Information processing device, control method therefor, and program

Abstract

To provide an information processing device in which necessary information can be easily accessed when supporting farmers.SOLUTION: An information processing device according to the present disclosure includes identification means for identifying a supporter who supports farmers on the basis of information from a supporter information terminal, specification means for specifying a supportee to be supported by the identified supporter from among a plurality of farmers, and provision means for providing information about the specified supportee and information about a farm field in which the supportee engages to the supporter information terminal in order to display the information on the supporter information terminal.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device, a control method therefor, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, information on agriculture has been accumulated, and the utilization of the accumulated information is being promoted. Patent Document 1 discloses a technology to support farmers in selecting farmland for lease, by identifying the location of farmland for lease that meets predetermined conditions based on the farmer's location, which is the base of the farmer who wants to rent the land, and the location of the farmland of the farmer, and displaying the identified location on a map. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5727427 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Incidentally, there are nationally certified prefectural officials known as extension instructors who work directly with farmers, providing guidance on agricultural techniques, consulting on management, and providing agricultural information to support farmers in improving their agricultural techniques and management. For example, extension instructors often provide face-to-face support to farmers, and when providing support to farmers on-site, it is desirable to be able to quickly obtain the information necessary for such support. Meanwhile, Patent Document 1 discloses displaying the location of leased farmland on a map, but does not take into consideration obtaining the information necessary for providing support to farmers.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to realize a technology that allows easy access to necessary information when providing support to farmers. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve this problem, for example, the information processing device of the present invention comprises the following configuration: an identification means for identifying a supporter who provides support to a farmer based on information from the supporter's information terminal, an identification means for identifying a supportee who will be supported by the identified supporter from among multiple farmers, and a provision means for providing information about the identified supportee and information about the field managed by the supportee to the supporter's information terminal for display on the supporter's information terminal. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, when providing support to farmers, it becomes possible to easily access necessary information. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2A] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a client terminal as an example of an information terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2B] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a server as an example of an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the software configuration of each device in the information processing system according to the present embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of operation in an information processing system according to the present embodiment. [Figure 5A] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of data of extension instructor data and leading farmer data according to the present embodiment; [Figure 5B] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of farmer data according to the present embodiment; [Figure 5C] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of farm field data according to the present embodiment; [Figure 5D] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of training data according to the present embodiment; [Figure 5E] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of training history data according to the present embodiment; [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation of information provision processing in the server according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen generated in the information provision process according to the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention claimed. Although multiple features are described in the embodiments, not all of these multiple features are necessarily essential to the invention, and multiple features may be combined arbitrarily. Furthermore, in the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are used to designate the same or similar components, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0010] <Example of information processing system configuration> An example of the configuration of an information processing system according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 1. This information processing system enables agricultural supporters, such as extension instructors, to easily identify the farmers they are supporting on-site (also referred to as support recipients) and the fields they are working on, and quickly access related information. Note that farmers may include not only those whose cultivated land area or agricultural product sales amount meet certain conditions, but also anyone who is engaged in agriculture.

[0011] The client terminal 102, which is an example of an information terminal according to this embodiment, is a terminal used by a supporter (also simply referred to as a user), such as an extension instructor. The client terminal 102 communicates with a server 103, which is an example of an information processing device according to this embodiment, for example, via the Internet 100. In response to a request from the client terminal 102, for example, the server 103 provides the client terminal 102 with information about the farmer to be supported (i.e., the support recipient) and related information linked to the farmer to be supported (for example, information about the farm field operated by the farmer). In response to a user instruction such as user authentication, search, or screen transition, the client terminal 102 accesses the server 103 via the Internet 100, obtains information according to the instruction, and displays the obtained information on the screen.

[0012] <Example of client terminal hardware configuration> 2A shows an example of the hardware configuration of the client terminal 102. The client terminal 102 includes a system bus 201, a CPU 202, a ROM 203, a RAM 204, a storage 205, a NIC 206, an input unit 207, a display unit 208, a GPU 209, and a GPS module 210.

[0013] The system bus 201 includes an address bus, a data bus, and a control bus, and transmits data sent and received between devices within the client terminal 102 .

[0014] The CPU 202 includes one or more processors and controls each device within the client terminal 102 by executing the OS and various control programs stored in the ROM 203 and storage 205, thereby controlling the overall operation of the client terminal 102.

[0015] The ROM 203 includes a nonvolatile recording medium and stores various control programs and data. The RAM 204 includes a volatile storage medium such as a DRAM and has a work area for the CPU 202, a data save area for error processing, a control program load area, etc. The storage 205 includes a nonvolatile recording medium such as an SSD and stores various control programs executed within the client terminal 102 and data such as temporarily stored data.

[0016] The NIC 206 is an interface for communicating with an external device such as the server 103 via a network (including, for example, the Internet 100 and the local network 101). The input unit 207 accepts operations and data input to the client terminal 102 from a mouse, keyboard, sensor, etc.

[0017] The display unit 208 includes a display such as a display panel, and displays, for example, a user interface for operating the client terminal 102 in response to instructions from the CPU 202. The user interface includes, for example, icons, messages, menus, map images, and other user interface elements.

[0018] The GPU 209 includes a processor capable of efficiently performing data rendering processing for display on the display unit 208 and large-scale parallel processing. The GPU 209 may be included in the CPU 202.

[0019] The GPS module 210 has a function of receiving satellite signals for measuring location information by GPS and outputting, for example, the location information of the client terminal 102. If the server 103 does not use location information to narrow down the information about the farmers to be supported or the information about the fields worked by those farmers, the client terminal 102 does not need to be equipped with the GPS module 210.

[0020] <Server hardware configuration example> 2B, an example of the hardware configuration of the server 103 will be described. The server 103 includes a system bus 251, a CPU 252, a ROM 253, a RAM 254, a storage 255, a NIC 256, an input unit 257, and a GPU 258.

[0021] The system bus 251 includes an address bus, a data bus, and a control bus, and transmits data sent and received between devices within the server 103 .

[0022] The CPU 252 includes one or more processors, and controls each device in the server 103 and controls the overall operation of the server 103 by executing the OS and various control programs stored in the ROM 253 and storage 255 .

[0023] The ROM 253 includes a nonvolatile recording medium and stores various control programs and data. The RAM 254 includes a volatile storage medium such as a DRAM and has a work area for the CPU 252, a data save area for error processing, a control program load area, etc. The storage 255 includes a nonvolatile recording medium such as an SSD and stores various control programs executed within the server 103 and data such as temporarily stored data.

[0024] The NIC 256 is an interface for communicating with an external device such as the client terminal 102 via a network (including, for example, the Internet 100 and the local network 101). The input unit 257 accepts operations and data input to the server 103 by a server administrator or the like.

[0025] The GPU 258 includes a processor capable of efficiently performing massively parallel processing and may be included in the CPU 252.

[0026] <Example of client terminal and server software configuration> FIG. 3 shows an example of the software configuration of the client terminal 102 and the server 103.

[0027] The web browser 311 is included in the client terminal 102, and acquires and displays information from the server 103 via the Internet 100 or the like in response to instructions from the user. Note that although the example of this embodiment describes the use of a web browser, dedicated client applications for various purposes may also be used.

[0028] The transmitter / receiver unit 321 is included in the server 103 and accepts various requests from the web browser 311, such as user authentication, acquisition of farmer information, acquisition of farmer-related information, and information narrowing down, and sends responses to the client terminal 102.

[0029] The processing unit 322 is included in the server 103, and determines the content of a response based on data stored in the map information storage unit 323 and the data storage unit 324 in response to a request received from the client terminal 102. The content of the response is provided to the client terminal 102 via the transmitting / receiving unit 321. The content of the response will be described later.

[0030] The map information storage unit 323 is included in the server 103 and stores the map information itself. In addition, the map information storage unit 323 can execute conversion processing between coordinate data acquired by the GPS module and an address in response to an instruction from the processing unit 322.

[0031] The data storage unit 324 is included in the server 103 and stores user login information, information about the farmer, information about the field, and related information such as the content of training. The data storage unit 324 reads and stores data in response to instructions from the processing unit 322.

[0032] <Example of information processing system operation> Next, an example of the operation of the information processing system according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4. This example of operation involves a user (e.g., an extension instructor) visiting the location of a farmer or a field, operating the client terminal 102, identifying the user, and then confirming the farmer to be supported, the farmer's field, and other related information. Note that the operation of the client terminal 102 described here can be realized, for example, by the CPU 202 executing a program stored in the storage 205 or the like. Also, the operation of the server 103 described here can be realized, for example, by the CPU 252 executing a program stored in the storage 255 or the like.

[0033] In S401, the CPU 202 of the client terminal 102 requests login (authentication of the user as a legitimate user) from the server 103. For example, when the CPU 202 of the client terminal 102 accepts a user operation requesting login to the server 103, the CPU 202 transmits the user's authentication information (user identifier, password, etc.) to the server 103 to request login. For example, if the CPU 252 of the server 103 determines that the user's authentication information included in the login request from the client terminal 102 is correct, the CPU 252 of the server 103 permits the user's login. By permitting the user's login request, the CPU 252 of the server 103 identifies the user as a specific registered user (for example, a registered extension instructor). Note that the login may be a login to an information provision service executed by the server 103.

[0034] In S402, the CPU 252 of the server 103 acquires a list of supported farmers associated with the identified user (i.e., information about the support recipients supported by the identified supporter) from the data storage unit 324. At this time, the CPU 252 of the server 103 refers to the supervising farmer data 510, which will be described later, etc., to identify supported farmers associated with the identified user from among the multiple farmers stored in the data storage unit 324, and acquires a list of the identified farmers. Then, in S403, the CPU 252 of the server 103 provides the acquired list of supported farmers to the client terminal 102 for display in the web browser 311 of the client terminal 102. By identifying the user (e.g., an extension instructor) in this way and acquiring a list of farmers supported by the identified user, the server 103 provides the client terminal 102 with information narrowed down to farmers supported by the user, rather than all farmers. The client terminal 102 displays information about the narrowed down farmers, allowing the user to smoothly access desired information in the field.

[0035] In the above description, an example has been described in which the server 103 transmits information about the farmers to be supported to the client terminal 102. However, the server 103 can refer to the field data 530, which associates farmers with fields as described below, to further acquire information about the fields operated by the farmers to be supported, and transmit this information to the client terminal 102. In this case, the server 103 may identify one field for each farmer to be supported, and transmit a list of these fields to the client terminal 102. Alternatively, the server 103 may identify one or more fields operated by a specific farmer (for example, the farmer at the top of the list of farmers) among the farmers to be supported, and transmit a list of these fields to the client terminal 102.

[0036] In addition, the server 103 may not only provide a list of farmers linked to the user, but may also further narrow down the farmers or change the display order based on at least one of the location information of the client terminal 102, the date and time of access, and instructions from the user.

[0037] For example, in S404, the CPU 202 of the client terminal 102 specifies search conditions to the server 103. For example, when the CPU 202 of the client terminal 102 accepts a user operation to set search conditions, it transmits information specifying the search conditions to the server 103. In S405, the CPU 252 of the server 103 identifies support recipients who match the search conditions from among the supported farmers (support recipients) linked to the user identified in S401 in accordance with the search conditions, and acquires a list of the support recipients. Then, in S406, the CPU 252 of the server 103 provides the client terminal 102 with a list of supported farmers who match the search conditions (information about the support recipients). The search conditions can be configured to search for farmers whose search keys match any of the farmer's name, farmer's address, business status, related cultivators, questions from the farmer, challenges facing the farmer or field, guidance provided by the user, and information about crop names, for example. The search key can be specified by, for example, selecting from predetermined options or by inputting a keyword.

[0038] In the above description, an example has been given in which the client terminal 102 transmits search conditions explicitly specified by the user to the server 103. However, the client terminal 102 may transmit information indicating the current location of the client terminal 102 to the server 103 instead of or in addition to the search conditions. In this case, for example, the server 103 determines whether a location associated with the support recipient (such as the address of the support recipient or longitude and latitude information of the support recipient) is included within a predetermined range from the location of the client terminal 102. The server 103 can identify a support recipient whose location associated with the support recipient is included within a predetermined range from the location of the client terminal 102 as a support recipient that meets the conditions.

[0039] In this way, the server 103 identifies support recipients who meet predetermined conditions and provides information about the identified support recipients to the client terminal 102, allowing the user to more smoothly access the desired information in the field. Of course, the CPU 252 of the server 103 may not only provide a list of support recipients who meet the predetermined conditions, but also transmit a list of fields (operated by the support recipients) that meet the predetermined conditions to the client terminal 102.

[0040] Next, an example of the data configuration according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 5A to 5E. This data relates to users, farmers, fields, and related information such as guidance and consultation matters. In the description of this embodiment, an example will be described in which the data is stored in the data storage unit 324 of the server 103. However, the data may be stored in a separate system, and the server 103 may obtain this data from that system via the Internet 100. Furthermore, the data structure described in this embodiment is merely an example, and the data structure is not limited to the example, as long as it is possible to access and provide information about farmers, fields, and related information described in this embodiment.

[0041] FIG. 5A(a) shows an example of extension instructor data 500. The extension instructor data 500 is used, for example, to authenticate whether a user is a legitimate user. The extension instructor data 500 is added, updated, and deleted by any method when a user who is an extension instructor is registered or when the registered content is changed. The user ID 501 is an ID (identifier) ​​assigned to the user who is an extension instructor. The password 502 is a password set in advance by the user. Note that, although this embodiment describes an example of authentication using an ID and password for login authentication, other authentication methods such as hardware authentication and biometric authentication may also be used as long as they can achieve user authentication and user identification.

[0042] Figure 5A(b) shows an example of the supervising farmer data 510. The supervising farmer data 510 is data that associates a user with the farmer that the user supports (i.e., the person being supported). The supervising farmer data 510 can be added, updated, and deleted in any way that suits the farmer that the user is responsible for. The user ID 511 is an ID (identifier) ​​assigned to the extension instructor who is the user. The farmer ID 512 is an ID (identifier) ​​assigned to the farmer that the extension instructor with user ID 511 is responsible for.

[0043] Figure 5B shows an example of farmer data 520. Farmer data 520 is used, for example, when a user obtains information about a farmer they support. Farmer data 520 can be added, updated, or deleted in any manner, such as when registering or updating a new farmer. Farmer ID 521 is the farmer's ID (identifier). Type 522 indicates the type of farmer associated with farmer ID 521, such as whether they are an owner or a cultivator. Name 523 is the name of the farmer associated with farmer ID 521. Name 524 is the name of the company or organization associated with farmer ID 521. Address 525 is the address of the base of the farmer associated with farmer ID 521. Location information 526 is location information (e.g., longitude and latitude information) of the base of the farmer associated with farmer ID 521. Business status 527 is the business status of farmer ID 521. In this example, the status is expressed numerically, but any notation, such as good, fair, or poor, may be used. The related farmer 528 is a farmer related to the farmer ID 521. For example, the ID of a farmer who rents a field or has a farming relationship with another farmer, or the ID of a farmer who is a partner in the business, is stored.

[0044] FIG. 5C shows an example of field data 530. Field data 530 is used when server 103 acquires information about fields managed by farmers. Information is added to or updated in field data 530 when a new field is registered or updated. Field ID 531 is an ID (identifier) ​​assigned to each field. Owner ID 532 is the owner of field ID 531, and stores farmer ID 521 as the owner. Farmer ID 533 is the cultivator of field ID 531. Location information 534 is location information (e.g., longitude and latitude information) of field ID 531. Crop 535 is the crop cultivated in field ID 531 (e.g., rice, vegetables, etc.). The growth information 536 is information about the growth of the crop being cultivated in the field ID 531 (for example, indicates the growth status such as good, tendency to small fruit, etc.).

[0045] FIG. 5D shows an example of training data 540. The training data 540 is used to obtain detailed information (e.g., including the current training content) about a farmer's field. When a user starts a new consultation or training session with a farmer, the server 103 adds the training data 540 in response to the user's request. The ticket ID 541 is an ID (identifier) ​​assigned to the record of each consultation or training session received by the extension instructor, who is the user. The user ID 542 is the user ID 501 of the extension instructor in charge of the ticket ID 541. The farmer ID 543 is the farmer ID 521 that is the subject of the ticket ID 541. The field ID 544 is the field ID 531 that is the subject of the ticket ID 541. The status ID 545 is the training status of the training session corresponding to the ticket ID 541, such as in progress, completed, or answered. The priority 546 is the priority of the ticket ID 541, such as high, medium, or low. The title 547 is the title of the ticket ID 541. The content 548 is the content of the instruction corresponding to the ticket ID 541.

[0046] FIG. 5E shows an example of training history data 550. The training history data 550 is used when the server 103 obtains detailed information (including, for example, past training content) about the field worked by the farmer. Training history data 550 is added when a user provides existing consultation or guidance to a farmer. Training history 555 is an ID (identifier) ​​of the training history. Ticket ID 551 is the ticket ID 541 linked to the training history. Training date and time 552 is the date and time when a record was added as training history. Training content 553 includes the content of the guidance that the user gave to the supportee, such as "guidance that... should be given." Work results 554 include work results, such as "introducing one unit on a trial basis."

[0047] <Example of information provision processing on the server> Next, an example of the operation of the information provision process in the server 103 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. In the example of the information provision process shown in Fig. 6, the server 103 provides information to be displayed on the client terminal 102 in response to a login request from a user, a farmer's specification, etc. Note that what will be described as the operation of the client terminal 102 can be realized, for example, by the CPU 202 executing a program stored in the storage 205, etc. Also, what will be described as the operation of the server 103 can be realized, for example, by the CPU 252 executing a program stored in the storage 255, etc.

[0048] In S601, the CPU 252 of the server 103 determines whether the ID and password, which are authentication information included in the login request, are correct. The CPU 252, for example, references the extension instructor data 500 to determine whether an identical ID and password combination exists, and if an identical ID and password combination exists, determines that the authentication information is correct. If the CPU 252 determines that the authentication information is correct, it can identify the user of the client terminal 102. This process starts when the user inputs authentication information and logs in to the client terminal 102, and a login request is sent from the client terminal 102 to the server 103. It is desirable that the server 103 encrypts and stores the password it holds. If the CPU 252 determines that the authentication information is incorrect, it returns a screen to the client terminal 102 indicating that the login failed. On the other hand, if the CPU 252 determines that the authentication information is correct, it generates information that is encrypted or hashed as authorization information valid for a certain period of time, which is a combination of the user ID and the expiration time, etc. If another request is made after the login request from the client terminal 102, the CPU 252 verifies the legitimacy of the user's access by decrypting the authorization information or generating a hash using the same method as when it was generated and determining whether it is identical.

[0049] In S602, the CPU 252 of the server 103 returns the authorization information generated in S601 to the client terminal 102. The client terminal 102 holds the returned authorization information. Although not described further below, when the client terminal 102 sends a request to the server 103, it includes the authorization information in the request and sends it. The CPU 252 of the server 103 that has received the authorization information determines the validity of the authorization information, and if it determines that the information is valid, it proceeds with the processing, but if it determines that the information is invalid, it sends an authentication error to the client terminal 102.

[0050] In S603, the CPU 252 of the server 103 accepts a request to acquire mentor farmer candidates from the client terminal 102. In response to accepting this request, the CPU 252 acquires a list of mentor farmer data 510 linked to the user ID included in the authorization information. That is, the CPU 252 identifies the farmer (support recipient) to whom the (identified) user will provide support. The CPU 252 further acquires farmer data 520 and field data 530 linked to the acquired farmer ID 512. That is, the CPU 252 acquires information about the identified farmer (support recipient) and information about the field operated by the support recipient. Then, based on the acquired information, the CPU 252 generates information for a mentor farmer candidate screen (with farmers and fields expected to be accessed by the user as selection candidates).

[0051] When accepting a request to acquire a mentor farmer candidate, the CPU 252 may accept information indicating the current location of the client terminal 102 acquired from the GPS module 210 and narrow down the selection of candidate farmers based on that location. For example, when acquiring farmer data 520, the CPU 252 may refer to location information 526 and narrow down the candidate farmers to those whose location information 526 is within a predetermined range from the current location of the client terminal 102. For example, the CPU 252 may narrow down the candidate farmers to those whose longitude and latitude differences are less than a certain value, or those whose distance is calculated from the longitude and latitude and is within a certain distance. Narrowing the candidate farmers based on the user's current location allows the user to identify candidate farmers that fit the context, enabling the user to smoothly access the desired information. Furthermore, the CPU 252 may provide the client terminal 102 with information indicating, on a map, at least one of the location of the client terminal, the address of the identified farmer (support recipient), and the location of the field operated by the support recipient. For example, the CPU 252 may include map information in the information on the mentor farmer candidate screen, so that the address of the support recipient and the location of the field that the support recipient manages can be displayed on the map. In this way, the user can visually specify the farmer and the field on the map on the client terminal.

[0052] In S604, the CPU 252 provides the client terminal 102 with information about the screen generated in S603. The client terminal 102 displays the screen on the display unit 208 based on the returned information. When the screen is displayed on the display unit 208, the user designates a specific farmer (i.e., a specific support recipient) from among the farmer selection candidates. In response to the designation of a specific farmer, the client terminal 102 transmits to the server 103 a farmer information acquisition request including the farmer ID (and authorization information) of the farmer designated by the user.

[0053] In S605, the CPU 252 receives a farmer information acquisition request. The CPU 252 acquires farmer data 520 and field data 530 linked to the received farmer ID, and training data 540 linked to the farmer ID and the user ID included in the authorization information. The CPU 252 also acquires training history data 550 linked to the acquired training data 540. After acquiring this information, the CPU 252 generates information for a farmer information display screen (including, for example, information about the specified farmer).

[0054] In S606, the CPU 252 provides the screen information generated in S605 to the client terminal 102. Based on the acquired screen information, the client terminal 102 displays, for example, a screen including information about the specified farmer on the display unit 208. When the screen is displayed on the display unit 208, the user specifies a specific field from among the field selection candidates. In response to the specification of the specific field, the client terminal 102 transmits a field information acquisition request including the field ID (and authorization information) of the field specified by the user to the server 103.

[0055] In S607, the server 103 receives a request to acquire field information. The CPU 252 acquires the field data 530 linked to the received field ID and the training data 540 linked to the field ID. The CPU 252 also acquires the training history data 550 linked to the acquired training data 540. After acquiring this information, the CPU 252 generates information for a field information display screen (including, for example, information about the specified field and the training content).

[0056] In S608, the CPU 252 provides the screen information generated in S607 to the client terminal 102. Based on the acquired screen information, the client terminal 102 displays, for example, a screen including information about the specified farmer and the training content on the display unit 208. When the screen is displayed on the display unit 208, the user can check the screen including detailed information about the farmer and field, and can confirm related information about the farmer and field that the user is currently training while visiting the location.

[0057] In the description of FIG. 6, selection candidates are displayed after login, and farmer information and field information are acquired and displayed in response to a user selection. However, as described above with reference to FIG. 4, farmers may be narrowed down based on search criteria. In this case, the CPU 252 may accept the farmer's name, title, address, location on a map, business status, and information on related cultivators from the user during any of the processes or after S606, and narrow down the farmers. When acquiring farmer data 520, the CPU 252 can narrow down the candidates by exact or partial match of values. Note that information other than the information exemplified in FIG. 5B (e.g., the crop cultivation period) may also be used. Similarly, when acquiring field data 530, the CPU 252 may narrow down the fields using any of the crop, growth information, training content, and work history. Furthermore, when acquiring field data 530 based on training content and work history, the CPU 252 uses training data 540 and training history data 550. By reducing the number of options in this way, smoother access to the desired information can be provided.

[0058] Next, with reference to Fig. 7, examples of screens that the client terminal 102 (CPU 202 thereof) displays on the display unit 208 based on information from the server 103 will be described. In this explanation, examples of a training farmer candidate screen, a farmer information display screen, and a field information display screen will be described. In the example shown in Fig. 7, all of the screens have the same layout, but there are differences in the information displayed in each area. For example, the state in which a specific farmer is designated and area 704, described below, is updated on the training farmer candidate screen will be referred to as the farmer information display screen, and the state in which a specific field is designated and area 705, described below, is updated on the training farmer candidate screen will be referred to as the field information display screen.

[0059] When map information is included on the mentor farmer candidate screen, at least one of the following is displayed on the map shown in area 701: the location of the client terminal, the address of the farmer (support recipient) to whom the user provides support, and the location of the field operated by the support recipient. At this time, the farmer's address and the location of the field are linked to the farmer ID information. In the example shown in Figure 7, the square frame represents the field, and the star mark indicates the current location of the client terminal.

[0060] Area 702 displays a list of farmers (i.e., recipients of support) acquired by server 103 using user IDs and other filtering criteria (this list is also called a candidate farmer list). Each farmer's column in the list displays information about the farmer. The information about the farmer includes typical information such as the farmer's name and address. In the example of Figure 7, items surrounded by a thick frame indicate items selected by the user.

[0061] Area 703 displays a list of fields acquired by the server 103 using the user ID and other filtering conditions (this list is also called the field list). Information about the field is displayed in the column for each field in the list. Typical information about the field, such as the field ID and the field address, is displayed as information about the field. In the example of Figure 7, items surrounded by a thick frame indicate items selected by the user. The user can specify the desired farmer or field from the lists displayed in areas 702 and 703.

[0062] Area 704 is displayed when a farmer is specified, and area 705 is displayed when a field is specified.

[0063] When a specific farmer is selected from among multiple farmers (support recipients) in area 702, the server 103 provides the client terminal 102 with information about the specific farmer and detailed information about the specific farmer. Specifically, (as described above in S605 and S606) the server 103 provides the client terminal 102 with information on the farmer information display screen based on the farmer data 520 and training data 540 linked to the farmer ID. The detailed information about the specific farmer includes, for example, the business situation and the training content. As a result, detailed information about the farmer selected by the user is displayed in area 704.

[0064] Furthermore, when one of the multiple fields in area 703 is specified, the server 103 further provides detailed information about the specified field to the client terminal 102. Specifically, (as described above in S607 and S608) the server 103 provides the client terminal 102 with information on the field information display screen based on the field data 530, training data 540, etc. linked to the field ID. The detailed information about the specified field includes, for example, crop and growth information, training content, etc. Furthermore, the training content may include at least one of the current training content by the user and the past training content (history) by the user for the specified field. As a result, detailed information about the field selected by the user is displayed in area 705.

[0065] Furthermore, when a user specifies a specific farmer or field, the server 103 may update the information on the mentor farmer candidate screen and provide it to the client terminal 102, and update the map display in area 701. At this time, the server 103 may provide information showing a location (e.g., an address) associated with the specified farmer on the map. The server 103 may provide information in which the location associated with the specified farmer and the locations associated with other farmers are distinguished in different ways on the map. Alternatively, when one field out of multiple fields is specified, the server 103 may provide information in which the specified field out of the multiple fields is distinguished in different ways on the map from the other fields. For example, as shown in area 701, the display can be differentiated so that fields owned or cultivated by the specified farmer are indicated by gray circles and the others are indicated by white circles. The specified field may also be displayed with a shaded area to distinguish it from the other fields.

[0066] Furthermore, although not shown, an information disclosure flag may be added as data in Figure 5B, and a farmer information display screen may be displayed with information indicating whether or not information is to be disclosed. The information disclosure flag is set by confirming in advance whether or not it is OK to disclose information to other farmers, and the OK or no information is saved. By allowing users to check this information, it becomes easier for farmers who are providing similar guidance or consultation to share information.

[0067] As described above, in this embodiment, a user (supporter) who provides support to a farmer is identified based on information from a client terminal, and the identified user identifies the farmer (support recipient) who will receive support from among multiple farmers. Information about the support recipient and information about the field operated by the support recipient are then provided to the client terminal for display on the client terminal. This makes it easy to access the information needed when providing support to a farmer.

[0068] (Other embodiments) The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and having one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

[0069] (Disclosure of the present specification) The disclosure of this specification includes the following information processing device, its control method, and program. (Item 1) an identification means for identifying a supporter who provides support to a farmer based on information from the information terminal of the supporter; Identification means for identifying a support recipient to be supported by the identified supporter from among a plurality of farmers; An information processing device characterized by comprising: a provision means for providing information about the identified supported person and information about the field being worked on by the supported person to the supporter's information terminal for display on the supporter's information terminal. (Item 2) The identification means further identifies a support recipient who meets a predetermined condition from among the support recipients to whom the supporter provides support; 2. The information processing device according to item 1, wherein the providing means provides information about the supportee that matches the predetermined condition to the information terminal of the supporter. (Item 3) 3. The information processing device according to item 2, wherein the providing means provides information about a field managed by the supportee that meets the predetermined conditions to the information terminal of the supporter. (Item 4) 4. The information processing device according to item 2 or 3, wherein the predetermined conditions include search conditions set by the supporter. (Item 5) 4. The information processing device according to item 2 or 3, wherein the predetermined condition includes that a position associated with the supportee is included within a predetermined range from the position of the information terminal. (Item 6) The information processing device described in any one of items 1 to 5, characterized in that the providing means further provides information to the information terminal of the supporter showing on a map at least one of the location of the information terminal, the location of the address of the supported person, and the location of the field being worked on by the supported person. (Item 7) The information processing device described in any one of items 1 to 6, characterized in that the providing means provides information about the specific support recipient and detailed information about the specific support recipient to the information terminal of the supporter in response to the designation of the specific support recipient among the support recipients. (Item 8) the providing means, in response to a first field being designated among a plurality of fields managed by the support recipient, further provides detailed information about the first field to the information terminal of the supporter; The information processing device described in any one of items 1 to 7, characterized in that the detailed information includes at least one of the current guidance content by the supporter and the past guidance content by the supporter for the specified field. (Item 9) The information processing device described in item 6 is characterized in that the providing means provides information indicating a location associated with the specific support recipient on the map to the information terminal of the supporter in response to the designation of a specific support recipient among the support recipients. (Item 10) The information processing device described in item 9 is characterized in that the providing means provides information to the information terminal of the supporter in which the location associated with the specific supportee and the location associated with other supportees are distinguished in different ways on the map. (Item 11) The information processing device described in item 6 is characterized in that, in response to the designation of a first field among a plurality of fields managed by the supported person, the providing means provides to the information terminal of the supporter information in which the first field among the plurality of fields and other fields are distinguished in different ways on the map. (Item 12) An information processing device described in any one of items 1 to 11, characterized in that the providing means provides information about the supported person to the information terminal of the supporter, the information including information indicating whether or not the information about the supported person can be disclosed. (Item 13) an identification step of identifying a supporter who provides support to a farmer based on information from an information terminal of the supporter; an identification step of identifying a support recipient to be supported by the identified supporter from among a plurality of farmers; A control method for an information processing device, characterized by comprising a providing step of providing information about the identified supported person and information about the field being worked on by the supported person to the supporter's information terminal for display on the supporter's information terminal. (Item 14) 13. A program for causing a computer to function as each of the means of the information processing device according to any one of items 1 to 12.

[0070] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following claims are appended to apprise the public of the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 102 client terminal, 103 server, 322 processing unit

Claims

1. an identification means for identifying a supporter who provides support to a farmer based on information from the information terminal of the supporter; Identification means for identifying a support recipient to be supported by the identified supporter from among a plurality of farmers; An information processing device characterized by comprising: a provision means for providing information about the identified supported person and information about the field being worked on by the supported person to the supporter's information terminal for display on the supporter's information terminal.

2. The identification means further identifies a support recipient who meets a predetermined condition from among the support recipients to whom the supporter provides support; 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said providing means provides information about said supportee that matches said predetermined condition to an information terminal of said supporter.

3. 3. The information processing device according to claim 2, wherein the providing means provides information on a field managed by the supportee that meets the predetermined conditions to an information terminal of the supporter.

4. 3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined conditions include search conditions set by the supporter.

5. The information processing device according to claim 2 , wherein the predetermined condition includes that a position associated with the supportee is included within a predetermined range from a position of the information terminal.

6. The information processing device described in claim 1, characterized in that the providing means further provides information to the information terminal of the supporter showing on a map at least one of the location of the information terminal, the location of the address of the supportee, and the location of the field being worked on by the supportee.

7. The information processing device described in claim 1, characterized in that the providing means provides information about the specific support recipient and detailed information about the specific support recipient to the information terminal of the supporter in response to the designation of the specific support recipient among the support recipients.

8. the providing means, in response to a first field being designated among a plurality of fields managed by the supportee, further provides detailed information about the first field to the information terminal of the supporter; 2. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the detailed information includes at least one of current guidance content by the supporter and past guidance content by the supporter for the designated field.

9. The information processing device described in claim 6, characterized in that the providing means, in response to the designation of a specific supportee among the supportees, provides information indicating on the map a location associated with the specific supportee to the information terminal of the supporter.

10. The information processing device described in claim 9, characterized in that the providing means provides information to the information terminal of the supporter in which locations associated with the specific supportee and locations associated with other supportees are distinguished in different ways on the map.

11. The information processing device described in claim 6, characterized in that, in response to the designation of a first field among a plurality of fields managed by the supported person, the providing means provides to the information terminal of the supporter information in which the first field among the plurality of fields and other fields are distinguished in different ways on the map.

12. The information processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the providing means provides information to the information terminal of the supporter that includes information about the supportee plus information indicating whether or not the information about the supportee can be disclosed.

13. an identification step of identifying a supporter who provides support to a farmer based on information from an information terminal of the supporter; an identification step of identifying a support recipient to be supported by the identified supporter from among a plurality of farmers; A control method for an information processing device, characterized by comprising a providing step of providing information about the identified supported person and information about the field being worked on by the supported person to the supporter's information terminal for display on the supporter's information terminal.

14. A program for causing a computer to function as each of the means of the information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

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