J-credit support device, j-credit support method and program

Abstract

To address such a problem that conventionally, it is not possible to appropriately support J-Credit applications.SOLUTION: A J-Credit support device 1 includes an image acquisition unit 131 for acquiring a captured image including one or more inspection areas, a first determination unit 132 using a partial image of the inspection area to determine whether or not each of the one or more inspection areas satisfies a forest condition for determining whether or not it is a forest area and acquiring a first determination result, and a determination result output unit 141 for outputting the first determination result, the J-Credit support device thus appropriately supporting the J-Credit applications.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a J credit support device and the like for assisting in the application for J credit.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a decision-making device (see Patent Document 1) that distributes environmental value (for example, value equivalent to J credit, etc.) generated by power generation of a power generation facility to residents living in a facility where a power generation facility that generates power from renewable energy is installed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the prior art, the application for J credit could not be appropriately supported.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The J credit support device of the first invention of the present invention includes an image acquisition unit that acquires a photographed image including one or more inspection areas, and for each of the one or more inspection areas, determines whether or not the forest condition for determining whether or not it is a forest area is satisfied using a partial image of the inspection area, and a first determination unit that acquires a first determination result, and a determination result output unit that outputs the first determination result.

[0006] With such a configuration, the application for J credit can be appropriately supported.

[0007] Further, the J-credit support device of the second invention further includes a second determination unit that determines, for each of one or more inspection regions, whether or not the thinning condition for determining whether or not the region is a thinned region, which is the thinned area, is satisfied, and obtains a second determination result. The determination result output unit is a J-credit support device that outputs the second determination result.

[0008] With such a configuration, the application for J-credit can be more appropriately supported.

[0009] Further, the J-credit support device of the third invention, with respect to the second invention, the second determination unit is a J-credit support device that compares the partial image of the inspection region with the past partial image of the inspection region for each of one or more inspection regions, and determines whether or not the thinning condition is satisfied using the comparison result.

[0010] With such a configuration, it is possible to appropriately determine whether or not the thinning condition is satisfied.

[0011] Further, the J-credit support device of the fourth invention, with respect to the second invention, the second determination unit is a J-credit support device that detects whether or not there is a forest road for each of one or more inspection regions, and determines whether or not the thinning condition is satisfied using the detection result.

[0012] With such a configuration, it is possible to appropriately determine whether or not the thinning condition is satisfied.

[0013] Further, the J-credit support device of the fifth invention, with respect to the second invention, the second determination unit is a J-credit support device that detects a non-forest area for each of one or more inspection regions, and determines whether or not the thinning condition is satisfied using the detection result.

[0014] With such a configuration, it is possible to appropriately determine whether or not the thinning condition is satisfied.

[0015] Further, the J credit support device of the sixth invention further includes a user reception unit that receives, from the user, a first user determination, which is a determination result as to whether or not forest conditions are satisfied, for an inspection area determined by the first determination unit to be at least not a forest area. The first determination result is information based on the first user determination, and it is a J credit support device.

[0016] With such a configuration, an accurate determination result as to whether or not forest conditions are satisfied can be obtained.

[0017] Also, the J credit support device of the seventh invention further includes a user reception unit that receives, from the user, a second user determination, which is a determination result as to whether or not thinning conditions are satisfied, for an inspection area determined by the second determination unit to be at least a thinning area. The second determination result is information based on the second user determination, and it is a J credit support device.

[0018] With such a configuration, an accurate determination result as to whether or not thinning conditions are satisfied can be obtained.

[0019] Furthermore, the J credit support device of the eighth invention further includes a first document creation unit that creates an application document including information about an inspection area for which a J credit application is made or information about an inspection area for which a J credit application is not made, using the first determination result and the second determination result, and a first document output unit that outputs the application document.

[0020] With such a configuration, a document that can support the application for J credit can be obtained.

[0021] Further, in the J credit support device of the ninth invention, for any one of the first to eighth inventions, the first determination unit performs a patrol process of determining whether or not an inspection area is a forest area by using a partial image corresponding to the past partial image of the inspection area and being a partial image after a lapse of a period from the past for each of one or more inspection areas determined to be a forest area, and the determination result output unit outputs a patrol determination result indicating that the inspection area has ceased to be a forest area for the inspection area determined by the first determination unit to have ceased to be a forest area.

[0022] With such a configuration, patrol can be appropriately supported.

[0023] Further, the J credit support device of the tenth invention further includes a second document creation unit that creates a patrol document including information on an inspection area that has ceased to be an application target for J credit by patrol or information on an inspection area that has been continuously determined to be an application target for J credit by patrol using the patrol determination result, and a second document output unit that outputs the patrol document, with respect to the ninth invention.

[0024] With such a configuration, a document that can support the patrol of J credit can be obtained.

[0025] Further, the J credit support device of the eleventh invention further includes an area output unit that outputs an inspection area determined to be a forest area and a thinning area in a different display mode by comparing it with an inspection area determined not to be a forest area or not to be a thinning area, with respect to the second invention.

[0026] With such a configuration, the application for J credit can be appropriately supported.

Effect of the Invention

[0027] According to the J credit support device of the present invention, the application for J credit can be appropriately supported.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0028]

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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0029] Hereinafter, embodiments of a J credit support device and the like will be described with reference to the drawings. In the embodiments, components denoted by the same reference numerals perform the same operations, and thus the description may be omitted again.

[0030] (Embodiment 1) In the present embodiment, a J credit support device that determines whether each of one or more regions included in a photographed image is a forest region and outputs a determination result will be described. A forest region is a region determined to be a forest. A forest region is a region determined to be a forest in the application of the J credit system.

[0031] Also, in the present embodiment, a J credit support device that determines whether each of one or more regions included in a photographed image is a thinning region and outputs a determination result will be described. A thinning region is a region determined to be thinned. A thinning region is a region determined to be thinned in the application of the J credit system.

[0032] Also, in the present embodiment, a J credit support device that acquires a past photographed image and a latest photographed image, compares the two photographed images, and determines whether each region of the photographed image is a thinning region based on the comparison result will be described.

[0033] Also, in the present embodiment, a J credit support device that determines whether a photographed image is a thinning region by detecting a forest road will be described.

[0034] Also, in the present embodiment, a J credit support device that determines whether thinning has been performed by detecting an area that is not a forest area in a captured image will be described.

[0035] Also, in the present embodiment, a J credit support device that inquires of the user whether an area determined to be at least not a forest area is a forest area and uses the user's response as a determination result will be described.

[0036] Also, in the present embodiment, a J credit support device that inquires of the user whether an area determined to be at least a thinned area is a thinned area and uses the user's response as a determination result will be described.

[0037] Also, in the present embodiment, a J credit support device that acquires and outputs a document using the determination results of forest conditions and thinning conditions will be described.

[0038] Also, in the present embodiment, a J credit support device that supports patrol will be described.

[0039] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, a J credit support device that outputs an area determined to be a forest area and / or an area determined to be a thinned area in a manner different from other areas will be described.

[0040] Note that in this specification, the fact that information X is associated with information Y means that information Y can be obtained from information X or information X can be obtained from information Y, and the method of association is not limited. Information X and information Y may be linked, may exist in the same buffer, information X may be included in information Y, information Y may be included in information X, etc.

[0041] In addition, in this specification, selecting or determining information Z means obtaining information Z, obtaining a pointer to information Z, obtaining the ID of information Z, setting a flag for information Z, etc., as long as information Z can be accessed.

[0042] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the J credit support device 1 in this embodiment. The J credit support device 1 is, for example, a server, but it may also be a terminal. When the J credit support device 1 is a server, for example, it is a cloud server or an ASP server, and its type does not matter. When the J credit support device 1 is a server, it is usually communicable with one or more user terminals (not shown) via a network such as the Internet. When the J credit support device 1 is a terminal, the J credit support device 1 is, for example, a personal computer, a tablet terminal, or a smartphone, and its type does not matter.

[0043] The J credit support device 1 includes a storage unit 11, a reception unit 12, a processing unit 13, and an output unit 14. The storage unit 11 includes an image storage unit 111 and a region management unit 112. The reception unit 12 includes a user reception unit 121. The processing unit 13 includes an image acquisition unit 131, a first determination unit 132, a second determination unit 133, a first inquiry unit 134, a second inquiry unit 135, a first document creation unit 136, and a second document creation unit 137. The output unit 14 includes a determination result output unit 141, a region output unit 142, and a document output unit 143.

[0044] Various types of information are stored in the storage unit 11. The various types of information are, for example, the captured images described later, the region management information described later, and various learning models.

[0045] The various learning models are, for example, a forest learning model, a thinning learning model, and a forest road learning model. The learning model may also be referred to as a learning device, a classifier, a classification model, etc.

[0046] The forest learning model is a model for determining whether a region is a forest region or not. The forest learning model is information obtained by performing learning processing of machine learning using, for example, one or more pieces of teacher data including a partial image that is a forest region and one or more pieces of teacher data including a partial image that is not a forest region.

[0047] The teacher data that is the basis of the forest learning model is, for example, a partial image that is a forest region and information indicating that it is a forest region (for example, "1"). The teacher data is a partial image that is not a forest region and information indicating that it is not a forest region (for example, "0"). The teacher data is, for example, one or more image features obtained from a partial image that is a forest region and information indicating that it is a forest region (for example, "1"). The teacher data is one or more image features obtained from a partial image that is not a forest region and information indicating that it is not a forest region (for example, "0").

[0048] The thinning learning model is a model for determining whether a region is a thinning region or not. The thinning learning model is information obtained by performing learning processing of machine learning using, for example, one or more pieces of teacher data including a partial image that is a thinning region and one or more pieces of teacher data including a partial image that is not a thinning region. The thinning learning model is information obtained by performing learning processing of machine learning using, for example, one or more pieces of teacher data including a past partial image and a latest partial image of a region that can be said to have become a thinning region and one or more pieces of teacher data including a past partial image and a latest partial image of a region that cannot be said to have become a thinning region.

[0049] The teacher data for the thinning learning model is, for example, a partial image of a thinning area and information indicating that it is a thinning area (e.g., "1"). The teacher data is a partial image that is not a thinning area and information indicating that it is not a thinning area (e.g., "0"). The teacher data is, for example, one or more image features obtained from a partial image of a thinning area and information indicating that it is a thinning area (e.g., "1"). The teacher data is one or more image features obtained from a partial image that is not a thinning area and information indicating that it is not a thinning area (e.g., "0").

[0050] The teacher data for the thinning learning model is, for example, a partial image of the past (e.g., before 1990) that is not a thinning area, a partial image of the present (e.g., after 1990) that is a thinning area, and information indicating that it is a thinning area (e.g., "1"). The teacher data is, for example, a partial image of the past (e.g., before 1990) that is a thinning area, a partial image of the present (e.g., after 1990) that is a thinning area, and information indicating that it is a thinning area (e.g., "1"). The teacher data is, for example, a partial image of the past (e.g., before 1990) that is not a thinning area, a partial image of the present (e.g., after 1990) that is not a thinning area, and information indicating that it is not a thinning area (e.g., "0"). The teacher data for the thinning learning model is, for example, one or more image features obtained from a partial image of the past (e.g., before 1990) that is not a thinning area, one or more image features obtained from a partial image of the present (e.g., after 1990) that is a thinning area, and information indicating that it is a thinning area (e.g., "1"). The teacher data is, for example, one or more image features obtained from a partial image of the past (e.g., before 1990) that is a thinning area, one or more image features obtained from a partial image of the present (e.g., after 1990) that is a thinning area, and information indicating that it is a thinning area (e.g., "1"). The teacher data is, for example, one or more image features obtained from a partial image of the past (e.g., before 1990) that is not a thinning area, one or more image features obtained from a partial image of the present (e.g., after 1990) that is not a thinning area, and information indicating that it is not a thinning area (e.g., "0").

[0051] A forest road learning model is a model for determining whether an area has a forest road. The forest road learning model is information obtained by performing learning processing of machine learning using, for example, one or more pieces of teacher data including a partial image of an area having a forest road and one or more pieces of teacher data including a partial image of an area not having a forest road.

[0052] The teacher data that is the basis of the forest road learning model is, for example, a partial image of an area having a forest road and information indicating that it is an area having a forest road (for example, "1"). The teacher data is a partial image of an area without a forest road and information indicating that there is no forest road (for example, "0"). The teacher data is, for example, one or more image features obtained from a partial image of an area having a forest road and information indicating that it is a forest area (for example, "1"). The teacher data is one or more image features obtained from a partial image of an area not having a forest road and information indicating that it is not a forest area (for example, "0").

[0053] Note that the algorithm of machine learning is not limited, such as deep learning, random forest, decision tree, SVM, etc. Also, for machine learning, various machine learning functions such as the TensorFlow (registered trademark) library, the random forest module of the R language, TinySVM, etc., and various existing libraries can be used. Needless to say, the algorithm is not limited in either the learning process or the prediction process of machine learning.

[0054] The image storage unit 111 stores one or more captured images. The captured images are, for example, satellite images, but may also be aerial photographs or the like. The format of the captured images is, for example, Geotiff, JPEG2000, but the format of the captured images is not limited. The captured images usually include position information. The partial images constituting the captured images are, for example, associated with position information. The partial image may be a single pixel or a partial area having two or more pixels. The captured images are usually associated with an image identifier. The image identifier is information for identifying the captured image. The image identifier is, for example, the ID of the captured image, the name of the captured image, or the file name in which the captured image is stored.

[0055] The area management unit 112 stores one or more area management information. The area management information is information regarding an area. The area management information has area information. It is preferable that the area management information has one or more area attribute values.

[0056] The area information includes information for specifying the area to be inspected. The area to be inspected is appropriately referred to as the inspection area. The inspection area is the area to be inspected for the application of the J credit system. The area information is usually a set of three or more position information. The position information is information for specifying a position. The position information is, for example, (latitude, longitude, altitude), but may also be (latitude, longitude). The area information is usually associated with an area identifier. The area identifier is information for identifying the area. The area identifier is, for example, an ID or an area name.

[0057] One or more area attribute values are, for example, the area of the area and an administrator identifier. The administrator identifier is an identifier of the administrator who manages the area. The administrator identifier is, for example, the ID of the administrator or the administrator's name.

[0058] The reception unit 12 receives various instructions and information. The various instructions and information are, for example, a start instruction, a user determination described later, and a captured image. The start instruction is an instruction to start various determinations for the inspection area.

[0059] Here, "reception" is a concept that includes receiving information input from input devices such as keyboards, mice, touch panels, etc., receiving information transmitted via wired or wireless communication lines, and receiving information read from recording media such as optical disks, magnetic disks, and semiconductor memories. Reception is, for example, reception from a user terminal (not shown).

[0060] The user reception unit 121 receives the first user determination. The first user determination is a determination result as to whether or not the inspection area determined by the first determination unit 132 to be at least not a forest area satisfies the forest conditions. The first user determination is information based on a determination made by the user. The determination result as to whether or not the forest conditions are satisfied is a determination result as to whether or not it is a forest area.

[0061] The user reception unit 121 receives the second user determination. The second user determination is a determination result as to whether or not the inspection area determined by the second determination unit 133 to be at least a thinning area satisfies the thinning conditions. The second user determination is information based on a determination made by the user. The determination result as to whether or not the thinning conditions are satisfied is a determination result as to whether or not it is a thinning area.

[0062] Note that the thinning area may also be referred to as a working area. The working area is an area where forest operations are carried out. Forest operations refer to performing treatments such as thinning on an area. Forest operations are forest cultivation and management. Forest operations are artificial actions for forest cultivation and management.

[0063] For the inspection area determined by the first determination unit 132 to be at least not a forest area, it is preferable that the user reception unit 121 receives the first user determination from the user. The first user determination here is a determination result as to whether or not it is a forest area. In other words, the first user determination is a determination result as to whether or not the forest conditions are satisfied. For the inspection area determined by the second determination unit 133 to be at least a thinning area, it is preferable that the user reception unit 121 receives a second user determination from the user. The second user determination here is a determination result as to whether or not it is a thinning area. In other words, the second user determination is a determination result as to whether or not the thinning conditions are satisfied.

[0064] The processing unit 13 performs various processes. The various processes are, for example, processes performed by the image acquisition unit 131, the first determination unit 132, the second determination unit 133, the first inquiry unit 134, the second inquiry unit 135, the first document creation unit 136, or the second document creation unit 137.

[0065] The processing unit 13 acquires the value of one or more areas, for example, using information on the area of one or more areas that are the application targets of J credit. The processing unit 13 calculates the value, for example, by an increasing function using the area of one or more areas as a parameter. The processing unit 13 acquires, for example, the value corresponding to the area of one or more areas from a correspondence table. Note that the correspondence table is a table having two or more pieces of correspondence information indicating the correspondence between the range of the area of the area and the value.

[0066] The image acquisition unit 131 acquires a captured image including one or two or more inspection areas. The image acquisition unit 131 acquires the captured image from, for example, the image storage unit 111. The image acquisition unit 131 acquires the captured image received by the reception unit 12, for example.

[0067] For each of one or two or more inspection areas included in the captured image received by the reception unit 12, the first determination unit 132 determines whether or not the forest conditions are satisfied using the partial image of the inspection area, and acquires a first determination result. Such processing is hereinafter appropriately referred to as forest determination processing. The forest determination processing is processing for determining whether or not the inspection area is a forest area. Although an example of the algorithm of the forest determination processing will be described later, it does not matter.

[0068] The partial image is usually a part of the captured image, but may also be the captured image. The partial image is usually a part of the captured image and is an image of the area specified by the area information.

[0069] The forest condition is a condition for determining whether it is a forest area or not.

[0070] The forest condition is, for example, a condition for specifying that it is not a forest area. Such a forest condition is, for example, that the number of pixels corresponding to green information is X% or more of the whole. X is a numerical value greater than 0 and less than 100, and it is preferably about 95% to 100%, for example. Such a forest condition is, for example, that the classification result by the prediction process of machine learning is "it is a forest area (for example, "1").

[0071] The green information is pixels in a range that can be said to be green. The green information is a pixel indicating the range of pixel values of pixels that can be said to be green. The green information is pixels that satisfy the green condition. The green condition is a pixel value condition for a pixel to be able to be said to be green. The green condition is, for example, "R is less than or equal to the first threshold value or less than the first threshold value, G is greater than or equal to the second threshold value or greater than the first threshold value, and B is less than or equal to the third threshold value or less than the third threshold value".

[0072] The forest condition is, for example, a condition for specifying that it is not a forest area. Such a forest condition is, for example, that the number of pixels not corresponding to green information is N% or more of the whole. N is a numerical value greater than 0 and less than 100, and it is preferably about 1% to 5%, for example. Such a forest condition is, for example, that the classification result by the prediction process of machine learning is "it is not a forest area (for example, "0").

[0073] The first determination unit 132 performs a forest determination process. The first determination unit 132 determines whether the area is a forest area or not, for example, by image recognition processing using pixel values. The first determination unit 132 determines whether the area is a forest area or not, for example, by the prediction process of machine learning. (1) Forest determination process by image recognition processing

[0074] The first determination unit 132 determines, for example, whether each pixel value of the partial image matches the forest condition. The first determination unit 132 determines, for example, whether the pixel value of each pixel of the partial image matches the green condition, and obtains a determination result as to whether each pixel is green information or not green information. Next, the first determination unit 132 obtains, for example, the ratio of the green area or the ratio of the non-green area using the determination results of each pixel. Next, the first determination unit 132 determines, for example, whether the ratio of the green area or the ratio of the non-green area satisfies the forest condition, and obtains a first determination result.

[0075] The first determination result is, for example, "is a forest area (e.g., "1")" or "is not a forest area (e.g., "0").

[0076] The forest condition here is "the ratio of the green area is equal to or greater than the threshold value" or "the ratio of the non-green area is equal to or less than the threshold value". (2) Forest determination process by prediction process of machine learning

[0077] The first determination unit 132 obtains, for example, a forest learning model from the storage unit 11, provides the forest learning model and the partial image to a prediction module of machine learning, executes the forest learning model, and obtains a first determination result.

[0078] For each inspection area determined to be a forest area by the first determination unit 132, a patrol process is performed. The patrol process is a process of determining whether an inspection area is a forest area using a partial image corresponding to a past partial image of the inspection area and a partial image after a period has elapsed from the past. The first determination unit 132 usually performs a process of determining whether the forest condition is satisfied using the latest partial image of an area determined to be a forest area in the past.

[0079] The process of the first determination unit 132 determining whether an inspection area is a forest area during the patrol may be the same process as the above-described forest determination process.

[0080] The first determination unit 132 performs a patrol process and obtains a patrol determination result. The patrol determination result is, for example, "information indicating that it is no longer a forest area (e.g., "0")" or "information indicating that it is a forest area (e.g., "1").

[0081] The first determination unit 132 performs a patrol process, for example, periodically. The first determination unit 132 performs a patrol process, for example, once a year. The trigger for the first determination unit 132 to perform the patrol process is not limited. The first determination unit 132 performs a patrol process, for example, when it is set in the storage unit 11.

[0082] The first determination result is, for example, information indicating whether it is a forest area, or area information of an area that is a forest area, or area information of an area that is not a forest area. The first determination result may be information based on the first user determination received by the user reception unit 121. The first user determination is a determination that it is a forest area or a determination that it is not a forest area.

[0083] The second determination unit 133 determines whether each of one or more inspection areas satisfies the thinning condition and obtains a second determination result. Such a process is appropriately referred to as a thinning determination process. The thinning determination process is a process of determining whether an inspection area is a thinning area. An example of the algorithm of the thinning determination process will be described later, but it is not limited.

[0084] The thinning area is an area that has been thinned. The thinning area may be an area where forest operations have been carried out. The thinning condition is usually that it is an area that has been thinned within a predetermined period. The predetermined period is, for example, after 1990, but it is not limited.

[0085] The thinning condition is a condition for determining whether or not it is a thinning area in J Credit. The thinning condition is, for example, a condition for specifying that it is a thinning area, or a condition for specifying that it is not a thinning area. The condition for specifying that it is a thinning area is, for example, that the green area of the latest partial image is less compared to the past partial image. The condition for specifying that it is a thinning area is, for example, that there is a forest road in the partial image of the inspection area. The condition for specifying that it is a thinning area is, for example, that the partial image of the inspection area includes an area that is not a forest.

[0086] The second determination unit 133 compares, for example, the partial image of the inspection area and the past partial image of the inspection area for each one or two or more inspection areas, and determines whether or not the thinning condition is satisfied using the result of the comparison.

[0087] The second determination unit 133 detects, for example, whether or not there is a forest road for each one or two or more inspection areas, and determines whether or not the thinning condition is satisfied using the detection result. The second determination unit 133 determines that it is a thinning area, for example, when it detects that there is a forest road.

[0088] The second determination unit 133 detects, for example, an area that is not a forest for each one or two or more inspection areas, and determines whether or not the thinning condition is satisfied using the detection result.

[0089] The second determination result is, for example, information indicating whether or not it is a thinning area, or area information of the area that is a thinning area, or area information of the area that is not a thinning area. The second determination result may be information based on the second user determination received by the user reception unit 121. The second user determination is a determination that it is a thinning area and a determination that it is not a thinning area.

[0090] The first inquiry unit 134 performs a forest inquiry process. The forest inquiry process is a process of inquiring the user in order to ask for the user's determination about the inspection area determined not to be a forest area.

[0091] The first inquiry unit 134 inquires of the user whether the inspection area determined to be "not a forest area" is a forest area or not. The information presented to the user when making the inquiry is not limited. Such information preferably includes a partial image of the inspection area.

[0092] The second inquiry unit 135 conducts a thinning inquiry process. The thinning inquiry process is a process of inquiring of the user in order to seek the user's judgment regarding the inspection area determined to be a thinning area.

[0093] The second inquiry unit 135 inquires of the user whether the inspection area determined to be "a thinning area" is a thinning area or not. The information presented to the user when making the inquiry is not limited. Such information preferably includes a partial image of the inspection area.

[0094] The first document creation unit 136 conducts an application-time document creation process. The application-time document creation process is a process of assisting in the creation of documents used at the time of applying for J Credit. Note that the structure, data type, information to be included, etc. of the application-time documents are not limited.

[0095] The first document creation unit 136 creates an application-time document including information about the inspection area to apply for J Credit or information about the inspection area not to apply for J Credit, for example, using the first judgment result.

[0096] The first document creation unit 136 creates an application-time document including information about the inspection area to apply for J Credit or information about the inspection area not to apply for J Credit, for example, using the second judgment result.

[0097] The first document creation unit 136 preferably creates an application-time document including information about the inspection area to apply for J Credit or information about the inspection area not to apply for J Credit, using the first judgment result and the second judgment result.

[0098] The information about the inspection area applied to J Credit is, for example, one or more than two types of information among the area identifier of the inspection area applied to J Credit, the captured image including the inspection area applied to J Credit, the area information of the inspection area applied to J Credit, and one or more area attribute values of the inspection area applied to J Credit.

[0099] The information about the inspection area not applied to J Credit is, for example, one or more than two types of information among the area identifier of the inspection area not applied to J Credit, the captured image including the inspection area not applied to J Credit, the area information of the inspection area not applied to J Credit, and one or more area attribute values of the inspection area not applied to J Credit.

[0100] The second document creation unit 137 performs document creation processing during patrol. The document creation processing during patrol is processing that supports the creation of a document used after the patrol.

[0101] The second document creation unit 137 creates a document during patrol that includes information about the inspection area that has become ineligible for J Credit application due to the patrol or information about the inspection area that has been continuously determined to be eligible for J Credit application based on the patrol judgment result. Note that the structure, data type, information to be included, etc. of the document during patrol are not limited.

[0102] The second document creation unit 137 creates, for example, a document during patrol that includes information about the inspection area (area excluded from the application) corresponding to the patrol judgment result of "not a forest area".

[0103] The second document creation unit 137 creates, for example, a document during patrol that includes information about the inspection area (area continuously applied) corresponding to the patrol judgment result of "is a forest area".

[0104] The output unit 14 outputs various types of information. The various types of information are the first judgment result, the second judgment result, the third judgment result, the patrol judgment result, the application-time document, or the patrol-time document.

[0105] The third judgment result is information indicating that the inspection area is an application target for J credit or information indicating that the inspection area is not an application target for J credit. The third judgment result is information based on the first judgment result and the second judgment result. When the first judgment result is information indicating that the inspection area is a forest area and the second judgment result is information indicating that the inspection area is a thinning area, the third judgment result is information indicating that the inspection area is an area for applying for J credit. When the first judgment result is information indicating that the inspection area is not a forest area or the second judgment result is information indicating that the inspection area is not a thinning area, and one or more of these conditions are satisfied, the third judgment result is information indicating that the inspection area is an area where an application for J credit cannot be made.

[0106] Here, output includes concepts such as display on a display, projection using a projector, printing by a printer, sound output, transmission to an external device, storage on a recording medium, and delivery of the processing result to other processing devices or other programs. Note that the external device is, for example, a user terminal (not shown).

[0107] The judgment result output unit 141 outputs the first judgment result obtained by the first judgment unit 132. The judgment result output unit 141 outputs the second judgment result obtained by the second judgment unit 133. For the inspection area determined by the first judgment unit 132 to no longer be a forest area, the judgment result output unit 141 outputs a patrol judgment result indicating that it is no longer a forest area.

[0108] The area output unit 142 outputs the inspection area determined to be a forest area and a thinning area in a different display mode compared to the inspection area determined not to be a forest area. The area output unit 142 outputs the inspection area determined to be a forest area and a thinning area in a different display mode compared to the inspection area determined not to be a thinning area.

[0109] Any display mode is acceptable. The area output unit 142 compares the inspection area determined to be a forest area and a thinning area with the inspection area determined not to be a forest area, and outputs it, for example, in an emphasized mode. The area output unit 142 compares the inspection area determined to be a forest area and a thinning area with the inspection area determined not to be a thinning area, and outputs it, for example, in an emphasized display mode.

[0110] The document output unit 143 outputs the application document acquired by the first document creation unit 136. The document output unit 143 outputs the patrol document acquired by the second document creation unit 137.

[0111] The storage unit 11, the image storage unit 111, and the area management unit 112 are preferably non-volatile recording media, but can also be realized with volatile recording media.

[0112] The process by which information is stored in the storage unit 11 or the like is not limited. For example, information may be stored in the storage unit 11 or the like via a recording medium, information transmitted via a communication line or the like may be stored in the storage unit 11 or the like, or information input via an input device may be stored in the storage unit 11 or the like.

[0113] The reception unit 12 and the user reception unit 121 can be realized by a device driver of an input means such as a touch panel or a keyboard, control software of a menu screen, or the like. The reception unit 12 or the like may be realized by wireless or wired communication means.

[0114] The processing unit 13, the image acquisition unit 131, the first determination unit 132, the second determination unit 133, the first inquiry unit 134, the second inquiry unit 135, the first document creation unit 136, and the second document creation unit 137 can usually be realized from a processor, a memory, etc. The processing procedures of the processing unit 13, etc. are usually realized by software, and the software is recorded on a recording medium such as a ROM. However, it may also be realized by hardware (a dedicated circuit). Note that the processor may be a CPU, an MPU, a GPU, etc., and its type does not matter.

[0115] The output unit 14, the determination result output unit 141, the area output unit 142, and the document output unit 143 may or may not be considered to include output devices such as a display and a speaker. The output unit 14, etc. can be realized by the driver software of the output device or the driver software of the output device and the output device, etc.

[0116] Next, an operation example of the J credit support device 1 will be described using the flowchart of FIG. 2.

[0117] (Step S201) The reception unit 12 determines whether it has received a start instruction. If it has received a start instruction, it proceeds to step S202, and if it has not received a start instruction, it proceeds to step S214.

[0118] (Step S202) The image acquisition unit 131 substitutes 1 for the counter i.

[0119] (Step S203) The image acquisition unit 131 determines whether the i-th captured image of the inspection target exists in the image storage unit 111. If the i-th captured image exists, it proceeds to step S204, and if it does not exist, it proceeds to step S210. Here, when the i-th captured image exists, the image acquisition unit 131 acquires the i-th captured image from the image storage unit 111.

[0120] (Step S204) The processing unit 13 substitutes 1 for the counter j.

[0121] (Step S205) The processing unit 13 determines whether the area information of the j-th inspection area corresponding to the i-th captured image exists in the area management unit 112. If the area information of the j-th inspection area exists, it proceeds to step S206; if not, it proceeds to step S209. Note that the area information of the inspection area corresponding to the i-th captured image is, for example, the area information paired with the image identifier of the i-th captured image.

[0122] (Step S206) The first determination unit 132 performs a forest determination process on the j-th inspection area in the i-th captured image. An example of the forest determination process will be described using the flowcharts in FIGS. 3 and 5.

[0123] (Step S207) The second determination unit 133 performs a thinning determination process on the j-th inspection area in the i-th captured image. An example of the thinning determination process will be described using the flowcharts in FIGS. 6, 7, 10, and 11.

[0124] (Step S208) The processing unit 13 increments the counter j by 1 and returns to step S205.

[0125] (Step S209) The image acquisition unit 131 increments the counter i by 1 and returns to step S203.

[0126] (Step S210) The first inquiry unit 134 performs a forest inquiry process. An example of the forest inquiry process will be described using the flowchart in FIG. 12.

[0127] (Step S211) The second inquiry unit 135 performs a thinning inquiry process. An example of the thinning inquiry process will be described using the flowchart in FIG. 13.

[0128] (Step S212) The first document creation unit 136 performs an application-time document creation process. An example of the application-time document creation process will be described using the flowchart in FIG. 14.

[0129] (Step S213) The document output unit 143 outputs the application document created in step S212. Return to step S201.

[0130] Here, the determination result output unit 141 may output the first determination result obtained by the first determination unit 132 and the second determination result obtained by the second determination unit 133 for each inspection area. Also, here, it is preferable that the area output unit 142 outputs the inspection areas determined to be forest areas and thinning areas in a different display mode compared to the inspection areas determined not to be forest areas or not to be thinning areas.

[0131] (Step S214) The processing unit 13 determines whether to perform a patrol process. If performing the patrol process, go to step S215; if not performing the patrol process, return to step S201.

[0132] (Step S215) The first determination unit 132 performs a patrol process. An example of the patrol process will be described using the flowchart of FIG. 15.

[0133] (Step S216) The first inquiry unit 134 performs a forest inquiry process. An example of the forest inquiry process will be described using the flowchart of FIG. 12.

[0134] (Step S217) The second document creation unit 137 performs a document creation process during patrol. An example of the document creation process during patrol will be described using the flowchart of FIG. 16.

[0135] (Step S218) The document output unit 143 outputs the document during patrol created in step S217. Return to step S201.

[0136] Here, the determination result output unit 141 may output the patrol determination result obtained by the first determination unit 132 for each inspection area. Also, here, it is preferable that the area output unit 142 outputs the inspection areas determined to be forest areas in a different display mode compared to the inspection areas determined not to be forest areas.

[0137] In the flowchart of FIG. 2, the process ends due to a power-off or an interrupt at the end of processing.

[0138] Next, a first example of the forest determination process in step S206 will be described using the flowchart of FIG. 3.

[0139] (Step S301) The first determination unit 132 acquires, from the i-th captured image, a partial image that is an image of the j-th inspection region in the i-th captured image in step S206, using the region information of the j-th inspection region. Note that since the technique of cutting out a partial image of a part indicated by the region information from the captured image is a known technique, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0140] (Step S302) The first determination unit 132 performs a green ratio acquisition process. The green ratio acquisition process is a process of acquiring the ratio of the region that can be said to be green or the ratio of the region that cannot be said to be green in the partial image to be inspected. The region that can be said to be green is the region that can be said to be a forest. An example of the green ratio acquisition process will be described using the flowchart of FIG. 4.

[0141] (Step S303) The first determination unit 132 determines whether the ratio of the green region acquired in step S302 is equal to or less than the threshold “N (%)”. If it is equal to or less than “N (%)”, it proceeds to step S304, and if it is more than “N (%)”, it proceeds to step S305. Here, it may also be determined whether the green ratio is less than “N (%)”.

[0142] (Step S304) The first determination unit 132 acquires, as the first determination result, “not a forest area (for example, “0”)”. Return to the upper-level process.

[0143] (Step S305) The first determination unit 132 acquires, as the first determination result, “is a forest area (for example, “1”)”. Return to the upper-level process.

[0144] In step S302 of the flowchart in FIG. 3, the first determination unit 132 may obtain the ratio of the area that cannot be said to be green. Then, in step S303, the first determination unit 132 may determine whether the ratio of the area that cannot be said to be green is equal to or greater than a threshold value. Such a threshold value is, for example, "1%" or "5%".

[0145] Next, an example of the green ratio acquisition process in step S302 will be described with reference to the flowchart in FIG. 4.

[0146] (Step S401) The first determination unit 132 performs initialization. Initialization means substituting 0 into the variables "green counter" and "non-green counter".

[0147] (Step S402) The first determination unit 132 substitutes 1 into the counter i.

[0148] (Step S403) The first determination unit 132 determines whether the i-th pixel exists in the partial image to be inspected. If the i-th pixel exists, it proceeds to step S404; if it does not exist, it proceeds to step S409.

[0149] (Step S404) The first determination unit 132 obtains the pixel value of the i-th pixel.

[0150] (Step S405) The first determination unit 132 determines whether the pixel value obtained in step S404 satisfies the green condition. If it satisfies the green condition, it proceeds to step S406; if it does not satisfy the green condition, it proceeds to step S407.

[0151] (Step S406) The first determination unit 132 increments the green counter by 1. It proceeds to step S408.

[0152] (Step S407) The first determination unit 132 increments the non-green counter by 1.

[0153] (Step S408) The first determination unit 132 increments the counter i by 1. Return to step S403.

[0154] (Step S409) The first determination unit 132 obtains the green area ratio by "value of green counter / (value of green counter + value of non - green counter)". Here, the first determination unit 132 may also obtain the non - green area ratio by "value of non - green counter / (value of green counter + value of non - green counter)".

[0155] Next, the second example of the forest determination process in step S206 will be described using the flowchart of FIG. 5.

[0156] (Step S501) The first determination unit 132 obtains the partial image to be inspected.

[0157] (Step S502) The first determination unit 132 obtains the forest learning model from the storage unit 11.

[0158] (Step S503) The first determination unit 132 provides the partial image obtained in step S501 and the forest learning model obtained in step S502 to the prediction module of machine learning, executes the prediction module, and obtains the prediction result. The prediction result is, for example, "1" indicating a forest area or "0" indicating not a forest area.

[0159] (Step S504) The first determination unit 132 obtains the first determination result corresponding to the prediction result obtained in step S503. Return to the upper - level process.

[0160] Next, the first example of the thinning determination process in step S207 will be described using the flowchart of FIG. 6.

[0161] (Step S601) The second determination unit 133 obtains the past partial image of the same area as the partial image to be inspected from the image storage unit 111.

[0162] (Step S602) The second determination unit 133 acquires the green ratio in the past partial image acquired in step S601. An example of such green ratio acquisition processing was described using the flowchart of FIG. 4. The green ratio here is referred to as the first green ratio.

[0163] (Step S603) The second determination unit 133 acquires the latest partial image of the inspection target from the image storage unit 111.

[0164] (Step S604) The second determination unit 133 acquires the green ratio in the latest partial image acquired in step S603. An example of such green ratio acquisition processing was described using the flowchart of FIG. 4. The green ratio here is referred to as the second green ratio.

[0165] (Step S605) The second determination unit 133 determines whether the first green ratio acquired in step S602 and the second green ratio acquired in step S604 satisfy the thinning condition. If the thinning condition is satisfied, it proceeds to step S606, and if the thinning condition is not satisfied, it proceeds to step S607. The thinning condition is, for example, that "first green ratio - second green ratio" is equal to or greater than a threshold value. The threshold value is a positive number.

[0166] (Step S606) The second determination unit 133 substitutes "thinned (for example, '1')" into the second determination result. Return to the upper-level process.

[0167] (Step S607) The second determination unit 133 substitutes "not thinned (for example, '0')" into the second determination result. Return to the upper-level process.

[0168] Note that in the flowchart of FIG. 6, the past partial image is, for example, part or all of an image taken before 1990. Also, the latest partial image is, for example, part or all of an image taken after 1990.

[0169] Next, a second example of the thinning determination process in step S207 will be described using the flowchart of FIG. 7.

[0170] (Step S701) The second determination unit 133 acquires a partial image of the inspection target.

[0171] (Step S702) The second determination unit 133 detects whether there is a forest road in the partial image acquired in Step S701. An example of such forest road detection processing will be described using the flowcharts of FIGS. 8 and 9.

[0172] (Step S703) Based on the result of the forest road detection processing in Step S702, when there is a forest road in the partial image, the second determination unit 133 proceeds to Step S704, and when there is no forest road, it proceeds to Step S705.

[0173] (Step S704) The second determination unit 133 substitutes "thinned (e.g., '1')" into the second determination result. Return to the upper-level process.

[0174] (Step S705) The second determination unit 133 substitutes "not thinned (e.g., '0')" into the second determination result. Return to the upper-level process.

[0175] Next, a first example of the forest road detection processing in Step S702 will be described using the flowchart of FIG. 8. The first example of the forest road detection processing is an image recognition process for recognizing a forest road in a partial image.

[0176] (Step S801) The second determination unit 133 substitutes 1 into the counter i.

[0177] (Step S802) The second determination unit 133 determines whether the i-th pixel exists in the partial image of the detection target. If the i-th pixel exists, it proceeds to Step S803, and if the i-th pixel does not exist, it proceeds to Step S816.

[0178] (Step S803) The second determination unit 133 acquires the pixel value of the i-th pixel in the partial image of the detection target.

[0179] (Step S804) The second determination unit 133 determines whether the pixel value acquired in step S803 satisfies the forest road pixel condition. If it satisfies the forest road pixel condition, it proceeds to step S805; if it does not satisfy the forest road pixel condition, it proceeds to step S815. Note that the forest road pixel condition is, for example, that the pixel value does not satisfy the green condition. The forest road pixel condition is, for example, that the pixel value is within a range that can be said to be the color of soil, or within a range that can be said to be the color of asphalt.

[0180] (Step S805) The second determination unit 133 acquires the pixel values of one or more adjacent pixels around the i-th pixel.

[0181] (Step S806) The second determination unit 133 substitutes 1 into the counter j.

[0182] (Step S807) The second determination unit 133 determines whether the pixel value of the j-th pixel exists among the pixel values acquired in step S805. If the pixel value of the j-th pixel exists, it proceeds to step S808; if it does not exist, it proceeds to step S815.

[0183] (Step S808) The second determination unit 133 acquires the pixel value of the j-th pixel.

[0184] (Step S809) The second determination unit 133 determines whether the pixel value acquired in step S808 satisfies the forest road pixel condition. If it satisfies the forest road pixel condition, it proceeds to step S810; if it does not satisfy the forest road pixel condition, it proceeds to step S814.

[0185] (Step S810) The second determination unit 133 acquires the length of the road corresponding to the set of pixels that continuously satisfy the forest road pixel condition.

[0186] (Step S811) The second determination unit 133 determines whether the length obtained in step S810 satisfies the forest road condition. If it satisfies the forest road condition, it proceeds to step S812; if it does not satisfy the forest road condition, it proceeds to step S813. Note that the forest road condition means having a length that can be considered a forest road. The forest road condition is, for example, that the length is equal to or greater than a threshold value. The threshold value is, for example, 20 m or 50 m.

[0187] (Step S812) The second determination unit 133 substitutes "There is a forest road" into the result of the forest road detection. Return to the upper-level process.

[0188] (Step S813) The second determination unit 133 acquires the pixel values of one or more pixels in the periphery adjacent to the j-th pixel. Return to step S806.

[0189] (Step S814) The second determination unit 133 increments the counter j by 1. Return to step S807.

[0190] (Step S815) The second determination unit 133 increments the counter i by 1. Return to step S802.

[0191] (Step S816) The second determination unit 133 substitutes "There is no forest road" into the result of the forest road detection. Return to the upper-level process.

[0192] Next, a second example of the forest road detection process in step S702 will be described using the flowchart of FIG. 9. The second example of the forest road detection process is a process using the prediction process of machine learning.

[0193] (Step S901) The second determination unit 133 acquires the forest road learning model from the storage unit 11.

[0194] (Step S902) The second determination unit 133 provides the partial image to be inspected and the learning model obtained in step S901 to the prediction module of machine learning, executes the prediction module, and obtains a prediction result. Note that the prediction result is, for example, "There is a forest road (e.g., "1")" or "There is no forest road (e.g., "0").

[0195] (Step S903) The second determination unit 133 obtains the result of forest road detection corresponding to the prediction result obtained in step S902. Return to the upper-level process.

[0196] Next, a third example of the thinning determination process in step S207 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 10. The third example of the thinning determination process is a case where it is determined whether or not thinning has been performed by machine learning prediction processing.

[0197] (Step S1001) The second determination unit 133 obtains a partial image to be inspected.

[0198] (Step S1002) The second determination unit 133 obtains a thinning learning model from the image storage unit 111.

[0199] (Step S1003) The second determination unit 133 provides the partial image obtained in step S1001 and the thinning learning model obtained in step S1002 to the prediction module of machine learning, executes the prediction module, and obtains a prediction result. Note that the prediction result is, for example, "It is a thinned area (e.g., "1")" or "It is not a thinned area (e.g., "0").

[0200] (Step S1004) The second determination unit 133 obtains a second determination result corresponding to the prediction result obtained in step S1003. Return to the upper-level process.

[0201] Note that in the flowchart of FIG. 10, the second determination unit 133 may obtain the past partial image and the latest partial image of the area to be inspected, and use the two partial images and the thinning learning model to obtain a prediction result by machine learning prediction processing.

[0202] Next, regarding the fourth example of the thinning judgment process in step S207, it will be described using the flowchart of FIG. 11. The fourth example of the thinning judgment process is a case where it is determined whether or not thinning has been performed by performing image recognition processing on the partial image to be inspected.

[0203] (Step S1101) The second determination unit 133 acquires the partial image to be inspected.

[0204] (Step S1102) The second determination unit 133 uses the partial image acquired in step S1101 to acquire the green ratio of the area indicated by the partial image. An example of such a green ratio acquisition process was described using the flowchart of FIG. 4.

[0205] (Step S1103) The second determination unit 133 determines whether or not the green ratio acquired in step S1102 satisfies the thinning condition. If the thinning condition is satisfied, it proceeds to step S1104, and if the thinning condition is not satisfied, it proceeds to step S1105. The thinning condition is, for example, "first threshold <= green ratio <= second threshold" or "first threshold < green ratio <= second threshold" or "first threshold <= green ratio < second threshold" or "first threshold < green ratio < second threshold".

[0206] (Step S1104) The second determination unit 133 substitutes "thinned (for example, "1")" into the second determination result. Return to the upper-level process.

[0207] (Step S1105) The second determination unit 133 substitutes "not thinned (for example, "0")" into the second determination result. Return to the upper-level process.

[0208] Next, regarding the example of the forest inquiry process in steps S210 and S216, it will be described using the flowchart of FIG. 12.

[0209] (Step S1201) The first inquiry unit 134 substitutes 1 into the counter i.

[0210] (Step S1202) The first inquiry unit 134 determines whether there is an i-th inspection area determined to be "not a forest area". If there is an i-th inspection area, it proceeds to step S1203; if not, it returns to the upper-level process.

[0211] (Step S1203) The first inquiry unit 134 acquires a captured image corresponding to the i-th inspection area.

[0212] (Step S1204) The first inquiry unit 134 acquires area information for specifying the i-th inspection area.

[0213] (Step S1205) The first inquiry unit 134 constructs a forest inquiry using the captured image acquired in step S1203 and the area information acquired in step S1204. Note that the forest inquiry is information for asking the user whether the i-th inspection area is a forest area. The forest inquiry includes, for example, an image that indicates the area shown by the area information acquired in step S1204 within the captured image acquired in step S1203.

[0214] (Step S1206) The first inquiry unit 134 outputs the forest inquiry acquired in step S120 to the user. The output to the user is, for example, display on a display or transmission to a user terminal (not shown).

[0215] (Step S1207) The user reception unit 121 determines whether it has received a first user determination regarding the forest inquiry. If it has received the first user determination, it proceeds to step S1208; if not, it returns to step S1207.

[0216] (Step S1208) If the first user determination received in step S1207 is "is a forest area", it proceeds to step S1209; if it is "is not a forest area", it proceeds to step S1210.

[0217] (Step S1209) The first determination unit 132 updates the first determination result corresponding to the i-th inspection area to "forest area".

[0218] (Step S1210) The first inquiry unit 134 increments the counter i by 1. Return to step S1202.

[0219] Next, an example of the thinning inquiry process in step S211 will be described using the flowchart in FIG. 13.

[0220] (Step S1301) The second inquiry unit 135 assigns 1 to the counter i.

[0221] (Step S1302) The second inquiry unit 135 determines whether there is an i-th inspection area determined to be "thinned". If the i-th inspection area exists, go to step S1303; if not, return to the upper-level process.

[0222] (Step S1303) The second inquiry unit 135 acquires the captured image corresponding to the i-th inspection area.

[0223] (Step S1304) The second inquiry unit 135 acquires the area information specifying the i-th inspection area.

[0224] (Step S1305) The second inquiry unit 135 constructs a thinning inquiry using the captured image acquired in step S1303 and the area information acquired in step S1304. Note that the thinning inquiry is information for asking the user whether the i-th inspection area is a thinning area. The thinning inquiry includes, for example, an image in which the area indicated by the area information acquired in step S1304 is specified in the captured image acquired in step S1303.

[0225] (Step S1306) The second inquiry unit 135 outputs the thinning inquiry acquired in step S130 to the user. The output to the user is, for example, display on a display or transmission to a user terminal (not shown).

[0226] (Step S1307) The user reception unit 121 determines whether it has received a second user determination regarding the thinning inquiry. If it has received the second user determination, it proceeds to step S1308; if it has not received the second user determination, it returns to step S1307.

[0227] (Step S1308) If the second user determination received in step S1307 is "not a thinning area", it proceeds to step S1309; if it is "a thinning area", it proceeds to step S1310.

[0228] (Step S1309) The second determination unit 133 updates the second determination result corresponding to the i-th inspection area to "not a thinning area".

[0229] (Step S1310) The second inquiry unit 135 increments the counter i by 1. It returns to step S1302.

[0230] Next, an example of the application document creation process in step S212 will be described using the flowchart in FIG. 14.

[0231] (Step S1401) The first document creation unit 136 assigns 1 to the counter i.

[0232] (Step S1402) The first document creation unit 136 determines whether the i-th captured image of the inspection target exists. If the i-th captured image exists, it proceeds to step S1403; if it does not exist, it proceeds to step S1414.

[0233] (Step S1403) The first document creation unit 136 assigns 1 to the counter j.

[0234] (Step S1404) The first document creation unit 136 determines whether the j-th inspection area exists in the i-th captured image. If the j-th inspection area exists, it proceeds to step S1405; if it does not exist, it proceeds to step S1410.

[0235] (Step S1405) The first document creation unit 136 acquires the first determination result and the second determination result corresponding to the j-th inspection area of the i-th captured image.

[0236] (Step S1406) The first document creation unit 136 determines whether the first determination result is "forest area" and the second determination result satisfies "thinning area". If such a condition is satisfied, it proceeds to step S1407, and if not, it proceeds to step S1409.

[0237] (Step S1407) The first document creation unit 136 acquires the area identifier of the j-th inspection area of the i-th captured image.

[0238] (Step S1408) The first document creation unit 136 acquires information such as area information that pairs with the area identifier acquired in step S1407, which is the information to be included in the document to be created, and temporarily stores it in a buffer (not shown) in association with the area identifier. Note that the area information, etc. is, for example, area information and one or more area attribute values.

[0239] (Step S1409) The first document creation unit 136 increments the counter j by 1. It returns to step S1404.

[0240] (Step S1410) The first document creation unit 136 determines whether there is an application area for J-credited in the i-th captured image. If the application area exists, it proceeds to step S1411, and if not, it proceeds to step S1414. Note that the application area is an area where the first determination result is "forest area" and the second determination result satisfies "thinning area".

[0241] (Step S1411) The first document creation unit 136 determines whether to use the captured image in the document to be created. If it uses the captured image, it proceeds to step S1412, and if not, it proceeds to step S1413.

[0242] (Step S1412) The first document creation unit 136 acquires the i-th captured image and temporarily stores it in a buffer (not shown).

[0243] (Step S1413) The first document creation unit 136 increments the counter i by 1. It returns to Step S1402.

[0244] (Step S1414) The first document creation unit 136 acquires the area corresponding to the area information of each of one or more areas to be applied, and acquires the sum of such areas.

[0245] (Step S1415) The first document creation unit 136 acquires the value corresponding to the sum of the areas acquired in Step S1414 and temporarily stores it in a buffer (not shown). Note that the value increases as the area increases. The value is calculated, for example, by an increasing function using the area as a parameter.

[0246] (Step S1416) The first document creation unit 136 acquires the information temporarily stored in a buffer (not shown) and constructs a document including the information. It returns to the upper-level process.

[0247] Note that such a document is an application-time document. The application-time document includes, for example, the information stored in Step S1408, the captured image, the value, etc.

[0248] Next, an example of the patrol process in Step S215 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 15. ***

[0249] (Step S1501) The second determination unit 133 substitutes 1 for the counter i.

[0250] (Step S1502) The second determination unit 133 determines whether or not the i-th area to be patrolled exists. If the i-th area to be patrolled exists, it proceeds to Step S1503; if it does not exist, it returns to the upper-level process.

[0251] Note that the area to be patrolled is, for example, an area where the first judgment result paired with the area identifier for identifying the area is "forest area" and the second judgment result is "thinned".

[0252] (Step S1503) The second determination unit 133 acquires a captured image including the i-th area to be patrolled from the image storage unit 111.

[0253] (Step S1504) The second determination unit 133 acquires area information paired with the area identifier for identifying the i-th area to be patrolled.

[0254] (Step S1505) The second determination unit 133 performs forest determination processing on the partial image obtained using the captured image acquired in Step S1503 and the area information acquired in Step S1504. An example of the forest determination processing was described using the flowcharts of FIGS. 3 and 5.

[0255] (Step S1506) If the result of the forest determination in Step S1505 is "forest area", the second determination unit 133 proceeds to Step S1507; if it is "not a forest area", the second determination unit 133 proceeds to Step S1508.

[0256] (Step S1507) The first inquiry unit 134 performs forest inquiry processing on the i-th area to be patrolled. An example of the forest inquiry processing was described using the flowchart of FIG. 12.

[0257] (Step S1508) The second determination unit 133 acquires the patrol determination result, pairs it with the area identifier, and stores it in a buffer (not shown). Note that the patrol determination result is, for example, "forest area" or "not a forest area". "Being a forest area" means "being the area subject to application". "Not being a forest area" means "not being the area subject to application".

[0258] (Step S1509) The second determination unit 133 increments the counter i by 1 and returns to Step S1502.

[0259] Next, an example of the patrol document creation process in step S217 will be described using the flowchart of FIG. 16.

[0260] (Step S1601) The second document creation unit 137 assigns 1 to the counter i.

[0261] (Step S1602) The second document creation unit 137 determines whether there is an area determined to be "not a forest area" at the i-th position. If there is such an area at the i-th position, it proceeds to step S1603; if not, it proceeds to step S1607.

[0262] (Step S1603) The second document creation unit 137 acquires the area identifier of the i-th "not a forest area" area.

[0263] (Step S1604) The second document creation unit 137 acquires area information and the like that pairs with the area identifier acquired in step S1603.

[0264] (Step S1605) The second document creation unit 137 constructs exclusion area information having the area identifier acquired in step S1603 and the area information and the like acquired in step S1604, and temporarily stores it in a buffer (not shown). The exclusion area information is information on an area that has been excluded from the application target of J credit based on the patrol determination.

[0265] (Step S1606) The second document creation unit 137 increments the counter i by 1. It returns to step S1602.

[0266] (Step S1607) The second document creation unit 137 assigns 1 to the counter j.

[0267] (Step S1608) The second document creation unit 137 determines whether there is a region determined to be the "forest region" for the j-th region. If the j-th region exists, it proceeds to step S1609; if it does not exist, it proceeds to step S1613.

[0268] (Step S1609) The second document creation unit 137 acquires the region identifier of the j-th "forest region" region.

[0269] (Step S1610) The second document creation unit 137 acquires region information etc. that pairs with the region identifier acquired in step S1609.

[0270] (Step S1611) The second document creation unit 137 constructs remaining region information having the region identifier acquired in step S1609 and the region information etc. acquired in step S1610, and temporarily stores it in a buffer (not shown). The remaining region information is information on the regions that remain as candidates for J credit applications based on the patrol judgment.

[0271] (Step) The second document creation unit 137

[0272] (Step S1612) The second document creation unit 137 increments the counter j by 1. It returns to step S1608.

[0273] (Step S1613) The second document creation unit 137 acquires the area of each of the remaining one or more regions. Next, the second document creation unit 137 acquires the total of the areas of the one or more regions.

[0274] (Step S1614) The second document creation unit 137 acquires the value corresponding to the total area acquired in step S1613, and temporarily stores it in a buffer (not shown).

[0275] (Step S1615) The second document creation unit 137 acquires the information temporarily stored in a buffer (not shown) and constructs a document including the information. Return to the upper-level process.

[0276] Note that such a document is a patrol document. The patrol document includes, for example, the exclusion area information accumulated in step S1605, the remaining area information accumulated in step S1611, the captured images, the value, etc.

[0277] Hereinafter, a specific operation example of the J credit support device 1 in the present embodiment will be described.

[0278] Now, assume that an image management table shown in FIG. 17 is stored in the image storage unit 111 of the J credit support device 1. The image management table stores a plurality of records having "image identifier", "image taken in 1989", and "image taken in April 2023". The "image taken in 1989" is a satellite image taken in 1989. The "image taken in April 2023" is a satellite image taken in April 2023.

[0279] Also, assume that a region management table shown in FIG. 18 is stored in the region management unit 112 of the J credit support device 1. The region management stores a plurality of records having "ID", "region identifier", "region information", "region attribute value", and "image identifier". The "region attribute value" has "administrator", "area", and "tree species". The "ID" is information for identifying a record. The "region information" is a set of three-dimensional or two-dimensional position information. The "administrator" is the administrator of the region. The "area" indicates the area of the region. The "tree species" indicates the type of tree in the region. The "image identifier" is the image identifier of the image including the region. Note that the position information is, for example, (latitude, longitude, altitude) or (latitude, longitude).

[0280] In such a case, three specific examples will be described below. Specific example 1 is a case where, for each of a number of inspection regions in a captured image, it is determined whether or not the region is a forest region, and when it is determined that a certain inspection region is not a forest region, the user is asked whether or not the certain inspection region is a forest region. Specific example 2 is a case where, by comparing a past captured image and the latest captured image, for an inspection region determined to be a thinning region, the user is asked whether or not the inspection region is a thinning region. Specific example 3 is a case where an application document including a first determination result and a second determination result is created.

[0281] (Specific example 1) Now, assume that the reception unit 12 of the J credit support device 1 has received a start instruction from a user terminal (not shown).

[0282] Next, the image acquisition unit 131 refers to the image management table (FIG. 17) and acquires images in order from the image identifier "IM01". Here, the image acquisition unit 131 acquires the captured image in April 2023 that pairs with the image identifier "IM01" from the image management table (FIG. 17).

[0283] Next, the processing unit 13 acquires a number of region information that pairs with the acquired image "IM01" from the region management table (FIG. 18). Note that FIG. 19 shows a diagram in which the regions specified by the acquired number of region information are indicated in the captured image in April 2023 that pairs with the image identifier "IM01". In FIG. 19, the regions are surrounded by solid lines.

[0284] Next, the first determination unit 132 performs the above-described forest determination process on each region in FIG. 19. Note that the algorithm of the forest determination process is as described above. As a result, assume that it is determined that only one region is not a forest region and the other regions are forest regions.

[0285] Further, the second determination unit 133 performs the above-described thinning determination process for each region in FIG. 19. Note that the algorithm of the thinning determination process has been described above. Here, it is assumed that even when it is determined that the second determination unit 133 is a thinning region, the thinning inquiry process for asking the user is not performed.

[0286] Next, the first inquiry unit 134 performs a forest inquiry process for one region determined not to be a forest region. That is, the first inquiry unit 134 acquires a captured image corresponding to the one region from the image management table (FIG. 17). Further, the first inquiry unit 134 acquires region information for specifying the one region from the region management table (FIG. 18). Next, the first inquiry unit 134 cuts out a partial image that is a part of the captured image including the region specified by the acquired region information. Next, the first inquiry unit 134 constructs a forest inquiry including the partial image. Next, the first inquiry unit 134 transmits the forest inquiry to the user terminal.

[0287] Next, the user terminal receives and outputs the forest inquiry. An example of such output is shown in FIG. 20. Assume that the user checks the partial image in FIG. 20 and instructs the "not a forest region" button 2001. Then, the user terminal receives the instruction of the "not a forest region" button 2001 and transmits the first determination result "not a forest region (for example, "0")" to the J Credit Support Device 1.

[0288] Next, the reception unit 12 of the J Credit Support Device 1 receives the first determination result "not a forest region (for example, "0")". Next, the first determination unit 132 sets the first determination result corresponding to the one region to "not a forest region".

[0289] (Specific Example 2) The process in Specific Example 1 continues. For example, it is assumed that the image acquisition unit 131 acquires the captured images taken in 1989 and April 2023 that are paired with the image identifier "IM03" from the image management table (FIG. 17). Note that such images have only one region.

[0290] The first determination unit 132 performs the above-described forest determination process on the one area using the captured image in April 2023. As a result, assume that the first determination unit 132 determines that "it is a forest area".

[0291] Next, the second determination unit 133 performs the thinning determination process described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 6 on the one area using two time-series images, the captured image in 1989 and the captured image in April 2023. As a result, assume that the first determination unit 132 determines that "it is a thinning area".

[0292] Next, the second inquiry unit 135 performs a thinning inquiry process. That is, the second inquiry unit 135 acquires the captured image "IM03" corresponding to the one area from the image management table (FIG. 17). Further, the second inquiry unit 135 acquires the area information for specifying the i-th inspection area from the area management table (FIG. 18). Next, the second inquiry unit 135 cuts out a partial image, which is a part of the acquired captured image and includes the area specified by the acquired area information. Next, the second inquiry unit 135 constructs a thinning inquiry including the partial image. Next, the second inquiry unit 135 transmits the thinning inquiry to the user terminal.

[0293] Next, the user terminal receives and outputs the thinning inquiry. An example of such output is shown in FIG. 21. Assume that the user checks the partial image in FIG. 21 and instructs the "not thinned" button 2101. Then, the user terminal receives the instruction of the "not thinned" button 2101 and transmits the second determination result "not a thinning area (for example, "0")" to the J Credit Support Device 1.

[0294] Next, the reception unit 12 of the J Credit Support Device 1 receives the second determination result "not a thinning area (for example, "0")". Next, the second determination unit 133 updates the second determination result corresponding to the one area to "not a thinning area".

[0295] (Specific Example 3) The process described in Specific Example 1 proceeds, and it is assumed that the First Document Creation Unit 136 performs the application-time document creation process by the process described using the flowchart of FIG. 14.

[0296] Here, it is assumed that the First Document Creation Unit 136 creates an application-time document for each captured image.

[0297] That is, the First Document Creation Unit 136 acquires, for example, the captured image of "IM01" and the area information of the area included in the captured image. Then, the First Document Creation Unit 136 draws a figure that indicates the area specified by the area information of each area in the captured image.

[0298] Also, the First Document Creation Unit 136 acquires information on the area identifier, the area of the area, the value, the forest determination, the thinning determination, and the application determination that are paired with the administrator identifier for each administrator identifier. Note that the First Document Creation Unit 136 acquires the area paired with the area identifier from the area management table (FIG. 18), and when the application determination is "〇", it acquires the value in J credit by an increasing function using the area as a parameter. The forest determination is the first determination result, and "〇" is substituted when it is "a forest area", and "×" is substituted when it is "not a forest area". The thinning determination is the second determination result, and "〇" is substituted when it is "a thinning area", and "×" is substituted when it is "not a thinning area". The application determination is the third determination result, and it is information indicating whether it can be applied for J credit. "〇" is substituted when both the forest determination and the thinning determination are "〇", and "×" is substituted when one or more of the forest determination and the thinning determination are "×". Also, the First Document Creation Unit 136 calculates the "total value" obtained by summing the values of each of one or two or more areas for each administrator identifier. Next, the First Document Creation Unit 136 configures an application-time document including the acquired information.

[0299] Next, the Document Output Unit 143 stores the configured application-time document in the storage unit 11. Also, the Document Output Unit 143 may transmit the configured application-time document to the user terminal that has sent the start instruction.

[0300] In such a case, the user terminal receives and outputs the application document. An example of such an application document is shown in FIG. 22.

[0301] As described above, according to the present embodiment, the application for J credit can be appropriately supported.

[0302] Also, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to appropriately determine whether or not the forest conditions are satisfied.

[0303] Also, according to the present embodiment, by inquiring the user as necessary, an accurate determination result as to whether or not the forest conditions are satisfied can be obtained.

[0304] Also, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to appropriately determine whether or not the thinning conditions are satisfied.

[0305] Also, according to the present embodiment, by inquiring the user as necessary, an accurate determination result as to whether or not the thinning conditions are satisfied can be obtained.

[0306] Also, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to obtain an application document that can support the application for J credit.

[0307] Also, according to the present embodiment, the patrol can be appropriately supported.

[0308] Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to obtain a patrol document during the patrol.

[0309] Incidentally, the processing in this embodiment may be implemented by software. And this software may be distributed by software download or the like. Also, this software may be recorded on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM and distributed. Note that this also applies to other embodiments in this specification. The software that realizes the J credit support device 1 in this embodiment is a program as follows. That is, this program causes a computer to function as an image acquisition unit that acquires a captured image including one or more inspection regions, and for each of the one or more inspection regions, determines whether or not a forest condition for determining whether or not it is a forest region is satisfied using a partial image of the inspection region, and a first determination unit that acquires a first determination result, and a determination result output unit that outputs the first determination result.

[0310] Also, FIG. 23 shows the appearance of a computer that executes the program described in this specification and realizes the J credit support device and the like of the various embodiments described above. The above-described embodiments can be realized by computer hardware and a computer program executed thereon. FIG. 23 is an overview diagram of this computer system 300, and FIG. 24 is a block diagram of the system 300.

[0311] In FIG. 23, the computer system 300 includes a computer 301 including a CD-ROM drive, a keyboard 302, a mouse 303, and a monitor 304.

[0312] In FIG. 24, in addition to the CD-ROM drive 3012, the computer 301 includes an MPU 3013, a bus 3014 connected to the CD-ROM drive 3012 and the like, a ROM 3015 for storing programs such as a boot-up program, a RAM 3016 connected to the MPU 3013 for temporarily storing instructions of application programs and providing a temporary storage space, and a hard disk 3017 for storing application programs, system programs, and data. Here, although not shown, the computer 301 may further include a network card for providing connection to a LAN.

[0313] A program for causing the computer system 300 to execute functions such as the J credit support device according to the above-described embodiment may be stored in the CD-ROM 3101, inserted into the CD-ROM drive 3012, and further transferred to the hard disk 3017. Alternatively, the program may be transmitted to the computer 301 via a network (not shown) and stored in the hard disk 3017. The program is loaded into the RAM 3016 during execution. The program may be loaded directly from the CD-ROM 3101 or the network.

[0314] The program does not necessarily include an operating system (OS) or a third-party program for causing the computer 301 to execute functions such as the J credit support device according to the above-described embodiment. The program only needs to include a part of instructions for calling appropriate functions (modules) in a controlled manner so as to obtain a desired result. How the computer system 300 operates is well known, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0315] In the above program, in steps such as the step of transmitting information and the step of receiving information, processing performed by hardware, for example, processing performed by a modem or an interface card in the transmission step (processing that can only be performed by hardware) is not included.

[0316] Also, the computer that executes the above program may be singular or plural. That is, centralized processing may be performed, or distributed processing may be performed.

[0317] Also, in each of the above embodiments, it goes without saying that two or more communication means existing in one device may be physically realized by one medium.

[0318] Also, in each of the above embodiments, each process may be realized by being centrally processed by a single device, or may be realized by being distributedly processed by a plurality of devices.

[0319] Needless to say, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible and are also included in the scope of the present invention.

Industrial Applicability

[0320] As described above, the J credit support device according to the present invention has the effect of being able to appropriately support the application for J credit, and is useful as a J credit support device or the like.

Explanation of Signs

[0321] 1 J credit support device 11 Storage unit 12 Reception unit 13 Processing unit 14 Output unit 111 Image storage unit 112 Area management unit 121 User reception unit 131 Image acquisition unit 132 First judgment unit 133 Second judgment unit 134 First inquiry unit 135 Second inquiry unit 136 First document creation unit 137 Second document creation unit 141 Judgment result output unit 142 Area Output Unit 143 Document Output Unit

Claims

1. an image acquisition unit for acquiring a captured image including one or more inspection areas; a first determination unit that determines, for each of the one or more inspection areas, whether or not a partial image of the inspection area satisfies a forest condition for determining whether or not the inspection area is a forest area, and obtains a first determination result; A J credit support device comprising: a judgment result output unit that outputs the first judgment result.

2. Further comprising a second judgment unit that judges whether or not a thinning condition for judging whether or not a thinning area is a thinned area, for each of the one or more inspection areas, is satisfied, and acquires a second judgment result; The judgment result output unit The J-credit support device according to claim 1, which outputs the second judgment result.

3. The second determination unit, A J-credit support device as described in claim 2, which compares a partial image of the one or more inspection areas with a past partial image of the inspection area, and uses the results of the comparison to determine whether the thinning conditions are met.

4. The second determination unit, A J-credit support device as described in claim 2, which detects whether or not a forest road exists for each of the one or more inspection areas, and uses the detection results to determine whether or not the thinning conditions are met.

5. The second determination unit, A J-credit support device as described in claim 2, which detects areas that are not forest for each of the one or more inspection areas and uses the detection results to determine whether the thinning conditions are met.

6. The method further includes a user receiving unit configured to receive, from a user, a first user judgment, which is a judgment result of whether or not the inspection area that the first judgment unit judges not to be at least a forest area satisfies the forest condition, The J-credit support device according to claim 1 , wherein the first judgment result is information based on the first user judgment.

7. The second judgment unit further includes a user reception unit that receives from a user a second user judgment, which is a judgment result of whether or not the thinning condition is satisfied for at least the inspection area that the second judgment unit judges to be a thinning area, A J-credit support device as described in claim 2, wherein the second judgment result is information based on the second user judgment.

8. A first document creation unit that uses the first judgment result and the second judgment result to create an application document including information on an inspection area to be applied for J-Credit or information on an inspection area not to be applied for J-Credit; The J credit support device according to claim 2, further comprising a first document output unit that outputs the application document.

9. The first determination unit, performing an inspection process for determining whether or not one or more inspection areas determined to be a forest area are a forest area using a partial image corresponding to a past partial image of the inspection area and obtained after a period of time has elapsed since the past; The judgment result output unit A J-credit support device as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, which outputs an inspection judgment result indicating that an inspection area that the first judgment unit judges to be no longer a forest area is no longer a forest area.

10. A second document creation unit that creates a document at the time of inspection using the inspection judgment result, the document including information about an inspection area that is no longer subject to the J-Credit application due to the inspection, or information about an inspection area that is determined to continue to be subject to the J-Credit application due to the inspection; The J credit support device according to claim 9, further comprising a second document output unit that outputs the inspection time document.

11. The J credit support device as described in claim 2 further comprises an area output unit that outputs an inspection area that is determined to be a forest area and a thinning area in a different display mode compared to an inspection area that is determined to be a non-forest area or a non-thinning area.

12. A J-credit support method realized by an image acquisition unit, a first judgment unit, and a judgment result output unit, an image acquiring step in which the image acquiring unit acquires a photographed image including one or more inspection areas; a first determination step in which the first determination unit determines, for each of the one or more inspection areas, whether or not a forest condition for determining whether or not the inspection area is a forest area is satisfied by using a partial image of the inspection area, and obtains a first determination result; The J-credit support method includes a judgment result output step in which the judgment result output unit outputs the first judgment result.

13. Computer, an image acquisition unit for acquiring a captured image including one or more inspection areas; a first determination unit that determines, for each of the one or more inspection areas, whether or not a partial image of the inspection area satisfies a forest condition for determining whether or not the inspection area is a forest area, and obtains a first determination result; A program for causing the determination result output unit to function as a determination result output unit that outputs the first determination result.

Images