Information processing system, information processing method and program

Abstract

An information processing system, method, and program are provided that evaluate the feasibility of a design system from the perspective of both spatial simulation and system specifications, and grasp the evaluation results in the context of their relevance to the specifications. [Solution] In an information processing system, information processing by an information processing device includes acquiring (S1) spatial model information and design information from a user terminal. The spatial model information describes a physical model in a virtual space of a design system to be designed and includes information on physical quantities that can be calculated in the virtual space, and the design information indicates specifications of the design system, the specifications being set by a user who designs the design system. The information processing also includes associating (S5) the spatial model information with the design information, calculating (S9) an evaluation index related to the feasibility of the specifications in the physical model based on the result of the association, and outputting (S10) the calculated evaluation index in association with the specifications included in the design information.

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that enables designers to easily perform risk assessment by supporting risk assessment at the design stage of equipment. This technology is a risk assessment support method that includes an equipment information input step in which equipment information of the equipment at the design stage is input, a risk area specification step in which hazard sources are identified and risk areas are specified based on the input equipment information, and a risk calculation step in which risks in the risk areas are calculated. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-147179 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the design stage of such a system, multiple design engineers with different backgrounds may be involved, such as designers who design the spatial layout and behavior of the designed system, system engineers who design the requirements imposed on the designed system, etc. In order to efficiently evaluate the feasibility of the designed system, it is preferable to enable smooth sharing of information regarding the system design among such multiple design engineers. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing system including at least one processor capable of executing a program to perform the following steps: in an acquisition step, spatial model information and design information are acquired; the spatial model information is configured to describe a physical model in a virtual space of a design system to be designed and includes information regarding physical quantities that can be calculated in the virtual space; the design information indicates specifications of the design system, and the specifications are configured to be configurable by a user who designs the design system; in an association step, the spatial model information and the design information are associated; in a calculation step, an evaluation index regarding the feasibility of the specifications in the physical model is calculated based on the result of the association; and in an output step, the calculation result of the evaluation index is output in association with the specifications included in the design information.

[0006] This configuration allows the feasibility of a design system to be evaluated from the perspectives of both spatial simulation and system specifications, and the evaluation results to be understood in the context of their relevance to the specifications. This facilitates information sharing among a variety of users related to the design system, such as designers who design the spatial layout and behavior of the design system and system engineers who design the requirements imposed on the design system, thereby making the design of the design system more efficient. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a configuration diagram illustrating an information processing system 1. FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of an information processing device 2. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a user terminal 3. [Figure 4] 10 is a display example of space model information D1. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of usage information. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram visually illustrating an example of behavior information D22 as an activity diagram. [Figure 7]10 is a display example of layout information D23. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of reference information related to the layout information shown in FIG. 7. [Figure 9] 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of information processing executed in the information processing system 1. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of traceability information. [Figure 11] 8 is a diagram showing an example of reference information indicating the correspondence between the layout information and the traceability information shown in FIG. 7. FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of traceability information indicating the association between usage information and behavior information. [Figure 13] 10 is a diagram showing an example of traceability information indicating the association between behavior information and layout information D23. FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of evaluation items. [Figure 15] 6 is a diagram showing an example of a screen on which the calculation results of the evaluation indexes are output in association with the specifications included in the design information (application information) shown in FIG. 5. FIG. [Figure 16] 7 is a diagram showing an example of a screen on which the calculation results of the evaluation indexes are output in association with the behavior information shown in FIG. 6. FIG. [Figure 17] 8 is a diagram showing an example of a screen on which the calculation results of the evaluation indexes are output in association with the layout information shown in FIG. 7. FIG. [Figure 18] 15 is a diagram showing an example of a screen on which the calculation results of the evaluation indexes are output in association with information on the evaluation items shown in FIG. 14. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Various features shown in the following embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0009] Incidentally, the program for realizing the software appearing in one embodiment may be provided as a non-transitory computer-readable medium, or may be provided so that it can be downloaded from an external server, or may be provided so that the program is started on an external computer and its functions are realized on a client terminal (so-called cloud computing).

[0010] Furthermore, various information processing according to an embodiment may realize input and output corresponding to the input. Here, the form of information referenced in such information processing (hereinafter referred to as reference information) is not limited as long as an output is obtained as a result of the input. The reference information may be, for example, rule-based information such as a database, a lookup table, or a predetermined function (including a decision formula such as a regression formula constructed using a statistical method), a trained model that has previously trained the correlation between input and output, or a large-scale language model that can output a desired result by inputting a prompt.

[0011] In one embodiment, a "unit" may include, for example, a combination of hardware resources implemented by a circuit in the broad sense and software information processing that can be specifically realized by these hardware resources. In one embodiment, various information is handled, and this information is represented, for example, by physical values ​​of signal values ​​representing voltage and current, high and low signal values ​​as a binary bit set consisting of 0 or 1, or quantum superposition (so-called quantum bits), and communication and calculations can be performed on a circuit in the broad sense.

[0012] Furthermore, a circuit in the broad sense is a circuit realized by at least an appropriate combination of a circuit, circuitry, processor, memory, etc. The processor may be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated circuit. That is, it includes an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (e.g., a simple programmable logic device (SPLD), a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), and a field programmable gate array (FPGA)), etc.

[0013] 1. Hardware Configuration This section explains the hardware configuration.

[0014] <Information Processing System 1> FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram illustrating an information processing system 1. The information processing system 1 can be executed to verify and evaluate the feasibility of a design system. The design system is a system to be designed, and can be modeled using elements and the relationships between the elements. The design system can include, for example, control objects that can operate within the design system as elements. The design system is configured to determine whether the spatial arrangement, behavior, and positional relationships between elements of the elements included in the design system satisfy the specifications required for the design system (e.g., use, layout, behavior, etc.), and to suggest changes to satisfy the specifications. The specifications can be configured to be configurable by the user who designs the design system. A method for describing the specifications will be described later.

[0015] The information processing system 1 includes an information processing device 2 and a user terminal 3. The information processing device 2 and the user terminal 3 are configured to be able to communicate with each other via a telecommunications line. In one embodiment, the information processing system 1 is made up of one or more devices or components. For example, if the information processing system 1 is made up of only the information processing device 2, the information processing system 1 can be the information processing device 2. These components will be described below.

[0016] <Information processing device 2> 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the information processing device 2. The information processing device 2 includes a communication unit 21, a storage unit 22, and a processor 23, and these components are electrically connected via a communication bus 20 inside the information processing device 2. Each component will be further described.

[0017] The communication unit 21 is preferably a wired communication means such as USB, IEEE1394, Thunderbolt (registered trademark), wired LAN network communication, etc., but may also include wireless LAN network communication, mobile communication such as 3G / LTE / 5G, BLUETOOTH (registered trademark) communication, etc. as needed. In other words, it is more preferable to implement it as a collection of multiple communication means. In other words, the information processing device 2 may communicate various information from the outside via the communication unit 21 and the network.

[0018] The storage unit 22 stores various pieces of information defined above. This can be implemented, for example, as a storage device such as a solid state drive (SSD) that stores various programs and the like related to the information processing device 2 executed by the processor 23, or as a memory such as a random access memory (RAM) that stores temporarily required information (arguments, arrays, etc.) related to the program operations. The storage unit 22 stores various programs, variables, etc. related to the information processing device 2 executed by the processor 23.

[0019] The processor 23 processes and controls the overall operations related to the information processing device 2. The processor 23 is, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) not shown. The processor 23 realizes various functions related to the information processing device 2 by reading out predetermined programs stored in the storage unit 22. In other words, information processing by software stored in the storage unit 22 is specifically realized by the processor 23, which is an example of hardware, and can be executed as each functional unit included in the processor 23. These will be described in more detail in the next section. Note that the processor 23 is not limited to being single, and multiple processors 23 may be provided for each function. A combination of these may also be used.

[0020] The processor 23 is configured to be able to acquire information from the user terminal 3 or other devices. The processor 23 is configured to be able to acquire various pieces of information by reading out various pieces of information stored in a storage area that is at least a part of the memory unit 22 and writing the read out information in a working area that is at least a part of the memory unit 22. The storage area is, for example, an area of ​​the memory unit 22 that is implemented as a storage device such as an SSD. The working area is, for example, an area that is implemented as a memory such as a RAM.

[0021] Furthermore, the processor 23 is configured to be able to associate the various pieces of information that it has acquired.

[0022] Furthermore, the processor 23 is configured to be able to output various types of information. The information can be presented to the user via the display unit 34 of the user terminal 3 (described later) or another device. In such a case, for example, the processor 23 controls the display unit 34 of the user terminal 3 to display visual information such as screens, images including still images or moving images, icons, messages, etc. The processor 23 may generate only rendering information for displaying the visual information on the user terminal 3. Note that the processor 23 may present the output information to the user without going through the user terminal 3 or another device user.

[0023] <User terminal 3> 3 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the user terminal 3. The user terminal 3 includes a communication unit 31, a storage unit 32, a processor 33, a display unit 34, and an HMI device 35, and these components are electrically connected via a communication bus 30 inside the user terminal 3. The description of the communication unit 31, the storage unit 32, and the processor 33 is omitted because they are the same as the description of each unit in the information processing device 2.

[0024] The display unit 34 may be included in the housing of the user terminal 3 or may be externally attached. The display unit 34 displays a graphical user interface (GUI) screen that can be operated by the user. This is preferably implemented by selectively using display devices such as a CRT display, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, or a plasma display depending on the type of user terminal 3.

[0025] The HMI device 35 is a human-machine interface device. The HMI device 35 may be included in the housing of the user terminal 3 or may be externally attached. For example, the HMI device 35 may be integrated with the display unit 34 as a touch panel. The touch panel allows the user to input operations such as tapping and swiping. Of course, instead of a touch panel, switch buttons, a mouse, a QWERTY keyboard, a voice recognition device, a gesture detection device, a gaze detection device, a biosignal detection device, an imaging device, or the like may be used. That is, the HMI device 35 accepts an operation input made by the user. In response, the HMI device 35 transfers a signal corresponding to the operation input to the processor 33 via the communication bus 30. The processor 33 may execute predetermined control or calculations as necessary. The HMI device 35 can also be said to include an input unit configured to accept input from the user.

[0026] 3. Information Processing In this section, the information processing executed in the information processing system 1 described above will be described.

[0027] 3.1. Data used for information processing First, an example of data used in this information processing will be described. In this information processing, the information processing system 1 generates traceability information D3 by associating space model information D1 with design information D2, and uses the traceability information to verify and evaluate the feasibility of the design system. These pieces of information will be described below.

[0028] FIG. 4 is a display example of space model information D1. The space model information D1 is configured to describe a physical model within a virtual space VS of a design system. The design system may be described, for example, using the virtual space VS and elements placed within the virtual space VS. In this embodiment, the virtual space VS is a three-dimensional space, but it may also be a one- or two-dimensional space, or a four- or higher-dimensional space. The space model information D1 may include, for example, objects placed within the virtual space VS. In this embodiment, as an example, the design system may function as a transport system for storing, transporting, and retrieving goods, etc., and as a storage system for storing the goods that have been stored. The design system may include an object Ob1 corresponding to a wall surface, an object Ob2 corresponding to a shelf on which the goods are stored, and a moving object Ob3 corresponding to a moving body (such as a transport vehicle) that transports the goods. Coordinate values ​​(x, y, z) indicating the respective positions are assigned to the virtual space VS. The virtual space VS is configured to be able to execute, for example, predetermined physical simulations (for example, optical simulations such as ray tracing, collision simulations showing contact between elements, etc.). The space model information D1 includes information on physical quantities that can be calculated within the virtual space VS. The physical quantities may include, for example, physical quantities of a single object, such as the mass, movement speed, and direction of travel of the object, as well as physical quantities defined between multiple objects, such as forces acting between objects and relative distances between objects.

[0029] The design information D2 indicates the specifications of the design system. The specifications are described by the attributes of the elements included in the design system. The attributes are arbitrary information assigned for the convenience of design, regardless of the physical characteristics of the elements, such as whether the element is movable, the element's identification number, how the element is moved, and a serial number corresponding to the position. For example, the design information D2 may include usage information D21, behavior information D22, and layout information D23.

[0030] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of usage information. As shown in Fig. 5, usage information D21 is information about the usage of the design system (which may be referred to as a use case here), and may include information about the type of design system (a transport system or a storage system here) and the usage (use case) of the design system for each user of this information processing system 1. The users include designers A and B, and operators C and D. These users may be responsible for setting required specifications for the design system.

[0031] Furthermore, behavior information D22 is information regarding the behavior (how to move) of elements included in the design system. FIG. 6 is a diagram visually illustrating an example of behavior information D22 as an activity diagram. For convenience of explanation, behavior information D22 is described as an activity diagram, but when input to the information processing system 1, it may be described using various conditional expressions, tables, etc. As shown in FIG. 6, behavior information D22 indicates, for example, the behavior of an operating entity (an example of an element) during operation of the design system and a series of flows of the resulting behavior of other elements. These operating entities may function as control targets in the design system. In this embodiment, the control targets are, for example, manned and unmanned aircraft as mobile objects that are elements that physically operate within the design system. In this embodiment, the manned and unmanned aircraft are configured to load recognition models prepared by the recognition model control as implementation models and to be capable of autonomous driving using the loaded implementation models. The behavior information D22 includes specifications regarding the behavior of the design system including manned and unmanned aircraft as control targets (e.g., the operating conditions of the manned and unmanned aircraft, respectively). Operating conditions include, for example, movement of the controlled object to a storage location. Note that the operating conditions of a manned aircraft may include not only the operating conditions of the mobile vehicle itself, but also the operating conditions of the pilot on board the manned aircraft (for example, safety confirmation operations when a loading task to transport goods is transmitted from mobile vehicle control).

[0032] The specifications for the behavior of the design system shown in FIG. 6 are described in detail below. Here, the design system includes, as elements, shelves installed in a closed space surrounded by the walls of a warehouse, capable of storing and retrieving cargo, and a mobile object. The mobile object includes a manned aircraft operated by a person on board and an unmanned aircraft capable of autonomous travel without a person on board. In this embodiment, the mobile object is a guided vehicle equipped with a camera capable of capturing images of the front. The design system also includes a mobile object control unit that transmits cargo handling tasks to the mobile object and a recognition model control unit that manages the recognition model installed on the mobile object. The recognition model is an image recognition model that has been trained in advance to perform image recognition of objects contained in an image using an image captured by the guided vehicle's camera. The identification model is configured to identify, for example, areas corresponding to cargo, areas corresponding to people, areas corresponding to other mobile objects, etc. in the image. The mobile object control unit and the recognition model control unit have functions for operating the design system and are each configured independently of the warehouse space.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 6, first, in action A01, for example, one of the users (a space designer) sets the layout of the equipment and the loading and unloading operations in the design system. Then, in action A11, one of the users (for example, a space manager as an operator) adjusts the layout of the equipment and the loading and unloading operations. After these settings and adjustments are completed, in action A21 and action A22, the mobile control transmits a loading and unloading task to the manned aircraft and the unmanned aircraft according to the results of the settings and adjustments. The loading and unloading task may include any information related to the loading and unloading of the transported goods, such as the type, quantity, management location, loading location, unloading location, loading time, and unloading time of the transported goods to be loaded and unloaded.

[0034] The manned and unmanned aircraft are each waiting at their initial locations (actions A31 and A32), and a learned recognition model is loaded in advance as an implementation model (actions A32 and A42). The recognition model is pre-trained to recognize transported objects, people, etc. After that, the manned and unmanned aircraft each receive a cargo handling task transmitted from the mobile vehicle control in actions A21 and A22, and start their respective driving sequences. Actions A33 to A39 show the driving sequence for the manned aircraft, and actions A43 to A47 show the driving sequence for the unmanned aircraft.

[0035] The crew of the manned aircraft moves the manned aircraft to the loading location indicated in the loading task (action A34) while checking the surrounding area for safety (action A33). This process is repeated until the manned aircraft reaches the loading location. When the manned aircraft arrives at the loading location, the crew uses the manned aircraft to unload the transported goods indicated in the loading task in action A35. Thereafter, the crew moves the manned aircraft to the unloading location indicated in the loading task (action A37) while again checking for safety (action A36). When the manned aircraft arrives at the unloading location, the crew unloads the transported goods from the manned aircraft (action A38) and has the manned aircraft wait at the unloading location. This completes the execution of a series of loading tasks by the manned aircraft.

[0036] A loading task by an unmanned vehicle can be performed in parallel with a loading task by a manned vehicle. First, in action A43, the unmanned vehicle moves to the storage location indicated in the loading task. When the unmanned vehicle arrives at the storage location, it unloads the transported goods indicated in the loading task. Note that this unloading may be performed automatically by the drone or by a standby person waiting at the storage location for the transported goods. The drone then moves to the delivery location indicated in the loading task (action A45). When the drone arrives at the delivery location, it unloads the transported goods from the drone (action A46) and waits at the delivery location (action A47). This completes the execution of a series of loading tasks by the unmanned vehicle.

[0037] After completing action A39 and action A47, the recognition model control may calculate the completion rate of loading and unloading by the manned aircraft and unmanned aircraft based on the transport results of the transported items by the manned aircraft and unmanned aircraft, and update the recognition model. This completes a series of behaviors of the design system.

[0038] In this way, the specifications for the behavior of the system may include the operating conditions of each of the controlled objects included in the design system, particularly manned and unmanned aircraft.

[0039] Layout information D23 is information about the layout of the design system. FIG. 7 is a display example of layout information D23. The display example shown in FIG. 7 is presented to the user via the display unit 34, and can be set and updated as needed via the HMI device 35. Tools used to write layout information include, for example, existing spreadsheet software and presentation material creation tools (specifically, Microsoft Office-compliant tools such as Microsoft Excel and Microsoft PowerPoint). As shown in FIG. 7, layout information D23 is defined to represent the layout of the design system using unit areas (hereinafter referred to as cells C). In this embodiment, layout information D23 is defined by 18×18 cells divided into a two-dimensional grid, vertically and horizontally, and two-dimensional position coordinates are assigned to each cell C. Note that at this stage, the two-dimensional position coordinates are not associated with position information within the virtual space VS of the spatial model information D1, and therefore, the scale, shape, etc. may differ. Each cell C is associated with an attribute assigned to the space. The attributes are information that can be set (e.g., by a user) independently of the properties (e.g., physical characteristics) of the objects defined by the spatial model information D1. The attributes may include, for example, an identification number (e.g., a partition number) for conveniently identifying the space corresponding to each cell C, and the occupation state of the space by elements included in the design system (e.g., the presence or absence of an element occupying the space, the type of the occupying element, an identification number, etc.). As shown in FIG. 7 , in this embodiment, each cell C is assigned a partition number from 1 to 9. The partition number is expressed as a numerical value in each cell C. Furthermore, each cell C is assigned the properties and identification number of the object occupying the space corresponding to the cell (e.g., the movability of the control target, the unity of the object, etc.). The state of such a space can be visually expressed, for example, as the color of the cell C.

[0040] For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the cells C in the layout information D23 include cell 40, which is set as a free space, cells 41 to 44, which are set as quasi-static spaces, and cells 45 and 46, which are set as dynamic spaces that can move freely within the design system. The free space is an area in which a moving object, such as a moving body, can move freely. The quasi-static space is an area in which the position can be changed during the design phase of the design system but is immobile during the operation (or simulation) phase of the design system, and represents, for example, a shelf on which transported goods are placed. The dynamic space represents an object, such as a moving body, that can move within the design system (e.g., a person or a forklift). The quasi-static spaces, which are treated as a single entity, may each be assigned the same attribute (e.g., RGB value). These settings may be set by the user regardless of the physical properties of the objects set in the spatial model information D1. The layout information D23 may also include information regarding the length scale of each cell C. This makes it easier to establish a correspondence with the spatial model information. The relationship between the shape, color, etc. of the cell C and the attribute may be arbitrarily set by the user. Therefore, the layout information D23 can be described in an informal notation that gives the user freedom in the description method, rather than in a (semi-)formal notation in which the description method is defined to a certain extent, such as the Unified Modeling Language (UML) or the System Modeling Language (SysML). Furthermore, the layout information D23 is not limited to information represented in cells, and can include any comments assigned to each of the cells. The comments can include any information that the user associates with the cell C, such as a comment on the attribute of the cell C (e.g., the destination number of the moving object, the identification number of the moving object, etc.).

[0041] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of reference information related to the layout information illustrated in FIG. 7. As illustrated in FIG. 8, reference information L1 illustrates a correspondence relationship between information (e.g., position, color, comment, etc.) about each cell C included in the layout information and the user's design intent for the information. As illustrated in FIG. 8, in this embodiment, layout information D23 includes, as elements associated with each cell C, coordinates (grids), quasi-static objects (objects), zones (zones), and moving bodies (vehicles). The coordinates are associated with the two-dimensional coordinates (i.e., row numbers and column numbers) of the cell, and can be handled with the variable names "Row" and "Column," respectively. The quasi-static objects are associated with the color (RGB value) of cell C and can be handled with the variable name "Interior.Color." The zones are associated with numerical values ​​set as zone numbers (here, numerical values ​​within the cell) and can be handled with the variable name "Text." The moving bodies are associated with the moving body number and destination number as comments assigned to cell C, and can be handled with the variable name "Comment.Text." Here, "Comment.Text" is configured to separate a single character string with a delimiter such as ";" in order to manage the mobile unit number and destination number with a single variable name. Also, the reference information L1 can define the relationship between each of the above-mentioned elements by collectively listing the values ​​corresponding to each element.

[0042] 3.2. Information processing flow 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of information processing executed in the information processing system 1. Note that the information processing may include any exception processing not shown. Exception processing includes interruption of the information processing or omission of each process. Selection or input performed in the information processing may be based on a user operation or may be performed automatically without relying on a user operation.

[0043] [Step S1] As shown in FIG. 9, first, in step S1, the processor 23 acquires design information D2 (for example, from a system designer as a user).

[0044] [Step S2] Next, in step S2, the processor 23 generates space model information D1 based on the design information D2 acquired in step S1. For example, the processor 23 generates a model (here, a three-dimensional model) of the design system in the virtual space VS as the space model information D1 based on the layout information D23 included in the design information D2. When the layout information D23 is described in two-dimensional coordinates, the height of an object such as a shelf included in the three-dimensional model may be set to, for example, a predetermined constant value. Furthermore, the visual appearance of the object in the virtual space VS, such as its color, may be set to correspond to the visual appearance of the color, etc. included in the layout information D23 (i.e., the color described as an integrated object).

[0045] [Step S3] Next, in step S3, the processor 23 accepts operations on the space model information D1 (specifically, the three-dimensional model of the design system) generated in step S2. For example, the processor 23 accepts editing operations on the space model information D1, such as operations on objects by the user, such as adjusting the position or shape of the object, changing the scale, or changing the color, or changing the scale of the virtual space VS. In other words, the three-dimensional model is configured to be editable by the user. With this configuration, the space model information D1 can be generated from the design information D2, and through user editing, the space model information D1 can be obtained, having a more specific and easily consistent layout.

[0046] [Step S4] Next, in step S4, the processor 23 updates the space model information D1 generated in step S2 based on the operation accepted in step S3. In this way, the processor 23 acquires the space model information D1. Note that the processor 23 may acquire the space model information D1 constructed completely separately from the design information D2 (for example, from a space designer of the design system as a user).

[0047] [Step S5] Next, in step S5, the processor 23 associates the acquired spatial model information D1 with the design information D2. This indicates which cell C in the design information D2 corresponds to each position coordinate in the spatial model information D1. For example, the processor 23 associates the spatial model information D1 with the design information D2 by position within the virtual space VS (e.g., position coordinates within the virtual space VS) and information regarding the position within the design system described by the design information D2 (e.g., coordinates of cell C). This configuration makes it possible to understand design systems that may be described in different language systems from a unified perspective. While any method of association may be used, for example, based on an object that defines the boundary of the design system (e.g., object Ob1 that defines a wall) included in the spatial model information D1 and an area that indicates the boundary of the design system in the design information D2 (e.g., the outer edge of cell C), the spatial model information D1 and the design information D2 represent a common design system, the position coordinates of the spatial model information D1 are associated with the area of ​​each cell C in the layout information D23 by setting a length scale conversion ratio.

[0048] The processor 23 may also associate an object in the virtual space VS defined by the space model information D1 with a control target defined by the behavior information D22 of the design information D2. Specifically, the processor 23 associates a movable moving object Ob3 in the virtual space VS with a moving body (a manned aircraft or an unmanned aircraft) as a control target defined by the design information D2. In this case, the moving object Ob3 may be associated with the behavior information D22 so that it moves or performs other actions in accordance with a behavior (activity) included in the behavior information D22. In this embodiment, the processor 23 associates the use information D21, behavior information D22, and layout information D23 defined by the design information D2 with each other. Specific aspects of these associations will be described later.

[0049] [Step S6] Next, in step S6, the processor 23 generates the result of associating the spatial model information D1 with the design information D2 in step S5 as traceability information D3. The traceability information D3 is defined to indicate, for example, the correspondence between the object in the spatial model information D1 and the element occupying the space (cell C) in the design information D2.

[0050] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of traceability information. Tools used to create and manage traceability information include, for example, a SysML-compliant modeling tool. As illustrated in FIG. 10 , the traceability information D3 stores information about objects included in the spatial model information D1 in each row, and stores information about each cell C in the design information D2 in each column. In this embodiment, the traceability information D3 is generated so that each cell C is managed using a variable name of "grid_{cell row number}_{cell column number}." The traceability information D3 also manages each object in the virtual space VS using a variable name of "Object_{color name corresponding to interior.color}." The traceability information D3 also indicates the relationship between a cell and an object, indicating that the object managed by the variable name exists in a specific cell C (grid), by assigning a symbol associated with "Allocate" to the corresponding matrix element. 10 has described the portion of the traceability information D3 that indicates the association between a quasi-static object as an object and coordinates in the design information D2, but portions that indicate the association between a section and coordinates, and between a moving object and coordinates can also be generated in a similar manner. When the spatial model information D1 or the design information D2 is specified to describe time-series changes such as the movement of a moving object, the traceability information D3 is generated for each time series, thereby enabling tracking of changes over time in the correspondence in the design system.

[0051] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of reference information showing the correspondence between the layout information and traceability information shown in FIG. 7. As shown in FIG. 11, reference information L1 indicates each element and relationship of layout information D23 described using an informal notation (e.g., various software included in Microsoft Office, etc.), and reference information L2 indicates object types (Block or Allocate), attributes (e.g., "Name," "Owner," "Supplier," etc.), and variable names (values) when described using a (semi-)formal notation (e.g., SysML). This allows layout information D23 in any format to be associated with spatial model information D1 through traceability information D3 having a specified format. In this embodiment, information such as spatial model information D1 and design information D2, which does not require uniform descriptive rigor for information expression, is converted into traceability information D3 in (semi-)formal notation using a hybrid notation to standardize the descriptive rigor, and the association of information is managed.

[0052] Furthermore, the traceability information D3 can be configured to define the relationships between internal elements of the design information D2 (for example, each element included in the layout information D23, such as the usage information D21, behavior information D22, etc.). FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of traceability information indicating the relationship between usage information and behavior information. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of traceability information indicating the relationship between behavior information D22 and layout information D23. For convenience of explanation, the traceability information D3 shown in FIG. 12 is referred to as first traceability information D31, and the traceability information shown in FIG. 13 is referred to as second traceability information D32. In this embodiment, each piece of traceability information D31, D32 is visually represented as a table.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 12, each row of the first traceability information D31 is associated with each internal element included in the usage information D21 (here, each use case of the usage information D21). A variable called "USECASE" is assigned to these internal elements. Each column of the first traceability information D31 is associated with each internal element included in the behavior information D22 (here, each action of the activity of the behavior information D22). The processor 23 associates the internal elements of the usage information D21 with the internal elements of the behavior information D22. A variable called "Activity" is assigned to these internal elements. A flag F1 indicating association is turned on for a matrix element of the first traceability information D31 corresponding to each associated internal element.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 13, each row of the second traceability information D32 is associated with each internal element included in the behavior information D22 (here, each action of the activity of the behavior information D22). A variable called "Activity" is assigned to each of these internal elements. This variable is the same as the variable assigned to the behavior information D22 in the first traceability information D31. This makes it possible to handle the same elements between the first traceability information D31 and the second traceability information D32. Each column of the second traceability information D32 is associated with an internal element of the layout information D23. In FIG. 13, the destinations of two moving bodies ("vehicle_1" and "vehicle_2") corresponding to the variable "Vehicle" are associated as internal elements of the layout information D23. The processor 23 associates the internal elements of the behavior information D22 with the internal elements of the layout information D23. In the first traceability information D31, a flag F2 indicating association is turned on for a matrix element corresponding to each associated internal element.

[0055] In this way, the traceability information D3 is configured to indicate the mutual association between the internal elements of the spatial model information D1 and the internal elements of the design information D2, and between the internal elements of the design information D2, like the first traceability information D31 and the second traceability information D32.

[0056] [Step S7] Next, in step S7, the processor 23 sets evaluation items for evaluating the feasibility of the physical model representing the design system. FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of evaluation items. FIG. 14 lists evaluation items related to the safety of the design system. As illustrated in FIG. 14, the evaluation items may be defined by associating, for example, the classification of the event to be evaluated (mechanical, electrical, thermal, acoustic, etc.), the name of the evaluation item (head-on collision, traffic line intersection, etc.), the content of the evaluation item, and the evaluation method for the evaluation item. The evaluation method includes an evaluation index for evaluating the evaluation item and a determination method for the evaluation item based on the evaluation index (e.g., feasibility level). The evaluation index may be defined based on physical quantities measurable within the virtual space VS. Note that the evaluation items are not limited to those for evaluating the safety of the design system, and may also be those for evaluating, for example, the convenience of the design system or operational efficiency (such as the transport speed of transported items or the storage efficiency of transported items within the virtual space VS). The processor 23 may also set appropriate evaluation items based on the usage information D21 included in the design information D2. For example, if the usage information D21 includes a use case of "reducing labor costs by introducing an automated guided vehicle (unmanned vehicle)," the processor 23 may set the cost-effectiveness of introducing the unmanned vehicle as an evaluation item.

[0057] [Step S8] Returning to FIG. 9 , next, in step S8, the processor 23 executes a simulation within the virtual space VS. For example, the processor 23 moves the moving object Ob3 in the virtual space VS according to the movement pattern of the moving object Ob3 in the virtual space VS, which is set based on the activity based on the behavior information D22. The processor 23 executes a physical simulation within the virtual space VS under such operations, and measures various physical quantities (virtually). At this time, the processor 23 may store the space model information D1, which changes over time due to the movement of the moving object Ob3, in the traceability information D3 in association with the time. This can improve the traceability of the time change of the design system during the simulation. The movement pattern can be arbitrarily set by the user depending on the purpose of the simulation.

[0058] [Step S9] Next, in step S9, the processor 23 calculates an evaluation index related to the feasibility of the specifications in the physical model based on the simulation result in step S8 as an example of the association result. The evaluation index is a value used in the evaluation method for the evaluation item set in step S7. For example, the processor 23 calculates the evaluation index by verifying the behavior of the design system based on the association result. With this configuration, the feasibility of the behavior of the design system can be evaluated from both the spatial simulation and the specifications of the design system. Specifically, if the evaluation index satisfies a condition corresponding to a set evaluation item during the execution of the simulation (for example, in the case of collision avoidance, if a condition indicating that the moving object Ob3 has come into contact with another object is satisfied), the processor 23 calculates a result that denies the feasibility of the specification from the perspective of the evaluation item. The processor 23 constantly measures physical quantities (for example, the destination and position coordinates of the object) during the execution of the simulation.

[0059] [Step S10] Next, in step S10, the processor 23 outputs the calculation results of the evaluation indexes. Here, the output content is displayed on the display unit 34. For example, the processor 23 outputs the calculation results in association with the specifications included in the design information D2. With this configuration, the feasibility of a design system can be evaluated from the perspectives of both spatial simulation and system specifications, and the evaluation results can be understood in the context of their relevance to the specifications. Therefore, information can be smoothly shared among various users related to the design system, such as designers who design the spatial layout and behavior of the design system, and system engineers who design the requirements imposed on the design system, thereby making the design of the design system more efficient.

[0060] For example, the processor 23 outputs the calculation results of the evaluation index in association with the application information D21. This configuration allows the feasibility of using a design system for a particular application to be evaluated in relation to a spatial physical model. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example screen displaying the calculation results of the evaluation index in association with the specifications included in the design information (application information) shown in FIG. 5. This example screen display can be presented to a user via the display unit 34. As shown in FIG. 15, the screen display 5 includes a list L3 that lists each use case included in the application information D21. The processor 23 highlights areas of use cases included in the design information D2 (specifically, the application information D21) that do not satisfy the corresponding conditions based on the calculation results of the evaluation index in a manner different from the areas of other use cases in the list L3. This allows various people in charge to share information about which parts of requirements that are difficult to achieve with the current design system should be improved. For example, the processor 23 displays the boundary line 51 of the use case area to be highlighted in a more noticeable manner (e.g., by making it thicker) than the boundary lines of other areas.

[0061] Furthermore, the processor 23 may output the calculation results of the evaluation index in association with the behavior information D22. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of a screen on which the calculation results of the evaluation index are output in association with the behavior information shown in FIG. 6. As shown in FIG. 16, the screen 6 is configured to display the actions executed in the simulation (i.e., the behavior information D22). The processor 23 identifies the activity executed at the stage when an unsatisfied evaluation item occurred, using the traceability information D3 associated with each chronological order. Thereafter, the processor 23 highlights the identified activity in a manner different from other activities (for example, by making the frame 61 of the activity thicker than the frame lines of other activities). This configuration can improve the predictability of problems in the operation planned for the design system. In particular, since such a simulation can be performed before actually operating the design system, the cost of changing the design system can be reduced.

[0062] The processor 23 may also output the calculation results of the evaluation index in association with the layout information D23. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of a screen on which the calculation results of the evaluation index are output in association with the layout information shown in FIG. 7. As shown in FIG. 17, the screen 7 is configured to display a grid-like layout of the design system defined by the acquired layout information D23. Using the traceability information D3 associated with each time series or position, when an unsatisfied evaluation item occurs, the processor 23 highlights the boundary 71 of the section in which the evaluation index for the unsatisfied evaluation item is obtained in a different manner from the boundaries of other sections (for example, thicker than the other boundaries). This makes it possible to determine points where the evaluation item is likely to be unsatisfied as sections, thereby making it possible to clearly present points of interest not only to the designer of the spatial model information but also to the system designer.

[0063] The processor 23 may output the calculation results of the evaluation indexes in association with the evaluation items. FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of a screen that outputs the calculation results of the evaluation indexes in association with information about the evaluation items shown in FIG. 14. As shown in FIG. 17, the screen 8 is configured to display a judgment result (score such as "○" or "×") based on the evaluation index for each evaluation item. In FIG. 18, "○" indicates that the design system satisfies the corresponding evaluation item as a result of the judgment based on the evaluation index, and "×" indicates that the design system does not satisfy the corresponding evaluation item as a result of the judgment based on the evaluation index, i.e., suggests the need for improvement. For example, the processor 23 highlights an area of ​​an evaluation item (here, traffic line intersection) that is suggested to be in need of improvement as a result of the judgment based on the evaluation index in a different manner than the areas of other evaluation items (for example, by thickening the boundary line 81 of the target area). This configuration allows various users to understand which evaluation items need improvement.

[0064] The processor 23 can output the calculation results of the evaluation indexes described above using the traceability information D3 in which the internal elements are associated with each other. For example, when a condition for determining that a "traffic path intersection" has occurred is met (e.g., when the distance between two moving objects at a certain time during the simulation is less than a reference value), the processor 23 acquires the coordinates of the destination and current location of each moving object when the traffic path intersection is determined to have occurred. The processor 23 then uses the traceability information D3 (e.g., second traceability information, etc.) to identify each piece of internal information (use case assumed in the simulation, action being executed, block number) in the design information D2 that corresponds to the acquired coordinates of the destination and current location. In this way, the processor 23 can use the traceability information D3 to identify various relationships related to the design information D2 from the spatial information when the determination condition for the feasibility of the design system is met, and present to the user elements that may affect the feasibility.

[0065] 4.Other The above-described embodiment can be implemented as appropriate in the following manner, for example.

[0066] The method for calculating the evaluation index is not limited to a method using physical simulation, but may be a method using logic verification in the virtual space VS or in the layout information D23.

[0067] The information processing device 2 may be an on-premise type or a cloud type. As the information processing device 2 in the cloud type, the above-mentioned functions and processes may be provided in the form of, for example, SaaS (Software as a Service) or cloud computing.

[0068] In the above embodiment, the information processing device 2 performs various storage and control operations, but multiple external devices may be used instead of the information processing device 2. That is, various information and programs may be distributed and stored in multiple external devices using block chain technology or the like.

[0069] The above embodiment is not limited to the information processing system 1, and may be an information processing method or an information processing program. The information processing method includes each step of the information processing system 1. The information processing program causes at least one computer to execute each step of the information processing system 1.

[0070] The information processing system 1 and the like may be provided in the following aspects.

[0071] (1) An information processing system comprising at least one processor capable of executing a program to perform each of the following steps: in an acquisition step, spatial model information and design information are acquired, wherein the spatial model information is configured to describe a physical model in a virtual space of a design system to be designed and includes information on physical quantities that can be calculated in the virtual space; the design information indicates specifications of the design system, and the specifications are configured to be configurable by a user who designs the design system; in an association step, the spatial model information and the design information are associated; in a calculation step, an evaluation index regarding the feasibility of the specifications in the physical model is calculated based on the result of the association; and in an output step, the calculation result of the evaluation index is output in association with the specifications included in the design information.

[0072] This configuration allows the feasibility of a design system to be evaluated from the perspectives of both spatial simulation and system specifications, and the evaluation results to be understood in the context of their relevance to the specifications. This facilitates information sharing among a variety of users related to the design system, such as designers who design the spatial layout and behavior of the design system and system engineers who design the requirements imposed on the design system, thereby making the design of the design system more efficient.

[0073] (2) In the information processing system described in (1) above, the design information includes information regarding the use of the design system, and in the output step, the calculation results of the evaluation index are output in association with the information regarding the use.

[0074] With this configuration, the feasibility of using the design system for the intended purpose can be evaluated in relation to a spatial physical model.

[0075] (3) In the information processing system described in (1) or (2) above, the design system includes a control object that can operate within the design system, the design information includes specifications regarding the behavior of the design system including the control object, and the spatial model information includes objects to be placed in the virtual space, and in the associating step, the objects and the control object are associated, and in the calculating step, the evaluation index is calculated by verifying the behavior of the design system based on the results of the association.

[0076] With this configuration, the feasibility of the behavior of the design system can be evaluated from both the spatial simulation and the specifications of the design system.

[0077] (4) In the information processing system described in any one of (1) to (3) above, the associating step associates a position in the virtual space with information regarding a position in the design system described by the design information.

[0078] With this configuration, it is possible to grasp design systems that may be described in different language systems from a unified perspective.

[0079] (5) In the information processing system described in any one of (1) to (4) above, the design information includes layout information regarding the layout of the design system, and in the model generation step, a model of the design system in the virtual space is generated as the spatial model information based on the layout information, and here, the model is configured to be editable by a user.

[0080] According to this configuration, it is possible to generate space model information from design information, and obtain space model information having a more specific and easily consistent layout through editing by the user.

[0081] (6) An information processing method, comprising the steps of the information processing system according to any one of (1) to (5) above.

[0082] (7) A program that causes at least one computer to execute each step of the information processing system described in any one of (1) to (5) above. Of course, this is not the case.

[0083] Finally, while various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described, they are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The novel embodiments may be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Such embodiments and modifications are intended to be included within the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as within the scope of the inventions and their equivalents as set forth in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] 1: Information processing system 2: Information processing equipment 20: Communication bus 21: Communications Department 22: Storage section 23: Processor 231: Acquisition Department 3: User terminal 30: Communication bus 31: Communications Department 32: Storage section 33: Processor 34: Display section 35: HMI device 40~45: Cell 5: Screen 51: Borderline 6: Screen 61: Border 7: Screen 71: Boundary 8: Screen 81: Borderline C: Cell D1: Spatial model information D2: Design information D21: Usage information D22: Behavior Information D23: Layout information D3: Traceability information D31: First traceability information D32: Second traceability information L1: Reference Information L2: Reference Information L3: List Ob1: Object Ob2 : Object Ob3: Moving object VS: Virtual Space

Claims

1. An information processing system, at least one processor capable of executing a program to perform the following steps; In the acquisition step, space model information and design information are acquired, the space model information is configured to describe a physical model in a virtual space of a design system to be designed, and includes information on physical quantities that can be calculated in the virtual space; the design information indicates specifications of the design system, the specifications being configured to be configurable by a user who designs the design system; In the associating step, the spatial model information and the design information are associated with each other; In the calculation step, an evaluation index relating to the feasibility of the specification in the physical model is calculated based on the result of the association; In the output step, the information processing system outputs the calculation results of the evaluation indexes in association with specifications included in the design information.

2. 2. The information processing system according to claim 1, the design information includes information regarding an application of the design system; In the output step, the calculation result of the evaluation index is output in association with information about the application.

3. 2. The information processing system according to claim 1, the design system includes a control object operable within the design system; the design information includes specifications regarding behavior of a design system including the control target; the space model information includes objects to be placed in the virtual space; In the associating step, the object and the control target are associated with each other; In the calculation step, the information processing system calculates the evaluation index by verifying the behavior of the design system based on the result of the association.

4. 2. The information processing system according to claim 1, In the associating step, a position in the virtual space is associated with information relating to a position in the design system described by the design information.

5. 2. The information processing system according to claim 1, the design information includes layout information relating to a layout of the design system; In the model generation step, a model of the design system in the virtual space is generated as the space model information based on the layout information, and the model is configured to be editable by a user.

6. An information processing method, comprising: A method comprising the steps of the information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. A program, A program that causes at least one computer to execute each step of the information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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