Layout planning system

Abstract

To simply build or visualize a layout basic plan for installing furniture or communication antennas on a floor.SOLUTION: A system 1 includes: a UE information storage unit 100 which stores a set of structure information and terminal information, the structure information including positions of furniture and data on properties of the furniture, the terminal information including data on positions of communication terminals; an AP information storage unit 103 which stores pairs of antenna information including positions of antennas and properties of the antennas; and a display control unit 105 which causes a display to visually display antennas which can establish communication connection with the communication terminals or communication speed feasible between the communication terminals and the antennas, which are obtained through simulation using the above pairs. The system 1 can display the above result of the simulation using a pair of structure information and terminal information stored in the UE information storage unit 100 and a pair of antenna information stored in the AP information storage unit 103.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a system for virtually displaying the environment within a floor on which a plurality of fixtures are arranged, for example, the state of wireless communication. [Background technology]

[0002] On the floors of offices and other facilities, various fixtures such as desks, chairs, storage furniture, partitions, etc. are arranged to create work spaces, meeting rooms, cafe spaces, etc. In this regard, attempts have been made to use computers to plan, manage, and propose layouts.

[0003] Today, wireless communications such as mobile phone networks, wireless LANs (Local Area Networks), WiMAX (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), etc. are widely used on the floors of offices, stores, accommodation facilities, and other commercial facilities, hospitals, etc. It is not uncommon for not only personal computers and smartphones used by people on the floor, but also printers (including multifunction devices that also function as facsimiles, copiers, and scanners), surveillance cameras, various other sensors, IoT (Internet of Things) gateways, beacons for guiding robots, etc. to be connected to wireless communications networks.

[0004] If we refer to these various devices or equipment that connect wirelessly as communications terminals collectively, in a situation where multiple communications terminals are in operation on a floor, the location of each communications terminal and the people who carry it, as well as the locations of wireless LAN routers, repeaters (line compensators), and other communications antennas, will determine whether wireless communications can be carried out smoothly (connection possible and communications speed fast) or not (connection not possible or communications speed slow).For this reason, the layout of fixtures and communications antennas is important.

[0005] The following patent document discloses a system suitable for creating and visualizing a basic layout plan when arranging multiple fixtures and communication antennas on a floor. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7442951 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] When planning the layout of an office floor, the placement of the necessary fixtures for work and other purposes must be determined, and the locations of each communication device and each person who owns a communication device must be assumed, and then the number of communication antennas to be installed on the floor and their locations on the floor must be considered.If this is not done properly, problems will arise, such as a communication device being unable to connect wirelessly to any of the communication antennas and being unable to communicate, or a large number of communication devices concentrating on one communication antenna will result in a decline in communication speed and quality.

[0008] To optimize the layout of communication antennas on a floor using a layout planning system, one inputs the fixtures and characteristics of each floor, the position and characteristics of each communication terminal, and the position and characteristics of each communication antenna on the floor, runs a simulation of the wireless communication environment based on these, and checks the results.If the simulation results are not satisfactory, one must re-input (change or update) the information about each fixture, each communication terminal, and each communication antenna, run the simulation again, and check the results, thus going through a trial and error process.

[0009] It would be a tedious task for a user to manually input all of the information about each piece of furniture, each communication terminal, and each communication antenna every time a simulation is run. In particular, if the target office or the like is large and has a vast floor, the number of furniture, communication terminals, and communication antennas increases significantly, and manually inputting the positions of all of them would require a great deal of effort.

[0010] The present invention has as its intended object the further simplification of the work of creating and visualizing a basic layout plan when arranging fixtures and communication antennas within a floor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The present invention virtually displays the state of wireless communication within a floor on which a plurality of pieces of furniture are arranged, and includes a UE (User's Equipment) information storage unit that stores a set of structure information including data on the positions of one or more pieces of furniture arranged within the floor and the characteristics of each piece of furniture, and terminal information including data on the positions of one or more communication terminals located within the floor, and an AP (Access Point) that stores a set of antenna information including data on the positions of one or more antennas arranged within the floor for wireless communication with the communication terminals and the characteristics of each antenna. and a display control unit that causes a display to display on a screen to present to a user the results of a simulation performed based on the sets of the structure information and the terminal information and the sets of antenna information, which visualizes which antennas within a floor a communication terminal can communicate with or the communication speeds that can be achieved between the communication terminal and the antennas, wherein the AP information storage unit can store a plurality of sets of antenna information for a plurality of different patterns in which the antennas are placed within a floor, and the display control unit can cause a display to display on a screen the results of a simulation performed using one set of the structure information and the terminal information stored in the UE information storage unit and a set of antenna information related to one pattern of antenna placement within a floor that is stored in the AP information storage unit, and can also cause a display to display on a screen the results of a simulation performed using one set of the structure information and the terminal information stored in the UE information storage unit and a set of antenna information related to another pattern of antenna placement within a floor that is stored in the AP information storage unit.

[0012] In this way, the layout of fixtures and the locations of communication terminals on a floor can be standardized as given, and then several patterns for the placement of communication antennas on the floor can be created, and simulations can be run for each of these multiple patterns, and the results of each can be easily confirmed. This in turn simplifies the process of finding the optimal placement of communication antennas.

[0013] Furthermore, the present invention provides a virtual display of the state of wireless communication within a floor on which a plurality of fixtures are arranged, the virtual display comprising: a UE information storage unit that stores a set of structure information including data on the positions of one or more fixtures arranged within the floor and characteristics of each fixture, and terminal information including data on the positions of one or more communication terminals located within the floor; an AP information storage unit that stores a set of antenna information including data on the positions of one or more antennas arranged within the floor for wireless communication with the communication terminals and characteristics of each antenna; and a display control unit that visualizes and presents to a user which antenna within the floor can be connected to for communication by a communication terminal, or a communication speed that can be achieved between a communication terminal and an antenna, which is a result of simulation based on the set of the structure information and the set of the terminal information and the set of the antenna information. The layout planning system can store a plurality of sets of structure information for a plurality of different patterns in which the fixtures are arranged within the floor, and / or can store a plurality of sets of terminal information for a plurality of different patterns in which the locations of the communication terminals located within the floor are different, and the display control unit can display on a display the results simulated using one set of antenna information stored in the AP information storage unit and a set of structure information and terminal information related to one pattern of the fixture arrangement within the floor and the location of the communication terminals, which are stored in the UE information storage unit, and can display on a display the results simulated using the one set of antenna information stored in the AP information storage unit and a set of structure information and terminal information related to another pattern of the fixture arrangement within the floor and the location of the communication terminals, which are stored in the UE information storage unit.

[0014] When rearranging or changing the use of an office floor, access points such as wireless LAN routers and repeaters (line compensators) are installed in advance on the ceiling of the floor, and the placement of fixtures and / or communication terminals must be considered based on this assumption. According to the above invention, the placement of communication antennas on the floor is standardized as a given, and then several patterns for the placement of fixtures and / or communication terminals on the floor can be created, and simulations can be run for each of these multiple patterns, making it easy to confirm the results of each. This simplifies the process of finding the optimal placement of fixtures and / or communication terminals.

[0015] In addition, it is preferable that the display control unit displays on the display an evaluation score corresponding to the strength of the communication radio waves emitted from the antenna at each position within the floor, which is the result of a simulation based on the set of structure information, terminal information, and antenna information.

[0016] It is also preferable that the display control unit displays on a display an evaluation score corresponding to the communication speed achievable between the communication terminal and the antenna at each position within the floor, which is the result of simulation based on the set of structure information and / or terminal information and the set of antenna information.

[0017] The program (or program product) used to configure the layout planning system of the present invention causes a computer to function as: a UE information storage unit that stores a set of structure information including data on the positions of one or more pieces of furniture to be placed on the floor and the characteristics of each piece of furniture, and terminal information including data on the positions of one or more communication terminals located on the floor; an AP information storage unit that stores a set of antenna information including data on the positions of one or more antennas to be placed on the floor for wireless communication with the communication terminals and the characteristics of each antenna; and a display control unit that visualizes and presents to a user on a display which antennas on the floor a communication terminal can communicate with, or the communication speed that can be achieved between a communication terminal and an antenna, which are results simulated based on the set of structure information and terminal information and the set of antenna information.

[0018] The AP information storage unit can store multiple sets of antenna information for multiple patterns in which the antennas are placed at different positions within the floor, and the display control unit can display on a display the results simulated using one set of the structure information and the terminal information stored in the UE information storage unit and a set of antenna information related to one pattern of antenna placement within the floor stored in the AP information storage unit, and can display on a display the results simulated using one set of the structure information and the terminal information stored in the UE information storage unit and a set of antenna information related to another pattern of antenna placement within the floor stored in the AP information storage unit.

[0019] In addition, the UE information storage unit can store multiple sets of structure information and / or terminal information for multiple patterns in which the locations of the fixtures on the floor and / or the locations of the communication terminals are different from one another, and the display control unit can display on a display the results simulated using one set of antenna information stored in the AP information storage unit and a set of structure information and terminal information related to one pattern of the fixture placement on the floor and the location of the communication terminals stored in the UE information storage unit, and can display on a display the results simulated using one set of antenna information stored in the AP information storage unit and a set of structure information and terminal information related to another pattern of the fixture placement on the floor and the location of the communication terminals stored in the UE information storage unit.

[0020] A method according to the present invention for virtually displaying the status of wireless communication within a floor on which multiple fixtures are arranged comprises a UE information storage step for storing a set of structure information including data on the positions of one or more fixtures arranged within the floor and the characteristics of each fixture, and terminal information including data on the positions of one or more communication terminals located within the floor; an AP information storage step for storing a set of antenna information including data on the positions of one or more antennas arranged within the floor for wireless communication with the communication terminals and the characteristics of each antenna; and a display control step for visualizing and presenting to a user on a display which antennas within the floor the communication terminal can communicate with, or the communication speed that can be achieved between the communication terminal and the antenna, which are results simulated based on the structure information, the set of terminal information, and the set of antenna information.

[0021] In the AP information storage step, multiple sets of antenna information for multiple patterns in which the antennas are placed within the floor at different positions can be stored, and in the display control step, the results simulated using one set of the structure information and the terminal information stored in the UE information storage unit and a set of antenna information related to one pattern of antenna placement within the floor stored in the AP information storage unit can be displayed on a display screen, and the results simulated using one set of the structure information and the terminal information stored in the UE information storage unit and a set of antenna information related to another pattern of antenna placement within the floor stored in the AP information storage unit can be displayed on a display screen.

[0022] In addition, the UE information storage step can store multiple sets of structure information and / or terminal information for multiple patterns in which the locations of the fixtures on the floor and / or the locations of the communication terminals are different from one another, and the display control step can display on a display the results simulated using one set of antenna information stored in the AP information storage unit and a set of structure information and terminal information related to one pattern of the fixture placement on the floor and the location of the communication terminals stored in the UE information storage unit, and can display on a display the results simulated using one set of antenna information stored in the AP information storage unit and a set of structure information and terminal information related to another pattern of the fixture placement on the floor and the location of the communication terminals stored in the UE information storage unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0023] According to the present invention, the work of creating and visualizing a basic layout plan for arranging fixtures and communication antennas on a floor can be further simplified. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing hardware resources of a computer that is the main body of the system according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a computer according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a floor screen display by the computer according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen display of a floor and fixture layout by the computer of the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen display of a floor and fixture layout by the computer of the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating units and groups of fixtures arranged on a floor in the embodiment. [Figure 8A] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a portion of the content of structure information stored in a UE information storage unit in the embodiment. [Figure 8B] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a portion of the content of structure information stored in a UE information storage unit in the embodiment. [Figure 8C] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a portion of the content of structure information stored in a UE information storage unit in the embodiment. [Figure 8D] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a portion of the content of structure information stored in a UE information storage unit in the embodiment. [Figure 9A] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a portion of the content of structure information stored in a UE information storage unit in the embodiment. [Figure 9B] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a portion of the content of structure information stored in a UE information storage unit in the embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the contents of terminal information stored in a UE information storage unit in the embodiment. [Figure 11] 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the contents of antenna information stored in an AP information storage unit in the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 12] 3A to 3C are diagrams illustrating operations performed by a user in the embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a placement of people or communication terminals automatically generated by the system of the embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the contents of terminal information automatically generated by the system of the embodiment. [Figure 15] 3A to 3C are diagrams illustrating operations performed by a user in the embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a placement of people or communication terminals automatically generated by the system of the embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the contents of terminal information automatically generated by the system of the embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen display of a simulation result of a wireless communication environment by the computer according to the embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen display of a simulation result of a wireless communication environment by the computer according to the embodiment. [Figure 20] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen display of a simulation result of a wireless communication environment by the computer according to the embodiment. [Figure 21] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen display of a simulation result of a wireless communication environment by the computer according to the embodiment. [Figure 22] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen display of a simulation result of a wireless communication environment by the computer according to the embodiment. [Figure 23] 10A and 10B are conceptual diagrams illustrating patterns for simulating a wireless communication environment by the computer of the embodiment. [Figure 24] 10A and 10B are conceptual diagrams illustrating patterns for simulating a wireless communication environment by the computer of the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The layout planning system of this embodiment supports the construction of a wireless communication environment in which multiple pieces of furniture F and multiple wireless communication antennas R are arranged on a floor of an office or the like. This system is mainly configured with a computer 1 used by a user who is planning the layout.

[0026] Here, the communication antenna R refers to a general device that performs wireless communication with a communication terminal T present on the floor, thereby transmitting and / or receiving text data, still image data, moving image data, audio data, and other various data. Typically, it is a wireless LAN router or repeater (line compensator), including what is known as an access point. It may also be a base station for a mobile phone network outside the building. In addition, the communication terminal T used by person H may itself be the communication antenna R referred to here. This is because a communication terminal T may perform wireless communication with another communication terminal T using proximity communication such as tethering or Bluetooth, or may form a so-called mesh network. In other words, the position of the communication antenna R is not necessarily fixed within the floor, but may move.

[0027] Communication terminal T refers to any device or equipment within a floor that can communicate wirelessly with communication antenna R. Personal computers (desktop computers and laptop (notebook) computers), tablets, wearable computers, and mobile phones, such as smartphones, used by people H who are active within the floor generally fall under the category of communication terminal T. In addition to devices directly used or carried by people H, printers (including multifunction devices that also function as fax machines, copiers, and scanners), surveillance cameras, temperature sensors, humidity sensors, barometric pressure sensors, O2 sensors, and other sensors, IoT (Internet of Things) gateways, mobile objects such as robots and drones, and beacons for guiding mobile objects, all fall under the category of communication terminal T connected to a wireless communication network. The location of communication terminal T is not necessarily fixed or stationary within the floor, but may move. For example, relatively large devices such as desktop computers do not move normally, but mobile phones and other devices may be constantly moving.

[0028] A floor where fixtures F are arranged and where multiple people H stay, act, or are active may have multiple floors V above and below it, just like the interior of a building. In reality, a communication terminal T located on a certain floor V may connect to an antenna R installed on an upper or lower floor V, rather than an antenna R installed on the same floor V. The layout planning system of this embodiment can also output and present to the user the results of a simulation of such communication across floors V.

[0029] The existing fixtures F on each floor V, the building's framework, ceilings, floors, etc., the location of communication terminals T and people H (human bodies), and antennas R all affect the possibility of a communication connection and the communication speed between a certain communication terminal T and a certain antenna R. Not only those on the floor V where the target communication terminal T is located, but also those on the floors V above and V below can affect the possibility of a communication connection and the communication speed. There is a possibility that the reflection and absorption of electromagnetic waves by the ceilings and floors between a certain floor V (a communication terminal T located there) and another floor V (an antenna R installed there) can be significant. In the simulation, calculations are performed taking into consideration the fixtures F, buildings, people, etc. on other floors V, as well as radio wave interference. It is also preferable to take into account external waves propagating from outside the floor into the floor.

[0030] As shown in Figure 1, a computer 1 used by a user of this layout planning system can connect to an external computer 2 via a telecommunications line 3 and communicate information with the computer 2. Specific examples of the telecommunications line 3 include public networks such as the Internet, public telephone networks, mobile phone networks, PHS (Personal Handyphone System) networks, public wireless LANs, WiMAX, and other mobile wireless communication networks. However, the entire communication path connecting the user's computer 1 and the external computer 2 is not necessarily a public network. For example, each computer 1 may be directly connected to a private wired or wireless LAN and indirectly connect to a public network such as the Internet via that LAN.

[0031] The computer 1 is, for example, a personal computer, a tablet, a wearable computer, a mobile phone terminal, etc. As shown in Fig. 2, the computer 1 includes hardware resources such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 1a, a main memory 1b, an auxiliary storage device 1c, an operation input device 1d, an audio codec 1e, a video codec 1f, a communication interface 1g, a speaker 1h, a display 1i, a microphone 1j, and a camera (image sensor) 1k, which are controlled by a controller (system controller, I / O controller, etc.) 1l to operate in cooperation with each other.

[0032] The auxiliary storage device 1c may be a flash memory, hard disk drive, optical disk drive, or the like. The operation input device 1d may be a touch panel, trackpad, pointing device such as a mouse, or a push button, keyboard, or the like that can be operated with fingers. The touch panel 1d may be superimposed on the screen of the display 1i. The audio codec 1e encodes audio input via the microphone 1j and decodes the encoded audio data to output it as audio from the speaker 1h. The video codec 1f includes a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) that generates the screen to be displayed based on drawing instructions received from the CPU 1a and sends the screen signal to the display 1i, as well as video memory that temporarily stores screen and image data. The audio codec 1e and video codec 1f can also be implemented as software rather than hardware.

[0033] The communication interface 1g is a device for transmitting and receiving information to and from an external computer 2 via an electric communication line 3, and may be a Wi-Fi (registered trademark) device for wireless LAN, a wireless device for a mobile wireless communication network, a Bluetooth transceiver for short-range communication, a NIC (Network Interface Card) for Ethernet (registered trademark), etc. In addition to these, an interface such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) may also be implemented.

[0034] The program to be executed by the CPU 1a is stored in the auxiliary storage device 1c, and when the program is executed, it is read from the auxiliary storage device 1c into the main memory 1b and decoded by the CPU 1a. In this embodiment, a known OS (Operating System) program and various associated device driver programs are pre-installed and mediate the use of hardware resources by other programs.

[0035] A program required for constructing the layout planning system of this embodiment is installed in the computer 1. This program may be a script written in HTML (HyperText Markup Language), JavaScript (registered trademark), or the like, provided from a web server or other external computer 2 via a telecommunications line 3 and run on a web browser (interpreted and executed by the web browser). In accordance with the program, the computer 1 fulfills the functions of a UE information storage unit 100 (a structure information storage unit 101 and a terminal information storage unit 102), an AP information storage unit 103, an input receiving unit 104, and a display control unit 105 shown in FIG. 3 .

[0036] The UE information storage unit 100 uses a required storage area of ​​the main memory 1b or the auxiliary storage device 1c to store a set of structure information including data on the positions of one or more fixtures F and other structures arranged on the floor and the characteristics of each fixture F and other structure, and terminal information including data on the positions of one or more communication terminals T located on the floor. The UE information storage unit 100 includes a structure information storage unit 101 that stores structure information, and a terminal information storage unit 102 that stores terminal information.

[0037] The structure information storage unit 101 uses a required storage area of ​​the main memory 1b or the auxiliary storage device 1c to store structure information including data on the positions of structures, including fixtures F arranged on a floor, and the characteristics of each structure. The structure refers to the fixtures F and their units U or blocks B, as well as the building frame, columns, ceilings, floors, walls, and other building materials that embody the floor (level V).

[0038] As shown in Figures 4 to 6, in this embodiment, a desired area within the floor plan M is set as an area A where fixtures F, etc. should be placed, and appropriate structures such as units U of fixtures F and / or blocks B of fixtures F can be placed within each area A.

[0039] As shown in Figure 7, a unit U is a state in which one or more pieces of furniture F are arranged in a space of a specified dimension on an actual floor. A plurality of such units U connected together are considered to be one block B. The width and depth dimensions of one unit U on an actual floor are, for example, 1500mm x 1500mm, 3000mm x 1500mm, 3000mm x 3000mm, 6000mm x 3000mm, 9000mm x 4500mm, etc.

[0040] 8A and 8B, the structure information storage unit 101 stores, as part of the structure information, data such as dimensions, two-dimensional image data, three-dimensional data (which may be in a data format that can be read and processed by existing CAD (Computer-Aided Design) application software), material (and other characteristics that may affect electromagnetic waves that transmit wireless communications), product name, price, type, model number, etc., for each structure such as a fixture F (or a unit U consisting of multiple fixtures F or a block B consisting of multiple units U), in association with an identifier that identifies the structure. Data for each block B includes the dimensions of the block B, the identifiers of each of the multiple units U belonging to the block B, coordinate values ​​that define the location of each unit U within the block B, and the orientation of the unit U within the block B (which direction it faces, north, south, east, or west, and its azimuth angle), in association with an identifier that identifies the block B. In addition, for each block B, information specifying which type of area A the block B is applicable to, i.e., information indicating which type of area A the fixtures F belonging to that block B are suitable for placement in, may be stored and associated with the identifier of that block B.

[0041] 8C and 8D, the structure information storage unit 101 stores, as part of the structure information, data such as dimensions (including thickness), two-dimensional image data, three-dimensional data, material (and other characteristics that may affect electromagnetic waves that transmit wireless communications), name, and type for each structure such as the skeleton, columns, beams, ceilings, floors, walls, and other building materials of a building, in association with an identifier that identifies the structure. The structures that are components of a building include inner materials (e.g., uncovered bases such as floor slabs, columns, beams, and walls) that are not necessarily visible to people H and are located on each floor V, and outer materials (e.g., floor panels and carpets laid on floor slabs, ceiling panels supported below the floor slabs, wallpaper, panels, etc. that cover the outer surfaces of bases such as columns, beams, and walls) that are visible to people H. Furthermore, as part of the structure information, the structure information storage unit 101 stores and holds, for each floor V of the building, data on its dimensions (dimensions along the east-west direction (or width direction, left-right direction) and dimensions along the north-south direction (or depth direction, front-to-back direction)), ceiling height (the vertical dimension from the top surface of the floor (floor panel) of that floor V to the bottom surface of the ceiling), floor height (the height from the top surface of the floor slab of that floor V to the top surface of the floor (floor panel)), and story height (the height from the top surface of the floor (floor panel) of that floor V to the top surface of the floor (floor panel) of the floor V immediately above), in association with an identifier that identifies that floor V. For structures such as columns, beams, and walls, the floor V on which each structure is located and the coordinate values ​​and orientation that define its position within that floor V may be stored and held in association with an identifier that identifies the structure.

[0042] 9A and 9B, as part of the structure information, for each area A in which a structure such as a fixture F, unit U, or block B is located, the structure information storage unit 101 stores and retains in the main memory 1b or the auxiliary storage device 1c the floor V on which the area A is located and the coordinate values ​​of multiple vertices P that define the outline O of the area A on that floor V, in association with an identifier that identifies the area A. Then, for each structure such as a fixture F, unit U, or block B located in the area A on any of the floors V, the coordinate values ​​and orientation that define its location, an identifier that identifies the floor V and area A in which the structure is located, and the like are stored and retained in association with an identifier that identifies the structure.

[0043] The structure information stored in the structure information storage unit 101 may be manually input by a user who intends to use this system to create a floor layout plan, may be automatically generated by the computer 1 according to a program (using rule-based AI (Authificial Interigence) or deep learning AI, etc.), or may be downloaded from an external computer 2 via a telecommunications line 3.

[0044] The terminal information storage unit 102 uses a required storage area of ​​the main memory 1b or the auxiliary storage device 1c to store terminal information including data relating to the positions of one or more people H, devices, or moving objects located on the floor.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 10 , the terminal information storage unit 102 stores, as terminal information, information specifying the location within a floor (which floor V the communication terminal T is located on and its two-dimensional or three-dimensional position coordinates within the floor V) for each communication terminal T, or for each person H or moving object carrying the communication terminal T, or for each person H not carrying the communication terminal T, the type of the communication terminal T (whether the communication terminal T is carried by the person H, or a moving object such as a robot or drone that is not carried by the person H and moves autonomously within the floor, or an immobile device or apparatus other than the above (for example, a printer (including a multifunction device that also functions as a facsimile, copy machine, or scanner), a surveillance camera or other various sensors, an IoT gateway, a beacon for guiding a robot or drone, etc.)), a communication method or communication standard that can be used by the communication terminal T (or a frequency band, etc., for example, 2.4 GHz band, 5 GHz band, UWB (Ultra Wide Band), etc.), The data such as the location of the communication terminal T (band, etc.), the purpose of the wireless communication by the communication terminal T (sending or receiving data such as e-mail or documents, voice call, video conference, etc.) is stored in association with an identifier that identifies the communication terminal T, person H, or individual mobile object. Although a living person H does not itself communicate wirelessly with any of the antennas R within the floor, the presence of a human body can affect the wireless communication environment within the floor (radio wave propagation, field strength distribution), so it is useful to obtain and use the location information of the person H for highly accurate simulations.

[0046] The communication terminal T may be a device that does not generally move within a floor, such as a desktop computer, printer, surveillance camera, other sensor, or beacon; a device that is sometimes carried and moved by the person H, such as a laptop computer; or a device that moves with the person H from time to time, such as a smartphone. Similarly, there are people H who do not generally move within a floor (remain in the same place for a certain period of time), and there are people H who move within a floor occasionally or frequently. For moving communication terminals T, people H, and moving objects, the terminal information contains time-series data of the two-dimensional or three-dimensional coordinates of their current position that changes along their movement line (movement path) C. The movement line C may be completed within the same floor V, or it may transition from one floor V to another floor V along the way. In the latter case, information about the floor V on which the position is located is added to the coordinates of the current position on the movement line C.

[0047] The terminal information stored in the terminal information storage unit 102 may be manually input by a user who intends to use this system to create a floor layout plan, may be automatically generated by the computer 1 according to a program (using rule-based AI (Authificial Interigence) or deep learning AI, etc.), or may be downloaded from an external computer 2 via a telecommunications line 3.

[0048] In this layout planning system, the structure information storage unit 101, which is part of the UE information storage unit 100, may store a plurality of sets of structure information for a plurality of patterns in which the positions of various fixtures F within a floor (or each of its stories V) are different from one another. Also, the terminal information storage unit 102, which is part of the UE information storage unit 100, may store a plurality of sets of terminal information for a plurality of patterns in which the positions of each communication terminal T located within a floor are different from one another.

[0049] The AP information storage unit 103 uses a required storage area of ​​the main memory 1b or the auxiliary storage device 1c to store environmental condition information including data on factors that affect the activities of people H, equipment, or mobile objects located on the floor. The system of this embodiment presents to the user simulation results of the wireless communication environment of a floor on which fixtures F and antennas R are arranged. Therefore, the AP information storage unit 103 stores, as environmental condition information, antenna information including data on the positions of one or more antennas R that communicate wirelessly with a communication terminal T located on the floor and the characteristics of each antenna R.

[0050] As shown in Figure 11, the AP information storage unit 103 stores and retains, as antenna information, for each antenna R, data such as information specifying its location within the floor (which floor V it is located on and its two-dimensional or three-dimensional position coordinates within that floor V), the communication method or communication standard (or frequency band, etc.) that can be used by that antenna R, and the radio wave strength for wireless communication radiated from that antenna R (antenna power (output dBm)), in association with an identifier that identifies that antenna R.

[0051] Antenna R may be a fixed device that does not move within a floor, such as a wireless LAN router or repeater, or it may be mobile, such as a communication terminal T carried by person H. For a mobile antenna R, the terminal information contains time-series data of the two-dimensional or three-dimensional coordinates of its current position that changes along its flow line. The flow line may be completed within the same floor V, or it may transition from one floor V to another floor V along the way. In the latter case, information about the floor V on which the position is located is added to the coordinates of the position on the flow line.

[0052] The antenna information may also include data related to foreign waves that interfere with electromagnetic waves for wireless communication within a floor. Specific examples of foreign waves include electromagnetic waves emitted by microwave ovens, cordless telephones, etc., electromagnetic waves emitted by antennas or other access points outside the floor, and radar waves (weather radar, air traffic control radar, ship radar) that penetrate into the floor from outside. Data related to foreign waves includes information specifying the location of the source (the height corresponding to floor V within or outside the floor, and the two-dimensional or three-dimensional position coordinates of the source on floor V; the source may be located at or near infinity as viewed from the floor where furniture F is located and people H are active), the communication method or standard (or frequency band, etc.) used by the source, the radio wave strength (antenna power) of the foreign waves emitted from the source, or the reach of the foreign waves on floor V (e.g., a range of 3000 mm from the exterior wall, etc.), all of which are stored in association with an identifier that identifies the source.

[0053] The environmental condition information, that is, the antenna information, stored in the AP information storage unit 103 may be downloaded from an external computer 2 via the telecommunications line 3 .

[0054] In this layout planning system, the AP information storage unit 103 may store a plurality of sets of antenna information for a plurality of patterns in which the positions at which each antenna R is placed within a floor (or each story V thereof) are different from each other.

[0055] The input receiving unit 104 receives a user's manual operation for inputting at least a part or all of the above-mentioned structure information, terminal information, and / or environmental condition information via the operation input device 1d. The input information is stored in the structure information storage unit 101, the terminal information storage unit 102, or the AP information storage unit 103, respectively.

[0056] A note on the input of terminal information in this system: In order to accurately simulate the wireless communication environment within a floor, time-series information on the current location of each person H and device or mobile object acting as a communication terminal T is essential. However, it would be an extremely tedious task for a user to manually input the time-series current locations of all people H, devices, and mobile objects on the floor one by one. In particular, if the target office or the like is large and the floor is expansive, the number of people and devices increases significantly, making it practically difficult to manually input the specific locations of all of them at each point in time.

[0057] Therefore, in this embodiment, instead of accepting input of the time series of the current locations of each person H or each communication terminal T located on the floor, the input accepting unit 104 accepts input of a simple definition of how a group of multiple people H or communication terminals T behave on the floor or where they are scattered on the floor. Then, based on the accepted definition, the time series of the current locations of each person H and each communication terminal T is automatically generated in the computer 1 according to a program.

[0058] For a person H (person H who may or may not carry a communication terminal T) moving within a floor or a mobile object that is a communication terminal T, the definition input receiving unit 104 receives input of a definition of a flow line C along which the person H and the communication terminal T will pass, and a definition of the amount of traffic of the person H and the communication terminal T along the flow line C. The definition of the flow line C includes two-dimensional or three-dimensional coordinates of multiple positions C1, C2, C3, and C4 that the person H and the communication terminal T will pass through sequentially as they move. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, a user performs an operation to specify multiple positions C1, C2, C3, and C4 on a floor plan M of any level V of a floor displayed on the screen of the display 1i of the computer 1. A straight line or curve connecting these multiple positions C1, C2, C3, and C4 constitutes a single flow line C. The definition input receiving unit 104 receives input from the user manually specifying positions C1, C2, C3, and C4 in sequence via an operation input device (particularly, a touch panel, a pointing device such as a mouse, or a keyboard) 1d, and obtains the position coordinates of each position C1, C2, C3, and C4 within the floor as a definition of the flow line C. The same applies to positions C5, C6, C7, and C8 in Figure 12, which are different from the flow line C defined by positions C1, C2, C3, and C4.

[0059] In addition, the user inputs a value that defines the traffic volume of people H and communication terminals T moving along the previously set flow line C into an input field (box) N1 displayed on the screen of the display 1i, or selects from among the options in a pull-down menu. Specific examples of values ​​that define the traffic volume include: The number of people H or communication devices T simultaneously passing along the target flow line C (this may be the number of people H or communication devices T always present on the flow line C, or the number of people H or communication devices T present on the flow line C on average (the number of people H or communication devices T on the target flow line C may increase or decrease instantaneously, but on average over time, that number of people is passing along the target flow line C)) The period in which a person H or a communication terminal T that starts passing through the target traffic flow C appears (for example, a predetermined period of time of one minute to several minutes, ten to several tens of minutes, or one to several hours. This may be a fixed period, or an average period (the time difference between the appearance of one person H or one communication terminal T and the appearance of the next person H or one communication terminal T may be long or short)). The probability (%) that a person H or a communication device T will appear along the target flow C for each unit of time (for example, a predetermined length of time, such as one minute or several minutes, ten to several tens of minutes, or one to several hours). The definition input receiving unit 104 receives a value specifying the traffic volume input by the user via the operation input device (particularly, a touch panel, a pointing device such as a mouse, or a keyboard) 1d, and obtains the numerical value as the definition of the traffic volume for the target flow line C. Note that the user can also specify the same value uniformly for multiple flow lines C at once, in which case the definition input receiving unit 104 obtains the input value as the definition of the traffic volume for the multiple target flow lines C. The computer 1 temporarily stores the definition of the traffic volume for each flow line C in the main memory 1b or the auxiliary storage device 1c.

[0060] In addition to the above, the user may define the communication method or standard (or frequency band, etc.) used by the person H or communication terminal T moving along the target flow line C for wireless communication, and / or the purpose of the wireless communication by the person H or communication terminal T (application, such as text communication like e-mail or chat, voice call, video exchange, etc., or the amount of communication consumed for wireless communication (bps / sec)). This definition may also include a definition of a person H who does not use wireless communication along the flow line C, i.e., who does not carry a portable communication terminal T. The user enters a value specifying the communication method or standard (including an option for a person who does not carry a communication terminal T) into an input field N2 displayed on the screen of the display 1i or selects from options in a pull-down menu. The definition input accepting unit 104 accepts the value manually entered by the user via the operation input device (e.g., a touch panel, a pointing device such as a mouse, or a keyboard) 1d and recognizes the value as the definition of the communication method or standard used by the person H or communication terminal T along the target flow line C. The user can also specify the same communication method or communication standard collectively and uniformly for multiple flow lines C, in which case the definition input receiving unit 104 recognizes the input value as the definition of the communication method or communication standard for the multiple target flow lines C. The computer 1 temporarily stores the definition of the communication method or communication standard for each flow line C in the main memory 1b or the auxiliary storage device 1c.

[0061] The movement speed of a person H or a communication terminal T moving along the target flow line C may be set to a predetermined value or randomly within a predetermined range of values. The speed at which a person H or a communication terminal T moves within a floor of an office or the like is typically considered to be approximately the walking speed of an adult. If the target flow line C spans multiple floors V, i.e., when a person H or a communication terminal T traveling along this flow line C moves from one floor V to another floor V during the process, the movement speed during that movement may be set to a value different from the movement speed when moving within the same floor V. For example, the value may be set according to the speed of going up and down stairs or the time required to move between floors by elevator. Setting the movement speed of the person H or the communication terminal T in a program executed by the computer 1 eliminates the need for a user to manually input the movement speed value. However, this does not preclude the user from determining the movement speed and manually inputting the value. In this case, the definition input receiving unit 104 receives the value input by the user via an operation input device (particularly, a touch panel, a pointing device such as a mouse, or a keyboard) 1d, and recognizes the numerical value as the definition of the movement speed of the person H or the communication terminal T on the target flow line C. Note that the user can also specify the same movement speed collectively and uniformly for multiple flow lines C, in which case the definition input receiving unit 104 recognizes the input value as the definition of the movement speed for the multiple target flow lines C. The computer 1 temporarily stores the definition of the movement speed for each flow line C in the main memory 1b or the auxiliary storage device 1c.

[0062] The computer 1 automatically generates a time series of two-dimensional or three-dimensional coordinates of the current positions of each of multiple people H or communication terminals T moving along each flow line C, without user intervention. Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 13 , for a certain flow line C, virtual individuals of the passing people H or communication terminals T are sequentially set so as to satisfy the conditions for defining the traffic volume associated with that flow line C. The initial positions of each individual H, T along the flow line C may be a fixed position, one of multiple fixed positions, or a random position along the flow line C. Another option is to determine the initial positions of each individual H, T so that the distance between the individuals H, T is approximately equal. Alternatively, the user may manually specify the initial positions of the individuals H, T (which may be individual initial positions for each individual H, T, or one or more initial positions shared by multiple individuals H, T) via the definition input receiving unit 104. The direction in which each individual H, T moves from its initial position on the flow line C may be constant or random. As indicated by the arrows in FIG. 13, the direction of movement from the initial position may be alternated for each successively generated individual H, T. When the individual H, T reaches the start or end of the target flow line C, the movement direction of the individual H, T may be reversed (i.e., the individual H, T may travel back and forth along the flow line C), or the individual H, T may be eliminated (removed from the flow line C). In any case, the number of individuals H, T simultaneously present on the target flow line C is made to match the definition of the traffic volume for the flow line C entered by the user.

[0063] Then, for each individual H, T on the target flow line C, the computer 1 calculates the coordinates of its current location for each unit of time (e.g., a predetermined time unit of one second or several seconds). To calculate the current location, the computer 1 references the movement speed of the person H or communication terminal T defined for the flow line C and calculates the current position coordinates of each person H or communication terminal T, which are displaced by the movement speed along the flow line C from the position coordinates of the most recent past (going back a unit of time from the current time). By repeating this process of calculating the current position coordinates from the most recent past position coordinates, a time series of the transition of the position coordinates of each person H or communication terminal is obtained. As already mentioned, the movement speed of the target individuals H, T may differ when they are moving within the same floor V (the current positions of the individuals H, T are at a location on the flow line C) and when they are moving from one floor V to another floor V (the current positions of the individuals H, T are at a location that crosses floors V on the flow line C).

[0064] In this way, as illustrated in FIG. 14, a time series of the individual current position coordinates of multiple people H and communication terminals T moving along each of multiple flow lines C is obtained. This time series data is stored in the terminal information storage unit 102 as terminal information. A user of this system can provide a simulator with a time series of the current positions of multiple moving objects that are multiple people H or communication terminals T, simply by entering a definition for each flow line C (multiple positions C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, and C8 on that flow line C), the number of people H or communication terminals T passing by, and, if necessary, a communication method or communication standard. The user does not have to manually enter multiple position coordinates of each person H or terminal T, which change every moment.

[0065] The people H automatically generated and placed on the flow line C may all be required to carry a communication terminal T, or there may be a mixture of people H who carry a communication terminal T and people H who do not.

[0066] Furthermore, for a person H (person H who may or may not carry a communication terminal T) who does not move around the floor or a device that becomes the communication terminal T, the definition input accepting unit 104 accepts an input of a definition of an area A on the floor where the person H or the communication terminal T stays, and the number or stay rate of the person H or the communication terminal T in the area A. The definition of the area A includes any of the following: an identifier that identifies the target area A; a floor V on which the target area A exists and the coordinates of multiple vertices P that define the contour O of the area A; or information that specifies the type of the target area A (without individually specifying each area A itself). For example, as shown in FIG. 15 , the user performs an operation to specify an arbitrary area A on a floor plan M of any floor V of the floor displayed on the screen of the display 1i of the computer 1, or an operation to specify the type of the arbitrary area A. In the operation to specify the type of area A, a value that specifies the type is entered into an input field displayed on the screen of the display 1i, or a value is selected from candidates in a pull-down menu. The definition input receiving unit 104 receives input from the user specifying the target area A or the type of the target area A via an operation input device (particularly, a touch panel, a pointing device such as a mouse, or a keyboard) 1d, and obtains the target area A or type.

[0067] Additionally, the user inputs a value that defines the number or stay rate of people H or communication terminals T staying in the previously specified area A or each area A belonging to the specified type into an input field N3 displayed on the screen of the display 1i, or selects from among the options in a pull-down menu. Specific examples of values ​​that define the number or stay rate include: The number within the target area A (this may be the number of people H or communication terminals T that are always present within area A, or the number of people H or communication terminals T that are present within area A on average (the number of people H or communication terminals T within the target area A may increase or decrease instantaneously, but the number of people present within area A on average over time)) The period during which a person H or a communication terminal T appears within the target area A (for example, a predetermined period of time of one minute to several minutes, ten to several tens of minutes, or one to several hours. This may be a fixed period, or an average period (the time difference between the appearance of one person H or one communication terminal T and the appearance of the next person H or one communication terminal T may be long or short)). The ratio of people H or communication devices T present in the target area A to the number of furniture (especially chairs or desks) F placed within the same area A (occupancy rate (or absence rate). An occupancy rate of 100% (an absence rate of 0%) means that all chairs or desks F within area A are occupied by people H or communication devices T (no vacant seats). This may be the occupancy rate of people H or communication devices T present in area A at all times, or it may be the average occupancy rate of people H or communication devices T present in area A (the occupancy rate of people H or communication devices T in the target area A may increase or decrease instantaneously, but on average over time the number of people H or communication devices T present in area A will match the occupancy rate). The definition input receiving unit 104 receives a value specifying the number or stay rate of people H or communication terminals T manually input by the user via the operation input device (particularly, a touch panel, a pointing device such as a mouse, or a keyboard) 1d, and recognizes the numerical value as the definition of the number or stay rate in the target area A. Note that the user can also specify the same value uniformly and collectively for multiple areas A (particularly, multiple areas A belonging to the same type), in which case the definition input receiving unit 104 recognizes the input value as the definition of the number or stay rate in the target multiple areas A. The computer 1 temporarily stores the definition of the number or stay rate of people H or communication terminals T for each area A in the main memory 1b or the auxiliary storage device 1c.

[0068] In addition to the above, the user may provide a definition of the communication method or communication standard (or frequency band, etc.) used by person H or communication terminal T in the target area A for wireless communication, and / or the purpose of wireless communication by person H or communication terminal T. The definition here may also include a definition of person H who does not perform wireless communication within area A, i.e., who does not possess communication terminal T. The user enters a value specifying the communication method or communication standard (including an option for person who does not possess communication terminal T) into an input field N4 displayed on the screen of display 1i or selects from among options in a pull-down menu. The definition input receiving unit 104 receives the value manually input by the user via an operation input device (particularly, a touch panel, a pointing device such as a mouse, or a keyboard) 1d and recognizes the value as the definition of the communication method or communication standard used by person H or communication terminal T in the target area A. The user can also specify the same communication method or communication standard collectively and uniformly for multiple areas A (especially multiple areas A belonging to the same type), in which case the definition input receiving unit 104 recognizes the input value as the definition of the communication method or communication standard for the multiple target areas A. The computer 1 temporarily stores the definition of the communication method or communication standard for each area A in the main memory 1b or the auxiliary storage device 1c.

[0069] The computer 1 automatically generates a time series of two-dimensional or three-dimensional coordinates of the current location of each of multiple people H or communication terminals T staying in each area A without user intervention. Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 16 , for a certain area A, virtual individuals of the people H or communication terminals T are sequentially set so as to satisfy the conditions for defining the number or stay rate for that area A. The placement of each individual H or T in the target area A is, for example, matched to the position coordinates of furniture (especially chairs or desks) F placed in the area A. To achieve this, the computer 1 references the structure information related to the furniture F placed in the area A, which is stored in the structure information storage unit 101 in association with an identifier that identifies the target area A. For example, if the number of chairs or desks F in the target area A is defined as six and the stay rate is defined as 50%, the people H and / or communication terminals T are placed at three chairs or desks F in the area A, and the position coordinates of each of the people H and / or communication terminals T are determined.

[0070] In this way, as shown in the example of FIG. 17, the position coordinates of one or more people H or communication terminals T staying in each area A are obtained. This data is stored in the terminal information storage unit 102 as terminal information. A user of this system can provide the simulator with the locations of devices that will become a large number of people H or communication terminals T by simply entering the number or staying rate of people H or communication terminals T in that area A, and, as necessary, the communication method or communication standard, for each area A or for multiple areas A collectively. The user does not have to bear the burden of manually entering the position coordinates of each individual person H or terminal T.

[0071] The people H who are automatically generated and placed in area A may all be required to carry a communication terminal T, or there may be a mixture of people H who carry a communication terminal T and people H who do not.

[0072] The display control unit 105 of this system simultaneously visualizes and displays on the screen of the display 1i to present to the user the results of a simulation based on structure information, terminal information, and environmental condition information (antenna information), which communication terminal T can communicate with which antenna R within the floor, and the communication speed that can be achieved between the communication terminal T and the antenna R.

[0073] An example of the screen display of the simulation results is shown in Fig. 18. The contents displayed on the screen of the display 1i are both (1) and (2) below. (1) A visual representation of the strength of radio waves for communication radiated from each wireless communication antenna R installed at various locations on the floor and the reach of the radio waves within that floor; in the illustrated example, this is represented by particles (dots, points) W that spread spherically in three dimensions from each antenna R. The wider (or thinner) the spacing between the particles W, the weaker the strength of the radio waves at that location. However, the representation format is not limited to this, and a thermographic or gradation-like representation that shows the strength of the radio waves at each location with color or density is also acceptable. (2) Between each communication terminal T communicating at various locations on the floor and an antenna R installed on the floor, which communication terminal T and which antenna R can be connected to communicate with each other (network topology), and the communication speed that can be achieved between them (throughput (transmission speed, the amount of data that can be transmitted and received per unit time) bps). In the illustrated example, each communication terminal T and the antenna R that transmits and receives radio waves when establishing the necessary wireless communication connection are connected by a line L (i.e., the topology is visualized), and light dots L1 and L2 are animated on the line L to indicate the communication speed (moving back and forth along the line L), indicating the upstream communication speed and / or downstream communication speed. In addition, the communication method or communication standard used between a certain communication terminal T and the antenna R that establishes a communication connection with it is expressed by the color, thickness, etc. of the line L. However, the expression format is not limited to this, and the communication speed may also be indicated by the color, thickness, etc. of the line L. As mentioned above, when constructing a so-called "mesh network," a display may be made suggesting the communication connection and communication speed between communication terminals T used by people H (at least one of which is a wireless communication antenna R). The simulation calculations for displaying these may be performed within computer 1, or may be outsourced to an external computer 2. In the latter case, stored structure information, terminal information, and environmental condition information are sent from computer 1 to computer 2, and the simulation result information is received from computer 2 and displayed on the screen.

[0074] Any known simulation method may be used. In the simulation of (1), the position, structure, thickness, material, etc. of the fixtures F and the building's framework, columns, walls, floor materials, etc., may affect the simulation results. In particular, the dimensions of the fixtures F placed on the floor (for example, low partitions and high partitions have different degrees of radio wave shielding) and material (wood furniture, steel (ferrous metal) furniture, and aluminum (non-ferrous metal) furniture have different degrees of radio wave shielding) may affect the simulation results.

[0075] In addition, the installation position of antenna R of the wireless router, etc. (for example, height. If antenna R is attached to a ceiling panel, it can see a wide area and radio waves are less likely to be blocked, but if it is placed on a table or floor, they are more likely to be blocked), the communication standard or frequency band used by antenna R of the wireless router, etc. (generally, the higher the frequency = the shorter the wavelength, the less diffraction there is and the more easily it is blocked), and the radio wave output strength emitted from the wireless router, etc. may affect the simulation results.

[0076] In addition, the presence of people H or moving objects moving around in a space such as an office may affect the simulation results. (For example, the human body is like a "bag of water" that effectively absorbs the energy of microwave or millimeter wave electromagnetic waves that are often used for high-speed wireless communication. In simulations, the results may be calculated by assuming that a person H, with or without a communication terminal T, is a columnar body of water (cylindrical, rectangular, etc.) of a certain size.)

[0077] In the simulation of (2), the communication speed, i.e., throughput, of each communication terminal T may change depending on the communication standard or frequency band used between the wireless router, etc. and each communication terminal T (for example, IEEE802.11n is faster than the legacy standard IEEE 802.11b / g).

[0078] Furthermore, if the communication terminal T is an old personal computer, the communication standards or frequency bands that the communication terminal T can use may be limited, and the throughput of the communication terminal T may change.

[0079] Naturally, the throughput of each communication terminal T may change depending on the number of communication terminals T attempting to communicate wirelessly with a single wireless router or antenna R at the same time or at the same time. Since each communication terminal T can only establish a communication connection with a wireless router or antenna R whose radio waves can reach it, the number of communication terminals T communicating with a single wireless router or antenna R at the same time or at the same time may change from moment to moment. This will be simulated.

[0080] The throughput of each communication terminal T may vary depending on the purpose of wireless communication that each communication terminal T is attempting to execute (application, whether it is text communication such as email or chat, voice communication, video image exchange, etc.). Therefore, when performing a simulation, information on the type of application used by each communication terminal T (or the degree of communication load) will be referenced.

[0081] Furthermore, since the person H, communication terminal T, and antenna R can move around the floor, a time-series simulation per unit time is repeatedly performed based on their positions, which change from moment to moment, and the results are displayed as an animation on the screen of display 1i.

[0082] According to the layout planning system of this embodiment, it is possible to simulate radio wave propagation behavior taking into account the influence of fixtures F and other structures on the floor, and to present the simulation result to the user in a visualized form together with the fixtures F and other structures. Moreover, it is possible to simultaneously visualize and present to the user the communication topology on the floor (the network showing which communication terminals T and which antennas R are ready for communication connection) and communication speed.

[0083] The location and movement (trajectory, frequency, and time intervals) of people H and mobile objects using communication terminals T that actually communicate can be displayed. Furthermore, simulation results that take into account the impact of each person H or mobile object on communication speed are displayed, making communication behavior clear at each moment. In reality, the distribution of where and how many people H are communicating, how many communication terminals T there are, and how frequently and when they move (or how many people H simultaneously share an antenna R, such as a wireless LAN router) can have a significant impact on steady-state or instantaneous communication speed. For example, wireless LANs slow down in places where many people H gather. The system of this embodiment can present communication behavior to the user, taking into account not only the static radio wave intensity distribution but also the number and distribution of communication terminals T actually used by people H and the resulting impact. In other words, communication execution is simulated every millisecond according to a dynamic scenario (the possibility of the antenna R connected to communication terminal T automatically switching, the impact on communication speed due to changes in the distance between communication terminal T and antenna R, and the communication bandwidth required by the application of communication terminal T (voice calls do not put much strain on the communication bandwidth, but video calls require a lot of communication bandwidth, which may result in a decrease in the communication speed of other devices such as smartphones), and the communication environment can be evaluated over time.

[0084] Therefore, for users of this system, the work required to create a basic plan for the layout of fixtures F, antennas R, etc. is reduced.

[0085] The present system can also display on the screen the results of a simulation that encompasses multiple floors V. As illustrated in Fig. 19 and Fig. 20, the display control unit 105 simultaneously visualizes and displays on the screen of the display 1i the results of a simulation based on the above-mentioned structure information, terminal information, and antenna information, such as which communication terminal T on any one of the floors V can communicate with which antenna R, including those on other floors V, and the communication speed that can be achieved between the communication terminal T and the antenna R, for presentation to the user.

[0086] To reiterate, the contents displayed on the screen of the display 1i are both (1) and (2) below. (1) A visual representation of the strength and reach of radio waves for communication radiated from each wireless communication antenna R installed at various locations on floor V; in the example shown in Figure 19, this is represented by particles (dots) W that diffuse from each antenna R and spread spherically in three dimensions. The wider (or thinner) the spacing between the particles W, the weaker the strength of the radio waves at that location. In particular, the strength and reach of radio waves radiated from an antenna R installed on a certain floor V can be simulated not only within that same floor V, but also to floors V above and / or below, and the results can be output. (2) Between each communication terminal T communicating at each location on floor V and the installed antenna R, which communication terminal T and which antenna R can be connected to communicate with each other (network topology), and the communication speed that can be achieved between them (throughput (transmission rate, the amount of data that can be transmitted and received per unit time)). In the example shown in Figures 19 and 20, each communication terminal T and the antenna R that transmits and receives radio waves when the communication terminal T establishes the necessary wireless communication connection are connected by a line L (i.e., the topology is visualized), and light dots L1 and L2 are animated on the line L to indicate the communication speed (moving back and forth along the line L), indicating the upstream communication speed and / or downstream communication speed. In addition, the communication method or communication standard used between a certain communication terminal T and the antenna R that establishes the communication connection with it is expressed by the color, thickness, etc. of the line L. However, the expression format is not limited to this, and the communication speed may also be indicated by the color, thickness, etc. of the line L. In particular, a simulation is performed to determine whether a communication terminal T located on a certain floor V can communicate with an antenna R installed on a floor V different from the floor V, and if communication is possible, a line L is connected between the communication terminal T and the antenna R across floors V.

[0087] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 20, the strength of the electromagnetic waves for communication emitted from each antenna R on each floor V of a floor, in other words, the expected communication speed that a communication terminal T can enjoy at each location on floor V (at which locations high-speed, high-quality (low noise, low errors) communication is possible, and at which locations the communication speed and quality will decrease, and to what extent) may be expressed in a thermographic or gradient manner using the color or intensity of each location.

[0088] To summarize the explanation so far, the layout planning system of this embodiment virtually displays the environment within a floor on which a plurality of fixtures F are arranged, and includes a structure information storage unit 101 that stores structure information including data on the positions of one or more fixtures F arranged within the floor F and the characteristics of each fixture F, and a terminal information storage unit 102 that stores information (terminal information, environmental condition information) including data on factors (communication connection environment such as communication connection topology and communication speed) that affect the activities of people H, equipment, or mobile objects (communication terminals) T active within the floor. 2. It comprises an AP information storage unit 103, an input receiving unit 104 that receives input of structure information to be stored in the structure information storage unit 101, terminal information to be stored in the terminal information storage unit 102, and environmental condition information to be stored in the AP information storage unit 103, and a display control unit 105 that visualizes the elements that affect the activities of people H, equipment, or mobile objects T at various locations within the floor, which are the results of a simulation based on the structure information, the terminal information, and the environmental condition information, and displays them on the display 1i to present them to the user.

[0089] In particular, the terminal information includes data specifying the movement line C and movement speed of a person H, equipment, or mobile object T when the person H, equipment, or mobile object T moves within the floor, and the display control unit 105 can visualize factors that affect the activities of the person H, equipment, or mobile object T at various locations within the floor, which change over time, and display them on the display 1i.

[0090] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 21 and 22, in the system of this embodiment, the display control unit 105 can display on the display 1i, as part of the simulation results, an evaluation score SC corresponding to the strength of the communication radio waves emitted from the antenna R at each position within the floor, and an evaluation score SC corresponding to the communication speed achievable between the communication terminal T and the antenna R at each position within the floor.

[0091] Regarding the calculation and display of the evaluation score SC, the layout planning system can display and output information on the "radio wave coverage area" and "communication stability rate" as part of the simulation results on the display 1i, as shown in FIG. 22. The radio wave coverage area is a quantitative evaluation and numerical representation of the proportion of the area of ​​a floor (or floor V) that is reached by electromagnetic waves for communication radiated from antenna R at a certain intensity or higher. In this simulation, the field strength (received power) of the electromagnetic waves radiated from antenna R is calculated at each of grid points set at predetermined intervals on the floor (e.g., at 3-meter intervals in two dimensions (front-back, left-right, front-back, left-right)). The proportion of grid points where the field strength exceeds a threshold is calculated. In the example shown in FIG. 22, the results of the simulation of the radio wave coverage area are displayed for each communication method or communication standard (or frequency band, etc.). As an aside, generally the higher the frequency band, the narrower the radio wave coverage area and the lower the number tends to be, but of course this also depends on the type, location and number of fixtures F placed on the floor.

[0092] The communication stability rate is a quantitative evaluation and quantification of the percentage of terminals T that can wirelessly communicate with any antenna R on a floor (or floor V) (especially, for each terminal T, the communication speed or bandwidth appropriate for its intended use (see Figures 10, 14, and 17) can be secured). This percentage is 80% if there are ten terminals T on the floor and eight of them can wirelessly communicate with any antenna R, or the percentage of time during which such wireless communication is possible (90% if there are two terminals T, one of which can wirelessly communicate all the time and the other can wirelessly communicate about 80% of the time). The example shown in Figure 22 displays the results of a simulation of the average time during which each terminal T can sufficiently communicate wirelessly for each type of terminal T (terminals SC1 carried by a person H, mobile terminals SC2 such as robots or drones that are not carried by a person H and move autonomously around the floor, and other stationary devices or equipment SC3) located in various locations on the floor.

[0093] When performing a simulation using this layout planning system, as conceptually shown in Figure 23, one layout pattern UEI (structure information and terminal information, which may include information on the flow of moving people H, robots, etc.) of fixtures F and communication terminals T within the floor is used, and multiple layout patterns API1 and API2 (antenna information as environmental condition information) of antennas R within the floor are prepared. (1) Simulation of an arrangement API1 of an antenna R under an arrangement UEI of a common fixture F and a communication terminal T (2) Simulation of the arrangement API2 of another antenna R under the arrangement UEI of the common fixture F and communication terminal T The results can be acquired, displayed, and compared. This makes it possible to evaluate which of pattern (1) and pattern (2) is more suitable. This is useful for designing and selecting a layout for how antennas R should be placed on the floor, given that the placement of fixtures F and communication terminals T is already given. As already mentioned, the simulation calculations can be performed inside computer 1, or can be outsourced to an external computer 2. In the former case, Simulation using the set of structure information, terminal information UEI, and antenna information API1 in (1) Simulation using the set of (2) structure information, terminal information UEI, and antenna information API2 are executed individually on the computer 1, and the results are obtained and output. (1) A set of structure information, terminal information UEI, and antenna information API1 (2) Combination of structure information, terminal information UEI and antenna information API2 is transmitted from computer 1 to computer 2, and computer 2 executes simulations using (1) and (2) separately, and transmits the results from computer 2 to computer 1. Computer 1 receives the results and outputs them. The simulation results of (1) and the simulation results of (2) may be output simultaneously in parallel on the screen of display 1i, or may be output separately (displaying only the results of (1) on the screen of display 1i, or only the results of (2) on the screen of display 1i).

[0094] Alternatively, when performing a simulation using this layout planning system, as conceptually shown in FIG. 24, one layout pattern API (antenna information as environmental condition information) of antennas R within the floor is used, and multiple layout patterns UEI1 and UEI2 (structure information and terminal information, which may include information on the movement of moving people H, robots, etc.) of fixtures F and communication terminals T within the floor are prepared, (3) Simulation of a certain fixture F and / or communication terminal T in a location UEI1 under the location API of a common antenna R (4) Simulation of the placement UEI2 of other fixtures F and / or communication terminals T under the placement API of the common antenna R It is also possible to carry out the simulation and obtain and display the results for comparison. This makes it possible to evaluate which of pattern (3) and pattern (4) is more suitable. This is useful for designing and selecting a layout for how to arrange fixtures F and / or communication terminals T on a floor when the arrangement of antennas R is given in advance. For multiple patterns UEI1 and UEI2, the arrangement (position, number) of fixtures F may be the same but the arrangement (position, number, traffic flow) of communication terminals T may be different, or the arrangement of communication terminals T may be the same but the arrangement of fixtures F may be different. To reiterate, the simulation calculations may be carried out internally in computer 1 or may be outsourced to an external computer 2. In the former case, Simulation using the set of structure information, terminal information UEI1, and antenna information API in (3) (4) Simulation using the set of structure information, terminal information UEI2, and antenna information API are executed individually on the computer 1, and the results are obtained and output. (3) Combination of structure information, terminal information UEI1 and antenna information API (4) Combination of structure information, terminal information UEI2 and antenna information API is transmitted from computer 1 to computer 2, and computer 2 executes simulations using (3) and (4) separately, and transmits the results from computer 2 to computer 1. Computer 1 receives the results and outputs them. The simulation results of (3) and the simulation results of (4) may be output simultaneously in parallel on the screen of display 1i, or may be output separately (displaying only the results of (3) on the screen of display 1i, or only the results of (4) on the screen of display 1i).

[0095] The structural information relating to the placement of fixtures F, the terminal information relating to the placement of communication terminals T, and the antenna information (environmental condition information) relating to the placement of antennas R may each be manually entered by a person, or may be automatically entered by computers 1 and 2 using a program or artificial intelligence without human intervention.

[0096] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and the functions of the various units shown in Fig. 3 may be distributed among multiple computers, which may cooperate to form the layout planning system according to the present invention.

[0097] The influencing factors that affect the activities of people H, equipment, or mobile objects at various locations within a floor, which the layout system according to the present invention aims to visualize, are not limited to the communication connection environment enjoyed by a communication terminal T that can move within the floor. Specific examples of possible influencing factors include: Noise. Instead of antenna information, the system accepts input of the position coordinates of fixed sound sources (including sound masking sound sources) and the position coordinates and movement trajectories of moving sound sources such as people H and moving objects, and stores this information in the terminal information storage unit 102 or AP information storage unit 103. The information to be stored may include the frequency and output intensity of the noise emitted from each sound source. Then, a simulation calculation is performed that takes into account the absorption, reflection, and blocking of sound waves by fixtures type F, and the display control unit visualizes and displays the noise level (dB) at each location on the floor. Air environment (temperature, humidity, CO2 concentration, concentration of substances in the air (pollen, volatile organic compounds, odorous substances, PM2.5, etc.)). The air environment can affect not only people H on the floor but also computers and various other devices. Instead of antenna information, the system accepts input of location coordinates and movement trajectories of heat sources (including heating vents, window glass in summer, human bodies H, mobile objects, heat dissipation sources such as personal computers and copiers), cold sources (including air conditioning vents and window glass in winter), humidity sources (humidifiers, dehumidifiers, human bodies H), CO2 sources (especially human bodies H), and other substance sources (points of entry for pollen, etc.), and stores these in the terminal information storage unit 102 or the AP information storage unit 103. People H and mobile objects that are heat sources and CO2 sources may move around the floor, just like communication terminals T and antennas R. The information stored can include the strength, size, and quantity of the impact emitted by heat sources, cold sources, humidity sources, CO2 sources, and other substance sources. Based on this, a simulation calculation is performed that takes into account the air flow and the absorption, reflection, and blocking of radiant heat by Class F fixtures, and the display control unit visualizes and displays the air environment in each location on the floor. Light environment (illuminance, brightness, amount of ultraviolet light, etc.). Instead of antenna information, the position coordinates and movement trajectory of light sources (lighting, displays, windows through which ultraviolet light enters, etc.) are accepted and stored in the terminal information storage unit 102 or the AP information storage unit 103. Light sources may also move within the floor, just like communication terminals T and antennas R. The stored information may include the light intensity (luminous flux, amount of light, etc.) and light wavelength emitted from each light source. Then, a simulation calculation is performed that takes into account the absorption, reflection, and blocking of light by fixtures F, and the display control unit visualizes and displays the light environment at each location on the floor. This makes it possible to easily try and error what kind of arrangement of fixtures F and other items (including the number and location of personnel H) is appropriate for creating an ideal office floor, etc.

[0098] In addition, the specific configuration of each part and the processing procedure can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0099] 1. Computer 1d...Operation input device 1i…Display 100...UE information storage section 101...Structure information storage unit 102...Terminal information storage unit 103...AP information storage section 105...Display control unit 2...External computer 3...Telecommunications lines A: Area within the floor B: Block, a collection of furniture units C…Flow line F...Fixtures H…person L... A visualization of the antennas that a communication device can connect to. L1, L2...Visualization of achievable communication speeds R...Communication antenna SC: Display of evaluation score T...Communication terminal U: A unit that is a collection of fixtures V...Floor level (level)

Claims

1. This virtually displays the state of wireless communication within a floor on which multiple fixtures are arranged, a UE information storage unit that stores a set of structure information including data on the positions of one or more pieces of furniture arranged on the floor and the characteristics of each piece of furniture, and terminal information including data on the positions of one or more communication terminals located on the floor; an AP information storage unit that stores a set of antenna information including data on the positions of one or more antennas arranged within a floor for wireless communication with the communication terminal and data on characteristics of each antenna; a display control unit that displays on a display screen to visualize and present to a user the results of simulation based on the set of the structure information and the set of the terminal information and the set of the antenna information, such as which antenna a communication terminal can communicate with within the floor or the communication speed that can be achieved between the communication terminal and the antenna; Equipped with the AP information storage unit can store a plurality of sets of antenna information for a plurality of patterns in which the antennas are arranged at different positions within a floor, The display control unit is capable of displaying on a display the results simulated using one set of the structure information and the terminal information stored in the UE information storage unit and a set of antenna information relating to one pattern of antenna placement within the floor stored in the AP information storage unit, and is also capable of displaying on a display the results simulated using one set of the structure information and the terminal information stored in the UE information storage unit and a set of antenna information relating to another pattern of antenna placement within the floor stored in the AP information storage unit. A layout planning system.

2. This virtually displays the state of wireless communication within a floor on which multiple fixtures are arranged, a UE information storage unit that stores a set of structure information including data on the positions of one or more pieces of furniture arranged on the floor and the characteristics of each piece of furniture, and terminal information including data on the positions of one or more communication terminals located on the floor; an AP information storage unit that stores a set of antenna information including data on the positions of one or more antennas arranged within a floor for wireless communication with the communication terminal and data on characteristics of each antenna; a display control unit that displays on a display screen to visualize and present to a user the results of simulation based on the set of the structure information and the set of the terminal information and the set of the antenna information, such as which antenna a communication terminal can communicate with within the floor or the communication speed that can be achieved between the communication terminal and the antenna; Equipped with The UE information storage unit can store a plurality of sets of structure information for each of a plurality of patterns in which the fixtures are arranged on the floor, which are different from each other, or can store a plurality of sets of terminal information for each of a plurality of patterns in which the positions of the communication terminals located on the floor are different from each other, A layout planning system in which the display control unit can display on a display the results simulated using a set of antenna information stored in the AP information storage unit and a set of structure information and terminal information related to a pattern of the fixture arrangement on the floor and the location of the communication terminal stored in the UE information storage unit, and can display on a display the results simulated using the set of antenna information stored in the AP information storage unit and a set of structure information and terminal information related to another pattern of the fixture arrangement on the floor and the location of the communication terminal stored in the UE information storage unit.

3. The layout planning system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the display control unit displays on a display an evaluation score corresponding to the strength of the communication radio waves emitted from the antenna at each position within the floor, which is a result of a simulation based on the set of the structure information and the terminal information and the set of the antenna information.

4. The layout planning system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the display control unit displays on a display an evaluation score corresponding to the communication speed achievable between the communication terminal and the antenna at each position within the floor, which is a result of simulation based on the set of structure information, the set of terminal information, and the set of antenna information.

5. A layout planning system according to claim 1, comprising: a UE information storage unit that stores a set of structure information including data on the positions of one or more pieces of furniture arranged on the floor and the characteristics of each piece of furniture, and terminal information including data on the positions of one or more communication terminals located on the floor; an AP information storage unit that stores a set of antenna information including data on the positions of one or more antennas arranged within the floor for wireless communication with the communication terminal and characteristics of each antenna; and a display control unit that displays on a display screen to visualize and present to a user the results of a simulation based on the set of the structure information and the set of the terminal information and the set of the antenna information, such as which antenna a communication terminal can communicate with within the floor or the communication speed that can be achieved between the communication terminal and the antenna; It functions as the AP information storage unit can store a plurality of sets of antenna information for a plurality of patterns in which the antennas are arranged at different positions within a floor, The display control unit is capable of displaying on a display screen the results simulated using one set of the structure information and the terminal information stored in the UE information storage unit and a set of antenna information relating to one pattern of antenna placement within the floor stored in the AP information storage unit, and is also capable of displaying on a display screen the results simulated using one set of the structure information and the terminal information stored in the UE information storage unit and a set of antenna information relating to another pattern of antenna placement within the floor stored in the AP information storage unit.

6. A layout planning system according to claim 2, comprising: a UE information storage unit that stores a set of structure information including data on the positions of one or more pieces of furniture arranged on the floor and the characteristics of each piece of furniture, and terminal information including data on the positions of one or more communication terminals located on the floor; an AP information storage unit that stores a set of antenna information including data on the positions of one or more antennas arranged within the floor for wireless communication with the communication terminal and characteristics of each antenna; and a display control unit that displays on a display screen to visualize and present to a user the results of a simulation based on the set of the structure information and the set of the terminal information and the set of the antenna information, such as which antenna a communication terminal can communicate with within the floor or the communication speed that can be achieved between the communication terminal and the antenna; It functions as The UE information storage unit can store a plurality of sets of structure information for each of a plurality of patterns in which the fixtures are arranged on the floor, which are different from each other, or can store a plurality of sets of terminal information for each of a plurality of patterns in which the positions of the communication terminals located on the floor are different from each other, The display control unit is capable of displaying on a display screen the results simulated using a set of antenna information stored in the AP information storage unit and a set of structure information and terminal information relating to a pattern of the furniture arrangement on the floor and the location of the communication terminal stored in the UE information storage unit, and is also capable of displaying on a display screen the results simulated using the set of antenna information stored in the AP information storage unit and a set of structure information and terminal information relating to another pattern of the furniture arrangement on the floor and the location of the communication terminal stored in the UE information storage unit.

7. The program of claim 5 or 6, wherein the display control unit displays on a display an evaluation score corresponding to the strength of the communication radio waves emitted from the antenna at each position within the floor, which is a result of simulation based on the set of the structure information, the set of the terminal information, and the set of the antenna information.

8. The program described in claim 5 or 6, wherein the display control unit displays on a display an evaluation score corresponding to the communication speed achievable between the communication terminal and the antenna at each position within the floor, which is a result of simulation based on the set of structure information, the set of terminal information, and the set of antenna information.

9. A method for virtually displaying a state of wireless communication within a floor on which a plurality of fixtures are arranged, comprising: a UE information storage step of storing a set of structure information including data on the positions of one or more pieces of furniture arranged on the floor and the characteristics of each piece of furniture, and terminal information including data on the positions of one or more communication terminals located on the floor; an AP information storage step of storing a set of antenna information including data on the positions of one or more antennas arranged within the floor for wireless communication with the communication terminal and characteristics of each antenna; a display control step of visualizing and presenting to a user on a display which antennas within the floor the communication terminals can communicate with or the communication speeds that can be achieved between the communication terminals and the antennas, which are simulation results based on the set of the structure information and the set of the terminal information and the set of the antenna information; Equipped with In the AP information storage step, a plurality of sets of antenna information for a plurality of patterns in which the antennas are arranged in different positions within a floor can be stored, A layout planning method in which, in the display control step, the results simulated using one set of the structure information and the terminal information stored in the UE information storage unit and a set of antenna information relating to one pattern of antenna placement within the floor stored in the AP information storage unit can be displayed on a display screen, and the results simulated using one set of the structure information and the terminal information stored in the UE information storage unit and a set of antenna information relating to another pattern of antenna placement within the floor stored in the AP information storage unit can be displayed on a display screen.

10. A method for virtually displaying a state of wireless communication within a floor on which a plurality of fixtures are arranged, comprising: a UE information storage step of storing a set of structure information including data on the positions of one or more pieces of furniture arranged on the floor and the characteristics of each piece of furniture, and terminal information including data on the positions of one or more communication terminals located on the floor; an AP information storage step of storing a set of antenna information including data on the positions of one or more antennas arranged within the floor for wireless communication with the communication terminal and characteristics of each antenna; a display control step of visualizing and presenting to a user on a display which antennas within the floor the communication terminals can communicate with or the communication speeds that can be achieved between the communication terminals and the antennas, which are simulation results based on the set of the structure information and the set of the terminal information and the set of the antenna information; Equipped with In the UE information storage step, a plurality of sets of structure information for each of a plurality of patterns in which the fixtures are arranged on the floor are different from each other can be stored, or a plurality of sets of terminal information for each of a plurality of patterns in which the positions of the communication terminals located on the floor are different from each other can be stored, A layout planning method in which, in the display control step, the results simulated using one set of antenna information stored in the AP information storage unit and a set of structure information and terminal information relating to one pattern of the fixture arrangement on the floor and the location of the communication terminal stored in the UE information storage unit can be displayed on a display screen, and the results simulated using the one set of antenna information stored in the AP information storage unit and a set of structure information and terminal information relating to another pattern of the fixture arrangement on the floor and the location of the communication terminal stored in the UE information storage unit can be displayed on a display screen.

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