Parking management system, parking management method, and parking management program

Abstract

To further improve convenience related to parking management.SOLUTION: A parking management system according to the present disclosure includes an RF tag, an operation terminal, an information processing device, and a parking management device. The operation terminal includes a first acquisition unit that acquires vehicle information held in the RF tag and positional information about a vehicle in response to a registration action performed by a driver and a transmission unit that determines that the positional information acquired by the first acquisition unit is a parking position of the vehicle and associates the vehicle information with the parking position for transmission to the information processing device. The information processing device includes a registration unit that, for executing a predetermined operation related to parking management, previously registers a plurality of drivers who perform the predetermined operation, a second acquisition unit that acquires a result obtained by the registered drivers executing the predetermined operation, and a display control unit that, as a result obtained by the plurality of drivers executing the predetermined operation and acquired by the second acquisition unit, displays identification information about each of the drivers and the positional information about the vehicle in association with each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 17

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a parking management system, a parking management method, and a parking management program. [Background technology]

[0002] There is a demand for technology to efficiently manage inventory of vehicles, such as automobiles. For example, before shipment, vehicles are temporarily parked in vast parking lots, and if the location of each vehicle is not properly managed, it will be difficult to search for the vehicle.

[0003] As a technology related to parking management, a technology is known that identifies the location of a vehicle using an RF tag (see Patent Document 1 below). Also known is a technology that improves the convenience of a parking management system by having each worker who actually moves the vehicle wear an RF reader or the like (see Patent Document 2 below). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6232657 [Patent Document 2] JP 2023-037476 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] For example, according to Patent Document 2, drivers can register their parking positions without any particular effort, and managers can accurately manage the parking positions and arrangements of vehicles without having to install large-scale equipment in the parking lot.

[0006] In addition, when utilizing the technology of Patent Document 2, it is assumed that, for example, multiple drivers will work together. In this case, if a representative or the like can refer to a list of the work performed by each of the multiple drivers and immediately correct any incorrect registrations, it is believed that this will lead to improved workability.

[0007] Therefore, the present disclosure proposes a parking management system, a parking management method, and a parking management program that can further improve the convenience of parking management. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, a parking management system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes an RF (Radio Frequency) tag mounted on a vehicle, a work terminal carried by a driver of the vehicle, an information processing device, and a parking management device. The work terminal includes a first acquisition unit that acquires vehicle information stored in the RF tag and location information of the vehicle when the driver registers the vehicle, and a transmission unit that determines the location information acquired by the first acquisition unit as the parking location of the vehicle, associates the vehicle information with the parking location, and transmits the information to the information processing device. The information processing device includes a registration unit that registers in advance a plurality of drivers who will perform a predetermined task related to parking management, a second acquisition unit that acquires results of the registered drivers performing the predetermined task, and a display control unit that associates and displays the identification information of each driver with the location information of the vehicle as the result of the drivers performing the predetermined task acquired by the second acquisition unit. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to one aspect of the embodiment, it is possible to further improve the convenience of parking management. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic flow of processing executed by the parking management system according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 2A] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the structure of a portable unit according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2B] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the structure of the portable unit according to the embodiment (2). [Figure 2C] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the structure of the portable unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 2D] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the structure of the portable unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 2E] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the structure of the portable unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 2F] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the structure of the portable unit according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the structure of the portable unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a structure of the portable unit according to the embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a parking management system according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a communication terminal and a management device according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a position information storage unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a vehicle information storage unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a parking area storage unit according to the embodiment; [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a parking position storage unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a user interface according to an embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 shows a user interface according to the embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a screen display process according to an embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the screen display process according to the embodiment; [Figure 15] 1 is a flowchart (1) showing a procedure of information processing according to the embodiment. [Figure 16] 11 is a flowchart (2) showing the procedure of information processing according to the embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 1 shows an overview of the operation of a parking management system. [Figure 18] FIG. 2 shows an overview of the operation of the parking management system. [Figure 19] FIG. 3 shows an overview of the operation of the parking management system. [Figure 20] FIG. 1 shows the user interface of the management and operation application. [Figure 21] FIG. 2 shows the user interface of the management and operation application. [Figure 22] FIG. 3 shows the user interface of the management and operation application. [Diagram 23] FIG. 4 shows the user interface of the management and operation application. [Figure 24] A diagram showing the process flow related to the operation of a parking management system. [Diagram 25] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a tablet according to an embodiment. [Figure 26] FIG. 1 is a sequence diagram (1) showing the process flow related to the operation of a parking management system. [Figure 27] FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram (2) showing the process flow related to the operation of the parking management system. [Figure 28] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a schematic flow of a process executed by a parking management system according to a modified example. [Figure 29] 13 is a flowchart showing a procedure of information processing according to a modified example. [Diagram 30] FIG. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram illustrating an example of a computer that realizes the functions of a management device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, the same components are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted.

[0012] (1. EMBODIMENT) (1-1. An example of a parking management system according to an embodiment) Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a typical flow of processing executed by a parking management system 1 according to an embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the parking management system 1 includes an information processing device (hereinafter referred to as a "portable unit 10") stored in a wearable device (in the embodiment, a backpack-like wearable device with a storage section in front of the body) of a driver 30 of a vehicle 60, an RF (Radio Frequency) tag 50 mounted on the vehicle 60, and a management device 100.

[0013] The mobile unit 10 includes a beacon button 11, an RF reader 12, and a communication terminal 20. The beacon button 11 is a device that emits a predetermined beacon signal. The RF reader 12 is a device for reading information from an RF tag 50. The RF reader 12 and the RF tag 50 constitute a wireless communication system that uses radio waves to read and write data in a non-contact manner at a short distance of several centimeters to several meters, generally called RFID (Radio Frequency Identification). The communication terminal 20 is a device that receives a beacon signal emitted from the beacon button 11, acquires location information using a GPS (Global Positioning System), and transmits the acquired location information to the management device 100. The communication terminal 20 is, for example, a smartphone or a tablet terminal.

[0014] The RF tag 50 is an electronic recording tag mounted on the vehicle 60. In the RF tag 50, identification information of the RF tag 50 (hereinafter referred to as "tag ID"), a vehicle ID which is identification information for uniquely identifying the vehicle, the model and shipping information of the vehicle 60, various information given at the time of manufacture, etc. (hereinafter referred to as "vehicle information") are written. In addition, the RF tag 50 can write and store new information and updated information via the communication terminal 20, for example.

[0015] The management device 100 is a server for managing the parking positions of the vehicles 60. The management device 100 manages various information (hereinafter referred to as "parking area information") such as vehicle information for each vehicle 60 to be managed, the size, location, name, and capacity of the parking area in which the vehicles 60 are stored.

[0016] Generally, vehicles such as automobiles before shipment are parked in multiple, vast parking areas, and are managed in a complex manner, such as moving the vehicles across multiple parking areas depending on the timing of shipment and the shipping destination. For this reason, the vehicle manager needs to properly manage which vehicles are parked where. For example, a driver who moves a vehicle must accurately identify the vehicle he or she is moving, record the parking areas before and after the move, and accurately communicate the recorded information to the manager. In addition, the manager must accurately record the information communicated by the driver. This places a large burden on the vehicle manager and the driver.

[0017] Therefore, the parking management system 1 according to the embodiment improves the convenience of parking management and reduces the burden on the manager and the driver of the vehicle by executing the process shown in Fig. 1. Hereinafter, the flow of the process executed by the parking management system 1 when the driver 30 moves the pre-shipment vehicle 60 to a specified parking area will be described with reference to Fig. 1.

[0018] First, the driver 30 who intends to move the vehicle 60 to a predetermined parking area wears the portable unit 10 and heads to the current parking position of the vehicle 60. As described above, the vehicle 60 is equipped with an RF tag 50. For example, the RF tag 50 records pre-movement information 44A, which is information linking a tag ID for identifying the RF tag 50 (in other words, the vehicle 60) with the parking position. Note that, in FIG. 1, an example is shown in which the current parking position is stored as a specific parking area name "location" as the pre-movement information 44A, but the parking position may be stored as position information such as latitude and longitude acquired by GPS. The driver 30 gets in the vehicle 60 and moves the vehicle 60 to the next parking position (step S1).

[0019] After completing the move, the driver 30 presses the beacon button 11 inside the vehicle 60. When the communication terminal 20 receives the beacon signal emitted by the beacon button 11, it issues a read command to the RF reader 12. The RF reader 12 receives the command from the communication terminal 20 and starts reading the information of the RF tag 50. The communication terminal 20 reads the information of the RF tag 50, and acquires position information corresponding to the parking position after the movement of the vehicle 60, triggered by the action of the driver 30 (in this example, pressing the beacon button 11) (step S2). Note that the driver 30 may press the beacon button 11 not only inside the vehicle, but also in a nearby position outside the vehicle 60, as long as the distance is such that the RF reader 12 can read the information of the RF tag 50.

[0020] When the driver 30 presses the beacon button 11, the communication terminal 20 reads the information from the RF tag 50 and estimates the location information acquired at this time as the parking location of the vehicle 60.

[0021] Then, the communication terminal 20 transmits position information (latitude, longitude, etc.) of the parked position to the management device 100, and acquires from the management device 100 the name of the parking area corresponding to the position information ("Yard 1" in the example of FIG. 1). The communication terminal 20 displays the acquired name (location) of the parking area on the screen. When the driver 30 confirms that the displayed location is indeed the location to which the driver moved, the driver operates the communication terminal 20 screen to confirm the parking position. In response to this operation, the communication terminal 20 confirms the parking position after the vehicle 60 has been moved, and stores post-movement information 44B linked to the vehicle information, tag ID, date and time when the move was completed, etc.

[0022] When the parking position after the movement is determined, the communication terminal 20 transmits the post-movement information 44B of the vehicle 60 to the management device 100 and requests the management device 100 to register the information (step S3). The management device 100 registers and stores the received post-movement information 44B (step S4).

[0023] Thereafter, when an opportunity arises to move the vehicle 60 again, the operator 40 can search for the current location of the vehicle 60 by inputting search conditions (step S5). For example, the operator 40 searches for the vehicle 60 using the vehicle ID or tag ID of the vehicle 60, the date and time of movement, or the like as a search query. The search results are displayed, for example, on a map displayed on the display 150, with the location information of the vehicle 60 plotted.

[0024] As described above, the parking management system 1 realizes parking management processing that is not burdensome for the manager and the driver 30 by cooperation of the mobile unit 10, the RF tag 50, and the management device 100. Specifically, the mobile unit 10 acquires the vehicle information held in the RF tag 50 and the position information of the vehicle 60 upon detection of the first action (pressing the beacon button 11 in the example of FIG. 1) by the driver 30 after the driver 30 moves the vehicle 60. Furthermore, the mobile unit 10 determines that the acquired position information is the parking position of the vehicle 60, and transmits the vehicle information and the parking position to the management device 100 in association with each other. The management device 100 stores the transmitted vehicle information and the parking position in association with the parking area information of the vehicle 60 (yard 1 in the example of FIG. 1), and displays the parking position of the vehicle in the parking area on a map based on the stored information.

[0025] In this way, the parking management system 1 allows the driver 30 to store, transmit, and register the parking position of the vehicle 60 by simply pressing the beacon button 11, without having to take the time to record detailed information about the vehicle 60 before and after the driver moves. Furthermore, the parking management system 1 can achieve the above process simply by mounting the RF tag 50 on the vehicle 60, and does not require large-scale capital investment such as installing communication equipment in the parking lot, reducing the burden on the manager.

[0026] Moreover, the portable unit 10 has a backpack-like configuration with a storage section located in front of the body, and does not interfere with the driver 30's work, reducing the workload of the driver 30 who drives the vehicle 60. The structure of the portable unit 10 will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 2A to 4.

[0027] Fig. 2A is a diagram (1) showing the structure of a portable unit 10 according to an embodiment. As shown in Fig. 2A, the portable unit 10 has a storage section 16 in front of the body of the driver 30, and a support section that supports the storage section 16. The support section includes a first support section 17 that supports the storage section 16 from above, and a second support section 18 that supports the storage section 16 from the side of the driver 30. In addition, the portable unit 10 has connection sections 19 that connect the storage section 16 to the first support section 17 and the second support section 18, respectively.

[0028] The support portion has a belt shape. Specifically, the first support portion 17 is made up of two belts, each of which is connected to the storage portion 16 at two different points on one end (upper portion) via a connection portion 19. The second support portion 18 is also made up of two belts, each of which is connected to the storage portion 16 at two different points on the other end (lower portion) via a connection portion 19.

[0029] The support part is made of a non-elastic material, so that it does not stretch due to expansion and contraction, and can realize higher durability and a long-lasting fit. The first support part 17 and the second support part 18 may be provided with an adjustment part for adjusting the length of the belt in a part of the whole. This allows the driver 30 to wear the portable unit 10 regardless of physical characteristics, and can wear it comfortably because the body is not tightened by the support part.

[0030] The support part may be in the form of a stretchable belt. For example, the support part may be a rubber belt. Even with such specifications, the driver 30 can wear the portable unit 10 regardless of the physical characteristics, and can wear it comfortably because the body is not tightened by the support part.

[0031] In addition, the support part can be made of a stretchable material only in part, thereby providing both the advantages of stretch and non-stretch. For example, the support part can be made of a stretchable material in parts that come into contact with the body, near the connection part 19, etc., thereby improving the fit of the support part for the driver 30.

[0032] The storage section 16 stores the beacon button 11 therein. For example, the beacon button 11 is stored in the front lower part (near the abdomen of the driver 30) at a position that is easy for the driver 30 to operate when the driver 30 is wearing the garment. This allows the driver 30 to easily press the beacon button 11 without being hindered in driving. Note that, although the beacon button 11 is stored inside in the example shown in FIG. 2A, the beacon button 11 may be exposed to the outside of the storage section.

[0033] Although not shown in FIG. 2A, the storage section 16 stores the RF reader 12 and the communication terminal 20 therein. As described above, when the storage section 16 is worn by the driver 30, one end and the other end are supported symmetrically with respect to the front of the driver 30 by the first support section 17 and the second support section 18, so that the orientation of the stored RF reader 12 can be kept substantially constant. That is, according to the structure of the portable unit 10, the RF reader 12 is maintained in a vertical orientation while worn by the driver 30, so that it can reliably face the RF tag 50 mounted on the vehicle. Specifically, the portable unit 10 can maintain the orientation of the antenna of the RF reader 12 in an optimal orientation for receiving radio waves irradiated from the RF tag 50. This allows the RF reader 12 to improve the reading accuracy and reading speed of the information of the RF tag 50. This is because, when the RF tag 50 irradiates radio waves vertically, the RF reader 12 is arranged vertically so as to face the RF tag 50, which improves the reading accuracy and speed. The orientation in which the RF reader 12 is stored can be flexibly changed according to the orientation of the RF tag 50 mounted on the vehicle 60. For example, when the RF tag 50 is mounted horizontally on the vehicle, the RF reader 12 may be stored horizontally in the storage section 16. That is, the RF reader 12 may be stored in the storage section 16 so as to face the orientation in which the RF tag 50 is mounted, since the storage section 16 is supported by the first support section 17 and the second support section 18, and thus the orientation can be kept substantially constant when the storage section 16 is worn by the driver 30.

[0034] Next, the structure of the portable unit 10 when the driver 30 is viewed from the side will be described with reference to Fig. 2B. Fig. 2B is a diagram (2) showing the structure of the portable unit 10 according to the embodiment.

[0035] 2B, one end of the storage section 16 of the portable unit 10 is connected to the first support section 17 via a connection section 19, and the first support section 17 is worn over the shoulder of the driver 30 from the front side, thereby supporting one upper end. The other end (lower end) of the storage section 16, which is different from the end supported by the first support section 17, is connected to the second support section 18 via the connection section 19, and the second support section 18 is supported by the back side of the driver 30 from the side side, thereby supporting one lower end. With this structure, the portable unit 10 does not interfere with the movement of the driver 30 while driving, and can stably maintain the position of the storage section 16.

[0036] 2C to 2F, the structure of the portable unit 10 when viewed from behind the driver 30 will be described. The structure of the support part on the back of the driver 30 may adopt any of the examples shown in Figs. 2C to 2F.

[0037] Fig. 2C is a diagram (3) showing the structure of the portable unit 10 according to the embodiment. Fig. 2C shows an example of a state in which the first support part 17 and the second support part 18 are connected to each other on the back of the driver 30. As shown in Fig. 2C, in one example of the connection between the first support part 17 and the second support part 18, the first support part 17 and the second support part 18 are connected to each other in a Y-shape on the back of the driver 30. That is, the first support part 17 is two belts, and the two belts pass from the front side of the driver 30 through the upper shoulders and are connected to each other at a connecting part 17A on the back side, and the connected belts are connected to the second support part 18 and the connecting part 18A on the back side.

[0038] Next, another example will be described with reference to Fig. 2D. Fig. 2D is a diagram (4) showing the structure of the portable unit 10 according to the embodiment. In the example shown in Fig. 2D, the first support parts 17 extending from the shoulders to the waist of the driver 30 are connected to the second support part 18 via the connecting parts 17B. That is, the first support parts 17 are two belts, each of which extends from the front side of the driver 30 to the back side through the upper shoulders, and each belt is connected to the second support part 18.

[0039] Next, another example will be described with reference to FIG. 2E. FIG. 2E is a diagram (5) showing the structure of the portable unit 10 according to the embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 2E, two belts that are the first support part 17 are extended to the front of the driver 30 through the upper shoulders, back side, and side of the driver 30. In addition, the two belts of the first support part 17 are connected to another belt at the connecting part 17C on the back of the driver 30. In the example of FIG. 2E, the first support part 17 may also serve as the second support part 18 connected to the other end on the front of the driver 30. That is, in the example of FIG. 2E, the first support part 17 and the second support part 18 may be configured as one common belt, or may be configured as two belts connected at the connecting part 17C. As shown in FIG. 2E, the first support part 17, the second support part 18, and the connecting part 17C are shown in an H-shape on the back of the driver 30. 2E, the first support portion 17 has two belts each extending from the front side of the driver 30 through the upper shoulders, the back side, and the side sides to the front side, and the two belts are connected to another belt at the connecting portion 17C on the back side. The second support portion 18 can also be said to be the extended first support portion 17.

[0040] Next, another example will be described with reference to FIG. 2F. FIG. 2F is a diagram (6) showing the structure of the portable unit 10 according to the embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 2F, the two belts of the first support part 17 cross over the upper shoulders of the driver 30 on the back side, and then connect to the second support part 18 at the connecting part 17D. As shown in FIG. 2F, the two belts of the first support part 17 are shown in an X-shape on the back side of the driver 30. Thus, in the example of FIG. 2F, the first support part 17 has two belts each extending from the front side of the driver 30 to the back side through the upper shoulders, and the two belts cross over each other on the back side, and then connect to the second support part 18 on the back side.

[0041] Next, the cross-sectional structure of the portable unit 10 will be described. Fig. 3 is a side view showing the structure of the portable unit 10 according to the embodiment. As shown in Fig. 3, the portable unit 10 stores the beacon button 11 in a front lower portion (the abdomen of the driver 30) that is a position that is easy for the driver 30 to operate when the driver 30 wears the wearable device. In addition, the portable unit 10 stores the RF reader 12 on the front side of the body (the side farther from the body as seen from the driver 30) and the communication terminal 20 on the back side (the side closer to the body as seen from the driver 30) when the driver 30 wears the wearable device.

[0042] A sponge-shaped spacer 13 is placed between the communication terminal 20 and the RF reader 12. The spacer 13 reduces radio wave interference between the communication terminal 20 and the RF reader 12, and improves the reading accuracy and reading distance of the RF reader 12.

[0043] Moreover, a transparent window 14 is provided on the body side of the communication terminal 20. By storing the communication terminal 20 in this state, a proximity sensor of the communication terminal 20 that detects the proximity of the body of the driver 30 is activated, and the screen of the communication terminal 20 can be turned off without the driver 30 being aware of it. This allows the communication terminal 20 to reduce battery consumption.

[0044] The portable unit 10 may not have the transparent window 14, and may have a spacer in place of the transparent window 14 to prevent contact between the communication terminal 20 and the driver 30. This is because, when a device that emits radio waves, such as a communication terminal, continues to be in contact with the human body, there is a concern that the radio waves may be absorbed by the human body, and therefore the influence of the radio waves on the human body is suppressed. For example, the specifications of the spacer, such as its material and thickness, may be determined based on the regulations of the country in which the portable unit 10 according to the embodiment is used. As an example, the spacer is designed to have a thickness that provides a gap of 15 mm between the communication terminal 20 and the driver 30. The specifications may take different values ​​depending on the radio wave intensity emitted by the communication terminal 20, the distance between the communication terminal 20 and the base station with which it communicates, and the like.

[0045] Next, the planar structure of the portable unit 10 will be described. Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the structure of the portable unit 10 according to the embodiment. As shown in Fig. 4, the portable unit 10 stores the beacon button 11 and the RF reader 12 on the outer side from the driver 30 (the side farther from the body as seen from the driver 30) when the driver 30 wears the garment on the front side of the body. The pocket in which the beacon button 11 and the RF reader 12 are stored can be opened and closed, for example, by a zipper. By storing the beacon button 11 and the RF reader 12 on the outer side from the driver 30, the operability of the beacon button 11 and the reading accuracy of the RF reader 12 are improved.

[0046] The location where the beacon button 11 is stored may be made of a transparent material such as vinyl or a translucent material such as mesh fabric. This allows the driver 30 to see and press the beacon button 11 even when the beacon button 11 is stored, improving operability.

[0047] Furthermore, the portable unit 10 stores the communication terminal 20 on the body side of the driver 30 with the driver 30 wearing the garment on the front side of his / her body. The bottom of the pocket in which the communication terminal 20 is stored is a transparent window 14, which improves the visibility of the screen of the communication terminal 20 and contributes to reducing battery consumption of the communication terminal 20. Note that the portable unit 10 may be configured to have a spacer instead of the transparent window 14 as described above.

[0048] The portable unit 10 also has two connection parts 19 at each of an upper end and a lower end. The connection parts 19 are connected to the first support part 17 or the second support part 18, and support the storage part 16 when the driver 30 wears the portable unit 10.

[0049] Thus, according to the structure of the portable unit 10, the driver 30 can operate the device hands-free while driving, and the driver 30 can operate the device hands-free, without any hindrance to the driver's work. The portable unit 10 is supported by the first support 17 and the second support 18 in front of the driver 30's body, and therefore improves the reading accuracy of the RF reader 12 even when the driver 30 moves. This prevents erroneous operation, such as reading the RF tag of a vehicle parked next to the vehicle 60 to be moved. Furthermore, the portable unit 10 is configured integrally with the beacon button 11, RF reader 12, and communication terminal 20 required for processing, so that the driver 30 can quickly and easily attach or detach the entire device. Furthermore, the portable unit 10 has a smaller surface area that comes into contact with the driver's body than vest-shaped clothing, and therefore improves the comfort of the driver 30, for example, when working outdoors during extremely hot weather.

[0050] The above describes an overview of the processes executed by the parking management system 1 and the structure of the portable unit 10. Below, the elements and functions that make up the parking management system 1 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 5 and subsequent figures.

[0051] (1-2. Configuration of the parking management system according to the embodiment) The configuration of the parking management system 1 that executes information processing according to the embodiment will be described. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the parking management system 1 according to the embodiment. Fig. 5 shows an example of a device configuration for realizing the processing concept of the parking management system 1 shown in Fig. 1.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 5, the parking management system 1 includes a portable unit 10, an RF tag 50, and a management device 100. These various devices are connected to each other via a network N (e.g., the Internet or short-range wireless communication) so as to be able to communicate with each other by wire or wirelessly. The number of devices included in the parking management system 1 shown in FIG. 5 is not limited to those shown in the figure. For example, the parking management system 1 may include multiple portable units 10 and RF tags 50. Also, since each device shown in FIG. 5 is conceptual, for example, the management device 100 may be configured by linking multiple devices.

[0053] The portable unit 10 is an information processing device carried by the driver 30. In the embodiment, the portable unit 10 includes a beacon button 11, an RF reader 12, and a communication terminal 20. The beacon button 11 is a device that emits a wireless signal (beacon signal) based on a predetermined standard (Bluetooth (registered trademark), etc.). The RF reader 12 is a device that reads information of an RF tag 50 by wireless communication. The communication terminal 20 is, for example, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a wearable device, etc.

[0054] The RF tag 50 is an information medium that uses radio waves to read and write data from and to a built-in memory in a non-contact manner based on a predetermined short-range wireless communication standard. The RF tag 50 can take various forms, such as a card type, a button type, or a wristband type.

[0055] The management device 100 is a server that manages the parking positions of the vehicles 60. The management device 100 stores vehicle information and parking positions of the vehicles 60 based on information transmitted from the mobile unit 10. The management device 100 also stores information about the vehicles, such as which RF tags 50 are mounted on which vehicles 60. The management device 100 also stores information about the parking areas. For example, the management device 100 stores information such as the size and position information of the parking areas, the number of cars that can be accommodated, the current number of cars parked, and the occupancy rate. The management device 100 also displays the current parking position of the vehicles 60, the occupancy rate of each parking area, and the like on the display 150 in accordance with the operation of the operator 40.

[0056] (1-3. Configuration of the information processing device according to the embodiment) Next, a description will be given of the configuration of the communication terminal 20 and the management device 100 that executes the information processing according to the embodiment. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the communication terminal 20 and the management device 100 according to the embodiment.

[0057] First, a description will be given of the communication terminal 20. As shown in Fig. 6, the communication terminal 20 has a communication unit 21, a storage unit 22, and a control unit 24. Note that the communication terminal 20 may have an input unit (e.g., a touch panel or the like) that accepts various operations from the driver 30 or the like, and a display unit (e.g., a liquid crystal display or the like) that displays various information.

[0058] The communication unit 21 is realized by, for example, a network interface card (NIC) etc. The communication unit 21 is connected to a network N by wire or wirelessly, and transmits and receives information to and from the beacon button 11, the RF reader 12, the management device 100, etc. via the network N.

[0059] The storage unit 22 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory element such as a random access memory (RAM) or a flash memory, or a storage device such as a hard disk or an optical disk. The storage unit 22 has a position information storage unit .

[0060] FIG. 7 shows an example of information stored in the position information storage unit 23. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the position information storage unit 23 according to the embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 7, the position information storage unit 23 has items such as "tag ID", "vehicle information", "position before movement", and "parking position". Note that in the examples shown in FIG. 7 to FIG. 10, the information stored in the storage unit 22 and the storage unit 120 is conceptually shown as "A001", but in reality, each piece of information described later is stored in the storage unit 22 and the storage unit 120.

[0061] The "tag ID" is identification information for identifying the RF tag 50 mounted on the vehicle 60. In the embodiment, since the RF tag 50 is mounted on each vehicle 60, the tag ID can also be identification information for the vehicle 60. The "vehicle information" is various information related to the vehicle 60. For example, the vehicle information includes a vehicle ID, which is identification information for uniquely identifying the vehicle, the vehicle model, shipping location, shipping destination, and various information assigned at the time of manufacture of the vehicle 60.

[0062] The "position before movement" indicates the parking position before the driver 30 moves the vehicle. The position before movement is, for example, information written in the RF tag 50 when the driver 30 moves the vehicle in the past. The driver 30 may press the beacon button 11 before the movement and write the position information acquired at the time of pressing the button in the RF tag 50. The "parking position" indicates the parking position after the driver 30 moves the vehicle. The position before movement and the parking position may be numerical information such as specific longitude and latitude, or may be a name indicating a parking area determined based on numerical information, or parking position information artificially set by an administrator in a parking area (for example, any information indicating a parking position determined by an administrator, such as parking position 10 in parking lot 1).

[0063] That is, FIG. 7 shows an example in which the information acquired by the communication terminal 20, in which the tag ID, the vehicle information, the position before movement, and the parking position are linked to each other, is stored in the position information storage unit 23.

[0064] Returning to Fig. 6, the explanation will be continued. The control unit 24 is realized, for example, by a central processing unit (CPU), a micro processing unit (MPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or the like executing a program stored inside the communication terminal 20 using a random access memory (RAM) or the like as a working area. The control unit 24 is a controller, and may be realized, for example, by an integrated circuit such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a field programmable gate array (FPGA).

[0065] 6, the control unit 24 has an acquisition unit 25, a detection unit 26, and a transmission unit 27, and realizes or executes the functions and actions of information processing described below. Note that the internal configuration of the control unit 24 is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG. 6, and may be other configurations as long as they perform the information processing described below.

[0066] The acquiring unit 25 acquires the vehicle information and the position information of the vehicle 60 stored in the RF tag 50, when the acquiring unit 25 detects the first action by the driver 30. The first action is an action taken by the driver 30 to explicitly indicate that the vehicle 60 will be parked after the driver 30 has driven the vehicle 60 to a destination.

[0067] For example, the acquisition unit 25 acquires the vehicle information stored in the RF tag 50 and the position information of the vehicle 60, triggered by the driver 30 transmitting a beacon signal (i.e., pressing the beacon button 11) as the first action. Alternatively, the acquisition unit 25 may acquire the vehicle information stored in the RF tag 50 and the position information of the vehicle 60, triggered by detecting at least one of a predetermined voice uttered by the driver 30, elimination of the approach between the driver 30 and the vehicle 60, and an operation to stop the vehicle by the driver 30, as the first action.

[0068] For example, when the acquisition unit 25 recognizes that the driver 30 has said a previously set activation sound such as "Parking completed", the acquisition unit 25 may acquire the location information at the time of recognition as the parking location of the vehicle 60. This allows the driver 30 to end the process hands-free without performing an action such as pressing the beacon button 11. The acquisition unit 25 may acquire the location information of the vehicle 60 when it detects that the driver 30 (i.e., the communication terminal 20 or the RF reader 12) and the vehicle 60 (i.e., the RF tag 50) are separated from each other by a predetermined distance using a function of detecting approach in short-distance wireless communication. Alternatively, the acquisition unit 25 may acquire the location information of the vehicle 60 when it detects that the driver 30 has stopped the vehicle 60 (for example, stopping the engine, stopping for a certain period of time, returning the gear to a stopped state, etc.). This allows the driver 30 to end the process without being aware of it. In the present disclosure, an action performed by the driver 30 to register any information related to the vehicle 60 in the communication terminal 20 or the management device 100 may be referred to as a "registration action." For example, the registration action may be the above-mentioned first action, or may be an action detected by the vehicle 60 or the communication terminal 20 (such as the driver 30 stopping the vehicle 60).

[0069] The detection unit 26 detects the position information of the vehicle 60 when the vehicle information is acquired by the acquisition unit 25. The acquisition unit 25 acquires the position information detected by the detection unit 26 as the position information of the vehicle 60.

[0070] For example, the detection unit 26 detects the position information of the vehicle 60 using a GPS sensor included in the communication terminal 20. The detection unit 26 may detect the position information of the vehicle 60 using any means other than the GPS sensor. For example, the detection unit 26 may detect the position information of the vehicle 60 based on access information between the communication terminal 20 and an access point installed in the parking area.

[0071] The transmitting unit 27 determines the position information acquired by the acquiring unit 25 as the parking position of the vehicle 60, and transmits the vehicle information and the parking position to the management device 100 in association with each other.

[0072] After determining that the location information acquired by the acquisition unit 25 is the parking location of the vehicle 60, the transmission unit 27 may present information on the parking area corresponding to the parking location to the driver 30 by displaying it on the display unit (screen) or by audio notification. Then, when the driver 30 approves the presented information, the transmission unit 27 links the vehicle information with the parking location and transmits it to the management device 100.

[0073] For example, when the transmission unit 27 determines the parking position, it acquires the name of the parking area corresponding to the parking position from the management device 100. Then, the transmission unit 27 displays the acquired name of the parking area ("Location" shown in the example of FIG. 1) on the screen. If the name of the parking area to which the driver 30 has moved the vehicle 60 matches the name displayed on the screen, the driver 30 performs an operation to approve the parking position. After such an operation is performed, the transmission unit 27 links the vehicle information with the parking position and transmits them to the management device 100.

[0074] If the driver 30 does not approve the presented information, the transmission unit 27 accepts input of correction information from the driver 30. Then, the transmission unit 27 links the information input by the driver 30 with the vehicle information and transmits it to the management device 100. In this way, the transmission unit 27 can prevent erroneous information from being transmitted to the management device 100 by transmitting only information approved by the driver 30 to the management device 100.

[0075] In addition, when the detection unit 26 detects that the position information does not change for a predetermined time after the acquisition unit 25 acquires the position information, the transmission unit 27 may determine that the acquired position information is the parking position of the vehicle 60. For example, even if the position information is acquired, the transmission unit 27 does not immediately transmit the position information, but waits for several tens of seconds and continues to detect the position information. Then, when the transmission unit 27 detects that the position information of the parking position does not change, that is, that the vehicle has definitely been parked, the transmission unit 27 links the vehicle information and the parking position and transmits them to the management device 100. This makes it possible for the transmission unit 27 to prevent an incorrect parking position acquired when the beacon button 11 is pressed erroneously from being transmitted to the management device 100. In addition, even if the transmission unit 27 does not detect the driver 30 pressing the beacon button 11, the transmission unit 27 may determine that the position information acquired by the acquisition unit 25 is the parking position of the vehicle 60 after a certain time has elapsed. This allows the transmission unit 27 to continue processing even if the driver 30 forgets to press the beacon button 11 or if the driver 30's behavior cannot be detected due to some kind of obstacle. Furthermore, when the vehicle 60 is stopped, the transmission unit 27 may read out the location name to be registered at that time, and if there is no change operation from the driver 30 for a certain period of time thereafter, determine that position as the parking position of the vehicle 60. In this case, when the driver 30 performs an operation indicating that the read-out location name is different from the actual position (e.g., pressing and holding the beacon button 11), the transmission unit 27 may cancel the registration of the location name or accept input of the correct location name.

[0076] Next, a description will be given of the management device 100. As shown in Fig. 6, the management device 100 has a communication unit 110, a storage unit 120, and a control unit 130. The management device 100 may also have an input unit (e.g., a keyboard, a mouse, etc.) that accepts various operations from an administrator who manages the management device 100, and a display unit (e.g., a liquid crystal display, etc.) that displays various information.

[0077] The communication unit 110 is realized by, for example, a NIC etc. The communication unit 110 is connected to a network N by wire or wirelessly, and transmits and receives information to and from the communication terminal 20 etc. via the network N.

[0078] The storage unit 120 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory element such as a RAM or a flash memory, or a storage device such as a hard disk or an optical disk. The storage unit 120 has a vehicle information storage unit 121, a parking area storage unit 122, and a parking position storage unit 123. Each storage unit will be described in order below.

[0079] Fig. 8 shows an example of information stored in the vehicle information storage unit 121. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the vehicle information storage unit 121 according to the embodiment. In the example shown in Fig. 8, the vehicle information storage unit 121 has items such as "vehicle ID", "tag ID", "vehicle type", and "shipping destination".

[0080] "Vehicle ID" is identification information for identifying the vehicle 60. "Tag ID" is the same as the information shown in FIG. 7. In the embodiment, an RF tag 50 is mounted on each vehicle 60, so there is a one-to-one correspondence between the vehicle ID and the tag ID. "Vehicle model" is information indicating the vehicle model of the vehicle 60. Note that the vehicle model may include various information such as not only the type of vehicle but also the shape and color. "Shipping destination" is information on the location to which the vehicle 60 is shipped and the business partner.

[0081] That is, FIG. 8 shows an example in which a plurality of pieces of information related to the vehicle 60, such as a vehicle ID, a tag ID, a vehicle model, and a shipping destination, are stored in the vehicle information storage unit 121 in a linked manner.

[0082] Next, Fig. 9 shows an example of information stored in the parking area storage unit 122. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the parking area storage unit 122 according to an embodiment. In the example shown in Fig. 9, the parking area storage unit 122 has items such as "parking area ID", "location", "name", "GPS location code", "capacity", "vacant number of cars", and "occupancy rate".

[0083] The "parking area ID" is identification information for identifying the parking area. The "location" is information indicating the location of the parking area. For example, the location is location information such as latitude and longitude corresponding to the location of the parking area. The "name" is, for example, a name set to the parking area by an administrator. When the name is displayed on the communication terminal 20 or the like, an item name such as "location" is used. The "GPS location code" is information that associates the location information specified by the GPS with the parking area. For example, when the operator 40 searches for information on the parking position or parking area, the operator 40 may search based on the name of the parking area or may search using the GPS location code. The "accommodable number" indicates the maximum number of vehicles that can be accommodated in the parking area. The "vacant number" indicates the number of vacant parking positions in the parking area at the current time. The "occupancy rate" indicates the occupancy rate of the parking area at the current time. The parking area storage unit 122 may store not only the above information but also the area of ​​the parking area, the number of divisions (the number of parking spaces) set for parking vehicles, and the like.

[0084] That is, FIG. 9 shows an example in which multiple pieces of information related to a parking area, such as a parking area ID, location, name, GPS location code, number of parking spaces that can be accommodated, number of available spaces, and occupancy rate, are linked and stored in the parking area memory unit 122.

[0085] Next, Fig. 10 shows an example of information stored in the parking position storage unit 123. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the parking position storage unit 123 according to the embodiment. In the example shown in Fig. 10, the parking position storage unit 123 has items such as "tag ID", "vehicle information", "parking position", "parking area ID", and "registration date and time".

[0086] "Tag ID", "Vehicle information", and "Parking position" correspond to the information shown in Fig. 7. "Parking area ID" corresponds to the information shown in Fig. 9. "Registration date and time" indicates the date and time when the parking position after parking was transmitted from the communication terminal 20 and registered in the management device 100.

[0087] 10 shows an example in which a plurality of pieces of information related to the movement and parking of the vehicle 60, such as a tag ID, vehicle information, a parking position, a parking area ID, and a registration date and time, are linked and stored in the parking position storage unit 123. That is, the parking position storage unit 123 stores the vehicle information and the parking position transmitted by the transmission unit 27 in association with the parking area information of the vehicle. By referring to the parking position storage unit 123, the management device 100 can acquire information such as which position in which parking area the vehicle 60 is located and when it moved to that position.

[0088] Returning to Fig. 6, the explanation will be continued. The control unit 130 is realized by, for example, a CPU, an MPU, a GPU, or the like executing a program stored inside the management device 100 using a RAM or the like as a working area. The control unit 130 is also a controller, and may be realized by, for example, an integrated circuit such as an ASIC or an FPGA.

[0089] 6, the control unit 130 has a registration unit 131 and a display control unit 132, and realizes or executes the functions and actions of information processing described below. Note that the internal configuration of the control unit 130 is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG. 6, and may be other configurations as long as they perform the information processing described below.

[0090] The registration unit 131 registers various information in the storage unit 120. For example, when the vehicle 60 is delivered or manufactured, the registration unit 131 registers information about the vehicle in the vehicle information storage unit 121. Furthermore, when the registration unit 131 acquires information about the parking area, the registration unit 131 registers the information about the parking area in the parking area storage unit 122. Furthermore, the registration unit 131 registers the vehicle information and the parking position transmitted by the transmission unit 27 in the parking position storage unit 123 by linking the information about the vehicle's parking area information.

[0091] The display control unit 132 displays the parking position of the vehicle in the parking area on a map based on the information stored by the storage unit 120. For example, the display control unit 132 refers to the parking position of the vehicle 60 searched for based on the vehicle ID or tag ID from the storage unit 120, and plots and displays the parking position on a map. This allows the display control unit 132 to accurately show the position of the target vehicle 60 to the driver 30, etc.

[0092] Furthermore, when information on the number of vehicles that can be parked in the parking area or the area of ​​the parking area is stored in the storage unit 120 as the parking area information, the display control unit 132 may refer to such information. Then, the display control unit 132 displays on the map an occupancy rate indicating how many vehicles the parking area can accommodate based on the number of vehicles that can be parked in the parking area or the information on the area of ​​the parking area. This allows the display control unit 132 to accurately show the manager or the like the current situation, such as the occupancy rate of the parking area located at a particular location.

[0093] At this time, the display control unit 132 may display multiple parking areas with different occupancy rates in different display modes based on the current occupancy rate. For example, the display control unit 132 displays parking areas with relatively high occupancy rates in red, parking areas with relatively low occupancy rates in green, and parking areas with intermediate occupancy rates in yellow. This allows the display control unit 132 to display parking areas with excellent visibility.

[0094] Furthermore, when information indicating a vehicle 60 displayed on the map is selected, the display control unit 132 may display at least one of vehicle information corresponding to the information indicating the vehicle 60, position information of the vehicle 60, or movement history of the vehicle 60, near the information indicating the vehicle 60. For example, the operator 40 operates a pointer on the display 150 to select a point indicating the vehicle 60. Based on this operation, the display control unit 132 displays the vehicle type, position information, movement history, etc. of the vehicle corresponding to the selected point in the form of a pop-up window or the like. In this way, the display control unit 132 allows the operator 40, etc. to quickly check not only the current position of the vehicle 60 but also the vehicle information.

[0095] Next, examples of user interfaces and screen displays when the driver 30 and the operator 40 operate the communication terminal 20 and the management device 100 will be shown with reference to FIGS.

[0096] Fig. 11 is a diagram (1) showing a user interface according to the embodiment. Fig. 11 shows an example of a user interface displayed on the communication terminal 20 operated by the driver 30.

[0097] In the example shown in FIG. 11, when the driver 30 presses the display 20A of "Read current vehicle tag" after the vehicle 60 has moved, the mobile unit 10 starts the process according to the embodiment. For example, when the driver 30 then presses the beacon button 11, the communication terminal 20 reads the RF tag 50 and automatically displays the vehicle ID and tag ID information on the screen. Alternatively, the driver 30 may input the vehicle ID and the like himself and then press the display 20A to start the process. The driver 30 may obtain vehicle information and the like by reading a two-dimensional code such as a barcode attached to the vehicle.

[0098] Next, the communication terminal 20 detects the position information and displays the latitude and longitude. The communication terminal 20 may also obtain a location corresponding to the position information from the management device 100 and display it on the display 20B on the screen. The driver 30 checks the location displayed on the screen, and if the confirmed information is correct, presses the display 20D that displays "Confirm location registration." Note that the communication terminal 20 may confirm the position information when the remaining time displayed on the display 20C reaches 0, even if the driver 30 does not press the display 20D.

[0099] Next, an example of an operation performed by the driver 30 to cause the communication terminal 20 to display the position of the vehicle 60 will be described with reference to Fig. 12. Fig. 12 is a diagram (2) showing a user interface according to the embodiment.

[0100] In the example of FIG. 12, it is assumed that the driver 30 desires to display the position of the vehicle 60 on a map, for example, before or after the vehicle 60 moves. In this case, the driver 30 inputs the vehicle ID and presses the display 20F, reads the barcode of the vehicle 60, presses the beacon button 11, or the like, to cause the communication terminal 20 to read the vehicle information. In the example of FIG. 12, it is assumed that the driver 30 searches for information on the vehicle 60 identified by the vehicle ID "F001". The communication terminal 20 refers to the information stored in the position information storage unit 23 or the parking position storage unit 123, and outputs the information on the vehicle 60 identified by the vehicle ID "F001".

[0101] 12, for example, the communication terminal 20 displays a map 20G and plots a point 20H representing the vehicle 60 on the map 20G. At this time, the communication terminal 20 may display information representing the model of the vehicle 60, etc., in the vicinity of the point 20H. This allows the driver 30 to confirm the position of the vehicle 60 that he or she is about to move and whether the information of the vehicle 60 after the movement has been accurately stored.

[0102] Next, a description will be given of an example of a screen display when the operator 40 operates the management device 100. Fig. 13 is a diagram (1) showing a screen display process according to the embodiment. Fig. 13 shows an example of a screen displayed on the display 150 when the operator 40 searches for a vehicle 60.

[0103] The operator 40 who is searching for a vehicle 60 inputs search conditions into the search window 150A. For example, the operator 40 inputs a search query for identifying the vehicle 60, such as a vehicle ID, the date and time when the vehicle 60 was moved, the parking area, and the vehicle model, into the search window 150A. The management device 100 displays a search result 150B based on the input search query. FIG. 13 shows an example in which the management device 100 outputs vehicle IDs "F001" and "F002" as search results based on the search query. In addition, the management device 100 plots and displays the position of the vehicle 60 corresponding to the search result on the map 150C. This allows the operator 40 to check at a glance on the map 150C where the vehicle 60 that is the subject of the search is parked.

[0104] Next, a screen display example when the operator 40 investigates the parking area will be described. Fig. 14 is a diagram (2) showing the screen display process according to the embodiment. Fig. 14 shows an example of a screen displayed on the display 150 when the operator 40 investigates the parking area.

[0105] An operator 40 who wants to investigate the status of a parking area inputs search conditions in a search window 150E. For example, the operator 40 inputs a parking area ID or a GPS location code in the search window 150E. The management device 100 displays a search result 150F based on the input search query. In FIG. 14, the management device 100 shows an example in which the names "Yard 1" and "Yard 2" are output as search results based on the search query. In addition, the management device 100 displays the positions and occupancy rates of parking areas corresponding to the search results on a map 150G. As shown in FIG. 14, the management device 100 displays the positions and occupancy rates of parking areas by state. This allows the operator 40 to check at a glance on the map 150G information such as which parking area has the most vehicles 60 parked in it.

[0106] (1-4. Information Processing Procedure According to the Embodiment) Next, the procedure of information processing according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 15 and Fig. 16. First, the flow of processing executed by the mobile unit 10 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 15. Fig. 15 is a flowchart (1) showing the procedure of information processing according to the embodiment.

[0107] 15, the communication terminal 20 determines whether or not a beacon signal has been received from the beacon button 11 (step S101). If a signal has not been received (step S101; No), the communication terminal 20 waits until a signal is received.

[0108] On the other hand, if a signal is received (step S101; Yes), the communication terminal 20 reads the RF tag 50 via the RF reader 12, and acquires the vehicle information stored in the RF tag 50 and the position information of the vehicle 60 (step S102). Next, the communication terminal 20 determines whether the position information is accurate, that is, whether the parking position has been confirmed by the driver 30 (step S103). If the parking position has not been confirmed (step S103; No), the communication terminal 20 waits until the parking position is confirmed.

[0109] On the other hand, if the parking position is confirmed (step S103; Yes), the communication terminal 20 confirms the parking position, which is the position after the vehicle 60 is moved (step S104). Then, the communication terminal 20 links the parking position with vehicle information and a tag ID for identifying the vehicle 60, and transmits them to the management device 100 (step S105).

[0110] Next, the flow of the display control process executed by the management device 100 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 16. Fig. 16 is a flowchart (2) showing the procedure of the information processing according to the embodiment.

[0111] 16, the management device 100 determines whether or not a search request has been received from the operator 40, etc. (Step S201). If no request has been received (Step S201; No), the management device 100 waits until a request is received.

[0112] On the other hand, if a request is received (step S201; Yes), the management device 100 searches for the vehicle 60 according to the received search conditions (step S202). The management device 100 identifies the vehicle 60 that is the search target (step S203), and plots and displays the identified vehicle 60 on a map (step S204).

[0113] Thereafter, the management device 100 judges whether or not a point on the map has been selected by the operator 40 or the like (step S205). If a point on the map has been selected (step S205; Yes), the management device 100 displays individual detailed information of the vehicle 60 corresponding to the selected point (step S206). Note that if a point on the map has not been selected (step S205; No), the management device 100 skips the process of step S206.

[0114] Thereafter, the management device 100 judges whether or not a request to display the occupancy rate has been received from the operator 40 or the like (step S207). If a request to display the occupancy rate has been received (step S207; Yes), the management device 100 displays the occupancy rate of the parking area corresponding to the request (step S208). If a request to display the occupancy rate has not been received (step S207; No), the management device 100 skips the process of step S208.

[0115] Thereafter, the management device 100 judges whether or not the end of the search process has been received from the operator 40 or the like (step S209). If the end of the search process has not been received (step S209; No), the management device 100 continues the search process and receives a request for new search conditions (step S201). On the other hand, if the end of the search process has been received (step S209; Yes), the management device 100 ends the search process.

[0116] 15 and 16 are merely examples, and the communication terminal 20 and the management device 100 may perform the processes in an order different from that shown in Fig. 15 and 16. For example, the management device 100 may perform the process of step S207 before step S205, or may perform either step S205 or step S207.

[0117] (1-5. An example of parking management system operation) The parking management system 1 described above is expected to be used in, for example, a vast space for parking automobiles shipped from a factory or the like. Specifically, it is expected that multiple drivers 30 each wear a portable unit 10 (i.e., each has a communication terminal 20) and cooperate to move vehicles 60 equipped with RF tags 50 to their destinations one after another. In such a case, it is expected that the work efficiency will be improved if a representative or the like who manages the multiple drivers 30 can refer to a list of the work results performed by each of the multiple drivers 30 and immediately correct erroneous location registrations.

[0118] Therefore, the parking management system 1 may include a management terminal used by such a representative. This point will be explained using FIG. 19 and subsequent figures. FIG. 17 is a diagram (1) showing an overview of the operation of the parking management system 1. The parking management system 1 shown in FIG. 17 includes, in addition to the management device 100, etc., a tablet 200 which is a management terminal used by a representative of multiple drivers 30 who work together to move cars (hereinafter, a work team working together like this will be referred to as a "group").

[0119] Tablet 200 is, for example, an information processing terminal carried by a person who is to be the representative of a group, and is capable of transmitting and receiving information to and from management device 100 and communication terminal 20. Tablet 200 has installed therein, for example, a program for managing the work of a group (referred to as a "management and operation application"), and executes the process described below.

[0120] A situation in which the tablet 200 is expected to be used will be described with reference to FIG. 18. FIG. 18 is a diagram (2) showing an overview of the operation of the parking management system 1. As shown in FIG. 18, a vehicle 60 produced or managed in a factory 300 is moved to a parking lot to await shipment. This process is executed by the driver 30, as described with reference to FIG. 1 and the like. The communication terminal 20 transmits to the tablet 200 tag information of the vehicle 60 moved by the driver 30, the result of the move, and information about the driver 30 who performed the move work.

[0121] As described above, since the parking lot is expected to be vast, a series of movement operations will be performed by a group including multiple drivers 30. This will be described with reference to Fig. 19. Fig. 19 is a diagram (3) showing an overview of the operation of the parking management system 1.

[0122] 19, the group includes representative 35 and drivers 30A, 30B, and 30C. The workers in the group, for example, move vehicles 60A, 60B, and 60C from factory 300 to a parking lot, and then all of them get in large vehicles and return to factory 300, and then move the cars again, repeating such a task. Representative 35 uses tablet 200 to manage information on vehicles 60A, 60B, and 60C that have been moved in the series of tasks.

[0123] The management operation application included in the tablet 200 will be described with reference to Fig. 20 and subsequent figures. Fig. 20 is a diagram (1) showing a user interface of the management operation application. Fig. 20 shows how the tablet 200 displays a list of the work contents performed by the drivers 30 included in the group in the management operation application 250.

[0124] The process executed by the tablet 200 when a group works will be described below. First, the tablet 200 registers the workers of the group when working. In this way, by registering the workers of the group in advance, the tablet 200 can quickly display only information related to the workers of the group from the management device 100 in which a huge amount of vehicle information is registered. Specifically, the tablet 200 can display in a table (list) only the movements performed by the workers registered as the group. If the displayed worker name is correct, the representative 35 confirms the worker of the group by, for example, pressing a button 252 labeled "Confirm Worker."

[0125] It is assumed that multiple groups will be formed at the same time during the work. In this case, the tablets 200 held by the representatives 35 of each group may be configured to allow a specific worker to be registered in only one group. In other words, the parking management system 1 may control so that a worker who is currently in a certain group cannot be registered in another group at the same time. This allows the parking management system 1 to avoid confusion such as workers being registered in different groups due to duplication.

[0126] The tablet 200 displays the results of each task of moving an automobile by each driver 30 belonging to the group (hereinafter, each such task unit is referred to as a "round"). For example, when the representative 35 presses a button 251 labeled "Get Latest Registration," the tablet 200 acquires the latest information of each vehicle after it has been moved from the management device 100. Then, the tablet 200 displays, in the task result list 260, the names of the workers, the identification information (user ID) of each worker, the number of vehicles 60 that have been moved, the identification information of the vehicles 60, the registered locations (position information), the date and time when the positions were updated, and the like when one round is completed.

[0127] In this way, by displaying a list of work results on the tablet 200, the representative 35 can immediately check on-site whether the work performed by the group has been performed accurately. If there are no problems with the work of one round, the representative 35 presses a button 253 displaying "Round End" to finalize the work. Also, when all the scheduled work has been completed, the representative 35 presses a button 254 displaying "Work End" to finalize the work results for that day.

[0128] However, since the communication terminal 20 transmits location information based on GPS or the like to the management device 100 as described above, it is possible that an error may occur in the location information, or that the location information may not be transmitted accurately to the management device 100 due to some other reason. In such a case, the representative 35 can immediately correct the information displayed on the tablet 200 on-site. This point will be explained with reference to FIG. 21. FIG. 21 is a diagram (2) showing the user interface of the management operation application.

[0129] For example, if the location displayed in Fig. 20 is different from the result of the work performed on-site, the representative 35 presses the displayed location. Then, the tablet 200 displays a location selection window 265 as shown in Fig. 21.

[0130] The tablet 200 displays options of locations that are candidates for correction in the location selection window 265. As an example, the tablet 200 displays location names that are candidates for correction in order of proximity to a location that has already been automatically input (for example, a parking space to which the driver 30 has moved). In other words, the tablet 200 does not display locations in the order of registration of names, etc., but displays locations that are close to the location that is assumed to have been input incorrectly in the center in order. The representative 35 can newly register the location that he / she wishes to correct by pressing the location he / she wishes to correct on the screen, and correct the existing information. In this way, the tablet 200 can improve the convenience of the representative 35 in making corrections by preferentially displaying locations that are assumed to be highly likely to be moved to.

[0131] Fig. 22 shows the screen display when the representative 35 makes corrections. Fig. 22 is a diagram (3) showing the user interface of the management operation application.

[0132] The example in Fig. 22 shows a screen display when the representative 35 corrects the location registered for the work performed by the worker name "AAA BBB" to "G-1." When the representative 35 confirms that there is no mistake in the corrected location, he or she can confirm the registration by pressing the button 261 marked "Save."

[0133] Furthermore, the tablet 200 can display the work results on a map instead of a list. This will be described with reference to Fig. 23. Fig. 23 is a diagram (4) showing the user interface of the management operation application.

[0134] For example, when the representative 35 executes an operation to correct the location, the map display 270 in FIG. 23 is switched from the screen display shown in FIG. 20 and displayed on the tablet 200. The map display 270 displays a display 271 showing a nearby location where the driver 30 belonging to the group worked (for example, a range assumed to be the error range of the GPS) and a display 272 showing the location where the vehicle 60 is currently registered as being parked. The representative 35, for example, transitions the display 272 on the map and corrects the parking position to an accurate position. Then, the tablet 200 displays a display 273 showing the corrected parking position on the map display 270. In this way, the tablet 200 provides a user interface with excellent usability that allows corrections not only on a list but also on a map.

[0135] The map display 270 may be one that displays the results of the correction made by the representative 35 on the list in Fig. 22 etc. This allows the representative 35 to visually confirm the results of the correction he or she has made, and therefore allows the representative 35 to correct the parking position more accurately. Although Figs. 20 to 22 show examples of screens that display only the list, the tablet 200 may simultaneously display a map display as shown in Fig. 23 together with the list.

[0136] When one round is completed and the information is finalized, the tablet 200 presents, for example, a selection screen for whether or not the round is completed to the representative 35. When the representative 35 confirms that the information is correct, the tablet 200 transmits the registered information of the round to the management device 100.

[0137] In addition, when the representative 35 or the like tries to modify information of a previous round while a subsequent round is in progress, the tablet 200 may restrict such processing. This allows the tablet 200 to prevent unintended changes due to operational errors or the like.

[0138] In addition, for example, when multiple parking position information is registered for the same vehicle during the same round, the tablet 200 may register the parking position of the vehicle at the last location. This allows the tablet 200 to prevent two parking positions from being erroneously registered for the same vehicle in the same round.

[0139] Furthermore, for example, in the case where information on multiple parking positions for the same vehicle is registered during the same round and the work is performed by multiple different drivers 30, the tablet 200 may register the parking positions of the vehicle performed by each of the different drivers 30 for each travel time. This allows the tablet 200 to correctly record the travel results of the vehicle 60 performed by multiple drivers 30 and the driving history.

[0140] Furthermore, the tablet 200 may display an error message to inform the user of a movement by a person who has not been registered as a driver 30 in advance, a movement to a place that is obviously different from the place where the group is working, or a movement to a non-existent parking position, for example. The tablet 200 may also display a similar error message when a driver 30 registered in one group is about to be registered in another group. In this way, the tablet 200 can prevent inappropriate information from being registered.

[0141] The process flow of the parking management system 1 including the tablet 200, which has been described with reference to Fig. 17 to Fig. 23, will be described with reference to Fig. 24. Fig. 24 is a diagram showing the process flow relating to the operation of the parking management system.

[0142] 24, after a driver 30 belonging to a group moves a vehicle 60, the driver 30 presses the beacon button 11 (step S501). Then, the communication terminal 20 (an application used by each driver 30) registers information related to the movement in the management device 100 (step S502).

[0143] When one round of work by the group is completed, the representative 35 uses the tablet 200 to obtain the results of work done by each driver 30. The representative 35 views the information and corrects any erroneous registered information (step S503). The tablet 200 reflects the corrections made by the representative 35 and registers the corrected information in the management device 100 (step S504). Finally, the representative 35 checks the registered information and ends one round of work.

[0144] (1-6. Configuration of tablet according to embodiment) Next, a configuration of the tablet 200 according to the embodiment will be described. Fig. 25 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the tablet 200 according to the embodiment. Note that the contents described in Fig. 5 or Fig. 6 will not be described.

[0145] 25, the tablet 200 has a communication unit 210, a storage unit 220, and a control unit 230. The tablet 200 may have an input unit (e.g., a touch panel or the like) that accepts various operations from the representative 35, the driver 30, or the like, and a display unit (e.g., a liquid crystal display or the like) that displays various information.

[0146] The communication unit 210 is realized by, for example, a NIC etc. The communication unit 210 is connected to a network N by wire or wirelessly, and transmits and receives information to and from the communication terminal 20, the management device 100, etc. via the network N.

[0147] The storage unit 220 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory element such as a RAM or a flash memory, or a storage device such as a hard disk or an optical disk. The storage unit 220 has a registration information storage unit 221. The registration information storage unit 221 stores information on the driver 30 who is registered as a worker in a group, information indicating the result of moving the vehicle 60 by the driver 30, and the like.

[0148] The control unit 230 is realized, for example, by a CPU, an MPU, a GPU, or the like, executing a program stored inside the tablet 200 using a RAM or the like as a working area. The control unit 230 is also a controller, and may be realized, for example, by an integrated circuit such as an ASIC or an FPGA.

[0149] 25, the control unit 230 has a registration unit 231, an acquisition unit 232, a display control unit 233, and a correction unit 234, and realizes or executes the functions and actions of information processing described below. Note that the internal configuration of the control unit 230 is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG. 25, and may be other configurations as long as they perform the information processing described below.

[0150] The registration unit 231 registers various information in the storage unit 220. For example, when performing a predetermined task related to parking management, the registration unit 231 registers in advance a plurality of drivers 30 who will perform the predetermined task. For example, the registration unit 231 registers the drivers 30 who will be involved in the task based on information transmitted from the management device 100 or manual operation by the representative 35. The registration unit 231 also registers various information such as the location where the task will be performed (for example, the location of the factory or parking lot), the name of the representative 35, the name of the company in charge of the task, and position information (location) set as the parking position.

[0151] The acquisition unit 232 acquires various information. For example, the acquisition unit 232 acquires the results of a predetermined task (specifically, a vehicle movement task) performed by a plurality of drivers 30 registered as a group from the communication terminal 20 used by each of the plurality of drivers 30. The acquisition unit 232 may acquire the task results from the management device 100.

[0152] The acquisition unit 232 also acquires information indicating the end of a round, which is a unit of one predetermined task. For example, the acquisition unit 232 acquires information indicating the end of a round by accepting an operation indicating that one round of tasks has ended and that the representative 35 has confirmed the task results. When the information indicating the end of a round is acquired, the registration unit 231 registers in the management device 100 that one round of tasks has ended and the task results of one round.

[0153] The display control unit 233 controls the display of various information on the tablet 200. For example, the display control unit 233 displays, as the performance results of the multiple drivers 30 acquired by the acquisition unit 232, the identification information of each driver 30 and the vehicle position information in association with each other.

[0154] For example, when the acquisition unit 232 has acquired work results related to a plurality of rounds, the display control unit 233 may display information related to the latest round with priority. Specifically, the display control unit 233 may control the display of the work results so that the work results of the latest round are displayed first as an initial display when displaying the work results. This allows the display control unit 233 to first present information on the latest round, which is the result immediately after the work and which is assumed to be the first thing the representative 35 wants to check, and allows the representative 35 to quickly check the results. Note that, when the display control unit 233 receives an operation from the representative 35 to display the work results of the past rounds, it can display the work results of the past rounds. Also, when the acquisition unit 232 has acquired work results related to a plurality of rounds, the display control unit 233 may display only information related to the latest round. This allows the display control unit 233 to present only information related to the current work to the representative 35, preventing mistakes such as erroneously referring to the results of other rounds and improving the visibility of the work results.

[0155] Furthermore, the display control unit 233 can display the vehicle's position information on a map when displaying the work results or accepting an operation to modify the location, as shown in Fig. 23. This allows the display control unit 233 to enable the representative 35 to view and modify the vehicle information more intuitively.

[0156] Furthermore, when the vehicle location information has not been acquired as a result of the work being performed, the display control unit 233 may display a notification indicating that the location information has not been acquired. For example, when the "registered location" of a certain worker is not registered in the list displayed as a list, the display control unit 233 displays a message to notify that the location is not registered.

[0157] As an example, the display control unit 233 displays a message to the representative 35, such as "There is a worker whose location has not been registered. Are you sure you want to end the round?", to prompt the representative 35 to select whether or not it is appropriate to end the round. This allows the display control unit 233 to prompt the representative 35 to make an accurate registration.

[0158] The display control unit 233 may display a notification appropriate to the error when a preset process is executed as an error, not only when a location is not registered, but also when an obviously inappropriate location is registered (when the latitude and longitude information of the registered work place and the location are apart beyond a predetermined range). For example, the display control unit 233 may display a message such as "The round is not finished. Do you want to finish the work as is?" when the end round button is not pressed but the end work button is pressed.

[0159] The correction unit 234 accepts corrections based on an operation of an operator (e.g., the representative 35) for the information displayed by the display control unit 233. For example, when there is an error in the location registration of a vehicle moved by a certain worker, the correction unit 234 accepts correction of the location based on an operation of the representative 35.

[0160] In addition, when the correction unit 234 receives a correction regarding the vehicle's position information, the correction unit 234 may display candidates for the change destination of the vehicle's position information, which are parking positions registered in advance in the database provided in the management device 100, in order of proximity to the position information displayed before the correction. For example, as shown in FIG. 21, when displaying candidates for location correction, the correction unit 234 displays the locations of the correction candidates in order of proximity to the currently registered location. This allows the representative 35 to select a location from candidates that are likely to be corrected, thereby improving work efficiency. In addition, the correction unit 234 may display locations where the vehicle is assumed to be parked as correction candidates in order, based on, for example, GPS information acquired from the vehicle.

[0161] 22, the correction unit 234 may display candidates for the destination of the change of the vehicle's position information on the map displayed on the tablet 200. For example, the correction unit 234 may add a visual effect such as displaying the location where the vehicle is assumed to be parked in a different color as a correction candidate based on the GPS information acquired from the vehicle. The correction unit 234 may also display the correction result of the vehicle on the map so that the representative 35 can immediately check the correction result.

[0162] In addition, the correction unit 234 may limit the correction of information related to rounds other than the latest round when the work results related to multiple rounds are acquired by the acquisition unit 232. In this way, the correction unit 234 can prevent information of past rounds from being erroneously corrected.

[0163] (1-7. Processing flow for the operation of the parking management system) Next, a process flow related to the operation of the parking management system 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 26 and Fig. 27. Fig. 26 is a sequence diagram (1) showing a process flow related to the operation of the parking management system 1.

[0164] Prior to the work, the communication terminal 20 registers itself with the management device 100 as a terminal for work (step S601). Similarly, the tablet 200 registers itself with the management device 100 as a terminal for management (step S602). Through this process, the communication terminal 20 and the tablet 200 acquire master information related to the work (for example, location data indicating the parking position, use location data in which the location where the work is to be performed is registered, data on the vehicle to be worked on, etc.) from the management device 100.

[0165] Furthermore, in step S601, the communication terminal 20 logs in to the core system, etc., of the parking management system 1 using the user ID of the worker using the communication terminal 20 (for example, the driver 30 in charge of moving the vehicle) and receives authentication from the management device 100. Similarly, in step S602, the tablet 200 logs in to the core system, etc., of the parking management system 1 using the user ID of the representative 35 using the tablet 200 and receives authentication from the management device 100.

[0166] At the start of the vehicle moving operation, the tablet 200 registers the workers who will form the group based on the operation of the representative 35 (step S603).

[0167] The tablet 200 displays a list of various information such as information on registered workers, information indicating the name of the work location, and work date and time. The tablet 200 then determines whether or not the workers belonging to the group have been confirmed based on an operation by the representative 35 (step S604). If the registered information is incorrect (step S604; No), the tablet 200 accepts a correction operation by the representative 35 and corrects the information. Note that, for example, if there is information indicating that a registered worker is in the middle of work, the tablet 200 may obtain information on the work in progress. This allows the tablet 200 to take over the information on the work in progress and have the worker resume the work.

[0168] On the other hand, if the registered information is free of errors and has been finalized (step S604; Yes), the tablet 200 notifies the management device 100 that the information relating to the work has been finalized (step S605). Thereafter, the management device 100 restricts the registration of the same worker who has already been registered on another tablet 200, thereby preventing the worker from being erroneously registered twice.

[0169] Next, the flow of processing in the work will be described. Fig. 27 is a sequence diagram (2) showing the flow of processing related to the operation of the parking management system 1.

[0170] The communication terminal 20 acquires information related to the vehicle movement when each worker who is wearing a portable unit 10 and belongs to a group and has moved a vehicle presses the beacon button 11 (step S701).

[0171] The communication terminal 20 transmits the acquired information to the management device 100 (step S702). The management device 100 registers information such as the vehicle being moved and the information of the worker who moved the vehicle (step S703).

[0172] When one round of work is completed, the tablet 200 requests work information from the management device 100 in accordance with the operation of the representative 35. For example, the representative 35 can request the latest work information from the management device 100 by pressing a button 251, "Get latest registration," shown in FIG.

[0173] In response to the request, management device 100 transmits the work information to tablet 200 (step S704). Tablet 200 displays the information received from management device 100 (step S705).

[0174] Thereafter, the tablet 200 determines whether or not the representative 35 has completed the revision of the information (step S706). If the revision of the information has not been completed (step S706; No), the tablet 200 continues to accept revisions by the representative 35. On the other hand, if the revision of the information has been completed (step S706; Yes), the tablet 200 finalizes the work of one round and transmits the finalized information to the management device 100 (step S707). Thereafter, the management device 100 can prevent past work results from being erroneously tampered with by restricting changes to registered work information of past rounds.

[0175] (2. Modifications of the embodiment) (2-1. Press the beacon button before moving) In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the driver 30 presses the beacon button 11 after the vehicle 60 moves. Here, the driver 30 may press the beacon button 11 twice in total, once before the movement and once after the movement. This modification will be described with reference to FIG. 28. FIG. 28 is a block diagram that shows a schematic flow of processing executed by the parking management system 1 according to the modification.

[0176] 28, the driver 30, wearing the portable unit 10, heads to the current parking position of the vehicle 60. Then, the driver 30 presses the beacon button 11 inside the vehicle 60 before starting the vehicle 60. When the communication terminal 20 receives the beacon signal emitted by the beacon button 11, it issues a read command to the RF reader 12. In response to the command from the communication terminal 20, the RF reader 12 starts reading information from the RF tag 50 (step S301).

[0177] 1, the RF tag 50 stores the vehicle ID of the vehicle 60, the tag ID of the RF tag 50, etc. The communication terminal 20 reads the information of the RF tag 50 and starts detecting the position information when the driver 30 takes action (in this example, pressing the beacon button 11). As a result, the communication terminal 20 acquires pre-movement information 44A which is information linking the tag ID for identifying the RF tag 50 (in other words, the vehicle 60) with the current parking position.

[0178] After the driver 30 confirms on the screen of the communication terminal 20 that the information has been acquired from the RF tag 50, the driver 30 starts moving the vehicle 60. During the movement, the communication terminal 20 continues to detect and acquire the position information. The driver 30 moves the vehicle 60 to the target parking area and parks the vehicle 60.

[0179] When parking is completed, the driver 30 again presses the beacon button 11. When the driver 30 presses the beacon button 11, the communication terminal 20 again reads the information of the RF tag 50 and estimates the acquired position information as the parking position of the vehicle 60 (step S302).

[0180] After that, the communication terminal 20 transmits the post-movement information 44B to the management device 100. The processes from step S303 to step S305 shown in Fig. 28 are common to the processes from step S3 to step S5 shown in Fig. 1, and therefore the description thereof will be omitted.

[0181] As described above, in the parking management system 1 according to the modified example, the mobile unit 10 acquires the vehicle information stored in the RF tag 50 upon detecting the driver 30's action before moving the vehicle 60 (for distinction, this is referred to as the "second action." In the example of FIG. 28, this corresponds to pressing the beacon button 11), and starts acquiring the position information of the vehicle 60 upon the acquisition of the vehicle information. Furthermore, the mobile unit 10 determines the detected position information as the parking position of the vehicle 60 upon detecting the first action (second pressing of the beacon button 11) by the driver 30, and transmits the vehicle information and the parking position to the management device 100 in association with each other. The management device 100 stores the transmitted vehicle information and the parking position in association with the parking area information of the vehicle 60, and displays the parking position of the vehicle in the parking area on a map based on the stored information.

[0182] In this way, according to the parking management system 1 of the modified example, by reading the information of the RF tag 50 twice, once when starting off and once when parking, it is possible to prevent erroneous operation such as mistakenly reading the tag information of another vehicle (such as a vehicle parked near vehicle 60).

[0183] The function of the acquisition unit 25 according to the modified example will be described. For example, the acquisition unit 25 acquires the vehicle information stored in the RF tag 50 upon detecting a second action by the driver 30. The second action is an action taken when the driver 30 moves the vehicle 60 in order to clearly indicate that the vehicle 60 is about to move.

[0184] For example, the acquisition unit 25 acquires the vehicle information stored in the RF tag 50 as a second action triggered by the driver 30 transmitting a beacon signal (i.e., pressing the beacon button 11). Alternatively, the acquisition unit 25 may acquire the vehicle information stored in the RF tag 50 as a second action triggered by detecting at least one of a predetermined voice uttered by the driver 30, the approach of the driver 30 to the vehicle 60, and the driver 30 starting the vehicle.

[0185] For example, the acquisition unit 25 may acquire vehicle information when it recognizes that the driver 30 has spoken a preset activation voice such as "I'm going to start moving now." The acquisition unit 25 may automatically recognize a voice uttered by the driver 30, even if it is not a preset activation voice, and may accept an operation requested by the driver 30 based on the recognized voice. This allows the driver 30 to start the detection process of the location information in a hands-free manner without the need for an action such as pressing the beacon button 11. The acquisition unit 25 may acquire vehicle information when it detects that the driver 30 (i.e., the communication terminal 20 or the RF reader 12) and the vehicle 60 (i.e., the RF tag 50) have approached to within a predetermined distance using a function of detecting approach in short-distance wireless communication. Alternatively, the acquisition unit 25 may acquire vehicle information when it detects that the driver 30 has started the vehicle 60 (for example, starting the engine, starting to travel, changing gears, etc.). This allows the driver 30 to start the detection process of the location information without being aware of it when moving.

[0186] Furthermore, the detection unit 26 according to the modified example starts acquiring the position information of the vehicle 60 when the acquisition unit 25 acquires the vehicle information. For example, the detection unit 26 uses a GPS sensor included in the communication terminal 20 to acquire the position information of the vehicle 60 before it moves, and continues to detect and acquire the position information during the movement.

[0187] Next, the procedure of information processing according to the modified example will be described with reference to Fig. 29. Fig. 29 is a flowchart showing the procedure of information processing according to the modified example.

[0188] 29, the communication terminal 20 determines whether or not a beacon signal has been received from the beacon button 11 (step S401). If a signal has not been received (step S401; No), the communication terminal 20 waits until a signal is received.

[0189] On the other hand, if a signal is received (step S401; Yes), the communication terminal 20 reads the information stored in the RF tag 50 via the RF reader 12 (step S402). Then, the communication terminal 20 acquires the tag ID and vehicle information, which are information stored in the RF tag 50 (step S403). In addition, the communication terminal 20 starts detecting position information (step S404).

[0190] After that, the communication terminal 20 judges whether or not a beacon signal has been received again (step S405). If a signal has not been received (step S405; No), the communication terminal 20 waits while continuing to detect position information until a signal is received.

[0191] On the other hand, when a signal is received (step S405; Yes), the communication terminal 20 acquires the position information at that time as the position information at the time of parking (step S406). The process from step S407 onwards is the same as the process from step S103 onwards shown in FIG. 15, and therefore the description will be omitted.

[0192] (2-2. Configuration of the portable unit) In the above embodiment, an example has been shown in which the portable unit 10 according to the present disclosure includes the beacon button 11, the RF reader 12, and the communication terminal 20. However, the configuration of the portable unit 10 is not limited to this example as long as it is capable of executing the processes shown in the embodiment.

[0193] In other words, the portable unit 10 only needs to include a reader unit capable of reading information from the RF tag 50, a trigger unit capable of emitting a signal to start reading the RF tag, and an information communication terminal capable of emitting a signal to cause the reader unit to start reading the RF tag 50 upon receiving a signal emitted from the trigger unit.

[0194] The mobile unit 10 may be composed of one or more units that realize the functions of the reader unit, the trigger unit, and the information communication terminal. For example, when the functions of the reader unit, the trigger unit, and the information communication terminal are realized by a smartphone or an application that functions on the smartphone, the mobile unit 10 may be composed of one smartphone. In addition, in FIG. 1 and the like, an example is shown in which the driver 30 confirms on the screen of the communication terminal 20 that information has been acquired from the RF tag 50, but the communication terminal 20 may notify the driver 30 of the information by a different means. For example, the communication terminal 20 may notify the driver 30 of the information by using not only a screen display but also a means such as a voice, a notification sound, a flashing display, or a vibration.

[0195] 2 to 4. For example, the portable unit 10 may not have the spacer 13 as shown in FIG. 3, and the beacon button 11, the RF reader 12, and the communication terminal 20 may be stored together in one pocket. In addition, the embodiment shows an example in which the storage section 16 of the portable unit 10 has a vertical shape relative to a person (a shape in which the RF reader 12 fits vertically), but the storage section 16 may have a horizontal shape (a shape in which the RF reader 12 fits horizontally) or a shape that is worn diagonally relative to a person.

[0196] In this way, the portable unit 10 can have a flexible configuration. In other words, the portable unit 10 according to the present disclosure can be realized in a manner that meets the detailed requests of the manager and the driver 30, and therefore can provide a parking management service with high usability.

[0197] (2-3. Aspects of the Management Device) In the above embodiment, an example has been shown in which the management device 100 according to the present disclosure is a server or the like operated by the operator 40, but the configuration of the management device 100 is not limited to this. For example, when the functions of the management device 100 shown in the embodiment are realized by the communication terminal 20 included in the mobile unit 10, the communication terminal 20 may also have the functions of the management device 100. In this case, the communication terminal 20 stores the parking position of the vehicle 60 in association with the vehicle information, and searches for the position of the vehicle 60 or displays the occupancy rate of the vehicle 60 or the parking area on the screen in response to a request from the driver 30.

[0198] (2-4. The nature of the triggering behavior) In the above embodiment, the portable unit 10 according to the present disclosure reads the RF tag 50 when the driver's first action is triggered, and acquires the parking position when the driver's second action is triggered. Here, the first action and the second action are not limited to those exemplified in the embodiment, and may be any action that triggers processing.

[0199] In addition, the actions exemplified as the first action and the second action may be arbitrarily combined. For example, the mobile unit 10 may read the RF tag 50 when the beacon button 11 is pressed, and may acquire the parking position when it is detected that the driver has stopped the vehicle. The driver 30 may press the beacon button 11 in step S1 shown in FIG. 1, and may omit pressing the beacon button 11 in step S2. In this case, the mobile unit 10 may determine that the detected position is the parking position, for example, when a certain period of time has elapsed. In addition, the processes shown in FIG. 1 and the like do not necessarily need to be executed in order. For example, the mobile unit 10 may acquire vehicle information immediately after the vehicle 60 is moved, rather than acquiring the position information of the vehicle 60 when it acquires the vehicle information held in the RF tag 50.

[0200] (2-5. Parking Management System) In the above embodiment, the processing executed by the parking management system 1 may be executed by any of the mobile unit 10, the tablet 200, and the management device 100.

[0201] For example, in the embodiment, an example is shown in which the mobile unit 10 acquires a location, which is the name of a parking area, from the management device 100, but the mobile unit 10 may store information regarding the parking area in the memory unit 22 and acquire location information from the memory unit 22.

[0202] In the embodiment, an example in which the vehicle 60 is parked in a plurality of wide parking areas is shown, but the processing executed by the parking management system 1 is not limited to this. For example, the parking management system 1 may manage the position information of the vehicle 60 parked in an indoor warehouse or a large tanker for transportation. In this case, when it is difficult to detect the position information using a satellite such as GPS, the parking management system 1 may detect the position information using various known techniques such as using the above-mentioned access points, using radio waves from a base station of a smartphone, or using a vehicle speed sensor or gyro of the vehicle 60.

[0203] In addition, in the embodiment, an example in which the work results are displayed in a list on the tablet 200 has been shown, but the display form is not limited to this. For example, the tablet 200 may receive sorting (rearrangement) of the workers and work results by date, name, etc., and display the list based on the received information. The tablet 200 may also display the total number of vehicles moved by a worker in one day, or the total number of vehicles moved by the same worker in the same round.

[0204] (3. Other embodiments) The processing according to the above-described embodiment may be implemented in various different forms other than the above embodiment.

[0205] For example, among the processes described in the above embodiments, all or part of the processes described as being performed automatically can be performed manually, or all or part of the processes described as being performed manually can be performed automatically by a known method. In addition, the information including the processing procedures, specific names, various data and parameters shown in the above documents and drawings can be changed arbitrarily unless otherwise specified. For example, the various information shown in each drawing is not limited to the illustrated information.

[0206] In addition, each component of each device shown in the figure is a functional concept, and does not necessarily have to be physically configured as shown in the figure. In other words, the specific form of distribution and integration of each device is not limited to that shown in the figure, and all or part of them can be functionally or physically distributed and integrated in any unit according to various loads, usage conditions, etc.

[0207] Furthermore, the above-described embodiments and modifications can be appropriately combined as long as the processing contents are not contradictory.

[0208] Furthermore, the effects described in this specification are merely examples and are not limiting, and other effects may also be obtained.

[0209] (4. Effects of the parking management system according to the present disclosure) As described above, the parking management system according to the present disclosure (the parking management system 1 in the embodiment) includes an RF tag (the RF tag 50 in the embodiment) mounted on a vehicle, a work terminal (the portable unit 10 in the embodiment) carried by a driver of the vehicle, an information processing device (the tablet 200 in the embodiment), and a parking management device (the management device 100 in the embodiment). The work terminal includes a first acquisition unit (the acquisition unit 25 in the embodiment) and a transmission unit (the transmission unit 27 in the embodiment). The first acquisition unit acquires the vehicle information and the vehicle position information held in the RF tag in response to a registration action by the driver. The transmission unit determines the position information acquired by the first acquisition unit as the parking position of the vehicle, and transmits the vehicle information and the parking position to the information processing device in association with each other. The information processing device also includes a registration unit (the registration unit 231 in the embodiment), a second acquisition unit (the acquisition unit 232 in the embodiment), and a display control unit (the display control unit 233 in the embodiment). When performing a predetermined task related to parking management, the registration unit registers in advance a plurality of drivers who will perform the predetermined task. The second acquisition unit acquires the results of the predetermined tasks performed by the registered drivers. The display control unit displays the results of the predetermined tasks performed by the registered drivers acquired by the second acquisition unit by linking the identification information of each driver with the vehicle position information.

[0210] In this way, in the information processing system according to the present disclosure, the information processing device realized by a tablet terminal or the like displays the results of work performed by multiple workers, and can immediately present the results to a representative of the workers after the work is performed at a site, etc. As a result, the information processing system not only smoothly registers information, but can also efficiently communicate the registered information to workers, etc., thereby further improving the convenience of parking management.

[0211] The information processing device may further include a correction unit (in the embodiment, the correction unit 234) that accepts corrections to the information displayed by the display control unit based on an operation by an operator.

[0212] In this way, the information processing system can display information and instantly accept corrections to the information on a tablet or the like, thereby making work more efficient.

[0213] The second acquisition unit acquires information indicating the end of a round, which is a unit of one predetermined task. When the second acquisition unit acquires results of the predetermined task related to multiple rounds, the display control unit preferentially displays information related to the latest round.

[0214] In this way, in processes in which a large amount of work is performed daily, the information processing system divides the work into units of rounds and displays the results of the most recent round preferentially, thereby improving the listability and visibility of information, as well as the efficiency of checking and correcting information.

[0215] Furthermore, when the second acquisition unit has acquired results of the predetermined tasks related to a plurality of rounds, the correction unit may limit the correction of information related to rounds other than the latest round.

[0216] In this way, the information processing system can prevent erroneous modification of work results of past rounds by limiting modifications to work related to the latest round.

[0217] In addition, when the correction unit receives a correction to the vehicle's position information, it may display parking positions that were previously registered in a database provided in the parking management device as candidates to which the vehicle's position information should be changed, in order of proximity to the position information displayed before the correction.

[0218] In this way, the information processing system can improve work efficiency by preferentially displaying candidates for position information that are more likely to be corrected.

[0219] The display control unit displays the vehicle position information on a map. The correction unit displays candidates for destinations to which the vehicle position information is to be changed on the map.

[0220] In this way, by displaying the location information on a map, the information processing system can provide a user interface with excellent visibility that allows the user to check the parking location at a glance.

[0221] In addition, when vehicle location information has not been obtained as a result of carrying out the specified work, the display control unit may display a notification indicating that location information has not been obtained.

[0222] In this way, the information processing system can improve work efficiency by preventing errors in registering work results, etc., by displaying an error notification or message, etc., when there is unregistered information.

[0223] (5. Hardware Configuration) Information devices such as the communication terminal 20, tablet 200, and management device 100 according to the above-described embodiments are realized by a computer 1000 having a configuration as shown in FIG. 30, for example. The management device 100 according to the embodiment will be described below as an example. FIG. 30 is a hardware configuration diagram showing an example of the computer 1000 that realizes the functions of the management device 100. The computer 1000 has a CPU 1100, a RAM 1200, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 1300, a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 1400, a communication interface 1500, and an input / output interface 1600. The various components of the computer 1000 are connected by a bus 1050.

[0224] The CPU 1100 operates and controls each unit based on programs stored in the ROM 1300 or the HDD 1400. For example, the CPU 1100 loads the programs stored in the ROM 1300 or the HDD 1400 into the RAM 1200 and executes processes corresponding to the various programs.

[0225] The ROM 1300 stores boot programs such as a basic input output system (BIOS) executed by the CPU 1100 when the computer 1000 is started, and programs that depend on the hardware of the computer 1000.

[0226] HDD 1400 is a computer-readable recording medium that non-temporarily records programs executed by CPU 1100 and data used by such programs. Specifically, HDD 1400 is a recording medium that records an information processing program according to the present disclosure, which is an example of program data 1450.

[0227] The communication interface 1500 is an interface for connecting the computer 1000 to an external network 1550 (e.g., the Internet). For example, the CPU 1100 receives data from other devices and transmits data generated by the CPU 1100 to other devices via the communication interface 1500.

[0228] The input / output interface 1600 is an interface for connecting the input / output device 1650 and the computer 1000. For example, the CPU 1100 receives data from an input device such as a keyboard or a mouse via the input / output interface 1600. The CPU 1100 also transmits data to an output device such as a display, a speaker, or a printer via the input / output interface 1600. The input / output interface 1600 may also function as a media interface for reading a program or the like recorded on a predetermined recording medium. The medium may be, for example, an optical recording medium such as a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) or a PD (Phase change rewritable Disk), a magneto-optical recording medium such as an MO (Magneto-Optical disk), a tape medium, a magnetic recording medium, or a semiconductor memory.

[0229] For example, when the computer 1000 functions as the management device 100 according to the embodiment, the CPU 1100 of the computer 1000 executes an information processing program loaded onto the RAM 1200 to realize functions of the control unit 130, etc. Also, the information processing program according to the present disclosure and data in the storage unit 120 are stored in the HDD 1400. Note that the CPU 1100 reads and executes the program data 1450 from the HDD 1400, but as another example, these programs may be obtained from other devices via an external network 1550.

[0230] The above describes the embodiments of the present application in detail based on the drawings. However, these are merely examples, and the present invention can be embodied in other forms that include the aspects described in the Disclosure of the Invention section, as well as in other forms that include various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art.

[0231] Furthermore, the above-mentioned "section, module, unit" can be read as "means" or "circuit", etc. For example, an acquisition section can be read as an acquisition means or an acquisition circuit. [Explanation of symbols]

[0232] 1. Parking management system 10 Portable Unit 11 Beacon Button 12 RF Reader 20 Communication terminals 25 Acquisition Department 26 Detection unit 27 Transmitter 50 RF tags 100 Management device 110 Communications Department 120 Storage section 121 Vehicle information storage unit 122 Parking area memory unit 123 Parking position memory unit 130 Control section 131 Registration Department 132 Display control section 200 tablets

Claims

1. A parking management system including an RF (Radio Frequency) tag mounted on a vehicle, a work terminal carried by a driver of the vehicle, an information processing device, and a parking management device, The work terminal includes: a first acquisition unit that acquires vehicle information and location information of the vehicle stored in the RF tag in response to a registration action by the driver; a transmission unit that determines the location information acquired by the first acquisition unit as a parking location of the vehicle, and transmits the vehicle information and the parking location to the information processing device in association with each other; The information processing device includes: A registration unit that registers in advance a plurality of drivers who will perform a predetermined task related to parking management; A second acquisition unit that acquires results of the predetermined work performed by the plurality of registered drivers; a display control unit that displays, as a result of the plurality of drivers performing the predetermined work acquired by the second acquisition unit, identification information of each driver and position information of the vehicle in association with each other; A parking management system comprising:

2. The information processing device includes: a correction unit that accepts corrections to the information displayed by the display control unit based on an operation by an operator; The parking management system according to claim 1, further comprising:

3. The second acquisition unit is Acquire information indicating the end of a round, which is a unit of one of the predetermined tasks; The display control unit is When the second acquisition unit has acquired results of the predetermined tasks related to a plurality of rounds, information related to the latest round is preferentially displayed. The parking management system according to claim 2 .

4. The correction unit is When the second acquisition unit has acquired results of the predetermined work related to a plurality of rounds, a correction to information other than the latest round is restricted. The parking management system according to claim 3 .

5. The correction unit is When a correction to the vehicle's position information is received, parking positions that have been registered in advance in a database provided in the parking management device and that are candidates for the new location of the vehicle are displayed in order of proximity to the position information displayed before the correction. The parking management system according to claim 2 .

6. The display control unit is Displaying the vehicle's location information on a map; The correction unit is displaying on the map candidates to which the vehicle's position information is to be changed; The parking management system according to claim 5 .

7. The display control unit is When the vehicle position information has not been acquired as a result of the execution of the predetermined work, a notification indicating that the position information has not been acquired is displayed. The parking management system according to claim 1 .

8. A parking management method executed by a parking management system including an RF (Radio Frequency) tag mounted on a vehicle, a work terminal carried by a driver of the vehicle, an information processing device, and a parking management device, The work terminal, When the driver performs a registration action, the vehicle information and the vehicle position information stored in the RF tag are acquired. The acquired position information is determined as a parking position of the vehicle, and the vehicle information and the parking position are linked to each other and transmitted to the information processing device. The information processing device, When performing a predetermined task related to parking management, a plurality of drivers who will perform the predetermined task are registered in advance; Acquire results of the predetermined work performed by the registered drivers, and displaying, as the acquired results of the plurality of drivers performing the predetermined tasks, identification information of each driver and position information of the vehicle in association with each other. A parking management method comprising:

9. A program executed in a parking management system including an RF (Radio Frequency) tag mounted on a vehicle, a work terminal carried by a driver of the vehicle, an information processing device, and a parking management device, The work terminal, a first acquisition unit that acquires vehicle information and location information of the vehicle stored in the RF tag in response to a registration action by the driver; a transmission unit that determines the location information acquired by the first acquisition unit as a parking location of the vehicle, associates the vehicle information with the parking location, and transmits the information to the information processing device; and The information processing device, A registration unit that registers in advance a plurality of drivers who will perform a predetermined task related to parking management; A second acquisition unit that acquires results of the predetermined work performed by the plurality of registered drivers; a display control unit that displays, as a result of the plurality of drivers performing the predetermined work acquired by the second acquisition unit, identification information of each driver and position information of the vehicle in association with each other; A parking management program.

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