Information processing method, program, information processing system, and information terminal

Abstract

An information processing method executed by a computer acquires first information relating to an area in which one or more moving bodies are located (S1), extracts one or more first areas in which the one or more moving bodies are located from a plurality of areas on the basis of the acquired first information (S2, S3, S4), and outputs the extracted first areas (S2, S3, S4). Second information relating to the extracted one or more first regions is output (S5).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing method, a program, an information processing system, and an information terminal for presenting information related to a mobile object. Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a remote operation system. This remote operation system includes a mobile robot and an operation terminal that communicates with the mobile robot. The mobile robot transmits display image information based on images captured by a camera to the operation terminal. The operation terminal receives the display image information and displays an operation screen containing a display image based on the captured image on the terminal display unit.

[0003] (Prior art literature)

[0004] (Patent Document)

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-78760 Summary of the Invention

[0006] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0007] For example, when a user who manages the mobile robot (mobile object) disclosed in Patent Document 1 wants to understand the usage status of the mobile robot, it is conceivable to display information about the entire area where the mobile robot is used on the display unit.

[0008] However, when an area where one or more mobile robots (mobile bodies) are used is a multi-story building, for example, a high-rise building, there is a problem that if information for all floors is displayed on the display unit at once, it becomes difficult for the user to understand the usage status of the one or more mobile robots. Furthermore, even when an area where one or more mobile robots are used is a relatively large site, for example, if information for the entire site is displayed on the display unit at once, it is still difficult for the user to understand the usage status of the one or more mobile robots.

[0009] Therefore, the present disclosure provides an information processing method and the like that allows a user to easily grasp the usage status of one or more mobile objects.

[0010] Means for solving problems

[0011] An information processing method involved in one embodiment of the present invention is an information processing method executed by a computer, which obtains first information related to the areas where one or more moving bodies are respectively located, extracts one or more first areas where the one or more moving bodies are located from multiple areas based on the obtained first information, and outputs second information related to the extracted one or more first areas.

[0012] In addition, these general or specific methods can be implemented by systems, methods, integrated circuits, computer programs or computer-readable recording media such as CD-ROMs, or by any combination of systems, methods, integrated circuits, computer programs and recording media.

[0013] Effects of the Invention

[0014] According to the information processing method and the like according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a user can easily grasp the usage status of one or more mobile objects. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 This is a block diagram showing an example of an information processing system according to an embodiment.

[0016] Figure 2 This is an illustration of the subject.

[0017] Figure 3 This is a flowchart showing a basic operation example of the information processing system according to the embodiment.

[0018] Figure 4 An example of position information and area information is shown.

[0019] Figure 5 A first display example in the basic operation example is shown.

[0020] Figure 6 A second display example in the basic operation example is shown.

[0021] Figure 7 The third display example in the basic operation example is shown.

[0022] Figure 8 The fourth display example in the basic operation example is shown.

[0023] Figure 9 This is a flowchart showing the operation of the first example of the information processing system according to the embodiment.

[0024] Figure 10 Another example of the position information and the area information is shown.

[0025] Figure 11 This is a flowchart showing the operation of the second example of the information processing system according to the embodiment.

[0026] Figure 12 An example of path information is shown.

[0027] Figure 13 A first display example in the second embodiment is shown.

[0028] Figure 14 A second display example in the second embodiment is shown.

[0029] Figure 15 The third display example in the second embodiment is shown.

[0030] Figure 16 The fourth display example in the second embodiment is shown.

[0031] Figure 17A The entire screen of the fifth display example in the second embodiment is shown.

[0032] Figure 17B A detailed screen of the fifth display example in the second embodiment is shown.

[0033] Figure 18 This is a flowchart showing the operation of the third example of the information processing system according to the embodiment.

[0034] Figure 19 An example of status information is shown.

[0035] Figure 20 This is a flowchart showing the operation of the fourth example of the information processing system according to the embodiment.

[0036] Figure 21 An example of inter-area movement information is shown.

[0037] Figure 22 A display example in the fourth embodiment is shown.

[0038] Figure 23 This is a flowchart showing the operation of the fifth example of the information processing system according to the embodiment.

[0039] Figure 24 An example of interleaving region information is shown.

[0040] Figure 25 The first display example in the fifth embodiment is shown.

[0041] Figure 26 The second display example in the fifth embodiment is shown.

[0042] Figure 27 This is a flowchart showing the operation of the sixth example of the information processing system according to the embodiment.

[0043] Figure 28 An example of intervention information is shown.

[0044] Figure 29 This is a flowchart showing other operations of the sixth embodiment of the information processing system according to the embodiment.

[0045] Figure 30 Another example of intervention information is shown.

[0046] Figure 31 A display example in the sixth embodiment is shown.

[0047] Figure 32 This is an explanatory diagram of inputting intervention information on an information terminal.

[0048] Figure 33 This is a flowchart showing the operation of the seventh embodiment of the information processing system involved in the implementation method.

[0049] Figure 34 An example of notification information is shown.

[0050] Figure 35 A display example in the seventh embodiment is shown.

[0051] Figure 36 This is a flowchart showing the operation of the eighth embodiment of the information processing system involved in the implementation method.

[0052] Figure 37 An example of traffic information is shown.

[0053] Figure 38 A display example in the eighth embodiment is shown.

[0054] Figure 39 This is a flowchart showing the operation of the ninth embodiment of the information processing system according to the embodiment.

[0055] Figure 40 Another example of status information is shown.

[0056] Figure 41 A display example in the ninth embodiment is shown.

[0057] Figure 42 A first modified example of the display on the display unit of the information terminal is shown.

[0058] Figure 43 A second modified example of the display on the display unit of the information terminal is shown.

[0059] Figure 44 A third modified example of the display on the display unit of the information terminal is shown.

[0060] Figure 45 A fourth modified example of the display on the display unit of the information terminal is shown.

[0061] Figure 46 A fifth modification example of the display on the display unit of the information terminal is shown.

[0062] Figure 47 Another modified example of the display on the display unit of the information terminal is shown.

[0063] Figure 48 A modification example based on the first modification example displayed on the display unit of the information terminal is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0064] An information processing method involved in one embodiment of the present invention is an information processing method executed by a computer, which obtains first information related to the areas where one or more moving bodies are respectively located, extracts one or more first areas where the one or more moving bodies are located from multiple areas based on the obtained first information, and outputs second information related to the extracted one or more first areas.

[0065] According to this, instead of presenting information about all of the multiple areas, only information about one or more first areas where one or more moving objects are located is presented to the user. This has the advantage of making it easier for the user to understand the usage status of one or more moving objects.

[0066] Furthermore, for example, in the information processing method involved in the second embodiment of the present disclosure, based on the first embodiment, the second information includes at least one of the following information: information showing the map of each of the one or more first areas, and information showing the position of each of the one or more mobile bodies in the one or more first areas.

[0067] According to this, since at least one of a map of one or more first areas where one or more moving objects are located and the position of one or more moving objects can be presented to the user, there is an advantage that the user can more easily understand the usage status of one or more moving objects.

[0068] Furthermore, for example, in the information processing method according to the third aspect of the present disclosure, based on the first or second aspect, path information is further acquired, the path information relating to at least one of the movement path and movement range of each of the one or more moving objects. Based on the acquired path information, the information processing method extracts, from the plurality of areas, one or more second areas in which the one or more moving objects were located before the time the first information was acquired, or one or more second areas in which the one or more moving objects may be located after the time the first information was acquired, and further outputs third information relating to the one or more extracted second areas.

[0069] Accordingly, since information related to one or more second areas where one or more mobile bodies existed in the past, or information related to one or more second areas that may exist in the future can also be prompted to the user, it has the advantage that the user can more easily understand the utilization status of one or more mobile bodies.

[0070] Furthermore, for example, in the information processing method involved in the fourth embodiment of the present disclosure, based on the third embodiment, at least one of the second information and the third information includes information showing at least one of the moving paths and moving ranges of each of the one or more moving bodies.

[0071] According to this, since the movement paths or movement ranges of one or more moving objects can be presented to the user, there is an advantage that the user can more easily understand the utilization status of one or more moving objects.

[0072] Furthermore, for example, in the information processing method according to the fifth aspect of the present disclosure, based on any one of the first to fourth aspects, the first information includes information indicating the position of each of the one or more moving objects. Therefore, in this information processing method, the one or more first regions are extracted based on the information indicating the position of each of the one or more moving objects.

[0073] This has the advantage that even if one or more moving objects do not have information directly indicating the area in which they are currently located, one or more first areas can be extracted.

[0074] Furthermore, for example, in the information processing method according to the sixth aspect of the present disclosure, based on any one of the first to fifth aspects, state information regarding the state of each of the one or more moving objects is further acquired. Then, in this information processing method, the one or more first regions are extracted based on the acquired state information.

[0075] According to this, only information related to the first area where the moving object whose situation should be understood is located is extracted for one or more moving objects and presented to the user. This has the advantage that the user does not need to understand unnecessary information.

[0076] Furthermore, for example, in the information processing method according to the seventh aspect of the present disclosure, the priority of each of the one or more first areas is calculated based on any one of the first to sixth aspects. The second information includes information indicating the calculated priority of each of the one or more first areas.

[0077] According to this, since information corresponding to the priority of each of one or more first areas is presented to the user, there is an advantage in that the user can easily understand the area with a high priority.

[0078] Furthermore, for example, in the information processing method according to the eighth aspect of the present disclosure, based on the seventh aspect, the one or more moving objects are multiple. Therefore, in this information processing method, path information related to at least one of the movement paths and movement ranges of each of the multiple moving objects is further obtained. Then, in this information processing method, based on the obtained path information, the priority of each of the one or more first areas is calculated such that areas where two or more of the multiple moving objects cross each other have a higher priority.

[0079] According to this, since the area where two or more moving objects cross each other is presented to the user with priority, it is advantageous for the user to easily grasp the area with high priority.

[0080] Furthermore, for example, in the information processing method involved in the 9th mode of the present disclosure, intervention information is further obtained based on the 7th or 8th mode, and the intervention information indicates that an operator who remotely monitors the one or more mobile bodies has intervened. Therefore, in the information processing method, based on the obtained intervention information, the priority of each of the one or more first areas is calculated in a manner such that the priority of the area in which the operator has intervened becomes higher.

[0081] This provides an advantage in that the area where the operator intervened can be presented to the user with priority, making it easy for the user to grasp the area with a high priority.

[0082] Furthermore, for example, in the information processing method according to the tenth aspect of the present disclosure, based on any one of the seventh to ninth aspects, notification information is further acquired, the notification information indicating that a notification has been issued from the one or more mobile objects to an operator remotely monitoring the one or more mobile objects. Then, in this information processing method, based on the acquired notification information, the priority of each of the one or more first areas is calculated such that the priority of the area in which the notification was issued to the operator is increased.

[0083] This provides an advantage in that the area notified to the operator can be presented to the user with priority, making it easy for the user to understand the area with a high priority.

[0084] Furthermore, for example, in the information processing method according to the eleventh aspect of the present disclosure, based on any one of the seventh to tenth aspects, traffic information related to traffic in each of the one or more first areas is further acquired. Therefore, in this information processing method, based on the acquired traffic information, the priority of each of the one or more first areas is calculated such that areas with higher traffic volume have higher priorities.

[0085] This has the advantage that areas with heavy traffic can be presented to the user with priority, making it easy for the user to understand areas with high priority.

[0086] Furthermore, a program according to a twelfth aspect of the present disclosure causes a computer to execute the information processing method according to any one of the first to eleventh aspects.

[0087] According to this, instead of presenting information about all of the multiple areas, only information about one or more first areas where one or more moving objects are located is presented to the user. This has the advantage of making it easier for the user to understand the usage status of one or more moving objects.

[0088] Furthermore, an information processing system according to a thirteenth aspect of the present disclosure includes an acquisition unit, a processing unit, and an output unit. The acquisition unit acquires first information regarding the regions in which each of one or more moving objects is located. The processing unit extracts one or more first regions in which the one or more moving objects are located from a plurality of regions based on the first information acquired by the acquisition unit. The output unit outputs second information regarding the one or more first regions extracted by the processing unit.

[0089] According to this, instead of presenting information about all of the multiple areas, only information about one or more first areas where one or more moving objects are located is presented to the user. This has the advantage of making it easier for the user to understand the usage status of one or more moving objects.

[0090] Furthermore, an information terminal according to a fourteenth aspect of the present disclosure includes a display unit, a communication unit, and a terminal-side processing unit. The communication unit communicates with the information processing system according to the thirteenth aspect to obtain the second information from the information processing system. The terminal-side processing unit causes the display unit to display the second information obtained by the communication unit.

[0091] According to this, instead of presenting information about all of the multiple areas, only information about one or more first areas where one or more moving objects are located is presented to the user. This has the advantage of making it easier for the user to understand the usage status of one or more moving objects.

[0092] (Implementation Method)

[0093] The following describes an information processing system and an information processing method according to the embodiments.

[0094] [1. Composition]

[0095] Figure 11 is a block diagram showing an example of an information processing system 1 according to an embodiment. The information processing system 1 is a system for outputting information related to a mobile object 2 .

[0096] Mobile object 2 includes, for example, an autonomous mobile robot such as an automatic delivery robot. In addition to autonomous mobile robots, mobile object 2 may also include autonomous mobile vehicles such as automobiles or automatic two-wheeled vehicles. Furthermore, in embodiments, mobile object 2 is not completely autonomous but is remotely monitored by an operator (user) via a remote management system. Therefore, mobile object 2 may be remotely controlled by an operator via the remote management system depending on the situation. The following description uses the example of mobile object 2 being an autonomous delivery robot, particularly an autonomous monitoring robot that conducts patrol surveillance within a facility or site.

[0097] Furthermore, the mobile object 2 is not limited to the autonomous type described above and may also be a manually driven type with a driver. Furthermore, the business performed by the mobile object 2 is not limited to the aforementioned monitoring type and may include other businesses such as cleaning, delivery, sales, or advertising.

[0098] Here, the remote management system is a system operated by a remote management center or server device with one or more operators, allowing each operator to remotely monitor one or more mobile objects 2 and, depending on circumstances, remotely operate the mobile objects 2. Each operator uses an information terminal 3, such as a personal computer, to monitor the status of each mobile object 2 as displayed on a display unit 33. Furthermore, each operator remotely operates the mobile object 2 when a remote operation request is received from the mobile object 2 or when it is determined that the mobile object 2 is in a state where remote operation should be accepted.

[0099] Information processing system 1 is an example of a computer that executes the information processing method. The components that comprise information processing system 1 may be housed within a single chassis or distributed. If the components that comprise information processing system 1 are distributed, the information processing method may be executed by multiple computers. In the embodiment, information processing system 1 is implemented by a server device.

[0100] like Figure 1As shown, mobile object 2 includes a communication unit 21, a position acquisition unit 22, a route acquisition unit 23, a status acquisition unit 24, an image acquisition unit 25, a processing unit 26, a remote operation control unit 27, and an automatic operation control unit 28. The communication unit 21, the position acquisition unit 22, the route acquisition unit 23, the status acquisition unit 24, the image acquisition unit 25, the processing unit 26, the remote operation control unit 27, and the automatic operation control unit 28 are implemented by a processor that executes programs stored in memory and a communication interface. The memory is, for example, ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory), and can store programs executed by the processor.

[0101] The communication unit 21 is a wireless communication interface for communicating with the information processing system 1 via a network N1 such as the Internet. The communication unit 21 transmits to the information processing system 1 position information regarding the position of the mobile object 2 acquired by the position acquisition unit 22, path information regarding at least one of the movement path and movement range of the mobile object 2 acquired by the path acquisition unit 23, and state information regarding the state of the mobile object 2 acquired by the state acquisition unit 24. Furthermore, the communication unit 21 transmits to the information processing system 1 image information regarding an image of the surrounding area of ​​the mobile object 2 captured by a camera mounted on the mobile object 2 and acquired by the image acquisition unit 25. Furthermore, the communication unit 21 receives, for example, an instruction signal indicating an instruction for remote control of the mobile object 2, transmitted from a remote management system.

[0102] The position acquisition unit 22 detects the position of the moving object 2 to acquire information indicating the position of the moving object 2. The position acquisition unit 22 detects the position of the moving object 2 based on the positioning results of a positioning system such as GPS (Global Positioning System).

[0103] The route acquisition unit 23 acquires route information regarding at least one of the movement route and movement range of the mobile object 2. The movement route indicates the path that the mobile object 2 moves along within a facility or a site. The movement range indicates the range within which the mobile object 2 moves within the facility or a site. The route acquisition unit 23 acquires route information by, for example, reading route information stored in a memory.

[0104] The state acquisition unit 24 acquires state information regarding the state of the mobile object 2. This state information may include, for example, information indicating whether the mobile object 2 is autonomously moving, information indicating whether the mobile object 2 is remotely operated by an operator, or information indicating whether the mobile object 2 is in a standby state. Furthermore, the state information may include, for example, information indicating whether the mobile object 2 has experienced a malfunction or whether the mobile object 2 has broken down. The state acquisition unit 24 acquires the state information by, for example, requesting the processing unit 26 for information about the state of the mobile object 2.

[0105] The image acquisition unit 25 acquires image information related to images of the surrounding area of ​​the mobile object 2 captured by the camera mounted on the mobile object 2. The image information may include, for example, images captured in front of the mobile object 2, images captured to the left of the mobile object 2, images captured to the right of the mobile object 2, and images captured from behind the mobile object 2. Furthermore, the image information may not include all of these images, and may, for example, include only images captured in front of the mobile object 2.

[0106] The processing unit 26 is the main controller of the mobile object 2. The processing unit 26 manages and controls the entire mobile object 2 by cooperating with the communication unit 21, the position acquisition unit 22, the route acquisition unit 23, the state acquisition unit 24, the image acquisition unit 25, the remote operation control unit 27, and the automatic operation control unit 28.

[0107] The remote operation control unit 27 controls the movable body 2 according to the contents of the instruction from the remote management system to the movable body 2 via the network N1, thereby moving the movable body 2. In this way, the movable body 2 is remotely operated according to the instruction of the operator.

[0108] The automatic operation control unit 28 controls the mobile body 2 according to instructions from the remote management system via the network N1, thereby causing the mobile body 2 to move autonomously. These instructions differ from the operator's instructions described above. For example, if the mobile body 2 is an autonomous monitoring robot, the automatic operation control unit 28 causes the mobile body 2 to move autonomously according to instructions to move to one or more patrol destinations.

[0109] Information processing system 1 Figure 1 As shown, the information processing system 1 includes a communication unit (output unit) 11, an acquisition unit 12, and a processing unit 13. The communication unit 11, the acquisition unit 12, and the processing unit 13 are implemented by a processor that executes programs stored in a memory and a communication interface. The memory is ROM and RAM, etc., and can store programs executed by the processor. Furthermore, the information processing system 1 communicates with the storage device 4 via the network N1 to read and reference information stored in the storage device 4. Alternatively, the storage device 4 can be installed on the same server device as the information processing system 1.

[0110] The communication unit 11 is a wireless communication interface for the information processing system 1 to communicate with one or more target moving objects 2 via the network N1. The communication unit 11 receives position information, path information, status information, and image information transmitted from each moving object 2. Figure 1 Although only one moving body 2 is shown in the figure, there are multiple moving bodies 2 in the embodiment.

[0111] Furthermore, the communication unit 11 communicates with the information terminal 3 used by the operator via the network N1. The information terminal 3 is, for example, a smart phone, a tablet terminal, or a personal computer. The following description will be made using the example that the information terminal 3 is a personal computer. Figure 1 Although only one information terminal 3 is shown in the figure, if there are multiple operators, there are multiple information terminals 3 used by multiple operators. In this case, the communication unit 11 communicates with each of the multiple information terminals 3.

[0112] Therefore, in the embodiment, the communication unit 11 transmits information related to the mobile body 2 to the information terminal 3 via the network N1, and in particular transmits information related to one or more first areas A11 (see FIG. 1 ) where each of the one or more mobile bodies 2 is located. Figure 7 The first area A11 and the second information will be described later. That is, the communication unit 11 also functions as an output unit for outputting the second information.

[0113] Here, the information terminal 3 is as follows Figure 1 As shown, the device includes a communication unit 31, a terminal-side processing unit 32, and a display unit 33. The communication unit 31 and the terminal-side processing unit 32 are implemented by a processor that executes programs stored in a memory and a communication interface. The memory is a ROM or RAM, etc., and can store programs executed by the processor.

[0114] The communication unit 31 is a wireless communication interface for communicating with the information processing system 1 via the network N1. The communication unit 31 receives information about the mobile object 2, particularly the second information, transmitted from the information processing system 1.

[0115] The terminal-side processing unit 32 is a main controller of the information terminal 3. The terminal-side processing unit 32 manages and controls the entire information terminal 3 by cooperating with the communication unit 31 and the display unit 33.

[0116] The display unit 33 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, and displays information processed by the terminal-side processing unit 32. In the embodiment, the second information is mainly displayed on the display unit 33. The specific form of the information displayed on the display unit 33 will be described in detail in [2. Operation].

[0117] Returning to the description of the information processing system 1, the acquisition unit 12 acquires various information via the communication unit 11 and the network N1. Specifically, the acquisition unit 12 acquires first information regarding the area in which each of the one or more mobile objects 2 is located. The first information may include an area identifier, such as an identifier indicating the area A1 in which the mobile object 2 is located, from the position information acquired from each of the one or more mobile objects 2. Furthermore, the first information may include, for example, information indicating the location of the mobile object 2 from the position information acquired from each of the one or more mobile objects 2.

[0118] Furthermore, the acquisition unit 12 acquires information on each of the one or more moving objects 2 from an area information DB (Database) 41 , an intervention information DB 42 , a notification information DB 43 , and a traffic information DB 44 of the storage device 4 , which will be described later.

[0119] Furthermore, the acquisition unit 12 acquires status information, path information, and image information from one or more mobile objects 2. Furthermore, information related to communication anomalies, such as a communication interruption between the remote management system and the mobile object 2, can be acquired from the remote management system. Furthermore, even when the information processing system 1 and the mobile object 2 are in a communication state where remote operation of the mobile object 2 is impossible, the acquisition unit 12 can acquire information related to communication anomalies from the mobile object 2.

[0120] The processing unit 13 is the main controller of the information processing system 1. The processing unit 13 performs management and control of the entire information processing system 1 by cooperating with the communication unit 11 and the acquisition unit 12. The processing unit 13 receives the first information from the plurality of areas A1 (see Figure 2 (e.g., etc.), extract one or more first areas A11 where one or more mobile objects 2 are located. Regarding the multiple areas A1, for example, in the case of a facility, the multiple areas A1 correspond to multiple floors of the facility. Furthermore, in the case of a site, the multiple areas A1 correspond to multiple divided areas obtained by dividing the site into predetermined ranges. Furthermore, even in the case of a facility, for example, multiple divided areas obtained by dividing a floor into predetermined ranges may be included in the multiple areas A1.

[0121] Here we will use Figure 2 The reason why the processing unit 13 extracts one or more first areas A11 from the plurality of areas A1 will be described. Figure 2 This is an illustration of the subject. Figure 2 An example of information displayed on the display unit 33 of the information terminal 3 is shown. Figure 2The example in which four moving bodies 2 are used in a building having 16 floors is shown. Therefore, the locations of the floors 1 to 16 as the plurality of areas A1 are displayed on the display unit 33. Figure 1 It was displayed together.

[0122] However, in Figure 2 In the example shown, the positions of the four moving objects 2 are indicated by markers B1, B2, B3, and B4. Here, there is one moving object 2 on the 2nd floor, two on the 5th floor, and one on the 11th floor. Since maps for all floors are displayed simultaneously on the display unit 33, the amount of information displayed on each floor is reduced. Consequently, the operator (user) has difficulty understanding the status of each moving object 2 even when observing the display unit 33. This problem becomes more pronounced as the number of areas A1 increases.

[0123] Therefore, the processing unit 13 of the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment extracts one or more first areas A11 where each of the one or more moving objects 2 is located from the plurality of areas A1. Figure 2 In the example shown, the processing unit 13 extracts the 2nd, 5th, and 11th floors as one or more first areas A11. Therefore, by displaying maps of the 2nd, 5th, and 11th floors on the display unit 33 as second information related to the extracted one or more first areas A11, the amount of information displayed on each floor on the display unit 33 can be increased. Thus, the operator (user) can easily understand the status of each moving object 2 by observing the display unit 33.

[0124] Specifically, the processing unit 13 includes a display area determination unit 131, a belonging area determination unit 132, an inter-area movement determination unit 133, and a priority determination unit 134. These determination units extract at least one first area A11 through determinations. The display area determination unit 131, the belonging area determination unit 132, the inter-area movement determination unit 133, and the priority determination unit 134 are all implemented as functions executed by the processing unit 13.

[0125] The display area determination unit 131 determines one or more areas (one or more first areas A11) to be displayed on the display unit 33 of the information terminal 3, based on the first information acquired by the acquisition unit 12. Furthermore, the display area determination unit 131 determines one or more areas (one or more second areas A12 (see FIG. 1 ) to be displayed on the display unit 33 of the information terminal 3, based on the route information acquired by the acquisition unit 12. Figure 13 The operation of the display area determination unit 131 will be described in detail in [2. Operation].

[0126] Based on the first information acquired by the acquisition unit 12, the belonging area determination unit 132 determines to which area A1 each of the one or more mobile objects 2 belongs (is present). The belonging area determination unit 132 functions even when the first information does not include an area identifier. The operation of the belonging area determination unit 132 will be described in detail in [2. Operation].

[0127] The inter-area movement determination unit 133 determines whether the moving object 2 has moved across multiple areas based on the path information acquired by the acquisition unit 12. The operation of the inter-area movement determination unit 133 will be described in detail in [2. Operation].

[0128] The priority determination unit 134 determines which of the one or more areas (one or more first areas A11 and, if one or more second areas A12 exist) to be displayed on the display unit 33 should be displayed on the display unit 33 with priority, based on the various information acquired by the acquisition unit 12. The operation of the priority determination unit 134 will be described in detail in [2. Operation].

[0129] The storage device 4 stores an area information DB 41 , an intervention information DB 42 , a notification information DB 43 , and a traffic information DB 44 .

[0130] The area information DB 41 stores area information related to each of the plurality of areas A1. For example, the area information DB 41 stores area information for each area, including an area identifier, an area name, a storage location for the area's map image (floor map), and the area's range. The area information is stored in the area information DB 41 by, for example, acquiring information input by an operator using the information terminal 3.

[0131] The intervention information DB 42 stores intervention information indicating that an operator, who is remotely monitoring one or more mobile objects 2, has intervened. Operator intervention may include, for example, remotely operating a mobile object 2 when autonomous movement of the mobile object 2 becomes difficult. Furthermore, operator intervention may include, for example, dispatching support personnel to the mobile object 2 to improve the situation when remote operation of the mobile object 2 becomes difficult. Intervention information is stored in the intervention information DB 42 by, for example, acquiring information input by the operator using the information terminal 3.

[0132] The notification information DB 43 stores notification information indicating that a notification has been sent from one or more mobile objects 2 to an operator who is remotely monitoring the one or more mobile objects 2. A notification to the operator occurs when a situation occurs in the mobile object 2 that should be reported to the operator, such as when autonomous movement of the mobile object 2 becomes difficult. The notification information is stored in the notification information DB 43 by, for example, acquiring information transmitted from each of the one or more mobile objects 2.

[0133] The traffic information DB 44 stores traffic information related to each of one or more first areas A11. Traffic includes the movement of people and vehicles around the mobile object 2 in the first area A11 that could potentially interfere with the completion of the work of the mobile object 2. Traffic information is stored in the traffic information DB 44 by, for example, acquiring information transmitted from each of the one or more mobile objects 2. Furthermore, traffic information is stored in the traffic information DB 44 by, for example, acquiring information input by an operator using the information terminal 3.

[0134] [2. Work]

[0135] The operation of the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment will be described below.

[0136] [2-1. Basic work]

[0137] First, use Figure 3 as well as Figure 4 The basic operation of the information processing system 1 will be described. Figure 3 This is a flowchart showing a basic operation example of the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment. Figure 4 An example of position information and area information is shown.

[0138] Figure 4 (a) and (b) both show an example of position information. Figure 4 (c) shows an example of area information. Figure 4 In (a) and (b), "mobile ID" indicates an identifier assigned to mobile 2, "category" indicates the business to be completed by mobile 2, "area identifier" indicates the identifier of the area where mobile 2 is located, and "coordinates" indicates the xy coordinates of the current position of mobile 2 detected by mobile 2. Figure 4 (a) shows the position information of the mobile body 2 assigned with the mobile body ID "102". Figure 4 (b) shows the position information of the moving body 2 assigned the moving body ID "51". Figure 4In (c), "area identifier" represents the identifier of the area, "area name" represents the name of the area, "map image (floor distribution map) storage destination" represents the address where the map image of the area is stored in the area information DB41, and "area range" represents the xy coordinates of each polygon vertex that defines the range of the area.

[0139] First, the acquisition unit 12 acquires position information from a certain moving object 2 (S1). Next, the display area determination unit 131 of the processing unit 13 acquires the area identifier included in the position information acquired by the acquisition unit 12 as the area identifier of the first area A11 (S2). Thereafter, steps S1 and S2 are repeated until processing is completed for all moving objects 2 (S3: No).

[0140] When the processing for all the moving objects 2 is completed (S3: YES), the display area determination unit 131 removes duplicate area identifiers from the acquired area identifiers of the one or more first areas A11 (S4). This allows the display area determination unit 131 to extract one or more first areas A11 from the plurality of areas A1.

[0141] Then, the communication unit (output unit) 11 outputs one or more pieces of area information (second information) corresponding to each of the one or more area identifiers extracted by the display area determination unit 131 (S5). In the embodiment, the communication unit 11 reads one or more pieces of area information corresponding to each of the one or more area identifiers from the area information DB 41 and outputs the second information by transmitting the readout piece of area information to the information terminal 3. Subsequently, during the operation of the information processing system 1, steps S1 to S5 described above are repeated.

[0142] For example, after obtaining Figure 4 In the case of the position information shown in (a) and (b), the display area determination unit 131 extracts the 14th and 16th floors (one or more first areas A11) from the 1st to 16th floors (a plurality of areas A1). Then, the communication unit (output unit) 11 transmits the area information (second information) for the 14th and 16th floors, which correspond to the area identifiers for the 14th and 16th floors, respectively, extracted by the display area determination unit 131, to the information terminal 3.

[0143] Figure 5 A first display example in the basic operation example is shown. Figure 5 An example of the second information displayed on the display unit 33 of the information terminal 3 is shown. Figure 5In the example shown, the second information includes area information for the 14th and 16th floors of "XX Building." Therefore, a map of the 14th and 16th floors of "XX Building" is displayed on the display unit 33. Furthermore, markers B1, B2, and B3 are displayed on the display unit 33. Marker B1 indicates the position of the mobile object 2 with the mobile object ID "X1," marker B2 indicates the position of the mobile object 2 with the mobile object ID "X2," and marker B3 indicates the position of the mobile object 2 with the mobile object ID "X3." Thus, the second information includes at least one (here, both) of the following: information showing a map of each of one or more first areas A11, and information showing the position of each of one or more mobile objects 2 within the one or more first areas A11.

[0144] By observing the display unit 33 , the operator (user) can easily understand that two moving objects 2 with moving object IDs “X1” and “X2” exist on the 16th floor, and that one moving object 2 with moving object ID “X3” exists on the 14th floor.

[0145] The following describes, as examples, display examples other than the first display example in the basic operation example, namely, the second through fourth display examples. The information processing system 1 can cause the display unit 33 of the information terminal 3 to display the second information using any of the first through fourth display examples. Furthermore, the information processing system 1 can also cause the display unit 33 to display the second information using display forms other than the first through fourth display examples.

[0146] Figure 6 The second display example in the basic operation example is shown. In the second display example, unlike the first display example, only information related to one first area A11 is displayed on the display unit 33 of the information terminal 3. Therefore, in the second display example, the information related to the first area A11 displayed on the display unit 33 is switched at a certain time (for example, several tens of seconds). Figure 6 In the example shown, the area information of the 14th floor and the area information of the 16th floor of “XX Building” are alternately displayed on the display unit 33 at predetermined intervals.

[0147] Figure 7 The third display example in this operation example is shown. In the third display example, unlike the first display example, the first area A11 where there are many moving bodies 2 is displayed larger on the display unit 33 of the information terminal 3. Figure 7 In the example shown, the map of the 14th floor of the "XX Building" in which two moving bodies 2 are present is displayed larger than the map of the 16th floor in which only one moving body 2 is present.

[0148] Figure 8The fourth display example in the basic operation example is shown. In the fourth display example, unlike the first display example, the first area A11 where the number of moving objects 2 is large is highlighted on the display unit 33 of the information terminal 3. Figure 8 In the example shown, the map of the 14th floor of "XX Building" with two moving bodies 2 is circled in a thick frame, and is highlighted relative to the map of the 16th floor with only one moving body 2 .

[0149] [2-2. First embodiment]

[0150] The following describes a first embodiment to be executed by the information processing system 1. This first embodiment is executed when the position information acquired from one or more mobile objects 2 does not include an area identifier. Specifically, the processing unit 13 extracts one or more first areas A11 based on the information indicating the positions of the one or more mobile objects 2 acquired by the acquisition unit 12.

[0151] The first embodiment will be described in detail below, but detailed descriptions of the points common to the basic operation example will be omitted. Figure 9 This is a flowchart showing a first example of the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment. Figure 10 Another example of the position information and the area information is shown.

[0152] Figure 10 (a) shows another example of position information. Figure 10 (b) shows another example of area information. Figure 10 As shown in (a), in the first embodiment, the position information is Figure 4 Unlike (a), the area identifier is not included. However, in the first embodiment, the coordinates of the current position of the mobile body 2 included in the position information are expressed as xyz coordinates. In these coordinates, the z coordinate represents the height of the mobile body 2, and the value of the z coordinate here represents the floor number.

[0153] First, the acquisition unit 12 acquires position information from a particular mobile object 2 (S101). Next, the acquisition unit 12 acquires region information from the region information DB 41 (S102). The region determination unit 132 of the processing unit 13 then compares the position information with the region information and determines whether the mobile object 2 is within the region (S103). Specifically, the region determination unit 132 determines, for each region, whether the coordinates of the current position of the mobile object 2 included in the position information are within the region included in the region information.

[0154] If the mobile object 2 is determined to be within the area (S103: Yes), the display area determination unit 131 acquires the area identifier of the area as the area identifier of the first area A11 (S104). If the mobile object 2 is determined to be outside the area (S103: No), the display area determination unit 131 does not acquire the area identifier of the area as the area identifier of the first area A11. The area determination unit 132 then determines whether the mobile object 2 exists in all areas. Steps S101 to S104 are then repeated until the above processing is completed for all mobile objects 2 (S105: No).

[0155] When processing is complete for all mobile objects 2 (S105: Yes), the display area determination unit 131 removes duplicate area identifiers from the one or more area identifiers obtained for the first area A11 (S106). The communication unit (output unit) 11 then outputs one or more pieces of area information (second information) corresponding to the one or more area identifiers extracted by the display area determination unit 131 (S107). Steps S101 to S107 are then repeated during the operation of the information processing system 1.

[0156] [2-3. Second embodiment]

[0157] The second embodiment to be executed by the information processing system 1 is described below. The second embodiment is executed when path information is further obtained from each of the one or more moving bodies 2. Specifically, based on the path information obtained by the obtaining unit 12, the processing unit 13 extracts from the plurality of areas A1 one or more second areas A12 where the one or more moving bodies 2 were located before the time when the first information was obtained, or extracts from the plurality of areas A1 one or more second areas A12 where the one or more moving bodies 2 may be located after the time when the first information was obtained (see Figure 13 Then, the communication unit (output unit) 11 further outputs the third information related to the extracted one or more second areas A12.

[0158] The second embodiment will be described in detail below. Detailed descriptions of the points common to the basic operation example will be omitted. Figure 11 This is a flowchart showing a second example of the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment. Figure 12 An example of path information is shown.

[0159] Figure 12 (a) and (b) show an example of path information. Figure 12(a) and (b) show that "mobile body ID" indicates an identifier assigned to the mobile body 2, and "travel path / travel area" indicates the type of path information possessed by the mobile body 2. Figure 12 In (a), the "travel area" is information that specifies the travel area (movement range) of the mobile body 2, including an area identifier indicating which area the mobile body is traveling in, and the xy coordinates of each polygon vertex that specifies the range of the area. Figure 12 In (b), "path" is information that specifies the travel path (movement path) of the mobile body 2, including the xy coordinates and area identifiers of the transit points that the mobile body 2 passes through. Figure 12 (a) shows the path information of the moving body 2 assigned the moving body ID "102". Figure 12 (b) shows the route information of the moving object 2 to which the moving object ID “51” is assigned.

[0160] First, the acquisition unit 12 acquires position information from a certain moving object 2 ( S201 ). Next, the display area determination unit 131 of the processing unit 13 acquires the area identifier included in the position information acquired by the acquisition unit 12 as the area identifier of the first area A11 ( S202 ).

[0161] Next, the acquisition unit 12 acquires route information from the mobile object 2, similarly to the above (S203). The display area determination unit 131 of the processing unit 13 then determines whether there are other areas for transfer (S204). Specifically, the display area determination unit 131 determines whether the area identifiers in the route information acquired by the acquisition unit 12 include an area identifier that is different from the area identifier of the first area A11.

[0162] If there is another area to transfer to (S204: Yes), the display area determination unit 131 acquires an area identifier different from the area identifier of the first area A11 as the area identifier of the second area A12 (S205). If there is no other area to transfer to (S204: No), the display area determination unit 131 does not acquire the area identifier of the second area A12. Steps S201 to S205 are repeated until the above-mentioned processing is completed for all mobile objects 2 (S206: No).

[0163] When the processing for all mobile objects 2 is completed (S206: YES), the display area determination unit 131 removes duplicate area identifiers from the acquired area identifiers of the one or more first areas A11 and the one or more second areas A12 (S207). This allows the display area determination unit 131 to extract one or more first areas A11 and one or more second areas A12 from the plurality of areas A1.

[0164] Then, the communication unit (output unit) 11 outputs one or more pieces of area information (second information) corresponding to the area identifiers of the one or more first areas A11 extracted by the display area determination unit 131, and one or more pieces of area information (third information) corresponding to the area identifiers of the one or more second areas A12 (S208). Subsequently, during the operation of the information processing system 1, steps S201 to S208 described above are repeated.

[0165] For example, after obtaining Figure 12 In the case of the path information shown in (a) and (b), the current position of the moving body 2 assigned the moving body ID "51" is on the 14th floor (refer to Figure 4 (b)), but the turning point includes the 16th floor. Therefore, the display area determination unit 131 extracts the 16th floor (one or more second areas A12) from the 1st to 16th floors (the plurality of areas A1). The communication unit (output unit) 11 then transmits the area information (third information) for the 16th floor corresponding to the area identifier for the 16th floor extracted by the display area determination unit 131 to the information terminal 3.

[0166] Figure 13 A first display example in the second embodiment is shown. Figure 13 An example of the second information and the third information displayed on the display unit 33 of the information terminal 3 is shown. Figure 13 In the example shown, the second information includes the area information of the 16th floor of "XX Building". Figure 13 In the example shown, the third information includes area information for the 14th floor of "XX Building." Therefore, a map of the 14th and 16th floors of "XX Building" is displayed on display unit 33. Furthermore, markers B1, B2, and B3 are displayed on display unit 33. Marker B1 indicates the position of mobile object 2 with mobile object ID "X1," marker B2 indicates the position of mobile object 2 with mobile object ID "X2," and marker B3 indicates the position of mobile object 2 with mobile object ID "X3."

[0167] The display unit 33 also displays the movement path C3 of the mobile object 2 with the mobile object ID "X3" and the movement range D2 of the mobile object 2 with the mobile object ID "X2." Furthermore, the display unit 33 displays the future movement path C31 of the mobile object 2 with the mobile object ID "X3." Thus, at least one of the second information and the third information (here, both) includes information indicating at least one of the movement paths and movement ranges of one or more mobile objects 2.

[0168] By observing the display unit 33, the operator (user) can easily understand that three moving objects 2 with moving object IDs "X3," "X1," and "X2" are present on the 16th floor. Furthermore, by observing the display unit 33, the operator can easily understand that the moving object 2 with moving object ID "X2" is moving only on the 16th floor, and that the moving object 2 with moving object ID "X3" is moving on the 16th floor and then moving to the 14th floor.

[0169] The following lists display examples other than the first display example in the second embodiment, namely, the second to fifth display examples. The information processing system 1 can display the second information and the third information on the display unit 33 of the information terminal 3 using any of the display modes from the first to fifth display examples. Furthermore, the information processing system 1 can also display the second information and the third information on the display unit 33 using display modes other than the first to fifth display examples.

[0170] Figure 14 The second display example of the second embodiment is shown. In the second display example, unlike the first display example, the display unit 33 of the information terminal 3 displays only information related to one of the first area A11 and the second area A12. Therefore, in the second display example, the information of the area displayed on the display unit 33 is switched at a certain time (for example, several tens of seconds). Figure 14 In the example shown, the area information of the 14th floor and the area information of the 16th floor of “XX Building” are alternately displayed on the display unit 33 at a predetermined timing.

[0171] Figure 15 The third display example in the second embodiment is shown. In the third display example, unlike the first display example, the larger the number of moving objects 2, the larger the first area A11 is displayed on the display unit 33 of the information terminal 3. Figure 15 In the example shown, the map of the 14th floor of "XX Building" with two moving objects 2 is displayed larger than the map of the 16th floor with only one moving object 2. Furthermore, in the third display example, although the second area A12 is not displayed on the display unit 33, the second area A12 may be displayed on the display unit 33.

[0172] Figure 16 FIG. 4 shows a fourth display example in the second embodiment. In the fourth display example, unlike the first display example, the first area A11 is highlighted on the display unit 33 of the information terminal 3. Figure 16 In the example shown, the map of the 14th floor of "XX Building" in the first area A11 is enclosed in a thick frame, and the map of the 16th floor in the second area A12 is highlighted.

[0173] Figure 17A as well as Figure 17B The fifth display example in the second embodiment is shown. Figure 17A The entire screen of the fifth display example in the second embodiment is shown. Figure 17B The fifth display example in the second embodiment shows a detailed screen. In the fifth display example, according to the operator's (user's) operation on the information terminal 3, either a full screen showing all of the multiple areas A1 is displayed on the display unit 33, or a detailed screen showing only one or more first areas A11 and one or more second areas A12 is displayed on the display unit 33, that is, the display of the full screen and the display of the detailed screen can be switched. Specifically, when the full screen is displayed on the display unit 33, the operator can switch to the detailed screen by selecting the "detailed screen" icon. Furthermore, when the detailed screen is displayed on the display unit 33, the operator can switch to the full screen by selecting the "full screen" icon.

[0174] [2-4. Third embodiment]

[0175] The following describes a third embodiment executed by the information processing system 1. The third embodiment is executed when state information is further acquired from each of one or more moving objects 2. Specifically, the processing unit 13 extracts one or more first areas A11 based on the state information acquired by the acquisition unit 12.

[0176] The third embodiment will be described in detail below. Detailed descriptions of the points common to the basic operation example will be omitted. Figure 18 This is a flowchart showing a third example of the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment. Figure 19 An example of status information is shown. Figure 18 (a) shows the overall outline of the third embodiment. Figure 18 (b) shows an overview of the determination of whether the moving object 2 is in a state to be monitored, which will be described later.

[0177] Figure 19 (a) and (b) show an example of status information. Figure 19In (a) and (b), "Mobile ID" indicates the identifier assigned to the mobile 2, and "Mobile state" indicates the state of the mobile 2. The "Mobile state" includes, for example, offline, waiting, driving, remote operation, failure, safe stop state, or approaching operation. Figure 19 As shown in (a) and (b), the "task being executed" indicates the business that the mobile body 2 is currently executing, and the "subtask being executed" indicates the details of the business that the mobile body 2 is executing. Examples of "task being executed" include: none, delivering, loading, unloading, returning, patrolling, or cleaning. Also, "subtask being executed" includes: none, waiting, moving, waiting for the elevator, moving by elevator, getting off the elevator, waiting for the automatic door to open, passing through the automatic door, waiting for the passage of other approaching mobile bodies, etc. Also, in Figure 19 (a) shows the status information of the mobile body 2 assigned the mobile body ID "102". Figure 19 (b) shows the status information of the moving object 2 to which the moving object ID "51" is assigned.

[0178] First, if Figure 18 As shown in (a) of FIG. 1 , the acquisition unit 12 acquires position information from a certain moving body 2 (S301). Furthermore, the acquisition unit 12 acquires status information from the same moving body 2 as above (S302). Then, the display area determination unit 131 of the processing unit 13 determines whether the moving body 2 is in a state to be monitored (S303). Specifically, the display area determination unit 131 determines whether the moving body 2 is in a state to be monitored (S303). Figure 18 As shown in (b), if the "mobile object status" included in the status information acquired by the acquisition unit 12 is a standby state or offline (S310: Yes), it is determined that the mobile object 2 does not need to be monitored (S312). On the other hand, if the "mobile object status" is neither a standby state nor offline (S310: No), the display area determination unit 131 determines that the mobile object 2 needs to be monitored (S311).

[0179] Return to Figure 18 In step (a), if the mobile object 2 is in a state to be monitored (S303: Yes), the display area determination unit 131 acquires the area identifier included in the position information acquired by the acquisition unit 12 as the area identifier of the first area A11 (S304). If the mobile object 2 is not in a state to be monitored (S303: No), the display area determination unit 131 does not acquire the area identifier of the first area A11. Steps S301 to S304 are repeated until the above-described processing for all mobile objects 2 is completed (S305: No).

[0180] When processing for all mobile objects 2 is complete (S305: Yes), the display area determination unit 131 removes duplicate area identifiers from the acquired area identifiers for the one or more first areas A11 (S306). The communication unit (output unit) 11 then outputs one or more pieces of area information (second information) corresponding to each of the one or more area identifiers for the first areas A11 extracted by the display area determination unit 131 (S307). Subsequently, during the operation of the information processing system 1, steps S301 to S307 are repeated.

[0181] For example, when getting Figure 19 In the case of the status information shown in (a) and (b), the mobile object 2 assigned to the mobile object ID "102" is in a "Standby" state, so the display area determination unit 131 determines that it is not in a state to be monitored. Furthermore, the mobile object 2 assigned to the mobile object ID "51" is in a "Driving" state, so the display area determination unit 131 determines that it is in a state to be monitored. Therefore, the display area determination unit 131 extracts the 16th floor (one or more first areas A11) from the 1st to 16th floors (a plurality of areas A1). The communication unit (output unit) 11 then transmits the area information (second information) for the 16th floor corresponding to the area identifier for the 16th floor extracted by the display area determination unit 131 to the information terminal 3.

[0182] In the third embodiment, the operator (user) can easily understand the floor on which the moving object 2 to be monitored is located by observing the display unit 33 .

[0183] In the third embodiment, similarly to the second embodiment, the information processing system 1 can extract one or more second areas A12 based on the path information, and can also output third information related to the one or more extracted second areas A12.

[0184] [2-5. Fourth embodiment]

[0185] The following describes a fourth embodiment to be executed by the information processing system 1. Similar to the second embodiment, the fourth embodiment is executed by further acquiring path information from one or more mobile objects 2. Specifically, the processing unit 13 determines whether the mobile object 2 is moving between areas based on the path information acquired by the acquisition unit 12. If a mobile object 2 is moving between areas, the communication unit (output unit) 11 further outputs information indicating the movement of the mobile object 2 between areas.

[0186] The fourth embodiment will be described in detail below. Detailed descriptions of the points common to the second embodiment will be omitted. Figure 20This is a flowchart showing a fourth example of the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment. Figure 21 An example of inter-area movement information is shown. Figure 20 (a) shows the overall outline of the fourth embodiment. Figure 20 (b) shows an outline of calculation of inter-area movement information described later.

[0187] exist Figure 21 In , "moving body ID" indicates an identifier assigned to the moving body 2, and "first area identifier" to "fifth area identifier" respectively indicate area identifiers of areas to which the moving body 2 moves sequentially. Figure 21 In the example shown, since the "first area identifier" is "XX_14F" and the "second area identifier" is "XX_16F", it is shown that the moving object 2 moves from the 14th floor to the 16th floor of the "XX Building".

[0188] First, the acquisition unit 12 acquires position information from a certain moving object 2 (S401). Next, the display area determination unit 131 of the processing unit 13 acquires the area identifier included in the position information acquired by the acquisition unit 12 as the area identifier of the first area A11 (S402).

[0189] Next, the acquisition unit 12 acquires route information from the mobile object 2 in the same manner as described above (S403). The display area determination unit 131 of the processing unit 13 then determines whether there are other areas for transfer. Here, the display area determination unit 131 will be used to describe another area determined to be a transfer area. As the area identifier for the second area A12, the display area determination unit 131 acquires an area identifier that is different from the area identifier for the first area A11 (S404).

[0190] Next, the inter-area movement determination unit 133 determines whether the moving body 2 moves across multiple areas based on the path information acquired by the acquisition unit 12, and calculates the inter-area movement information (S405). Figure 20As shown in (b), the area information of the transit point is obtained based on the path information (S410). Then, when the area information of the transit point is obtained for the first time (S411: Yes), the inter-area movement determination unit 133 adds the area identifier corresponding to the area information (S412). Here, the inter-area movement determination unit 133 adds the area identifier corresponding to the area information as the "first area identifier". Next, when the area information of the transit point is obtained for the second time or more (S411: No) and the area of ​​the transit point indicated by the area information is different from the area of ​​the previous transit point (S413: Yes), the inter-area movement determination unit 133 adds the area identifier corresponding to the area information (S412). In addition, when the area of ​​the transit point indicated by the area information is the same as the area of ​​the previous transit point (S413: No), the inter-area movement determination unit 133 does not add the area identifier. Hereinafter, the above steps S410 to S412 are repeated until the area information of all transit points is obtained. Based on this, it is possible to calculate the following: Figure 21 Inter-area movement information as shown.

[0191] Return to Figure 20 (a), steps S401 to S405 are repeated until the above-mentioned processing for all the moving bodies 2 is completed (S406: No).

[0192] When processing is complete for all mobile objects 2 (S406: Yes), the display area determination unit 131 removes duplicate area identifiers from the acquired area identifiers for the one or more first areas A11 and the one or more second areas A12 (S407). The communication unit (output unit) 11 then outputs the one or more pieces of area information (second information) corresponding to each of the one or more first area identifiers A11, and the one or more pieces of area information (third information) corresponding to each of the one or more second area identifiers A12, extracted by the display area determination unit 131 (S408). At this time, if inter-area movement information has been calculated, the communication unit 11 also outputs the inter-area movement information. Steps S401 to S408 are then repeated during the operation of the information processing system 1.

[0193] Figure 22 A display example in the fourth embodiment is shown. Figure 22 FIG. 3 shows an example of the second information, the third information, and the inter-area movement information displayed on the display unit 33 of the information terminal 3. Figure 22 In the example shown, the second information includes the area information of the 13th floor and the area information of the 16th floor of "XX Building". Figure 22In the example shown, the third information includes area information for the 14th and 16th floors of "XX Building." Therefore, the display unit 33 displays a floor map for the 13th, 14th, and 16th floors of "XX Building."

[0194] Furthermore, a marker B1 and a marker B3 are displayed on the display unit 33. Marker B1 indicates the position of the mobile object 2 with the mobile object ID "X1," and marker B3 indicates the position of the mobile object 2 with the mobile object ID "X3." Furthermore, the display unit 33 displays the movement path C3 of the mobile object 2 with the mobile object ID "X3," and the movement path C1 of the mobile object 2 with the mobile object ID "X1." Furthermore, the display unit 33 displays the future movement path C31 of the mobile object 2 with the mobile object ID "X3," and the future movement path C11 of the mobile object 2 with the mobile object ID "X1."

[0195] Then, arrows E1 and E3 are displayed on the display unit 33 as inter-area movement information. Arrow E1 indicates movement of the moving object 2 with the moving object ID "X1" from the 16th floor to the 13th floor, and arrow E3 indicates movement of the moving object 2 with the moving object ID "X3" from the 16th floor to the 14th floor. Furthermore, frames F1 and F3 are displayed on the display unit 33 as inter-area movement information. Frame F1 indicates the elevator used by the moving object 2 with the moving object ID "X1" when moving between areas, and frame F3 indicates the elevator used by the moving object 2 with the moving object ID "X3" when moving between areas.

[0196] The operator (user) can easily understand the movement destinations of the moving object 2 having the moving object ID “ X3 ” and the moving object 2 having the moving object ID “ X1 ” by observing the display unit 33 .

[0197] In the fifth to ninth embodiments described below, the information processing system 1 further determines which of the one or more first areas A11 should be displayed with priority. Specifically, the processing unit 13 calculates the priority of each of the one or more first areas A11. The second information output by the communication unit (output unit) 11 then includes information indicating the calculated priority of each of the one or more first areas A11. On the display unit 33 of the information terminal 3, information related to the first area A11 with a higher priority is displayed larger or emphasized relative to information related to the first area A11 with a lower priority.

[0198] [2-6. Fifth embodiment]

[0199] The following describes a fifth embodiment to be executed by the information processing system 1. Similar to the second embodiment, the fifth embodiment is executed by further acquiring path information from one or more mobile objects 2. Specifically, based on the acquired path information, the processing unit 13 calculates the priority of each of the one or more first areas A11, such that the priority of areas where two or more of the multiple mobile objects 2 cross each other is increased.

[0200] The fifth embodiment will be described in detail below. Detailed descriptions of the points common to the second embodiment will be omitted. Figure 23 This is a flowchart showing a fifth example of the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment. Figure 24 An example of interleaving region information is shown.

[0201] exist Figure 24 In the figure, "area identifier" indicates the identifier of the area where two or more moving bodies 2 cross each other, and "crossed moving body (1)" and "crossed moving body (2)" respectively indicate the identifiers of two or more moving bodies 2 that cross each other. Figure 24 In the example shown, it is shown that on the 16th floor of the "XX Building", the moving object 2 with the moving object ID "51" and the moving object 2 with the moving object ID "101" pass each other.

[0202] First, the acquisition unit 12 acquires position information from a certain moving object 2 (S501). Next, the display area determination unit 131 of the processing unit 13 acquires the area identifier included in the position information acquired by the acquisition unit 12 as the area identifier of the first area A11 (S502).

[0203] Next, the acquisition unit 12 acquires route information from the mobile object 2, similarly to the above (S503). The display area determination unit 131 of the processing unit 13 then determines whether there are other areas for transfer. Here, the display area determination unit 131 determines that there are other areas for transfer. Then, the display area determination unit 131 acquires an area identifier different from the area identifier of the first area A11 as the area identifier of the second area A12 (S504). Steps S501 to S504 are repeated until the above processing is completed for all mobile objects 2 (S505: No).

[0204] When the processing for all the moving objects 2 is completed ( S505 : Yes), the display area determination unit 131 removes duplicate area identifiers from the acquired area identifiers of the one or more first areas A11 and the one or more second areas A12 ( S506 ).

[0205] Then, the priority determination unit 134 determines whether two or more moving bodies 2 have passed each other (S507) for the extracted one or more first areas A11 and one or more second areas A12. Specifically, the priority determination unit 134 compares the movement paths or movement ranges of each moving body 2. If the movement paths or movement ranges overlap, it determines that a crossing has occurred in the area including the repeated movement paths or movement ranges. If a crossing has occurred (S507: Yes), the priority determination unit 134 calculates the crossing area information including the area identifier of the area where the crossing occurred (S508). That is, the priority determination unit 134 calculates the priority in such a way that the area where the crossing has occurred has a higher priority. On the other hand, if a crossing has not occurred (S507: No), the priority determination unit 134 does not calculate the crossing area information.

[0206] Then, the communication unit (output unit) 11 outputs one or more pieces of area information (second information) corresponding to each of the one or more area identifiers of the first area A11 extracted by the display area determination unit 131, and one or more pieces of area information (third information) corresponding to each of the one or more area identifiers of the second area A12 (S509). At this time, if interleaving area information has been calculated, the communication unit 11 also outputs the interleaving area information. Subsequently, during the operation of the information processing system 1, steps S501 to S509 are repeated.

[0207] Figure 25 The first display example in the fifth embodiment is shown. Figure 25 An example of the second information, the third information, and the interleaving area information displayed on the display unit 33 of the information terminal 3 is shown. Figure 25 In the example shown, the second information includes the area information of the 16th floor of "XX Building". Figure 25 In the example shown, the third information includes area information of the 15th floor of "XX Building." Therefore, a floor map of the 15th floor and a floor map of the 16th floor of "XX Building" are displayed on the display unit 33.

[0208] Furthermore, the display unit 33 displays markers B1, B2, and B3. Marker B1 indicates the position of the mobile object 2 with the mobile object ID "X1," marker B2 indicates the position of the mobile object 2 with the mobile object ID "X2," and marker B3 indicates the position of the mobile object 2 with the mobile object ID "X3." Furthermore, the display unit 33 displays the movement path C3 of the mobile object 2 with the mobile object ID "X3" and the movement range D2 of the mobile object 2 with the mobile object ID "X2." Furthermore, the display unit 33 displays the future movement path C31 of the mobile object 2 with the mobile object ID "X3."

[0209] Therefore, the display unit 33 displays area G1 as the passing area information. Area G1 is the location where the moving object 2 with the moving object ID "X2" and the moving object 2 with the moving object ID "X3" passed each other. Furthermore, since the first area A11, the area on the 16th floor where the passing occurred, has a higher priority, the area on the 16th floor is displayed larger on the display unit 33.

[0210] The operator (user) can easily understand that the moving object 2 with the moving object ID “X3” and the moving object 2 with the moving object ID “X2” have passed each other by observing the display unit 33 .

[0211] Figure 26 The second display example in the fifth embodiment is shown. In the second display example, unlike the first display example, a map of the first area A11 where the crossing occurs, that is, the 16th floor of the "XX Building", and image information of each of the two moving bodies 2 that may cross each other are displayed on the display unit 33 of the information terminal 3. The second display example can be realized by further outputting the image information of each moving body 2 to the information terminal 3 via the communication unit (output unit) 11. Here, the image information of the moving body 2 with the moving body ID "X3" and the image information of the moving body 2 with the moving body ID "X2" are displayed on the display unit 33. The former image information includes the image P11 in front, the image P12 on the left, the image P13 on the right, and the image P14 behind the moving body 2 with the moving body ID "X3". The latter video information includes a front video P21 , a left video P22 , a right video P23 , and a rear video P24 of the moving object 2 having the moving object ID “ X2 ”.

[0212] The operator (user) can appropriately switch between the first display example and the second display example by operating the information terminal 3. Thus, in the second display example, the operator can easily understand by observing the display unit 33 that the moving object 2 with the moving object ID "X3" and the moving object 2 with the moving object ID "X2" are about to cross each other.

[0213] [2-7. Sixth embodiment]

[0214] The following describes a sixth embodiment to be executed by the information processing system 1. This sixth embodiment is executed by further acquiring intervention information from the intervention information DB 42. Specifically, based on the acquired intervention information, the processing unit 13 calculates the priority of each of the one or more first areas A11, such that areas in which the operator has performed interventions have higher priority.

[0215] The sixth embodiment will be described in detail below. Detailed descriptions of the points common to the basic operation example will be omitted. Figure 27This is a flowchart showing a sixth example of the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment. Figure 28 An example of intervention information is shown.

[0216] Figure 28 (a) and (b) show an example of intervention information. Figure 28 (a) and (b) show that the "intervention category" indicates the category of how the operator intervenes, the "intervention reason" indicates the reason for the operator's intervention, and the "area identifier" indicates the identifier of the area where the operator intervenes. Examples of the "intervention category" include remote operation, remote stop, safety stop, path change, or support personnel rushing to respond. And, in Figure 28 In (a) and (b), respectively, “occurrence time” indicates the time of intervention by the operator, and “intervention location” indicates the xy coordinates of the location where the operator intervenes.

[0217] First, the acquisition unit 12 acquires intervention information from the intervention information DB 42 (S601). Next, the acquisition unit 12 acquires position information from a certain mobile object 2 (S602). Then, the display area determination unit 131 of the processing unit 13 acquires the area identifier included in the position information acquired by the acquisition unit 12 as the area identifier of the first area A11 (S603).

[0218] Next, the priority determination unit 134 determines whether an operator has intervened in the first area A11 based on the intervention information (S604). If an operator has intervened in the past (S604: Yes), the priority determination unit 134 sets the first area A11 as a priority area (S605). In other words, the priority determination unit 134 calculates the priority so that areas with past operator intervention have higher priority. If an operator has not intervened in the past (S604: No), the priority determination unit 134 does not set the first area A11 as a priority area.

[0219] Steps S601 to S605 are repeated until the above-described processing is completed for all the moving objects 2 (S606: No). When the processing is completed for all the moving objects 2 (S606: Yes), the display area determination unit 131 removes duplicate area identifiers from the acquired one or more first area A11 area identifiers (S607).

[0220] The communication unit (output unit) 11 then outputs one or more pieces of area information (second information) corresponding to each of the one or more area identifiers of the first area A11 extracted by the display area determination unit 131 (S608). At this time, if a priority area has been set, the communication unit 11 also outputs setting information regarding the priority area. Steps S601 to S608 are then repeated during the operation of the information processing system 1.

[0221] The following describes other operations of the sixth embodiment. Figure 29 This is a flowchart showing other operations of the sixth example of the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment. Figure 30 Another example of intervention information is shown.

[0222] Figure 30 (a) and (b) show another example of intervention information. Figure 30 The intervention information shown in (a) and (b) is Figure 28 The intervention information shown in (a) and (b) is different and further includes a “severity level.” The “severity level” indicates the severity of the need for operator intervention and is, for example, shown in three levels: high, medium, and low.

[0223] exist Figure 29 In the flowchart shown, since steps S610, S611, S612, S615, S616, and S617 are respectively Figure 27 Steps S601 , S602 , S603 , S606 , S607 , and S608 in the flowchart shown are the same, and thus their description is omitted here.

[0224] Based on the intervention information, the priority determination unit 134 determines whether there has been a significant operator intervention in the first area A11 (S613). Specifically, the priority determination unit 134 refers to the severity level in the intervention information and, if the severity level is greater than a specified value (e.g., a severity level of medium or above), determines that there has been a significant operator intervention. If there has been a significant operator intervention (S613: Yes), the priority determination unit 134 sets the first area A11 as a priority area (S614). In other words, the priority determination unit 134 calculates the priority level so that areas with significant operator intervention have higher priority. If there has been no operator intervention (S613: No), the priority determination unit 134 does not set the first area A11 as a priority area.

[0225] In the sixth embodiment, the information processing system 1 may extract one or more second areas A12 based on the path information, similarly to the second embodiment, and further output third information related to the one or more extracted second areas A12.

[0226] Figure 31 A display example in the sixth embodiment is shown. Figure 31 An example of the second information and the third information displayed on the display unit 33 of the information terminal 3 is shown. Figure 31 In the example shown, the second information includes the area information of the 16th floor of "XX Building". Figure 31 In the example shown, the third information includes area information of the 15th floor of "XX Building." Therefore, a floor map of the 15th floor and a floor map of the 16th floor of "XX Building" are displayed on the display unit 33.

[0227] Furthermore, the display unit 33 displays markers B1, B2, and B3. Marker B1 indicates the position of the mobile object 2 with the mobile object ID "X1," marker B2 indicates the position of the mobile object 2 with the mobile object ID "X2," and marker B3 indicates the position of the mobile object 2 with the mobile object ID "X3." Furthermore, the display unit 33 displays the movement path C3 of the mobile object 2 with the mobile object ID "X3" and the movement range D2 of the mobile object 2 with the mobile object ID "X2." Furthermore, the display unit 33 displays the future movement path C31 of the mobile object 2 with the mobile object ID "X3."

[0228] Then, the area H1 indicating the location where the operator intervened is displayed on the display unit 33. Since the first area A11 where the operator intervened, ie, the area on the 16th floor, has a high priority, the area on the 16th floor is displayed larger on the display unit 33.

[0229] The operator (user) can easily understand that there has been any intervention by the operator by observing the display unit 33 .

[0230] However, the intervention information is input by an operator (user) using the information terminal 3 , for example, and is stored in the intervention information DB 42 . Figure 32 3 is an explanatory diagram for explaining how to input intervention information on the information terminal 3. Figure 32 As shown, the operator enters the time of intervention, the mobile object number (mobile object ID) of the mobile object 2 to be intervened, the type of intervention, the severity, and the reason for intervention on the input screen displayed on the display unit 33. In response, the intervention information is transmitted from the information terminal 3 to the storage device 4 via the network N1, and the intervention information is stored in the intervention information DB 42. Alternatively, the severity and reason for intervention can be automatically entered based on the type of intervention, for example.

[0231] [2-8. Seventh embodiment]

[0232] The following describes a seventh embodiment to be executed by the information processing system 1. This seventh embodiment is executed by further acquiring notification information from the notification information DB 43. Specifically, based on the acquired notification information, the processing unit 13 calculates the priority of each of the one or more first areas A11, such that areas with notifications to the operator have higher priority.

[0233] The seventh embodiment will be described in detail below. Detailed descriptions of the points common to the basic operation example will be omitted. Figure 33 This is a flowchart showing a seventh example of the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment. Figure 34 An example of notification information is shown.

[0234] Figure 34 (a) and (b) show an example of notification information. Figure 34 (a) and (b) respectively show that the "Notification Category" indicates the category of notification made from the mobile body 2 to the operator, the "Notification Reason" indicates the reason why the mobile body 2 made the notification, and the "Area Identifier" indicates the identifier of the area where the notification from the mobile body 2 is received. Examples of the "Notification Category" include pedestrian approach, vehicle approach, bicycle approach, safe stop, autonomous breakdown, fallen objects on the road, malfunction, communication anomaly, roadside parking ahead, and a non-driving area ahead. In addition, Figure 34 (a) and (b) show that "notification priority" indicates the priority of notification from mobile body 2, which is divided into three levels: high, medium and low. Figure 34 (a) and (b) show that “Occurrence time” indicates the time when the mobile object 2 issues a notification, and “Notification location” indicates the xy coordinates of the location where the mobile object 2 issues a notification.

[0235] First, the acquisition unit 12 acquires notification information from the notification information DB 43 (S701). Next, the acquisition unit 12 acquires position information from a certain mobile object 2 (S702). Then, the display area determination unit 131 of the processing unit 13 acquires the area identifier included in the position information acquired by the acquisition unit 12 as the area identifier of the first area A11 (S703).

[0236] Next, the priority determination unit 134 determines whether there has been a notification in the first area A11 based on the notification information (S704). Specifically, the priority determination unit 134 refers to the notification priority in the notification information and, if the notification priority is greater than a specified value (for example, the notification priority is medium or above), determines that there has been a notification in the past. If there has been a notification in the past (S704: Yes), the priority determination unit 134 sets the first area A11 as a priority area (S705). In other words, the priority determination unit 134 calculates the priority so that the areas with previous notifications have higher priorities. On the other hand, if there has been no notification in the past (S704: No), the priority determination unit 134 does not set the first area A11 as a priority area.

[0237] Steps S701 to S705 are repeated until the above-described processing is completed for all the moving objects 2 (S706: No). When the processing is completed for all the moving objects 2 (S706: Yes), the display area determination unit 131 removes duplicate area identifiers from the acquired one or more first area A11 area identifiers (S707).

[0238] Then, the communication unit (output unit) 11 outputs one or more pieces of area information (second information) corresponding to each of the one or more area identifiers of the first area A11 extracted by the display area determination unit 131 (S708). At this time, if a priority area has been set, the communication unit 11 further outputs setting information regarding the priority area. Subsequently, during the operation of the information processing system 1, steps S701 to S708 described above are repeated.

[0239] In the seventh embodiment, the information processing system 1 may extract one or more second areas A12 based on the path information, and further output third information related to the one or more extracted second areas A12, similar to the second embodiment.

[0240] Figure 35 A display example in the seventh embodiment is shown. Figure 35 An example of the second information and the third information displayed on the display unit 33 of the information terminal 3 is shown. Figure 35 In the example shown, the second information includes the area information of the 16th floor of "XX Building". Figure 35 In the example shown, the third information includes area information of the 15th floor of "XX Building." Therefore, a floor map of the 15th floor and a floor map of the 16th floor of "XX Building" are displayed on the display unit 33.

[0241] Furthermore, markers B1, B2, and B3 are displayed on the display unit 33. Marker B1 indicates the position of the mobile object 2 with the mobile object ID "X1," marker B2 indicates the position of the mobile object 2 with the mobile object ID "X2," and marker B3 indicates the position of the mobile object 2 with the mobile object ID "X3." Furthermore, the display unit 33 displays the movement path C3 of the mobile object 2 with the mobile object ID "X3" and the movement range D2 of the mobile object 2 with the mobile object ID "X2." Furthermore, the display unit 33 displays the future movement path C31 of the mobile object 2 with the mobile object ID "X3."

[0242] Then, the display unit 33 displays a mark I1 indicating the location where the notification from the moving object 2 is received. Furthermore, since the first area A11 on the 16th floor, which has received the notification from the moving object 2, has a high priority, the display unit 33 displays the 16th floor in a larger size.

[0243] The operator (user) can easily understand that there has been a notification from the mobile object 2 in the past by observing the display unit 33 .

[0244] [2-9. Eighth embodiment]

[0245] The following describes an eighth embodiment to be executed by the information processing system 1. This eighth embodiment is executed by further acquiring traffic information from the traffic information DB 44. Specifically, the processing unit 13 calculates the priority of each of the one or more first areas A11 based on the acquired traffic information, with areas with higher traffic volume receiving higher priority.

[0246] The eighth embodiment will be described in detail below. Detailed descriptions of the points common to the basic working example will be omitted. Figure 36 This is a flowchart showing an eighth example of the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment. Figure 37 An example of traffic information is shown.

[0247] exist Figure 37 As shown in the figure, "area identifier" represents the identifier of the area, "area name" represents the name of the area, "time and population density" represents the population density per unit time (here 1 hour), and "location" represents the xy coordinates of the location where the population density is measured.

[0248] First, the acquisition unit 12 acquires notification information from the traffic information DB 44 (S801). Next, the acquisition unit 12 acquires position information from a certain mobile object 2 (S802). Then, the display area determination unit 131 of the processing unit 13 acquires the area identifier included in the position information acquired by the acquisition unit 12 as the area identifier of the first area A11 (S803).

[0249] Next, the priority determination unit 134 determines whether there are many people currently passing through the first area A11 based on the traffic information (S804). Specifically, the priority determination unit 134 refers to the time and population density in the traffic information. If the population density at the time of determination is greater than a specified value, it determines that there are many pedestrians currently passing through. If it is determined that there are many pedestrians currently passing through (S804: Yes), the priority determination unit 134 sets the first area A11 as a priority area (S805). In other words, the priority determination unit 134 calculates the priority so that areas with heavy traffic have higher priorities. Conversely, if it is determined that there are not many pedestrians currently passing through (S804: No), the priority determination unit 134 does not set the first area A11 as a priority area.

[0250] Steps S801 to S805 are repeated until the above-described processing is completed for all the moving objects 2 (S806: No). When the processing is completed for all the moving objects 2 (S806: Yes), the display area determination unit 131 removes duplicate area identifiers from the acquired one or more first area A11 area identifiers (S807).

[0251] The communication unit (output unit) 11 then outputs one or more pieces of area information (second information) corresponding to each of the one or more area identifiers of the first area A11 extracted by the display area determination unit 131 (S808). If a priority area has been set, the communication unit 11 further outputs setting information for the priority area. Steps S801 to S808 are then repeated during the operation of the information processing system 1.

[0252] In the eighth embodiment, the information processing system 1 may extract one or more second areas A12 based on the path information, similar to the second embodiment, and further output third information related to the one or more extracted second areas A12.

[0253] Figure 38 A display example in the eighth embodiment is shown. Figure 38 An example of the second information and the third information displayed on the display unit 33 of the information terminal 3 is shown. Figure 38 In the example shown, the second information includes the area information of the 16th floor of "XX Building". Figure 38 In the example shown, the third information includes area information of the 15th floor of "XX Building." Therefore, a floor map of the 15th floor and a floor map of the 16th floor of "XX Building" are displayed on the display unit 33.

[0254] Furthermore, the display unit 33 displays markers B1, B2, and B3. Marker B1 indicates the position of the mobile object 2 with the mobile object ID "X1," marker B2 indicates the position of the mobile object 2 with the mobile object ID "X2," and marker B3 indicates the position of the mobile object 2 with the mobile object ID "X3." Furthermore, the display unit 33 displays the movement path C3 of the mobile object 2 with the mobile object ID "X3" and the movement range D2 of the mobile object 2 with the mobile object ID "X2." Furthermore, the display unit 33 displays the future movement path C31 of the mobile object 2 with the mobile object ID "X3."

[0255] Then, the heat map J1 showing a location with many pedestrians (high traffic volume) is displayed on the display unit 33. Furthermore, since the first area A11 with many pedestrians, i.e., the area on the 16th floor, has a high priority, the area on the 16th floor is displayed larger on the display unit 33.

[0256] The operator (user) can easily grasp a location with heavy traffic by observing the display unit 33 .

[0257] [2-10. Ninth embodiment]

[0258] The following describes a ninth embodiment to be executed by the information processing system 1. This ninth embodiment is executed when the status information acquired from each mobile object 2 includes information indicating the number of people around each mobile object 2 (in other words, traffic information). Specifically, the processing unit 13 calculates the priority of each of the one or more first areas A11 based on the traffic information included in the acquired status information, with areas with high traffic volume receiving higher priority.

[0259] The ninth embodiment will be described in detail below. Detailed descriptions of the points common to the basic working example will be omitted. Figure 39 This is a flowchart showing a ninth example of the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment. Figure 40 Another example of status information is shown.

[0260] Figure 40 (a) and (b) show another example of status information. Figure 40 (a) and (b) show that "Mobile object ID" indicates an identifier assigned to mobile object 2, and "Number of detected pedestrians around" indicates the number of pedestrians detected around mobile object 2. "Number of detected pedestrians around" can be obtained, for example, by mobile object 2 performing appropriate image analysis processing on a captured image and detecting pedestrians included in the image.

[0261] First, the acquisition unit 12 acquires position information from a certain moving object 2 (S901). Next, the acquisition unit 12 acquires state information from the same moving object 2 (S902). Then, the display area determination unit 131 of the processing unit 13 acquires the area identifier included in the position information acquired by the acquisition unit 12 as the area identifier of the first area A11 (S903).

[0262] Next, the priority determination unit 134 determines whether the number of pedestrians in the above-mentioned first area A11 is greater than the specified number based on the traffic information included in the status information (S904). Specifically, the priority determination unit 134 refers to the number of surrounding pedestrian detections in the status information, and when the number of surrounding pedestrian detections at the time of judgment is greater than the specified value, it determines that the number of pedestrians is greater than the specified number. When it is determined that the number of pedestrians is greater than the specified number (S904: Yes), the priority determination unit 134 sets the first area A11 as a priority area (S905). That is, the priority determination unit 134 calculates the priority in such a way that the priority of the area with more traffic is higher. On the contrary, when it is determined that the number of pedestrians is less than the specified number (S904: No), the priority determination unit 134 does not set the first area A11 as a priority area.

[0263] Steps S901 to S905 are repeated until the above-described processing is completed for all the moving objects 2 (S906: No). When the processing is completed for all the moving objects 2 (S906: Yes), the display area determination unit 131 removes duplicate area identifiers from the acquired one or more first area A11 area identifiers (S907).

[0264] The communication unit (output unit) 11 then outputs one or more pieces of area information (second information) corresponding to each of the one or more area identifiers of the first area A11 extracted by the display area determination unit 131 (S908). If a priority area has been set, the communication unit 11 further outputs setting information for the priority area. Steps S901 to S908 are then repeated during the operation of the information processing system 1.

[0265] In the ninth embodiment, the information processing system 1 may extract one or more second areas A12 based on the path information, similar to the second embodiment, and further output third information related to the one or more extracted second areas A12.

[0266] Figure 41 A display example in the ninth embodiment is shown. Figure 41 An example of the second information and the third information displayed on the display unit 33 of the information terminal 3 is shown. Figure 41In the example shown, the second information includes the area information of the 16th floor of "XX Building". Figure 41 In the example shown, the third information includes area information of the 15th floor of "XX Building." Therefore, a floor map of the 15th floor and a floor map of the 16th floor of "XX Building" are displayed on the display unit 33.

[0267] Furthermore, markers B1, B2, and B3 are displayed on the display unit 33. Marker B1 indicates the position of the mobile object 2 with the mobile object ID "X1," marker B2 indicates the position of the mobile object 2 with the mobile object ID "X2," and marker B3 indicates the position of the mobile object 2 with the mobile object ID "X3." Furthermore, the display unit 33 displays the movement path C3 of the mobile object 2 with the mobile object ID "X3" and the movement range D2 of the mobile object 2 with the mobile object ID "X2." Furthermore, the display unit 33 displays the future movement path C31 of the mobile object 2 with the mobile object ID "X3."

[0268] Then, a heat map K1 is displayed on the display unit 33. The heat map K1 indicates a location with a predetermined number of pedestrians or more (high traffic volume). Furthermore, since the first area A11, i.e., the 16th floor area, where the predetermined number of pedestrians or more is present, has a high priority, the 16th floor area is displayed larger on the display unit 33.

[0269] The operator (user) can easily grasp a location with heavy traffic by observing the display unit 33 .

[0270] [3. Advantages, etc.]

[0271] As described above, the information processing method and information processing system 1 according to the embodiment extract one or more first areas A11, each of which contains one or more mobile objects 2, from a plurality of areas A1, and output second information related to the extracted one or more first areas A11. Therefore, for example, when displaying the second information on the display unit 33 of the information terminal 3, it is not necessary to display all areas A1, but only the one or more first areas A11 each of which contains one or more mobile objects 2. This allows the display unit 33 to display a greater amount of information for each area. This allows an operator (user) to easily understand the status of each mobile object 2 by observing the display unit 33.

[0272] In this way, the information processing and information processing system 1 involved in the embodiment does not prompt the user with information related to all areas of multiple areas A1, but can only prompt the user with information related to one or more first areas A11 where one or more mobile bodies 2 are located, so it has the advantage that the user can easily understand the utilization status of one or more mobile bodies 2.

[0273] (Other Embodiments)

[0274] The above describes the information processing method and information processing system 1 involved in one or more aspects of the present disclosure based on the embodiments, but the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments. Within the scope of the present disclosure, various variations conceived by those skilled in the art are implemented in the various embodiments, as well as aspects constructed by combining components from different embodiments, all of which are included within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0275] The following describes first to fifth modified examples of information displayed on the display unit 33 of the information terminal 3 as examples.

[0276] <First Modification>

[0277] Figure 42 FIG. 1 shows a first variation of the information displayed on the display unit 33 of the information terminal 3. Figure 42 As shown in FIG. 3 , when the operator (user) selects a mark representing the moving object 2, the image information of the moving object 2 corresponding to the mark is displayed on the display unit 33. Figure 42 In the example shown, the operator selects marker B3 representing the mobile object 2 with the mobile object ID "X3." Consequently, the display unit 33 displays the image P11 in front of, the image P12 to the left, the image P13 to the right, and the image P14 to the rear of, the mobile object 2 with the mobile object ID "X3." This modification can be implemented by further outputting the image information of each mobile object 2 to the information terminal 3 via the communication unit (output unit) 11.

[0278] The operator (user) can easily grasp the situation around the moving object 2 by observing the display unit 33 .

[0279] <Second Modification>

[0280] Figure 43 FIG. 2 shows a second variation of the information displayed on the display unit 33 of the information terminal 3. Figure 43 As shown in (a), the display unit 33 displays an image of a high-priority area in one or more first areas A11 and a floor structure representing the plurality of areas A1. Then, one or more marks (here, marks B1 to B4) representing one or more moving bodies 2 are displayed in the image. By observing the display unit 33, the operator (user) can easily grasp the status of the high-priority area and the position of the moving body 2 in the area outside the area. In addition, in the image showing the above-mentioned floor structure, as shown in FIG. Figure 43 As shown in (b) of FIG. 1 , the area displayed on the display unit 33 may not be displayed.

[0281] By observing the display unit 33 , the operator (user) can easily grasp not only the moving objects 2 existing in the high-priority area but also the moving objects 2 existing in other areas.

[0282] <Third Modification>

[0283] Figure 44 FIG. 3 shows a third modified example of the display on the display unit 33 of the information terminal 3. In this modified example, Figure 44 As shown, the plurality of areas A1 are not a plurality of floors of a facility, but a plurality of divided areas obtained by dividing the land into a certain range. Figure 44 In the example shown, the second information includes the area information of "Area 3" of "ZZ Town" as the first area A11, and the area information of "Area 4" as the first area A11. Therefore, the map of "Area 3" of "ZZ Town" and the map of "Area 4" are displayed on the display unit 33. Figure 44 In the example shown, a map showing most of the plurality of areas A1 is displayed on the display unit 33 , but this map may not be displayed on the display unit 33 .

[0284] Furthermore, the display unit 33 displays a mark B5 indicating the position of the mobile object 2 with the mobile object ID "X5," a mark B6 indicating the position of the mobile object 2 with the mobile object ID "X6," a mark B7 indicating the position of the mobile object 2 with the mobile object ID "X7," and a mark B8 indicating the position of the mobile object 2 with the mobile object ID "X8." Furthermore, the display unit 33 displays the movement paths C5, C6, C7, and C8 of the mobile objects 2 with the mobile object IDs "X5," "X6," "X7," and "X8." Furthermore, the movement paths C5, C6, C7, and C8 of the mobile objects 2 are displayed on the display unit 33 when the information processing system 1 acquires path information.

[0285] The operator (user) can easily understand the status of one or more moving objects 2 existing on the site by observing the display unit 33 .

[0286] <Fourth Modification>

[0287] Figure 45 FIG. 4 shows a fourth variation of the display on the display unit 33 of the information terminal 3. In this variation, Figure 45 As shown, the display unit 33 displays one or more areas (here, two areas) with high priority among one or more first areas A11 and an overview A13 showing an overview of one or more moving bodies 2 (here, four moving bodies 2) existing in the one or more areas.

[0288] In addition, the display unit 33 displays a mark B9 indicating the position of the mobile body 2 with the mobile body ID "X9", a mark B10 indicating the position of the mobile body 2 with the mobile body ID "X10", a mark B11 indicating the position of the mobile body 2 with the mobile body ID "X11", and a mark B12 indicating the position of the mobile body 2 with the mobile body ID "X12".

[0289] List A13 displays, for each mobile object 2, the mobile object ID, a schematic image of the mobile object 2, and an image indicating the status of the mobile object 2. The images indicating the status of the mobile object 2 include, from left to right: an image indicating the presence of a notification from the mobile object 2, an image indicating whether a call with the mobile object 2 is possible, an image indicating the communication status with the mobile object 2, and an image indicating the remaining battery level of the mobile object 2. Furthermore, if there are notifications from the mobile object 2, a number indicating the number of notifications is displayed in the upper right corner of the schematic image of the mobile object 2.

[0290] Alternatively, in the list A13 , for example, the moving objects 2 in the area with higher priority may be arranged at the top of the list A13 . Furthermore, the order of the moving objects 2 in the list A13 may be updated at regular intervals.

[0291] The operator (user) can easily grasp the status of one or more moving objects 2 by observing the display unit 33 .

[0292] <Fifth Modification>

[0293] Figure 46 FIG. 5 shows a fifth variation of the display on the display unit 33 of the information terminal 3. In this variation, Figure 46 As shown, one or more areas (here, three areas) with high priority in one or more first areas A11 of each of the plurality of monitoring targets are displayed on the display unit 33. Here, the plurality of monitoring targets are the facilities "XX Building" and "YY Building" and the land "ZZ Town".

[0294] Figure 46 In the example shown, the second information includes area information for the 16th floor, the first area A11 with a high priority in "XX Building," the 15th floor, the first area A11 with a high priority in "YY Building," and area information for "Area 3," the first area A11 with a high priority in "ZZ Town." Therefore, a map of the 16th floor of "XX Building," a map of the 15th floor of "YY Building," and a map of "Area 3" of "ZZ Town" are displayed on display unit 33.

[0295] Display unit 33 displays marks B2 and B3 indicating the positions of mobile objects 2 in "XX Building" with mobile object IDs "X2" and "X3," mark B1 indicating the position of mobile object 2 in "YY Building" with mobile object ID "X1," and marks B5 and B6 indicating the positions of mobile objects 2 in "ZZ Town" with mobile object IDs "X5" and "X6." Display unit 33 also displays the movement range D2 of mobile object 2 with mobile object ID "X2," the movement path C3 of mobile object 2 with mobile object ID "X3," and the movement paths C5 and C6 of each mobile object 2 with mobile object IDs "X5" and "X6." Furthermore, the movement paths C3, C5, and C6 of each mobile object 2, as well as the movement range D2, are displayed on display unit 33 when information processing system 1 acquires path information.

[0296] The operator (user) can easily grasp the status of one or more moving objects 2 of each of a plurality of monitoring targets by observing the display unit 33 .

[0297] <Other Modifications>

[0298] For example, in the fifth display example of the second embodiment, the detailed screen (see FIG. 1 ) is displayed according to the operation of the operator (user) on the information terminal 3. Figure 17A ) is displayed on the display unit 33 or the entire screen (refer to Figure 17B ) is displayed on the display unit 33 for switching, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the occurrence of an event requiring monitoring of a mobile object 2, an increase or decrease in the number of mobile objects 2 in each area, a change in the movement path or range of a mobile object 2, a change in the driving state of a mobile object 2, a change in time, or a change in traffic volume can serve as triggers for automatic switching between the detailed screen and the overall screen. For example, if an event requiring monitoring of a mobile object 2 occurs in a certain area, the overall screen can be switched to the detailed screen for that area.

[0299] For example, in the display example of the fourth embodiment (see Figure 22 ), it is possible to display on the display unit 33 that the moving body 2 is moving by using an elevator. Figure 22 In the example shown, when the moving object 2 is moving in an elevator, arrows E1 and E3 indicating inter-area movement can be flashed for emphasis. Furthermore, this is not limited to moving in an elevator. For example, if the moving object 2 is moving through infrastructure used for inter-area movement, such as corridors connecting buildings, that infrastructure can be emphasized.

[0300] For example, in each display example of the above-described embodiment, the color of the mark indicating the position of the mobile object 2 and the color of the corresponding movement path of the mobile object 2 may be displayed in the same color on the display unit 33. Furthermore, for example, the color of the mark and the color of the corresponding movement range of the mobile object 2 may be displayed in the same color on the display unit 33. Furthermore, for example, when the mobile object ID of each mobile object 2 is displayed on the display unit 33, the color of the mark and the color of the corresponding mobile object ID of the mobile object 2 may be displayed in the same color on the display unit 33.

[0301] For example, as shown in the fourth modification, when the list A13 showing the outlines of one or more mobile bodies 2 existing in the high-priority area is displayed on the display unit 33, Figure 47 As shown, when the mobile body 2 moves across two areas, the movement between the two areas can be displayed on the display unit 33. Figure 47 FIG. 3 shows another modified example of the display on the display unit 33 of the information terminal 3. Figure 47 In the example shown, the list A13 showing the outline of the moving object 2 shows that the moving object 2 with the moving object ID "X3" is moving from the 16th floor to the 14th floor by the elevator.

[0302] For example, in the first modification, when the operator (user) selects a mark showing the moving object 2, the image information of the moving object 2 corresponding to the mark is updated. Figure 1 The display unit 33 displays the data, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Figure 48 As shown, it is possible to switch between a state in which only a map is displayed on the display unit 33 and a state in which only image information is displayed on the display unit 33 .

[0303] Figure 48 FIG. 3 shows another modification of the first modification example displayed on the display unit 33 of the information terminal 3. Figure 48 In the example shown, when the operator selects mark B3 representing the moving object 2 with moving object ID "X3," the screen on the display unit 33 switches from displaying the map to displaying images P11 to P14 of the moving object 2 with moving object ID "X3." Furthermore, if the operator selects the "Return to Map Screen" icon while images P11 to P14 of the moving object 2 are displayed on the display unit 33, the screen on the display unit 33 switches back to the original map screen.

[0304] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the timing for updating the high-priority area displayed on the display unit 33 (hereinafter referred to as "update timing") includes the timing of operator (user) intervention or the timing of direct operation of the mobile object 2. Furthermore, the update timing includes, for example, the timing of receiving an alarm from the mobile object 2, such as a decrease in the remaining battery level or a request for remote operation. Furthermore, the update timing includes, for example, the timing of a change in the path or range of movement of the mobile object 2. Furthermore, the update timing includes, for example, the timing of a change in traffic volume in the area where the mobile object 2 is moving, or the timing of a change in traffic volume in the area where a service for detected infrastructure is being implemented. Furthermore, the update timing includes, for example, the timing of reaching a predetermined time.

[0305] For example, in the second example of the basic working example above, Figure 6 In the example shown, the information related to the first area A11 displayed on the display unit 33 is switched at a fixed time, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when the processing unit 13 calculates the priority of more than one first area A11, the time for which the first area A11 with a higher priority is displayed on the display unit 33 may be increased. Figure 6 In the example shown, although the area information of the 14th floor and the area information of the 16th floor of the "XX Building" are alternately displayed on the display unit 33, if the area information of the 14th floor has a higher priority, the time for which the area information of the 14th floor is displayed on the display unit 33 can be longer than the time for which the area information of the 16th floor is displayed on the display unit 33.

[0306] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the information processing system 1 only needs to be capable of executing at least the basic operation examples. That is, the information processing system 1 only needs to have the components required for the embodiments to be executed among the first to ninth embodiments described above. For example, if the information processing system 1 only executes the basic operation examples, the region determination unit 132 and the priority determination unit 134 may not be required. Furthermore, for example, if the information processing system 1 only executes the basic operation examples, the mobile body 2 does not need the path acquisition unit 23, the state acquisition unit 24, and the image acquisition unit 25. Furthermore, for example, if the information processing system 1 only executes the basic operation examples, the storage device 4 does not need the intervention information DB 42, the notification information DB 43, and the traffic information DB 44.

[0307] For example, the present disclosure can be implemented as a program that causes a processor to execute the steps included in the information processing method. Furthermore, the present disclosure can be implemented as a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM having the program recorded thereon.

[0308] For example, when the present disclosure is implemented as a program (software), each step is executed by executing the program using hardware resources such as a computer's CPU (Central Processing Unit), memory, and input / output circuits. Specifically, each step is executed by the CPU acquiring data from the memory or input / output circuits, performing calculations, or outputting calculation results to the memory or input / output circuits.

[0309] In the above-described embodiment, each component included in the information processing system 1 may be configured by dedicated hardware or implemented by executing a software program suitable for each component. Each component may be implemented by having a program execution unit such as a CPU or processor read and execute a software program stored on a recording medium such as a hard disk or semiconductor memory.

[0310] Part or all of the functions of the information processing system 1 involved in the above-described embodiments are typically implemented as an LSI (Large Scale Integrated Circuit). These functions can be individually fabricated into a single chip, or part or all of them can be fabricated into a single chip. Furthermore, integrated circuitry is not limited to LSIs and can also be implemented using dedicated circuits or general-purpose processors. After LSI fabrication, a programmable FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) or a reconfigurable processor capable of reconfiguring the connections and settings of the circuit cells within the LSI can also be utilized.

[0311] Furthermore, various modifications obtained by performing changes within the scope that can be conceived by those skilled in the art on the embodiments of the present disclosure are also included in the present disclosure without departing from the gist of the present disclosure.

[0312] Industrial applicability

[0313] The present disclosure can be applied to a system that manages one or more moving objects.

[0314] Description of Reference Numerals

[0315] 1 Information Processing System

[0316] 11 Communication unit (output unit)

[0317] 12 Acquisition Department

[0318] 13 Processing Department

[0319] 2 Mobile objects

[0320] 3 Information Terminal

[0321] 31 Ministry of Communications

[0322] 32 Terminal-side processing unit

[0323] 33 Display

[0324] A1 area

[0325] A11 Area 1

[0326] A12 Area 2

Claims

1. An information processing method is an information processing method executed by a computer. Acquiring first information regarding areas where each of the one or more moving objects is located, extracting one or more first areas where the one or more moving objects are located from a plurality of areas based on the acquired first information, Second information related to the extracted one or more first regions is output.

2. The information processing method according to claim 1, The second information includes at least one of information indicating a map of each of the one or more first areas and information indicating a position of each of the one or more moving objects in the one or more first areas.

3. The information processing method according to claim 1 or 2, further acquiring path information related to at least one of a moving path and a moving range of each of the one or more moving objects; extracting, from the plurality of areas, one or more second areas in which the one or more moving objects were located before the time when the first information was acquired, or extracting one or more second areas in which the one or more moving objects may be located after the time when the first information was acquired, based on the acquired path information. Furthermore, third information related to the extracted one or more second regions is output.

4. The information processing method according to claim 3, At least one of the second information and the third information includes information indicating at least one of the movement path and the movement range of each of the one or more moving objects.

5. The information processing method according to claim 1 or 2, The first information includes information indicating the position of each of the one or more moving objects. The one or more first regions are extracted based on information indicating the positions of the one or more moving objects.

6. The information processing method according to claim 1 or 2, further acquiring state information related to the state of each of the one or more moving objects, Furthermore, the one or more first regions are extracted based on the acquired state information.

7. The information processing method according to claim 1 or 2, calculating the priority of each of the one or more first areas, The second information includes information indicating the calculated priority of each of the one or more first areas.

8. The information processing method according to claim 7, The one or more moving bodies are multiple, further acquiring path information related to at least one of the movement paths and movement ranges of each of the plurality of moving objects, The priority of each of the one or more first areas is calculated based on the acquired route information so that the priority of an area where two or more moving objects among the plurality of moving objects pass by each other becomes higher.

9. The information processing method according to claim 7, further acquiring intervention information, the intervention information indicating that an operator who is remotely monitoring the one or more moving objects has intervened, Based on the acquired intervention information, the priority of each of the one or more first areas is calculated so that the priority of the area in which the operator has intervened becomes higher.

10. The information processing method according to claim 7, further acquiring notification information indicating that a notification has been issued from the one or more moving objects to an operator who remotely monitors the one or more moving objects, Based on the acquired notification information, the priority of each of the one or more first areas is calculated so that the priority of the area notified to the operator becomes higher.

11. The information processing method according to claim 7, further acquiring traffic information related to traffic in each of the one or more first areas, Based on the acquired traffic information, the priority of each of the one or more first areas is calculated so that the priority of an area with heavy traffic becomes higher.

12. A program for causing a computer to execute the information processing method according to claim 1 or 2.

13. An information processing system comprising: an acquiring unit that acquires first information related to an area where each of the one or more moving objects is located; a processing unit that extracts one or more first areas where the one or more moving objects are located from a plurality of areas based on the first information acquired by the acquisition unit; and The output unit outputs second information related to the one or more first regions extracted by the processing unit.

14. An information terminal comprising: Display unit; a communication unit that communicates with the information processing system according to claim 13 to obtain the second information from the information processing system; and The terminal-side processing unit causes the display unit to display the second information acquired by the communication unit.

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