Control device and control method

Abstract

The present invention relates to a control device and a control method, the control device comprising a control unit that acquires information relating to the distribution of the magnitude of sound in a region where the sound is generated, and controls the movement of a moving body with a meeting room that moves in the region on the basis of the acquired information relating to the distribution.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control device and a control method. Background Art

[0002] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-162930 discloses a vehicle that includes a space that can be used as a mobile conference room or a soundproofing device such as a noise canceller and provides a space that can be used as a private room to a user.

[0003] Since areas where events are held, such as event venues, are noisy, it is difficult to ensure an environment suitable for meetings. Summary of the invention

[0004] An object of the present disclosure is to easily ensure an environment suitable for a meeting even in an area where sound is generated.

[0005] The control device according to the present disclosure includes a control unit,

[0006] The control unit acquires information on the distribution of the magnitude of sound in an area where the sound is generated, and controls the movement of the mobile body with a conference room moving in the area based on the acquired information on the distribution.

[0007] The control method involved in the present disclosure includes:

[0008] acquiring, by the control unit, information on the distribution of the magnitude of the sound in the area where the sound is generated; and

[0009] The movement of the mobile object with conference room moving in the area is controlled based on the acquired information on the distribution.

[0010] According to the present disclosure, it is easy to ensure an environment suitable for a meeting in an area where sound is generated. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Hereinafter, features, advantages, technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals represent like components, wherein:

[0012] Figure 1 It is a diagram showing the configuration of a moving object control system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0013] Figure 2 It is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0014] Figure 3 This is a flowchart showing the operation of the control device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0016] In each figure, the same reference numerals are attached to the same or corresponding parts. In the description of this embodiment, the description of the same or corresponding parts is appropriately omitted or simplified.

[0017] Reference Figure 1 The configuration of the mobile object control system 10 according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0018] The mobile object control system 10 includes a control device 20 and a mobile object with a conference room 30 . The control device 20 can communicate with the mobile object 30 via a network 40 .

[0019] The control device 20 is a computer installed in a facility such as a data center. The control device 20 is, for example, a server belonging to a cloud computing system or other computing system. The control device 20 is operated by, for example, a company that operates an activity.

[0020] The mobile body 30 with a conference room is, for example, any type of car such as a gasoline car, a diesel car, a hydrogen car, HEV, PHEV, BEV or FCEV. "HEV" is the abbreviation of hybrid electric vehicle. "PHEV" is the abbreviation of plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. "BEV" is the abbreviation of battery electric vehicle. "FCEV" is the abbreviation of fuel cell electric vehicle. The mobile body 30 is an AV in the present embodiment, but it can also be driven by a driver, or the driving can be automated at any level. "AV" is the abbreviation of autonomous vehicle. The level of automation is, for example, any level from level 1 to level 5 in the SAE classification. "SAE" is the abbreviation of Society of Automotive Engineers. The mobile body 30 can also be a MaaS dedicated vehicle. "MaaS" is the abbreviation of Mobility as a Service.

[0021] The network 40 includes the Internet, at least one WAN, at least one MAN, or any combination thereof. "WAN" is the abbreviation of widearea network. "MAN" is the abbreviation of metropolitan area network. The network 40 may include at least one wireless network, at least one optical network, or any combination thereof. The wireless network is, for example, an ad hoc network, a cellular network, a wireless LAN, a satellite communication network, or a terrestrial microwave network. "LAN" is the abbreviation of local area network.

[0022] Reference Figure 1 as well as Figure 2 The outline of this embodiment will be described.

[0023] The control device 20 obtains the second information 60 through the control unit 21. The second information 60 is information related to the distribution of the size of the sound in the area 11 where the sound is generated. In the present embodiment, the area 11 is an event venue for activities such as exhibitions, trade fairs, food events, or product exhibitions. The event venue is, for example, a stadium. The second information 60 is, for example, a noise heat map created by predicting the attraction of customers to each booth in the event venue, but it can also be a noise heat map created by sensing the event venue. The mobile body 30 with a conference room moves in the area 11. The control device 20 controls the movement of the mobile body 30 through the control unit 21 based on the obtained second information 60.

[0024] According to the present embodiment, it is easy to ensure an environment suitable for meetings in the area 11 where sounds are generated. For example, when a user wants to use a mobile device such as a mobile phone, a smart phone, or a tablet computer for an online meeting or a telephone conference, there is a noisy environment around. In such a case, by moving the mobile body 30 to a quiet place suitable for meetings, the user can avoid noise in the meeting room of the mobile body 30 to hold a meeting. The same is true when multiple users gather and want to hold a meeting. In the present embodiment, since the mobile body 30 does not need to be equipped with sound insulation equipment such as a noise eliminator, it is possible to more easily provide an environment suitable for meetings with a low volume level, so that costs can be reduced.

[0025] According to this embodiment, an on-demand mobile conference room can also be provided. To improve convenience, information related to the position of the mobile body 30 or information related to whether the mobile body 30 is full or empty can be displayed on the user's mobile device or a venue bulletin board set up at the event venue.

[0026] In the present embodiment, the control device 20 obtains the second information 60 by predicting the distribution of the size of the sound that will be generated in the area 11 in the future. Specifically, the control device 20 obtains the first information 50 through the control unit 21. The first information 50 is information related to the event being held in the area 11. The control device 20 obtains the distribution of the size of the sound that will be generated in the area 11 in the future based on the obtained first information 50. Therefore, the control device 20 can prevent the moving body 30 from moving to a place that is quiet now but is predicted to become noisy because people will gather in the future.

[0027] In this embodiment, the first information 50 includes various information such as the venue 51, the time 52, the number of participants 53, or the content 54 of the event. Preferably, the first information 50 includes not only past and current information but also future information. That is, the control device 20 preferably predicts the distribution of the size of the sound that will be generated in the area 11 in the future based on such future information.

[0028] As a modification of the present embodiment, the control device 20 may acquire the second information 60 by observing the distribution of the magnitudes of sounds currently generated in the area 11 .

[0029] Reference Figure 2 , the structure of the control device 20 involved in this embodiment is described.

[0030] The control device 20 includes a control unit 21 , a storage unit 22 , and a communication unit 23 .

[0031] The control unit 21 includes at least one processor, at least one programmable circuit, at least one dedicated circuit, or any combination thereof. The processor is a general-purpose processor such as a CPU or a GPU, or a dedicated processor customized for specific processing. "CPU" is the abbreviation of central processing unit. "GPU" is the abbreviation of graphics processing unit. A programmable circuit is, for example, an FPGA. "FPGA" is the abbreviation of field-programmable gate array. A dedicated circuit is, for example, an ASIC. "ASIC" is the abbreviation of application specific integrated circuit. The control unit 21 controls each part of the control device 20 to perform processing related to the action of the control device 20.

[0032] The storage unit 22 includes at least one semiconductor memory, at least one magnetic memory, at least one optical memory, or any combination thereof. The semiconductor memory is, for example, RAM, ROM, or flash memory. "RAM" is the abbreviation of random access memory. "ROM" is the abbreviation of read only memory. RAM is, for example, SRAM or DRAM. "SRAM" is the abbreviation of static random access memory. "DRAM" is the abbreviation of dynamic random access memory. ROM is, for example, EEPROM. "EEPROM" is the abbreviation of electrically erasable programmable read only memory. Flash memory is, for example, SSD. "SSD" is the abbreviation of solid-state drive. Magnetic memory is, for example, HDD. "HDD" is the abbreviation of hard disk drive. The storage unit 22 functions as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 22 stores information used in the operation of the control device 20 and information obtained by the operation of the control device 20. In the present embodiment, at least the first information 50 and the second information 60 are stored in the storage unit 22.

[0033] The communication unit 23 includes at least one communication module. The communication module is, for example, a module corresponding to a wired LAN communication standard such as Ethernet (registered trademark) or a wireless LAN communication standard such as IEEE802.11. "IEEE" is the abbreviation of Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. The communication unit 23 communicates with the mobile body 30. The communication unit 23 receives information used in the operation of the control device 20, and also sends information obtained by the operation of the control device 20.

[0034] The functions of the control device 20 are realized by executing the program involved in this embodiment by the processor as the control unit 21. That is, the functions of the control device 20 are realized by software. The program enables the computer to function as the control device 20 by causing the computer to execute the operation of the control device 20. That is, the computer functions as the control device 20 by executing the operation of the control device 20 according to the program.

[0035] The program can be pre-stored in a non-temporary computer-readable medium. Examples of non-temporary computer-readable media are flash memory, magnetic recording devices, optical disks, magneto-optical recording media, or ROMs. The program is circulated, for example, by selling, transferring, or lending removable media such as SD cards, DVDs, or CD-ROMs that store the program. "SD" is the abbreviation for Secure Digital. "DVD" is the abbreviation for digital versatile disc. "CD-ROM" is the abbreviation for compact disc read only memory. The program can be pre-stored in a server's storage device and circulated by transferring the program from the server to other computers. The program can also be provided as a program product.

[0036] The computer temporarily stores, for example, a program stored in a removable medium or a program transferred from a server in a main storage device. Furthermore, the computer uses a processor to read the program stored in the main storage device, and uses the processor to execute processing in accordance with the read program. The computer can read the program directly from the removable medium and execute processing in accordance with the program. Whenever a program is transferred from a server to the computer, the computer sequentially executes processing in accordance with the received program. It is also possible to perform processing by a so-called ASP-type service that implements functions only based on execution instructions and result acquisition without transferring the program from the server to the computer. "ASP" is the abbreviation of application service provider. The program includes information based on the program in the information used for processing involving an electronic computer. For example, data that is not a direct instruction to the computer but has the nature of specifying the processing of the computer qualifies as "information based on the program."

[0037] A part or all of the functions of the control device 20 may be realized by a programmable circuit or a dedicated circuit as the control unit 21. That is, a part or all of the functions of the control device 20 may be realized by hardware.

[0038] Reference Figure 3 The operation of the control device 20 according to the present embodiment will be described. The operation of the control device 20 is equivalent to the control method according to the present embodiment. That is, the control method according to the present embodiment includes: Figure 3 The steps S1 to S3 are shown.

[0039] In S1, the control unit 21 acquires the first information 50. Specifically, the control unit 21 reads the first information 50 from the storage unit 22. The first information 50 is pre-stored in the storage unit 22. Alternatively, the first information 50 may be acquired from an external storage via the communication unit 23 and then stored in the storage unit 22.

[0040] In S2, the control unit 21 obtains the second information 60. Specifically, the control unit 21 obtains the second information 60 by predicting the distribution of the size of the sound that will be generated in the area 11 in the future based on the first information 50 obtained in S1. The control unit 21 causes the storage unit 22 to store the obtained second information 60. For example, the control unit 21 predicts the attraction of customers to each booth in the event venue based on the venue 51, the time 52, the scale of the number of participants 53 or the content 54 of the event included in the first information 50. The time when each booth in the event venue opens, the time when the event starts at each booth, or the time of reservation in the case of a booth or event with a reservation system can also be considered. The control unit 21 creates a noise heat map as the second information 60, which indicates that a louder sound is generated at a booth where more customers are predicted to be attracted and around the booth. The control unit 21 may adjust the noise heat map so as to indicate that even if a small number of visitors are attracted, a booth that is predicted to generate sound above a certain level and its surroundings will generate loud sound when an event using music is held.

[0041] In S3, the control unit 21 controls the movement of the mobile body 30 with a conference room based on the second information 60 obtained in S2. Specifically, if the control unit 21 detects a place in the area 11 that produces a sound smaller than the place where the mobile body 30 is located based on the second information 60, the mobile body 30 moves to the detected place. For example, the fact that the volume level of the current position of the mobile body 30 will increase in the future is shown in the noise heat map created by S2. In this case, the control unit 21 instructs the mobile body 30 to move to a position shown in the noise heat map as a place suitable for a meeting and having a volume level smaller than the current position through the communication unit 23.

[0042] The steps S1 to S3 are repeatedly executed. Therefore, the control device 20 can cope with the change of the noise level in real time.

[0043] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments. For example, two or more modules recorded in the block diagram may be integrated, or one block may be divided. Instead of executing two or more steps recorded in the flowchart in a time series according to the description, two or more steps recorded in the flowchart may be executed in parallel or in a different order according to the processing capacity of the device executing each step or as needed. In addition, changes can be made within the scope of the subject matter of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A control device, wherein: Equipped with a control unit, The control unit acquires information on the distribution of the magnitude of sound in an area where the sound is generated, and controls the movement of a mobile body with a conference room moving in the area based on the acquired information on the distribution.

2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein: The control unit moves the moving object to the detected place, if the place in the area where a sound smaller than the place where the moving object is located is detected based on the information on the distribution.

3. The control device according to claim 1, wherein: The control unit acquires information on the distribution by predicting the distribution of the magnitudes of sounds that will be generated in the area in the future.

4. The control device according to claim 3, wherein: The control unit obtains information related to an event currently being held in the area, Based on the obtained information related to the activity, the distribution of the magnitude of the sound that will be generated in the area in the future is predicted.

5. A control method, wherein: include: obtaining, by the control unit, information related to the distribution of the magnitude of the sound in the area where the sound is generated; and The control unit controls movement of the mobile object with conference room moving within the area based on the acquired information on the distribution.

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