Comfort evaluation program, comfort evaluation device, comfort evaluation method, and recording medium

Abstract

We provide a comfort evaluation program that allows for the assessment of an area's ambiance from a human perspective. [Solution] The comfort evaluation program of this disclosure includes an acquisition procedure, a generation procedure, and an output procedure, wherein the acquisition procedure acquires personal information relating to users of the area, the generation procedure generates evaluation information evaluating the comfort of the area based on the personal information, and the output procedure outputs the evaluation information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a comfort evaluation program, a comfort evaluation device, a comfort evaluation method, and a recording medium.

Background Art

[0002] In Patent Document 1, there is disclosed a comfort evaluation system including a measurement unit that measures environmental information of a space, a transmission unit that transmits information measured by the measurement unit to a network, and an analysis unit that analyzes data transmitted by the transmission unit, wherein the analysis unit analyzes the transmitted data and outputs the comfort of the facility.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] [[ID=***This line has been removed as it was empty in the original text***]]According to the invention related to Patent Document 1, the comfort of an area can be evaluated from an environmental aspect. On the other hand, the invention related to Patent Document 1 cannot evaluate the comfort of an area from a human aspect.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a comfort evaluation program, a comfort evaluation device, a comfort evaluation method, and a recording medium that can evaluate the comfort of an area from a human aspect.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve the above object, the comfort evaluation program of the present disclosure includes an acquisition procedure, a generation procedure, and an output procedure, wherein the acquisition procedure acquires human information regarding a user who uses the area, The generation procedure generates evaluation information that assesses the comfort level of the area based on the human information, The output procedure outputs the evaluation information. This is a program that causes a computer to execute each of the aforementioned steps.

[0007] The comfort evaluation device of this disclosure is It includes an acquisition unit, a generation unit, and an output unit, The acquisition unit acquires personal information about users who use the area. The generation unit generates evaluation information that evaluates the comfort level of the area based on the human information, The output unit outputs the evaluation information. It is a device.

[0008] The method for evaluating comfort in this disclosure is: Including the acquisition process, generation process, and output process, The aforementioned acquisition process acquires personal information about users who use the area, The generation process generates evaluation information that evaluates the comfort level of the area based on the human information, The output step outputs the evaluation information. This method involves each of the aforementioned steps being performed by a computer.

[0009] The recording medium disclosed herein is This includes acquisition procedures, generation procedures, and output procedures. The aforementioned acquisition procedure acquires personal information about users who use the area, The generation procedure generates evaluation information that assesses the comfort level of the area based on the human information, The output procedure outputs the evaluation information. This is a computer-readable recording medium that contains a comfort evaluation program for instructing a computer to perform each of the aforementioned procedures. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to this disclosure, the comfort level of an area can be evaluated from a human perspective.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the comfort evaluation device of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the comfort evaluation device of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure by the comfort evaluation program of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the output result of the evaluation information by the comfort evaluation device of the present disclosure. [[ID=十八]]

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments. In the following figures, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. In addition, the descriptions of the respective embodiments can be mutually referred to unless otherwise specified, and the configurations of the respective embodiments can be combined unless otherwise specified. In the present disclosure, each drawing can be applicable to one or more embodiments.

[0013] [Embodiment 1] The comfort evaluation program of the present disclosure is a program for causing a computer to execute an acquisition procedure, a generation procedure, and an output procedure. The comfort evaluation program of the present disclosure can also be said to be a program for causing a computer to function as an acquisition procedure, a generation procedure, and an output procedure. Further, the comfort evaluation program of the present disclosure can also be said to be a program for causing a computer to execute each step of the comfort evaluation method described later, for example.

[0014] The acquisition procedure acquires personal information about a user who uses the area, the generation procedure generates evaluation information obtained by evaluating the comfort of the area based on the personal information, and the output procedure outputs the evaluation information.

[0015] Each of the above procedures can be read as, for example, "processing" instead of "procedure". Also, the comfort evaluation program of the present disclosure may be recorded, for example, on a computer-readable recording medium. The recording medium is, for example, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The recording medium is not particularly limited and includes, for example, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), hard disk (HD), flash memory (e.g., solid state drive (SSD), USB flash memory, SD / SDHC card, etc.), optical disk (e.g., CD-R / CD-RW, DVD-R / DVD-RW, BD-R / BD-RE, etc.), magneto-optical disk (MO), floppy (registered trademark) disk (FD), etc. Also, the comfort evaluation program of the present disclosure (which may also be referred to as a programming product or a program product, for example) may be in a form distributed from an external computer. The "distribution" may be, for example, distribution via a communication network or distribution via a device connected by wire. The comfort evaluation program of the present disclosure may be installed and executed on the distributed device or may be executed without installation. An information processing device capable of executing the comfort evaluation program of the present disclosure may be referred to as, for example, the comfort evaluation device of the present disclosure.

[0016] Next, an example of the configuration of the comfort evaluation device of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the comfort evaluation device 10 (hereinafter also referred to as the present device 10) of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1, the present device 10 includes an acquisition unit 11, a generation unit 12, and an output unit 13. Also, although not shown, the present device 10 may include, for example, an input unit, other output units, a display unit, and / or a storage unit. The acquisition unit 11, the generation unit 12, and the output unit 13 can each execute, for example, the acquisition procedure, the generation procedure, and the output procedure in the comfort evaluation program of the present disclosure.

[0017] The device 10 may be, for example, a single device including the aforementioned parts, or it may be a device in which each of the aforementioned parts can be connected via a communication network. Furthermore, the device 10 can be connected to an external device described later via the communication network. The communication network is not particularly limited and can use a known network, for example, it may be wired or wireless. Examples of the communication network include the Internet, WWW (World Wide Web), telephone lines, LAN (Local Area Network), SAN (Storage Area Network), DTN (Delay Tolerant Networking), LPWA (Low Power Wide Area), L5G (Local 5G), etc. Examples of wireless communication include Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), Local 5G, LPWA, etc. The wireless communication may be in the form of direct communication between devices (Ad Hoc communication), infrastructure communication, indirect communication via an access point, etc. The device 10 may be, for example, incorporated into a server as a system. Furthermore, the device 10 may be, for example, a personal computer (PC, e.g., desktop or notebook), smartphone, tablet terminal, etc., on which the program of this disclosure is installed. The device 10 may also be in the form of cloud computing or edge computing, for example, in which at least one of the aforementioned parts is on a server and the other aforementioned parts are on a terminal.

[0018] Figure 2 illustrates a block diagram of the hardware configuration of the device 10. The device 10 includes, for example, a central processing unit (CPU, GPU, etc.) 101, memory 102, bus 103, storage device 104, input device 105, output device 106, communication device 107, etc. Each part of the device 10 is interconnected via the bus 103 through its respective interface (I / F).

[0019] The central processing unit 101 operates in coordination with other components via controllers (system controller, I / O controller, etc.) and is responsible for the overall control of the device 10. In the device 10, the central processing unit 101 executes, for example, the program disclosed herein (comfort evaluation program) and other programs, and also reads and writes various types of information. Specifically, for example, the central processing unit 101 functions as an acquisition unit 11, a generation unit 12, and an output unit 13. The device 10 may also include other computing devices such as a CPU, GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), APU (Accelerated Processing Unit), or a combination thereof as computing devices.

[0020] Bus 103 can also be connected to external devices, for example. Examples of such external devices include external storage devices (external databases, etc.), printers, external input devices, external display devices, and external imaging devices. The device 10 can be connected to an external network (the aforementioned communication network) via a communication device 107 connected to bus 103, for example, and can also be connected to other devices via the external network.

[0021] Memory 102 may be, for example, main memory. When the central processing unit 101 performs processing, memory 102 reads various operational programs, such as the program of this disclosure, stored in the storage device 104 (described later), and the central processing unit 101 receives data from memory 102 and executes the program. The main memory may be, for example, RAM (random access memory). Alternatively, memory 102 may be, for example, ROM (read-only memory).

[0022] The storage device 104 is also called an auxiliary storage device, for example, in relation to the main memory (primary memory). As described above, the storage device 104 stores an operating program including the program of this disclosure. The storage device 104 may be, for example, a combination of a recording medium and a drive for reading and writing to the recording medium. The recording medium is not particularly limited and may be internal or external, for example, an HD (hard disk), CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, MO, DVD, flash memory, memory card, etc. The storage device 104 may be, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD) in which the recording medium and the drive are integrated, or a solid state drive (SSD). If the device 10 includes the storage unit, for example, the storage device 104 functions as the storage unit. The storage unit can record, for example, human information, human source information, environmental information, environmental source information, evaluation information, evaluation criteria information, correspondence information, various regression models, and various generative models, etc., which will be described later.

[0023] In this device 10, the memory 102 and storage device 104 can also store various types of information, such as log information, information obtained from an external database (not shown) or external devices, information generated by this device 10, and information used by this device 10 when executing processing. In this case, the memory 102 and storage device 104 may store, for example, the user information of this device as described above. At least some of the information may be stored on an external server other than the memory 102 and storage device 104, or it may be stored in a distributed manner across multiple terminals using blockchain technology or the like.

[0024] The device 10 further includes, for example, an input device 105 and an output device 106. The input device 105 may include, for example, a pointing device such as a touch panel, trackpad, or mouse; a keyboard; imaging means such as a camera or scanner; a card reader such as an IC card reader or magnetic card reader; an audio input means such as a microphone; and so on. The output device 106 may include, for example, a display device such as an LED display or liquid crystal display; an audio output device such as a speaker; a printer; and so on. In this embodiment 1, the input device 105 and the output device 106 are configured separately, but the input device 105 and the output device 106 may be configured as an integrated unit, such as a touch panel display.

[0025] An example of the processing performed by the comfort evaluation program described herein will be explained in more detail using Figure 3. Figure 3 is a flowchart showing an example of each step in the comfort evaluation program described herein.

[0026] The acquisition unit 11 acquires personal information about users who use the area (S1, acquisition procedure).

[0027] Furthermore, the acquisition unit 11 may acquire, for example, environmental information relating to the environment of the area.

[0028] The aforementioned area is, for example, a certain range where the aforementioned users come and go. The aforementioned area may be, for example, indoors or outdoors. Examples of the aforementioned area include venues (e.g., exhibition halls, exhibition venues, etc.), buildings (e.g., art museums, libraries, cinemas, etc.), shops (e.g., retail stores, shopping centers, restaurants, etc.), parks (e.g., zoos, amusement parks, parks, etc.), facilities (e.g., public facilities, public service facilities, etc.), shopping streets, tourist spots, historical sites, scenic spots, resorts, hot spring resorts, plazas, swimming areas (e.g., beaches, swimming pools, etc.), sports fields, and pathways to these. However, the aforementioned area only needs to be, for example, a certain range where the aforementioned users come and go, and there are no restrictions on the description.

[0029] The aforementioned personal information is information about users who use the area. The aforementioned personal information may be, for example, information about one user, or information about multiple users. In the latter case, the aforementioned personal information may be, for example, information that integrates information about multiple users. The method of integrating the information may be, for example, a method of calculating the sum, mean, mode, or median for the aforementioned personal information for each user. The mean may be, for example, an arithmetic mean or a weighted mean. The aforementioned personal information may be, for example, information linked to time information regarding the time of acquisition. The aforementioned personal information may be, for example, information linked to time information regarding the time of acquisition of the image described later. The aforementioned personal information may be, for example, information linked to time information regarding the time of acquisition of the original personal information described later.

[0030] The aforementioned personal information may, for example, be information that evaluates the comfort level of the area as information about the user, based on personal source information derived from the user. The aforementioned personal source information may, for example, include image information relating to an image of the area. The image information may, for example, be information that includes the user's body or a part of the body in the image. The image may, for example, be a still image or a video. The image information may, for example, be extracted image information obtained by extracting a specific part of the user's body from the image, depending on the type of personal information described later. The extracted image information may, for example, be information obtained by extracting feature quantities for a specific part of the user's body from the image.

[0031] The aforementioned personal information may be, for example, scored personal information that scores the comfort level of the area, or graded personal information that scores the comfort level of the area on a scale. The score evaluation may include, for example, an evaluation with a maximum score of 3 points, an evaluation with a maximum score of 5 points, an evaluation with a maximum score of 10 points, an evaluation with a maximum score of 100 points, etc., but there are no restrictions on the description. The graded evaluation may include, for example, a graded evaluation using numbers, a graded evaluation using letters, or a graded evaluation using shapes. The graded evaluation may include, for example, a graded evaluation in alphabetical order, etc., but there are no restrictions on the description. The graded personal information may be, for example, information obtained by converting the scored personal information based on conversion reference information. The conversion criteria information is, for example, information relating to the correspondence between the scored personal information and the graded personal information.

[0032] The acquisition unit 11 may, for example, generate the personal information based on the personal information source information. Specifically, the acquisition unit 11 may, for example, acquire the personal information source information, generate the personal information based on the personal information source information, and acquire the generated personal information as the personal information. The generation of personal information based on the personal information source information can be appropriately performed by known methods, for example, depending on the type of personal information described later.

[0033] The acquisition unit 11 may, for example, generate the human information based on the image. Specifically, the acquisition unit 11 may, for example, acquire the image, generate the image information based on the image, generate the human information based on the generated image information, and acquire the generated human information as the human information. In this case, the image information may be, for example, the extracted image information. The human information generated based on the image may include, for example, facial expression information, conversation information, length of stay information, congestion information, and personal attribute information, among the types of human information described later. The generation of human information based on the image can be appropriately performed by known methods, for example, depending on the type of human information described later. The generation of human information based on the image may be performed, for example, by using FieldAnalyst® (registered trademark) (NEC Solution Innovators, Ltd.), a human image analysis system, as a known method.

[0034] The acquisition unit 11 may, for example, generate the human information based on the image information. Specifically, the acquisition unit 11 may, for example, acquire the image information, generate the human information based on the image information, and acquire the generated human information as the human information. The human information generated based on the image information may include, for example, facial expression information, conversation information, length of stay information, congestion information, and personal attribute information, among the types of human information described later. The generation of the human information based on the image information can be appropriately performed by known methods, for example, depending on the type of human information. The generation of the human information based on the image information may be performed, for example, by using FieldAnalyst® (registered trademark) (NEC Solution Innovators, Ltd.), a human image analysis system, as a known method.

[0035] The acquisition unit 11 may generate the human information based, for example, on correspondence information relating to the correspondence between the human information source information and the human information. The correspondence information may be appropriately selected from known correspondence information depending on the type of human information described later, or may be appropriately set by a known method. The acquisition unit 11 may also generate the human information using a regression model that outputs the human information as the target variable when the human information source information is input as an explanatory variable. The regression model may be appropriately selected from known regression models depending on the type of human information described later, or may be appropriately generated by a known method such as regression analysis. The acquisition unit 11 may also generate the human information using a human information generation model that outputs the human information when the human information source information is input. The human information generation model may be appropriately selected from known generation models depending on the type of human information described later, or may be appropriately generated by a known method such as machine learning.

[0036] The acquisition unit 11 may, for example, perform the acquisition of the human information or the source information of the human in real time, or in batch processing. The acquisition unit 11 may, for example, perform the acquisition of the image in real time, or in batch processing. Also, if the acquisition unit 11 generates the human information based on the source information of the human in real time, or in batch processing. If the acquisition unit 11 generates the human information based on the image, or in real time, or in batch processing. The generation of the human information based on the source information by real time or batch processing may be performed synchronously with, for example, the acquisition of the source information by real time or batch processing, or not synchronously. The acquisition unit 11 may, for example, perform the batch processing at predetermined intervals, or at predetermined capacity intervals. The predetermined interval can be set as appropriate, for example, according to the user's needs. The predetermined period may be, for example, a period in minutes, hours, days, months, or years, but is not limited to such descriptions. For example, if the predetermined period is in minutes, it may be 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes, 60 minutes, etc., but is not limited to such descriptions. The acquisition unit 11 may, for example, acquire the personal information or the raw personal information linked to a predetermined time period via a real-time processing method or a batch processing method. The acquisition unit 11 may, for example, acquire the image linked to a predetermined time period via a real-time processing method or a batch processing method. The acquisition unit 11 may, for example, generate the personal information linked to a predetermined time period via a real-time processing method or a batch processing method.

[0037] The medium for acquiring the personal information can be appropriately selected, for example, according to the type of personal information described above. The medium for acquiring the personal information can also be called the medium for acquiring the original personal information, for example, when the personal information is generated based on the original personal information. The medium for acquiring the personal information can also be called the medium for acquiring the image or the image information, for example, when the personal information is generated based on the image or the image information. The medium for acquiring the personal information includes, for example, an image acquisition medium. The image acquisition medium is, for example, a medium capable of acquiring the image or the image information of the area. The image acquisition medium includes, for example, a camera or other photographic device, and a video camera or other recording device. The image can be described, for example, by referring to the description of the original personal information described above. The image information can be described, for example, by referring to the description of the original personal information described above. The medium for acquiring the personal information may be, for example, the device of this disclosure itself, or a device other than the device of this disclosure. In the latter case, the medium for acquiring the personal information may be connected to the apparatus of this disclosure, for example, via a wired or wireless communication network.

[0038] The aforementioned personal information and the aforementioned personal source information may be stored, for example, in the memory 102 or storage device 104 of the device of this disclosure, or in the memory or storage device of a device other than the device of this disclosure. The aforementioned images may be stored, for example, in the memory 102 or storage device 104 of the device of this disclosure, or in the memory or storage device of a device other than the device of this disclosure. The aforementioned correspondence information, the aforementioned regression model, and the aforementioned personal information generation model may be stored, for example, in the memory 102 or storage device 104 of the device of this disclosure, or in the memory or storage device of a device other than the device of this disclosure.

[0039] The aforementioned personal information may include, for example, at least one of the following: facial expression information, conversation information, length of stay information, congestion information, and personal attribute information.

[0040] The aforementioned facial expression information is, for example, information relating to the user's facial expression. Examples of such facial expressions include, but are not limited to, expressions of anger, contempt, disgust, fear, joy, sadness, and surprise. The aforementioned facial expression information may also be, for example, information evaluating the comfort level of the area based on personal information derived from the user, relating to the user's facial expression. The personal information may also be, for example, extracted image information obtained by extracting the head or a specific part of the head (e.g., face, mouth, corners of the mouth, eyes, corners of the eyes, etc.) from the image of the user's body.

[0041] The facial expression information may, for example, be information that evaluates the comfort level of the area based on the frequency of each of the facial expressions. In this case, the facial expression information may, for example, be information that evaluates the comfort level of the area as good if the degree of the joyful facial expression is higher than the standard. On the other hand, the facial expression information may, for example, be information that evaluates the comfort level of the area as not good if the degree of the joyful facial expression is lower than the standard, or if the degree of facial expressions other than the joyful facial expression is higher than the standard. In the latter case, examples of facial expressions other than the joyful facial expression include expressions of anger, contempt, disgust, fear, and sadness, but there are no limitations on the description. The standard can be set appropriately, for example, depending on the type of area. The facial expression information may, for example, be information that evaluates the comfort level of the area for each type of facial expression, or it may be information that integrates the evaluation of the comfort level of the area for each type of facial expression. For example, the method of integrating the information can be described using the explanation above. According to this disclosure, for example, the comfort level of an area can be evaluated from a human perspective by taking into account aspects such as the facial expressions of users.

[0042] The conversation information is, for example, information relating to the conversations of the users. The format of the conversation may be, for example, spoken language or sign language. The number of participants in the conversation may be, for example, two people or more than two people. The conversation information may be, for example, determined by considering the process by which the users speak or sign language as one unit. Alternatively, the conversation information may be determined by considering the process by which one user responds to an interaction by one user speaking or sign language with another user speaking or sign language as one unit. The conversation information may be, for example, information relating to the number of times a conversation occurred, information relating to the total duration of a conversation, or information relating to the duration of a conversation. The conversation information may be, for example, information evaluating the comfort level of the area based on personal information derived from the users, as information relating to the users' conversations. The aforementioned personal information may be, for example, extracted image information obtained by extracting the head and neck or a specific part of the head and neck (e.g., head, neck, mouth, face, etc.) of the user's body from the image, or extracted image information obtained by extracting the limbs or a specific part of the limbs (e.g., right, left, or both hands, feet, upper limbs, lower limbs, etc.) of the user's body. The aforementioned conversation information may be, for example, information evaluating the comfort level of the area based on the number of times the conversation occurred, information evaluating the comfort level of the area based on the total duration of the conversation, or information evaluating the comfort level of the area based on the duration of the conversation.

[0043] The conversation information may be appropriately modified depending on the type of area, for example, to evaluate the comfort level of the area. Specifically, when the area is a lively area, the conversation information may evaluate the area as having a good comfort level if, for example, the number of conversations is greater than the standard, the total duration of the conversations is longer than the standard, or the duration of the conversations is longer than the standard. On the other hand, the conversation information may evaluate the area as having an unfavorable comfort level if, for example, the number of conversations is less than the standard, the total duration of the conversations is shorter than the standard, or the duration of the conversations is shorter than the standard. Furthermore, when the area is a quiet area, the conversation information may evaluate the area as having a good comfort level if, for example, the number of conversations is less than the standard, the total duration of the conversations is shorter than the standard, or the duration of the conversations is shorter than the standard. On the other hand, the conversation information may also include information indicating that the comfort level of the area is poor, for example, if the number of conversations is higher than a standard, the total duration of the conversations is longer than a standard, or the duration of the conversations is longer than a standard. The standard can be set appropriately, for example, depending on the type of area or the number of users. According to this disclosure, for example, the comfort level of an area can be evaluated from a human perspective by taking into account the aspect of user conversations.

[0044] The aforementioned stay time information is, for example, information relating to the user's stay time in the area. The aforementioned stay time information may also be, for example, information evaluating the comfort level of the area, based on personal information derived from the user, relating to the user's stay time in the area. The personal information may be, for example, extracted image information obtained by extracting the entire body of the user from the image, or extracted image information obtained by extracting a part of the user's body (e.g., head, legs, etc.) from the image.

[0045] The aforementioned stay time information may, for example, be information that evaluates the comfort level of the area based on the length of stay. Specifically, the stay time information may, for example, be information that evaluates the comfort level of the area as good if the stay time is longer than a standard. On the other hand, the stay time information may, for example, be information that evaluates the comfort level of the area as not good if the stay time is shorter than a standard. The stay time information may, for example, be information that excludes a user from evaluation if their stay time is shorter than an exclusion criterion. The standard and the exclusion criterion can be set as appropriate depending on the type of area. According to this disclosure, for example, the comfort level of an area can be evaluated from a human perspective by taking into account the aspect of the user's stay time.

[0046] The congestion information is, for example, information regarding the degree of congestion of users in the area. The degree of congestion may be expressed, for example, as the ratio of the area occupied by the users to the area of ​​the area. The degree of congestion may be expressed, for example, as the ratio of the area occupied by the personal space of the users to the area of ​​the area. The personal space is, for example, the distance at which one feels uncomfortable when another person approaches. The personal space may be defined, for example, as a figure based on the distance (for example, a circle, a polygon, etc.). The personal space may be defined, for example, as a circle with the distance as its radius. In this case, the area of ​​the personal space may be defined, for example, as the area of ​​the circle. Furthermore, the degree of congestion may be expressed, for example, as the ratio of the length of at least one of the length of the users to the length of at least one of the length of the area. The degree of congestion may be expressed, for example, as the ratio of the length of at least one of the length of the users to the length of the area. The personal space may be defined, for example, as the length based on the distance. The personal space may be set, for example, as twice the distance. The personal space can be appropriately selected from known classifications, for example, depending on the type of area. The congestion information may be, for example, information that evaluates the comfort level of the area, based on personal information derived from the user, and relating to the degree of congestion of the user in the area. The personal information may be, for example, extracted image information obtained by extracting the entire body of the user from the image, or extracted image information obtained by extracting a part of the user's body (e.g., head, legs, etc.) from the image.

[0047] The congestion information may, for example, be information that evaluates the comfort level of the area based on the degree of congestion. The comfort level of the area is assumed to be unfavorable not only when the area is crowded with users, but also when it is sparsely populated. For this reason, the congestion information may, for example, be information that uses a standard where the area is neither crowded nor sparsely populated. Specifically, the congestion information may, for example, evaluate the comfort level of the area as good when the degree of congestion is the same as the standard. On the other hand, the congestion information may, for example, evaluate the comfort level of the area as unfavorable when the degree of congestion is less than the standard, or when the degree of congestion is greater than the standard. The standard can be set appropriately, for example, depending on the type of area. Furthermore, the comfort level of the area is assumed to be relatively better when the area is sparsely populated, for example, because there are fewer opportunities for personal space to be encroached upon compared to when the area is crowded with users. Therefore, the congestion information may, for example, be information that evaluates the comfort level of the area as relatively better when there are few users compared to when there are many users. According to this disclosure, for example, the comfort level of the area can be evaluated from a human perspective by taking into account the degree of congestion among users.

[0048] The aforementioned personal attribute information is, for example, information relating to the user's attributes. The aforementioned personal attribute information includes, for example, at least one of age information relating to the user's age and gender information relating to the user's gender. The aforementioned personal attribute information may also be, for example, information evaluating the comfort level of the area based on the user's attributes, derived from the user's original personal information. The original personal information may be, for example, extracted image information obtained by extracting the entire body of the user from the image, or extracted image information obtained by extracting a part of the user's body (e.g., upper body, head, face, etc.) from the image. The aforementioned personal attribute information may also be, for example, information evaluating the number of users for each attribute classification, or information evaluating the degree of variation of users for each attribute classification. The attribute classification may be, for example, if the aforementioned personal attribute information is age information, classification by age group such as teenagers, 20s, 30s, etc., but there are no limitations to the description. The classification of the attribute may, for example, be a classification such as male and female if the personal attribute information is gender information. The degree of variability may include, for example, skewness, kurtosis, deviation, variance, standard deviation, and standard error.

[0049] The comfort level of the area is expected to differ depending, for example, on the attributes of the user. For this reason, the personal attribute information may appropriately set a method for evaluating the comfort level of the area, for example, depending on the type of area. Specifically, when the area is comfortable for everyone, the personal attribute information may evaluate the area as comfortable if, for example, the user's attributes are evenly distributed. On the other hand, the personal attribute information may evaluate the area as uncomfortable if, for example, the user's attributes are unevenly distributed. Furthermore, when the area is comfortable for people with specific attributes, the personal attribute information may evaluate the area as comfortable if, for example, the user's attributes fall under the specific attributes. On the other hand, the personal attribute information may evaluate the area as uncomfortable if, for example, the user's attributes do not fall under the specific attributes. The evaluation method according to the type of area may be carried out, for example, based on the evaluation criteria information described later. According to this disclosure, for example, the comfort level of an area can be evaluated from a human perspective by taking into account aspects such as user attributes. Furthermore, according to this disclosure, for example, the comfort level of an area can be evaluated from a human perspective by taking into account aspects such as user attributes suitable for each area.

[0050] The environmental information is information relating to the environment of the area. The environment may be, for example, an indoor environment or an outdoor environment. The environmental information may also be, for example, information evaluating the comfort level of the area based on source environmental information that observed the environment. The source environmental information may include, for example, weather source information, as described later. The source environmental information can be set appropriately, for example, depending on the type of environmental information. The environmental information may also be, for example, information linked to time information relating to the time of acquisition of the environmental information. The environmental information may also be, for example, information linked to time information relating to the time of acquisition of the source environmental information.

[0051] The environmental information may be, for example, scored environmental information that evaluates the comfort level of the area with a score, or graded environmental information that evaluates the comfort level of the area with a grade. The explanations regarding the scored environmental information and the graded environmental information can be applied to the scored environmental information and the graded environmental information, for example.

[0052] The acquisition unit 11 may, for example, generate the environmental information based on the source environmental information. Specifically, the acquisition unit 11 may, for example, acquire the source environmental information, generate the environmental information based on the source environmental information, and acquire the generated environmental information as the environmental information. The generation of environmental information based on the source environmental information can be appropriately performed by known methods, for example, depending on the type of environmental information.

[0053] The acquisition unit 11 may generate the environmental information based, for example, on correspondence information relating to the correspondence between the source environmental information and the environmental information. The correspondence information may be appropriately selected from known correspondence information (e.g., formulas relating to the environmental information, conversion tables relating to the environmental information, etc.) depending on the type of environmental information described later, or may be appropriately set by known methods. The acquisition unit 11 may also generate the environmental information using a regression model that outputs the environmental information as the target variable when the source environmental information is input as an explanatory variable. The regression model may be appropriately selected from known regression models depending on the type of environmental information described later, or may be appropriately generated by known methods such as regression analysis. The acquisition unit 11 may also generate the environmental information using an environmental information generation model that outputs the environmental information when the source environmental information is input. The environmental information generation model may be appropriately selected from known generation models depending on the type of environmental information described later, or may be appropriately generated by known methods such as machine learning.

[0054] The acquisition unit 11 may, for example, perform the acquisition of the environmental information or the source environmental information in a real-time processing manner or in a batch processing manner. Furthermore, when the acquisition unit 11 generates the environmental information based on the source environmental information, it may perform the generation of the environmental information in a real-time processing manner or in a batch processing manner. The generation of the environmental information based on the source environmental information by real-time processing or batch processing may be performed synchronously with, for example, the acquisition of the source environmental information by real-time processing or batch processing, or it may be performed independently. The acquisition unit 11 may, for example, acquire the environmental information or the source environmental information linked to a predetermined time period via a real-time processing manner or batch processing. The acquisition unit 11 may, for example, generate the environmental information linked to a predetermined time period via a real-time processing manner or batch processing. The real-time processing or batch processing of the acquisition or generation of the environmental information can be explained by referring to, for example, the explanation regarding the real-time processing or batch processing of the human information.

[0055] The environmental information acquisition medium can be appropriately selected, for example, according to the type of environmental information described above. The environmental information acquisition medium can also be called the environmental source information acquisition medium when the environmental information is generated based on the environmental source information. The environmental information acquisition medium may include, for example, a temperature acquisition medium, a humidity acquisition medium, and a combination acquisition medium combining these, but is not limited to this description. The temperature acquisition medium is, for example, a medium capable of acquiring the temperature of the area. The humidity acquisition medium is, for example, a medium capable of acquiring the humidity of the area. The combination acquisition medium is, for example, a medium capable of acquiring at least two of the environmental information of the area. The combination acquisition medium may also be, for example, a medium capable of acquiring at least two of the environmental source information of the area. The temperature may be, for example, the air temperature, or the room temperature. The temperature may be, for example, degrees Celsius, or degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature may include, for example, black globe temperature, wet bulb temperature, and dry bulb temperature. The humidity may be, for example, outdoor humidity or indoor humidity. The humidity may be, for example, relative humidity or absolute humidity. The medium for acquiring the environmental information may be, for example, the apparatus of this disclosure itself or a device other than the apparatus of this disclosure. In the latter case, the medium for acquiring the environmental information may be connected to the apparatus of this disclosure, for example, via a wired or wireless communication network.

[0056] The environmental information and the source environmental information may be stored, for example, in the memory 102 or storage device 104 of the device of this disclosure, or in the memory or storage device of a device other than the device of this disclosure. The correspondence information, the regression model, and the environmental information generation model may be stored, for example, in the memory 102 or storage device 104 of the device of this disclosure, or in the memory or storage device of a device other than the device of this disclosure.

[0057] The environmental information may include, for example, weather information relating to the weather in the area, and natural environment information relating to the natural environment in the area. The weather may be, for example, the meteorological conditions in the area. The weather may include, for example, temperature, humidity, dryness, precipitation, wind, and solar radiation, but there are no limitations on the description. The weather information may also be, for example, information evaluating the comfort level of the area based on weather source information from which the weather was observed. The weather source information can be set appropriately, for example, according to the type of weather information described later. The natural environment may include, for example, the conditions of celestial bodies, the amount of ultraviolet radiation, and the amount of pollen dispersed, but there are no limitations on the description. The natural environment information may also be, for example, information evaluating the comfort level of the area based on natural environment information source information from which the natural environment was observed. The natural environment source information can be set appropriately, for example, according to the type of natural environment information described later.

[0058] The weather information may, for example, be information that evaluates the comfort level of the area based on the degree of each weather condition. The weather information may, for example, be information that sets criteria for how users judge the comfort level of the area to be good, depending on the type of weather. For this reason, the weather information may, for example, be information that sets criteria for how users judge the comfort level of the area to be good, depending on the type of weather. In this case, the weather information may, for example, be information that evaluates the comfort level of the area to be good when the degree of each weather condition is at the same level as the criteria. On the other hand, the weather information may, for example, be information that evaluates the comfort level of the area to be poor when the degree of each weather condition is higher or lower than the criteria. The criteria can be set appropriately, for example, depending on the type of area and the type of weather. The weather information may, for example, be information that evaluates the comfort level of the area for each type of weather, or it may be information that integrates the evaluations of the comfort level of the area for each type of weather. For example, the method for integrating the information can be described using the explanation above.

[0059] The weather information may include, for example, at least one of the following: heat information relating to heat, comfort information relating to comfort, dryness information relating to dryness, perceived temperature information relating to perceived temperature, and sunshine duration information relating to sunshine duration. In this case, the weather source information may include, for example, at least one of the following: temperature information from which the temperature was observed, humidity information from which the humidity was observed, dryness information from which dryness was observed, precipitation information from which precipitation was observed, wind information from which wind was observed, and solar radiation information from which solar radiation was observed. The heat information may include, for example, a heat index as information relating to heat. The comfort information may include, for example, a discomfort index as information relating to comfort. The dryness information may include, for example, a dryness index as information relating to dryness. The perceived temperature information may include, for example, perceived temperature as information relating to perceived temperature. The sunshine duration information may include, for example, sunshine duration as information relating to sunshine duration. The heat index can be appropriately calculated by, for example, a known method (for example, a method using a formula relating to the heat index, a method using a conversion table relating to the heat index, etc.). The discomfort index can be appropriately calculated by, for example, a known method (e.g., a method using a formula for the discomfort index, a method using a conversion table for the discomfort index, etc.). The dryness index can be appropriately calculated by, for example, a known method (e.g., a method using a formula for the dryness index, a method using a conversion table for the dryness index, etc.). The perceived temperature can be appropriately calculated by, for example, a known method (e.g., a method using a formula for the perceived temperature, a method using a conversion table for the perceived temperature, etc.). The sunshine duration information can be appropriately calculated by, for example, a known method (e.g., a method calculated based on solar radiation, a method using a conversion table for sunshine duration, etc.). Specifically, the heat index may be calculated, for example, based on the temperature information, or based on the temperature information and the humidity information, but there are no limitations to this description. The heat index may be calculated, for example, based on at least two of the black globe temperature, the wet bulb temperature, and the dry bulb temperature, but there are no limitations to this description.The discomfort index may be calculated, for example, based on the temperature information and the humidity information, but the description is not limited in any way. The dryness index may be calculated, for example, based on the humidity information, or based on the precipitation information and the dryness information, but the description is not limited in any way. The perceived temperature may be calculated, for example, based on the temperature information, the humidity information, and the wind information, but the description is not limited in any way. The sunshine duration may be calculated, for example, based on the solar radiation information, but the description is not limited in any way. According to this disclosure, for example, the comfort level of an area can be evaluated from multiple perspectives, taking into account the weather.

[0060] The weather information may include, for example, weather-related information relating to the weather in the area. The weather-related information may utilize, for example, known weather-related indices. The weather-related information may also include, for example, information relating to preparations as weather-related information. In this case, the weather-related information may include, for example, information regarding the need for an umbrella, information regarding comfortable clothing, information regarding the ease of going out, information regarding how easily one sweats, and information regarding how easily one sleeps, but there are no limitations on such descriptions. The weather-related information may also include, for example, information relating to food and drink as weather-related information. In this case, the weather-related information may include, for example, information regarding the degree to which food (e.g., ice cream, hot pot, etc.) can be enjoyed, and information regarding the degree to which beverages (e.g., beer, etc.) can be enjoyed, but there are no limitations on such descriptions. The weather-related information may also include, for example, information relating to health and beauty as weather-related information. In this case, the weather-related information may include, for example, information regarding susceptibility to illness due to temperature fluctuations, susceptibility to catching a cold, susceptibility to dry skin, and susceptibility to moisturizing the skin, but there are no limitations to the description.

[0061] The aforementioned environmental information may include, for example, natural environment information relating to the natural environment of the area. The aforementioned natural environment information may utilize, for example, known indices relating to the natural environment. Examples of such natural environment information include, but are not limited to, information relating to the status of celestial bodies, information relating to ultraviolet radiation levels, and information relating to pollen dispersal.

[0062] The generation unit 12 generates evaluation information that assesses the comfort level of the area based on the human information (S2, generation procedure).

[0063] The generation unit 12 may, for example, generate evaluation information that assesses the comfort level of the area based on the human information and the environmental information.

[0064] The evaluation information is information that evaluates the comfort level of the area based on the human information. In this case, the evaluation information can also be said to be, for example, the evaluation information based on the human information. The evaluation information includes, for example, scored evaluation information that scores the comfort level of the area, and graded evaluation information that grades the comfort level of the area. The scored evaluation information and the graded evaluation information can be explained by referring to, for example, the explanation of scored human information and graded human information described above. The evaluation information may also be information linked to, for example, time information relating to the time the human information was acquired. The evaluation information may also be information linked to, for example, time information relating to the time the raw human information was acquired.

[0065] The evaluation information may, for example, be information that evaluates the comfort level of the area based on the human information and the environmental information. In this case, the evaluation information can also be said to be, for example, the evaluation information based on the human information and the environmental information. The evaluation information can also be said to be, for example, information that integrates the evaluation information based on the human information and the evaluation information based on the environmental information. Because the evaluation information is based on different evaluations, such as the human information and the environmental information, it can also be said to be information that comprehensively evaluates the comfort level of the area. Furthermore, because the evaluation information is based on evaluations from various aspects, such as the human information and the environmental information, it can also be said to be information that comprehensively evaluates the comfort level of the area. The evaluation information may also be, for example, information that links time information relating to the acquisition time of the human information and the acquisition time of the environmental information. The evaluation information may also be, for example, information that links time information relating to the acquisition time of the human information and the acquisition time of the environmental information.

[0066] The generation unit 12 may generate the evaluation information as information that integrates the individual pieces of information, for example. The method for integrating the information can be, for example, by referring to the explanation given above.

[0067] The generation unit 12 may generate the evaluation information as information that integrates the human information and the environmental information, for example. The method for integrating the information can be described, for example, by referring to the explanation above.

[0068] The generation unit 12 may, for example, generate the evaluation information based on the human information for each type of human information, and then generate the evaluation information as integrated information based on the human information for each type of human information. In this case, the generation unit 12 may, for example, generate the evaluation information based on the human information for each type of human information based on correspondence information relating to the correspondence between each type of human information and the evaluation information. The correspondence information may, for example, be appropriately selected from known correspondence information depending on the type of human information, or may be appropriately set by a known method. The method for integrating the information can, for example, be described above. The generation unit 12 may also, for example, generate the evaluation information using weighting coefficients corresponding to each type of human information. The values ​​of the weighting coefficients and the information to which they are set can be appropriately set depending on the type of area, for example.

[0069] The generation unit 12 may, for example, generate the evaluation information as information that integrates the evaluation information based on the human information and the evaluation information based on the environmental information. In this case, the generation unit 12 may, for example, generate the evaluation information based on the human information and the evaluation information based on the environmental information, based on correspondence information relating to the correspondence between the human information and the evaluation information, and correspondence information relating to the correspondence between the environmental information and the evaluation information. The correspondence information may, for example, be appropriately selected from known correspondence information depending on the type of human information and the environmental information, or may be appropriately set by a known method. The generation unit 12 may, for example, generate the evaluation information based on the environmental information for each type of environmental information, and then generate information that integrates the evaluation information based on the environmental information for each type of environmental information. The generation unit 12 may, for example, generate the evaluation information based on the human information for each type of human information, and then generate information that integrates the evaluation information based on the human information for each type of human information. The generation unit 12 may generate the evaluation information by further integrating information that integrates the evaluation information based on the human information for each type of human information, and information that integrates the evaluation information based on the environmental information for each type of environmental information. The method for integrating the information can be, for example, by referring to the explanation above. The generation unit 12 may also generate the evaluation information using, for example, weighting coefficients corresponding to each type of human information and weighting coefficients corresponding to each type of environmental information. The values ​​of the weighting coefficients and the information to which they are set can be appropriately set, for example, according to the type of area.

[0070] The generation unit 12 may generate the evaluation information by a regression model that, for example, takes the personal information as an explanatory variable and outputs the evaluation information as the dependent variable. The regression model may be appropriately selected from known regression models depending on the type of personal information, or it may be appropriately generated by known methods such as regression analysis.

[0071] The generation unit 12 may generate the evaluation information using a regression model that outputs the evaluation information as the dependent variable when both the human information and the environmental information are input as explanatory variables. Alternatively, the generation unit 12 may generate the evaluation information based on the human information and the evaluation information based on the environmental information using separate regression models. Specifically, the generation unit 12 may generate the evaluation information based on the human information using a regression model that outputs the evaluation information based on the human information when the human information is input as an explanatory variable. The generation unit 12 may also generate the evaluation information based on the environmental information using a regression model that outputs the evaluation information based on the environmental information when the environmental information is input as an explanatory variable. The generation unit 12 may also generate the evaluation information as integrated information of the evaluation information based on the human information and the evaluation information based on the environmental information. The method for integrating the information can be described using the explanation above, for example. The regression model may be appropriately selected from known regression models depending on the type of human information and environmental information, or it may be appropriately generated by known methods such as regression analysis.

[0072] The generation unit 12 may generate the evaluation information using an evaluation information generation model that outputs the evaluation information when the human information is input. The evaluation information generation model may be appropriately selected from known generation models depending on the types of human information and environmental information, or it may be appropriately generated by known methods such as machine learning.

[0073] The generation unit 12 may generate the evaluation information using an evaluation information generation model that outputs the evaluation information when both the human information and the environmental information are input. Alternatively, the generation unit 12 may generate the evaluation information based on the human information and the evaluation information based on the environmental information using separate evaluation information generation models. Specifically, the generation unit 12 may generate the evaluation information based on the human information using an evaluation information generation model that outputs the evaluation information based on the human information when the human information is input. The generation unit 12 may generate the evaluation information based on the environmental information using an evaluation information generation model that outputs the evaluation information based on the environmental information when the environmental information is input. The generation unit 12 may also generate the evaluation information as information that integrates the evaluation information based on the human information and the evaluation information based on the environmental information. The method for integrating the information can be described using the explanation above, for example. The evaluation information generation model may be appropriately selected from known generation models depending on the type of human information and environmental information, or it may be appropriately generated by known methods such as machine learning.

[0074] The generation unit 12 may, for example, perform the generation of the evaluation information in a real-time processing manner or in a batch processing manner. The generation of the evaluation information by real-time processing or batch processing may be performed in synchronization with, for example, the acquisition of the human information or the environmental information by real-time processing or batch processing, or it may be performed without synchronization. The generation of the evaluation information by real-time processing or batch processing may be performed in synchronization with, for example, the acquisition of the human source information or the environmental source information by real-time processing or batch processing, or it may be performed without synchronization. The generation of the evaluation information by real-time processing or batch processing may be performed in synchronization with, for example, the generation of the human information based on the human source information by real-time processing or batch processing, or it may be performed without synchronization. The generation of the evaluation information by real-time processing or batch processing may be performed in synchronization with, for example, the generation of the environmental information based on the environmental source information by real-time processing or batch processing, or it may be performed without synchronization. The generation unit 12 may, for example, generate the evaluation information linked to a predetermined time period via a real-time processing method or a batch processing method. For example, the explanation regarding the acquisition or generation of the human information by real-time processing or batch processing method can be applied to the generation of the evaluation information by real-time processing or batch processing method.

[0075] The generation unit 12 may generate the evaluation information based, for example, on the personal attribute information and evaluation criteria information. The evaluation criteria information is, for example, information that sets appropriate evaluation criteria for each area for at least one of age and gender. The evaluation criteria information may be, for example, information that sets appropriate evaluation criteria for each area for the number of users for each attribute classification, or information that sets appropriate evaluation criteria for each area for the degree of variation of users for each attribute classification. The attribute classification and the degree of variation can be described, for example, by referring to the explanation regarding the personal attribute information.

[0076] As mentioned above, the comfort level of the area is expected to differ depending, for example, on the attributes of the user. For this reason, the evaluation criteria information may be information that sets appropriate evaluation criteria for each area, for example, on at least one of age and gender, depending on the type of area and the type of personal attribute information. Specifically, when the area is a comfortable area for everyone, the evaluation criteria information may be information that sets evaluation criteria to determine that the area is comfortable if the attributes of the users are evenly distributed. On the other hand, the evaluation criteria information may be information that sets evaluation criteria to determine that the area is not comfortable if the attributes of the users are unevenly distributed. Furthermore, when the area is a comfortable area for people with specific attributes, the evaluation criteria information may be information that sets evaluation criteria to determine that the area is comfortable if the attributes of the user fall under the specific attributes. On the other hand, the evaluation criteria information may be information that sets evaluation criteria to determine that the area is not comfortable if the attributes of the user do not fall under the specific attributes. According to this disclosure, for example, the comfort level of an area can be evaluated from a human perspective by taking into account aspects such as the attributes of users suitable for each area.

[0077] The output unit 13 outputs the evaluation information (S3, output procedure).

[0078] The output unit 13 may output, for example, image-based evaluation information obtained by converting the evaluation information into an image, as the evaluation information. The image-based evaluation information may be, for example, information obtained by changing the converted image according to the degree of the evaluation information. The image-based evaluation information may be, for example, an image that imitates a human facial expression. In this case, the image-based evaluation information may be, for example, information obtained by changing the converted image that imitates a human facial expression into an image that imitates a specific facial expression, according to the degree of the evaluation information or the facial expression information. Specifically, the image-based evaluation information may be, for example, information obtained by changing the converted image that imitates a human facial expression into an image that imitates a joyful facial expression if the evaluation information is good. On the other hand, the image-based evaluation information may be, for example, information obtained by changing the converted image that imitates a human facial expression into an image that imitates a sad facial expression if the evaluation information is not good. Furthermore, the image-based evaluation information may be, for example, information obtained by changing the converted image that imitates a human facial expression into an image that imitates a joyful facial expression if the facial expression information indicates a joyful facial expression. On the other hand, the image evaluation information may be, for example, information obtained by changing an image that mimics the converted human facial expression to an image that mimics the facial expression that expresses sadness, if the facial expression information indicates a facial expression that expresses sadness.

[0079] The output unit 13 may output the evaluation information together with the human information, for example. The output unit 13 may output the evaluation information together with the human information and the environmental information, for example. The output unit 13 may output the evaluation information together with the image of the area, for example. The output unit 13 may output the evaluation information corresponding to the current time, for example, based on the time information. The output unit 13 may output the evaluation information for a time period including the current time, for example, based on the time information.

[0080] The output unit 13 may output the evaluation information as, for example, layer information or popup information of map information relating to a map. The output unit 13 may output the evaluation information as, for example, layer source information which is the source data of the layer information of the map information, or popup source information which is the source data of the popup information of the map information. The output unit 13 may output the evaluation information itself as, for example, the layer information or the popup information, or it may output the image evaluation information, or it may output the evaluation information together with the human information, or it may output the evaluation information together with the human information and the environmental information, or it may output information that combines these. The layer information and the popup information can be set as appropriate by known methods such as a Geographic Information System (GIS).

[0081] The output unit 13 may, for example, output the evaluation information to the output device 106 of the device of this disclosure, or to the output device of a device other than the device of this disclosure. The output unit 13 may, for example, output the evaluation information to the external device mentioned above. The output unit 13 may, for example, output the evaluation information to the memory 102 or storage device 104 of the device of this disclosure, or to the memory or storage device of a device other than the device of this disclosure. In this case, the output unit 13 may, for example, store the outputted evaluation information in the corresponding device.

[0082] The comfort evaluation method of this disclosure (hereinafter also referred to as the method of this disclosure) is a method that is implemented by, for example, replacing each "procedure" in the program of this disclosure with a "process". Specifically, the method of this disclosure includes, for example, an acquisition process, a generation process, and an output process, wherein the acquisition process acquires personal information about users who use the area, the generation process generates evaluation information that evaluates the comfort of the area based on the personal information, and the output process outputs the evaluation information. The method of this disclosure can be implemented, for example, using the apparatus 10 of this disclosure shown in Figure 1 or Figure 2. However, the method of this disclosure is not limited to, for example, a method using the apparatus 10 of this disclosure. The method of this disclosure can be implemented by referring to, for example, the descriptions in the program and the apparatus of this disclosure.

[0083] As described above, the comfort evaluation program of this disclosure can acquire personal information about users of an area through an acquisition procedure, generate evaluation information that evaluates the comfort of the area based on the personal information through a generation procedure, and output the evaluation information through an output procedure. Therefore, according to this disclosure, the comfort of an area can be evaluated from a personal perspective. Furthermore, according to this disclosure, users can, for example, find out the comfort level of each area and use this as a basis for deciding which area to visit. According to this disclosure, users can, for example, find out the comfort level of an area for each time of day and choose a time of day when the area is comfortable to visit, or choose a comfortable area during a time when their schedule is free. Furthermore, according to this disclosure, stakeholders of an area can, for example, objectively find out the comfort level of the area and take measures to improve the comfort level of the area. According to this disclosure, stakeholders of an area can, for example, objectively find out the comfort level of the area for each time of day and take measures to improve the comfort level of the area, focusing on times when the comfort level is not good.

[0084] Furthermore, according to the comfort evaluation program of this disclosure, for example, an acquisition procedure can acquire human information about users utilizing the area and environmental information about the environment of the area, a generation procedure can generate evaluation information that evaluates the comfort of the area based on the human information and the environmental information, and an output procedure can output the evaluation information. According to this disclosure, for example, the comfort of an area can be evaluated from multiple perspectives. Also, according to this disclosure, for example, by evaluating the comfort of an area from both human and environmental perspectives, the comfort of an area can be evaluated with higher accuracy and more objectively. Also, according to this disclosure, for example, by setting appropriate comfort standards for each type of area from both human and environmental perspectives, the comfort of an area can be individually evaluated in a format that is appropriate for the type of area. Also, according to this disclosure, for example, users can know the comfort level of each area and use this as a basis for decision-making when selecting an area to visit. According to this disclosure, users can, for example, find out how comfortable an area is at different times of day, and choose a time when the area is comfortable to visit, or choose a comfortable area during their free time. Furthermore, according to this disclosure, stakeholders in an area can, for example, objectively understand how comfortable the area is and take measures to improve its comfort. According to this disclosure, stakeholders in an area can, for example, objectively understand how comfortable the area is at different times of day and take measures to improve the comfort of the area, focusing on times when it is not comfortable.

[0085] [Embodiment 3] An example of how the device described herein can be used will be explained below with reference to Figure 4. In the following explanation, the example will be that the area is a public square, but the disclosure is not limited to the following explanation.

[0086] First, the device of this disclosure generates evaluation information that assesses the comfort level of the plaza based on, for example, human information relating to the users of the plaza, as evaluation information based on the human information. Furthermore, the device of this disclosure generates evaluation information that assesses the comfort level of the plaza based on, for example, human information relating to the users of the plaza and environmental information relating to the environment of the plaza, as evaluation information based on the human information and the environmental information. Specifically, the plaza is equipped with, for example, a surveillance camera, which is a medium for acquiring the human information, and a thermometer / hygrometer, which is a medium for acquiring the environmental information. The device of this disclosure is connected to the surveillance camera and the thermometer / hygrometer via, for example, a wireless communication network, and is in a state where various types of information can be communicated to each other. The plaza is, for example, in the early afternoon, with multiple users utilizing it.

[0087] The surveillance camera, for example, acquires an image of the plaza and transmits the acquired image to the device of this disclosure. The image includes, for example, the bodies or body parts of the multiple users. The device of this disclosure, for example, after receiving the image from the surveillance camera, generates extracted image information as image information by extracting feature quantities of specific body parts of the users of the plaza from the received image using a known method. The device of this disclosure generates the human information based on the generated image information using, for example, a known method. In detail, the device of this disclosure stores, for example, a known regression model appropriately selected according to the type of human information. The regression model is, for example, a regression model that, when the image information which is the source of human information is input as an explanatory variable, outputs the human information as the dependent variable. The device of this disclosure generates the human information using, for example, the regression model which is a known method, and acquires the generated human information as human information. The surveillance camera, for example, acquires the image information every 30 minutes using a batch processing method. The apparatus of this disclosure, for example, generates the human information based on the image information in synchronization with the acquisition of the image information using a batch processing method. That is, the apparatus of this disclosure, for example, acquires the human information using a batch processing method every 30 minutes. In this way, the apparatus of this disclosure acquires the human information for the plaza during the early afternoon time, for example.

[0088] The thermometer and hygrometer, for example, acquires temperature information and humidity information, for example, for observing the temperature of the plaza and humidity information, and transmits the acquired temperature information and humidity information to the device of the Disclosure. The device of the Disclosure, for example, after receiving the temperature information and humidity information from the thermometer and hygrometer, generates comfort information included in the weather information as environmental information based on the received temperature information and humidity information using a known method. In detail, the device of the Disclosure stores, for example, a known regression model appropriately selected according to the type of environmental information. The regression model is, for example, a regression model that, when the temperature information and humidity information, which are source environmental information, are input as explanatory variables, outputs the comfort information as the dependent variable. The device of the Disclosure generates the comfort information using the regression model, for example, using a known method, and acquires the generated comfort information as environmental information. The thermometer and hygrometer, for example, acquires the temperature information and humidity information every 30 minutes using a batch processing method. The apparatus of this disclosure generates comfort information based on the temperature information and humidity information in synchronization with the acquisition of the temperature information and humidity information in a batch processing manner. That is, the apparatus of this disclosure acquires the comfort information in a batch processing manner every 30 minutes. In this way, the apparatus of this disclosure acquires the comfort information for the plaza in the early afternoon, for example.

[0089] The device of this disclosure generates, for example, evaluation information that assesses the comfort level of the plaza based on the human information, as evaluation information based on human information. More specifically, the device of this disclosure generates the evaluation information based on human information as information that integrates the evaluation information based on human information for each type of human information. The device of this disclosure performs the generation of the evaluation information based on human information in synchronization with the acquisition of the human information by batch processing. That is, the device of this disclosure performs the generation of the evaluation information based on human information by batch processing every 30 minutes. The device of this disclosure generates the evaluation information based on human information for each time period. In this way, the device of this disclosure generates the evaluation information based on human information for the plaza during the early afternoon time period.

[0090] The device of this disclosure generates evaluation information that assesses the comfort level of the plaza based on the human information and the comfort information, as evaluation information based on the human information and the environmental information. More specifically, the device of this disclosure generates an average value of the human information and the comfort information as information that integrates the human information and the comfort information. The device of this disclosure performs the generation of the evaluation information based on the human information and the environmental information in synchronization with the acquisition of the human information and the comfort information by batch processing. That is, the device of this disclosure performs the generation of the evaluation information based on the human information and the environmental information by batch processing every 30 minutes. The device of this disclosure generates the evaluation information based on the human information and the environmental information for each time period. In this way, the device of this disclosure generates the evaluation information for the plaza during the early afternoon time period.

[0091] Next, the device of this disclosure outputs, for example, each of the evaluation pieces of information. Specifically, the user searches for the plaza using, for example, map application software on a smartphone terminal. The smartphone terminal displays, for example, map information relating to a map including the plaza at a predetermined scale on its display unit. The user selects, for example, an icon relating to the plaza on the map (shown as a cone shape within the plaza in Figure 4) using the map application software. The smartphone terminal transmits, for example, selection information relating to the selection of the plaza, along with current time information relating to the current time, to the device of this disclosure. The current time is, for example, a time included in the early afternoon period. After receiving the selection information and the current time information from the smartphone terminal, the device of this disclosure identifies the plaza from a plurality of areas based on the selection information, and transmits the evaluation information based on the human information for the time period corresponding to the current time, and the evaluation information based on the human information and the environmental information, to the smartphone terminal as pop-up source information. That is, the device of this disclosure performs the transmission of the pop-up source information to the smartphone terminal as output of each of the evaluation pieces of information. The smartphone terminal, for example, after receiving the pop-up source information from the device of this disclosure, generates pop-up information in the map application software based on the pop-up source information. The smartphone terminal, for example, displays the evaluation information based on the human information and the evaluation information based on the human information and the environmental information as pop-up information on the map information.

[0092] An example of the output results of each evaluation information by the device of this disclosure is shown in Figure 4, for example. In Figure 4, each evaluation information is displayed as, for example, pop-up information on the map information. More specifically, in Figure 4, the pop-up information displays, for example, each evaluation information itself, the human information, the environmental information, the image evaluation information, and the image of the plaza as each evaluation information. In Figure 4, each evaluation information, the human information, and the environmental information are displayed as, for example, scored evaluation information with a maximum score of 3 points, scored human information, and scored environmental information. In Figure 4, each evaluation information, the human information, and the environmental information are displayed adjacent to the score, for example, information converted from scores to a star-shaped rating based on conversion criterion information. In Figure 4, the human information is displayed as, for example, information where facial expression information is 2.5 points, stay time information is 2.1 points, congestion information is 2.2 points, and conversation information is 2.3 points. In Figure 4, the environmental information is displayed as, for example, information that the weather information (i.e., comfort information) is 2.4 points. In Figure 4, the evaluation information based on the human information (indicated by the circled number 1) is displayed as, for example, information that is 2.3 points (an average value rounded up to the second decimal place), which is the average value of the evaluation information based on the human information for each type of human information. In Figure 4, the evaluation information based on the human information and the environmental information (indicated by the circled number 2) is displayed as, for example, information that is 2.3 points, which is the average value of the human information and the environmental information. In Figure 4, the evaluation information based on the human information is displayed as image evaluation information in which, for example, an image mimicking a human facial expression is changed to an image mimicking a joyful facial expression, depending on whether the evaluation information based on the human information is 2.3 points out of a possible 3 points. In Figure 4, the evaluation information based on the human information and the environmental information is displayed as image-based evaluation information, for example, when the evaluation information based on the human information and the environmental information scores 2.3 out of 3 points. In this case, an image that mimics a human facial expression is changed to an image that mimics a joyful facial expression.The user can, for example, learn that the plaza is comfortable during the early afternoon hours, based on the evaluation information displayed as described above in Figure 4.

[0093] According to this disclosure, the comfort level of an area can be evaluated from a human perspective. Furthermore, according to this disclosure, the comfort level of an area can be evaluated from multiple perspectives. Furthermore, according to this disclosure, by evaluating the comfort level of an area from both human and environmental perspectives, it is possible to evaluate the comfort level of an area with greater accuracy and objectivity. Furthermore, according to this disclosure, by setting appropriate comfort standards for each type of area from both human and environmental perspectives, the comfort level of an area can be individually evaluated in a format appropriate to the type of area. Furthermore, according to this disclosure, users can, for example, know the comfort level of each area and use this as a factor when choosing an area to visit. According to this disclosure, users can, for example, know the comfort level of an area at different times of day and choose a time of day when the area is comfortable to visit, or choose a comfortable area during a time when they have free time. Furthermore, according to this disclosure, stakeholders in an area can, for example, objectively know the comfort level of the area and take measures to improve the comfort level of the area. According to this disclosure, stakeholders in an area can, for example, objectively understand the comfort level of the area at different times of the day, and take measures to improve the comfort level of the area by focusing on times when the comfort level is low.

[0094] Although the present disclosure has been described above with reference to embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above. Various modifications to the structure and details of the present disclosure can be made as can be understood by those skilled in the art within the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, each embodiment can be combined with other embodiments as appropriate.

[0095] <Note> Some or all of the above embodiments may be described as follows, but are not limited to the following: (Note 1) This includes acquisition procedures, generation procedures, and output procedures. The aforementioned acquisition procedure acquires personal information about users who use the area, The generation procedure generates evaluation information that assesses the comfort level of the area based on the human information, The output procedure outputs the evaluation information. A comfort evaluation program that causes a computer to perform each of the above steps. (Note 2) Furthermore, the acquisition procedure acquires environmental information regarding the environment of the area, The generation procedure generates evaluation information that assesses the comfort level of the area based on the human information and the environmental information. The comfort evaluation program described in Appendix 1. (Note 3) The aforementioned environmental information includes weather information relating to the weather in the area, The comfort evaluation program described in Appendix 2. (Note 4) The aforementioned personal information includes conversational information relating to the user's conversation. A comfort evaluation program as described in any of the appendices 1 to 3. (Note 5) The aforementioned personal information includes at least one of the following: facial expression information relating to the user's facial expression, and time-of-stay information relating to the user's time spent in the area. A comfort evaluation program as described in any of the appendices 1 to 4. (Note 6) The aforementioned personal information includes congestion information regarding the degree of congestion of the aforementioned users in the area. A comfort evaluation program as described in any of the appendices 1 to 5. (Note 7) The aforementioned personal information includes personal attribute information relating to the user's attributes, The aforementioned personal attribute information includes at least one of the following: age information relating to the user's age and gender information relating to the user's gender. The above generation procedure generates the evaluation information based on the personal attribute information and evaluation criteria information, The aforementioned evaluation criteria information is information that sets appropriate evaluation criteria for each area based on at least one of age and gender. A comfort evaluation program as described in any of the appendices 1 to 6. (Note 8) It includes an acquisition unit, a generation unit, and an output unit, The acquisition unit acquires personal information about users who use the area. The generation unit generates evaluation information that evaluates the comfort level of the area based on the human information, The output unit outputs the evaluation information. Comfort level evaluation device. (Note 9) Furthermore, the acquisition unit acquires environmental information relating to the environment of the area, The generation unit generates evaluation information that assesses the comfort level of the area based on the human information and the environmental information. Comfort evaluation device as described in Appendix 8. (Note 10) The aforementioned environmental information includes weather information relating to the weather in the area, Comfort evaluation device as described in Appendix 9. (Note 11) The aforementioned personal information includes conversational information relating to the user's conversation. A comfort evaluation device as described in any of the appendices 8 to 10. (Note 12) The aforementioned personal information includes at least one of the following: facial expression information relating to the user's facial expression, and time-of-stay information relating to the user's time spent in the area. A comfort evaluation device as described in any of the appendices 8 to 11. (Note 13) The aforementioned personal information includes congestion information regarding the degree of congestion of the aforementioned users in the area. A comfort evaluation device as described in any of the appendices 8 to 12. (Note 14) The aforementioned personal information includes personal attribute information relating to the user's attributes, The aforementioned personal attribute information includes at least one of the following: age information relating to the user's age and gender information relating to the user's gender. The generation unit generates the evaluation information based on the personal attribute information and evaluation criteria information. The aforementioned evaluation criteria information is information that sets appropriate evaluation criteria for each area based on at least one of age and gender. A comfort evaluation device as described in any of the appendices 8 to 13. (Note 15) Including the acquisition process, generation process, and output process, The aforementioned acquisition process acquires personal information about users who use the area, The generation process generates evaluation information that evaluates the comfort level of the area based on the human information, The output step outputs the evaluation information. A method for evaluating comfort, in which each of the aforementioned steps is performed by a computer. (Note 16) Furthermore, the acquisition process acquires environmental information relating to the environment of the area, The generation process generates evaluation information that assesses the comfort level of the area based on the human information and the environmental information. The method for evaluating comfort is described in Appendix 15. (Note 17) The aforementioned environmental information includes weather information relating to the weather in the area, The method for evaluating comfort is described in Appendix 16. (Note 18) The aforementioned personal information includes conversational information relating to the user's conversation. The method for evaluating comfort described in any of the appendices 15 to 17. (Note 19) The aforementioned personal information includes at least one of the following: facial expression information relating to the user's facial expression, and time-of-stay information relating to the user's time spent in the area. The method for evaluating comfort described in any of the appendices 15 to 18. (Note 20) The aforementioned personal information includes congestion information regarding the degree of congestion of the aforementioned users in the area. The method for evaluating comfort described in any of the appendices 15 to 19. (Note 21) The aforementioned personal information includes personal attribute information relating to the user's attributes, The aforementioned personal attribute information includes at least one of the following: age information relating to the user's age and gender information relating to the user's gender. The generation process generates the evaluation information based on the personal attribute information and evaluation criteria information. The aforementioned evaluation criteria information is information that sets appropriate evaluation criteria for each area based on at least one of age and gender. The method for evaluating comfort described in any of the appendices 15 to 20. (Note 22) This includes acquisition procedures, generation procedures, and output procedures. The aforementioned acquisition procedure acquires personal information about users who use the area, The generation procedure generates evaluation information that assesses the comfort level of the area based on the human information, The output procedure outputs the evaluation information. A computer-readable recording medium containing a comfort evaluation program for causing a computer to perform each of the aforementioned procedures. (Note 23) Furthermore, the acquisition procedure acquires environmental information regarding the environment of the area, The generation procedure generates evaluation information that assesses the comfort level of the area based on the human information and the environmental information. Recording medium as described in Appendix 22. (Note 24) The aforementioned environmental information includes weather information relating to the weather in the area, Recording medium as described in Appendix 23. (Note 25) The aforementioned personal information includes conversational information relating to the user's conversation. A recording medium as described in any of the appendices 22 to 24. (Note 26) The aforementioned personal information includes at least one of the following: facial expression information relating to the user's facial expression, and time-of-stay information relating to the user's time spent in the area. A recording medium as described in any of the appendices 22 to 25. (Note 27) The aforementioned personal information includes congestion information regarding the degree of congestion of the aforementioned users in the area. A recording medium as described in any of the appendices 22 to 26. (Note 28) The aforementioned personal information includes personal attribute information relating to the user's attributes, The aforementioned personal attribute information includes at least one of the following: age information relating to the user's age and gender information relating to the user's gender. The above generation procedure generates the evaluation information based on the personal attribute information and evaluation criteria information, The aforementioned evaluation criteria information is information that sets appropriate evaluation criteria for each area based on at least one of age and gender. A recording medium as described in any of appendices 22 to 27. [Industrial applicability]

[0096] This disclosure allows for the evaluation of the ambiance of an area from a human perspective. Therefore, this disclosure can be widely and usefully utilized in various fields that require the evaluation of the ambiance of an area. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0097] 10. Comfort Evaluation Device 11 Acquisition Department 12 Generation part 13 Output section 101 Central Processing Unit 102 memory 103 Bus 104 Storage device 105 Input device 106 Output device 107 Communication devices

Claims

1. This includes acquisition procedures, generation procedures, and output procedures. The aforementioned acquisition procedure acquires personal information about users who use the area, The generation procedure generates evaluation information that assesses the comfort level of the area based on the human information, The output procedure outputs the evaluation information. A comfort evaluation program that causes a computer to perform each of the above steps.

2. Furthermore, the acquisition procedure acquires environmental information regarding the environment of the area, The generation procedure generates evaluation information that assesses the comfort level of the area based on the human information and the environmental information. The comfort evaluation program according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned personal information includes conversational information relating to the user's conversation. A comfort evaluation program according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The aforementioned personal information includes at least one of the following: facial expression information relating to the user's facial expression, and time-of-stay information relating to the user's time spent in the area. A comfort evaluation program according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The aforementioned personal information includes congestion information regarding the degree of congestion of the aforementioned users in the area. A comfort evaluation program according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The aforementioned personal information includes personal attribute information relating to the user's attributes, The aforementioned personal attribute information includes at least one of the following: age information relating to the user's age and gender information relating to the user's gender. The above generation procedure generates the evaluation information based on the personal attribute information and evaluation criteria information, The aforementioned evaluation criteria information is information that sets appropriate evaluation criteria for each area based on at least one of age and gender. A comfort evaluation program according to claim 1 or 2.

7. The aforementioned environmental information includes weather information relating to the weather in the area, The comfort evaluation program according to claim 2.

8. It includes an acquisition unit, a generation unit, and an output unit, The acquisition unit acquires personal information about users who use the area. The generation unit generates evaluation information that evaluates the comfort level of the area based on the human information, The output unit outputs the evaluation information. Comfort level evaluation device.

9. Including the acquisition process, generation process, and output process, The aforementioned acquisition process acquires personal information about users who use the area, The generation process generates evaluation information that evaluates the comfort level of the area based on the human information, The output step outputs the evaluation information. A method for evaluating comfort, in which each of the aforementioned steps is performed by a computer.

10. This includes acquisition procedures, generation procedures, and output procedures. The aforementioned acquisition procedure acquires personal information about users who use the area, The generation procedure generates evaluation information that assesses the comfort level of the area based on the human information, The output procedure outputs the evaluation information. A computer-readable recording medium containing a comfort evaluation program for causing a computer to perform each of the aforementioned procedures.

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