Information processing method, information processing program, and terminal device

Abstract

To provide an information processing method, information processing program, and terminal device, which enable easy checking of a site at which a caller is located during a phone call regarding construction work.SOLUTION: An information processing method to be implemented by a terminal device is provided, the method comprising initiating a call with one or more other terminal devices, and acquiring and displaying location information of at least one of the one or more other terminal devices after initiating the call with the one or more other terminal devices.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing method, an information processing program, and a terminal device.

Background Art

[0002] As described in Patent Document 1, a system is known that connects a field worker at the site and a manager at a different location in real time to display an image of the site.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In a call regarding construction work, in order to grasp which construction site the call is about, it is required to confirm during the call where the other party of the call is located. Even when an image of the site is displayed as described in Patent Document 1, it is difficult to confirm where the other party of the call is located only from the image of the site.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an information processing method, an information processing program, and a terminal device that enable easily confirming during a call which construction site the other party of a call regarding construction work is at.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] An (1) information processing method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is executed by a terminal device. The information processing method includes a step of starting a call with one or more other terminal devices, and a step of acquiring and displaying position information of at least one of the one or more other terminal devices after starting the call with the one or more other terminal devices.

[0007] (2) The information processing method described in (1) above may further include a step of obtaining case information regarding a case that is a unit for managing work at a construction site, and a step of determining whether a person involved in the case is at the site of the case based on the case information and the location information of the other terminal device. In the step of displaying the location information of the other terminal device, the determination result as to whether the person is at the site of the case may be displayed.

[0008] (3) In the step of obtaining the case information of the information processing method described in (2) above, the case information may be obtained from a construction management application that manages the case.

[0009] (4) In the step of obtaining the case information of the information processing method described in (2) or (3) above, the case information may be obtained through an API from a database storing the case information.

[0010] (5) In the step of displaying the location information of the other terminal device of the information processing method described in any one of (1) to (4) above, the location of the other terminal device may be displayed on a map.

[0011] (6) In the step of displaying the location information of the other terminal device of the information processing method described in any one of (1) to (5) above, the address of the location corresponding to the location information of the other terminal device may be displayed.

[0012] (7) In the step of determining whether the person described in (2) above is at the site of the case in the information processing method, it may be determined whether the address of the location corresponding to the location information of the other terminal device matches the address of the site of the case.

[0013] In the step of obtaining the position information of the other terminal device in the information processing method according to any one of (1) to (7) above, when an instruction for work related to the case is transmitted to the other terminal device, the position information may be obtained from the other terminal device.

[0014] (9) In the step of obtaining the position information of the other terminal device in the information processing method according to any one of (1) to (8) above, when a request for the position information of the other terminal device is approved, the position information of the other terminal device may be obtained.

[0015] An information processing program according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a program for causing a terminal device to execute. The information processing program includes a step of starting a call with one or more other terminal devices, and a step of obtaining and displaying the position information of at least one of the one or more other terminal devices after starting the call with the one or more other terminal devices.

[0016] A terminal device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a control unit. The control unit starts a call with one or more other terminal devices, and obtains and displays the position information of at least one of the one or more other terminal devices after starting the call with the one or more other terminal devices.

Advantages of the Invention

[0017] According to the information processing method, information processing program, and terminal device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, it is possible to easily confirm during a call which site the other party of the call related to the construction work is at.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] The work at a construction site may be managed for each unit of construction or construction work (hereinafter referred to as a "project"). In other words, a project is a unit for managing the work at a construction site. Workers or supervisors at the construction site (hereinafter referred to as "personnel") may participate in a project and engage in the work managed by the participated project.

[0020] Personnel may communicate with other personnel to smoothly progress the work. In the communication between personnel, in order to grasp which project the call is about, it is required to confirm during the call where the other party of the construction-related call is at the site.

[0021] Hereinafter, the terminal device 20 (see FIG. 1), as well as an information processing method and an information processing program, which can easily confirm during a call where the other party of a construction-related call is at the site, will be described.

[0022] (Overview of the Construction Management System 1) As shown in FIG. 1, a construction management system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes an information processing device 10, a terminal device 20, and a database 30. The information processing device 10, the terminal device 20, and the database 30 are communicably connected via a network 40. The information processing device 10, the terminal device 20, and the database 30 may be communicably connected to each other via a dedicated communication line without passing through the network 40. The construction management system 1 may not include the database 30. The construction management system 1 may include two or more terminal devices 20. The construction management system 1 may include only one terminal device 20.

[0023] The information processing device 10 manages the construction of a construction project. The information processing device 10 stores and manages information related to the construction management of a construction project in the database 30 or in the information processing device 10 itself. The information related to the construction management of a construction project is also referred to as construction management information. The construction management information includes information related to a project, which is a unit for managing the work at a construction site. The information related to a project, which is a unit for managing the work at a construction site, is also referred to as project information. The project information includes information for identifying the site of the work of the project. The construction management information or the project information may include a list of the persons involved in the project.

[0024] The terminal device 20 is possessed by a person involved. The person who possesses and uses the terminal device 20 is also referred to as a user of the terminal device 20. The terminal device 20 executes an application program. The application program includes a construction management application. The construction management application may receive an input of construction management information from a user of the terminal device 20. The construction management application may output the construction management information so that the user of the terminal device 20 can recognize the construction management information. The application program includes a call application. The call application is used for a user of the terminal device 20 to make a call to another person involved. The call application may execute a call between the terminal devices 20 included in the construction management system 1. The call application may execute a call between the terminal device 20 included in the construction management system 1 and an external terminal not included in the construction management system 1.

[0025] In the construction management system 1 according to the present disclosure, during a call between workers using a call application, the terminal device 20 can acquire the location information of the terminal device 20 of the call partner. By being able to acquire the location information during the call, the user can confirm during the call which site the call partner is at.

[0026] (Configuration example of the construction management system 1) Hereinafter, a configuration example of each part of the construction management system 1 will be described.

[0027] <Information processing device 10> As shown in FIG. 1, the information processing device 10 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, and a communication unit 13.

[0028] The control unit 11 controls each component of the information processing device 10. The control unit 11 may be configured to include one or more processors. In the present embodiment, the "processor" may include, but is not limited to, a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor specialized for a specific process. The control unit 11 may be configured to include one or more dedicated circuits. The dedicated circuit may include, for example, an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). The control unit 11 may be configured to include a dedicated circuit instead of a processor, or may be configured to include a dedicated circuit together with a processor.

[0029] The storage unit 12 stores various information, programs, etc. for operating each component of the information processing apparatus 10. The storage unit 12 may store a system program, an application program, or the like. The storage unit 12 may be configured to include, for example, a semiconductor memory, a magnetic memory, an optical memory, or the like. The storage unit 12 may be configured to include an electromagnetic storage medium such as a magnetic disk. The storage unit 12 may be configured to include a non-transitory computer-readable medium. The storage unit 12 may function as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 12 may function as a work memory of the control unit 11. The storage unit 12 may be configured integrally with the control unit 11, or may be configured separately from the control unit 11.

[0030] The communication unit 13 may be configured to include a communication module that is configured to be communicable with other devices such as the terminal device 20 or the database 30 via the network 40. The communication module may conform to, for example, a mobile communication standard such as 4G (4th Generation) or 5G (5th Generation). The communication module may conform to a communication standard such as LAN (Local Area Network). The communication module may conform to a wired or wireless communication standard. The communication module is not limited thereto and may conform to various communication standards. The network 40 may be wired or wireless. The network 40 may be configured in various modes such as the Internet or an intranet. The communication unit 13 may be configured to communicate directly with other devices such as the terminal device 20 or the database 30 without going through the network 40.

[0031] The information processing apparatus 10 may be configured to include at least one server. The information processing apparatus 10 may be realized as, for example, a computer such as a notebook PC (Personal Computer) or a tablet PC, or a mobile terminal such as a smartphone. The information processing apparatus 10 is not limited to these examples and may include various devices.

[0032] <Terminal device 20> The terminal device 20 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, a communication unit 23, an output unit 24, an input unit 25, and a position information acquisition unit 26.

[0033] The control unit 21 controls each component of the terminal device 20. The control unit 21 may be configured identically or similarly to the control unit 11 of the information processing device 10.

[0034] The storage unit 22 stores various information, programs, etc. for operating each component of the terminal device 20. The storage unit 22 may be configured identically or similarly to the storage unit 12 of the information processing device 10. The storage unit 22 may function as a work memory of the control unit 21. The storage unit 22 may be configured integrally with the control unit 21 or separately from the control unit 21.

[0035] The communication unit 23 may include a communication module configured to be communicable with another device such as the information processing device 10 or the database 30 via the network 40. The communication unit 23 may be configured to communicate directly with another device such as the information processing device 10 or the database 30 without going through the network 40.

[0036] The output unit 24 includes various displays such as, for example, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) or inorganic EL display, or an LED (Light Emitting Diode) display so as to be able to display text data or image data.

[0037] The output unit 24 may include an audio output device that outputs sound so as to be able to provide not only visual information but also audio information to the user. The audio output device may include, for example, a speaker, headphones or earphones, etc. The output unit 24 is not limited to a display or an audio output device and may include various other devices.

[0038] The input unit 25 may include an input device that receives input of information, data, etc. from a user. The input device may include, for example, a touch sensor or a pointing device such as a mouse. The input device may be configured as a touch display integrated with the output unit 24. The input device may include physical keys. The input device may include a voice input device such as a microphone.

[0039] The position information acquisition unit 26 acquires the position information of the terminal device 20 itself by means of a satellite positioning system including GPS (Global Positioning System) or the like or a position measurement system using radio waves of a wireless LAN or the like. The position information may include latitude and longitude information. The position information may also include altitude information.

[0040] The terminal device 20 may further include a photographing unit. The photographing unit is configured to include, for example, a camera or an image sensor. The photographing unit may be attached to the housing of the terminal device 20.

[0041] The terminal device 20 may be realized as, for example, a computer such as a notebook PC or a tablet PC, or a mobile terminal such as a smartphone. The terminal device 20 is not limited to these examples and may include various devices.

[0042] <Database 30> The database 30 may be configured to include at least one server. The database 30 may be configured to include, for example, a semiconductor memory, a magnetic memory, or an optical memory. The database 30 may be configured to include an electromagnetic storage medium such as a magnetic disk. The database 30 may be configured to include a communication module that is communicably configured with other devices such as the information processing device 10 or the terminal device 20.

[0043] <Other configuration examples> In the construction management system 1 described above, the information processing device 10, the terminal device 20, or the database 30 may be realized using cloud services. The information processing device 10, the terminal device 20, or the database 30 may be realized in an on-premises environment. The information processing device 10, the terminal device 20, or the database 30 may be realized in a form that mixes cloud services and an on-premises environment.

[0044] The information processing device 10 may further include an output unit 14. The output unit 14 may be configured to be the same as or similar to the output unit 24 of the terminal device 20. The information processing device 10 may further include an input unit 15. The input unit 15 may be configured to be the same as or similar to the input unit 25 of the terminal device 20.

[0045] (Operation example of a call by the terminal device 20) Hereinafter, in the construction management system 1, an information processing method for a user of the terminal device 20 to confirm the location information of the call partner during a call will be described with reference to an example of the procedure of the flowchart shown in FIG. 2. The information processing method may be realized as an information processing program to be executed by the control unit 21 of the terminal device 20. The information processing program may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium.

[0046] In this operation example, it is assumed that the terminal device 20 is configured to be able to execute a so-called video call in which an image of the construction site is taken using a photographing unit and a voice call is executed while sharing among a plurality of terminal devices 20 during a call. The terminal device 20 may be configured to execute only a voice call without sharing an image. The number of call participants may be only two or three or more.

[0047] It is assumed that the call is executed between Mount P and River Q. The user who requests confirmation of the location information of the call partner is Mount P. That is, in the operations described below, Mount P requests confirmation of the location information of River Q. The terminal device 20 possessed by River Q, which is requested to confirm the location information, is also referred to as another terminal device 20.

[0048] The control unit 21 starts a call with another terminal device 20 (step S1). Specifically, the control unit 21 activates a call application, accepts an input from the user (Mr. P) to specify the call partner (Mr. Q), and starts a call between Mr. P and Mr. Q.

[0049] The control unit 21 determines whether the user has performed an operation to request location information in the call application (step S2). For example, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the control unit 21 may display a request operation frame 74 for confirming whether to send a location confirmation for the user (Mr. P) to request the location information of the call partner (Mr. Q) when the user (Mr. P) operates the location information request icon 78 on the call screen 70. The request operation frame 74 includes a cancel button 75 and a send button 76. The control unit 21 determines that the user has not performed an operation to request location information when the user operates the cancel button 75 in the request operation frame 74, and determines that the user has performed an operation to request location information when the send button 76 is operated.

[0050] If the user has not performed an operation to request location information (step S2: NO), the control unit 21 proceeds to the procedure of step S8. If the user has performed an operation to request location information (step S2: YES), the control unit 21 sends a request for location information to another terminal device 20 possessed by the call partner (step S3). When there are two or more call partners, the control unit 21 may select some of the partners and send a request for location information, or may send a request for location information to all of the call partners. Hereinafter, the terminal device 20 that sends a request for location information is also referred to as a request sending terminal. Another terminal device 20 that receives a request for location information is also referred to as a request receiving terminal.

[0051] The control unit 21 of the terminal device 20, which is the request transmitting terminal, determines whether the request for location information has been approved by the other party of the call (step S4). Specifically, when the other terminal device 20, which is the request receiving terminal, receives a request for location information, as illustrated in FIG. 4, it may display a request display frame 80 on the call screen 70. The request display frame 80 includes a cancel button 81 and a transmit button 82. The request display frame 80 may include a frame for displaying the location information of the other terminal device 20 itself on a map. The location information of the other terminal device 20 itself, which is the request receiving terminal, may be indicated by a current location icon 85 on the map. When the cancel button 81 is operated in the request display frame 80, the other terminal device 20, which is the request receiving terminal, returns a message to the terminal device 20, which is the request transmitting terminal, indicating that the request for location information is not approved. When the transmit button 82 is operated in the request display frame 80, the other terminal device 20, which is the request receiving terminal, returns a message to the terminal device 20, which is the request transmitting terminal, indicating that the request for location information is approved, and transmits its own location information to the terminal device 20, which is the request transmitting terminal.

[0052] When the control unit 21 of the terminal device 20, which is the request transmitting terminal, receives a message from the other terminal device 20, which is the request receiving terminal, indicating that the request for location information is not approved, it determines that the request for location information has not been approved by the other party of the call, that is, the user who holds the request receiving terminal (step S4: NO), and proceeds to the procedure of step S8.

[0053] When the control unit 21 of the terminal device 20, which is the request transmitting terminal, receives a message from the other terminal device 20, which is the request receiving terminal, indicating that the request for location information is approved, it determines that the request for location information has been approved by the other party of the call, that is, the user who holds the request receiving terminal (step S4: YES), and acquires and displays the location information of the other terminal device 20, which is the request receiving terminal (step S5). That is, the control unit 21 acquires and displays the location information of the other terminal device 20, which is the request receiving terminal, after the start of the call with the other terminal device 20, which is the request receiving terminal. In addition, the control unit 21 acquires the location information of the other terminal device 20, which is the request receiving terminal, when the request for location information to the other terminal device 20, which is the request receiving terminal, is approved.

[0054] Another terminal device 20, which is a receiving terminal, may transmit the location information of another terminal device 20 that is a request receiving terminal regardless of whether there is approval for the location information request. In this case, the terminal device 20 that is a request transmitting terminal can obtain the location information of the call partner, that is, the user who holds the request receiving terminal, without requiring the approval of the call partner.

[0055] The control unit 21 of the terminal device 20 that is a request transmitting terminal may display a location information display frame 83 on the call screen 70 as illustrated in FIG. 5 in order to display the location information of another terminal device 20 that is a request receiving terminal. The location information display frame 83 includes an OK button 84. The location information display frame 83 may include a frame for displaying the address of the location corresponding to the location information of another terminal device 20 that is a request receiving terminal. The control unit 21 may specify the address of the location corresponding to the location information of another terminal device 20 that is a request receiving terminal based on, for example, an address database that associates latitude and longitude information with an address. The method for specifying the address is not limited to the exemplified method and may be various other methods. The address of the location corresponding to the location information of another terminal device 20 that is a request receiving terminal may be specified by another terminal device 20 that is a request receiving terminal when transmitted from the other terminal device 20 that is a request receiving terminal. When the address is specified by another terminal device 20 that is a request receiving terminal, the location information transmitted from another terminal device 20 that is a request receiving terminal may include the information of the specified address. The location information display frame 83 may include a frame for displaying the location information of another terminal device 20 that is a request receiving terminal on a map. The location information of another terminal device 20 that is a request receiving terminal may be indicated by a current location icon 85 on the map. When the location information includes altitude information, the control unit 21 may specify on which floor of a building the call partner is located. The control unit 21 erases the location information display frame 83 from the call screen 70 when the OK button 84 is operated in the location information display frame 83.

[0056] The control unit 21 acquires case information (step S6). The control unit 21 may receive an input for designating a case from the user and acquire case information from the construction management application for the case designated by the user. While executing the call application, the control unit 21 may execute the construction management application in the background to acquire case information. The control unit 21 may also acquire case information from the database 30 storing the case information through an API (Application Programming Interface) for the case designated by the user.

[0057] The control unit 21 of the terminal device 20 which is the request transmission terminal may receive an input for designating a case from the user in advance and acquire case information before starting the call application. Further, when starting a call in the call application, the control unit 21 may identify the case in which the call partner participates by collating the information of the call partner with the construction management information, and acquire the case information. That is, the control unit 21 may execute the procedure of step S6 before starting the call.

[0058] The control unit 21 of the terminal device 20 which is the request transmission terminal determines whether the call partner is at the site of the case based on the case information and the location information of the other terminal device 20 which is the request reception terminal, and displays the determination result (step S7). The determination based on the case information is executed on the premise that the call partner is a person participating in the case. The control unit 21 determines whether the person participating in the case is at the site of the case and displays the determination result.

[0059] For example, when the address of the location corresponding to the location information of another terminal device 20, which is a request receiving terminal, matches the address of the crime scene of the case specified by the case information, the control unit 21 may determine that the call partner is at the crime scene. When the distance between the location of the crime scene specified by the case information and the location of another terminal device 20, which is a request receiving terminal, is less than the distance determination threshold value, the control unit 21 may determine that the call partner is at the crime scene. The distance determination threshold value may be appropriately set according to the required determination accuracy. The determination method for whether the call partner is at the crime scene is not limited to the exemplified method and may be various other methods.

[0060] As a determination result, the control unit 21 may only display whether the call partner is at the crime scene and not display the location information of the call partner, that is, the location information of another terminal device 20, which is a request receiving terminal, itself.

[0061] After the control unit 21 displays the determination result of whether the call partner is at the crime scene, it proceeds to the procedure of step S8. The control unit 21 may also proceed to the procedure of step S8 after executing the procedure of displaying the location information of the other terminal device 20 in step S5 without executing the procedures of steps S6 and S7.

[0062] The control unit 21 determines whether to end the call (step S8). The control unit 21 may determine to end the call when there is an operation on the exit button 73 of the call screen 70. Also, the control unit 21 may determine to end the call when all call partners have exited the call.

[0063] When the control unit 21 determines not to end the call (step S8: NO), it returns to the procedure of step S2 to continue the call. When the control unit 21 determines to end the call (step S8: YES), it ends the call and ends the execution of the procedure of the flowchart in Figure 2.

[0064] (Summary) As described above, the terminal device 20 according to the present disclosure can acquire the position information of the other party during a call, that is, the user who holds the request receiving terminal. As a result, the user of the terminal device 20 can easily confirm during the call which site the other party related to the construction work is at. By being able to confirm the site where the other party of the call is during the call, the user can talk about the content according to the site where the other party of the call is.

[0065] If the user talks about incorrect content by mistakenly recognizing the site where the other party of the call is, incorrect instructions may be conveyed to the other party of the call. It may also lead to irreparable results of incorrect instructions. According to the present disclosure, it becomes easier for the user to correctly recognize the site where the other party of the call is. By correctly recognizing the site where the other party of the call is, mistakes in work are reduced. That is, work efficiency is improved.

[0066] In addition, the user can appropriately instruct the work according to the site where the other party of the call is. For example, when the user requests the other party of the call to take a photo of the construction site, the user can easily confirm that the shooting location is correct. As a result, it becomes unnecessary to retake the photo. Also, a situation where it becomes impossible to retake the photo after missing the timing of taking the photo can be avoided.

[0067] As a system according to the comparative example, when performing a video call with a call application, it is conceivable to determine the position of the other party during the call from the image captured by the terminal device 20 of the other party. However, the scenery at the construction site may hardly change. For example, the scenery at the construction sites of the same standard of detached houses or condominiums may be almost the same. Also, the scenery on different floors in the same building may be almost the same. Then, it is difficult to distinguish the difference in sites only from the image. According to the present disclosure, the user can easily confirm the position of the other party during the call based on the position information of the other terminal device 20 being called.

[0068] In addition, it is conceivable to use an application other than the call application to check which site the workers participating in the case are at. However, when using an application other than the call application, the user cannot check the location of the other party during the call. The convenience of the user is impaired by the inability to check the location during the call. The convenience of the user is improved by the user being able to check the location of the other party during the call.

[0069] (Other Embodiments) Hereinafter, other embodiments of the terminal device 20 according to the present disclosure will be described.

[0070] In the call application, the control unit 21 of the terminal device 20 may display an instruction on the screen of the terminal device 20 of the other party in the call not only by voice call but also by an icon or a pointer or the like. That is, the control unit 21 may transmit an instruction regarding the work related to the case to another terminal device 20. When transmitting an instruction regarding the work related to the case to another terminal device 20, the control unit 21 may automatically acquire the location information of the other terminal device 20 and check which site of the case the other party in the call is at. That is, when an instruction regarding the work related to the case is transmitted, the control unit 21 may execute the location information acquisition procedure in step S5 without determining whether there was an operation of requesting location information in step S2 of the flowchart in FIG. 2. For example, when the user transmits an instruction to take a photo of the construction site to the other party in the call, the control unit 21 may automatically acquire the location information of the other party in the call in order to check whether the photo is being taken at the correct site.

[0071] The control unit 21 may analyze the content of the call and determine whether the user is instructing work related to the case. The control unit 21 may analyze the content of the call by an analysis model such as a machine learning model, or may analyze the content of the call by various other methods. When the user is instructing work related to the case, the control unit 21 may automatically acquire the location information of the other party in the call and check which site of the case the other party in the call is at.

[0072] Also, location information may be added to a photo taken by the other party during a call. For example, the control unit 21 of the terminal device 20, which is the request transmission terminal, may capture the video shared by the terminal device 20, which is the request reception terminal, during a call, and add the location information of the terminal device 20, which is the request reception terminal, to the captured photo. By confirming the location of the other party during the call and then continuing the call, and by adding location information to the photo taken during the call, the photo can be effectively utilized when used as a report material or the like.

[0073] Also, when the location information of the other party in the call is linked to call data such as call history, or photos or videos taken during the call, the call data becomes more meaningful. In other words, the usefulness of the call data is enhanced.

[0074] (Operation example when three or more people participate in a call) As described above, the number of call participants may be three or more. That is, three or more terminal devices 20 may be connected for a call. When three or more terminal devices 20 are connected for a call, the control unit 21 of one terminal device 20 starts a call with two or more other terminal devices 20. Including the case where two terminal devices 20 are connected for a call, when two or more terminal devices 20 are connected for a call, the control unit 21 of one terminal device 20 starts a call with one or more other terminal devices 20.

[0075] When three or more terminal devices 20 are connected, the control unit 21 of one terminal device 20, which is the request transmission terminal, may send a location information request to each of the other two or more terminal devices 20, which are the request reception terminals. In this case, when the control unit 21 sends a location confirmation using the request operation frame 74 illustrated in FIG. 3, it may send a location information request to each of the other two or more terminal devices 20, which are the request reception terminals. The control unit 21 of the terminal device 20, which is the request transmission terminal, may send a location information request to some of the other two or more terminal devices 20 connected for the call as the request reception terminals.

[0076] When the control unit 21 of the terminal device 20, which is the request transmitting terminal, transmits a location information request with two or more terminal devices 20 as the request receiving terminals, it receives and acquires the location information from each of the two or more terminal devices 20 that are the request receiving terminals. When including the case where two terminal devices 20 are connected for a call, the control unit 21 acquires the location information of at least one of the one or more other terminal devices 20.

[0077] The control unit 21 of the terminal device 20, which is the request transmitting terminal, may display the location information display frame 83 illustrated in FIG. 5 for each terminal device 20 serving as the request receiving terminal. The control unit 21 may display the location information of other terminal devices 20 that are the request receiving terminals in the order in which the other terminal devices 20 that are the request receiving terminals permit the transmission of the location information. The control unit 21 may display the location information of other terminal devices 20 that are the request receiving terminals in the order in which the location information is actually received from the other terminal devices 20 that are the request receiving terminals. The control unit 21 may collectively display the location information of a plurality of other terminal devices 20 that are the request receiving terminals in one location information display frame 83. The control unit 21 may display all the location information of a plurality of other terminal devices 20 that are the request receiving terminals on the map of the location information display frame 83. When including the case where two terminal devices 20 are connected for a call, the control unit 21 displays the location information of at least one of the one or more other terminal devices 20.

[0078] As described above, the control unit 21 of the terminal device 20 may display an image of the construction site so that the user can share it during a call. The control unit 21 is not limited to the image of the construction site and may also display construction drawings or the like of the construction site.

[0079] When the control unit 21 of the terminal device 20, which is the request receiving terminal, receives a location request from the terminal device 20, which is the request transmitting terminal, while displaying the drawing to be shared, as illustrated in FIG. 6, it may display the current location icon 85 representing the position of the terminal device 20 itself, which is the request receiving terminal, and the permission operation frame 86 in the call screen 70 while receiving an input on whether to permit the transmission of the location information.

[0080] When the control unit 21 of the terminal device 20, which is the request transmitting terminal, receives the position information from the terminal device 20, which is the request receiving terminal, while a shared drawing is being displayed, the control unit 21 may display a current position icon 85 representing the position of the terminal device 20, which is the request receiving terminal, on the drawing. As illustrated in FIG. 7, when the control unit 21 receives the position information from two or more terminal devices 20, which are the request receiving terminals, the control unit 21 may display current position icons 85A and 85B representing the respective positions of the two or more terminal devices 20, which are the request receiving terminals, on the drawing. The current position icons 85A and 85B may be displayed so as to be visually distinguishable from each other. The control unit 21 may select some of the two or more terminal devices 20, which are the request receiving terminals, and display the positions of the selected terminal devices 20 on the drawing. When the terminal device 20 itself, which is the request transmitting terminal, is located within the range of the drawing, the control unit 21 may display the position of the terminal device 20 itself, which is the request transmitting terminal, on the drawing.

[0081] The control unit 21 of the terminal device 20, which is the request transmitting terminal, may display the position of the terminal device 20, which is the request receiving terminal, or the position of the terminal device 20 itself, which is the request transmitting terminal, on the drawing using SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) technology.

[0082] The control unit 21 of the terminal device 20, which is the request transmitting terminal, may display dots, pins, or the like on the drawing as the current position icon 85 representing the position of the terminal device 20, which is the request receiving terminal, or the position of the terminal device 20 itself, which is the request transmitting terminal. By displaying the current position icon 85 on the drawing, the user who holds the terminal device 20, which is the request transmitting terminal, can visually understand the position of the terminal device 20, which is the request receiving terminal, that is, the position of the call partner who holds the request receiving terminal.

[0083] When the control unit 21 of the terminal device 20, which is a request transmission terminal, displays the current position icons 85 representing the positions of two or more terminal devices 20 that are request reception terminals, it may display the current position icons 85 of the two or more terminal devices 20 that are request reception terminals so that they can be visually distinguished by making the colors or shapes of the current position icons 85 different. The control unit 21 may also display dots, pins, or the like representing each of the two or more terminal devices 20 that are request reception terminals, with characters, figures, or images for identifying each of the two or more terminal devices 20 that are request reception terminals attached thereto.

[0084] The control unit 21 of the terminal device 20 may display the position where a human such as a worker exists at the construction site as a human-shaped figure or image on the drawing. The control unit 21 may display the position of the property as a property-shaped figure or image on the map. The property-shaped icon may be a figure or image having a shape corresponding to the type of property such as a detached house, a condominium, or a building.

[0085] When the construction site spans multiple floors, the control unit 21 of the terminal device 20, which is a request transmission terminal, may display the current position icon 85 of the terminal device 20 that is a request reception terminal so that the floor on which the terminal device 20 is located can be known. When the multiple floors are on the same drawing, the control unit 21 may display the current position icon 85 of the terminal device 20 that is a request reception terminal in different display modes so that the floors on which the terminal device 20 is located can be distinguished on one drawing. For example, the control unit 21 may display the current position icon 85 by making the display colors of dots, pins, or the like different for each floor. Further, the control unit 21 may also display the current position icon 85 in a manner of attaching characters, figures, or images for specifying the floor to dots, pins, or the like.

[0086] When the construction site spans multiple floors, as illustrated in FIG. 8, the control unit 21 of the terminal device 20 may display the drawings of each of the multiple floors on the call screen 70 as the drawings to be shared during the call. The control unit 21 may display the drawings of each floor three-dimensionally as perspective views as shown in FIG. 8, or may display the drawings of each floor side by side as plan views. The control unit 21 may display current position icons 85C, 85D, and 85E representing the respective positions of, for example, three terminal devices 20 that are request transmission terminals, among the drawings of each of the multiple floors. The control unit 21 may display the construction site as a 3D model. The control unit 21 may also display a current position icon 85 representing the position of the terminal device 20 that is the request receiving terminal within the 3D model.

[0087] The control unit 21 of the terminal device 20 that is the request transmission terminal may display the position of the terminal device 20 that is the request receiving terminal as the distance from a predetermined object or a predetermined position. The predetermined object may be a property at the construction site. The predetermined object may be a room, a pillar, or equipment within the construction site, etc. The control unit 21 may accept designation of the predetermined object or the predetermined position from the user.

[0088] The control unit 21 of the terminal device 20 that is the request transmission terminal may calculate and display the distance from the predetermined object or the predetermined position to the call partner's terminal device 20 as a straight-line distance. The control unit 21 may calculate and display the distance from the predetermined object or the predetermined position to the call partner's terminal device 20 as the length of a path along a passage in the construction site or a road on the map.

[0089] By having the terminal device 20, which is the requesting transmitting terminal, display the position of the terminal device 20, which is the requesting transmitting terminal, that is, the terminal device 20 held by the user of the call partner, as the distance from a predetermined object or a predetermined position, the user of the terminal device 20, which is the requesting transmitting terminal, can easily grasp the user among the users of the call partner who is closest to the predetermined object or the predetermined position. When the user of the terminal device 20, which is the requesting transmitting terminal, wants to move someone among the users of the call partner to a predetermined object or a predetermined position, the user can instruct the user closest to the predetermined object or the predetermined position to move to the predetermined object or the predetermined position during the call. Since the user holding the terminal device 20, which is the requesting transmitting terminal, can give an instruction to move to a user close to a predetermined object or a predetermined position, the efficiency of the work of checking a predetermined object or a predetermined position at the construction site is enhanced.

[0090] The control unit 21 of the terminal device 20, which is the requesting transmitting terminal, may display the position of the terminal device 20, which is the requesting receiving terminal, as the distance from the position of the terminal device 20 itself, which is the requesting transmitting terminal, to the position of the terminal device 20, which is the requesting receiving terminal.

[0091] The control unit 21 of the terminal device 20, which is the requesting transmitting terminal, may display the position of the terminal device 20, which is the requesting receiving terminal, based on an expression specific to the construction site. For example, when the position within the construction site is specified by grid coordinates such as "Row R, Column C", the terminal device 20, which is the requesting transmitting terminal, may display the position of the terminal device 20, which is the requesting receiving terminal, in coordinates. For example, when the position within the construction site is specified by a name such as "Pillar No. X" or "Room No. Y", the control unit 21 may display the position of the terminal device 20, which is the requesting receiving terminal, by the name. When the construction site spans multiple floors, the control unit 21 may display the position of the terminal device 20, which is the requesting receiving terminal, by a floor name such as "Floor 1" or "Floor 2".

[0092] When the terminal device 20 displays a drawing so that the user can share it during a call, the control unit 21 of the terminal device 20, which is the request transmission terminal, may display the drawing so that the position of the terminal device 20 where the user is speaking is at a predetermined position in the drawing, such as the center of the drawing, or may display a drawing with an enlarged range including the position of the terminal device 20 where the user is speaking. The control unit 21 may select one terminal device 20 from among the plurality of terminal devices 20 that are request receiving terminals, and display the drawing so that the position of the selected terminal device 20 is at a predetermined position in the drawing, such as the center of the drawing, or may display a drawing with an enlarged range including the position of the selected terminal device 20. The control unit 21 analyzes the content of the call, identifies the person to whom the user of the terminal device 20, which is the request transmission terminal, is speaking, and may display the drawing so that the position of the terminal device 20 held by the identified person is at a predetermined position in the drawing, such as the center of the drawing, or may display a drawing with an enlarged range including the position of the terminal device 20 held by the identified person.

[0093] When the control unit 21 of the terminal device 20, which is the request receiving terminal, receives a request for location information from the terminal device 20, which is the request transmission terminal, it may transmit the location information of the terminal device 20, which is the request receiving terminal, regardless of whether or not the user who holds the terminal device 20, which is the request receiving terminal, has given permission.

[0094] Since the terminal device 20, which is the request transmission terminal, can display the positions of the plurality of terminal devices 20 that are request receiving terminals, when one administrator who holds the request transmission terminal checks the site while talking to a plurality of workers who hold the request transmission terminal, the administrator can easily grasp the positions of each worker and efficiently check the site. Also, when similar landscapes spread at the construction site, it may not be possible to grasp the position only by sharing the photographed image. Since the terminal device 20, which is the request transmission terminal, can display the positions of the terminal devices 20 that are request receiving terminals on the drawing, the administrator who holds the terminal device 20, which is the request transmission terminal, can accurately grasp the positions of the workers who hold the terminal devices 20, which are request receiving terminals, at the construction site.

[0095] When two terminal devices 20 are connected for a call, the control unit 21 of either terminal device 20 may send a request for location information. Conversely, the control unit 21 of either terminal device 20 among the two terminal devices 20 may receive a request for location information. That is, either of the two terminal devices 20 may function as a request - sending terminal or a request - receiving terminal.

[0096] When three or more terminal devices 20 are connected for a call, the control unit 21 of any one of the three or more terminal devices 20 may send a request for location information to the other two or more terminal devices 20. That is, any one of the three or more terminal devices 20 may function as a request - sending terminal. Also, when one of the three or more terminal devices 20 functions as a request - sending terminal, the other two or more terminal devices 20 may function as request - receiving terminals.

[0097] The control unit 21 of the terminal device 20 that is the request - sending terminal may send the location information of the terminal device 20 that is the request - sending terminal to the terminal device 20 that is the request - receiving terminal. The request - sending terminal and the request - receiving terminal may share location information with each other. In this case, the request - receiving terminal can obtain the location information of the request - sending terminal without sending a request for location information to the request - sending terminal.

[0098] When three or more terminal devices 20 are connected for a call, the control units 21 of the two or more terminal devices 20 that are request - receiving terminals and have received a request for location information from one request - sending terminal may not only send location information to the request - sending terminal but also send location information to the other request - receiving terminals. That is, the plurality of request - receiving terminals may share location information with each other. In this case, the request - receiving terminal can obtain the location information of the other request - receiving terminals without sending a request for location information to the other request - receiving terminals.

[0099] In the above-described embodiments, the terminal device 20 has been described as a device carried by a worker, but it is not limited to this. The terminal device 20 may be, for example, a device mounted on a moving body that moves with the worker. The moving body may include a robot capable of autonomous driving such as an AMR (Autonomous Mobile Robot), or a flying body such as a so-called drone.

[0100] When the terminal device 20 is mounted on a moving body that moves with the worker, it may be configured to be operated by the worker. For example, the terminal device 20 may include a voice recognition device such as a microphone and may be configured to operate in response to the voice uttered by the worker. Further, the terminal device 20 may include an image recognition device such as a camera and may be configured to operate in response to a hand sign or the like of the worker. Further, the terminal device 20 may be connected to a controller carried by the worker by wire or wirelessly and may be configured to operate in response to an operation input to the controller.

[0101] Although the embodiments according to the present disclosure have been described based on the drawings and examples, it should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications or alterations based on the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications or alterations are included in the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the functions included in each component or each step can be rearranged so as not to be logically contradictory, and a plurality of components or steps can be combined into one or divided. Although the embodiments according to the present disclosure have been described centering on the device, the embodiments according to the present disclosure can also be realized as a method including steps executed by each component of the device. The embodiments according to the present disclosure can also be realized as a method, a program, or a storage medium recording the program executed by a processor included in the device. It should be understood that these are also included in the scope of the present disclosure.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0102] 1 Construction management system 10 Information processing apparatus (11: control unit, 12: memory unit, 13: communication unit, 14: output unit, 15: input unit) 20 Terminal device (21: control unit, 22: memory unit, 23: communication unit, 24: output unit, 25: input unit, 26: position information acquisition unit) 30 Database 40 Network 70 Call screen (73: exit button, 74: request operation frame, 75: cancel button, 76: send button, 78: position information request icon, 80: request display frame, 81: cancel button, 82: send button, 83: position information display frame, 84: OK button, 85(85A~85E): current position icon, 86: permission operation frame)

Claims

1. An information processing method executed by a terminal device, comprising: initiating a call with one or more other terminal devices; acquiring and displaying location information of at least one of the one or more other terminal devices after starting a call with the one or more other terminal devices; An information processing method comprising:

2. A step of acquiring case information relating to a case which is a unit for managing work at a construction site; determining whether a worker participating in the case is at the site of the case based on the case information and the location information of the other terminal device; Further comprising:

2. The information processing method according to claim 1, wherein in the step of displaying the location information of the other terminal device, a result of a determination as to whether the worker is at the site of the job is displayed.

3. The information processing method according to claim 2 , wherein in the step of acquiring the project information, the project information is acquired from a construction management application that manages the project.

4. 3. The information processing method according to claim 2, wherein in the step of acquiring the case information, the case information is acquired from a database storing the case information through an API.

5. 5. The information processing method according to claim 1, wherein in the step of displaying the position information of the other terminal device, the positions of the other terminal devices are displayed on a map.

6. 5. The information processing method according to claim 1, wherein in the step of displaying the position information of the other terminal device, an address of a place corresponding to the position information of the other terminal device is displayed.

7. 3. The information processing method according to claim 2, wherein in the step of determining whether the worker is at the site of the job, it is determined whether an address of a location corresponding to the position information of the other terminal device matches an address of the site of the job.

8. 5. An information processing method according to claim 2, wherein in the step of acquiring location information of the other terminal device, location information is acquired from the other terminal device when an instruction for work related to the case is sent to the other terminal device.

9. 5. The information processing method according to claim 1, wherein in the step of acquiring location information of the other terminal device, the location information of the other terminal device is acquired if a request for location information to the other terminal device is approved.

10. An information processing program to be executed by a terminal device, initiating a call with one or more other terminal devices; acquiring and displaying location information of at least one of the one or more other terminal devices after starting a call with the one or more other terminal devices; An information processing program comprising:

11. A terminal device including a control unit, The control unit is Initiating a call with one or more other terminal devices; after starting a call with the one or more other terminal devices, acquiring and displaying location information of at least one of the one or more other terminal devices; Terminal device.

Images