Number-of-persons counting device, number-of-persons counting method, and program

Abstract

To provide a number-of-persons counting device, a number-of-persons counting method, and a program that can investigate the travel purposes of individuals using stations at a low cost.SOLUTION: A number-of-persons counting device 10 according to the present disclosure includes an acquisition unit 11, a determination unit 12, a counting unit 13, and an output unit 14. The acquisition unit 11 acquires images containing persons passing through ticket gates installed at stations. The determination unit 12 determines the travel purpose of persons contained in the images. The counting unit 13 counts the number of persons for each travel purpose. The output unit 14 outputs the number of persons for each travel purpose.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a people counting device, a people counting method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent document 1 discloses a technology that acquires attributes from the IC cards of users entering a station ticket gate and calculates the number of users with a specified attribute (e.g., males) and the number of users without the specified attribute (e.g., females). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2015-225620 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Information on the travel purposes of people who use stations (e.g., commuting to work or school, or for personal reasons) is in demand because it can add value to various services (e.g., station advertising, sales of goods at stores within stations, etc.). However, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 only calculates the number of people using stations and cannot investigate the travel purposes of people. Therefore, with this technology, investigating the travel purposes must be done manually, which poses the problem of requiring man-hours and costs.

[0005] In consideration of such technology, the present disclosure aims to provide a people counting device, a people counting method, and a program that can investigate the purpose of travel of people using stations at low cost. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The people counting device of the present disclosure comprises: an acquisition unit that acquires an image including a person passing through a ticket gate installed at a station; a determination unit that determines the purpose of movement of the person included in the image; a counting unit that counts the number of people for each of the travel purposes; and an output unit that outputs the number of people for each of the travel purposes.

[0007] The people counting method of the present disclosure includes: It acquires images of people passing through ticket gates installed at stations, determining the purpose of movement of the person included in the image; Counting the number of people for each of the travel purposes; The number of people for each of the travel purposes is output.

[0008] The program of the present disclosure is It acquires images of people passing through ticket gates installed at stations, determining the purpose of movement of the person included in the image; Counting the number of people for each of the travel purposes; The computer is caused to execute a process of outputting the number of people for each of the travel purposes. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] The present disclosure provides a people counting device, a people counting method, and a program that can investigate the purpose of travel of people using stations at low cost. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a people counting device 10 according to the present embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a people counting system 2 according to the present embodiment. [Figure 3] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the people counting system 2 according to the present embodiment when a person enters through ticket gates A1 to A3. [Figure 4] 10 is a diagram showing an example of the result of counting the number of people at ticket gates A1 to A3 calculated by the people counting device 20 according to the present embodiment. FIG. [Figure 5] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a people counting system 3 according to the present embodiment. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the people counting device 30 of the people counting system 3 according to the present embodiment when a person enters through ticket gates A1 to A3. [Figure 7] 10 is a diagram showing an example of the result of counting the number of people at ticket gates A1 to A3 calculated by the people counting device 30 according to the present embodiment. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a computer 1000 according to the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or corresponding elements are designated by the same reference numerals, and for clarity of explanation, duplicate explanations will be omitted as necessary.

[0012] (First embodiment) First, the configuration of a people counting device 10 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a people counting device 10 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the people counting device 10 includes an acquisition unit 11, a discrimination unit 12, a counting unit 13, and an output unit 14. The acquisition unit 11 acquires an image including people passing through a ticket gate installed at a station. The discrimination unit 12 discriminates the purpose of travel of the people included in the image. The counting unit 13 counts the number of people for each purpose of travel. The output unit 14 outputs the number of people for each purpose of travel.

[0014] Information about the travel purposes of people who use stations is in high demand because it can add value to various services (for example, station advertisements and sales of products at stores inside stations). As described above, the people counting device 10 according to the first embodiment can automatically count people passing through station ticket gates (i.e., the number of people using the station) for each travel purpose by image analysis. In this way, the people counting device 10 can conduct the survey at low cost without having to manually survey information about the travel purposes of people who use stations.

[0015] (Second embodiment) Next, the configuration of a people counting system 2 according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0016] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a people counting system 2 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the people counting system 2 includes a people counting device 20, a camera 100, a camera 200, a display device 300, and an external device 400.

[0017] The camera 100 has a function of capturing images. The images include still images and videos. The camera 100 is installed at each ticket gate An (ticket gate A1, ticket gate A2, ticket gate A3, ..., ticket gate An (n is a natural number)) used as an entrance to the platform within the station. The angle of view of the camera 100 is set so that it can capture an image of a person entering through the ticket gate An. The camera 100 also communicates with the people counting device 20 via a network N. The network N may be a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), the Internet, or the like. The communication is performed wirelessly or via a wired system. The camera 100 transmits the captured image to the people counting device 20.

[0018] The camera 200 has a function of capturing images. The images include still images and videos. The camera 200 is installed at a ticket gate Bm (ticket gate B1, ticket gate B2, ticket gate B3, ..., ticket gate Bm (m is a natural number)) that is used as an exit from the platform within the station. The angle of view of the camera 200 is set so that it can capture an image of a person exiting through the ticket gate Bm. The camera 200 also communicates with the people counting device 20 via the network N. The camera 200 transmits the captured image to the people counting device 20.

[0019] The people counting device 20 is, for example, a server. The people counting device 20 counts the number of people passing through a station ticket gate under predetermined conditions. The people counting device 20 communicates with the camera 100, the camera 200, the display device 300, and the external device 400 via the network N.

[0020] Specifically, the people counting device 20 includes an acquisition unit 21, a determination unit 22, a counting unit 23, an output unit 24, and a storage unit 25.

[0021] <Configuration at the time of entry> The people counting device 20 has the following configuration when a person enters a ticket gate An. The acquisition unit 21 of the people counting device 20 acquires, from the camera 100 via the network N, an image including a person entering a ticket gate An.

[0022] The discrimination unit 22 discriminates the purpose of travel and attributes of a person included in an image acquired by the acquisition unit 21 from the image. The purpose of travel is, for example, commuting to school or work or a private purpose. The attributes are, for example, gender (male or female) and age (up to 10 years old, teens, 20s, 30s, ..., 60 years old and over). Specifically, the discrimination unit 22 discriminates the purpose of travel and attributes of a person included in an image using the time of day when the image was taken, the posture of the person included in the image, and the color and shape of their clothing as feature quantities. A deep learning model such as a CNN (Convolutional Neural Network) or an RNN (Recurrent Neural Network) is used for this discrimination.

[0023] The counting unit 23 counts the number of people entering ticket gate An, the number of people entering ticket gate An for each travel purpose, and the number of people entering ticket gate An for each attribute, based on the results of the discrimination by the discrimination unit 22. These pieces of information counted by the counting unit 23 will hereinafter be referred to as the number of people counting result at the time of entry.

[0024] The output unit 24 transmits the result of counting the number of people at the time of entry, counted by the counting unit 23, to at least one of the display device 300 and the external device 400 via the network N. The storage unit 25 stores the acquired images, the count results of the number of people at the time of entry, and the like.

[0025] <Exit configuration> Furthermore, the people counting device 20 has the following configuration when a person exits through the ticket barrier Bm. The acquisition unit 21 of the people counting device 20 acquires, from the camera 200 via the network N, an image including a person exiting through the ticket gate Bm.

[0026] The determination unit 22 determines the purpose of travel and attributes of the person included in the image acquired by the acquisition unit 21. The determination method is the same as the method used at the time of entry.

[0027] The counting unit 23 counts the number of people exiting through the ticket gate Bm, the number of people exiting through the ticket gate Bm for each travel purpose, and the number of people exiting through the ticket gate Bm for each attribute, based on the results of the discrimination made by the discrimination unit 22. These pieces of information counted by the counting unit 23 will hereinafter be referred to as the number of people counting results at the time of exit.

[0028] The output unit 24 transmits the result of counting the number of people at the time of exiting counted by the counting unit 23 to at least one of the display device 300 and the external device 400 via the network N. The storage unit 25 stores the acquired images, the count results of the number of people at the time of exiting, and the like.

[0029] The display device 300 is a device such as a monitor that has a function of visually displaying information. The display device 300 is, for example, a monitor used by station employees. The display device 300 is also, for example, a monitor for digital signage installed within a station. The display device 300 communicates with the people counting device 20 via a network N. For example, the display device 300 receives and displays the results of the people counting.

[0030] The external device 400 is, for example, a server or a PC (Personal Computer). The external device 400 is an external device used by a user who utilizes people counting information for a service. The external device 400 communicates with the people counting device 20 via the network N. For example, the external device 400 receives the people counting result.

[0031] Next, the operation of the people counting device 20 of the people counting system 2 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 3. Hereinafter, the operation of the people counting device 20 when a person enters ticket gates A1 to A3 will be described as an example.

[0032] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the people counting system 2 according to this embodiment when a person enters through ticket gates A1 to A3.

[0033] First, in step S101, the acquisition unit 21 of the people counting device 20 acquires, from the camera 100, images of people entering through each of the ticket gates A1 to A3.

[0034] Next, in step S102, the discrimination unit 22 discriminates the purpose of travel, gender, and age of the person included in the acquired image from the image. The purpose of travel is classified into commuting to school / work and private. The gender is classified into male and female. The age is classified into up to 10 years old, teens, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, and over 60 years old. Specifically, the discrimination unit 22 discriminates the purpose of travel, gender, and age of the person included in the image using the time of day when the image was taken, the posture of the person included in the image, and the color and shape of their clothing as feature quantities.

[0035] Next, in step S103, the counting unit 23 counts the following number in a predetermined period based on the determined result. Total number of people entering ticket gates A1 to A3 Number of people entering each of ticket gates A1 to A3 Number of people by purpose of travel (commuting to work / school or for personal use) Number of people by gender (male or female) out of the total number Number of people by age group (up to 10 years old, teens, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60+)

[0036] Here, the predetermined period is a day, a week, or a month. The information counted by the counting unit 23 is called the number of people counted at the ticket gates A1 to A3. In this embodiment, the predetermined period is described as a day, a week, or a month, but is not limited thereto. The predetermined period may also be an hour. Furthermore, the age divisions do not have to be divided into groups of ten years. For example, the age divisions may be under 1 year old, 1 to 6 years old, and 6 to 12 years old, which are the ages for which children's fares are charged on trains, or 16 to 18 years old, which is the age range for many students.

[0037] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the result of counting the number of people at ticket gates A1 to A3 calculated by the people counting device 20 according to this embodiment.

[0038] In the headcount results in Figure 4, the data for each of the following items is calculated for December 17th, the cumulative total for the week including December 17th, and the cumulative total for the entire month of December.

[0039] In addition, the head count results show the following values ​​for each item. The item "Entry A1 to A3" indicates the total number of people entering through ticket gates A1 to A3. The "A1", "A2", and "A3" items under "Entry" indicate the number of people entering through ticket gate A1, the number of people entering through ticket gate A2, and the number of people entering through ticket gate A3, respectively. The "Commuting to work / school" item in "Purpose of travel" indicates the number of people whose purpose of travel is commuting to work / school out of the total. Also, the "Private" item in "Purpose of travel" indicates the number of people whose purpose of travel is private out of the total. The "Male" item in "Gender" indicates the number of people whose gender is male out of the total. The "Female" item in "Gender" indicates the number of people whose gender is female out of the total. The "Age" categories of "Under 10 years old," "Teens," "20s," "30s," "40s," "50s," and "60 and over" indicate the number of people aged up to 10 years old, in their teens, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60 and over out of the total, respectively.

[0040] Returning to the explanation of Fig. 3, next, in step S104, the output unit 24 outputs the people count results at ticket gates A1 to A3 to at least one of the display device 300 and the external device 400. For example, the output unit 24 outputs the people count results for each period of a day, a week, and a month as shown in Fig. 4 to one screen of the display device 300. Note that instead of outputting the people count results to one screen of the display device 300, the output unit 24 may be configured so that the user of the display device 300 selects one of the periods of a day, a week, or a month, and the people count result corresponding to the selected period is output to the display device 300.

[0041] As described above, the people counting system 2 uses image analysis to automatically count the number of people entering the station through the entrance ticket gate An and the number of people exiting the station through the exit ticket gate Bm for each purpose of travel. In this way, the people counting system 2 eliminates the need to manually investigate information about the purpose of travel of people using the station, and can conduct boarding and alighting surveys at low cost.

[0042] Furthermore, the people counting system 2 can count the number of people entering through ticket gate An and the number of people leaving through ticket gate Bm at the exit, not just by the purpose of travel but also by the attributes of the people. The people counting system 2 can investigate a larger amount of information.

[0043] Furthermore, the people counting system 2 can calculate the number of people counted under each condition at each of the ticket gates A1 to An and B1 to Bm. From the number of people counting results, it is possible to further investigate information such as whether ticket gate A1 is often used for private purposes, but ticket gate A2 is rarely used for private purposes.

[0044] Furthermore, the people counting system 2 can output the people count results to at least one of the display device 300 and the external device 400 and provide the people count results to users. Users can improve their services using the people count results. For example, if a railway company is a user of the people count results, the railway company can change the content of advertisements within the station depending on the number of people for each purpose of travel (commuting to work / school or personal use). Furthermore, a user of the people count results may be the operator of a facility installed within the station. Here, the facility may be, for example, a convenience store, vending machine, locker, or event space. In this case, the facility operator can change the type of merchandise they sell depending on the number of people for each purpose of travel.

[0045] (Modification of the second embodiment) In addition to the above-described embodiment, the people counting device 20 of the people counting system 2 may provide a service based on the result of the people counting. In this case, the people counting device 20 includes a service generation unit (not shown). The service generation unit generates service information for people using the station where the ticket gates An and Bm are installed based on the result of the people counting calculated by the counting unit 23. Specifically, the service generation unit generates service information for people using the station where the ticket gates An and Bm are installed based on the number of users for each purpose of travel at the ticket gate. The service information may be, for example, advertising information for people using the station where the ticket gates An and Bm are installed, or product sales policy information for the operator of the station where the ticket gates are installed. The output unit 24 outputs the service information to at least one of the display device 300 and the external device 400.

[0046] (Third embodiment) Next, the configuration of a people counting system 3 according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0047] Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a people counting system 3 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 5, the people counting system 3 can investigate more information at a station than the people counting system 2. Like the people counting system 2, the people counting system 3 includes a camera 100, a camera 200, a display device 300, and an external device 400. However, compared to the people counting system 2, the people counting system 3 includes a people counting device 30 instead of the people counting device 20, and further includes a camera 500. The people counting device 30 further includes an identification unit 31 in addition to the configuration of the people counting device 20.

[0048] Camera 500 is installed in a facility within a station. The facility is a shop, a vending machine, or a locker. Note that the facility is not limited to a shop, a vending machine, or a locker. For example, the facility may be an event space or other facility. The angle of view of camera 500 is set so that it can capture an image of a person using the facility. For example, the angle of view of camera 500 is set so that it can capture an image of a person purchasing an item from a shop or a vending machine. Furthermore, the angle of view of camera 500 is set so that it can capture an image of a person putting something into a locker.

[0049] <Configuration at the time of entry> The people counting device 30 has the following configuration when a person enters a ticket gate An. The acquisition unit 21 of the people counting device 30 acquires, from the camera 100 via the network N, an image including a person entering a ticket gate An.

[0050] The determination unit 22 determines, from the image acquired by the acquisition unit 21, the purpose of travel of a person included in the image and the attributes of the person.

[0051] The identification unit 31 identifies personal information of a person from the image acquired by the acquisition unit 21. Specifically, the identification unit 31 extracts facial information of the person included in the image using an authentication system (for example, face authentication, iris authentication, skeletal authentication, or biometric authentication) and identifies personal information of the person corresponding to the extracted facial information of the person. However, the authentication system is premised on the fact that the personal information of the person and the facial information are linked and registered. Furthermore, the identification unit 31 links the personal information of the person with the purpose of travel and attributes of the person identified by the identification unit 22.

[0052] The counting unit 23 counts the number of people entering ticket gate An based on the discrimination result by the discrimination unit 22 and the identification result by the identification unit 31, and counts the number of people whose personal information has been identified among the number of people entering ticket gate An.

[0053] Furthermore, the identification unit 31 identifies the destination of a person entering through ticket gate An. Specifically, when a person entering through ticket gate An at station #1 exits through ticket gate Bm at station #2 different from station #1, the identification unit 31 identifies station #2 as the person's destination. The counting unit 23 counts the number of people whose personal information has been identified for each destination.

[0054] Furthermore, the identification unit 31 identifies the use of facilities (such as convenience stores, vending machines, and lockers) within the station by a person entering through ticket gate An. Specifically, the identification unit 31 acquires an image from a camera 500 installed in the convenience store. The identification unit 31 extracts facial information of a person included in the image using an authentication system (for example, face authentication, iris authentication, skeletal authentication, or biometric authentication), and identifies personal information of the person corresponding to the extracted facial information of the person. The identification unit 31 compares the personal information of the person entering through ticket gate An with the personal information of a person who has used a facility within the station, and if the comparison is successful, identifies the use of a facility within the station by the person entering through ticket gate An. The counting unit 23 counts the number of people whose personal information has been identified for each facility within the station that has been used.

[0055] The output unit 24 transmits the result of counting the number of people at the time of entry, counted by the counting unit 23, to at least one of the display device 300 and the external device 400 via the network N. The storage unit 25 stores the acquired images, the results of counting the number of people at the time of entry, and the like.

[0056] <Exit configuration> Furthermore, the people counting device 30 has the following configuration when a person exits through the ticket barrier Bm. The acquisition unit 21 of the people counting device 30 acquires, from the camera 200 via the network N, an image including a person exiting through the ticket gate Bm. The determination unit 22 determines, from the image acquired by the acquisition unit 21, the purpose of travel of a person included in the image and the attributes of the person.

[0057] The identification unit 31 identifies the personal information of the person from the image acquired by the acquisition unit 21. The method of identifying the personal information of the person is the same as the method used at the time of entry. Furthermore, the identification unit 31 links the personal information of the person with the purpose of travel and attributes of the person identified by the identification unit 22.

[0058] The counting unit 23 counts the number of people exiting through the ticket gate Bm and the number of people whose personal information has been identified among the number of people exiting through the ticket gate Bm based on the discrimination results by the discrimination unit 22 and the identification results by the identification unit 31.

[0059] Furthermore, the identification unit 31 identifies the destination of a person exiting through the ticket gate Bm. Specifically, the identification unit 31 identifies the station where the ticket gate Bm is installed as the person's destination. The counting unit 23 counts the number of people whose personal information has been identified for each destination.

[0060] Furthermore, the identification unit 31 identifies the use of facilities (shops, vending machines, lockers, etc.) within the station by a person exiting through the ticket gate Bm. The identification method is the same as that used when entering the station. The counting unit 23 counts the number of people whose personal information has been identified for each facility within the station that has been used.

[0061] The output unit 24 transmits the result of counting the number of people at the time of exiting counted by the counting unit 23 to at least one of the display device 300 and the external device 400 via the network N. The storage unit 25 stores the acquired images, the number of people counted at the time of exit, and the like.

[0062] Next, the operation of the people counting device 30 of the people counting system 3 according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 6. Hereinafter, the operation of the people counting device 30 when a person enters ticket gates A1 to A3 will be described as an example.

[0063] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the people counting device 30 of the people counting system 3 according to this embodiment when a person enters through ticket gates A1 to A3.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 6, first, in step S201, the acquisition unit 21 of the people counting device 30 acquires, from the camera 100, images of people entering through each of the ticket gates A1 to A3.

[0065] Next, in step S202, the travel purpose, gender, and age of the person in the acquired image are determined from the image. The travel purpose is classified into commuting to school / work and private. The gender is classified into male and female. The age is classified into up to 10 years old, teens, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, and over 60 years old.

[0066] Next, in step S203, the identification unit 31 identifies personal information of a person included in the acquired image from the image. Specifically, the identification unit 31 extracts facial information of the person included in the image using an authentication system (for example, face authentication, iris authentication, skeletal authentication, or biometric authentication), and identifies personal information of the person corresponding to the extracted facial information of the person. However, it is assumed that the personal information and facial information of the person are registered in association with each other in the authentication system.

[0067] Next, in step S204, the identification unit 31 executes linking of the personal information, purpose of travel, and attributes of the person.

[0068] Next, in step S205, the counting unit 23 counts the total number of people entering ticket gates A1 to A3 during a predetermined period and the number of people among that total number whose personal information has been identified. Here, the predetermined period is a day, a week, or a month. The information counted by the counting unit 23 is referred to as the number of people counting results at ticket gates A1 to A3. The same applies to the processing in steps S207 and S209 described below.

[0069] Next, in step S206, the identification unit 31 identifies the destination of the person entering through ticket gates A1 to A3. Specifically, when a person entering through ticket gate An at station #1 exits through ticket gate Bm at station #2, the identification unit 31 identifies station #2 as the person's destination.

[0070] Next, in step S207, the counting unit 23 counts the number of people whose personal information has been identified for each destination during a predetermined period.

[0071] Next, in step S208, the identification unit 31 identifies the use of facilities within the station by the person entering through ticket gate An. The facilities within the station are a convenience store, a vending machine, and a locker. Specifically, the identification unit 31 acquires an image from a camera 500 installed in the convenience store. The identification unit 31 uses a face recognition engine to extract facial information of the person from the image and identifies personal information of the person corresponding to the extracted facial information of the person. The identification unit 31 compares the personal information of the person entering through ticket gate An with personal information of people who have used the facilities within the station, and if the comparison is successful, identifies the use of the facilities within the station by the person entering through ticket gate An.

[0072] Next, in step S209, the counting unit 23 counts the number of people whose personal information has been identified for each facility within the station that was used during a predetermined period.

[0073] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the result of counting the number of people at ticket gates A1 to A3 calculated by the people counting device 30 according to this embodiment.

[0074] In the headcount results in Figure 7, the data for each of the following items is calculated for December 17th, the cumulative total for the week including December 17th, and the cumulative total for all of December.

[0075] In addition, the head count results show the following values ​​for each item. The item "Entry A1 to A3" indicates the total number of people entering through ticket gates A1 to A3. - The item "Personal information identified" indicates the number of people whose personal information has been identified out of the total number. "Tamachi" in the "Destination" category indicates the number of people whose destination is Tamachi out of the total number of people whose personal information has been identified. "Shinagawa" in the "Destination" category indicates the number of people whose destination is Shinagawa out of the total number of people whose personal information has been identified. "Shinbashi" in the "Destination" category indicates the number of people whose destination is Shinbashi out of the total number of people whose personal information has been identified. - "Kissaten" in the "Station facility used" category indicates the number of people who used the kissaten out of the number of people whose personal information was identified. - "Vending machine" in the "Station facility used" category indicates the number of people who used the vending machine out of the number of people whose personal information was identified. - "Locker" in the "Station facility used" category indicates the number of people who used the locker out of the number of people whose personal information was identified.

[0076] Returning to the description of Fig. 6, next, in step S210, the output unit 24 outputs the person's personal information, information linked with the purpose of travel and attributes, and the number of people counting results to at least one of the display device 300 and the external device 400. For example, the output unit 24 outputs the number of people counting results for each period of a day, a week, and a month as shown in Fig. 7 to one screen of the display device 300. Note that instead of outputting the number of people counting results to one screen of the display device 300, the output unit 24 may be configured so that the user of the display device 300 selects one of the periods of a day, a week, and a month, and the number of people counting results corresponding to the selected period are output to the display device 300.

[0077] As described above, the people counting system 3 according to the third embodiment uses image analysis to identify personal information of people included in images of people passing through a ticket gate. The people counting system 3 then identifies the destinations of the identified people and counts the number of people for each destination among the number of people whose personal information has been identified. For example, if a railway company utilizes the results of the people counting, the railway company can optimize the number of trains according to the destinations of people.

[0078] Furthermore, the people counting system 3 identifies facilities within the station used by the identified person, and counts the number of people for each facility within the station used among the number of people whose personal information has been identified. For example, if the user of the people counting results is a station facility operator, the station facility operator can determine which facilities to attract based on the people counting results.

[0079] Each device in the above-described embodiment (people counting device 10, devices constituting people counting system 2 (e.g., people counting device 20), and devices constituting people counting system 3 (e.g., people counting device 30)) is configured by hardware or software, or both, and may be configured by one piece of hardware or software, or by multiple pieces of hardware or software. For example, each configuration of each device in the above-described embodiment is realized by a computer 1000. FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the computer 1000 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8, the computer 1000 includes a processor 1001 and a memory 1002. The processor 1001 may be, for example, a microprocessor, a microprocessing unit (MPU), or a central processing unit (CPU). The processor 1001 may include multiple processors. The memory 1002 is configured by a combination of volatile memory and non-volatile memory. The memory 1002 may include storage located remotely from the processor 1001. In this case, the processor 1001 may access the memory 1002 via an I / O interface (not shown).

[0080] Each function (processing) of each component in the above-described embodiment is realized by storing a program for performing the method in the embodiment in memory 1002 and executing the program stored in memory 1002 by processor 1001.

[0081] These programs include instructions (or software code) that, when loaded into a computer, cause the computer to perform one or more functions described in the embodiments. The programs may be stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium or a tangible storage medium. By way of example and not limitation, computer-readable media or tangible storage media include random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, solid-state drive (SSD) or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disc (DVD), Blu-ray® disc or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassette, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage device. The programs may also be transmitted on a transitory computer-readable medium or communication medium. By way of example and not limitation, transitory computer-readable media or communication media include electrical, optical, acoustic, or other forms of propagated signals.

[0082] Although the present disclosure has been described above with reference to the embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Various modifications that can be understood by those skilled in the art can be made to the configuration and details of the present disclosure within the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, each embodiment can be combined with other embodiments as appropriate.

[0083] Each drawing is merely an example for describing one or more embodiments. Each drawing may relate not only to one particular embodiment, but also to one or more other embodiments. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, various features or steps described with reference to any one drawing can be combined with features or steps shown in one or more other drawings to create, for example, an embodiment not explicitly shown or described. Not all features or steps shown in any one drawing are necessary to describe an exemplary embodiment, and some features or steps may be omitted. The order of steps described in any drawing may be changed as appropriate.

[0084] A part or all of the above-described embodiments can be described as, but not limited to, the following supplementary notes. (Appendix 1) an acquisition unit that acquires an image including a person passing through a ticket gate installed at a station; a determination unit that determines the purpose of movement of the person included in the image; a counting unit that counts the number of people for each of the travel purposes; an output unit that outputs the number of people for each of the travel purposes; People counting device. (Appendix 2) an identification unit that identifies personal information of the person included in the image, The output unit Output information linking the person's personal information with the person's purpose of travel 1. A people counting device as described in Appendix 1. (Appendix 3) The output unit The number of people for each of the travel purposes is displayed on a display device. 1. A people counting device as described in Appendix 1. (Appendix 4) The output unit The number of people for each of the travel purposes is transmitted to an external device. 1. A people counting device as described in Appendix 1. (Appendix 5) There are multiple ticket gates. The counting unit Counting the number of people for each of the travel purposes for each of the plurality of ticket gates. 1. A people counting device as described in Appendix 1. (Appendix 6) An identification unit is further provided to identify a destination of the person whose personal information has been identified, The counting unit Counting the number of people whose personal information is identified for each of the destinations; The output unit Output the number of people whose personal information is identified for each destination. 1. A people counting device as described in Appendix 2. (Appendix 7) An identification unit is further provided to identify facilities within the station used by the person whose personal information has been identified, The counting unit Counting the number of people whose personal information has been identified for each facility within the station used; The output unit Output the number of people whose personal information has been identified for each facility within the station that is used. 1. A people counting device as described in Appendix 2. (Appendix 8) a service generation unit that generates service information for people who use the station based on the number of people for each of the travel purposes; The output unit Output the service information 1. A people counting device as described in Appendix 1. (Appendix 9) It acquires images of people passing through ticket gates installed at stations, determining the purpose of movement of the person included in the image; Counting the number of people for each of the travel purposes; Outputting the number of people for each purpose of travel Person counting method. (Appendix 10) Identifying personal information of the person contained in the image; Output information linking the person's personal information with the person's purpose of travel Person counting method described in Appendix 9. (Appendix 11) The number of people for each of the travel purposes is displayed on a display device. Person counting method described in Appendix 9. (Appendix 12) The number of people for each of the travel purposes is transmitted to an external device. Person counting method described in Appendix 9. (Appendix 13) There are multiple ticket gates. Counting the number of people for each of the travel purposes for each of the plurality of ticket gates. Person counting method described in Appendix 9. (Appendix 14) Identifying the destination of the person whose personal information has been identified; Counting the number of people whose personal information is identified for each of the destinations; Output the number of people whose personal information is identified for each destination. Person counting method described in Appendix 10. (Appendix 15) Identifying the facilities within the station used by the person whose personal information has been identified; Counting the number of people whose personal information has been identified for each facility within the station used; Output the number of people whose personal information has been identified for each facility within the station that is used. Person counting method described in Appendix 10. (Appendix 16) generating service information for people using the station based on the number of people for each of the travel purposes; Output the service information Person counting method described in Appendix 9. (Appendix 17) It acquires images of people passing through ticket gates installed at stations, determining the purpose of movement of the person included in the image; Counting the number of people for each of the travel purposes; and causing a computer to execute a process of outputting the number of people for each of the travel purposes. program. (Appendix 18) Identifying personal information of the person contained in the image; The computer is further caused to execute a process of outputting information linking the personal information of the person with the purpose of travel of the person. 17. The program described in Appendix 17. (Appendix 19) The computer is further caused to execute a process of displaying the number of people for each of the travel purposes on a display device. 17. The program described in Appendix 17. (Appendix 20) The computer further executes a process of transmitting the number of people for each of the travel purposes to an external device. 17. The program described in Appendix 17. (Appendix 21) There are multiple ticket gates. The computer is further caused to execute a process of counting the number of people for each of the plurality of ticket gates. 17. The program described in Appendix 17. (Appendix 22) Identifying the destination of the person whose personal information has been identified; Counting the number of people whose personal information is identified for each of the destinations; and further causing the computer to execute a process of outputting the number of people whose personal information has been identified for each of the destinations. 18. The program described in Appendix 18. (Appendix 23) Identifying the facilities within the station used by the person whose personal information has been identified; Counting the number of people whose personal information has been identified for each facility within the station used; The computer is further caused to execute a process of outputting the number of people whose personal information has been identified for each facility within the station that is used. 18. The program described in Appendix 18. (Appendix 24) generating service information for people using the station based on the number of people for each of the travel purposes; and further causing the computer to execute a process of outputting the service information. 17. The program described in Appendix 17. [Explanation of symbols]

[0085] 2, 3 People Counting System 10, 20, 30 people counter 11, 21 Acquisition Department 12, 22 Discrimination section 13, 23 Counting section 14, 24 Output section 25 Memory section 31 Specific section 100, 200, 500 cameras 300 display device 400 External device 1000 computers 1001 processor 1002 memory

Claims

1. an acquisition unit that acquires an image including a person passing through a ticket gate installed at a station; a determination unit that determines the purpose of movement of the person included in the image; a counting unit that counts the number of people for each of the travel purposes; an output unit that outputs the number of people for each of the travel purposes; People counting device.

2. an identification unit that identifies personal information of the person included in the image, The output unit Output information linking the person's personal information with the person's purpose of travel The person counting device according to claim 1.

3. The output unit The number of people for each of the travel purposes is displayed on a display device. The person counting device according to claim 1.

4. The output unit The number of people for each of the travel purposes is transmitted to an external device. The person counting device according to claim 1.

5. There are multiple ticket gates. The counting unit Counting the number of people for each of the travel purposes for each of the plurality of ticket gates. The person counting device according to claim 1.

6. An identification unit is further provided to identify a destination of the person whose personal information has been identified, The counting unit Counting the number of people whose personal information is identified for each of the destinations; The output unit Output the number of people whose personal information is identified for each destination. The person counting device according to claim 2.

7. An identification unit is further provided to identify facilities within the station used by the person whose personal information has been identified, The counting unit Counting the number of people whose personal information has been identified for each facility within the station used; The output unit Output the number of people whose personal information has been identified for each facility within the station that is used. The person counting device according to claim 2.

8. a service generation unit that generates service information for people who use the station based on the number of people for each of the travel purposes; The output unit Output the service information The person counting device according to claim 1.

9. It acquires images of people passing through ticket gates installed at stations, determining the purpose of movement of the person included in the image; Counting the number of people for each of the travel purposes; Outputting the number of people for each purpose of travel Person counting method.

10. It acquires images of people passing through ticket gates installed at stations, determining the purpose of movement of the person included in the image; Counting the number of people for each of the travel purposes; and causing a computer to execute a process of outputting the number of people for each of the travel purposes. program.

Images