Height position estimation system and height position estimation method

Abstract

This technology provides a way to reduce misjudgments of whether a user is in an ascending or descending state within a facility, without creating a facility-specific learning model, and that can reduce misjudgments of the ascending or descending state caused by fluctuations in atmospheric pressure within the facility. [Solution] The height position estimation system is a system that estimates the height position of a user, who is a worker. The system obtains from a mobile terminal carried by the user the horizontal position, which is measured at regular intervals on the mobile terminal, and the pressure sensor value, which is the value of the atmospheric pressure around the user. The system calculates the user's walking speed at regular intervals from the changes in the obtained horizontal position. From the calculated walking speed, it calculates a reference value that represents the degree of change in the pressure sensor value, which is the basis for determining whether the user is in an uphill or downhill state. The system determines whether the user is in an uphill or downhill state based on the calculated reference value and the pressure sensor value obtained from the mobile terminal carried by the user.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to computer technology for estimating the height position of a user.

Background Art

[0002] Technologies for managing the actions of workers using digital twins are evolving in industrial fields such as maintenance-related businesses and manufacturing businesses. By using content for managing the actions of workers based on this technology, even when the manager is at a remote location away from the site, the actions of the workers can be managed in real time.

[0003] In order to reflect the actions of workers in a digital twin, it is necessary to obtain the position information of the workers at the site in real time. Although various methods have been established for obtaining the horizontal position information of workers indoors, no method has been established for obtaining the height position information. In order to prevent workers from ascending or descending stairs in a dangerous posture or with an excessive amount of luggage, or from entering restricted areas on different floors, it is also necessary to obtain the height position information of workers indoors.

[0004] As a method for obtaining height position information indoors, a method of utilizing the atmospheric pressure sensor value has been proposed. The atmospheric pressure sensor value can sometimes be easily measured with a mobile terminal such as a smartphone, and there is an expectation that the atmospheric pressure sensor value can be utilized to easily obtain the height position information of workers. I want to obtain the height position information of workers by utilizing the atmospheric pressure sensor value.

[0005] As a technology for estimating the height position of a user using the atmospheric pressure sensor value, a technology for obtaining the position information, altitude information, and predetermined demographic information of the user from a terminal device owned by the user, and estimating the position of the user in a building having a hierarchical structure using a user behavior model that has learned a predetermined behavior pattern in advance (for example, Patent Document 1) has been proposed.

[0006] Furthermore, a positioning system for determining the location of a mobile device owner has also been proposed, which determines the owner's movements and the amount of movement and location of the owner based on an action recognition model and measurement data (for example, Patent Document 2).

[0007] Furthermore, a technique has been proposed (for example, Patent Document 3) that uses barometric pressure sensor values ​​to determine the user's stair climbing status and calculate the user's distance traveled indoors. This technique involves detecting stair climbing using barometric pressure sensor values ​​and then retrospectively correcting the user's stride length used to calculate the distance traveled. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7388379 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 6329915 [Patent Document 3] Patent No. 6566046 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0009] The technology described in Patent Document 1 is indeed useful for estimating the user's position in the height direction indoors. However, with the technology described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to acquire behavioral data in advance for each target facility and create a facility-specific learning model. Therefore, when using the technology described in Patent Document 1, there is a problem in that the model learning process is required each time it is expanded to another location. In addition, the technology described in Patent Document 1 also has the problem that it does not take into account the determination of the ascent or descent state in real time.

[0010] Furthermore, the technology described in Patent Document 2 is indeed useful for estimating the user's position in the height direction indoors. However, the technology described in Patent Document 2 requires acquiring behavioral data in advance at multiple locations within the facility and creating a facility-specific learning model. Therefore, using the technology described in Patent Document 2 presents the problem that the model needs to be retrained each time it is deployed to a wider area. In addition, the technology described in Patent Document 2 also has the problem that it does not take into account the real-time determination of the ascent or descent state.

[0011] Furthermore, the technology described in Patent Document 3 mentioned above is certainly useful in determining the user's ascent and descent status indoors. However, the technology described in Patent Document 3 has the problem that, in detecting changes in atmospheric pressure, only measures to prevent false detections due to rapid changes in atmospheric pressure caused by the arrival or departure of trains in subway stations are considered, and measures to prevent false detections caused by fluctuations in atmospheric pressure resulting from the operation of air conditioning equipment or the opening and closing of doors and windows within the facility are not considered.

[0012] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and aims to provide a technology that can reduce misjudgments of the ascent / descent state caused by fluctuations in atmospheric pressure within a facility, without creating a facility-specific learning model, when determining whether a user is in an ascent / descent state within a facility using atmospheric pressure sensor values ​​acquired by a mobile terminal carried by the user. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] The height position estimation system according to the present invention is a system for estimating the height position of a user, who is a worker, and comprises at least a computer equipped with a computing device and a storage device, which is connected to a portable terminal carried by the user so as to be able to communicate data with each other. The system acquires a drawing or a three-dimensional model of the facility structure representing the structure of the facility, which is a work site where the user is engaged in various tasks. The system acquires from the portable terminal carried by the user the horizontal position representing the user's horizontal position measured at regular intervals and the pressure sensor value representing the value of the atmospheric pressure around the user. The system calculates the user's walking speed at regular intervals from the change in the horizontal position acquired from the portable terminal carried by the user. From the calculated walking speed of the user, it calculates a reference value representing the degree of change in the pressure sensor value which serves as a criterion for determining whether the user is in an uphill or downhill state. The system determines whether the user is in an uphill or downhill state from the calculated reference value and the pressure sensor value acquired from the portable terminal carried by the user. If it is determined that the user is in an uphill or downhill state, the system updates the height position where the user is currently located.

[0014] Further issues disclosed in this application, and methods for solving them, will be made clear in the section on embodiments for carrying out the invention and in the drawings. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the present invention, when determining whether a user is in an ascending or descending state within a facility using pressure sensor values ​​acquired by a mobile terminal carried by the user, it is possible to reduce misdetermination of the ascending or descending state caused by fluctuations in atmospheric pressure within the facility without creating a facility-specific learning model. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of the overall system configuration of the height position estimation system according to Examples 1 and 2. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of the configuration of the height position estimation device according to Example 1. [Figure 3]It is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the horizontal position acquisition device according to Embodiments 1 and 2. [Figure 4] It is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the atmospheric pressure sensor value acquisition device according to Embodiments 1 and 2. [Figure 5] It is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the height position estimation process executed in Embodiment 1. [Figure 6] It is a graph showing an example of the change in the atmospheric pressure sensor value. [Figure 7] It is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the height position estimation device according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 8] It is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the height position estimation process executed in Embodiment 2.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] Hereinafter, several embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the description content of the embodiments illustrated below. Examples in which the specific configuration is modified are also included within the scope not departing from the idea or gist of the present invention. For example, the following embodiments explain the present invention in detail and are not necessarily limited to those having all the configurations included in the explanation.

[0018] In the configuration of the invention described below, the same parts and / or elements, or parts and / or elements having similar functions, are commonly used with the same reference numerals among different drawings, and duplicate explanations may be omitted.

[0019] Also, when there are a plurality of the same parts and / or elements, or parts and / or elements having similar functions, in order to distinguish the plurality of parts and / or elements, the same reference numeral may be appended with different subscripts for explanation. On the other hand, when it is not necessary to distinguish the plurality of parts and / or elements, the subscripts may be omitted for explanation.

[0020] In this specification, the designations "Part 1," "Part 2," "Part 3," etc., are used to identify components and do not necessarily limit their number, order, or content. Furthermore, the numbers used to identify components are used on a context-by-context basis, and a number used in one context does not necessarily indicate the same component in another context. Moreover, this does not prevent a component identified by one number from also performing the function of a component identified by another number.

[0021] The location, size, shape, and extent of each component shown in this specification and / or drawings may not represent the actual location, size, shape, and extent, in order to facilitate understanding of the invention. Therefore, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the location, size, shape, and extent disclosed in this specification and / or drawings.

[0022] In this specification, elements expressed in the singular form shall include the plural form unless otherwise clearly indicated in the context.

[0023] Furthermore, in the following explanation, "interface device" may refer to one or more interface devices. These one or more interface devices may be at least one of the following: • One or more I / O (Input / Output) interface devices. An I / O (Input / Output) interface device is an interface device to at least one of the following: an I / O device and a remote display computer. The I / O interface device to the display computer may be a communication interface device. The at least one I / O device may be either a user interface device, such as an input interface device like a keyboard and a pointing device, or an output interface device like a display device. • One or more communication interface devices. These one or more communication interface devices may be one or more identical communication interface devices (e.g., one or more NICs (Network Interface Cards)) or two or more different communication interface devices (e.g., a NIC and an HBA (Host Bus Adapter)). The network that the communication interface device accesses for communication may be, but is not limited to, the Internet, a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), or a mobile phone network.

[0024] Furthermore, in the following explanation, "main memory" refers to one or more main memory devices, which are examples of one or more storage devices, and may typically be memory devices (hereinafter also referred to as "memory"). At least one memory device in the main memory may be a volatile memory device (hereinafter also referred to as "volatile memory") or a non-volatile memory device (hereinafter also referred to as "non-volatile memory").

[0025] Furthermore, in the following explanation, "auxiliary storage device" may refer to one or more auxiliary storage devices, which are examples of one or more storage devices. An auxiliary storage device is typically a non-volatile storage device (e.g., a persistent storage device), and specifically, it may be various storage devices such as HDDs (Hard Disk Drives), SSDs (Solid State Drives), NVME (Non-Volatile Memory Express) drives, or SCMs (Storage Class Memory) (hereinafter also referred to as "storage").

[0026] Furthermore, in the following explanation, "memory device" may refer to at least the main memory of the main memory and auxiliary memory devices.

[0027] Furthermore, in the following explanation, the term "processor," which refers to an arithmetic unit, may be one or more processor devices. At least one processor device is typically a microprocessor device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), but may also include other types of processor devices such as a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). At least one processor device may be single-core or multi-core. At least one processor device may be a processor core. At least one processor device may be a broad-sense processor device such as a hardware circuit that performs some or all of the processing (e.g., an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), a CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device), or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit)).

[0028] Furthermore, in the following explanation, functions may be described using the expression "xxx section," but a function may be realized by the execution of one or more computer programs (hereinafter also simply referred to as "programs") by a processor, by one or more hardware circuits (e.g., FPGA or ASIC), or by a combination thereof. When a function is realized by the execution of a program by a processor, the defined processing is carried out using memory devices and / or interface devices as appropriate, so the function may be at least a part of the processor. Processing described with a function as the subject may be processing performed by the processor or a device having that processor. Programs may be installed from program source. Program source may be, for example, a program distribution computer or a computer-readable recording medium (e.g., a non-temporary recording medium). The description of each function is an example, and multiple functions may be combined into one function, or one function may be divided into multiple functions.

[0029] Furthermore, in the following explanation, we may use expressions such as "yyy database" and "yyy table" to describe information from which an output is obtained for a given input. This information may be represented by data of any structure (for example, it may be structured data or unstructured data), or by a learning model such as a neural network, genetic algorithm, or random forest that generates an output from an input. Therefore, "yyy database" and "yyy table" can be replaced with "yyy information." Also, in the following explanation, the configuration of each database and table is just an example, and one database or table may be divided into two or more databases or tables, or all or part of two or more databases or tables may be a single database or table.

[0030] Furthermore, in the following explanation, the subject of the process may be "program," but since a program is executed by a processor and performs defined processes using memory and / or interface devices as appropriate, the subject of the process may also be the processor (or a device such as a controller having that processor). A program may be installed from a program source into a device such as a computer. The program source may be, for example, a program distribution server or a computer-readable (e.g., non-temporary) recording medium. Also, in the following explanation, two or more programs may be implemented as a single program, or one program may be implemented as two or more programs.

[0031] Furthermore, in the following description, the "height position estimation system" and / or "height position estimation device" may be a device or system composed of one or more physical computers (e.g., an on-premise device or system), or a system implemented on a group of physical computing resources (e.g., a cloud infrastructure) (e.g., a cloud computing system). The height position estimation system "displaying" display information may mean displaying the display information on a display device owned by the computer (height position estimation device), or the computer (height position estimation device) may transmit the display information to a display computer (horizontal position acquisition device and / or barometric pressure sensor value acquisition device) (in the latter case, the display information is displayed by the display computer (horizontal position acquisition device and / or barometric pressure sensor value acquisition device)). [Examples]

[0032] <Example System Configuration> First, an example configuration of the height position estimation system 10 will be explained using Figures 1 to 4.

[0033] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the overall network configuration of the height position estimation system 10 according to Example 1 (and Example 2 described later). Figures 2 to 4 show examples of the configurations of each device (100, 200, 300) that constitute this height position estimation system 10. Of these, Figure 2 shows an example of the configuration of the height position estimation device 100a according to Example 1, Figure 3 shows an example of the configuration of the horizontal position acquisition device 200 according to Examples 1 and 2, and Figure 4 shows an example of the configuration of the pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 according to Examples 1 and 2.

[0034] (Example of the overall system configuration) The height position estimation system 10 is a computer system that can accurately acquire in real time the height position (i.e., vertical position) of users of the height position estimation system 10 who are workers engaged in various tasks indoors in various facilities such as infrastructure facilities, factories, and construction sites, mainly in various industrial fields such as maintenance-related businesses, manufacturing, and construction. This information representing the height position of the user in physical space (real world) (hereinafter also referred to as "height position information") is faithfully reflected in cyberspace (virtual world) that reproduces the work site in content that uses a digital twin to manage the safety of workers (hereinafter also referred to as "safety management content"). The system is implemented by multiple computers and / or servers, each equipped with one of the configurations described below. This safety management content is designed to be played back as 2D or 3D content when output to display devices such as tablets and laptop PCs (Personal Computers), but it can also be played back as VR content when output to VR viewing devices such as so-called VR (Virtual Reality) glasses. In this case as well, the safety management content can similarly perform its function of managing worker safety using a digital twin.

[0035] The height position estimation system 10 includes, as illustrated in Figure 1, the height position estimation device 100a according to Embodiment 1 or the height position estimation device 100b according to Embodiment 2 (hereinafter, when referring to them collectively or without distinction, they will be collectively referred to as "height position estimation device 100" or "height position estimation device (100a, 100b)" etc.) as a component. The height position estimation device 100 is a computer capable of acquiring the height position information of users of the height position estimation system 10 engaged in various tasks within the various facilities described above in real time with high accuracy, and faithfully reflecting it in safety management content.

[0036] Furthermore, as illustrated in Figure 1, various mobile terminals such as tablets, smartphones, and laptop PCs owned by each worker who is subject to safety management, i.e., a user of the height position estimation system 10, are connected to the height position estimation device 100 via an appropriate communication network (hereinafter simply referred to as "network") 400, such as the Internet, a dedicated line, or a LAN (Local Area Network), enabling data communication between them. These devices are used as horizontal position acquisition devices 200a, 200b, 200c...200n (hereinafter collectively referred to as "horizontal position acquisition devices 200" when referred to collectively or without distinction) and barometric pressure sensor value acquisition devices 300a, 300b, 300c...300n (hereinafter collectively referred to as "barometric pressure sensor value acquisition devices 300" when referred to collectively or without distinction). The height position estimation device 100 and the network 400 are connected by wire via well-known communication equipment (not shown), but may also be connected wirelessly. Furthermore, each horizontal position acquisition device 200 and each barometric pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 are connected to the network 400 wirelessly, but they may also be connected by wire. Each user of the height position estimation system 10 that possesses a horizontal position acquisition device 200 and / or a barometric pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 is pre-assigned a unique ID called a user ID.

[0037] The horizontal position acquisition device 200 is a terminal that, when carried or worn by a user of the height position estimation system 10, accurately acquires the user's horizontal position (hereinafter also referred to as "horizontal position") at regular intervals and transmits this information representing the user's horizontal position in physical space (real world) (hereinafter also referred to as "horizontal position information") to the height position estimation device 100 in order to faithfully reflect the work site in cyberspace (virtual world) in real time in the safety management content. Specifically, the horizontal position acquisition device 200 can be any of the various mobile terminals such as tablets, smartphones, or laptop PCs that are equipped with various sensors such as inertial measurement units, image sensors, depth sensors, and wireless beacons as means of acquiring horizontal position information.

[0038] Furthermore, the barometric pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 is a terminal that, when carried by the user of the height position estimation system 10, accurately acquires barometric pressure sensor values ​​around the user at regular intervals and transmits this information representing the barometric pressure sensor values ​​around the user in physical space (real world) (hereinafter also referred to as "barometric pressure sensor value information") to the height position estimation device 100 in real time to reflect the work site in cyberspace (virtual world) in the safety management content.Specific examples of this barometric pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 include various mobile terminals such as general smartphones and tablets.

[0039] The height position estimation device 100, the horizontal position acquisition device 200, and the barometric pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 are connected to each other via a network 400 so as to be able to communicate data with one another, thereby constituting a height position estimation system 10 as a whole. That is, as illustrated in Figure 1, the height position estimation system 10 includes as its components at least one horizontal position acquisition device 200 and at least one barometric pressure sensor value acquisition device 300, each of which is connected to the height position estimation device 100 so as to be able to communicate data with one another.

[0040] Note that the horizontal position acquisition device 200 and the pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 may be the same terminal.

[0041] Furthermore, other devices or terminals (hereinafter simply referred to as "other devices") may be connected to the height position estimation device 100, horizontal position acquisition device 200, and barometric pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 that constitute the height position estimation system 10 via the network 400 to enable data communication. In this case, the other devices and the network 400 may be connected by wire via well-known communication equipment (not shown) or by wireless connection. In this case, the height position estimation device 100, horizontal position acquisition device 200, and / or barometric pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 may acquire various data from such other devices, for example, for use in the processes described later.

[0042] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as illustrated in Figure 1, the height position estimation device 100, the horizontal position acquisition device 200, and the barometric pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 that constitute the height position estimation system 10 were described as each consisting of a single device. However, for example, the height position estimation device 100, the horizontal position acquisition device 200, and / or the barometric pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 may consist of multiple devices.

[0043] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as illustrated in Figure 1, the height position estimation device 100 and the horizontal position acquisition device 200 and the barometric pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 were described as separate devices. However, the height position estimation device 100 and the horizontal position acquisition device 200 and / or the barometric pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 may be composed of the same device. In this case, for example, the height position estimation device 100 may be configured to include some or all of the functions performed by the horizontal position acquisition device 200 and the barometric pressure sensor value acquisition device 300. Also, for example, the horizontal position acquisition device 200 and the barometric pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 may be configured to include some or all of the functions performed by the height position estimation device 100.

[0044] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the height position estimation device 100, horizontal position acquisition device 200, and barometric pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 that constitute the height position estimation system 10 have been described as being separate devices. However, the height position estimation device 100, horizontal position acquisition device 200 and / or barometric pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 and the other devices may be composed of the same device. In this case, the height position estimation system 10 may be configured as a computer system that includes, for example, some or all of the other devices. Alternatively, for example, the height position estimation system 10 may be configured to include some or all of the functions performed by the other devices.

[0045] (Example of hardware configuration for height position estimation device 100) Next, an example of the hardware configuration of the height position estimation device 100 according to Example 1 (and Example 2, which will be described later) will be explained using Figure 2.

[0046] This height position estimation device 100 is implemented by a computer having at least a storage device including a main memory (not shown) and an auxiliary storage device (not shown), an interface device including at least a communication device (not shown), and a processor (not shown) which is an arithmetic unit connected thereto. In this height position estimation device 100, the interface device may also include an input device (not shown) and / or an output device (not shown).

[0047] The following description assumes that the height position estimation device 100 is implemented by a single general-purpose computer equipped with one or more processors, one or more main memory devices, one or more auxiliary memory devices, one or more communication devices, one or more input devices, one or more output devices, and a wired or wireless BUS connecting them.

[0048] The auxiliary storage device is an auxiliary storage device consisting of non-volatile memory elements such as flash memory. Specific examples of this auxiliary storage device include various storage devices such as SSDs (Solid State Drives) and HDDs (Hard Disk Drives). The auxiliary storage device stores at least program 102. This program 102 is a computer program for implementing the functions necessary for the height position estimation device 100.

[0049] In other words, when program 102 is executed by the processor, the functions performed by each functional unit of the height position estimation device 100, such as the facility structure acquisition processing unit 1021, walking speed calculation processing unit 1022, elevation / depression state determination criterion calculation processing unit 1023, elevation / depression state determination processing unit 1024, and height position update processing unit 1025, which will be described later, are realized. To put it another way, when program 102 is executed by the processor, various processes, including the height position estimation process (hereinafter also referred to as the "height position estimation process") which will be described later in relation to Figure 5, are performed in cooperation with the horizontal position acquisition device 200 and the atmospheric pressure sensor value acquisition device 300.

[0050] The program 102 is provided to the height position estimation device 100 via the network 400 and / or various removable media such as CD-ROMs and flash memory, and is stored in a non-volatile auxiliary storage device, which is a non-temporary storage medium. Therefore, it is preferable that the height position estimation device 100 has an interface for reading data from the removable media.

[0051] Furthermore, program 102 may be installed from program source. The program source may be, for example, a program distribution computer or a computer-readable recording medium. Also, program 102 may consist of a device driver, an operating system, various application programs located at a higher layer, and libraries that provide common functions to these programs. Moreover, two or more programs may be implemented as a single program 102, or a single program 102 may be implemented as two or more programs.

[0052] Main memory is a main memory device consisting mainly of volatile memory elements such as RAM (Random Access Memory). Main memory also includes ROM (Read Only Memory), which consists of non-volatile memory elements. ROM stores immutable programs (e.g., BIOS). This main memory temporarily holds data representing various information read from auxiliary storage devices, as well as various data acquired via communication devices and / or input devices.

[0053] The processor, which is the arithmetic unit, is a processor device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and various coprocessors. This processor controls the height position estimation device 100 itself by calling and executing various computer programs, including program 102, from the main memory, and also controls the arithmetic unit 113 which performs various processing such as calculations, judgments, and control.

[0054] The interface device includes a communication device that controls the communication unit 115 described later, an input device that controls the input unit 116 described later, and an output device that controls the output unit 117 described later.

[0055] The communication device is a network interface device that controls communication with the horizontal position acquisition device 200, the barometric pressure sensor value acquisition device 300, and various other devices according to a predetermined protocol.

[0056] The input devices are various input interface devices for receiving input operations from users or operators of the height position estimation system 10, such as touch panels, keyboards, mice, and controllers.

[0057] The output device is a variety of output interface devices for outputting processing results in a format that can be recognized by users and operators of the height position estimation system 10, including various display devices such as liquid crystal displays and touch screens. The output device of the height position estimation device 100 may be a display such as a general laptop PC, tablet, or smartphone that outputs the aforementioned safety management content as 2D or 3D content, or it may be a VR content viewing device such as so-called VR glasses that outputs the safety management content as VR content. The safety management content will be displayed in an appropriate format according to the specifications and performance of the output device of the height position estimation device 100.

[0058] The height position estimation device 100 may be implemented as an independent device or as an embedded device.

[0059] (Example of a functional block for the height position estimation device 100) Next, an example of the various functional blocks provided by the height position estimation device 100a according to Example 1 will be explained using Figure 2. Note that the blocks described below represent functional units, not hardware units. Furthermore, all the functional blocks exemplified in Figure 2 as being provided by the height position estimation device 100a according to Example 1 are also commonly provided by the height position estimation device 100b according to Example 2, which will be described later. Therefore, the following explanation of each functional block exemplified in Figure 2 will be given assuming that it is a functional configuration commonly provided by the height position estimation device 100 according to Examples 1 and 2.

[0060] The height position estimation device 100 is composed of various functional blocks, including a calculation unit 113 mainly implemented by the aforementioned processor, storage units (101, 114) implemented by the aforementioned storage device, a communication unit 115 implemented by the aforementioned communication device, and a user interface unit including an input unit 116 implemented by the aforementioned input device and an output unit 117 implemented by the aforementioned output device.

[0061] The arithmetic unit 113 performs various data processing based on the programs and data stored in the storage units (101, 114) and the data acquired by the communication unit 115. The arithmetic unit 113 also functions as an interface to the storage units (101, 114) and the communication unit 115.

[0062] The calculation unit 113 includes the following functional blocks: a facility structure acquisition processing unit 1021, a walking speed calculation processing unit 1022, an elevation / depression state determination criterion calculation processing unit 1023, an elevation / depression state determination processing unit 1024, and a height position update processing unit 1025.

[0063] The facility structure acquisition processing unit 1021 performs various processes related to acquiring the structure of the facilities (hereinafter also referred to as "facility structure") at the work site where the user of the height position estimation system 10 is engaged in various tasks.

[0064] The walking speed calculation processing unit 1022 performs various processes related to the calculation of walking speed.

[0065] The lifting / lowering state determination criterion calculation processing unit 1023 performs various processes related to calculating the determination criteria for the lifting / lowering state.

[0066] The lifting / lowering state determination processing unit 1024 performs various processes related to determining the lifting / lowering state.

[0067] The height position update processing unit 1025 performs various processes related to updating the height position.

[0068] The arithmetic unit 113 is configured using a processor, which is an arithmetic device, and can realize these functional blocks by executing the program 102 described above. Alternatively, the arithmetic unit 113 may be configured using logic circuits such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) instead of a processor. Furthermore, the arithmetic unit 113 may be configured using a combination of a processor and logic circuits.

[0069] The memory unit (101, 114) is configured to include, for example, a main memory unit 114 implemented by a main memory device and an auxiliary memory unit 101 implemented by an auxiliary memory device, and stores a program 102 that supplies various processing instructions to the arithmetic unit 113, and data representing various information used in the processing executed by the arithmetic unit 113.

[0070] In addition to the program 102 mentioned above, the auxiliary storage unit 101 stores at least the facility structure database 110.

[0071] The facility structure database 110 is a database that stores drawings and three-dimensional models representing the facility structure of the work site where users of the height position estimation system 10 engage in various tasks, which are reproduced by the height position estimation device 100. The three-dimensional model of the facility structure is a structural model composed of 3DCG (Three-Dimensional Computer Graphics) or CAD (Computer-Aided Design), etc., used in the aforementioned safety management content to faithfully reproduce the three-dimensional structure of the facility and the space defined by that structure in cyberspace (virtual world).

[0072] The calculation unit 113 can perform various processes, including the aforementioned height position estimation process (described in detail later in relation to Figures 5 and 8), in cooperation with the horizontal position acquisition device 200 and the atmospheric pressure sensor value acquisition device 300, by reading and writing various data, including data representing information about the facility structure stored in the facility structure database 110, to the storage units (101, 114).

[0073] The communication unit 115 is responsible for communication processing with the horizontal position acquisition device 200, the barometric pressure sensor value acquisition device 300, and various other devices via the network 400. The communication unit 115 is configured using, for example, a NIC (Network Interface Card) or an HBA (Host Bus Adapter).

[0074] The user interface section is composed of functional blocks including an input section 116 and an output section 117.

[0075] The input unit 116 is responsible for processing related to user interface, such as receiving input operations from the user. The input unit 116 is configured using input devices such as a touch panel, keyboard, mouse, or controller, and detects various operations from the user.

[0076] The output unit 117 is responsible for processing related to the user interface, including output processing such as displaying various screens on output devices and outputting audio. The output unit 117 is composed of various output devices, such as various general display devices like touch screens and liquid crystal displays, and VR content viewing devices like VR glasses.

[0077] Furthermore, the inclusion of the input unit 116 and / or output unit 117 is not mandatory when, for example, remotely logging into the height position estimation device 100 from another external device such as a tablet, smartphone, or laptop PC, or when receiving input information from an external device or providing output information to an external device via a communication device. In this case, the height position estimation device 100 may have the functionality of a web server to accept access from an external device using a predetermined protocol.

[0078] In other words, each component of the height position estimation device 100 is realized by hardware including a processor, which is an arithmetic unit; storage devices such as main memory and auxiliary storage devices; wired or wireless BUS and interface devices that connect them; and software that is stored in the storage devices and supplies processing instructions to the arithmetic unit (processor).

[0079] The above description of the functions of the height position estimation device 100 is based on the assumption that each function of the height position estimation device 100 is implemented integrally by a single computer. However, these functions may be implemented by multiple interconnected computers and / or servers. Furthermore, the height position estimation device 100 may consist of a general-purpose computer such as a laptop PC and a web browser installed thereon, or it may consist of a web server and various portable devices.

[0080] The height position estimation device 100 is a computer system that operates on a single physical computer or on multiple computers configured logically or physically, and may operate on a virtual computer built on multiple physical computer resources. For example, functional units such as the facility structure acquisition processing unit 1021, walking speed calculation processing unit 1022, elevation / depression state determination criterion calculation processing unit 1023, elevation / depression state determination processing unit 1024, and height position update processing unit 1025 may each operate on separate physical or logical computers, or multiple such units may be combined and operate on a single physical or logical computer.

[0081] Furthermore, the above descriptions of each function are merely examples, and multiple functions may be combined into one function, or one function may be divided into multiple functions.

[0082] Furthermore, the height position estimation device 100 may have additional functions in addition to the functions described above. For example, as mentioned above, the height position estimation device 100 may be configured to include some of the functions of the horizontal position acquisition device 200, the barometric pressure sensor value acquisition device 300, and other various devices.

[0083] (Example of hardware configuration for horizontal position acquisition device 200) Next, an example of the hardware configuration of the horizontal position acquisition device 200 according to Examples 1 and 2 will be explained using Figure 3.

[0084] This horizontal position acquisition device 200 is implemented by a computer having at least a storage device including a main memory (not shown) and an auxiliary storage device (not shown), an interface device including at least a communication device (not shown), and a processor (not shown), which is an arithmetic unit connected thereto. In addition, in this horizontal position acquisition device 200, the interface device may also include an input device (not shown) and / or an output device (not shown).

[0085] The following description assumes that the horizontal position acquisition device 200 is implemented by a single general-purpose computer comprising one or more processors, one or more main memory devices, one or more auxiliary memory devices, one or more communication devices, one or more input devices, one or more output devices, and a wired or wireless bus connecting them.

[0086] The auxiliary storage device is an auxiliary storage device consisting of non-volatile memory elements such as flash memory. Specific examples of this auxiliary storage device include various storage devices such as SSDs (Solid State Drives) and HDDs (Hard Disk Drives). The auxiliary storage device stores at least program 202. This program 202 is a computer program for implementing the functions necessary for the horizontal position acquisition device 200.

[0087] In other words, when program 202 is executed by the processor, the functions performed by each functional unit of the horizontal position acquisition device 200, including the horizontal position acquisition processing unit 2021 described later, are realized. To put it another way, when program 202 is executed by the processor, various processes, including the height position estimation process described later in relation to Figure 5, are performed in cooperation with the height position estimation device 100 and the barometric pressure sensor value acquisition device 300.

[0088] The program 202 is provided to the horizontal position acquisition device 200 via the network 400 and stored in a non-volatile auxiliary storage device, which is a non-temporary storage medium.

[0089] Furthermore, program 202 may be installed from program source. The program source may be, for example, a program distribution computer or a computer-readable recording medium. Also, program 202 may consist of a device driver, an operating system, various application programs located at a higher layer, and libraries that provide common functions to these programs 202. Moreover, two or more programs may be implemented as a single program 202, or a single program 202 may be implemented as two or more programs.

[0090] The main memory is a main memory device consisting mainly of volatile memory elements such as RAM (Random Access Memory). The main memory also includes ROM, which consists of non-volatile memory elements. ROM stores immutable programs (e.g., BIOS). This main memory temporarily holds data representing various information read from auxiliary storage devices, as well as various data acquired via communication devices and / or input devices.

[0091] The processor is a processor device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and various coprocessors. This processor controls the horizontal position acquisition device 200 itself by calling and executing various computer programs, including program 202, from the main memory, and also controls the arithmetic unit 213 which performs various processing such as calculations, judgments, and control.

[0092] The interface device includes a communication device that controls the communication unit 215 described later, an input device that controls the input unit 216 described later, and an output device that controls the output unit 217 described later.

[0093] The communication device is a network interface device that controls communication with the height position estimation device 100, the barometric pressure sensor value acquisition device 300, and various other devices according to a predetermined protocol.

[0094] The input devices include various input interface devices, such as devices for receiving input operations from a user of a height position estimation system 10 that has a horizontal position acquisition device 200, such as a touch panel, keyboard, mouse, or controller, and devices for acquiring the horizontal position of the user, such as an inertial measurement unit, image sensor, depth sensor, or wireless beacon.

[0095] The output device is, for example, a variety of output interface devices, including various display devices such as touch screens and liquid crystal displays, for outputting the processing results of the program 202, which changes in response to input from the input device, in a format that can be recognized by the user of the height position estimation system 10, which has a horizontal position acquisition device 200.

[0096] The horizontal position acquisition device 200 may be implemented by an independent device or by an embedded device.

[0097] (Example of a functional block for the horizontal position acquisition device 200) Next, an example of the various function blocks provided by the horizontal position acquisition device 200 according to Examples 1 and 2 will be explained using Figure 3. Note that the blocks described below represent function units, not hardware units.

[0098] The horizontal position acquisition device 200 is configured with various functional blocks, including a calculation unit 213 mainly implemented by the aforementioned processor, storage units (201, 214) implemented by the aforementioned storage device, a communication unit 215 implemented by the aforementioned communication device, and a user interface unit including an input unit 216 implemented by the aforementioned input device and an output unit 217 implemented by the aforementioned output device.

[0099] The arithmetic unit 213 performs various data processing based on the programs and data stored in the memory units (201, 214) and the data acquired by the communication unit 215. The arithmetic unit 213 also functions as an interface to the memory units (201, 214) and the communication unit 215.

[0100] The calculation unit 213 includes a horizontal position acquisition processing unit 2021 as a functional block.

[0101] The horizontal position acquisition processing unit 2021 performs various processes related to acquiring the horizontal position.

[0102] The arithmetic unit 213 is configured using a processor, which is an arithmetic device, and can realize these functional blocks by executing the program 202 described above. Alternatively, the arithmetic unit 213 may be configured using logic circuits such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) instead of a processor.

[0103] The memory unit (201, 214) is configured to include, for example, a main memory unit 214 implemented by a main memory device and an auxiliary memory unit 201 implemented by an auxiliary memory device, and stores a program 202 that supplies various processing instructions to the arithmetic unit 213, and data representing various information used in the processing executed by the arithmetic unit 213.

[0104] The calculation unit 213 can read and write this data to the storage units (201, 214), thereby executing various processes, including the aforementioned height position estimation process (described in detail later in relation to Figures 5 and 8), in cooperation with the height position estimation device 100 and the barometric pressure sensor value acquisition device 300.

[0105] The communication unit 215 is responsible for communication processing with the height position estimation device 100, the barometric pressure sensor value acquisition device 300, and various other devices via the network 400. The communication unit 215 is configured using, for example, a NIC (Network Interface Card) or an HBA (Host Bus Adapter).

[0106] The user interface section is composed of functional blocks including an input section 216 and an output section 217.

[0107] The input unit 216 is responsible for processing related to the user interface, such as receiving input operations from the user and obtaining the user's horizontal position. The input unit 216 is configured using input devices such as a touch panel, keyboard, mouse, controller, inertial measurement unit, image sensor, depth sensor, and wireless beacon, and detects various operations from the user and the user's horizontal position.

[0108] The output unit 217 is responsible for processing related to the user interface, including output processing such as displaying various 2D and 3D screens to output devices and outputting audio. The output unit 217 is composed of various output devices, such as touch screens and liquid crystal displays.

[0109] Furthermore, the inclusion of the output unit 217 is not mandatory when, for example, remotely logging into the horizontal position acquisition device 200 from another external device such as a tablet, smartphone, or laptop PC, or when providing output information to an external device via a communication device. In this case, the horizontal position acquisition device 200 may have a web server function to accept access from an external device using a predetermined protocol.

[0110] In other words, each component of the horizontal position acquisition device 200 is realized by hardware including a processor, which is an arithmetic unit; storage devices such as main memory and auxiliary storage devices; wired or wireless buses and interface devices that connect them; and software that is stored in the storage devices and supplies processing instructions to the arithmetic unit (processor).

[0111] The above description of the functions of the horizontal position acquisition device 200 is based on the assumption that each function of the horizontal position acquisition device 200 is implemented integrally by a single computer. However, these functions may be implemented by multiple interconnected computers and / or servers. Furthermore, the horizontal position acquisition device 200 may consist of a general-purpose computer such as a laptop PC and a web browser installed thereon, or it may consist of a web server and various portable devices.

[0112] Furthermore, the above descriptions of each function are merely examples, and multiple functions may be combined into one function, or one function may be divided into multiple functions.

[0113] Furthermore, the horizontal position acquisition device 200 may have additional functions in addition to the functions described above. For example, as mentioned above, the horizontal position acquisition device 200 may be configured to include some of the functions of the height position estimation device 100, the barometric pressure sensor value acquisition device 300, and other various devices.

[0114] (Example hardware configuration of the pressure sensor value acquisition device 300) Next, an example of the hardware configuration of the pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 according to Examples 1 and 2 will be explained using Figure 4.

[0115] The barometric pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 is implemented by a computer having at least a storage device including a main memory (not shown) and an auxiliary storage device (not shown), an interface device including at least a communication device (not shown), and a processor (not shown) which is an arithmetic unit connected thereto. In addition, the interface device in the barometric pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 may include an input device (not shown) and / or an output device (not shown).

[0116] The following description assumes that the pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 is implemented by a single general-purpose computer equipped with one or more processors, one or more main memory devices, one or more auxiliary memory devices, one or more communication devices, one or more input devices, one or more output devices, and a wired or wireless BUS connecting them.

[0117] The auxiliary storage device is an auxiliary storage device consisting of non-volatile memory elements such as flash memory. Specific examples of this auxiliary storage device include various storage devices such as SSDs (Solid State Drives) and HDDs (Hard Disk Drives). The auxiliary storage device stores at least program 302. This program 302 is a computer program for implementing the functions necessary for the pressure sensor value acquisition device 300.

[0118] In other words, when program 302 is executed by the processor, the functions performed by each functional unit of the pressure sensor value acquisition device 300, including the pressure sensor value acquisition processing unit 3021 described later, are realized. To put it another way, when program 302 is executed by the processor, various processes, including the height position estimation process described later in relation to Figure 5, are performed in cooperation with the height position estimation device 100 and the horizontal position acquisition device 200.

[0119] The program 302 is provided to the pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 via the network 400 and stored in a non-volatile auxiliary storage device, which is a non-temporary storage medium.

[0120] Furthermore, program 302 may be installed from program source. The program source may be, for example, a program distribution computer or a computer-readable recording medium. Also, program 302 may consist of a device driver, an operating system, various application programs located at a higher layer, and libraries that provide common functions to these programs 302. Moreover, two or more programs may be implemented as a single program 302, or a single program 302 may be implemented as two or more programs.

[0121] The main memory is a main memory device consisting mainly of volatile memory elements such as RAM (Random Access Memory). The main memory also includes ROM, which consists of non-volatile memory elements. ROM stores immutable programs (e.g., BIOS). This main memory temporarily holds data representing various information read from auxiliary storage devices, as well as various data acquired via communication devices and / or input devices.

[0122] The processor is a processor device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and various coprocessors. This processor controls the atmospheric pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 itself by calling and executing various computer programs, including program 302, from the main memory, and also controls the arithmetic unit 313 which performs various processing such as calculations, judgments, and control.

[0123] The interface device includes a communication device that controls the communication unit 315 described later, an input device that controls the input unit 316 described later, and an output device that controls the output unit 317 described later.

[0124] The communication device is a network interface device that controls communication with the height position estimation device 100, the horizontal position acquisition device 200, and various other devices according to a predetermined protocol.

[0125] The input devices include various input interface devices, such as a device for receiving input operations from a user of the height position estimation system 10 that has a pressure sensor value acquisition device 300, such as a touch panel, and a device for acquiring pressure sensor values ​​around the pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 owned by the user, such as a pressure sensor.

[0126] The output device is, for example, a display device such as a touchscreen, and various other output interface devices for outputting the processing results of the program 302, which changes in response to input from the input device, in a format that can be recognized by the user of the height position estimation system 10, which has a pressure sensor value acquisition device 300.

[0127] The pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 may be implemented as a separate device or as an embedded device.

[0128] (Example of a functional block for the pressure sensor value acquisition device 300) Next, an example of the various function blocks of the pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 according to Examples 1 and 2 will be explained using Figure 4. Note that the blocks described below represent function units, not hardware units.

[0129] The pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 is configured with various functional blocks, including a calculation unit 313 mainly implemented by the aforementioned processor, storage units (301, 314) implemented by the aforementioned storage device, a communication unit 315 implemented by the aforementioned communication device, and a user interface unit including an input unit 316 implemented by the aforementioned input device and an output unit 317 implemented by the aforementioned output device.

[0130] The arithmetic unit 313 performs various data processing based on the programs and data stored in the storage units (301, 314) and the data acquired by the communication unit 315. The arithmetic unit 313 also functions as an interface to the storage units (301, 314) and the communication unit 315.

[0131] The calculation unit 213 includes a pressure sensor value acquisition processing unit 3021 as a functional block.

[0132] The pressure sensor value acquisition processing unit 3021 performs various processes related to acquiring pressure sensor values.

[0133] The arithmetic unit 313 is configured using a processor, which is an arithmetic device, and these functional blocks can be realized by executing the program 302 described above. Alternatively, the arithmetic unit 313 may be configured using logic circuits such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) instead of a processor.

[0134] The memory unit (301, 314) is configured to include, for example, a main memory unit 314 implemented by a main memory device and an auxiliary memory unit 301 implemented by an auxiliary memory device, and stores a program 302 that supplies various processing instructions to the arithmetic unit 313, and data representing various information used in the processing executed by the arithmetic unit 313.

[0135] The calculation unit 313 can read and write this data to the storage units (301, 314), thereby enabling it to perform various processes, including the aforementioned height position estimation process (described in detail later in relation to Figures 5 and 8), in cooperation with the height position estimation device 100 and the horizontal position acquisition device 200.

[0136] The communication unit 315 is responsible for communication processing with the height position estimation device 100, the horizontal position acquisition device 200, and various other devices via the network 400. The communication unit 315 is configured using, for example, a NIC (Network Interface Card) or an HBA (Host Bus Adapter).

[0137] The user interface section is composed of functional blocks including an input section 316 and an output section 317.

[0138] The input unit 316 is responsible for processing related to the user interface, such as receiving input operations from the user and acquiring pressure sensor values ​​around the pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 owned by the user. The input unit 316 is configured using input devices such as a touch panel or a pressure sensor, and detects various operations from the user and pressure sensor values ​​around the pressure sensor value acquisition device 300.

[0139] The output unit 317 is responsible for processing related to the user interface, including output processing such as displaying various 2D and 3D screens on output devices and outputting audio. The output unit 317 is composed of various output devices, such as a display device like a touchscreen.

[0140] Furthermore, the inclusion of the output unit 317 is not mandatory when, for example, remotely logging into the pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 from another external device such as a tablet, smartphone, or laptop PC, or when providing output information to an external device via a communication device. In this case, the pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 may have a web server function to accept access from an external device using a predetermined protocol.

[0141] In other words, each component of the pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 is realized by hardware including a processor, which is an arithmetic unit; storage devices such as main memory and auxiliary storage devices; wired or wireless BUS and interface devices that connect them; and software that is stored in the storage devices and supplies processing instructions to the arithmetic unit (processor).

[0142] The above description of the functions of the pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 is based on the assumption that each function of the pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 is implemented integrally by a single computer. However, these functions may be implemented by multiple interconnected computers and / or servers. Furthermore, the pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 may consist of a general-purpose computer such as a laptop PC and a web browser installed thereon, or it may consist of a web server and various portable devices.

[0143] Furthermore, the above descriptions of each function are merely examples, and multiple functions may be combined into one function, or one function may be divided into multiple functions.

[0144] Furthermore, the pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 may have additional functions in addition to the functions described above. For example, as mentioned above, the pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 may be configured to include some of the functions of the height position estimation device 100, the horizontal position acquisition device 200, and other various devices.

[0145] <Example of system operation> Next, the flow of the height position estimation process performed by the height position estimation system 10 according to Example 1 will be explained using Figure 5.

[0146] (Height position estimation process) Figure 5 is a flowchart 500 showing an example of the flow of the height position estimation process performed by the height position estimation system 10 according to Embodiment 1.

[0147] The height position estimation process illustrated in the flowchart 500 of Figure 5 is implemented by a program 102 read and executed by the calculation unit 113 of the height position estimation device 100a from the main memory 114, a program 202 read and executed by the calculation unit 213 of the horizontal position acquisition device 200 from the main memory 214, and a program 302 read and executed by the calculation unit 313 of the pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 from the main memory 314. These programs (202, 302, and 402) each contain code to execute the processing of the corresponding steps in the flowchart 500 of Figure 5.

[0148] In step S110, the calculation unit 113 of the height position estimation device 100a executes a process by which the facility structure acquisition processing unit 1021 reads various data files, such as drawings and three-dimensional models representing the facility structure of the site, from the facility structure database 110. As a result, the facility structure of the site is read from the facility structure database 110. Once the processing in step S110 is complete, the calculation unit 113 of the height position estimation device 100a proceeds to step S111.

[0149] In step S111, the calculation unit 113 of the height position estimation device 100a executes a process to set the initial position of the user (worker) in the facility whose structure was acquired in step S110. This initial position of the user is represented as three-dimensional information that combines the horizontal position of the user in the facility structure (hereinafter also referred to as "horizontal position" or "position on the plane") represented in an XY coordinate system (hereinafter also referred to as "two-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system") with the hierarchical position where the user is currently located in the facility structure. This is set by referring to input information from the input unit 116, input information from the horizontal position acquisition device 200 via the communication unit 115, or input information from the pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 via the communication unit 115. The initial position of the user may also be set by the user standing at a predetermined position in the facility structure. This sets the initial position of the user in the facility. Once the processing in step S111 is completed, the calculation unit 113 of the height position estimation device 100a proceeds to step S112.

[0150] In step S112, the calculation unit 113 of the height position estimation device 100a executes a process to acquire the user's horizontal position acquired by the calculation unit 213 of the horizontal position acquisition device 200 from the horizontal position acquisition device 200 via the communication unit 115. The calculation unit 213 of the horizontal position acquisition device 200 uses the horizontal position acquisition processing unit 2021 to measure sensor values ​​such as inertial measurement units, image sensors, depth sensors, and wireless beacons, and acquires the user's horizontal position based on these values. The user's horizontal position is a two-dimensional representation of the user's horizontal position within the facility structure using X and Y coordinates. The acquired user's horizontal position is transmitted to the height position estimation device 100a via the communication unit 215 at regular intervals. In this embodiment, the user's horizontal position is transmitted every second. As a result, the user's horizontal position is acquired at regular intervals. When the processing in step S112 is completed, the calculation unit 113 of the height position estimation device 100a proceeds to step S113.

[0151] In step S113, the calculation unit 113 of the height position estimation device 100a executes a process to acquire the user's pressure sensor value acquired by the calculation unit 313 of the pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 from the pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 via the communication unit 115. The calculation unit 313 of the pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 measures the sensor value of the pressure sensor using the pressure sensor value acquisition processing unit 3021 and acquires the pressure sensor value around the user based on this. The acquired pressure sensor value around the user is transmitted to the height position estimation device 100a via the communication unit 315 at regular intervals. In this embodiment, the pressure sensor value around the user is transmitted every second. As a result, the pressure sensor value around the user is acquired at regular intervals. When the processing in step S113 is completed, the calculation unit 113 of the height position estimation device 100a proceeds to step S114.

[0152] In step S114, the calculation unit 113 of the height position estimation device 100a executes a process to calculate the user's walking speed at regular intervals from the change in the user's horizontal position, which is acquired at regular intervals (every second in this embodiment) in step S112, by the walking speed calculation processing unit 1022. In this embodiment, the user's walking speed is calculated every 30 seconds. As a result, the user's walking speed is calculated at regular intervals. Once the processing in step S114 is completed, the calculation unit 113 of the height position estimation device 100a proceeds to step S115.

[0153] In step S115, the calculation unit 113 of the height position estimation device 100a first performs a process in which the climbing / descending state determination criterion calculation processing unit 1023 predicts the change in the pressure sensor value acquired by the pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 when the user is climbing or descending stairs, based on the walking speed calculated in step S114. This prediction of the change in the pressure sensor value when the user is climbing or descending stairs is done by utilizing the correlation between the user's walking speed before climbing or descending stairs and the user's walking speed while climbing or descending stairs. Figure 6 is a graph showing an example of the change in the pressure sensor value. The graph shown in Figure 6 represents the change in the pressure sensor value acquired by the pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 when the user is walking, in chronological order. In this graph, the dashed line represents the user walking on level ground, and the solid line represents the user climbing or descending stairs. Furthermore, in the graph illustrated in Figure 6, 5011 represents the change in pressure sensor values ​​over time when the user's walking speed is fast both before and during stair ascent / descent, and 5012 represents the change in pressure sensor values ​​over time when the user's walking speed is slow both before and during stair ascent / descent. In addition, in this graph, 5013 does not represent the change in the user's height position associated with stair ascent / descent, but rather the fluctuations in atmospheric pressure caused by the operation of the air conditioning equipment and the opening and closing of doors and windows in the facility, shown in chronological order. Generally, users who walk fast before stair ascent / descent also walk fast while stair ascent / descent, resulting in a rapid change in atmospheric pressure. On the other hand, users who walk slow before stair ascent / descent also walk slow while stair ascent / descent, resulting in a gradual change in atmospheric pressure. Therefore, the walking speed before ascending or descending the stairs and the change in the pressure sensor value accompanying the ascent or descent are measured in advance, and the relationship between the walking speed before ascending or descending the stairs and the change in the pressure sensor value accompanying the ascent or descent is set as a linear predictive function. From this predictive function and the walking speed calculated in step S114, a line segment representing the change in the pressure sensor value over time is calculated, which serves as a criterion for determining the ascent or descent state.In step S115, by using this method to calculate a standard for the temporal change in the pressure sensor value according to the user's actions, it is possible to reduce misjudgments of the ascent / descent state caused by pressure fluctuations resulting from the operation of air conditioning equipment or opening and closing of doors and windows in the facility, rather than changes in the user's height position associated with climbing stairs. Furthermore, because misjudgments due to such pressure fluctuations can be reduced, the amount of change in the pressure sensor value used to determine the ascent / descent state can be reduced compared to when the standard for the temporal change in the pressure sensor value used to determine the ascent / descent state is uniform regardless of the user's actions, allowing for faster determination of the ascent / descent state when climbing stairs. Note that this process in step S115 is performed each time the user's walking speed is calculated in step S114. In addition, the prediction formula used in the process performed in step S115 only needs to utilize the correlation between the walking speed before climbing / descent and the change in the pressure sensor value associated with climbing / descent. The specific prediction method is not limited to the above prediction formula, and the designer can arbitrarily set an appropriate one, such as a learning model. Similarly, the criteria for determining the elevation state calculated in step S115 are not limited to a line segment model representing the change in pressure sensor values ​​over time, but can be arbitrarily set by the designer as an appropriate model, such as a learning model. As a result, for the user in question, the criteria for determining the elevation state are calculated according to the walking speed calculated in step S114. Once the processing in step S115 is complete, the calculation unit 113 of the height position estimation device 100a proceeds to step S116.

[0154] In step S116, the calculation unit 113 of the height position estimation device 100a performs a process to determine whether the user is in an ascending or descending state using the ascending / descending state determination processing unit 1024. This process in step S116 compares the atmospheric pressure sensor value around the user, which is received every second from the atmospheric pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 via the communication unit 115, with the standard for the change in atmospheric pressure sensor value over time calculated in step S115, and determines whether the user is in an ascending or descending state based on whether the difference is within a threshold. In this embodiment, when calculating the user's walking speed in step S114, it is not possible to distinguish whether the user is before or during the ascent or descent of stairs. Therefore, in the process executed in step S116, the standard for the change in atmospheric pressure sensor value over time calculated in step S115 a certain time earlier is used. In this embodiment, the process in step S116 is performed assuming that a certain time earlier is 30 seconds ago. If step S116 determines that the user is in an up or down position (step S116: YES), the process proceeds to step S117 to update the current floor position in the facility structure, which corresponds to the user's height. On the other hand, if step S116 determines that the user is not in an up or down position (step S116: NO), the process returns to step S112.

[0155] In step S117, the calculation unit 113 of the height position estimation device 100a executes a process to update the current floor position in the facility structure, which is the user's height position, using the height position update processing unit 1025. The vertical direction when determining the height position is determined by the fact that air pressure decreases as altitude increases and increases as altitude decreases. As a result, the current floor position in the facility structure, which is the user's height position, is updated. Once the processing in step S117 is completed, the process returns to step S112. The loop from step S112 to step S117 may be terminated when a predetermined event is detected, etc.

[0156] The height position estimation system 10 according to Example 1 has been described above. [Examples]

[0157] Next, the height position estimation system 10 according to Example 2 will be explained using Figures 1, 3-4, and 6-8, focusing on the differences from the height position estimation system 10 according to Example 1.

[0158] <Example System Configuration> First, an example of the configuration of the height position estimation system 10 according to Example 2 will be explained using Figures 1, 3-4, and 7. Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of the functional block of the height position estimation device 100b that constitutes the height position estimation system 10 according to Example 2.

[0159] (Example of the overall system configuration) The overall system configuration of the height position estimation system 10 according to Example 2 is the same as the example of the overall system configuration of the height position estimation system 10 according to Example 1, as described above with reference to Figure 1, so the explanation will be omitted.

[0160] (Example of hardware configuration for each device constituting the height and position estimation system 10) Furthermore, the hardware configurations of the height position estimation device 100b, horizontal position acquisition device 200, and barometric pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 that constitute the height position estimation system 10 according to Example 2 are the same as the example hardware configurations of the height position estimation device 100a, horizontal position acquisition device 200, and barometric pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 that constitute the height position estimation system 10 according to Example 1, as described above with reference to Figures 2 to 4, so their explanation will be omitted.

[0161] (Example of a functional block for the height position estimation device 100b according to Example 2) Next, an example of the various function blocks provided by the height position estimation device 100b according to Embodiment 2 will be explained using Figure 7. Note that the blocks described below represent function units, not hardware units.

[0162] As shown in Figure 7, the height position estimation device 100b according to Example 2 has the following differences in the configuration of each functional block provided by the calculation unit 113 compared to the height position estimation device 100a according to Example 1. Since the other configurations of the height position estimation device 100b according to Example 2 are the same as those of the height position estimation device 100b according to Example 1, only these differences will be explained here.

[0163] In the height position estimation device 100b according to Embodiment 2, the calculation unit 113 has the following functional blocks, as illustrated in Figure 7: facility structure acquisition processing unit 1021, walking speed calculation processing unit 1022, lifting / lowering state determination criterion calculation processing unit 1023, lifting / lowering state determination processing unit 1024, height position update processing unit 1025, lifting / lowering location detection processing unit 1026, and lifting / lowering incline calculation processing unit 1027. In other words, the calculation unit 113 of the height position estimation device 100b according to Embodiment 2 further includes the lifting / lowering location detection processing unit 1026 and the lifting / lowering incline calculation processing unit 1027, compared to the calculation unit 113 of the height position estimation device 100a according to Embodiment 1.

[0164] The lifting / lowering location detection processing unit 1026 performs various processes related to the detection of the lifting / lowering location.

[0165] The elevation inclination calculation processing unit 1027 performs various processes related to the calculation of the elevation inclination.

[0166] The arithmetic unit 113 is configured using a processor, which is an arithmetic device, and these functional blocks can be realized by executing the aforementioned program 102.

[0167] Furthermore, in the height position estimation device 100b according to Example 2, the facility structure drawings or three-dimensional models stored in the facility structure database 110 include coordinate value information for determining the location of ascents and descents, such as stairs. This coordinate value information is visualized using a modeling tool for editing 3DCG or CAD data, and the coordinate values ​​of the ascent and descent locations determined by visual inspection are stored in the facility structure database 110 together with the facility structure drawings or three-dimensional models. Note that the method for determining the coordinate values ​​for determining the location of ascents and descents is not limited to this method and can be arbitrarily selected by the designer.

[0168] (Example of functional blocks for horizontal position acquisition device 200 and pressure sensor value acquisition device 300) The various function blocks of the horizontal position acquisition device 200 and the pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 according to Embodiment 2 are the same as the examples of the various function blocks of the horizontal position acquisition device 200 and the pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 according to Embodiment 1, as described above with reference to Figures 3 to 4, so their explanation will be omitted.

[0169] <Example of system operation> Next, the flow of the height position estimation process performed by the height position estimation system 10 according to Example 2 will be explained using Figure 8.

[0170] (Height position estimation process) Figure 8 is a flowchart 800 showing an example of the flow of the height position estimation process performed by the height position estimation system 10 according to Embodiment 2.

[0171] The height position estimation system 10 according to Embodiment 2 utilizes information on the access point stored together with the facility structure drawings or three-dimensional model in the height position estimation process illustrated in the flowchart 800 of Figure 8. As a result, the height position estimation system 10 according to Embodiment 2 can improve the accuracy and real-time performance of its height position estimation.

[0172] The height position estimation process illustrated in the flowchart 800 of Figure 8 is implemented by a program 102 read and executed by the calculation unit 113 of the height position estimation device 100b from the main memory 114, a program 202 read and executed by the calculation unit 213 of the horizontal position acquisition device 200 from the main memory 214, and a program 302 read and executed by the calculation unit 313 of the pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 from the main memory 314. These programs (202, 302, and 402) each contain code to execute the processing of the corresponding steps in the flowchart 800 of Figure 8.

[0173] In step S210, the calculation unit 113 of the height position estimation device 100b executes a process by which the facility structure acquisition processing unit 1021 reads various data files, such as drawings and three-dimensional models representing the facility structure of the site, from the facility structure database 110. As a result, the facility structure of the site is read from the facility structure database 110. Once the processing in step S210 is complete, the calculation unit 113 of the height position estimation device 100b proceeds to step S211.

[0174] In step S211, the calculation unit 113 of the height position estimation device 100b executes a process to set the initial position of the user (worker) in the facility whose structure was acquired in step S210. This initial position of the user is represented as three-dimensional information that combines the horizontal position of the user in the facility structure, represented in the XY coordinate system, with the hierarchical position where the user is currently located in the facility structure. This is set by referring to input information from the input unit 116, input information from the horizontal position acquisition device 200 via the communication unit 115, or input information from the pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 via the communication unit 115. Alternatively, the initial position of the user may be set by the user standing at a predetermined position in the facility structure. This sets the initial position of the user in the facility. Once the processing in step S211 is completed, the calculation unit 113 of the height position estimation device 100b proceeds to step S212.

[0175] In step S212, the calculation unit 113 of the height position estimation device 100b executes a process to acquire the user's horizontal position acquired by the calculation unit 213 of the horizontal position acquisition device 200 from the horizontal position acquisition device 200 via the communication unit 115. The calculation unit 213 of the horizontal position acquisition device 200 uses the horizontal position acquisition processing unit 2021 to measure sensor values ​​such as inertial measurement units, image sensors, depth sensors, and wireless beacons, and acquires the user's horizontal position based on these values. The user's horizontal position is a two-dimensional representation of the user's horizontal position within the facility structure using X and Y coordinates. The acquired user's horizontal position is transmitted to the height position estimation device 100b via the communication unit 215 at regular intervals. In this embodiment, the user's horizontal position is transmitted every second. As a result, the user's horizontal position is acquired at regular intervals. When the processing in step S212 is completed, the calculation unit 113 of the height position estimation device 100b proceeds to step S213.

[0176] In step S213, the calculation unit 113 of the height position estimation device 100b executes a process to acquire the user's pressure sensor value acquired by the calculation unit 313 of the pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 from the pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 via the communication unit 115. The calculation unit 313 of the pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 measures the sensor value of the pressure sensor using the pressure sensor value acquisition processing unit 3021 and acquires the pressure sensor value around the user based on this. The acquired pressure sensor value around the user is transmitted to the height position estimation device 100b via the communication unit 315 at regular intervals. In this embodiment, the pressure sensor value around the user is transmitted every second. As a result, the pressure sensor value around the user is acquired at regular intervals. When the processing in step S213 is completed, the calculation unit 113 of the height position estimation device 100b proceeds to step S214.

[0177] In step S214, the calculation unit 113 of the height position estimation device 100b performs a process to determine whether the horizontal position where the user is currently located is an access point, such as a staircase, using the access point detection processing unit 1026. In this process performed in step S214, the access point detection processing unit 1026 uses the user's horizontal position, received every second from the horizontal position acquisition device 200 via the communication unit 115, and the coordinate values ​​of the access point, such as a staircase, from the facility structure drawing or three-dimensional model read in step S210, to determine whether the user is in an access point. If it is determined in step S214 that the horizontal position is an access point (step S214: YES), the process proceeds to step S215. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S214 that the horizontal position is not an access point (step S214: NO), the process returns to step S212.

[0178] In the height position estimation system 10 according to Embodiment 2, the calculation unit 113 of the height position estimation device 100b can set a margin to broaden the determination of an ascent / descent location for the coordinate values ​​of the ascent / descent location, such as stairs. If a margin is not set for the coordinate values ​​of the ascent / descent location, such as stairs, and a measurement error caused by sensor noise occurs in the horizontal position of the user received every second from the horizontal position acquisition device 200, there is a risk that even if the user is actually within the ascent / descent location in the real environment, it may not be determined to be within the coordinate values ​​of the ascent / descent location. Therefore, in the height position estimation system 10 according to Embodiment 2, the user's horizontal position is superimposed on a drawing or three-dimensional model of the facility structure, and if the user performs an action that would not occur in the real environment, such as passing through a wall, the margin is expanded according to the distance passed. The method of setting the margin and its specific dimensions can be as appropriate, and the specific method of setting the margin and its specific dimensions can be arbitrarily set by the designer.

[0179] In step S215, the calculation unit 113 of the height position estimation device 100b performs a process to calculate the user's most recent walking speed from the change in the user's horizontal position, which is acquired at regular intervals (every second in this embodiment) in step S212 by the walking speed calculation processing unit 1022. In the height position estimation system 10 according to Embodiment 2, the calculation unit 113 of the height position estimation device 100b calculates the user's walking speed from the change in the user's horizontal position over time from 10 seconds before to 1 second before the user's current horizontal position is determined to be an ascent / descent location in step S214 (step S214: YES). Therefore, the height position estimation system 10 according to Embodiment 2 can calculate the walking speed immediately before ascent / descent in a shorter time compared to the height position estimation system 10 according to Embodiment 1, in which the user's walking speed is calculated every 30 seconds in step S114 of Figure 5. Furthermore, in the height position estimation system 10 according to Embodiment 2, the moment when the user enters the area for ascending or descending stairs can be identified when calculating the user's walking speed. This allows the user's most recent walking speed to be calculated. When the processing in step S215 is completed, the calculation unit 113 of the height position estimation device 100b proceeds to step S216.

[0180] In step S216, the calculation unit 113 of the height position estimation device 100b performs a process to calculate the slope of the ascent / descent location, such as stairs, from the coordinate values ​​of the ascent / descent location in the facility structure drawing or three-dimensional model read in step S210, using the ascent / descent slope calculation processing unit 1027. This slope of the ascent / descent location is expressed using the height of ascent / descent per unit horizontal distance. If there is insufficient information on the coordinate values ​​of the ascent / descent location, such as stairs, in the facility structure drawing or three-dimensional model read in step S210, and the slope of the ascent / descent location cannot be calculated, a general stair slope can be set in advance and used as the slope of the ascent / descent location. This allows the slope of the ascent / descent location to be calculated. Once the processing in step S216 is completed, the calculation unit 113 of the height position estimation device 100b proceeds to step S217.

[0181] In step S217, the calculation unit 113 of the height position estimation device 100b first performs a process to predict the change in the pressure sensor value acquired by the pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 when the user ascends or descends the stairs, based on the user's most recent walking speed calculated in step S215 and the incline of the ascending / descending location calculated in step S216, using the ascending / descending state determination criterion calculation processing unit 1023. This prediction of the change in the pressure sensor value when the user ascends or descends the stairs is performed by utilizing the correlation between the user's walking speed before ascending or descending the stairs and the user's walking speed while ascending or descending the stairs. As mentioned above in the explanation of step S115 in Figure 5, Figure 6 is a graph showing an example of the change in the pressure sensor value. The graph shown in Figure 6 represents the change in the pressure sensor value acquired by the pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 when the user is walking, in chronological order. Of these, the dashed line in the graph represents the user walking on level ground, and the solid line represents the user ascending or descending stairs. Furthermore, in the graph illustrated in Figure 6, 5011 represents the change in pressure sensor values ​​over time when the user's walking speed is fast both before and during stair ascent / descent, and 5012 represents the change in pressure sensor values ​​over time when the user's walking speed is slow both before and during stair ascent / descent. In addition, in this graph, 5013 does not represent the change in the user's height position associated with stair ascent / descent, but rather the fluctuations in atmospheric pressure caused by the operation of the air conditioning equipment and the opening and closing of doors and windows in the facility, shown in chronological order. Generally, users who walk fast before stair ascent / descent also walk fast while stair ascent / descent, resulting in a rapid change in atmospheric pressure. On the other hand, users who walk slow before stair ascent / descent also walk slow while stair ascent / descent, resulting in a gradual change in atmospheric pressure. Therefore, the walking speed before ascending or descending stairs and the change in the pressure sensor value accompanying the ascent or descent of stairs are measured in advance, and the relationship between the walking speed before ascending or descending stairs and the change in the pressure sensor value accompanying the ascent or descent of stairs is set as a linear predictive function. Furthermore, the correlation between the change in speed when ascending or descending stairs, etc., and the slope of the ascent or descent location is measured in advance, and the slope of the ascent or descent location may be added as one of the parameters of the predictive formula.From this prediction formula and the walking speed calculated in step S215, a line segment representing the change in the pressure sensor value over time, which serves as a criterion for determining the ascent / descent state, is calculated. In step S217, by using this method to calculate the criterion for the change in the pressure sensor value over time according to the user's actions, it is possible to reduce misjudgments of the ascent / descent state caused by pressure fluctuations resulting from the operation of air conditioning equipment or the opening and closing of doors and windows in the facility, rather than changes in the user's height position associated with climbing stairs. Furthermore, because misjudgments due to such pressure fluctuations can be reduced, the amount of change in the pressure sensor value used to determine the ascent / descent state can be reduced compared to when the criterion for the change in the pressure sensor value over time used to determine the ascent / descent state is uniform regardless of the user's actions, allowing for faster determination of the ascent / descent state when climbing stairs. Note that this process in step S217 is executed in the same way as in step S215, only if step S214:YES. Furthermore, the prediction formula used in the process performed in step S217 only needs to utilize the correlation between the walking speed before ascending or descending the stairs and the change in the pressure sensor value accompanying the ascent or descent of the stairs. The specific prediction method is not limited to the prediction formula described above, and the designer can arbitrarily set any appropriate method, such as a learning model. In addition, as mentioned above, the incline of the ascent / descent location may be added as one of the parameters of the prediction formula. Similarly, the criteria for determining the ascent / descent state calculated in step S217 is not limited to a line segment model representing the change in the pressure sensor value over time, and the designer can arbitrarily set any appropriate method, such as a learning model. As a result, for the user in question, the criteria for determining the ascent / descent state are calculated according to the walking speed calculated in step S215. When the processing in step S217 is completed, the calculation unit 113 of the height position estimation device 100b proceeds to step S218.

[0182] In step S218, the calculation unit 113 of the height position estimation device 100b performs a process to determine whether the user is in an up or down state using the up / down state determination processing unit 1024. This process in step S218 compares the pressure sensor value around the user, which is received every second from the pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 via the communication unit 115, with the standard for the change in pressure sensor value over time calculated in step S217, and determines whether the user is in an up or down state based on whether the difference is within a threshold. If it is determined in step S218 that the user is in an up or down state (step S218: YES), the process proceeds to step S219 to update the current floor position in the facility structure, which is the user's height position. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S218 that the user is not in an up or down state (step S218: NO), the process returns to step S212.

[0183] In step S219, the calculation unit 113 of the height position estimation device 100b performs a process to update the current floor position in the facility structure, which is the user's height position, using the height position update processing unit 1025. The vertical direction when determining the height position is determined by the fact that air pressure decreases as altitude increases and increases as altitude decreases. As a result, the current floor position in the facility structure, which is the user's height position, is updated. Furthermore, in the height position estimation system 10 according to Embodiment 2, the calculation unit 113 of the height position estimation device 100b calculates the amount of air pressure change associated with movement between floors in the facility structure from the coordinate values ​​of the ascending and descending points such as stairs in the facility structure drawing or three-dimensional model read in step S210. As a result, the height position estimation system 10 according to Embodiment 2 can correctly update the floor position where the user is currently located, even when ascending or descending a continuous staircase that spans multiple floors, such as when moving from the second floor to the fourth floor in one go. The calculation unit 113 of the height position estimation device 100b returns to step S212 after completing the processing in step S219. The loop from steps S212 to S219 terminates when a predetermined event is detected, etc.

[0184] The height position estimation system 10 according to Example 2 has been described above.

[0185] The embodiments of the present invention described above can be summarized as follows.

[0186] (1) The height position estimation system 10 is a system for estimating the height position of a user who is a worker, and comprises a computing device and a memory device, and includes at least a computer (100a, 100b) which is connected to a portable terminal (200, 300) carried by the user and capable of data communication with each other, and acquires a drawing or three-dimensional model of the facility structure representing the structure of the facility which is the work site where the user is engaged in various tasks, and the horizontal position representing the horizontal position of the user measured at regular intervals on the portable terminal (200, 300) carried by the user, and the pressure sensor representing the value of the atmospheric pressure around the user. The system obtains values ​​from the mobile terminals (200, 300), calculates the user's walking speed at regular intervals from the change in horizontal position obtained from the mobile terminal (horizontal position acquisition device 200) carried by the user, calculates a reference value representing the degree of change in the pressure sensor value which serves as a criterion for determining whether the user is in an uphill or downhill state from the calculated walking speed of the user, determines whether the user is in an uphill or downhill state from the calculated reference value and the pressure sensor value obtained from the mobile terminal (pressure sensor value acquisition device 300) carried by the user, and updates the user's current height position if it is determined that the user is in an uphill or downhill state. In this way, the height position estimation system 10 can reduce misdetermination of the uphill or downhill state caused by fluctuations in atmospheric pressure in the facility without creating a facility-specific learning model when determining whether a user is in an uphill or downhill state within the facility using pressure sensor values ​​obtained from the mobile terminal (pressure sensor value acquisition device 300) carried by the user.

[0187] (2) From the obtained facility structure drawings or three-dimensional models, the incline of the access point used by the user is calculated, and a reference value is calculated from the calculated incline of the access point and the user's walking speed.

[0188] (3) The current location of the user is superimposed on the drawing or three-dimensional model of the facility structure, and the superimposed location includes at least the horizontal position of the user's current location. If it is detected that the user is located within any elevator / hoisting area in the facility structure, the walking speed of the user immediately before entering the elevator / hoisting area is calculated, and a reference value is calculated from the calculated walking speed of the user immediately before entering the elevator / hoisting area.

[0189] (4) When it is detected that the user is located within any elevator / stairwell in the facility structure, the slope of the elevator / stairwell is calculated, and a reference value is calculated from the calculated walking speed of the user immediately before entering the elevator / stairwell and the slope of the elevator / stairwell.

[0190] (5) The current location of the user is superimposed on the drawing or three-dimensional model of the facility structure, and the superimposed location includes at least the horizontal position of the user's current location. If the current location of the user deviates from the facility structure, when detecting that the user is located within any lifting / lowering area of ​​the facility structure, coordinate values ​​for determining that the user is within the lifting / lowering area are calculated according to the degree of deviation.

[0191] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and can be implemented using any components without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, any two or more of (1) to (5) above may be combined.

[0192] The various embodiments and modifications described above are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these, as long as the features of the invention are not impaired. Other embodiments conceivable within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention are also included within the scope of the present invention.

[0193] In the diagrams above, the control lines and information lines shown are those deemed necessary for explanation and do not necessarily represent all control lines and information lines in actual implementation. For example, it can be assumed that almost all components are interconnected in practice.

[0194] Furthermore, the arrangement of the functional components of the height position estimation device (100a, 100b), horizontal position acquisition device 200, and / or barometric pressure sensor value acquisition device 300 that constitute the height position estimation system 10 described above is merely an example. The arrangement of each functional component can be changed to the optimal arrangement from the standpoint of the performance, processing efficiency, communication efficiency, etc., of the hardware and software that each device (100, 200, 300) constituting the height position estimation system 10 possesses. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0195] 10: Height position estimation system, 100, 100a, 100b: Height position estimation device, 200: Horizontal position acquisition device, 300: Barometric pressure sensor value acquisition device

Claims

1. A height position estimation system that estimates the height position representing the height of a user who is a worker, It comprises at least a computer equipped with a computing unit and a memory device, and connected to a mobile terminal carried by the user in a manner that enables data communication between them, Obtain a facility structure drawing or 3D model representing the structure of the facility, which is the work site where the user engages in various tasks. The system obtains from the mobile device carried by the user the horizontal position representing the user's horizontal position, measured at regular intervals, and the pressure sensor value representing the atmospheric pressure around the user. Based on the horizontal position changes obtained from the mobile device carried by the user, the user's walking speed is calculated at regular intervals. From the walking speed of the user calculated above, a reference value is calculated that represents the degree of change in the pressure sensor value, which serves as the basis for determining whether the user is in an uphill or downhill state. Based on the calculated reference value and the pressure sensor value obtained from the mobile device carried by the user, it is determined whether or not the user is in an ascending or descending state. If it is determined that the user is in an ascending or descending state, update the user's current height position. Height and position estimation system.

2. From the aforementioned acquired facility structure drawings or three-dimensional models, the incline of the access point where the user ascends and descends is calculated. The reference value is calculated from the slope of the lifting / lowering location and the walking speed of the user. The height position estimation system according to claim 1.

3. The user's current location is superimposed on the drawing or 3D model of the facility structure. The superimposed position includes at least the horizontal position where the user is currently located. If the system detects that the user is located within any elevator / hoisting area in the facility structure, The walking speed of the user immediately before entering the elevator area is calculated. The reference value is calculated from the walking speed of the user immediately before he or she enters the elevator area. The height position estimation system according to claim 1.

4. If the system detects that the user is located within any elevator / hoisting area in the facility structure, Calculate the slope of the lifting / lowering area, The reference value is calculated from the walking speed of the user immediately before entering the elevator area and the slope of the elevator area. The height position estimation system according to claim 3.

5. The user's current location is superimposed on the drawing or 3D model of the facility structure. The superimposed position includes at least the horizontal position where the user is currently located. If the user's current location deviates from the facility structure, When detecting that the user is located within any elevator / lift-off area in the facility structure, the system calculates coordinate values ​​to determine if the user is within the elevator / lift-off area, according to the degree of deviation. The height position estimation system according to claim 2.

6. A height position estimation method for estimating the height position representing the vertical position of a user who is a worker, A computer system comprising at least a computer equipped with a computing device and a memory device, and connected to a mobile terminal carried by the user so as to be able to communicate data with each other, Obtain a facility structure drawing or 3D model representing the structure of the facility, which is the work site where the user engages in various tasks. The system obtains from the mobile device carried by the user the horizontal position representing the user's horizontal position, measured at regular intervals, and the pressure sensor value representing the atmospheric pressure around the user. Based on the horizontal position changes obtained from the mobile device carried by the user, the user's walking speed is calculated at regular intervals. From the walking speed of the user calculated above, a reference value is calculated that represents the degree of change in the pressure sensor value, which serves as the basis for determining whether the user is in an uphill or downhill state. Based on the calculated reference value and the pressure sensor value obtained from the mobile device carried by the user, it is determined whether or not the user is in an ascending or descending state. If it is determined that the user is in an ascending or descending state, update the user's current height position. Height position estimation method.

7. A height position estimation system that estimates the height position of a user, comprising a computer system comprising a computing device and a memory device, and a computer connected to a portable terminal carried by a user (a worker) so as to be able to communicate data with the computer, Obtain a facility structure drawing or 3D model representing the structure of the facility, which is the work site where the user engages in various tasks. The system obtains from the mobile device carried by the user the horizontal position representing the user's horizontal position, measured at regular intervals, and the pressure sensor value representing the atmospheric pressure around the user. Based on the horizontal position changes obtained from the mobile device carried by the user, the user's walking speed is calculated at regular intervals. From the walking speed of the user calculated above, a reference value is calculated that represents the degree of change in the pressure sensor value, which serves as the basis for determining whether the user is in an uphill or downhill state. Based on the calculated reference value and the pressure sensor value obtained from the mobile device carried by the user, it is determined whether or not the user is in an ascending or descending state. If it is determined that the user is in an ascending or descending state, the user's current height position will be updated. A computer program that causes the aforementioned computer to perform a process.

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