Process management system, method, and information processing apparatus

Abstract

To provide an efficient and more flexible process management mechanism.SOLUTION: A process management system manages section data that defines multiple sections, and process data that indicates a planned location where a management object should be located at the time of completion of a work process that involves movement of the management object among the multiple sections. A first reading device reads first identification information for identifying the management object from a first wireless device attached to the management object. The process management system includes a determination unit configured to compare a location of the management object estimated based on results of reading by the first reading device with the planned location to determine a status of the work process regarding the management object. The section data defines first level sections and second level sections that are established at different spatial granularity. The determination unit compares the location of the management object with the planned location at different granularity depending on type information associated with the management object.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 20

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a process control system, method, and information processing device. [Background technology]

[0002] RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) is a technology that enables information embedded in small devices, also called tags, to be read by an external reader via short-range wireless communication. For example, by attaching an RFID tag with embedded unique identification information to an item, it becomes possible to efficiently determine the location of the item and to easily visualize the information of the items under management. Among them, passive RFID tags, which transmit information using the energy of electromagnetic waves emitted from a reader, are inexpensive to manufacture because they do not require batteries, and can operate semi-permanently, so they are being used in a wide range of situations.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a management system that utilizes RFID to improve the efficiency of construction work progress management. In the management system of Patent Document 1, RFID tags are installed at specific locations and RFID tags are also attached to building materials, and the latest locations and statuses of the building materials are presented to the user based on information read from the RFID tags by a handheld terminal.

[0004] Patent Document 2 discloses a technique that combines reading information from an RFID tag with a self-location estimation method in order to estimate the location of a managed object without relying on GPS (Global Positioning System) positioning, which is prone to being unstable in environments with many obstructions. According to the technique of Patent Document 2, the location of a managed object is estimated based on the known position of a fixedly installed position tag and the relative movement amount of a reader calculated according to the self-location estimation method (also called PDR (Pedestrian Dead Reckoning)). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-129312 A [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 2021-141415 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the management system of Patent Document 1, when a handheld terminal detects the RFID tag of a building material that should be in a specific location at a certain time and detects the RFID tag of the building material, the building material is determined to be in the correct location. However, the spatial granularity of the location determination required in general process management situations is not necessarily uniform. For example, it is sufficient for a certain type of building material to arrive at a relatively large construction site, while other types of building materials may be required to be delivered to a more specific location. Or, even for the same type of building material, it may be possible that the material may be located anywhere in a relatively large area in the first half of the construction work, but must be attached to a specific location in the second half of the construction work. Existing systems cannot flexibly deal with such requirements.

[0007] In view of the above, the present invention aims to provide an efficient and more flexible process management mechanism. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] According to one aspect, a process control system is provided, which includes a management unit that manages area data defining a plurality of areas set in a real space and process data indicating a planned location where the managed object should be located when a work process involving movement of the managed object is completed among the plurality of areas, a first wireless device that is attached to the managed object and stores first identification information for identifying the managed object, at least one reading device capable of reading the identification information stored in the wireless device from the wireless device, and a determination unit that checks a location of the managed object estimated based on a result of reading the first identification information from the first wireless device by the first reading device against the planned location indicated by the process data to determine a status of the work process related to the managed object. The area data defines at least one first level area set in the real space with a first spatial granularity, and at least one second level area set in the at least one first level area with a second spatial granularity narrower than the first spatial granularity. The determination unit checks the location of the managed object against the planned location with different granularities depending on type information associated with the managed object. Corresponding methods and information processing apparatus are also provided. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an efficient and more flexible process management mechanism. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a configuration of a process control system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a tag reader included in the portable system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a user terminal included in the mobile system according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a management server according to an embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of a target table according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of a region table according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] 4A and 4B are explanatory diagrams showing examples of the configuration of a position tag table and a reader table according to an embodiment; [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing an example of area setting and an example of position tag placement corresponding to the data examples of FIGS. 6 and 7(A). [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of a work process table according to an embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a user interface (UI) that may be provided for registering the installation location of a location tag. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a UI that may be provided for registering a planned location to be managed in a certain work process. [Figure 12] 5A and 5B are explanatory diagrams showing examples of the configuration of a movement amount table and a tag detection table according to an embodiment; [Figure 13] 5A to 5C are explanatory diagrams showing some examples of the configuration of a granularity control table according to an embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a plurality of coordinate regions. [Figure 15] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a first example of the configuration of an information viewing screen. [Figure 16] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a second example of the configuration of an information viewing screen. [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of display of detailed information related to a management target. [Figure 18] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a data transmission process according to an embodiment. [Figure 19] 11 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow of a location estimation process according to an embodiment. [Figure 20] 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a status update process according to an embodiment. [Figure 21] 1 is a flowchart showing a first example of the flow of a display control process according to an embodiment. [Figure 22] 10 is a flowchart showing a second example of the flow of a display control process according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Although the embodiments describe a number of features, not all of these features are essential to the invention, and the features may be combined in any manner. Furthermore, in the attached drawings, the same reference numbers are used for the same or similar configurations, and duplicated descriptions are omitted.

[0012] <1. System Overview> FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a process management system 1 according to an embodiment. The process management system 1 is a system that tracks the location of a managed object, which may change daily as the work progresses, and assists in visualizing information regarding the progress of the work. The work described in this specification consists of one or more work processes, and at least one work process involves the movement of the managed object. In the following description, the real space in which the work is performed is also referred to as the work space. As an example, the work of constructing a building may include a series of work processes such as carrying materials to a site, distributing the materials to floors or rooms, and installing the materials. The managed object may include at least one of an object located in the real space and a user who is active in the real space. The object may be an inanimate object (e.g., a machine, an apparatus, an instrument, a material, a consumer good, a part, a vehicle, or a robot) or a living object (e.g., an animal or a plant). In the following, an example of the work of constructing a building will be mainly described, but the technology according to the present disclosure can also be applied to other types of work, such as road construction or setting up an event venue.

[0013] In this embodiment, the process control system 1 manages position information indicating the location of each managed object. In order to manage the position information, a number of zones are set in the real space, and these zones are candidates for the location of each managed object. The position information of each managed object further includes two-dimensional or three-dimensional position coordinates of a point where each managed object is estimated to be located.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a process control system 1 according to the present embodiment. In the example of FIG. 1, a plurality of areas 10a, 10aa, 10ab, 10ac, 10ad, 10ae, 10b, 10ba, and 10bb are set in the real space. The areas 10a and 10b may correspond to, for example, areas geographically separated from each other (for example, different construction sites). The areas 10aa and 10ad are areas set inside the area 10a with a spatial granularity narrower than that of the area 10a, and may correspond to, for example, separate buildings constructed in a certain area. The areas 10ab and 10ac are areas set inside the area 10aa with a spatial granularity narrower than that of the area 10aa, and may correspond to, for example, separate floors constituting a certain building. Similarly, the area 10ae is an area set inside the area 10ad with a spatial granularity narrower than that of the area 10ad. Although not shown in FIG. 1, further areas that may correspond to rooms may be set within each floor with narrower spatial granularity. In this way, the multiple areas set in the workspace have a tree-like hierarchical relationship, and the area data described below defines the hierarchical relationship. In the following description, in the hierarchical relationship of the multiple areas, the areas set with relatively broader spatial granularity are also referred to as higher-level areas, and the areas set with relatively narrower spatial granularity are also referred to as lower-level areas. For example, areas 10aa, 10ab, 10ac, 10ad, and 10ae are lower-level areas for area 10a.

[0015] In the example of FIG. 1, a user 20a moves between multiple areas while carrying a portable system 100. In this specification, the expression that a user carries some object is intended to broadly include various ways in which the user moves with the object (e.g., moving while holding or wearing the object). Also, items 30a, 30b, and 30c are present in areas 10ab, 10aa, and 10b, respectively. These items are objects whose position information is managed by the process control system 1. In addition to the items, users (e.g., workers, supervisors, and other related parties) may also be managed.

[0016] The process control system 1 utilizes wireless devices, also called tags, to track the location of the managed object. The location tag is a wireless device (second wireless device) that is installed in each area that is a candidate for the location of the managed object in the process control system 1. In the figure, a location tag 40a is installed in the area 10a, a location tag 40aa is installed in the area 10aa, a location tag 40ab is installed in the area 10ab, a location tag 40ac is installed in the area 10ac, a location tag 40ad is installed in the area 10ad, and a location tag 40ae is installed in the area 10ae. Similarly, a location tag 40b is installed in the area 10b. Two or more location tags may be installed in one area, and in the example of FIG. 1, two location tags are installed in the area 10ba. Each location tag stores identification information (second identification information) associated with the corresponding installation area in an internal memory.

[0017] The target tag is a wireless device (first wireless device) attached to each managed object in the process control system 1. Fig. 1 shows a target tag 50a attached to an item 30a, a target tag 50b attached to an item 30b, and a target tag 50c attached to an item 30c. Each target tag stores, in an internal memory, identification information (first identification information) for identifying the managed object to which the target tag is attached.

[0018] In the following description, when it is not necessary to distinguish between the areas 10a to 10bb, the alphabet at the end of the reference numeral will be omitted and these will be collectively referred to as the area 10. The same applies to the items 30 (items 30a, 30b, ...), the position tags 40 (40a, 40b, ...), the target tags 50 (target tags 50a, 50b, ...), the users 20, and other elements.

[0019] The number of areas set in the real space and the number of managed objects are not limited to the example shown in FIG. 1, and may be any number. Similarly, the number of users who use the process control system 1 and the number of portable systems 100 (described later) carried by the users may also be any number. Furthermore, in the hierarchical relationship of multiple areas, the number of levels may be at least two. Below are some examples of hierarchical sets when the number of levels is 2, 3, 4, or 5. Note that each list in parentheses is one hierarchical set, and the level to the right in the list is a lower level: Number of levels = 2: (district, building), (building, floor), (building, room), (floor, room) Number of levels = 3: (district, building, floor), (district, building, room), (building, floor, room) Number of levels = 4: (district, building, floor, room), (organization, building, floor, room) Number of levels = 5: (organization, district, building, floor, room)

[0020] In this embodiment, each of the tags such as the position tag 40 and the target tag 50 is a passive RFID tag (passive tag). The passive tag is composed of a small IC (Integrated Circuit) chip with built-in memory and an antenna, and stores unique identification information and other information for identifying the tag in the memory. In this specification, the identification information is also simply called ID, and the identification information for identifying the tag is also called tag ID. Note that the tag ID may be considered as information for identifying the object to which the tag is attached. The IC chip of the passive tag operates using the energy of electromagnetic waves emitted from the tag reader, modulates the tag ID and other information stored in the memory into an information signal, and transmits (returns) the information signal from the antenna.

[0021] In another embodiment, each tag may be an active RFID tag. When each tag actively (for example, periodically) transmits information to the surroundings using power from a built-in battery, the tag may be called a beacon tag. In yet another embodiment, each tag may be a wireless device that responds to a signal from a reader and returns information, for example, by the NFC (Near Field Communication) method or the Bluetooth (registered trademark) method. Each tag may be called by any name, such as an IC tag, an IC card, or a responder.

[0022] The process control system 1 includes a mobile system 100 and a management server 200. The mobile system 100 and the management server 200 are connected to a network 5. The network 5 may be a wired network, a wireless network, or any combination thereof. Examples of the network 5 may include the Internet, an intranet, and a cloud network.

[0023] The mobile system 100 includes at least a tag reader 110. The tag reader 110 is a reading device capable of reading information stored in a wireless device such as an RFID tag. The tag reader 110 can detect a management target to which a target tag 50 is attached, for example, by reading a tag ID from the target tag 50. The tag reader 110 attempts to read periodically or in response to some trigger such as a user operation, and transmits a tag reading result to the management server 200. The tag reader 110 may be capable of communicating directly with the management server 200, or may be capable of communicating indirectly with the management server 200 via some relay device (for example, a user terminal 160 described later). An example of a specific configuration of the tag reader 110 will be further described later.

[0024] 1, the mobile system 100 further includes a user terminal 160. The user terminal 160 may be any type of terminal device or information processing device, such as a notebook PC (Personal Computer), a tablet PC, a smartphone, or a smart watch. The user terminal 160 may be used for interaction with the user 20 through the process control system 1. An example of a specific configuration of the user terminal 160 will be further described later.

[0025] The management server 200 is an information processing device that manages location information of managed objects, status regarding progress of work, and other information in a database. The management server 200 may be implemented as an application server, a database server, or a cloud server using, for example, a high-performance general-purpose computer. The management server 200 receives tag reading results from the tag reader 110 and updates the database based on the received tag reading results. When updating the status of each managed object, the management server 200 compares the location of each managed object estimated based on the tag reading results with the planned location of the managed object in each work process. An example of a specific configuration of the management server 200 will be further described later.

[0026] 1 shows a single management server 200, the functions of the management server 200, which will be described in detail later, may be provided by a single device, or may be provided by multiple physically separate devices working together. In addition, in this embodiment, an example will be described in which the management server 200 holds the database, but a device separate from the management server 200 may hold part or all of the database. For example, some of the data may be held by a wireless device (e.g., a location tag or a target tag), a tag reader 110, or a user terminal 160.

[0027] 1 shows an example in which portable system 100 includes tag reader 110 and user terminal 160, which are separate devices. However, portable system 100 is not limited to this example. For example, tag reader 110 may have some or all of the functions of user terminal 160, which will be described later, and user terminal 160 may have some or all of the functions of tag reader 110, which will be described later. In addition, the functions of management server 200 described in this embodiment may be realized in user terminal 160.

[0028] <2. Example of a portable system configuration> <2-1. Example of tag reader configuration> Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of tag reader 110 included in portable system 100 according to an embodiment. Referring to Fig. 2, tag reader 110 includes control unit 111, storage unit 112, communication unit 113, measurement unit 114, operation unit 115, and reading unit 116.

[0029] The control unit 111 is composed of a memory that stores a computer program, and one or more processors (e.g., a CPU (Central Processing Unit)) that execute the computer program. The control unit 111 controls the overall functions of the tag reader 110 described in this specification. For example, the control unit 111 causes the reading unit 116 to execute reading of an RFID tag within a tag reading range, and causes the read information, the read time, and the signal reception level to be temporarily stored in the memory unit 112 as read result data. In addition, the control unit 111 causes the measurement unit 114 to measure the position of the tag reader 110 in parallel with reading the RFID tag, and causes the measurement result to be stored in the memory unit 112. Then, the control unit 111 transmits the read result data and the measurement result data stored in the memory unit 112 to the management server 200 via the communication unit 113, together with the reader identification information (also called a reader ID) of the own device.

[0030] The storage unit 112 may include any type of storage medium, such as a semiconductor memory such as a Read Only Memory (ROM) or a Random Access Memory (RAM), an optical disk, or a magnetic disk. In this embodiment, the storage unit 112 stores the above-mentioned reading result data, measurement result data, and the reader ID of the tag reader 110.

[0031] The communication unit 113 is a communication interface for the tag reader 110 to communicate with the management server 200. For example, the communication unit 113 may be a WLAN interface for communicating with a WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) access point, or a cellular communication interface for communicating with a cellular base station. The communication unit 113 may also be a connection interface for connecting to a relay device (for example, a Bluetooth (registered trademark) interface or a USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface).

[0032] The measurement unit 114 is a unit capable of measuring the position of the tag reader 110. In this embodiment, the measurement unit 114 measures the relative movement amount of the tag reader 110 from a certain reference position using a self-location estimation method also called PDR, and outputs the measured movement amount to the control unit 111. The reference position for measuring the relative movement amount may be, for example, the position of the tag reader 110 at the time when the tag reader 110 is started. The relative movement amount of the tag reader 110 may be treated as a relative position. For example, the measurement unit 114 includes a three-axis acceleration sensor 114a, a gyro sensor 114b, and a geomagnetic sensor 114c. The three-axis acceleration sensor 114a measures the acceleration applied to the tag reader 110 in a device coordinate system unique to the tag reader 110, and outputs first sensor data. The gyro sensor 114b measures the angular velocity of the tag reader 110, that is, the change in the attitude of the tag reader 110, and outputs second sensor data. Geomagnetic sensor 114c measures the orientation of tag reader 110 in real space and outputs third sensor data. Based on the sensor data from these sensors, measurement unit 114 can measure the relative movement amount of tag reader 110 by accumulating the acceleration while converting the direction of the acceleration of tag reader 110 into a direction in a coordinate system of real space. The relative movement amount output from measurement unit 114 to control unit 111 may be a two-dimensional vector in a horizontal plane, or may be a three-dimensional vector including a component in the height direction.

[0033] As will be described later, in this embodiment, the position coordinates of the installation position of each position tag 40 are known and registered in a database. Therefore, the position coordinates of the point where the tag reader 110 is currently located can be estimated based on the amount of relative movement from the time when the tag reader 110 detected a certain position tag 40 to the current time and the known position coordinates of the position tag 40. In this embodiment, an example in which the management server 200 estimates the absolute position of the tag reader 110 will be mainly described, but the control unit 111 or measurement unit 114 of the tag reader 110 may access the database to estimate the absolute position of the tag reader 110.

[0034] Note that instead of tag reader 110 including measurement unit 114, mobile system 100 may include a measurement device separate from tag reader 110 (eg, capable of measuring the amount of relative movement using a self-location estimation method).

[0035] In a modified example, the measurement unit 114 may further include an air pressure sensor 114d shown by a dashed line in FIG. 2. The air pressure sensor 114d measures the atmospheric pressure and outputs air pressure data indicating the measured value to the control unit 111. In this modified example, the air pressure data output from the air pressure sensor 114d may be used to estimate the height of the point where the tag reader 110 is currently located. For example, in a linear air pressure-height model, the relative height of the current position from the reference point can be derived by multiplying the drop in the air pressure value of the current position from the air pressure value of the reference point by a predetermined coefficient. When the reference point is provided on the ground, this relative height represents the height of the current position above the ground. An air pressure sensor that measures the atmospheric pressure at the reference point may be additionally provided.

[0036] Operation unit 115 accepts operations by user 20. Operation unit 115 includes, for example, a physical input device such as a button, switch, or lever arranged on the housing of tag reader 110. Operation unit 115 accepts operations by user 20 via the input device, and outputs an operation signal to control unit 111. Operation unit 115 may also include a voice input interface such as a microphone.

[0037] The reading unit 116 is a unit capable of reading information stored in each of the position tags 40 and the target tags 50 under the control of the process control system 1. Referring to FIG. 2, the reading unit 116 includes an RF controller 120, a power amplifier 121, a filter 122, a first coupler 123, a second coupler 124, an antenna 125, a power detection unit 126, and a canceller 127. The RF controller 120 outputs a transmission signal (e.g., a signal modulated in the UHF band) from the TX terminal to the power amplifier 121 in accordance with the control of the control unit 111. The power amplifier 121 amplifies the transmission signal input from the RF controller 120 and outputs it to the filter 122. The amplification factor of the transmission signal here may be variably controllable, and the higher the amplification factor, the higher the output intensity of the electromagnetic wave radiated from the tag reader 110. The filter 122 may be, for example, a low-pass filter, and removes unnecessary low-frequency components of the transmission signal amplified by the power amplifier 121. The first coupler 123 distributes the transmission signal that has passed through the filter 122 to the second coupler 124 and the power detection unit 126. The second coupler 124 outputs the transmission signal input from the first coupler 123 to the antenna 125, and outputs the reception signal input from the antenna 125 to the RF controller 120. The antenna 125 transmits the transmission signal input from the coupler 124 into the air as an electromagnetic wave. The antenna 125 also receives a signal returned from an RFID tag present within the reading range of the tag reader 110 in response to the transmission signal, and outputs the reception signal to the coupler 124. The power detection unit 126 detects the power level of the signal input from the first coupler 123, and outputs a signal RF_DETECT indicating the detected power level to the control unit 111. The canceller 127 receives a signal CARRIER_CANCEL indicating the power level of the carrier wave from the control unit 111. Then, the canceller 127 cancels the carrier component of the transmission signal based on CARRIER_CANCEL, thereby extracting a desired signal component of the reception signal to be output to the RX terminal of the RF controller 120. The RF controller 120 demodulates the signal input from the RX terminal, acquires the tag ID and other information returned from the RFID tag, and outputs the acquired information to the control unit 111.Furthermore, the RF controller 120 measures the reception level (also called reception intensity) of a signal input from the RX terminal, and outputs the measurement result to the control unit 111.

[0038] In this embodiment, the tag reading attempt by the reading unit 116 may be performed periodically (e.g., once per second) without requiring an explicit instruction from the user. Data transmission from the communication unit 113 to the management server 200 may also be performed periodically (e.g., once every few seconds) or each time a tag is read, without requiring an explicit instruction from the user. In order to reduce the communication load by omitting transmission of redundant data, the control unit 111 may exclude from the data to be transmitted a record that is the same as a record that has been transmitted within a recent predetermined period. Note that, in another embodiment, one or both of the tag reading attempt by the reading unit 116 and the transmission of data to the management server 200 may be performed in response to detection of a user input via the operation unit 115. When the communication unit 113 indirectly communicates with the management server 200 via a relay device, the transmission of data to the management server 200 may be performed only while the connection between the communication unit 113 and the relay device is valid.

[0039] <2-2. Example of user terminal configuration> Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a user terminal 160 included in the mobile system 100 according to an embodiment. Referring to Fig. 3, the user terminal 160 includes a control unit 161, a storage unit 162, a communication unit 163, an image capturing unit 164, an operation unit 165, a display unit 171, an audio output unit 172, and a vibration unit 173.

[0040] The control unit 161 comprises a memory for storing a computer program, and one or more processors for executing the computer program. The processor may be a CPU, or an IC (Integrated Circuit) such as a microcontroller (e.g., a one-chip microcomputer). The control unit 161 controls the overall functions of the user terminal 160 described in this specification. For example, when the user 20 desires to view the location information or status of the managed object in the process control system 1, the control unit 161 causes the display unit 171 to display a screen presenting the requested information. Some examples of the screens displayed to the user 20 will be further described later.

[0041] The storage unit 162 may include any type of storage medium, such as a semiconductor memory such as a ROM or a RAM, an optical disk, or a magnetic disk. In this embodiment, the storage unit 162 temporarily stores, for example, a map image and information on the location of the managed object received from the management server 200 described later for screen display.

[0042] The communication unit 163 is a communication interface for the user terminal 160 to communicate with the management server 200. For example, the communication unit 163 may be a WLAN interface or a cellular communication interface. Although not shown in FIG. 3, the user terminal 160 may further include a connection interface (for example, a Bluetooth (registered trademark) interface or a USB interface) for connecting to a peripheral device.

[0043] The photographing unit 164 is a so-called camera unit that photographs the state of the real space and generates image data of a still image or a video. The photographing unit 164 outputs the generated image data to the control unit 161. For example, the image data generated by the photographing unit 164 may be used for optical character recognition or for reading a visible code such as a barcode or a QR code (registered trademark).

[0044] The operation unit 165 accepts operations and information input by the user 20. The operation unit 165 includes input devices such as a touch sensor, a keypad, a keyboard, a button, or a pointing device. The operation unit 165 accepts operations by the user 20 via the input devices and outputs operation signals to the control unit 161. The operation unit 165 may further include other types of input devices, such as a voice input interface such as a microphone or a sensor that detects vibration.

[0045] The display unit 171 displays images and information. The display unit 171 may be, for example, a liquid crystal display or an OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) display. The audio output unit 172 outputs audio. The audio output unit 172 may be, for example, a speaker. The vibration unit 173 vibrates the user terminal 160. The vibration unit 173 may be, for example, a vibrator including an eccentric motor.

[0046] <3. Management Server Configuration Example> <3-1. Basic configuration> 4 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of the management server 200 according to an embodiment. Referring to FIG. 4, the management server 200 includes a communication unit 210, an operation database (DB) 220, and a management unit 230.

[0047] The communication unit 210 is a communication interface for the management server 200 to communicate with other devices. The communication unit 210 may be a wired communication interface or a wireless communication interface. In this embodiment, the communication unit 210 communicates with the mobile system 100 (for example, one or both of the tag reader 110 and the user terminal 160). The work DB 220 is a database accessible from the management unit 230 that stores various data for estimating the position of the managed object and managing the progress of the work. In this embodiment, the work DB 220 includes an object table 310, an area table 320, a position tag table 330, a reader table 340, a work process table 350, a movement amount table 360, a tag detection table 370, and a granularity control table 380. The management unit 230 is a collection of multiple software modules that execute various processes related to position estimation and progress management. Each software module can be operated by one or more processors (not shown) of the management server 200 executing a computer program stored in a memory (not shown). In this embodiment, the management unit 230 includes a data management unit 231 , an estimation unit 232 , a status determination unit 233 , and a display control unit 234 .

[0048] <3-2. Data Management> (1) Target table FIG. 5 shows an example of the configuration of the target table 310 of the work DB 220. The target table 310 has six data items: tag ID 311, target ID 312, name 313, target type 314, location area 315, and coordinates 316. The tag ID 311 is identification information that uniquely identifies the target tag 50 attached to each managed object. The value of the tag ID 311 is the same as the value of the tag ID stored internally in the corresponding target tag 50. The target ID 312 is identification information that uniquely identifies each managed object. The name 313 indicates the name of each managed object. In the example of FIG. 5, the managed object identified by the target ID "IT11" is given the name "material A1". The target type 314 is one aspect of type information associated with the managed object. In the example of FIG. 5, "material A1" and "material A2" are classified into the same object type "T1", while "material B1" is classified into object type "T2" different from object type "T1". The location area 315 identifies the location area in which each managed object is estimated to be located among the multiple areas set in the work space by the value of the area ID 321 in the area table 320 described later. In the example of FIG. 5, "material A1" and "material A2" are estimated to be located in the area identified by the area ID "AA21", while "material B1" is estimated to be located in the area identified by the area ID "A000". The coordinates 316 represent the location coordinates of the point where each managed object is estimated to be located. In this specification, the "location" of a managed object means the location of the managed object represented by the location area 315 or the value of the coordinates 316. The values ​​of location area 315 and coordinates 316 can be updated by estimation unit 232 when the movement of the managed object is detected by tag reader 110, as will be described later.

[0049] (2) Area table FIG. 6 shows an example of the configuration of the area table 320 of the work DB 220. The area table 320 stores area data that defines a plurality of areas set in the work space. The area table 320 has seven data items, namely, an area ID 321, a name 322, a parent area 323, a level 324, a map image 325, a scale 326, and a direction 327. The area ID 321 is identification information that uniquely identifies each of the plurality of areas. The name 322 indicates the name of each area. In the example of FIG. 6, the area identified by the area ID "A000" is given the name "District A". The parent area 323 identifies areas that directly include each area in the hierarchical relationship of the plurality of areas set in the work space by the value of the area ID 321 of another record in the area table 320. In the example of FIG. 6, the parent area of ​​the area identified by the area ID "AA00" is "A000", which means that "Building A" is included in "District A". In other words, "District A" is a higher level district immediately above "Building A". For the highest level district in the hierarchical relationship of multiple districts, the parent district 323 may be blank. The level 324 is an index of spatial granularity for each district, and indicates the depth of the district in the tree-like hierarchical relationship from the highest level district. In the example of FIG. 6 where "District A" is the parent district of "Building A", "Building A" is the parent district of "Floor A2", and "Floor A2" is the parent district of "Room A2-1", the levels of "District A", "Building A", "Floor A2", and "Room A2-1" are 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. The map image 325 is a data item for storing map image data available for each district when the map image data is registered by the user. The scale 326 indicates a ratio for converting a distance on the map of the map image 325 to a distance in real space (e.g., how many meters one pixel of the image corresponds to in real space). The orientation 327 is a data item for storing orientation information indicating an orientation on the map of the map image 325. For example, the orientation information may include a vector pointing to a specific direction (e.g., north) in the two-dimensional coordinates of the map image data. Fig. 8(A) shows an example of the positional relationship of the areas belonging to "District A" among the areas defined by the area data shown in Fig. 6.

[0050] (3) Location tag table FIG. 7(A) shows an example of the configuration of the position tag table 330 of the work DB 220. The position tag table 330 has three data items: a tag ID 331, an installation area 332, and a tag position 333. The tag ID 331 is identification information that uniquely identifies each of the position tags 40 installed in the work space. The value of the tag ID 331 is the same as the value of the tag ID stored inside the corresponding position tag 40. The installation area 332 identifies the area in which each position tag 40 is installed by the value of the area ID 321 in the area table 320. That is, the tag ID of each position tag 40 is associated with the installation area corresponding to the position tag 40 in the position tag table 330. Referring to FIG. 7(A), for example, the tag ID "TG500" is associated with the area ID "A000". This indicates that the position tag 40 identified by the tag ID "TG500" is installed in the area identified by the area ID "A000". The tag position 333 indicates the position coordinates of the installation position of each position tag 40 .

[0051] FIG. 8(B) shows an example of the arrangement of the position tags 40 corresponding to the data example of the position tag table 330 in FIG. 7(A), assuming the positional relationship of the areas shown in FIG. 8(A). In a building as shown in the figure, the walls, floors, and ceilings often block wireless signals. When a position tag 40 is installed in each of the areas separated from each other by such obstructions, it becomes possible to determine which area the tag reader 110 was located in at the time of detection based on which position tag 40 the tag reader 110 detected. This embodiment combines such a simple determination of the location area based on tag reading with a more precise location estimation using a self-location estimation method described later. For a relatively large area, the detectable range of one position tag 40 may not cover a sufficient area, so two or more position tags 40 may be installed in one area, as in "Floor A1" in FIG. 8(B).

[0052] (4) Leader table FIG. 7(B) shows an example of the configuration of reader table 340. Reader table 340 has three data items: reader ID 341, name 342, and user 343. Reader ID 341 is identification information that uniquely identifies each tag reader 110 used in the system. Name 342 indicates the name of each reader. User 343 is identification information that identifies user 20 who uses each tag reader 110. In the example of FIG. 7(B), tag reader 110 identified by reader ID "RD01" has the name "Reader A" and is used by a user identified by user ID "UR91".

[0053] (5) Work process table FIG. 9 shows an example of the configuration of the work process table 350. The work process table 350 is a table that stores data on the progress of work including at least one work process involving the movement of a managed object. In this embodiment, the work process table 350 includes data for each work process (also called process data) that indicates the planned location where the managed object handled in each work should be located at the time of completion of each work process that constitutes the work. The work process table 350 has nine data items, namely, a work ID 351, a location 352, a process ID 353, a due date 354, a target 355, a planned location 356, a process status 357, a completion date 358, and an auxiliary status 359. The work ID 351 is identification information for uniquely identifying each work. The location 352 identifies the location where each work is performed by the value of the area ID 321 of one of the areas set with the widest spatial granularity in the area table 320. The process ID 353 is identification information for uniquely identifying each work process that constitutes each work. There may be one or more work processes for one task. The due date 354 indicates the due date for the completion of each work process. The object 355 identifies each of the managed objects handled in each work process by the value of the object ID 312 in the object table 310. One or more managed objects may be handled in one work process. The planned location 356 indicates the location where the managed object identified by the value of the object 355 should be located upon completion of each work process by the value of the area ID 321 in the area table 320 or the location coordinates. The process status 357 indicates the status regarding the movement of each managed object to the planned location in each work process. For example, the process status 357 may be a binary flag indicating whether the movement of each managed object to the planned location has been completed. The value of the process status 357 may be updated by the status determination unit 233 as a result of matching the location value of each managed object with the planned location, as will be described later. The completion date 358 indicates the date on which it is determined that the movement of each managed object to the planned location has been completed. The auxiliary status 359 indicates an auxiliary status for each managed object in each work process, which can be arbitrarily set by the user. As will be described later, the auxiliary status 359 may indicate, for example, whether or not an acceptance check (e.g., visual inspection) has been completed regarding the actual presence of each managed object at the planned location.In this case, the auxiliary status 359 may be called an acceptance status. In the example of Fig. 9, the work identified by the work ID "P1" includes multiple work processes respectively identified by process IDs "P11" to "P19". In the work process identified by the process ID "P11", the managed objects identified by the object IDs "IT11", "IT12", and "IT21" are scheduled to be moved to the area identified by the area ID "AA00". Since the value of the process status 357 indicates "completed", it can be seen that the movement of these managed objects has already been completed.

[0054] (6) Data registration The data management unit 231 manages various data stored in the work DB 220 as described above. Data to be registered in each table of the work DB 220 may be generated by, for example, a user or an engineer. The data management unit 231 may receive a data file describing such data via the communication unit 210 and register the data in each table. Map image data of each area may be data based on, for example, a CAD (Computer-Aided Design) drawing. The data management unit 231 may also provide, for example, the user terminal 160, with a user interface (UI) for accepting registration, modification, or deletion of data.

[0055] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a UI that may be provided for registering the installation position of a position tag. The position tag registration screen 510 shown in FIG. 10 may be called up, for example, when the user installs the position tag 40 at a certain point in the work space, and may be displayed by the display unit 171 of the user terminal 160. The position tag registration screen 510 includes a district selection field 511, a building selection field 512, a floor selection field 513, a map display button 514, and a map display area 515. When the user selects the district, building, and floor of the point where the position tag 40 is installed in the fields 511, 512, and 513, and operates (for example, touches or clicks) the map display button 514, a map image of the floor is displayed in the map display area 515. The displayed map image shows that the floor includes two rooms, and an icon 531 representing the installed and registered position tag 40 is superimposed on the map image. The position tag registration screen 510 further includes a position tag selection field 521 and a button 551. When the user selects the tag ID of the newly installed position tag 40 in the position tag selection field 521, an icon 532 representing the selected position tag 40 is displayed near the map display area 515. The user moves (e.g., drags and drops) this icon 532 to the point where the position tag 40 is installed, thereby specifying the installation location of the new position tag 40 (see arrow 540). Then, when the user operates button 551, registration information including the selected or specified tag ID and installation location is transmitted from the user terminal 160 to the management server 200. The data management unit 231 can register a new record related to the position tag 40 in the position tag table 330 based on the registration information received in this manner.

[0056] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a UI that may be provided for registering a planned location to be managed in a certain work process. The planned location registration screen 610 shown in FIG. 11 may be called up, for example, when a plan for a certain work is decided, and may be displayed by the display unit 171 of the user terminal 160. The planned location registration screen 610 includes a building selection field 611, a floor selection field 612, a map display button 613, and a map display area 614. When the user selects the building and floor of the planned location in the fields 611 and 612 and operates the map display button 613, a map image of the floor is displayed in the map display area 614. The planned location registration screen 610 further includes a process selection field 621, a target selection field 622, and a button 641. When the user selects the target work process in the process selection field 621, the managed object to be handled in the work process becomes selectable in the target selection field 622. When the user selects a desired managed object in the target selection field 622, an icon 631 representing the selected managed object is displayed near the map display area 614. The user designates the planned location of the managed object in the selected work process by moving this icon 631 to the planned location to which the corresponding managed object should be moved (see arrow 640). When the user operates button 641, registration information including the selected or designated target ID, work ID, process ID and planned location is transmitted from the user terminal 160 to the management server 200. The data management unit 231 can register planned locations corresponding to each combination of work process and managed object in the work process table 350 based on the registration information received in this manner.

[0057] The configuration of the database managed by the management server 200 is not limited to the configuration described here. Two or more tables described above may be integrated into one table, or one table described above may be separated into two or more tables. Each table may have additional data items or may not have one or more of the data items described above.

[0058] For example, the object table 310 may have additional data items such as the manufacturer and owner of the managed item and the organization to which the user belongs. The data items described as being held by the work process table 350 may also be integrated into the object table 310. In that case, the object table 310 may have a pair of data items indicating the planned location and the process status for each of the multiple work processes. Instead of multiple data items indicating the statuses of the multiple work processes, a single data item may be employed that alternatively indicates one of multiple status values ​​(e.g., "Process A Completed", "Process B Completed", ...) related to the multiple work processes.

[0059] The area table 320 may also have a data item indicating the height above ground of each floor. The area table 320 may also have a data item indicating the elevation of the ground surface of each district or building. Such height above ground or elevation may be used, for example, when deriving the height of a point where a certain managed object is located from a measured value of air pressure.

[0060] <3-3. Estimated location> The estimation unit 232 estimates the location of the managed object to which the target tag 50 is attached, based on the result of reading the tag ID from the target tag 50 by the tag reader 110 (first reading device) and the result of reading the tag ID from the position tag 40 by the same tag reader 110. The movement amount table 360 ​​and the tag detection table 370 of the work DB 220 are used for such location estimation.

[0061] (1) Movement amount table FIG. 12(A) shows an example of the configuration of the movement amount table 360. The movement amount table 360 ​​is a table for accumulating records of measurement result data received from the tag reader 110 (hereinafter, referred to as measurement result records). The movement amount table 360 ​​has three data items, namely, a measurement time 361, a reader ID 362, and a movement amount 363. The measurement time 361 indicates the time when the measurement was performed for the measurement result indicated by each measurement result record. The reader ID 362 indicates the tag reader 110 that performed the measurement for the measurement result indicated by each measurement result record by the value of the reader ID 341 in the reader table 340. In the example of FIG. 12(A), six records in the movement amount table 360 ​​indicate the results of movement amount measurements performed by the tag reader 110 identified by the reader ID "RD01" at six different times "ymd1" to "ymd6". The movement amount 363 indicates the relative movement amount as a measurement result. Here, the movement amount 363 represents the relative movement amount in the form of a three-dimensional vector in the coordinate system of the working space.

[0062] (2) Tag detection table 12(B) shows an example of the configuration of tag detection table 370. Tag detection table 370 is a table for accumulating records of read result data received from tag reader 110 (hereinafter referred to as read result records). Tag detection table 370 has four data items: read time 371, tag ID 372, reader ID 373, and reception strength 374. Read time 371 indicates the time when the tag ID was read for each read result record. Tag ID 372 indicates the tag ID read for each read result record. Reader ID 373 indicates the tag reader 110 that performed tag reading for each read result record by the value of reader ID 341 in reader table 340. In the example of FIG. 12(B), the first record in tag detection table 370 indicates that tag reader 110 identified by reader ID "RD01" read tag ID "TG511" (e.g., tag ID of position tag 40 for "Floor A1") at time "ymd1". The second record indicates that tag reader 110 read tag ID "TG011" (e.g., tag ID of target tag 50 for "material A1") at time "ymd5". The third record indicates that tag reader 110 read tag ID "TG021" (e.g., tag ID of target tag 50 for "material B1") at time "ymd6". Reception strength 374 indicates the reception level of the signal received by tag reader 110 when reading the tag for each reading result record.

[0063] (3) Estimated location Assume that a tag reader 110 reads a tag ID from a target tag 50 at a first time point, and further reads a tag ID from a position tag 40 at a second time point. The second time point may be before or after the first time point. The estimation unit 232 can estimate the position coordinates of the location of the managed object to which the detected target tag 50 is attached, based on the amount of relative movement of the tag reader 110 between the first and second time points and the known position of the detected position tag 40.

[0064] Specifically, the estimation unit 232 adds each record of the measurement result data received from the portable system 100 via the communication unit 210 to the movement amount table 360 ​​as a measurement result record. In addition, the estimation unit 232 adds each record of the reading result data received from the portable system 100 via the communication unit 210 to the tag detection table 370 as a reading result record. When the target tag 50 is detected by the tag reader 110, the estimation unit 232 can estimate the position coordinates (u, v, h) of the point where the target tag 50 is located at that time according to the following calculation formula: (u,v,h)=(U0+(X-X0),V0+(Y-Y0),H0+(Z-Z0)) Here, (X, Y, Z) represent the amount of movement of the tag reader 110 at the time of reading the tag ID from the target tag 50. Also, (X0, Y0, Z0) represent the amount of movement of the tag reader 110 at the time of reading the tag ID from the position tag selected as the reference of the estimation (hereinafter referred to as the reference position tag). Also, (U0, V0, H0) represent the known position coordinates of the installation position of the reference position tag. Note that in the above-mentioned modified example, the component H in the height direction may be derived by applying the measured value of the atmospheric pressure to a relational expression representing the atmospheric pressure-height model instead of the above-mentioned calculation formula. The estimation unit 232 updates the column of the coordinates 316 in the target table 310 with the latest position coordinates of the managed object estimated in this way.

[0065] When the same target tag 50 is detected multiple times within a certain period of time, the estimation unit 232 may estimate the position coordinates of the corresponding managed object based on the relative movement amount of the tag reader 110 at the time when the signal reception strength was the highest. Furthermore, when the same target tag 50 is detected multiple times within a certain period of time, the estimation unit 232 may estimate that the corresponding managed object is located at the center (for example, the center of gravity position) of the multiple detection positions derived using the above-mentioned calculation formula.

[0066] The estimation unit 232 may select a reference location tag to be used for estimating the location of a certain managed object based on a correlation between the result of reading the tag ID from a target tag 50 of the managed object and the result of reading the tag ID from one or more location tags 40. The correlation here may include one or both of a temporal correlation and a spatial correlation. For example, the estimation unit 232 may focus on each position tag 40 in order of the smallest difference in the tag ID reading time with respect to a certain target tag 50, and first select a position tag 40 that satisfies both of the following conditions 1 and 2 as the reference location tag: Condition 1: The straight-line distance between the estimated positions of the tag readers at the two read times is less than a first threshold (threshold determination may be performed separately for the distance in the horizontal plane and the distance in the vertical direction). Condition 2: The cumulative travel distance (total travel distance along the travel path) of the tag reader between the two read times is below the second threshold.

[0067] The estimation unit 232 estimates that the corresponding managed object is located in the area associated with the tag ID of the reference position tag selected according to the above-mentioned conditions. That is, the value of the installation area 332 in the position tag table 330 of the reference position tag selected for the target tag 50 of a certain managed object identifies the area in which the managed object is located. The estimation unit 232 updates the location area 315 column of the target table 310 with the area ID of the latest location area of ​​the managed object thus estimated. Note that, for a managed object for which a reference position tag cannot be selected because there is no position tag 40 that satisfies the above-mentioned conditions, the estimation unit 232 may determine that the location is unknown and leave the location area 315 and coordinates 316 columns blank.

[0068] <3-4. Updating process status> The status determination unit 233 checks the location of each managed object, estimated based on the result of reading the tag ID from the target tag 50 by the tag reader 110, against the planned location indicated by the work process table 350, to determine the status of the work process related to the managed object. In this embodiment, the status determination unit 233 checks the location estimated for the managed object against the planned location of the work process at different granularities depending on the type information associated with each managed object. That is, in this embodiment, the granularity of checking the location of each managed object with the planned location (hereinafter also referred to as the checking level) is variable. The granularity control table 380 of the work DB 220 is a table that holds the mapping between the type information associated with each managed object and the checking level.

[0069] For example, assume that the granularity control table 380 defines that the location is to be matched with the planned location for a certain type at the first level. In this case, the status determination unit 233 can determine that a work process is completed for a managed object when the location of the managed object is equal to the first level area corresponding to the planned location for a certain work process or any lower level area belonging to the first level area.

[0070] In the first embodiment, the type information that determines the granularity of matching between the location and the planned site includes an object type indicating the type of each managed object (for example, the value of the object type 314 in the object table 310). In this case, the status determination unit 233 matches the location of the first managed object, whose object type indicates the first type, with the planned site at a first spatial granularity, and matches the location of the second managed object, whose object type indicates the second type different from the first type, with the planned site at a second spatial granularity different from the first spatial granularity.

[0071] FIG. 13(A) shows an example of the configuration of the granularity control table 380a according to the first embodiment. Here, the granularity control table 380a has three data items: object type 381, type name 383, and matching level 385. The object type 381 is identification information for uniquely identifying each object type selectable as a type of a management target. The type name 383 indicates the name of each object type. The matching level 385 indicates the granularity of matching preset for each object type. The value of the matching level 385 corresponds to the value of the level 324 in the area table 320, that is, indicates the depth of the matching level in the tree-like hierarchical relationship of multiple areas. In the example of FIG. 13(A), the matching level of the management target classified as the object type "T1" is "2". Therefore, the status determination unit 233 performs matching for the management target classified as the object type "T1" at the granularity of the area in which the level 324 indicates "2" in the area table 320. For example, suppose that the object type of a certain managed object is "T1" and the planned location of this managed object in a certain work process is "Building A". In the example of the area table 320 in FIG. 6, the value of the level 324 of "Building A" is equal to "2". Therefore, the status determination unit 233 determines that the work process for the managed object is completed when the location area estimated for this managed object is equal to "Building A" or any lower level area belonging to "Building A". The "lower level area" for "Building A" here includes "Floor A1", "Floor A2", "Room A2-1", "Room A2-2", etc.

[0072] Since so-called general-purpose materials are used in various parts of a building and are interchangeable with other materials of the same type, their destination is often specified at a relatively coarse level when they are moved. In contrast, since specialized products with individual specifications are assumed to be used at specific locations, their destination can be specified at a relatively fine level when they are moved. There are also materials that play an intermediate role between general-purpose materials and specialized products. According to the first embodiment described here, it is possible to flexibly deal with various requirements for status updates that depend on the type of such materials or managed objects.

[0073] In the second embodiment, the type information that influences the granularity of matching between the location and the planned location includes a process type (e.g., a type indicated by the work process table 350) indicating the type of each of the multiple work processes associated with each managed object. In this case, when the process type of the first work process indicates the first type, the status determination unit 233 matches the location of the managed object with the planned location at a first spatial granularity when updating the status related to the first work process. Also, when the process type of the second work process indicates a second type different from the first type, the status determination unit 233 matches the location of the managed object with the planned location at a second spatial granularity narrower than the first spatial granularity when updating the status related to the second work process. Typically, the second work process here may be a work process subsequent to the first work process.

[0074] FIG. 13(B) shows an example of the configuration of the granularity control table 380b according to the second embodiment. Here, the granularity control table 380b has three data items: a process type 382, ​​a type name 384, and a matching level 385. The process type 382 is identification information for uniquely identifying each candidate of the type of the work process. The type name 384 indicates the name of each process type. In the example of FIG. 13(B), the process type 382 is defined as a character string representing the pattern of the process ID 353 of the work process table 350, and x corresponds to any character. For example, the process ID "P11" matches the process type "Px1" and is classified into the process type named "delivery to site". Similarly, the process ID "P12" matches the process type "Px2" and is classified into the process type named "floor distribution". In the example of FIG. 13(B), the matching level in the process type classified into the process type "Px2" is "3". Therefore, when updating the status of the work process identified by the process ID "P12", the status determination unit 233 checks the granularity of the area in the area table 320 where the level 324 indicates "3". For example, assume that the planned location of a certain managed object in this work process is "Floor A2". In the example of the area table 320 in FIG. 6, the value of the level 324 of "Floor A2" is equal to "3". Therefore, the status determination unit 233 determines that this work process is completed for the managed object when the location area estimated for this managed object is equal to "Floor A2" or any lower level area belonging to "Floor A2". The "lower level area" for "Floor A2" here includes "Room A2-1", "Room A2-2", etc.

[0075] In many operations, such as the construction of buildings or traffic infrastructure, or the setting up of event venues, the locations where related items should be located change as the operation progresses. In the first half of the operation, it is sufficient for individual items to be delivered to the work site in a relatively coarse granularity, whereas in the second half of the operation, it may be necessary for each item to be delivered to a specific location according to its intended use. According to the second embodiment described here, it is possible to flexibly deal with such various requirements for the placement of managed items for each operation process.

[0076] A combination of the first and second embodiments described above may also be envisioned. Fig. 13(C) shows an example of the configuration of a granularity control table 380c relating to a combination of the first and second embodiments. In the example of Fig. 13(C), the granularity control table 380c has three data items: object type 381, process type 382, ​​and comparison level 385. By using such a granularity control table 380c, it is possible to compare the location of each managed object with the planned location at different granularities for each object type and each process type.

[0077] When type information associated with a certain managed object indicates a predetermined type, the status determination unit 233 may compare the location of the managed object with the planned location at the level of position coordinates. For example, assume that the process ID "P19" in the example of FIG. 9 indicates the predetermined type here. In the work process table 350, three-dimensional position coordinates (u5, v5, h5) are registered in the column of the planned location 356 of the managed object associated with the process ID "P19". In this case, the status determination unit 233 may determine that the work process is completed for the managed object when the distance between the estimated position coordinates of the managed object and the planned location coordinates (u5, v5, h5) falls below a preset distance threshold. In this way, by incorporating a detailed comparison at the level of position coordinates rather than the location area, it is possible to automatically determine whether a specific item (e.g., a dedicated item) is installed or attached at a location as designed in a certain work process and reflect the result in the status.

[0078] The status determination unit 233 compares the latest location of each managed object handled in each work process with the planned location according to the method described in this section, and updates the value of the process status 357 of the managed object determined to have been properly moved to the planned location to “completed.”

[0079] <3-5. Displaying location information> The display control unit 234 can display information about each of the multiple managed objects on the display unit 171 of the user terminal 160 to assist the user in grasping the locations of the managed objects and checking their status. In particular, in this embodiment, the work space is regularly divided into multiple coordinate regions (also called grids) to enable a user to grasp the locations of the managed objects in a global or general manner. The display control unit 234 can display on the screen coordinate region information about the coordinate region to which the estimated position coordinates of each managed object belong. In addition, the display control unit 234 can display on the screen location area information about the estimated location area of ​​each managed object. Since the display control unit 234 can control the display of such information about the managed objects, the process management system 1 can also be called a display control system 1.

[0080] FIG. 14 shows an example of a plurality of coordinate regions set in a working space. The area 10c shown in FIG. 14 corresponds to one floor of a building. The area 10c includes areas 10ca, 10cb, 10cc, and 10cd, which correspond to rooms in the floor. In the figure, a total of four rectangular coordinate regions GR1 to GR4, each having a size of 2×2, are regularly set in the area 10c. The shapes of these coordinate regions may be uniform, and the intervals of the boundaries between the coordinate regions may be constant on each coordinate axis. The boundaries of the coordinate regions shown by dashed lines in the figure do not necessarily coincide with the boundaries of the small areas (areas 10ca, 10cb, 10cc, and 10cd) in the space shown by thick lines in the figure.

[0081] The number and size of the coordinate areas set in the work space are not limited to the example shown in FIG. 14. The size of the coordinate areas may be set to a fixed value in advance. Instead, the display control unit 234 may set the size of the coordinate areas to different values ​​depending on the size of the area to be displayed. In addition, the display control unit 234 may variably set the size of the coordinate areas according to user settings (e.g., settings specified by user input, or settings described in a setting file saved by the user). This allows the user to view the coordinate area information described later at various granularities suitable for the purpose of viewing.

[0082] FIG. 14 also shows icons representing the installation positions of multiple position tags (e.g., position tags 40ca, 40cf) installed in the area 10c. In addition, icons representing the estimated positions of multiple managed objects (e.g., item 30ca) located in the area 10c are also shown. For example, item 30ca is located near the door of area 10cc, although it is outside area 10cc. Therefore, if the tag reader 110 passing through the door of area 10cc detects the target tag of the position tag 40cf and item 30ca installed in area 10cc within a short period of time, there is a risk that the location area of ​​item 30ca will be mistakenly recognized as area 10cc. Displaying information in units of coordinate areas, which will be described later, is beneficial in that it is not affected by such errors in the recognition of the location area.

[0083] FIG. 15 shows a first example of the configuration of an information viewing screen 700 that can be provided by the display control unit 234 in this embodiment. The information viewing screen 700 can be called up in response to a user input via the operation unit 165 of the user terminal 160, for example, and can be displayed by the display unit 171 of the user terminal 160. Referring to FIG. 15, the information viewing screen 700 includes a building selection field 701, a floor selection field 702, function buttons 705, 706, 707, a map display area 710, and a list display area 720. When the user selects a building and a floor for which he or she wishes to view location information in the fields 701 and 702, a map image of the selected floor is displayed in the map display area 710. The display control unit 234 superimposes a boundary line (dashed line in the figure) representing the boundary between multiple coordinate areas on this map image, and further superimposes coordinate area information. In the example of FIG. 15, a total of nine coordinate areas, 3×3, are set on the selected floor.

[0084] As an example, the coordinate area information displayed on the screen may include statistical information about the managed objects estimated to be located in each coordinate area. The statistical information here may include, for example, one or more of the following: 1) The number of managed objects estimated to be currently located in each coordinate area 2) The number of managed objects by category that are estimated to be currently located in each coordinate area 3) The number of managed objects estimated to be located in each coordinate area during a certain period in the past 4) The number of managed objects by category that are estimated to be located in each coordinate area during a certain period in the past 5) The number of items in 1) through 4) that meet a specific filtering condition The filtering conditions may include, for example, one or more of conditions related to the managed object, conditions related to the work process, and conditions related to the tag reader that detected the managed object. For example, the conditions related to the managed object may include a condition related to the name of the managed object or the object type. The conditions related to the work process may include a condition related to the process ID, deadline, planned location, process status, completion date, or auxiliary status. The conditions related to the tag reader may include a condition that only managed objects detected by a specific tag reader (for example, a tag reader used by the logged-in user) are included.

[0085] The function button 705 of the information viewing screen 700 is a button that calls up a UI for allowing the user to specify the above-mentioned filtering conditions. Such a UI may be configured according to any known method, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted here. In the example of FIG. 15, a box 711 is superimposed on each of the nine coordinate areas of the map display area 710. Each box 711 indicates the number of items and the number of users that are estimated to be currently located in the corresponding coordinate area. By presenting such statistical information by coordinate area, the user can easily and quickly grasp the outline of the location of the managed object at the latest time point or at the time point specified by the user. In addition, it is also possible to avoid information congestion on the screen in a situation where there are many managed objects.

[0086] As shown in FIG. 15, the display control unit 234 may display coordinate region information in a first portion (map display area 710) of the information viewing screen 700, while displaying location area information in parallel in a second portion (list display area 720) of the screen. As an example, the location area information may include a list of managed objects presumed to be located in each area. In the example of FIG. 15, the list display area 720 includes expandable and collapsible list items 721a, 721b, 721c, 721d, and 721e. The list item 721a corresponds to the "Floor 1F" selected in the floor selection field 702. The list items 721b, 721c, 721d, and 721e correspond to the four rooms in the "Floor 1F", respectively. When the user operates any one of the list items 721, a list of managed objects located in the area corresponding to the operated list item 721 is displayed (when the same list item 721 is operated again, the list of managed objects once displayed is hidden). In the example of Fig. 15, list item 721c corresponding to "Room 102" is expanded, and list items 725a and 725b corresponding to two items located in "Room 102" are displayed. By providing such a parallel display of coordinate area information and location area information, the user can compare the two different displays and investigate in more detail where each managed object is located in the workspace.

[0087] The function button 706 is a button that calls up a UI that allows the user to change settings related to information display. The function button 707 is a button that calls up a UI that allows the user to start some auxiliary function. These UIs may be configured according to any known method, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted here. The settings related to information display may include, for example, the size of the coordinate area described above. The auxiliary function may include, for example, downloading a list data file related to the displayed managed object.

[0088] Unlike the example of FIG. 15, the location area information may include statistical information regarding the managed objects estimated to be located in each area. The statistical information here may include, for example, one or more of the following: 1) The number of items currently subject to management estimated to exist in each area 2) The number of items subject to management estimated to be currently located in each area by category 3) The number of controlled objects estimated to be located in each area during a certain period in the past 4) The number of controlled items by category estimated to be located in each area during a certain period in the past 5) The number of items in 1) through 4) that meet a specific filtering condition The filtering conditions here may be similar to those described above in relation to the coordinate region information.

[0089] FIG. 16 shows a second example of the configuration of the information viewing screen 700 that may be provided by the display control unit 234 in this embodiment. In the second example, the display control unit 234 displays one of the coordinate area information and the location area information in the map display area 710 in a superimposed manner on the map image in accordance with the user's selection. Referring to FIG. 16, the information viewing screen 700 includes a display switching button 703 in addition to the components described in relation to FIG. 15. The display switching button 703 is a button for switching the information displayed in the map display area 710 between the coordinate area information and the location area information. For example, when the user operates the display switching button 703 in a state in which the coordinate area information is displayed in the map display area 710, the display control unit 234 displays the location area information in the map display area 710 instead of the coordinate area information. When the user operates the display switching button 703 in a state in which the location area information is displayed in the map display area 710, the display control unit 234 displays the coordinate area information in the map display area 710 instead of the location area information. 16, the boundaries of the coordinate regions and the boxes 711 are erased in the map display area 710, and instead, five boxes 731 are superimposed on the map image. Each box 731 indicates the number of items and the number of users estimated to be currently located in the corresponding area.

[0090] Although an example has been described in which one of the first display mode in which coordinate area information is superimposed on a map image and the second display mode in which location area information is superimposed on a map image can be selected, a third display mode in which individual position coordinates of managed objects are superimposed may also be selected. In the third display mode, the display control unit 234 may, for example, place an icon representing each managed object at a point in the map display area 710 that corresponds to the position coordinates of the managed object that meets the specified filtering condition.

[0091] Generally speaking, position coordinates based on self-location estimation methods are easily affected by accumulated errors in sensor output, and may not accurately capture the location of the managed object. Therefore, by making it possible to display location area information according to user selection in the map display area 710 as in the example of Fig. 16, useful information can be provided to the user even when the accuracy of the position coordinates is insufficient, and it is possible to effectively support the user in understanding the location of the managed object.

[0092] The display control unit 234 may display on the screen detailed information relating to a specific managed object designated by the user. Fig. 17 shows an example of such a display of detailed information. For example, when the user operates the list item 725b on the information viewing screen 700 of Fig. 15, the display control unit 234 transitions the list display area 720 of the information viewing screen 700 to the detailed display area 740 of Fig. 17. In the detailed display area 740, detailed information relating to "material B7", which is a managed object designated by the user, is displayed. For example, the detailed information includes the type, location area, location coordinates, last detection date and time, and status information of "material B7".

[0093] Furthermore, in the example of FIG. 17, an auxiliary status field 741 and a button 742 are arranged in the detail display area 740. In the auxiliary status field 741, the user can select one of a plurality of candidate status values ​​set in advance. The status value selected in the auxiliary status field 741 can be reflected in the auxiliary status 359 column of the above-mentioned work process table 350, for example, in response to the operation of the button 742. In the example of FIG. 17, a status value of "acceptance completed" is selected in the auxiliary status field 741. For example, the completion of registration of acceptance confirmation via the auxiliary status field 741 in a certain work process may be set as a condition for starting updating of the status of the subsequent work process.

[0094] In response to a specific managed object being selected by the user on the screen, the display control unit 234 may display, in the map display area 710, a marker indicating the coordinate area (or the area in which the selected managed object is located) in which the selected managed object is estimated to be located. In the example of FIG. 17, since the location coordinates of "material B7" are included in the upper right coordinate area of ​​the nine coordinate areas, a marker 712 that emphasizes the frame of a box 711 superimposed on the upper right coordinate area is added. This marker 712 may also be a type of coordinate area information. A user who sees the marker 712 can easily know where in the work space the managed object of interest is located.

[0095] <4. Processing flow> In this section, examples of the flow of several processes that can be executed in the process control system 1 will be described with reference to the flowcharts of Figures 18 to 22. In the following description, a processing step will be abbreviated as S (step).

[0096] <4-1. Data transmission process> FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a data transmission process executed by the mobile system 100.

[0097] First, in S11, the reading unit 116 of the tag reader 110 attempts to read the tag ID from a nearby RFID tag by emitting electromagnetic waves within the reading range. If the result of the tag reading attempt is that a tag ID is received from a nearby RFID tag using electromagnetic wave energy (S12-YES), the process proceeds to S16. On the other hand, if a tag ID is not received (S12-NO), the process proceeds to S13.

[0098] In S13, measurement unit 114 of tag reader 110 measures the relative movement amount of tag reader 110 based on sensor data output from, for example, a three-axis acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, and a geomagnetic sensor. Here, measurement unit 114 may further cause an air pressure sensor to measure atmospheric pressure. Next, in S14, control unit 111 acquires the current time as the measurement time, for example, by referring to an internal real-time clock. Next, in S15, control unit 111 transmits measurement result data including the relative movement amount (and air pressure value) measured by measurement unit 114, the measurement time, and the reader ID of tag reader 110 to management server 200 via communication unit 113.

[0099] In S16, control unit 111 obtains the current time as the tag ID read time. Next, in S17, control unit 111 transmits read result data including the read tag ID, the read time, the reception level, and the reader ID of tag reader 110 to management server 200 via communication unit 113.

[0100] The process then returns to S11. Such data transmission process may be repeated during the period in which tag reading attempts are activated in the portable system 100.

[0101] <4-2. Location estimation processing> Fig. 19 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the location estimation process executed by the management server 200. It is assumed that some measurement result records are stored in the movement amount table 360 ​​and some reading result records are stored in the tag detection table 370 at the time when the location estimation process of Fig. 19 is started.

[0102] First, in S21, the estimation unit 232 of the management server 200 focuses on one management target, and acquires a read result record for the target tag 50 attached to that management target from the tag detection table 370. Next, in S22, the estimation unit 232 extracts read result records for one or more position tags 40 received from the same tag reader 110 as the acquired read result record from the tag detection table 370. Next, in S23, the estimation unit 232 selects one reference position tag to be used as the reference for location estimation based on the correlation between the read result record for the target tag 50 and the read result records for one or more position tags 40.

[0103] Next, in S24, the estimation unit 232 calculates the relative movement amount of the tag reader 110 between the read time of the target tag 50 and the read time of the reference position tag by referring to the measurement result record of the movement amount table 360. Next, in S25, the estimation unit 232 estimates the position coordinates of the managed object of interest based on the calculated relative movement amount of the tag reader 110 and the known position of the reference position tag. Furthermore, in S26, the estimation unit estimates that the area associated with the reference position tag in the position tag table 330 is the location area of ​​the managed object of interest.

[0104] Then, in S27, the estimation unit 232 updates the columns of the coordinates 316 and the location area 315 of the target table 310 with the coordinate values ​​of the position coordinates estimated in S25 and the area ID of the location area estimated in S26, respectively.

[0105] The estimation unit 232 may repeat the above-mentioned process by sequentially focusing on one or more managed objects that may have moved within a certain period of time. By periodically executing such a process, the job DB 220 may maintain location information indicating the latest location of each managed object.

[0106] <4-3. Status update process> Fig. 20 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a status update process executed by the management server 200. The status update process of Fig. 20 may be executed periodically, for example, like the location estimation process of Fig. 19, or may be executed in response to a status update instruction being input to the user terminal 160.

[0107] First, in S31, the status determination unit 233 selects an operation whose progress should be updated from among the operation processes constituting the work defined in the operation process table 350. The operation process selected here may be, for example, an operation process associated with a managed object whose location has changed, an operation process specified by the user, or an operation process whose deadline has arrived. Next, in S32, the status determination unit 233 selects one managed object whose status is incomplete for the selected operation process.

[0108] Next, in S33, the status determination unit 233 determines the matching level for matching the location with the planned location based on one or both of the object type of the selected managed object and the process type of the work process by referring to the granularity control table 380. Next, in S34, the status determination unit 233 obtains the latest location (location area or position coordinates) of the selected managed object from the object table 310. In addition, the status determination unit 233 obtains the planned location of the managed object in the selected work process from the work process table 350.

[0109] Next, in S35, the status determination unit 233 checks the location of the selected managed object against the planned location at the check level determined in S33. For example, if the planned location is represented by an area ID and the level of the area is equal to the check level, the location can be determined to match the planned location when the area ID of the location area of ​​the managed object is equal to the planned location or the area ID of any lower level area belonging to the planned location. If the planned location is represented by position coordinates and the check level indicates check at the position coordinate level, the location can be determined to match the planned location when the distance between the position coordinates of the managed object and the position coordinates of the planned location falls below a predetermined distance threshold. If the location matches the planned location (S36-YES), in S37, the status determination unit 233 updates the status of the selected managed object in the selected work process to "completed". If the check fails (S36-NO), S37 is skipped and the status is not updated.

[0110] Next, in S38, the status determination unit 233 determines whether there are any remaining managed objects whose status is incomplete for the operation process selected in S31. If there are any remaining managed objects whose status is incomplete, the process returns to S32, and the status determination unit 233 selects a new incomplete managed object from the remaining managed objects, and repeats S33 to S38. If there are no remaining managed objects whose status is incomplete, the status update process for the operation process selected in S31 ends. Although not shown, it goes without saying that the above-mentioned status update process may be further repeated for other operation processes.

[0111] <4-4. Display control processing> (1) First Example Fig. 21 is a flowchart showing a first example of the flow of a display control process executed by cooperation between the user terminal 160 and the management server 200. Here, it is assumed that the information browsing screen 700 according to the first example described using Fig. 15 is called up by a user and displayed by the display unit 171 under the control of the control unit 161 of the user terminal 160.

[0112] First, in S41, the display control unit 234 of the management server 200 acquires, from the object table 310, location information of one or more managed objects that meet filtering conditions that may be specified in the user terminal 160. For example, the display control unit 234 may acquire, from the object table 310, the location area and location coordinates of a managed object that is estimated to currently be located in the specified area. Next, in S42, the display control unit 234 acquires map image data of the specified area from the area table 320. Next, in S43, the display control unit 234 sets multiple coordinate areas in the specified area.

[0113] Next, in S44, the display control unit 234 generates a list of managed objects by location area as location area information based on the location area of ​​the one or more managed objects acquired in S41. Also, in S45, the display control unit 234 generates statistical information of managed objects by coordinate area as coordinate area information based on the position coordinates of the one or more managed objects acquired in S41.

[0114] Next, in S46, the display control unit 234 transmits the generated location area information to the user terminal 160 via the communication unit 210. The control unit 161 of the user terminal 160 controls the display unit 171 to display a list of managed objects by location area in the list display area 720 of the information viewing screen 700. Also, in S47, the display control unit 234 transmits the generated coordinate area information together with map image data to the user terminal 160 via the communication unit 210. The control unit 161 of the user terminal 160 controls the display unit 171 to display the statistical information by coordinate area superimposed on the map image in the map display area 710 of the same information viewing screen 700.

[0115] When the filtering conditions of the management targets to be displayed are changed, the display control process from S41 onward may be executed again to update the screen display. Also, the display control unit 234 may monitor the location information stored in the target table 310, and when there is a change in the location information, the display control process may be executed again to cause the control unit 161 of the user terminal 160 to update the screen display.

[0116] (2) Second Example Fig. 22 is a flowchart showing a second example of the flow of a display control process executed by cooperation between the user terminal 160 and the management server 200. Here, it is assumed that the information browsing screen 700 according to the second example described with reference to Fig. 16 is called up by the user and displayed by the display unit 171 under the control of the control unit 161 of the user terminal 160.

[0117] First, in S51, the display control unit 234 of the management server 200 acquires, from the object table 310, location information of one or more managed objects that meet filtering conditions that may be specified in the user terminal 160. Next, in S52, the display control unit 234 acquires map image data of the specified area from the area table 320. Next, in S53, the display control unit 234 sets multiple coordinate areas in the specified area.

[0118] Next, in S54, the display control unit 234 generates a list of managed objects by location area based on the location area of ​​the managed objects. Also, in S55, the display control unit 234 generates statistical information of managed objects by location area as location area information based on the location area of ​​the managed objects. Furthermore, in S56, the display control unit 234 generates statistical information of managed objects by coordinate area as coordinate area information based on the position coordinates of the managed objects.

[0119] Next, in S57, the display control unit 234 transmits the generated list of managed objects by location area to the user terminal 160 via the communication unit 210. The control unit 161 of the user terminal 160 controls the display unit 171 to display the list of managed objects by location area in the list display area 720 of the information browsing screen 700. Next, in S58, the control unit 161 accepts a display mode designated by the user via the operation unit 165. If the first display mode in which coordinate area information is superimposed on a map image is designated (S59-YES), the process proceeds to S60. On the other hand, if the second display mode in which location area information is superimposed on a map image is designated (S59-NO), the process proceeds to S61.

[0120] In S60, the display control unit 234 transmits the coordinate area information together with the map image data to the user terminal 160 via the communication unit 210. The control unit 161 of the user terminal 160 controls the display unit 171 to display the statistical information for each coordinate area superimposed on the map image in the map display area 710 of the information viewing screen 700. On the other hand, in S61, the display control unit 234 transmits the location area information together with the map image data to the user terminal 160 via the communication unit 210. The control unit 161 of the user terminal 160 controls the display unit 171 to display the statistical information for each location area superimposed on the map image in the map display area 710 of the information viewing screen 700.

[0121] As in the first example described above, when the filtering conditions of the management targets to be displayed are changed, the display control process from S51 onward may be executed again to update the screen display. Also, the display control unit 234 may monitor the location information stored in the target table 310, and when there is a change in the location information, the display control process may be executed again to cause the control unit 161 of the user terminal 160 to update the screen display.

[0122] <5. Summary> Various embodiments, examples, and modified examples of the technology according to the present disclosure have been described in detail above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 22. In the above-described embodiment, the area data defines a plurality of areas set in real space with a plurality of different spatial granularities. The plurality of areas includes at least one first level area set in real space with a first spatial granularity, and at least one second level area set in the at least one first level area with a second spatial granularity narrower than the first spatial granularity. Then, the location of the managed object is collated with the planned location of the work process with different granularities depending on the type information associated with the managed object of the process management system, and the status of the work process is updated based on the result of the collation. According to this configuration, the spatial granularity of the collation between the location of the managed object and the planned location can be automatically switched to determine the status depending on which managed object or which work process the status is to be updated for. Therefore, the requirements regarding the granularity of the location collation, which is not necessarily uniform in general process management scenes, can be flexibly dealt with, and the efficiency of process management can be improved.

[0123] As a non-limiting example, the destination of so-called general-purpose materials may be specified with a wider spatial granularity than that of specialized products with individual specifications. Alternatively, the granularity for matching the location may be coarser (i.e., wider spatial granularity) at the beginning of the work and finer (i.e., narrower spatial granularity) as the work progresses. In the above-mentioned embodiment, when matching with a wider spatial granularity is allowed, it may be determined that the work process is completed for the managed object when the location of the managed object is equal to the higher level area corresponding to the planned location or any lower level area belonging to the higher level area. Therefore, the status of the work process can be automatically updated to complete no matter where the managed object moves to as long as it is a point belonging to the higher level area. Therefore, as a result of relaxing the constraints imposed on the movement of the managed object, the freedom of placement of the managed object during the progress of the work increases, and the efficiency of the work itself can also be improved.

[0124] In the above-described embodiment, a first wireless device (target tag) storing first identification information for identifying the managed object is attached to the managed object, and a second wireless device (location tag) storing second identification information associated with the corresponding installation area is installed in each area. Then, based on the result of reading the identification information from the first wireless device and the second wireless device by the first reading device, it is estimated in which area the managed object is located. In particular, reading the identification information from the wireless device does not require communication with an external device such as a GPS satellite or a wireless base station. Therefore, even in an environment where external communication is difficult, such as indoors, underground, or in a tunnel, records for location estimation can be stably collected and used for subsequent status updates and viewing of location information.

[0125] In the above-described embodiment, the real space is regularly divided into a plurality of coordinate regions, and the display device can display coordinate region information regarding the coordinate regions to which the estimated position coordinates of each of the plurality of managed objects belong. With this configuration, the user can easily and quickly grasp the general location of the managed object at the latest time or at a time specified by the user. Furthermore, by making it possible to display the coordinate region information and the location area information regarding the location area (parallel or selectively), the user can be more effectively assisted in grasping the location of the managed object.

[0126] <6. Other embodiments> The above-mentioned embodiment can also be realized in the form of a process in which a program for realizing one or more functions is supplied to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and one or more processors in a computer of the system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

[0127] The disclosure of this specification includes at least the following process control system, method, and information processing device. (Item 1) a management unit that manages area data defining a plurality of areas set in a real space and process data indicating a planned location where a managed object is to be located upon completion of a work process involving movement of the managed object among the plurality of areas; a first wireless device that is assigned to the management target and stores first identification information for identifying the management target; at least one reader capable of reading from the wireless device identification information stored in the wireless device; a determination unit that compares a location of the managed object estimated based on a result of reading the first identification information from the first wireless device by a first reading device with the planned location indicated by the process data, and determines a status of the work process related to the managed object; Including, the area data defines at least one first level area established in the real space with a first spatial granularity and at least one second level area established in the at least one first level area with a second spatial granularity that is narrower than the first spatial granularity; the determination unit compares the location of the managed object with the planned location at different granularities depending on type information associated with the managed object; Process control system. (Item 2) the type information includes a target type indicating a type of the managed object, The determination unit compares a location of a first managed object, the object type of which indicates a first type, with the planned site at the first spatial granularity, and compares a location of a second managed object, the object type of which indicates a second type different from the first type, with the planned site at the second spatial granularity. Item 1. The process control system according to item 1. (Item 3) the type information includes a process type indicating a type of each of a plurality of work processes associated with the managed object, the determination unit, when the process type of a first work process among the plurality of work processes indicates a first type, compares the location of the managed object with the planned location at the first spatial granularity, and when the process type of a second work process indicates a second type different from the first type, compares the location of the managed object with the planned location at the second spatial granularity; Item 1. The process control system according to item 1. (Item 4) The process control system according to item 2 or 3, wherein the determination unit determines that the work process has been completed for a managed object for which the type information indicates the first type when the location of the managed object is equal to the first level area corresponding to the planned location indicated by the process data or any lower level area belonging to the first level area. (Item 5) 4. The process control system according to item 3, wherein the second work process is a work process subsequent to the first work process. (Item 6) The process control system comprises: a second wireless device installed in one or more of the plurality of zones, the second wireless device storing second identification information associated with the corresponding installation zone; an estimation unit that estimates the location of the managed object based on a result of reading the first identification information from the first wireless device by the first reading device and a result of reading the second identification information from the second wireless device by the first reading device; 6. The process control system according to any one of items 1 to 5, further comprising: (Item 7) the estimation unit estimates position coordinates of the location of the managed object based on an amount of movement of the first reading device between a time when the first identification information is read from the first wireless device by the first reading device and a time when the second identification information is read from the second wireless device by the first reading device; the determination unit, when the type information associated with the managed object indicates a predetermined type, collates the location of the managed object with the planned location at a position coordinate level; Item 6. A process control system according to item 6. (Item 8) The process control system according to any one of items 1 to 7, wherein the first level area and the second level area correspond to any two of a district, a building, a floor, and a room. (Item 9) A method for determining a status of a work process of a work performed in a plurality of areas set in a real space by an information processing device, comprising: the information processing device is capable of accessing area data defining the plurality of areas and process data indicating a planned location where the managed object should be located upon completion of the work process involving movement of the managed object among the plurality of areas; the area data defines at least one first level area established in the real space with a first spatial granularity and at least one second level area established in the at least one first level area with a second spatial granularity that is narrower than the first spatial granularity; the information processing device is capable of communicating with at least one reader capable of reading identification information stored in a wireless device from the wireless device; The method comprises: Obtaining a result of reading, by a first reader, first identification information for identifying the managed object from a first wireless device assigned to the managed object; estimating a location of the managed object based on the obtained readings; and matching the estimated location of the managed object with the planned location indicated by the process data at different granularities depending on type information associated with the managed object to determine the status of the work process related to the managed object; A method comprising: (Item 10) a management unit that manages area data defining a plurality of areas set in a real space and process data indicating a planned location where a managed object is to be located upon completion of a work process involving movement of the managed object among the plurality of areas; a communication unit that receives a result of reading the first identification information from a first reader that reads the first identification information identifying the managed object from a first wireless device assigned to the managed object; an estimation unit that estimates a location of the managed object based on the result of the reading received by the communication unit; a determination unit that compares the location of the managed object estimated by the estimation unit with the planned location indicated by the process data to determine a status of the work process related to the managed object; Equipped with the area data defines at least one first level area established in the real space with a first spatial granularity and at least one second level area established in the at least one first level area with a second spatial granularity that is narrower than the first spatial granularity; the determination unit compares the location of the managed object with the planned location at different granularities depending on type information associated with the managed object; Information processing device.

[0128] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following claims are appended to apprise the public of the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0129] 1: process control system, 5: network, 10 (10a, 10b, ...): area, 20 (20a): user, 30 (30a, 30b, ...): item, 40 (40a, 40b, ...): position tag (second wireless device), 50 (50a, 50b, ...): target tag (first wireless device), 100: mobile system, 110: tag reader (reading device), 160: user terminal (terminal device / information processing device), 161: control unit, 163: communication unit, 171: display unit (display device), 200: management server (information processing device), 210: communication unit, 220: work DB (database), 231: data management unit, 232: estimation unit, 233: status determination unit, 234: display control unit, 320: area table (area data), 350: work process table (process data), 357: process status, 381: object type (type information), 382: process type (type information), 385: comparison level, 700: information viewing screen, GR1 to GR4: coordinate area

Claims

1. a management unit that manages area data defining a plurality of areas set in a real space and process data indicating a planned location where a managed object is to be located upon completion of a work process involving movement of the managed object among the plurality of areas; a first wireless device that is assigned to the management target and stores first identification information for identifying the management target; at least one reader capable of reading from the wireless device identification information stored in the wireless device; a determination unit that compares a location of the managed object estimated based on a result of reading the first identification information from the first wireless device by a first reading device with the planned location indicated by the process data to determine a status of the work process related to the managed object; Including, the area data defines at least one first level area established in the real space with a first spatial granularity and at least one second level area established in the at least one first level area with a second spatial granularity that is narrower than the first spatial granularity; the determination unit compares the location of the managed object with the planned location at different granularities depending on type information associated with the managed object; Process control system.

2. the type information includes a target type indicating a type of the managed object, The determination unit compares a location of a first managed object, the object type of which indicates a first type, with the planned site at the first spatial granularity, and compares a location of a second managed object, the object type of which indicates a second type different from the first type, with the planned site at the second spatial granularity. The process control system according to claim 1.

3. the type information includes a process type indicating a type of each of a plurality of work processes associated with the managed object, the determination unit, when the process type of a first work process among the plurality of work processes indicates a first type, compares the location of the managed object with the planned location at the first spatial granularity, and when the process type of a second work process indicates a second type different from the first type, compares the location of the managed object with the planned location at the second spatial granularity; The process control system according to claim 1.

4. 4. The process control system according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the determination unit determines that the work process has been completed for a managed object whose type information indicates the first type when the location of the managed object is equal to a first level area corresponding to the planned location indicated by the process data or any lower level area belonging to the first level area.

5. The process control system according to claim 3 , wherein the second work process is a work process subsequent to the first work process.

6. The process control system comprises: a second wireless device installed in one or more of the plurality of zones, the second wireless device storing second identification information associated with the corresponding installation zone; an estimation unit that estimates the location of the managed object based on a result of reading the first identification information from the first wireless device by the first reading device and a result of reading the second identification information from the second wireless device by the first reading device; The process control system of claim 1 further comprising:

7. the estimation unit estimates position coordinates of the location of the managed object based on an amount of movement of the first reading device between a time when the first identification information is read from the first wireless device by the first reading device and a time when the second identification information is read from the second wireless device by the first reading device; the determination unit, when the type information associated with the managed object indicates a predetermined type, collates the location of the managed object with the planned location at a position coordinate level; The process control system according to claim 6.

8. The process control system of claim 1 , wherein the first level area and the second level area correspond to any two of a district, a building, a floor, and a room.

9. A method for determining a status of a work process of a work performed in a plurality of areas set in a real space by an information processing device, comprising: the information processing device is capable of accessing area data defining the plurality of areas and process data indicating a planned location where the managed object should be located upon completion of the work process involving movement of the managed object among the plurality of areas; the area data defines at least one first level area established in the real space with a first spatial granularity and at least one second level area established in the at least one first level area with a second spatial granularity that is narrower than the first spatial granularity; the information processing device is capable of communicating with at least one reader capable of reading identification information stored in a wireless device from the wireless device; The method comprises: Obtaining a result of reading, by a first reader, first identification information that identifies the managed object from a first wireless device assigned to the managed object; estimating a location of the managed object based on the obtained readings; and matching the estimated location of the managed object with the planned location indicated by the process data at different granularities depending on type information associated with the managed object to determine the status of the work process related to the managed object; A method comprising:

10. a management unit that manages area data defining a plurality of areas set in a real space and process data indicating a planned location where a managed object is to be located upon completion of a work process involving movement of the managed object among the plurality of areas; a communication unit that receives a result of reading the first identification information from a first reader that reads first identification information for identifying the management target from a first wireless device assigned to the management target; an estimation unit that estimates a location of the managed object based on the result of the reading received by the communication unit; a determination unit that compares the location of the managed object estimated by the estimation unit with the planned location indicated by the process data to determine a status of the work process related to the managed object; Equipped with the area data defines at least one first level area established in the real space with a first spatial granularity and at least one second level area established in the at least one first level area with a second spatial granularity that is narrower than the first spatial granularity; the determination unit compares the location of the managed object with the planned location at different granularities depending on type information associated with the managed object; Information processing device.

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