Support system, support device, support method, and program

Abstract

To simplify an operation performed by a person.SOLUTION: A support system 1 comprises a first acquisition unit 231, a second acquisition unit 232, a creation unit 233, and an output unit 234. The first acquisition unit 231 acquires demand information related to a demand for the appearance of construction material elements. The second acquisition unit 232 acquires building information related to the shape of a target building to be examined. The creation unit 233 creates an appearance image of the appearance of the target building on the basis of the demand information and the building information. The output unit 234 displays the appearance image on a display 32.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to an assistance system, an assistance device, an assistance method, and a program, and more particularly to an assistance system, an assistance device, an assistance method, and a program for the exterior appearance of a target building to be considered. [Background technology]

[0002] A building material allocation system is disclosed in Patent Document 1. The building material allocation system provides a simulation function for allocating building materials having predetermined dimensions to each exterior wall surface of a construction image generated by a construction simulation. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2005-285069 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Incidentally, in a system (support system) that provides support for examining the exterior of a building, such as the building material allocation system described in Patent Document 1, it is desirable to facilitate operations performed by a person.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide an assistance system, an assistance device, an assistance method, and a program that can facilitate operations performed by humans. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A support system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a first acquisition unit, a second acquisition unit, a generation unit, and an output unit. The first acquisition unit acquires request information related to requests for the appearance of building material elements. The second acquisition unit acquires building information related to a shape of a target building to be considered. The generation unit generates an exterior image of the exterior of the target building based on the request information and the building information. The output unit displays the exterior image on a display unit.

[0007] A support device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes the first acquisition unit, the second acquisition unit, the generation unit, the output unit, and the display unit of the support system.

[0008] An assistance method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is executed by one or more processors. The assistance method includes a first acquisition step, a second acquisition step, a generation step, and an output step. In the first acquisition step, request information regarding requests for the appearance of building material elements is acquired. In the second acquisition step, building information regarding the shape of a target building to be considered is acquired. In the generation step, an exterior image of the exterior of the target building is generated based on the request information and the building information. In the output step, the exterior image is displayed on a display unit.

[0009] A program according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a program for causing one or more processors to execute the assistance method. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the assistance system, assistance device, assistance method, and program according to the above aspects of the present disclosure, it is possible to facilitate operations performed by a person. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a support system according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an input screen output by the support system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3]FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the input screen output by the support system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a desired image to be input to the support system. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a proposal screen output by the support system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing another example of a proposal screen output by the support system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing yet another example of a proposal screen output by the support system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of the support system. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a support system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an input screen output by the support system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the input screen output by the support system according to the embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In addition, common elements in the embodiments described below are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions of common elements may be omitted. In addition, the following embodiments and modifications are only a part of various embodiments of the present disclosure. In addition, the following embodiments and modifications can be modified in various ways depending on the design, etc., as long as the object of the present disclosure can be achieved. In addition, the configurations of the modifications can be appropriately combined.

[0013] Each drawing described in this disclosure is a schematic drawing, and the ratio of the size and thickness of each component in each drawing does not necessarily reflect the actual dimensional ratio.

[0014] (Embodiment 1) (1) Overview First, an overview of a support system 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the support system 1 of the first embodiment includes a first acquisition unit 231, a second acquisition unit 232, a generation unit 233, and an output unit 234.

[0016] The first acquisition unit 231 acquires request information related to requests for the appearance of the building material element. The "building material element" in the first embodiment is a building material that forms at least a part of a building, such as a roof material, an exterior wall material, an opening material (e.g., a window or a door), or a rain gutter.

[0017] The second acquisition unit 232 acquires building information relating to the shape of a target building to be considered.

[0018] Here, the "target building" in the first embodiment is a building that a person considering purchasing or renovating a building is considering purchasing or renovating. In the following description, the "person considering purchasing or renovating a building" may be referred to as the "owner" or the "builder". Furthermore, the "request information" in the first embodiment is information indicating the owner's requests regarding the exterior of the target building. Furthermore, the "building information" in the first embodiment includes at least one of architectural drawings such as design drawings of the target building and three-dimensional data, and information on the house shape of the target building. The "house shape" in the first embodiment is information on the house shape, which is classified into patterns such as hip roof, gable roof, square roof, or single-pitch roof, and the shape of the part of the building below the roof.

[0019] The generation unit 233 generates an exterior image of the target building based on the request information and the building information. The "exterior image of the target building" in the first embodiment is an image in which images of building material elements used in the target building are applied to an image of the target building generated based on the building information. The exterior image in the first embodiment is an image of a three-dimensional model of the target building. However, the exterior image may also be an image of a two-dimensional model of the target building.

[0020] The output unit 234 causes the display unit 32 to display an external image of the target building.

[0021] According to the support system 1 of embodiment 1, an exterior image (particularly an exterior image using images of products handled by the party providing the system) can be generated without requiring a person to perform operations to allocate building materials to the exterior wall surfaces of the construction image of the target building. Therefore, even a person who is unfamiliar with exterior design can easily visualize the imaginary building exterior, thereby facilitating operations performed by a person.

[0022] (2) Details Hereinafter, a detailed configuration of the support system 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0023] The support system 1 is a system that provides a support service for supporting consideration of the exterior of a target property. In the first embodiment, the support system 1 is used to display an exterior image of a target building to a client.

[0024] (2.1) Configuration of the support system As shown in FIG. 1, the support system 1 includes a support device 2 and a display device 3.

[0025] (2.2) Display device configuration The display device 3 is a device that displays an exterior image generated by the support system 1. The display device 3 in the first embodiment is an information terminal such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a personal computer owned by the owner. In the first embodiment, a case where a smartphone owned by the owner functions as the display device 3 is illustrated.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 1, the display device 3 includes a communication unit 31, a display unit 32, an operation unit 33, an imaging unit , a storage unit 35, and a processing unit .

[0027] The communication unit 31 includes an interface configured to be capable of communicating with the support device 2. Note that, in this disclosure, "capable of communication" means that information can be exchanged directly or indirectly via a network or a repeater, etc., by an appropriate communication method such as wired communication or wireless communication.

[0028] The display unit 32 and the operation unit 33 in the first embodiment are an integrally configured touch panel display. The display unit 32 displays proposed information including an exterior image. The operation unit 33 accepts operations by a person. In the following description, an example is given in which the owner operates the operation unit 33, but the operation unit 33 may also be operated by a house builder who constructs or renovates a building, or an employee of a building material manufacturer who manufactures or sells building material elements.

[0029] The imaging unit 34 has an imaging element and an optical member, and captures an image of a subject to generate a captured image. The imaging element is, for example, a two-dimensional image sensor such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Devices) image sensor or a CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor) image sensor.

[0030] The storage unit 35 is a semiconductor memory such as a Read Only Memory (ROM), a Random Access Memory (RAM), or an Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM). The storage unit 35 is not limited to a semiconductor memory, and may be a hard disk drive or the like. For example, the storage unit 35 of the first embodiment stores a desired image generated by the imaging unit 34, the subject of which is a building having an appearance that the client has a favorable impression of. In other words, the desired image is an image generated by imaging the exterior of a building other than the target building. The desired image is an image that indicates a request for the exterior of the target building.

[0031] The processing unit 36 ​​is mainly composed of a computer system having, for example, one or more processors and one or more memories. In the display device 3, the one or more processors execute a program recorded in the memory, thereby realizing the function of the processing unit 36. The program may be pre-recorded in the memory, may be provided via a telecommunication line such as the Internet, or may be provided by recording it on a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card.

[0032] The processing unit 36 ​​controls the communication unit 31, the display unit 32, the operation unit 33, the imaging unit 34, and the storage unit 35. The processing unit 36 ​​in the first embodiment has a browser function. The processing unit 36 ​​accesses the support device 2 by the browser function, and displays an external image or the like on the display unit 32 of the display device 3.

[0033] (2.3) Configuration of the support device The support device 2 is a device that generates an exterior image. The support device 2 of the first embodiment is a server provided in a facility of a house manufacturer, a building material manufacturer, or the like.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 1, the support device 2 includes a communication unit 21, a storage unit 22, and a processing unit .

[0035] The communication unit 21 includes an interface configured to be able to communicate with the display device 3.

[0036] The storage unit 22 is a semiconductor memory such as a ROM, a RAM, or an EEPROM. Note that the storage unit 22 is not limited to a semiconductor memory, and may be a hard disk drive or the like.

[0037] The storage unit 22 of the first embodiment stores information on a plurality of building material elements. The information on a plurality of building material elements includes, for each building material element, identification information, use information indicating the use, appearance information, price information, grade information, size information, and target area information. In other words, the storage unit 22 stores a database of building material elements. In this disclosure, the "use of a building material element" refers to the role of the building material element in a building. The building material elements are classified into roofing materials, wall materials, opening materials, and the like according to their uses. In addition, the appearance information for each building material element includes an appearance image for each building material element, color information indicating the color, pattern information indicating the pattern, and impression information indicating the impression.

[0038] The processing unit 23 mainly comprises, for example, a computer system having one or more processors and one or more memories. In the support device 2, the one or more processors execute a program recorded in the memory, thereby realizing the function of the processing unit 23. The program may be pre-recorded in the memory, may be provided via a telecommunication line such as the Internet, or may be provided by recording it on a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card.

[0039] The processing unit 23 of the first embodiment causes the support device 2 to function as a Web server. The support device 2 functioning as a Web server provides the client with a support service for supporting the client in examining the exterior appearance of the target property via the display device 3 that has accessed the support device 2 by a browser function.

[0040] The processing unit 23 includes a first acquisition unit 231, a second acquisition unit 232, a generation unit 233, an output unit 234, a reception unit 235, and a change unit 236.

[0041] The first acquisition unit 231 acquires request information for the appearance of the building material element. The first acquisition unit 231 acquires request information in response to an operation of the client on the input screen displayed on the display unit 32 of the display device 3. In addition, the first acquisition unit 231 of the first embodiment further acquires condition information in response to an operation of the client on the input screen displayed on the display unit 32 of the display device 3. The condition information includes information on at least one of the following conditions: the price condition of the building material element, the grade condition of the building material element, the size condition of the building material element, and the desired construction area or planned construction area of ​​the target building. In the following description, the price condition of the building material element, the grade condition of the building material element, the size condition of the building material element, and the desired construction area or planned construction area of ​​the target building may be referred to as "building material conditions".

[0042] 2 is an example of an input screen displayed by the display unit 32. The screen D1 includes a display region R1 and a display region R2.

[0043] In the display area R1, a button B1 is arranged to allow the owner to set building material conditions. In the example of Fig. 2, a button B1 is arranged in the display area R1 to allow the owner to set conditions for the desired construction area or the planned construction area of ​​the target building.

[0044] In the display area R2, a button B2 and a button B3 are arranged to allow the owner to input request information. When the owner operates either the button B2 or the button B3, the display device 3 transmits the request information to the support device 2.

[0045] The button B2 is a button for uploading (or transmitting) requested information including a requested image to the support device 2. When an operation for uploading a requested image to the support device 2 is performed on the button B2, the display device 3 uploads the requested image stored in, for example, the storage unit 35 of the display device 3 to the support device 2.

[0046] Image G1 in FIG. 4 is an example of a desired image. Image G1 is, for example, an image captured from the front of a building that has an appearance that the client has a favorable impression of. Note that the desired image is not limited to an image from the front of the building, but may be an image from an oblique angle. In FIG. 4, three types of building material elements, which are wall materials and each have a different appearance, are used in the building. Note that in FIG. 4, the appearances of the three types of building material elements are distinguished by a herringbone pattern and two patterns of dot hatching.

[0047] The requested image may be subjected to image processing such as trimming or masking. In the present disclosure, "trimming" refers to designating a part of the requested image as a trimming area. In the requested image, an area set as a trimming area is treated as requested information, and an area not set as a trimming area is not treated as requested information. In the present disclosure, "masking" refers to designating a part of the requested image as a masking area. In the requested image, an area set as a masking area is not treated as requested information, and an area not set as a masking area is treated as requested information. Image processing such as trimming or masking may be performed based on an operation by a person such as an owner, or may be appropriately performed by the first acquisition unit 231 or the generation unit 233. In the example of FIG. 4, an area R4 that is set to surround the entire building and avoid a gatepost installed in front of the building is set as the trimming area.

[0048] The button B3 shown in FIG. 2 is a button for making the client input the exterior style that the client prefers and transmitting the request information including the information on the exterior style to the support device 2. The "exterior style" in the first embodiment is information including the degree of the exterior being simple or complex, and the degree of the exterior being natural or modern. The client inputs the exterior style that the client prefers, for example, by dragging the point P1 displayed in a superimposed manner on the map M1. In addition, in the map M1 shown in FIG. 2, the higher the point P1 is located on the map, the simpler the exterior is desired by the client. In addition, the lower the point P1 is located on the map, the more complex the exterior is desired by the client. In addition, the further to the left of the map, the more natural the exterior is desired by the client. In addition, the further to the right of the map, the more modern the exterior is desired by the client. In addition, in the selection of the "exterior style", a plurality of images may be displayed in a list and the user may select one.

[0049] The second acquisition unit 232 acquires building information related to the shape of the target building. The second acquisition unit 232 acquires building information according to an operation by the client on the input screen displayed on the display unit 32 of the display device 3.

[0050] 3 is an example of an input screen displayed by the display unit 32. The screen D2 may be a screen transitioning from the screen D1 or a screen transitioning to the screen D1, or may be a screen displayed on the display unit 32 by scrolling the screen D1. The screen D2 includes a display region R3.

[0051] In the display area R3, buttons B4 and B5 are arranged to allow the owner to input building information. When the owner operates either button B4 or button B5, the display device 3 transmits the building information to the support device 2.

[0052] The button B4 is a button for uploading (or transmitting) building information including architectural drawings of the target building to the support device 2. When an operation for uploading the architectural drawings to the support device 2 is performed on the button B2, the display device 3 uploads the architectural drawings stored in, for example, the storage unit 35 of the display device 3 to the support device 2.

[0053] The button B5 is a button for making the client input the house shape of the target building and for transmitting request information including the house shape to the support device 2.

[0054] The generation unit 233 generates an exterior image of the exterior of the target building based on the request information acquired by the first acquisition unit 231 and the building information acquired by the second acquisition unit 232.

[0055] When the request information acquired by the first acquisition unit 231 includes a request image, the generation unit 233 determines the building material elements having an appearance corresponding to the appearance of the image of the building in the request image as the building material elements to be used for the target building. Here, the "building material elements having an appearance corresponding to the appearance of the image of the building" are building material elements having an appearance that matches or is similar to the appearance of the image of the building.

[0056] More specifically, when the request information acquired by the first acquisition unit 231 includes a request image, the generation unit 233 inputs the request image into a first trained model (trained model) and determines the building material elements to be used for the target building based on the result output from the first trained model. The first trained model is a trained model trained by machine learning using the relationship between the image of the exterior of the building and information on a plurality of building material elements.

[0057] The generation unit 233 generates a three-dimensional model of the target building based on the building information acquired by the second acquisition unit 232.

[0058] Then, the generating unit 233 generates an exterior image of the exterior of the target building based on the request information, the building information, and the information of the determined building material elements. More specifically, the generating unit 233 in the first embodiment generates an exterior image of the exterior of the target building by allocating the determined building material elements to the three-dimensional model of the target building based on the request information.

[0059] For example, the generation unit 233 inputs the request information, the 3D model of the target building, and the information of the determined building material elements into the second trained model (trained model), and generates an exterior image based on the result output from the second trained model. The second trained model is a trained model trained by machine learning using the relationship between the request information, the 3D model of the building, and the information of the building material elements and the exterior image.

[0060] According to the support system 1 of the first embodiment, since an exterior image is generated using a desired image as the desired information, the effort required by a person to input a request for the exterior of the target building can be reduced, and the operation performed by a person can be made easier. Also, since the desired image of the first embodiment is an image generated by capturing an image of the exterior of a building other than the target building, the effort required by a person to draw the desired image can be reduced, and the operation performed by a person can be made easier.

[0061] Further, the generating unit 233 of the first embodiment determines the building material elements to be used for the target building based on the request information and the condition information. When the request information includes a request image, the generating unit 233 inputs the request image to the first trained model. Based on the result output from the first trained model and the condition information, the generating unit 233 determines the building material elements to be used for the target building from among the building material elements that satisfy the building material conditions. Then, the generating unit 233 generates an exterior image of the exterior of the target building based on the building information and the information of the determined building material element. That is, the generating unit 233 of the first embodiment generates an exterior image of the exterior of the target building based on the request information, the building information, and the condition information.

[0062] According to the support system 1 of embodiment 1, for example, an exterior image is generated when building material elements that satisfy the building material conditions set by a client are used in the target building, so that an exterior image that is more in line with the wishes of a client or other person can be generated.

[0063] Furthermore, when the request information acquired by the first acquisition unit 231 includes information on the style of the exterior, the generation unit 233 of the first embodiment determines the building material element to be used for the target building based on the information on the style of the exterior. In the first embodiment, the position of the point P1 on the map M1 is associated with the building material element to be used for the target building. That is, the generation unit 233 of the first embodiment determines the building material element to be used for the target building based on the position of the point P1 on the map M1. Note that multiple building material elements may be associated with each position of the point P1 on the map M1.

[0064] According to the support system 1 of the first embodiment, a person such as an owner can input request information by a simple operation such as dragging the point P1 displayed on the display screen. Therefore, according to the support system 1 of the first embodiment, it is possible to reduce the effort required for a person to input requests regarding the exterior appearance of the target building, and to further facilitate operations performed by a person.

[0065] The reception unit 235 receives an operational input from a person. The reception unit 235 of the first embodiment receives an operational input from a person to the operation unit 33 of the display device 3. More specifically, the reception unit 235 of the first embodiment receives an operational input from a person to the display screen displayed on the display unit 32 of the display device 3.

[0066] When the reception unit 235 receives a predetermined operation input, the change unit 236 at least changes the building material elements used in the target building and / or changes the arrangement of the building material elements used in the target building, and generates an exterior image in which at least a part of the exterior of the target building has been changed. When changing the building material elements used in the target building, the change unit 236 of the first embodiment determines the changed building material elements based on the request information and the building material conditions. Note that, for example, when a change button or an update button included in the display screen is operated by a person, the reception unit 235 receives the predetermined operation input.

[0067] For example, when a plurality of building material elements are used in a target building and the plurality of building material elements include a first building material element and a second building material element that have different appearances, the modification unit 236 changes at least a part of the appearance of the target building by swapping the arrangement of the first building material element and the second building material element. The appearance of the target building can be changed by a relatively simple process in which the modification unit 236 swaps the arrangement of the first building material element and the second building material element, and an increase in the processing load of the processing unit 23 can be suppressed.

[0068] Also, for example, the change unit 236 replaces a first building material element, which is a building material element used in the target building, with a third building material element, which is a building material element not used in the target building. Here, the appearance of the first building material element and the appearance of the third building material element replaced by the change unit 236 are similar but different colors.

[0069] Also, for example, the change unit 236 replaces a first building material element, which is a building material element used in the target building, with a fourth building material element, which is a building material element not used in the target building. Here, the appearance of the first building material element and the appearance of the fourth building material element replaced by the change unit 236 are similar in color but have different patterns.

[0070] Also, for example, the change unit 236 replaces a first building material element, which is a building material element used in the target building, with a fifth building material element, which is a building material element not used in the target building. Here, the appearance of the first building material element and the appearance of the fifth building material element replaced by the change unit 236 have the same pattern but different colors.

[0071] As described above, according to the support system 1 of the first embodiment, when a person such as an owner wants to change the appearance of the target building after checking the exterior image generated by the generation unit 233, the owner can change the appearance of the target building by a simple operation such as operating a button displayed on the display screen. In other words, according to the support system 1 of the first embodiment, it is possible to further facilitate operations performed by humans.

[0072] The output unit 234 displays various information on the display unit 32 in response to the operation accepted by the accepting unit 235. The output unit 234 displays an input screen or a proposal screen including proposal information such as an appearance image on the display unit 32 in response to the operation accepted by the accepting unit 235. In addition, the output unit 234 of the first embodiment displays the appearance image generated by the changing unit 236 on the display unit 32.

[0073] 5 is an example of a proposal screen that the output unit 234 causes the display unit 32 to display. For example, the screen D3 is a screen to which the screen D2 (see FIG. 3), which is an input screen, transitions. The screen D3 includes a display region R5 and a display region R6.

[0074] An exterior image generated by the generation unit 233 is arranged in the display area R5 of the screen D3. Image G2 in FIG. 5 is an example of an exterior image generated by the generation unit 233. The appearance of the target building (i.e., the image of the target building) in image G2 is based on the requested information, and the shape of the target building in image G2 is based on the building information. In image G2, three types of building material elements, each with a different appearance, are used for the target building. The three types of building material elements used for the target building in image G2 correspond to the three types of building material elements used for the building in image G1 (see FIG. 4), which is the requested image.

[0075] Display area R6 of screen D3 displays information on three types of building material elements used in the target building, that is, three types of building material elements determined by the generation unit 233. In the example of Fig. 5, information indicating which part of the target building each building material element is used in, information indicating the pattern of each building material element, and information indicating the color of each building material element are displayed in display area R6.

[0076] 6 is an example of a proposed screen that the output unit 234 causes the display unit 32 to display. For example, the screen D4 is a screen transitioning from the proposed screen, screen D3 (see FIG. 5). Like the screen D3, the screen D4 includes a display region R5 and a display region R6.

[0077] An exterior image generated by the modification unit 236 is arranged in the display area R5 of the screen D4. Image G2 in Fig. 6 is an example of an exterior image generated by the modification unit 236. In image G2 generated by the modification unit 236, the arrangement of building material elements has been changed compared to image G2 (see Fig. 5) generated by the generation unit 233. Specifically, in image G2 generated by the modification unit 236 and image G2 generated by the generation unit 233, the building material elements used in the "base" portion of the target building and the building material elements used in the "accent 1" portion have been swapped.

[0078] In the display area R6 of the screen D4, information on the three types of building material elements used in the target building, that is, the three types of building material elements determined by the generation unit 233, is displayed.

[0079] In addition, the output unit 234 causes the display unit 32 to display information on past construction examples using the building material elements determined by the generation unit 233 or the change unit 236 as related information related to the proposed information. The output unit 234 in the first embodiment causes the display unit 32 to display a construction example image generated by capturing an image of a building built using the building material elements determined by the generation unit 233 or the change unit 236.

[0080] 7 is an example of a proposed screen that the output unit 234 causes the display unit 32 to display. For example, the screen D5 is a screen that is displayed by scrolling the proposed screen, that is, the screen D3 (see FIG. 5) or the screen D4 (see FIG. 6). The screen D5 may be a screen to which the screen D3 or the screen D4 transitions. The screen D5 includes a display region R7.

[0081] A plurality of images G3 (two in the example of FIG. 7) which are construction example images are arranged in the display region R7. In the example of FIG. 7, the two images G3 are construction example images of different buildings. Note that the construction example image that the output unit 234 causes the display unit 32 to display may be a single construction example image.

[0082] According to the support system 1 of embodiment 1, the owner or other person can check information about construction examples in which the building material elements used in the target building were actually used, making it easier for the owner or other person to imagine what the finished target building will look like.

[0083] Furthermore, the output unit 234 of the first embodiment causes the display unit 32 to display the estimate information based on the building material elements determined by the generation unit 233 or the change unit 236 as related information related to the proposed information. The display screen on which the estimate information is displayed may be a screen displayed by scrolling the proposed screen D3 (see FIG. 5) or screen D4 (see FIG. 6), or may be a screen transitioned to from screen D3 or screen D4.

[0084] According to the support system 1 of the first embodiment, a person such as a client can confirm estimated information on the price and quantity of building material elements used in a target building.

[0085] (3) Operation of the support system Next, the operation of the support device 2 of the support system 1 of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0086] First, the support device 2 acquires requested information (step S1). For example, the support device 2 acquires a requested image uploaded from the display device 3 as the requested information. Next, the support device 2 acquires building information (step S2). For example, the support device 2 acquires an architectural drawing uploaded from the display device 3 as the building information.

[0087] The support device 2 generates proposal information including an exterior image based on the request information and the building information (step S3), and causes the display unit 32 to display the proposal information including the exterior image (step S4).

[0088] Next, the support device 2 judges whether the current exterior design is decided or not (step S5). The support device 2 judges whether the current exterior design is decided or not based on whether a decision button or a change button displayed on the display screen is operated by a person such as the owner.

[0089] When the decision button is operated by a person, the support device 2 determines that the current exterior design is decided (step S5: Yes), displays related information such as construction example images on the display unit 32 (step S6), and ends the series of processes shown in Fig. 8. On the other hand, when the change button is operated by a person, the support device 2 determines that the current exterior design is not decided (step S5: No), and performs the process of step S3 again to change the exterior design.

[0090] It should be noted that the flowchart shown in FIG. 8 is merely an example, and the order of the processes may be changed as appropriate, and processes may be added or deleted as appropriate.

[0091] (4) Variations Modifications of the first embodiment are listed below.

[0092] (4.1) Variation 1 In the first embodiment, the generation unit 233 uses the first trained model to determine the building material elements to be used in the target building. However, the generation unit 233 may perform rule-based image recognition processing on the desired image, and determine the building material elements to be used in the target building based on the result of the image recognition processing and information on a plurality of building material elements that is pre-stored in the storage unit 22.

[0093] In the rule-based image recognition process, the generation unit 233 recognizes a building (i.e., an image of a building) in the requested image. Furthermore, the generation unit 233 recognizes the use of each building material element, such as a roof, a wall, a window, and a door, in the recognized building. The generation unit 233 also recognizes the pattern and color of each building material element. Then, the generation unit 233 determines, from the database stored in the storage unit 22, a building material element that corresponds to each building material element used in the building in the requested image.

[0094] Then, the generation unit 233 generates an exterior image of the exterior of the target building based on the request information, the building information, and the information of the determined building material elements.

[0095] (4.2) Other Modifications The same function as the support system 1 (or support device 2) according to the first embodiment may be embodied in a support method, a (computer) program, or a non-transitory recording medium having a program recorded thereon. The support method according to one embodiment is executed by one or more processors. The support method has a first acquisition step, a second acquisition step, a generation step, and an output step. In the first acquisition step, request information regarding requests for the appearance of the building material element is acquired. In the second acquisition step, building information regarding the shape of the target building to be considered is acquired. In the generation step, an appearance image of the exterior of the target building is generated based on the request information and the building information. In the output step, the appearance image is displayed on the display unit 32. The program according to one embodiment is a program for causing one or more processors to execute the above support method.

[0096] The execution subject of the support system 1 (or support device 2) or the support method in the present disclosure includes a computer system. The computer system is mainly composed of a processor and a memory as hardware. The function of the execution subject of the support system 1 or the support method in the present disclosure is realized by the processor executing a program recorded in the memory of the computer system. The program may be pre-recorded in the memory of the computer system, may be provided through an electric communication line, or may be provided by being recorded in a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card, an optical disk, or a hard disk drive that can be read by the computer system. The processor of the computer system is composed of one or more electronic circuits including a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) or a large-scale integrated circuit (LSI). The integrated circuits such as IC or LSI referred to here are called by different names depending on the degree of integration, and include integrated circuits called system LSI, VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration), or ULSI (Ultra Large Scale Integration). Furthermore, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) that is programmed after the manufacture of the LSI, or a logic device that can reconfigure the connection relationship inside the LSI or the circuit partition inside the LSI, can also be adopted as a processor. The electronic circuits may be integrated in one chip or distributed among multiple chips. The chips may be integrated in one device or distributed among multiple devices. The computer system referred to here includes a microcontroller having one or more processors and one or more memories. Thus, the microcontroller is also composed of one or more electronic circuits including a semiconductor integrated circuit or a large-scale integrated circuit.

[0097] Furthermore, it is not essential for the support system 1 that multiple functions are integrated into one housing, and the components of the support system 1 may be distributed across multiple housings. Furthermore, at least some of the functions of the support system 1, for example, some of the functions of the support device 2, may be realized by cloud (cloud computing) or the like.

[0098] In the first embodiment, at least some of the functions of the support system 1 distributed among a plurality of devices may be integrated into one housing. For example, some of the functions of the support system 1 distributed among the support device 2 and the display device 3 may be integrated into one housing. For example, the support device 2 may include a display unit that displays an exterior image. The support device 2 including the display unit is installed in, for example, a showroom or a reception room of a house manufacturer or a building material manufacturer.

[0099] In the first embodiment, the case where the "target building" is a building that is the subject of consideration by a client has been exemplified. However, the "target building" may also be a building that is the subject of consideration for construction or renovation by employees of a house manufacturer who constructs or renovates a building. The "target building" may also be a building for employees of a building material manufacturer who manufactures or sells building material elements to check examples of use of the building material elements. In other words, the support system 1 may be used to display an exterior image of the target building to employees of the house manufacturer or building material manufacturer.

[0100] In the first embodiment, the support system 1 includes the support device 2 and the display device 3. However, the support system 1 may include only the first acquisition unit 231, the second acquisition unit 232, the generation unit 233, and the output unit 234.

[0101] In the first embodiment, the requested image is an image generated by capturing an image of the exterior of a building other than the target building by the imaging unit 34. However, the requested image may be an illustration depicting the exterior of the building.

[0102] As described above, in the first embodiment, the computation model (trained model) used in the processing unit is generated by machine learning. The processing unit may be implemented as any type of artificial intelligence or system. Here, the machine learning algorithm is, for example, a neural network. However, the machine learning algorithm is not limited to a neural network, and may be, for example, an eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGB) regression, a Random Forest, a decision tree, a Logistic Regression, a Support Vector Machine (SVM), a Naive Bayes classifier, or k-nearest neighbors. Furthermore, the machine learning algorithm may be, for example, a Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM), or k-means clustering.

[0103] Moreover, the learning method is supervised learning as an example in the embodiment 1. However, the learning method is not limited to supervised learning, and may be unsupervised learning or reinforcement learning.

[0104] In addition, the trained model may be updated by performing additional training.

[0105] The first trained model and the second trained model may be a single trained model. The generation unit 233 may input a desired image (desired information) and a three-dimensional model (building information) to the single trained model, and generate an exterior image based on a result output from the single trained model. The single trained model is a trained model trained by machine learning using the relationship between the desired information and building information, and the exterior image.

[0106] (Embodiment 2) As shown in FIG. 9, the support device 2 according to the second embodiment further includes a registration unit 237.

[0107] In the second embodiment, when the first acquisition unit 231 acquires a desired image, it further acquires supplementary information related to the desired image. For example, when the first acquisition unit 231 acquires a desired image by the client operating button B2 (see FIG. 2) on screen D1 (see FIG. 2), the first acquisition unit 231 displays screen D6 on the display unit 32 as shown in FIG. 10. In other words, screen D6 is a screen transitioned from screen D1, and is an input screen for allowing the client to input supplementary information related to the desired image.

[0108] The supplemental information of the second embodiment includes information on the type of image (type information) and condition information on the photographing conditions of the image. The supplemental information of the second embodiment also includes information on the purpose of a typical building material element (part) of a building (house) included in the image, location information, color information, pattern information, and impression information. The "type of image" in the present disclosure includes an image of an electronic catalog or the like, a catalog image which is an image generated by photographing a catalog, and an actual image which is an image generated by photographing an actual building. That is, the information on the type of image is information indicating whether the image acquired by the first acquisition unit 231 is a catalog image or an actual image. The condition information on the photographing conditions of the image is information on the photographing conditions when the image acquired by the first acquisition unit 231 is an actual image. The condition information includes information on the photographing date and time, information on the photographing location such as an address or latitude and longitude, and direction information indicating from which direction the building was photographed.

[0109] Screen D6 includes display area R8 and display area R9. Button B6 is arranged in display area R8 to prompt the client to input the type of image uploaded by the client. In other words, display area R8 is an area for prompting the client to input information related to the type of image. First acquisition unit 231 acquires information related to the type of image by accepting an operation by the client on button B6 to display a pull-down menu (or pull-down list). For example, the pull-down menu includes options of "catalog image" and "actual image".

[0110] In addition, instead of or in addition to the button B6, a character input field in which the owner can freely input characters (text) may be arranged in the display region R8. When a character input field is arranged in the display region R8, the first acquisition unit 231 acquires the character string (text data) input in the character input field as information related to the type of image.

[0111] In the display area R9, buttons B7, B8, and B9 are arranged for the client to input condition information related to the photographing conditions of the image. Button B7 is a button for the client to input information on the photographing date and time. Button B8 is a button for the client to input information on the photographing location. Button B9 is a button for the client to input directional information. As shown in FIG. 10, buttons B7 to B9 in the second embodiment are buttons for displaying a pull-down menu for selectively inputting each piece of information.

[0112] In addition, in place of or in addition to each of the buttons B7 to B9, a character input field in which the owner can freely input characters (text) may be arranged in the display region R9. When a character input field is arranged in the display region R9, the first acquisition unit 231 acquires the character string input in the character input field as the condition information.

[0113] Buttons B7 to B9 may be operable when the real image is selected by button B6, for example. Display region R9 may be displayed when the real image is selected by button B6, for example.

[0114] Furthermore, for example, when the first acquisition unit 231 acquires a desired image by the client operating the button B2 on the screen D1, the first acquisition unit 231 displays a screen D7 on the display unit 32 as shown in Fig. 11. The screen D7 is a screen transitioned from the screen D1 or the screen D6, and is an input screen for allowing the client to input supplemental information regarding the desired image.

[0115] Screen D7 includes display areas R10 and R11. Display area R10 displays a character string such as "Please tell me about the typical parts of the house in the image.", which prompts the user to input information on the purpose, position, color, pattern, and impression of typical building material elements (parts) of the building (house) included in the image.

[0116] In the display region R11, a button B10 is arranged for allowing the owner to input information on the use of typical building material elements of the house included in the image.

[0117] In addition, a button B11 is arranged in the display area R11 to allow the owner to input position information of representative building material elements of the house included in the image. The "position information of the building material element" is information on the position where the building material element is placed, such as the "first floor part", the "second floor part", or the "entrance part" in the case of a wall material, for example.

[0118] In addition, buttons B12, B13, and B14 are arranged in the display area R11 to allow the client to input color information, pattern information, and impression information of representative building material elements of the house included in the image. Button B12 is a button for allowing the client to input color information indicating the color of the building material element. Button B13 is a button for allowing the client to input pattern information indicating the pattern of the building material element. In this disclosure, the "pattern of the building material element" includes patterns expressed by the shape of the surface of the building material element. Button B14 is a button for allowing the client to input impression information indicating the impression of the building material element. The "impression of the building material element" is the impression the client felt when looking at the building material element, and includes impressions such as "warm" or "cold."

[0119] 11, screen D7 includes one display region R11, but screen D7 may include multiple display regions R11. Also, a new display region R11 may be displayed on screen D7 after receiving input to buttons B12 to B14 arranged in one display region R11.

[0120] Note that, in place of or in addition to each of the buttons B12 to B14, a character input field in which the client can freely input characters (text) may be arranged in the display region R11. When a character input field is arranged in the display region R11, the first acquisition unit 231 acquires the character string input in the character input field as information on the purpose, position information, color information, pattern information, and impression information of the building material element.

[0121] The first acquisition unit 231 of the second embodiment generates text data by documenting the characteristics, including color information, pattern information, and impression information, for each building material element (part) of the building (house) included in the desired image based on the acquired desired image and supplementary information.

[0122] More specifically, the first acquisition unit 231 inputs the desired image and the supplementary information to the third trained model (trained model) and acquires text data output from the third trained model. The text data output from the third trained model is data that documents features including color information, pattern information, and impression information for each building material element of the building included in the desired image. The text data output from the third trained model is data that indicates features including color information, pattern information, and impression information for each building material element of the building included in the desired image, for example, in Japanese. The third trained model is a trained model that has been trained by machine learning using the relationship between the desired image and the supplementary information and the text data. The first acquisition unit 231 outputs the generated text data to the generation unit 233.

[0123] The registration unit 237 registers information for each building material element in the database. The registration unit 237 of the second embodiment generates text data by documenting the characteristics of the building material element, including color information, pattern information, and impression information of the building material element, based on the appearance image (registered image) of the building material element, and registers the generated text data in the database. The text data generated by the registration unit 237 and registered in the database is used as a master file for the matching process performed by the generation unit 233. Note that the appearance image of the building material element may be an image newly acquired by an administrator of the support device 2 or the like performing a predetermined operation on the support device 2, or may be an image already registered in the database of the storage unit 22.

[0124] Here, the registration unit 237 inputs an appearance image of the building material element into a fourth trained model (trained model) and acquires text data output from the fourth trained model. The text data output from the fourth trained model is data in which features including color information, pattern information, and impression information of the building material element corresponding to the appearance image are written into a sentence. The text data output from the fourth trained model is data indicating features including color information, pattern information, and impression information of the building material element corresponding to the appearance image, for example, in Japanese. The fourth trained model is a trained model trained by machine learning using the relationship between the appearance image of the building material element and the text data. The registration unit 237 associates the appearance image with the generated text data for each building material element and stores them in the storage unit 22.

[0125] The generation unit 233 of the second embodiment determines, based on the desired image and supplementary information acquired by the first acquisition unit 231, building material elements having an appearance corresponding to the appearance of the building image in the desired image as building material elements to be used for the target building.

[0126] More specifically, the generation unit 233 of the second embodiment performs a matching process of comparing text data corresponding to the desired image and supplemental information acquired by the first acquisition unit 231 (i.e., text data input from the first acquisition unit 231) with a plurality of text data (master files) stored in the storage unit 22. As a result of the matching process, the generation unit 233 determines, among the plurality of text data stored in the storage unit 22, the building material element corresponding to the text data most similar to the text data input from the first acquisition unit 231 as the building material element to be used for the target building.

[0127] According to the support device 2 of the second embodiment, the building material elements having the appearance corresponding to the appearance of the building image in the request image can be determined as the building material elements to be used for the target building by a relatively simple matching process. This makes it possible to generate an exterior image of the target building that is in line with the wishes of, for example, the owner.

[0128] (Embodiment 3) The support device 2 of the third embodiment includes a registration unit 237, similar to the support device 2 of the second embodiment.

[0129] The first acquisition unit 231 of the third embodiment corrects the desired image based on the acquired desired image and supplemental information to generate a corrected image. More specifically, when the desired image is an actual image, the first acquisition unit 231 corrects the color of the desired image based on condition information on the shooting conditions of the image included in the supplemental information to generate a corrected image, and outputs the generated corrected image to the generation unit 233. More specifically, when the desired image is an actual image, the first acquisition unit 231 corrects the color of the desired image based on one or more of shooting date and time information, shooting location information, and direction information to generate a corrected image, and outputs the generated corrected image to the generation unit 233. On the other hand, when the desired image is a catalog image, the first acquisition unit 231 outputs the acquired catalog image to the generation unit 233 without generating a corrected image.

[0130] The registration unit 237 of the third embodiment registers color information, pattern information, and impression information for each building material element in a database based on an appearance image (registered image) of each building material element.

[0131] Here, the registration unit 237 inputs the appearance image of the building material element to the fifth trained model (trained model), and registers the color information, pattern information, and impression information of the building material element corresponding to the appearance image in the database based on the result output from the fifth trained model. The fifth trained model is a trained model trained by machine learning using the relationship between the appearance image of the building material element and the color information, pattern information, and impression information.

[0132] The generation unit 233 of the third embodiment inputs the desired image (i.e., a corrected image of the actual image or a catalog image) output from the first acquisition unit 231 to a sixth trained model (trained model) and acquires image information output from the sixth trained model. The image information includes use information, color information, pattern information, impression information, etc., for each building material element used in the building in the desired image output from the first acquisition unit 231.

[0133] The generation unit 233 performs a matching process to compare the image information output from the sixth trained model with information on a plurality of building material elements stored in the storage unit 22. As a result of the matching process, the generation unit 233 determines, from among the information on the plurality of building material elements stored in the storage unit 22, the building material element corresponding to information most similar to the image information, as the building material element to be used for the target building.

[0134] According to the support device 2 of the third embodiment, for example, when the requested image is an actual image, the building material elements to be used for the target building are determined using the corrected image. This makes it possible to generate an exterior image of the target building that is in line with the wishes of, for example, the owner.

[0135] (Embodiment 4) The support device 2 of the fourth embodiment includes a registration unit 237, similar to the support device 2 of the second embodiment.

[0136] The first acquisition unit 231 of the fourth embodiment inputs a desired image into a seventh trained model (trained model) and acquires numerical data output from the seventh trained model. The numerical data is data that quantifies the characteristics of building material elements, including use information, color information, pattern information, and impression information for each building material element used in the building in the desired image. In the fourth embodiment, the numerical data is binary data. The first acquisition unit 231 outputs the acquired numerical data to the generation unit 233. Note that, when the desired image is an actual image, the first acquisition unit 231 of the fourth embodiment corrects the color of the desired image based on one or more of information on the shooting date and time, information on the shooting location, and information on the direction to generate a corrected image, and inputs the generated corrected image into the seventh trained model.

[0137] The registration unit 237 of the fourth embodiment digitizes the characteristics of the building material element, including color information, pattern information, and impression information, based on the appearance image (registered image) of the building material element to generate numerical data, and registers the generated numerical data in the database. The numerical data generated by the registration unit 237 and registered in the database is used as a master file for the matching process performed by the generation unit 233.

[0138] Here, the registration unit 237 inputs an appearance image of the building material element to the eighth trained model (trained model) and acquires numerical data output from the eighth trained model. In the fourth embodiment, the numerical data output from the eighth trained model is binary data. The eighth trained model is a trained model trained by machine learning using the relationship between the appearance image of the building material element and the numerical data. The registration unit 237 associates the appearance image with the acquired numerical data for each building material element and stores them in the storage unit 22.

[0139] The generating unit 233 of the fourth embodiment performs a matching process of comparing the numerical data corresponding to the desired image acquired by the first acquiring unit 231 (i.e., the numerical data input from the first acquiring unit 231) with a plurality of numerical data (master files) stored in the storage unit 22. As a result of the matching process, the generating unit 233 identifies numerical data that matches the numerical data input from the first acquiring unit 231 from among the plurality of numerical data stored in the storage unit 22. Then, the generating unit 233 determines the building material element corresponding to the identified numerical data as the building material element to be used for the target building.

[0140] According to the support device 2 of the fourth embodiment, the building material elements having an appearance corresponding to the appearance of the building image in the request image can be determined as the building material elements to be used for the target building by a relatively simple matching process. This makes it possible to generate an exterior image of the target building that is in line with the wishes of, for example, the owner.

[0141] (Modification) Modifications of the second to fourth embodiments are listed below.

[0142] The same functions as the support system 1 (or the support device 2) according to the second to fourth embodiments may be embodied as a support method, a (computer) program, or a non-transitory recording medium on which a program is recorded.

[0143] In the following description, the matching process using the text data of the second embodiment may be referred to as the "first matching process", the matching process using the image information of the third embodiment may be referred to as the "second matching process", and the matching process using the numerical data of the fourth embodiment may be referred to as the "third matching process". In each of the first matching process to the third matching process, the generating unit 233 may select a building material element group including a plurality of building material elements as a candidate of the building material element to be used for the target building, instead of determining one building material element as the building material element to be used for the target building. The building material element group that is the candidate of the building material element to be used for the target building is a building material element whose similarity is equal to or greater than a threshold value in the matching process. For example, the generating unit 233 performs two or more patterns of matching processes from the first matching process to the third matching process, and selects a building material element group as a candidate of the building material element to be used for the target building in each of the two or more patterns of matching processes. Then, the generating unit 233 determines the building material element to be used for the target building based on the two or more building material element groups selected in the two or more patterns of matching processes. For example, the generation unit 233 performs matching processing for two or more patterns, and determines the building material element that has been the most frequently selected as the building material element to be used for the target building as the building material element to be used for the target building. Since the building material element to be used for the target building is determined by performing matching processing for multiple patterns, it is possible to generate an exterior image of the target building that is in line with the intention of, for example, a client, etc.

[0144] (summary) As is clear from the above-described embodiments and modified examples, the support system (1) according to the first aspect includes a first acquisition unit (231), a second acquisition unit (232), a generation unit (233), and an output unit (234). The first acquisition unit (231) acquires request information related to requests for the appearance of building material elements. The second acquisition unit (232) acquires building information related to the shape of a target building to be considered. The generation unit (233) generates an exterior image of the exterior of the target building based on the request information and the building information. The output unit (234) causes the exterior image to be displayed on the display unit (32).

[0145] According to this aspect, the operation performed by a person can be simplified.

[0146] In the support system (1) according to the second aspect, in the first aspect, the request information includes a request image indicating a request for the exterior appearance of the target building.

[0147] According to this aspect, the operation performed by a person can be further simplified.

[0148] In the support system (1) according to the third aspect, in the second aspect, the generation unit (233) inputs a desired image to the trained model, and determines the building material elements to be used for the target building based on the results output from the trained model. The trained model is a trained model trained using the relationship between an image generated by capturing an image of the exterior of the building and information on a plurality of building material elements. The generation unit (233) generates an exterior image of the exterior of the target building based on the desired information, the building information, and the information on the determined building material elements.

[0149] In the support system (1) according to the fourth aspect, in the second aspect, the generation unit (233) performs rule-based image recognition processing on the desired image. The generation unit (233) determines the building material elements to be used for the target building based on the result of the image recognition processing and information on a plurality of building material elements that is pre-stored in the storage unit. The generation unit (233) generates an exterior image of the exterior of the target building based on the desired information, the building information, and information on the determined building material elements.

[0150] In the support system (1) according to the fifth aspect, in any one of the second to fourth aspects, the requested image is an image generated by capturing an image of the exterior of a building other than the target building.

[0151] According to this aspect, the operation performed by a person can be further simplified.

[0152] The support system (1) according to the sixth aspect is in any one of the first to fifth aspects, and further includes a receiving unit (235) and a change unit (236). The receiving unit (235) receives a human operation input. When the receiving unit (235) receives a predetermined operation input, the change unit (236) performs at least one of changing the building material elements used in the target building and changing the arrangement of the building material elements used in the target building, and generates an exterior image in which at least a part of the exterior of the target building is changed. The output unit (234) causes the display unit (32) to display the exterior image generated by the change unit (236).

[0153] According to this aspect, the operation performed by a person can be further simplified.

[0154] In the support system (1) according to the seventh aspect, in the sixth aspect, when a plurality of building material elements are used in the target building and the plurality of building material elements include a first building material element and a second building material element having different appearances, the modification unit (236) changes at least a portion of the appearance of the target building by swapping the position of the first building material element and the second building material element.

[0155] According to this aspect, the external appearance of the target building can be changed through relatively simple processing.

[0156] In the support system (1) according to the eighth aspect, in any one of the first to seventh aspects, the first acquisition unit (231) further acquires condition information. The condition information includes information on at least one of a price condition of the building material element, a grade condition of the building material element, a size condition of the building material element, and a condition of a desired construction area or a planned construction area of ​​the target building. The generation unit (233) generates an exterior image of the exterior of the target building based on the request information, the building information, and the condition information.

[0157] According to this aspect, it is possible to generate an exterior image that is in line with the wishes of, for example, a client, etc.

[0158] In the support system (1) according to the ninth aspect, in the third or fourth aspect, the output unit (234) causes the display unit (32) to display information on past construction examples using the building material elements determined by the generation unit (233).

[0159] According to this aspect, it becomes easier for the owner or other person to visualize the completed target building.

[0160] In the support system (1) according to the tenth aspect, in the third or fourth aspect, the output unit (234) causes the display unit (32) to display estimate information based on the building material elements determined by the generation unit (233).

[0161] According to this aspect, the owner or other person can check the estimated information regarding the price and quantity of the building material elements to be used in the target building.

[0162] The configurations other than the first aspect are not essential for the support system (1) and may be omitted as appropriate.

[0163] The support device (2) of the eleventh aspect includes a first acquisition unit (231), a second acquisition unit (232), a generation unit (233), and an output unit (234) of the support system (1) of any one of the first to tenth aspects, and a display unit (32).

[0164] According to this aspect, the operation performed by a person can be simplified.

[0165] The support method according to the twelfth aspect is executed by one or more processors. The support method has a first acquisition step, a second acquisition step, a generation step, and an output step. In the first acquisition step, request information regarding requests for the appearance of the building material element is acquired. In the second acquisition step, building information regarding the shape of a target building to be considered is acquired. In the generation step, an exterior image of the exterior of the target building is generated based on the request information and the building information. In the output step, the exterior image is displayed on a display unit (32).

[0166] According to this aspect, the operation performed by a person can be simplified.

[0167] A program according to a thirteenth aspect is a program for causing one or more processors to execute the support method according to the twelfth aspect.

[0168] According to this aspect, the operation performed by a person can be simplified. [Explanation of symbols]

[0169] 1. Support System 2 Support equipment 231 First acquisition part 232 Second Acquisition Department 233 Generation part 234 Output section 235 Reception 236 Changes 32 Display section

Claims

1. A first acquisition unit that acquires request information regarding requests for the appearance of the building material element; A second acquisition unit that acquires building information related to the shape of a target building to be considered; A generation unit that generates an exterior image of the exterior of the target building based on the request information and the building information; an output unit that displays the appearance image on a display unit; Equipped with Support system.

2. The request information includes a request image showing a request for the exterior of the target building. The support system according to claim 1 .

3. The generation unit is The desired image is input to a trained model trained using a relationship between an image generated by capturing an exterior of a building and information on a plurality of the building material elements, and the building material elements to be used for the target building are determined based on the results output from the trained model; generating an exterior image of the exterior of the target building based on the request information, the building information, and the determined information of the building material element; The support system according to claim 2.

4. The generation unit is A rule-based image recognition process is performed on the desired image, and the building material elements to be used in the target building are determined based on the result of the image recognition process and information on the plurality of building material elements that is pre-stored in a storage unit; generating an exterior image of the exterior of the target building based on the request information, the building information, and the determined information of the building material element; The support system according to claim 2.

5. The requested image is an image generated by capturing an exterior of a building other than the target building. The support system according to claim 2.

6. A reception unit that receives operation input from a person; a modification unit that, when the reception unit receives a predetermined operation input, performs at least one of changing the building material elements used in the target building and changing the arrangement of the building material elements used in the target building, and generates the exterior image in which at least a part of the exterior of the target building has been changed; Further comprising: The output unit causes the appearance image generated by the change unit to be displayed on the display unit.

6. The assistance system according to claim 1 .

7. When a plurality of the building material elements are used in the target building and the plurality of building material elements include a first building material element and a second building material element having different appearances, the modification unit changes at least a part of the appearance of the target building by swapping the arrangement of the first building material element and the second building material element. The support system according to claim 6.

8. The first acquisition unit further acquires condition information including information regarding at least one condition among a price condition of the building material element, a grade condition of the building material element, a size condition of the building material element, and a desired construction area or a planned construction area of ​​the target building; The generation unit generates the exterior image of the exterior of the target building based on the request information, the building information, and the condition information.

6. The assistance system according to claim 1 .

9. The output unit causes the display unit to display information about past construction examples using the building material elements determined by the generation unit.

5. The support system according to claim 3 or 4.

10. The output unit causes the display unit to display estimate information based on the building material elements determined by the generation unit.

5. The support system according to claim 3 or 4.

11. The first acquisition unit, the second acquisition unit, the generation unit, and the output unit of the support system according to claim 1 ; The display unit; Equipped with Support equipment.

12. 1. A method of assistance executed by one or more processors, comprising: A first acquisition step of acquiring request information regarding requests for the appearance of the building material element; A second acquisition step of acquiring building information related to the shape of a target building to be considered; A generation step of generating an exterior image of the exterior of the target building based on the request information and the building information; an output step of displaying the appearance image on a display unit; having How to help.

13. 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of: program.

Images