol "X" for wall 50 is defined as the identification information 421 of the part to be formed, the information indicating the area between grid lines ScB and ScC, "ScB-ScC", is defined as the location of the penetration 422, the management symbol "C" for penetration C is defined as the identification information 423 of the penetration, the management symbol "a" for the construction method a of penetration C is defined as the type of penetration 424, and "Link C" is defined as the link information 425 to the point cloud data. In the penetration list 420, for penetration D, the management symbol "X" for wall 50 is defined as the identification information 421 for the part to be formed, the information "ScB-ScC" is defined as the location of the penetration 422, the management symbol "D" for penetration D is defined as the identification information 423 for penetration, the management symbol "a" for the construction method a of penetration D is defined as the type of penetration 424, and "Link D" is defined as the link information 425 for point cloud data. In other words, the construction method is the same for penetrations A to D, which have the same opening shape and opening size. Furthermore, in the penetration list 420, for penetration E, the management symbol "X" for wall 50 is defined as the identification information 421 for the part to be formed, the information "ScB-ScC" is defined as the location of the penetration 422, the management symbol "E" for penetration E is defined as the identification information 423 for penetration, the management symbols "b,c" for construction methods b and c of penetration E are defined as the type of penetration 424, and "Link E" is defined as the link information 425 for point cloud data. In other words, two types of construction methods, b and c, are listed as candidates for the construction method of penetration E.

[0150] Furthermore, the penetration list creation unit 235 outputs the created penetration list to the communication unit 23. As a result, the penetration list data is transmitted to the designer terminal 3 via the communication network 4, and the penetration list (table data) is displayed on the display screen 34a of the designer terminal 3. When the designer operates (by pressing, etc.) the link information to the point cloud data associated with a predetermined penetration in the displayed penetration list, the system jumps to the storage address of related information such as photos and specifications of the area around the predetermined penetration stored in the field information storage unit 221 within the memory unit 22 of the design support device 2. This related information is then retrieved by the designer terminal 3 and displayed on the display screen 34a.

[0151] The penetration list display function provided by the penetration list creation unit 235 described above allows designers to easily and quickly obtain specific relevant information (spatial information: photographs, etc.) about the area surrounding the penetration being designed.

[0152] Note that the format of the penetration list and the information contained within it are not limited to this example and can be set arbitrarily. For example, the penetration lists 410 and 420 shown in Figures 17 and 18 may be combined into one. In this case, a penetration list will be created for each part to be formed.

[0153] <Design method for creating penetrations in areas adjacent to radiation-contaminated zones> Here, an example of a design method for a penetration when one of the areas partitioned by the area to be penetrated (wall, floor, ceiling, etc.) is a radiation-contaminated area will be explained with reference to Figures 19 to 21. Figures 19 to 21 are cross-sectional views of the penetration area of ​​wall 80 and its surrounding area.

[0154] Now, consider a site where, as shown in Figure 19, a predetermined wall 80 within a power plant separates area A3, which is a radiation-contaminated area, from area A4, which is an uncontaminated area. Let's consider the case where a penetration is formed in the wall 80. In this case, if a penetration 81 is formed in a straight line along the thickness direction of the wall 80, as shown in Figure 20, radiation generated in area A3 (radiation-contaminated area) will enter area A4 (uncontaminated area). Therefore, in order to prevent radiation from entering area A4 from area A3, that is, to provide a radiation shielding effect to the penetration in the wall 80, a penetration is formed in which the direction of extension of the penetration is bent midway within the wall 80 (hereinafter referred to as a "bent penetration"). An example of this is shown in Figure 21.

[0155] As shown in Figure 21, the bent penetration section 82 is composed of a straight section 82a extending from area A3 in the thickness direction of the wall 80, a bent section 82b connected to the end of the straight section 82a opposite to area A3 and extending at a predetermined inclination angle with respect to the thickness direction of the wall 80, and a straight section 82c connected to the end of the bent section 82b opposite to the straight section 82a and extending from that end to area A4 in the thickness direction of the wall 80. In a bent penetration section 82 with this configuration, the radiation shielding thickness T is the distance in the thickness direction of the wall 80 from the end of the bent section 82b on the straight section 82a side to area A4.

[0156] The bent penetration section 82 is designed so that the radiation shielding thickness T is equal to or greater than the required shielding thickness. The design method for the bent penetration section 82 is arbitrary. For example, the design of the bent penetration section 82 is performed by the designer inputting the position of the opening of the bent penetration section 82 (straight section 82a and straight section 82c) in both areas, the inclination angle (bending angle) of the bent section 82b, and the shielding thickness T as CAD input information. Alternatively, for example, instead of the shielding thickness T, a value obtained by subtracting the shielding thickness T from the thickness of the wall 80 may be used as a design condition for the bent penetration section 82. When multiple bent penetration sections are formed in the wall 80, the bent penetration section with the minimum shielding thickness T among the multiple bent penetration sections is designed so that the shielding thickness T is equal to or greater than the required shielding thickness.

[0157] If one of the areas partitioned by the area where the penetration is to be formed (wall, floor, ceiling, etc.) is a radiation-contaminated area, the various design conditions information for the bent penetration may be appropriately entered by the designer based on the construction drawing (see Figure 11) displayed by the operation of the construction drawing creation unit 232. In this case, the entered information on the various design conditions for the bent penetration may be stored in the penetration information storage unit 227 within the memory unit 22, and also displayed as construction information for the penetration (bent penetration) in the construction drawing. In this case, the designer can easily and quickly recognize the construction requirements for the bent penetration.

[0158] <Effects> As described above, the design support system 1 and design support device 2 of this embodiment are equipped with various support functions (for example, the various functions of the penetration creation support unit 213 shown in Figure 4) that can provide various information to the designer (designer terminal 3) when designing penetrations for target parts (walls, floors, ceilings, etc.) in a virtual space that simulates the internal and external configuration of the plant created by the design support device 2. Therefore, this embodiment can provide a design support technology that facilitates the design of penetrations to be installed in walls, floors, ceilings, etc. inside a plant.

[0159] <Various variations> The above description concerns a design support system 1 and a design support device 2 according to one embodiment of the present invention. However, the above embodiment is a detailed and specific description of the device configuration in order to explain the present invention in an easy-to-understand manner, and is not necessarily limited to having all the configurations described. The positions, sizes, shapes, and ranges of each component shown in the drawings, etc., may not represent the actual positions, sizes, shapes, and ranges in order to facilitate understanding of the invention. Therefore, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the positions, sizes, shapes, and ranges disclosed in the drawings, etc. Furthermore, it is possible to add, delete, or replace some of the configurations of the above embodiment with other configurations. In addition, the control lines and information lines shown are those considered necessary for explanation, and do not necessarily represent all control lines and information lines in the actual product. In practice, it can be assumed that almost all components are interconnected.

[0160] Furthermore, the configuration of the design support system 1 and design support device 2 according to one embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various other modifications can be taken as long as they do not depart from the gist of the present invention as described in the claims. For example, the following various modifications can be adopted, and the same effects as the above embodiment can be obtained in the following various modifications.

[0161] [Example 1] In the above embodiment of the design support system 1, an example configuration was described in which one designer terminal 3 is connected to the design support device 2 via a communication network 4, but the present invention is not limited to this. A configuration in which multiple designer terminals 3 are connected to the design support device 2 via a communication network 4 is also possible. Figure 22 shows one example (modification 1).

[0162] Figure 22 is a configuration diagram of the design support system 100 according to Modification 1. As shown in Figure 22, the design support system 100 comprises a design support device 2 and a plurality of designer terminals 3 (external devices). The design support device 2 is also connected to each of the plurality of designer terminals 3 via a communication network 4.

[0163] The configuration of the design support device 2 and each designer terminal 3 in Modification 1 is the same as that of the above embodiment (see Figures 2 to 5). Therefore, the design support device 2 and each designer terminal 3 in this example also have the various functions described in the above embodiment.

[0164] Each of the multiple designer terminals 3 can be configured with an information processing device used by, for example, each designer (user) involved in plant design work, such as those responsible for system design, equipment design, construction design, and on-site construction planning. Furthermore, each designer at each designer terminal 3 can simultaneously access the virtual space created by the design support device 2.

[0165] Furthermore, in the design support system 100 of the modified example 1, other designers can refer to attribute information of objects created in the virtual space by a designated designer, as well as various information related to penetrations. In addition, other designers can edit the configuration of objects (e.g., size, placement, etc.) and various information about penetrations (e.g., size, formation location, construction method, etc.) created in the virtual space by a designated designer, as needed.

[0166] In the design support system 100 of the modified example 1, by providing the above functions, all designers involved in upstream and downstream design work in plant design can access a virtual space that simulates the interior and exterior of facilities such as buildings of a power plant and perform design work together. In other words, in this example, it is possible to support concurrent design work by all designers involved in plant design work. Therefore, in the design support system 100 and design support device 2 of this example, communication can be achieved and information on the design content can be shared among all designers involved in each design, from upstream design to downstream design, which proceeds in a waterfall model, such as in the design work of a power plant. As a result, in cases where the design of the entire plan is composed of multiple designs, such as in the design work of a power plant, it is possible to obtain mutually rational designs among the multiple designs.

[0167] Furthermore, the design support device 2 in this example may also include a function that allows multiple designers accessing the virtual space to communicate with each other via voice, chat, or other means. In this case, each designer can easily understand the thoughts and intentions of other designers, making it possible to achieve even more rational designs.

[0168] [Differentiation 2] In the above embodiments and modified example 1, the display operation of candidate installation areas for the penetration on the target area for penetration formation (wall, floor, ceiling, etc.) by the installation area extraction unit 231, and the display operation of the formation position of the penetration on the target area for penetration formation by the position setting unit 233 were described in which the formation surface of the penetration on the target area for penetration formation was displayed in two dimensions (planar display) (see Figures 8, 10, 12, and 13). However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the candidate installation areas for the penetration and the formation position of the penetration on the target area for penetration formation (wall, floor, ceiling, etc.) may be displayed in three dimensions.

[0169] [Difference 3] Furthermore, in the above embodiments and various modifications, an example configuration was described in which a CAD tool unit 202 is provided within the design support device 2, and the design support device 2 acquires various CAD input information entered by the designer via an information input unit 215 within the CAD tool unit 202. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. A unit for acquiring information entered by the designer may be provided within the design support tool unit 201. In this case, for example, the CAD tool unit 202 may be included within the design support tool unit 201, or the CAD tool unit 202 may not be provided.

[0170] [others] In the above embodiments and various modifications, an example was described in which the control unit 20 included in the design support device 2 is configured as a single device, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the control unit 20 may be configured by a plurality of devices that are connected to each other in a manner that allows them to communicate with one another.

[0171] In the above embodiments and various modifications, examples were described in which the operation of the various functions of the design support device 2 is performed by software, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, some or all of the various functions of the design support device 2 may be realized by hardware such as circuits.

[0172] Furthermore, while the above embodiments and various modifications describe a design support system 1 and a design support device 2 that can be used in the design work of power plants, the present invention is not limited thereto. The design support technology of the present invention described above can also be used in the design work of plants other than power plants, and is particularly suitable for design work in technical fields where multiple design tasks are carried out in a waterfall manner. [Explanation of symbols]

[0173] 1,100…Design support system, 2…Design support device, 3…Designer terminal, 4…Communication network, 20,31…Control unit, 22,32…Storage unit, 23,35…Communication unit, 33…Operation unit, 34…Display unit, 34a…Display screen, 50…Wall, 51…Equipment object, 52,53…Long object, 54,55…Installation area candidate, 201…Design support tool unit, 202…CAD tool unit, 211…Virtual space creation unit, 212…Object creation support unit, 213…Penetration Penetration section creation support unit, 214... Information retrieval unit, 215... Information input unit, 221... Site information storage unit, 222... Virtual space data storage unit, 223... Tool information storage unit, 224... Object information storage unit, 225... Equipment-related information storage unit, 226... CAD data storage unit, 227... Penetration section information storage unit, 231... Installation area extraction unit, 232... Construction drawing creation unit, 233... Position setting unit, 234... Route confirmation unit, 235... Penetration section list creation unit, A~E... Penetration section, A1, A2... Area

Claims

1. A virtual space creation unit creates image data of a virtual space that simulates the site being designed, and A penetration creation support unit has the function of creating a penetration in the target area for penetration in the virtual space, and when it obtains information regarding the design specifications of the penetration to be created in the target area for penetration from an external device, it can create image data of an installation area image in the virtual space by superimposing an image of the area where the penetration can be formed on an image of the target area for penetration. The system includes a communication unit that is communicatively connected to the external device, receives information regarding the design specifications of the penetration from the external device, and transmits image data of the installation area image created by the penetration creation support unit to the external device. Design support equipment.

2. The aforementioned penetration creation support unit is: If an object placed around the area to be formed makes it impossible to extract a region on the image of the area to be formed that can form the penetration, then, based on information about the object, it is determined whether the object can be removed and whether the penetration can be formed in the area where the object is installed if the object is removed. If it is determined that the object can be removed and that removing the object will allow the penetration to be formed in the object's installation area, then it is possible to create image data of the installation area by superimposing an image of the area where the penetration can be formed onto the installation area of ​​the object on the image of the area where the penetration is to be formed. The design support device according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned penetration portion creation support unit is: The design conditions for the penetration portion are obtained for the portion to be formed, Based on the design conditions of the penetration, information regarding the construction method of the penetration is set. Create a construction drawing of the area surrounding the area to be formed by the penetration, reflecting the design conditions and construction method information for the penetration. The design support device according to claim 2.

4. The aforementioned penetration creation support unit is: When information regarding the formation position of the penetration is input from the external device via the communication unit, in the virtual space, image data is created by superimposing the image of the penetration on the formation position on the image of the penetration target area on which the image of the object is superimposed. Determine whether the image of the penetration and the image of the object overlap. If the image of the penetration overlaps with the image of the object, image data is created by superimposing an image of information indicating that the penetration cannot be formed at the formation location onto the image of the area to be formed where the image of the object and the image of the penetration are superimposed. The design support device according to claim 3.

5. The aforementioned penetration creation support unit is: In the virtual space, it is determined whether a penetration formed in the penetration target area and a long object provided in the area demarcated by the penetration target area and located on a predetermined route that passes through the penetration are connectable. If it is determined that the penetration portion and the long object cannot be connected, image data is created by superimposing an image of information indicating that the penetration portion and the long object cannot be connected onto an image of the area surrounding the penetration portion to be formed, which includes images of the penetration portion and the long object. The design support device according to claim 4.

6. The aforementioned penetration creation support unit is: In the virtual space, once the formation position of the penetration in the target area for penetration formation is determined, a list is created that associates the identification information of the penetration, the identification information of the target area for penetration formation, the formation area of ​​the penetration in the target area for penetration formation, information regarding the construction method of the penetration, and information for retrieving related information of the penetration. The design support device according to claim 5.

7. The aforementioned penetration creation support unit is: If one of the areas partitioned by the area to be formed by the penetration is a radiation-contaminated area, the penetration formed in the area to be formed can be a bent penetration in which the direction of extension of the penetration is bent midway within the area to be formed. The design support device according to claim 6.

8. Furthermore, it is equipped with a search function for related information of the through-section, The search function unit can search for related information about the through-hole based on the identification information of the through-hole and the identification information of the target area where the through-hole is to be formed. The design support device according to claim 6.

9. The search function unit uses artificial intelligence to search for information related to the penetration portion. The design support device according to claim 8.

10. Information processing equipment used by users, A virtual space creation unit creates image data of a virtual space that simulates the site being designed, and A penetration creation support unit has the function of creating a penetration in the target area for penetration in the virtual space, and when it obtains information regarding the design specifications of the penetration to be created in the target area for penetration from the information processing device, it can create image data of an installation area image in the virtual space by superimposing an image of the area where the penetration can be formed on an image of the target area for penetration. The system includes a communication unit which is communicatively connected to the information processing device, receives information regarding the design specifications of the penetration portion from the information processing device, and transmits image data of the installation area image created by the penetration portion creation support unit to the information processing device. Design support system.

Images