Management systems, management methods, and management programs

Abstract

To enable suitable movement of mobile objects or operation of suitable indoor equipment in areas including indoors. [Solution] The processing circuit of the management system is configured to calculate management information that affects at least one of the following: the movement of at least one of the multiple moving bodies, and the operation of the equipment in the area; to acquire position information of the multiple moving bodies obtained using sensors provided on each of the multiple moving bodies; and to modify the management information based on the positions of the multiple moving bodies.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a management system, a management method, and a management program.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for specifying one's own position based on the position information and distance of another autonomous work machine that has received a GNSS signal satisfying an allowable accuracy when the GNSS signal information of one's own machine does not satisfy the predetermined allowable accuracy of the reference signal information.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] It is preferable that the movement of a mobile robot moving indoors or the movement of a person moving indoors can be optimized according to the surrounding environment. Also, it is preferable that the operation of the equipment indoors can be optimized according to the surrounding environment.

[0005] Therefore, one aspect of the present disclosure aims to realize suitable movement of a mobile body or suitable operation of indoor equipment in an area including indoors.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A management system according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a management system for managing at least one of a plurality of moving bodies that move within an area including indoors, and at least one of the facilities installed in the area, and comprises a processing circuit. The processing circuit is configured to calculate management information that affects at least one of the movement of at least one of the plurality of moving bodies and the operation of the facilities, to acquire position information of the plurality of moving bodies obtained using sensors installed on each of the plurality of moving bodies, and to modify the management information based on the positions of the plurality of moving bodies.

[0007] A management method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a management method for managing at least one of a plurality of moving bodies that move within an area including indoors, and at least one of equipment installed in the area, comprising: calculating management information that affects at least one of the movement of at least one of the plurality of moving bodies and the operation of the equipment; acquiring location information obtained using sensors installed on each of the plurality of moving bodies; and changing the management information based on the locations of the plurality of moving bodies.

[0008] A management program according to one aspect of the present disclosure causes at least one processor to execute the method described above. The program may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. The storage medium is a non-transitory and tangible medium. The storage medium may be built into or external to a computer (e.g., a personal computer, a server, etc.). The storage medium includes RAM, ROM, EEPROM, storage, etc., and may be, for example, DRAM, SRAM, flash memory, a hard disk, etc. The program stored in the storage medium may be executed on a computer to which the storage medium is directly connected, or on a computer connected to the storage medium via a network (e.g., the Internet). [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to one aspect of this disclosure, suitable movement of a mobile body or operation of suitable equipment can be achieved depending on the position of each of a plurality of mobile bodies in an area including indoors. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the management system according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a block diagram of the mobile robot shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a block diagram of the information processing terminal shown in Figure 1. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a block diagram of the server shown in Figure 1. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a table that explains the management information handled by the server in Figure 4. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating the processing performed by the server in Figure 1. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a block diagram of the machine learning model for the server shown in Figure 1. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0012] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the management system 1 according to an embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the predetermined area 2 is an indoor facility. Area 2 may include the indoor facility and the outdoor area adjacent to the indoor facility. Area 2 is not particularly limited, but could be an area such as a hospital, train station, airport, commercial facility, underground shopping mall, amusement park, government office, art museum, museum, exhibition hall, factory, logistics warehouse, school, etc.

[0013] Area 2 contains multiple mobile entities. These mobile entities include, for example, a mobile robot 3 and a human 4. However, the mobile entities may consist of only one of them, either the mobile robot 3 or the human 4. The mobile robot 3 moves autonomously toward a given destination or along a given route. The mobile robot 3 is a ground-based vehicle, but it may also fly in the air. The mobile robot 3 is an unmanned vehicle, but it may also be a manned vehicle.

[0014] Human 4 possesses an information processing terminal 5. For example, if human 4 moves, the information processing terminal 5 will move with human 4. Positioning the information processing terminal 5 means positioning human 4. The moving object may be a transported object carried by a mobile robot 3, a cart, a worker, etc. In that case, the transported object will be equipped with sensors to detect its position.

[0015] Area 2 has multiple wireless access points 6 distributed throughout the area, which are capable of wireless communication with mobile robots 3 and information processing terminals 5. In other words, a wireless LAN is established in Area 2. The wireless access points 6 emit radio waves that include their own identification information (e.g., MAC address). The wireless access points 6 are, for example, base stations for wireless communication using WiFi (registered trademark). Area 2 also has multiple pieces of equipment 7, such as air conditioning equipment, lighting equipment, elevators, escalators, and displays.

[0016] The mobile robot 3 and the information processing terminal 5 are configured to receive radio waves from the wireless access point 6 and to communicate with the server 8. In other words, the mobile robot 3 and the information processing terminal 5 can be connected to the communication network N via a wireless LAN line. Alternatively, the mobile robot 3 and the information processing terminal 5 may be connected to the communication network N via a mobile phone network or satellite communication.

[0017] The information processing terminal 5 can be, for example, a smartphone, a wearable terminal, a tablet terminal, a personal computer, or a dedicated communication device. The mobile robot 3 and the information processing terminal 5 may be connected to the communication network N via the wireless access point 6, or may be connected to the communication network N via a mobile phone line. The communication network N can be, for example, the Internet or an intranet.

[0018] The management system 1 includes a server 8 connected to the communication network N. The server 8 can communicate with the mobile robot 3 and the information processing terminal 5 via the communication network N. The server 8 determines the destination or planned movement route of the mobile robot 3 and transmits information indicating the determined destination or planned movement route to the mobile robot 3. The server 8 determines movement guidance information for guiding the movement of the human 4 and transmits the determined movement guidance information to the information processing terminal 5. The server 8 determines request information regarding the control of the facility 7 and transmits the determined request information to the control circuit that controls the facility 7. The server 8 calculates the position information of the mobile robot 3 and the human 4 in the area 2.

[0019] The server 8 is connected to the operator terminal 9 via the communication network N. The mobile robot 3 receives an input of settings for managing the moving bodies within the area 2 from the operator terminal 9. The operator terminal 9 may be outside the facility 7 or inside the facility 7. The operator terminal 9 may be a smartphone or a tablet terminal in addition to a personal computer. The information processing terminal 5 may also serve as the operator terminal 9.

[0020] The above settings can be robot management settings input into a robot management program P3 described later. The robot management settings can be parameters required for generating movement support information for assisting the movement of each mobile robot 3. The robot management settings can be detailed information on tasks assigned to each mobile robot 3 and tasks to be moved to each mobile robot 3. The detailed information on the task includes, for example, the type of task (e.g., delivery, patrol, etc.), the departure location of the task, the destination of the task, the time range required to arrive at the departure location, and the time range required to arrive at the destination.

[0021] The above settings can be human management settings input into a human management program P4 described later. The human management settings can be parameters required for generating movement support information for assisting the movement of a human 4. The movement support information is, for example, movement guidance information provided from an information processing terminal 5 to the human 4. The parameters can be, for example, information specifying an accessible area or a prohibited area in area 2. The parameters may be attributes of a place recommended for the human 4 in area 2. The parameters may be attributes of a place of the human 4's preference input by the human 4.

[0022] The above settings can be facility management settings input into a facility management program P5 described later. The facility management settings can be parameters required for generating request information regarding the control of a facility 7. The parameters may be information indicating an allowable range or a prohibited range of the action output of the facility 7. The parameters may be an initial value or a default value of the action output of the facility 7.

[0023] Figure 2 is a block diagram of the mobile robot 3 in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 2, the mobile robot 3 includes a processing circuit 10, a radio receiver 14, a touch panel display 15, a communication interface 16, a traveling actuator 17, wheels 18, etc. These devices 14 to 17 are electrically connected to the processing circuit 10.

[0024] The processing circuit 10 includes a processor 11, system memory 12, and storage memory 13. The processor 11 may include a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The system memory 12 may include RAM. The storage memory 13 may include a hard disk, flash memory, or a combination thereof. The storage memory 13 stores a control program P1. An example of the processing circuit 10 is a configuration in which the processor 11 executes the control program P1 read from the storage memory 13 to the system memory 12. Based on information input from at least one of the touch panel display 15 and the communication interface 17, the processor 11 controls the touch panel display 15 and at least one of the travel actuators 16 according to the control program P1.

[0025] The radio receiver 14 receives radio waves for wireless communication transmitted by multiple wireless access points 6. The radio receiver 14 receives strong radio waves from nearby wireless access points 6 and weak radio waves from distant wireless access points 6. The radio waves received by the radio receiver 14 contain identification information of the wireless access point 6 that transmitted the radio waves.

[0026] The touch panel display 15 is an example of a user interface. That is, the touch panel display 15 serves as both a user input interface and a user output interface. A keyboard, mouse, etc., may be used as the user input interface, and a non-touch panel display may be used as the user output interface. Furthermore, the mobile robot 3 may have at least one of a speaker and a lamp as a user output interface.

[0027] The communication interface 16 is an interface that wirelessly connects to the communication network N. The communication interface 16 functions as a transmitter that sends information about its own mobile robot 3 to the server 8 via the communication network N. The communication interface 16 also functions as a receiver that receives information about other mobile robots 3 transmitted from the server 8.

[0028] The travel actuator 17 includes a wheel drive actuator that drives the wheels 18 for travel. The travel actuator 17 is, for example, an electric motor. The travel actuator 17 includes a braking actuator that drives a brake that brakes the wheels 18. The mobile robot 3 may change its direction of travel by making the rotation speeds of the left and right wheels 18 different, by making the rotation directions of the left and right wheels 18 different, or by steering the wheels 18 with a steering actuator. The mobile robot 3 may have an opposing differential two-wheel mechanism or an omnidirectional Mecanum mechanism.

[0029] Figure 3 is a block diagram of the information processing terminal 5 shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 3, the information processing terminal 5 includes a processing circuit 20, a display 24, an operation interface 25, a radio wave receiver 26, and a communication interface 27. The processing circuit 20 includes a processor 21, a system memory 22, and a storage memory 23.

[0030] The processor 21 may include a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The system memory 22 may include RAM. The storage memory 23 is an example of a computer-readable medium, and is a non-temporary, tangible medium. The storage memory 23 may include ROM. The storage memory 23 may include a hard disk, flash memory, or a combination thereof. The storage memory 23 stores the control program P2. An example of a processing circuit 20 is a configuration in which the processor 21 executes the control program P2 read from the system memory 22.

[0031] The storage memory 23 stores attribute information K of the human 4 who is the owner of the information processing terminal 5. Attribute information K may include personal information that is entered in advance, such as the gender, age, place of residence, nationality, and occupation of the human 4. If the information processing terminal 5 can obtain current biometric information related to the human 4's biological activity, such as pulse rate and blood pressure, attribute information K may also include the aforementioned biometric information of the human 4. If the information processing terminal 5 can calculate the human 4's current fatigue level from the terminal's movement history, attribute information K may also include information indicating the fatigue level.

[0032] The display 24 may be, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display. The operation interface 25 is a user interface operated by a human 4. The operation interface 25 includes, for example, at least one selected from a touch panel, keyboard, mouse, etc. If the display 24 is a touch panel, the display 24 also serves as the operation interface 25.

[0033] The radio receiver 26 receives radio waves for wireless communication transmitted by multiple wireless access points 6. The radio receiver 26 receives strong radio waves from nearby wireless access points 6 and weak radio waves from distant wireless access points 6. The radio waves received by the radio receiver 26 contain identification information of the wireless access point 6 that transmitted the radio waves.

[0034] The communication interface 27 is for connecting to the communication network N, and may be, for example, a communication device that connects to a mobile phone network. Alternatively, the communication interface 27 may connect to the communication network N via a wireless access point 6. That is, the communication interface 27 may also function as a radio receiver 26.

[0035] Figure 4 is a block diagram of the server 8 shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 4, the server 8 comprises a processing circuit 30 and a communication interface 34. The processing circuit 30 includes a processor 31, system memory 32, and storage memory 33. The communication interface 34 is a communication interface that connects to the communication network N by wire or wireless.

[0036] The processor 31 may include a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The system memory 32 may include RAM. The storage memory 33 may include a hard disk, flash memory, or a combination thereof. The storage memory 33 stores the robot management program P3, the human management program P4, and the equipment management program P5. An example of a processing circuit 30 is a configuration in which the processor 31 executes programs P3 to P5 read from the storage memory 33 to the system memory 32. Each of the programs P3 to P5 calculates management information that affects the movement of the mobile robot 3 and the human 4, and the operation of the equipment 7.

[0037] Figure 5 is a table explaining the management information handled by the server 8 in Figure 4. As shown in Figure 6, the management information for the mobile object is mobility support information that assists in the movement of the mobile object. The mobility support information that assists in the movement of the mobile robot 3 is information indicating the destination or planned movement route of the mobile robot 3. The mobility support information that assists in the movement of the human 4 who possesses the information processing terminal 5 is mobility guidance information, i.e., navigation information, provided from the information processing terminal 5 to the human 4. The management information for the equipment 7 is request information related to the control of the equipment 7.

[0038] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the robot management program P3 determines movement support information to assist the movement of each mobile robot 3 based on the robot management settings entered into the server 8. This movement support information is, for example, information indicating the destination or planned movement route of each mobile robot 3. That is, the robot management program P3 determines the destination or planned movement route of each mobile robot 3 based on a known method (for example, the LNS (Large Neighborhood Search) algorithm) so that each mobile robot 3 can efficiently share the tasks registered in the server 8.

[0039] The human management program P4 determines the destination of human 4 in area 2 and determines the navigation information showing the route to that destination, based on the human management settings entered into server 8. The navigation route from the current location to the destination can be determined according to the well-known Dijkstra's algorithm.

[0040] The equipment management program P5 generates request information for controlling equipment 7 based on the equipment management settings entered into the server 8. If equipment 7 is an air conditioning unit, the request information is, for example, a requested value indicating the target room temperature or humidity. If equipment 7 is a lighting unit, the request information is, for example, a requested value indicating the target room brightness. If equipment 7 is an elevator or escalator, the request information is, for example, a command to stop or start the elevator or escalator. If equipment 7 is a display, the request information is, for example, a command to indicate the content to be displayed on the display.

[0041] The storage memory 33 includes an AP location information storage unit 35 and a map storage unit 36. The AP location information storage unit 35 pre-stores an AP location information list that shows the correspondence between the identification information of each wireless access point 6 in Area 2 and the location information of each wireless access point 6 in Area 2. The map storage unit 36 ​​pre-stores map data of Area 2.

[0042] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating the processing of server 8 in Figure 1. The processing of management system 1 will be explained below following the flow shown in Figure 6, with reference to Figures 1-5. Note that the processing of server 8 is performed by processing circuit 30. Furthermore, in the following explanation, server 8 acquiring data may mean server 8 receiving data, server 8 extracting data from storage memory 33, or server 8 calculating data. Any two blocks shown in order in the flowchart may be executed simultaneously or in reverse order, depending on the circumstances.

[0043] Server 8 accepts input of settings for calculating management information (step S1). These settings may be entered from the operator terminal 9 or the information processing terminal 5, or from another personal computer, smartphone, or tablet device. These settings are the robot management settings, human management settings, and equipment management settings described above.

[0044] Next, the server 8 acquires the location information of each mobile object (step S2). The location information of the information processing terminal 5 is acquired as follows: The server 8 receives from the information processing terminal 5 the strength of each radio wave received by the radio receiver 26 of the information processing terminal 5 from each radio access point 6, and the identification information of the radio access point 6 that transmitted each radio wave. The server 8 refers to the AP location information list in the AP location information storage unit 35 and identifies the location of the radio access point 6 corresponding to each radio wave. The server 8 calculates the location of the information processing terminal 5 as positioning data by calculating the distance from each radio access point 6 to the information processing terminal 5 based on the strength of each radio wave. In other words, the radio receiver 26 of the information processing terminal 5 acts as a sensor installed on the information processing terminal 5 to acquire the location information of the information processing terminal 5.

[0045] The radio wave receiver 26 of the information processing terminal 5 receives radio waves transmitted by the wireless access point 6, which is a radio wave transmitter installed in area 2, and receives radio waves that contain communication information different from location information. Therefore, it is not necessary to newly install a sensor for acquiring location information on the information processing terminal 5, which can reduce costs.

[0046] The location information of the mobile robot 3 may be obtained using the same method as the location information of the information processing terminal 5. The location information of the mobile robot 3 may also be obtained by matching the surrounding shape detected by a distance measuring sensor such as LiDAR mounted on the mobile robot 3 with the shape of the map data of area 2, thereby identifying the position of the mobile robot 3 on the map data. In that case, the location information of the mobile robot 3 is obtained using a distance measuring sensor installed on the mobile robot 3.

[0047] Figure 7 is a block diagram of the machine learning model 50 for server 8 in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 7, the machine learning model 50 may be used to calculate the position of each mobile object in step S2 of Figure 6. The machine learning model 50 has pre-learned the radio wave environment formed by the radio waves emitted by each wireless access point 6 indoors in Area 2. That is, the machine learning model 50 has been pre-learned the actual radio wave environment, taking into account the indoor structure of Area 2 and the individual differences of each wireless access point 6.

[0048] Server 8 inputs radio wave data indicating the strength of each radio wave received by the radio wave receiver 26 of the information processing terminal 5 (or the radio wave receiver 14 of the mobile robot 3) from each wireless access point 6 into the machine learning model 50. The machine learning model 50 then outputs the position of the information processing terminal 5 (or mobile robot 3). This allows for accurate identification of the position of the information processing terminal 5 (or mobile robot 3).

[0049] Returning to Figure 6, the server 8 obtains attribute information K of the person 4 who possesses the information processing terminal 5 from the information processing terminal 5 (step S3). A specific example of attribute information K is as described above.

[0050] Next, the server 8 calculates management information that affects the movement of each mobile unit and the operation of the equipment 7 based on the above settings and the location information of the multiple mobile units (multiple mobile robots 3 and information processing terminals 5) (step S4). Specifically, the server 8 calculates management information for the movement of the mobile robots 3 according to the robot management program P3, based on the robot management settings and the respective location information of the multiple mobile robots 3 and multiple information processing terminals 5.

[0051] Based on the human management settings and the location information of the multiple mobile robots 3 and the multiple information processing terminals 5, the server 8 calculates management information for the movement of the human 4 who possesses the information processing terminal 5, in accordance with the human management program P4.

[0052] Based on the equipment management settings and the location information of the multiple mobile robots 3 and the multiple information processing terminals 5, the server 8 calculates initial management information for the operation of the equipment 7 according to the equipment management program P5.

[0053] Steps S2 to S4 executed up to this point will be referred to as the first loop. After step S4 of the first loop, the process returns to step S2 as the second loop. Steps S2 to S4 of the second loop, which are executed after step S4 of the first loop, may be executed after a predetermined interval from the time when step S4 of the first loop was executed.

[0054] If the position information of each mobile object acquired in step S2 of the second loop differs from the position information of each mobile object acquired in step S2 of the first loop, the management information calculated in step S4 of the second loop will also differ from the management information calculated in step S4 of the first loop. In other words, the server 8 will change the management information based on the positions of the mobile robot 3 and the information processing terminal 5.

[0055] The following provides further explanation regarding changes in management information. As time passes, the positions of each mobile robot 3 and each information processing terminal 5 change, resulting in densely congested areas in Area 2 where many mobile robots 3, humans 4, or both are concentrated, or sparsely congested areas where few mobile robots 3, humans 4, or both are present. In other words, as time passes, the positions of each mobile robot 3 and each information processing terminal 5 change, which alters the distribution of mobile robots 3 and humans 4 in Area 2.

[0056] The robot management program P3 assists the movement of mobile robots 3 in avoiding congested areas. When mobile robots 3 pass through congested areas, frequent stopping may occur, so the LNS algorithm sets a high movement cost for passing through congested areas. Therefore, as the positions of each mobile robot 3 and each information processing terminal 5 change over time, the destination or planned movement route of each mobile robot 3 calculated according to the LNS algorithm may change. In other words, the robot management program P3 modifies the movement support information for each mobile robot 3 based not only on the position of each mobile robot 3 but also on the position of each information processing terminal 5 held by each human 4.

[0057] The human management program P4 assists human 4 in avoiding congested areas by providing them with navigation guidance information from the information processing terminal 5. For example, based on the human management settings entered into the server 8, the human management program P4 changes the destination indicated by the navigation guidance information from a congested area to a non-congested area. For instance, if the human management settings set the attribute of human 4's destination to a specific attribute (e.g., Japanese restaurant), the human management program P4 changes the destination with the specific attribute located in a congested area (e.g., Japanese restaurant 1) to another destination with the same specific attribute located in a non-congested area (e.g., Japanese restaurant 2).

[0058] Furthermore, in determining the guidance route for human 4 according to Dijkstra's algorithm, the travel cost to pass through congested areas is set high. Therefore, as the positions of each mobile robot 3 and each information processing terminal 5 change over time, the guidance route for human 4 calculated according to Dijkstra's algorithm may change.

[0059] As described above, the human management program P4 may modify the mobility guidance information provided from the information processing terminal 5 to the human 4 based not only on the location of each information processing terminal 5 but also on the location of each mobile robot 3. Alternatively, the human management program P4 may modify the mobility support information provided from the information processing terminal 5 to the human 4 based on the location of each information processing terminal 5, without referring to the location of each mobile robot 3.

[0060] Furthermore, the human management program P4 may change the navigation information according to the attribute information K of the person 4 possessing the information processing terminal 5. For example, if the attribute of the person 4 indicates high fatigue, the destination may be changed to a place as close as possible to the current location. Also, if the attribute of the person 4 indicates that they are a foreigner, the destination may be changed to a store selected from a list of stores that can accommodate the foreigner's native language. In this way, the content of the navigation information provided to person 4 changes according to the attribute of person 4, thus realizing navigation that is tailored to the attribute of person 4.

[0061] The equipment management program P5 modifies the control request information for equipment 7 so as to increase the operating output of equipment 7 in congested areas and decrease the operating output of equipment 7 in non-congested areas. If equipment 7 is an air conditioning unit that functions as a cooler, the equipment management program P5 lowers the target room temperature for equipment 7 in congested areas and raises the target room temperature for equipment 7 in non-congested areas. If equipment 7 is a lighting unit, the equipment management program P5 lowers the target room brightness for equipment 7 in non-congested areas.

[0062] If equipment 7 is an elevator or escalator, the equipment management program P5 stops the elevator or escalator located in a non-congested area. If equipment 7 is a display, the equipment management program P5 displays content on the display that matches the attributes of the person 4 in the area where equipment 7 is located. As described above, the equipment management program P5 may modify the request information regarding the control of equipment 7 based on the position of each mobile robot 3, each person 4, or both.

[0063] According to the configuration described above, management information is changed based on the position of each mobile robot 3, each human 4, or both, thereby enabling optimal movement of the mobile robots 3, optimal movement of the human 4, or optimal operation of the equipment 7.

[0064] It should be noted that the technology disclosed herein is not limited to the embodiments described above. For example, the radio wave receiver 14 of the mobile robot 3 and the radio wave receiver 26 of the information processing terminal 5 are types of sensors that detect physical waves generated indoors. That is, the positions of the mobile robot 3 and the information processing terminal 5 can be said to be determined using physical waves detected by such sensors. In the embodiments described above, the physical waves are radio waves.

[0065] However, the physical wave may be light, sound wave, magnetism, etc. That is, instead of the radio wave receivers 14, 26, a LiDAR sensor, camera sensor, infrared sensor, ultrasonic ranging sensor, geomagnetic sensor, etc. may be used. The mobile robot 3 may be equipped with a ranging sensor that emits light, radio waves, or ultrasonic waves towards its surroundings and receives the reflected waves. In that case, the position of the mobile robot 3 on the map data can be determined by matching the shape of the surroundings detected by the ranging sensor with the shape of the map data. The positioning data of the mobile robot 3 and the information processing terminal 5 may be satellite positioning data such as GPS data.

[0066] In the embodiment described above, the server 8 calculated management information for each mobile robot 3, each human 4, and the equipment 7 based on the position of each mobile robot 3, each human 4, or both. However, the server 8 may calculate management information for each mobile robot 3 and each human 4 based on the position of each mobile robot 3, each human 4, or both, without calculating management information for the equipment 7. The server 8 may calculate management information for each human 4 and each piece of equipment 7 based on the position of each mobile robot 3, each human 4, or both, without calculating management information for the mobile robot 3. The server 8 may calculate management information for each mobile robot 3 and each piece of equipment 7 based on the position of each mobile robot 3, each human 4, or both, without calculating management information for the human 4.

[0067] Server 8 may calculate management information for each human 4 based on the position of each mobile robot 3, each human 4, or both, without calculating management information for the equipment 7 and the mobile robots 3. Server 8 may calculate management information for each mobile robot 3 based on the position of each mobile robot 3, each human 4, or both, without calculating management information for the equipment 7 and the human 4.

[0068] As described above, the embodiments have been explained as examples of the technology disclosed in this application. However, the technology in this disclosure is not limited thereto and can be applied to embodiments that have been modified, replaced, added, or omitted as appropriate. Furthermore, it is possible to combine the components described in the embodiments to create new embodiments. For example, some components or methods in one embodiment may be applied to other embodiments, and some components in an embodiment can be separated from other components in that embodiment and extracted as appropriate. In addition, the components described in the attached drawings and detailed description include not only components that are essential for solving the problem, but also components that are not essential for solving the problem, in order to illustrate the technology.

[0069] The functions of the elements disclosed herein can be performed using circuits or processing circuits, including general-purpose processors, dedicated processors, integrated circuits, ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays), GPUs (Graphics Processing Units), conventional circuits, and / or combinations thereof, configured or programmed to perform the disclosed functions. A processor is considered a processing circuit or circuit because it includes transistors and other circuits. In this disclosure, a circuit, unit, or means is hardware that performs the enumerated functions, or hardware programmed to perform the enumerated functions. The hardware may be hardware disclosed herein, or other known hardware that is programmed or configured to perform the enumerated functions. If the hardware is a processor, which is considered a type of circuit, then the circuit, means, or unit is a combination of hardware and software, and the software is used to configure the hardware and / or the processor.

[0070] [Pattern] The embodiments described above are specific examples of the following embodiments.

[0071] (Aspect 1) A management system for managing at least one of several mobile bodies that move within an area including indoors, and at least one of the facilities installed in the area, It includes a processing circuit, and the processing circuit is To calculate management information that affects at least one of the movement of at least one of the plurality of moving bodies, and the operation of the equipment, The process involves obtaining positional information of the multiple moving bodies using sensors provided on each of the multiple moving bodies, The management information is changed based on the positions of the aforementioned multiple moving objects. A management system configured to perform the following actions.

[0072] This configuration allows for the optimal movement of multiple moving objects or the operation of suitable equipment, depending on their respective positions within an area including indoors.

[0073] (Aspect 2) The management system according to embodiment 1, wherein the management information includes movement support information that assists in the movement of the moving object.

[0074] This configuration allows for optimal support of the movement of multiple moving objects according to their respective positions.

[0075] (Aspect 3) The aforementioned plurality of mobile bodies include mobile robots, The management system according to embodiment 2, wherein the mobility support information includes the destination or planned travel route of the mobile robot.

[0076] This configuration allows for optimal movement of the mobile robot by changing its destination or planned movement route according to the position of each of the multiple moving objects. For example, the mobile robot can be guided to an area with few moving objects.

[0077] (Aspect 4) The aforementioned multiple mobile entities include a person possessing an information processing terminal, The management system according to embodiment 2 or 3, wherein the mobility support information includes mobility guidance information provided to the human from the information processing terminal.

[0078] This configuration allows for optimal movement for a person carrying an information processing terminal by changing the navigation guidance information provided to the person according to the position of each of the multiple moving objects. For example, by referring to the positions of each of the multiple moving objects, the person can be guided to a location with fewer moving objects.

[0079] (Aspect 5) The processing circuit is configured to acquire attribute information indicating the attributes of the person, The management system according to embodiment 4, wherein changing the management information includes changing the navigation guidance information according to the attribute.

[0080] This configuration allows for personalized guidance, as the content of the navigation information provided to a person changes according to their attributes. For example, if a person indicates high fatigue, they may be guided to a location as close as possible to their current location. Alternatively, if a person indicates they are a foreigner, they may be guided to a store that offers services in their native language.

[0081] (Aspect 6) The management information includes request information relating to the control of the equipment, as described in any one of embodiments 1 to 5.

[0082] This configuration allows for optimal operation of the equipment by changing the required information for equipment control according to the position of each of the multiple moving objects. For example, the elevator's operating plan can be adjusted according to the position of each of the multiple moving objects to improve the elevator's transport efficiency. In addition, the output of lighting or air conditioning equipment can be adjusted according to the position of each of the multiple moving objects to reduce the power consumption of lighting or air conditioning equipment.

[0083] (Aspect 7) The aforementioned multiple mobile entities include a human being carrying a portable information terminal and a mobile robot. The management system according to any one of embodiments 1 to 6, wherein the management information includes both mobility support information that assists the movement of the human and request information relating to the control of the mobile robot or the equipment.

[0084] This configuration allows for both optimal human movement and optimal operation of robots or equipment, depending on the position of each of the multiple moving objects.

[0085] (Pattern 8) The management system according to any one of embodiments 1 to 7, wherein the management information includes both movement support information that assists in the movement of the mobile body and request information relating to the control of the equipment.

[0086] This configuration allows for both optimal movement of the multiple moving objects and optimal operation of the equipment, depending on the position of each of the multiple moving objects.

[0087] (Aspect 9) The sensor includes a sensor that detects physical waves occurring indoors, The management system according to any one of embodiments 1 to 8, wherein the position information of the multiple moving bodies is determined using the physical waves detected by the sensor.

[0088] This configuration allows for accurate positioning of moving objects even indoors where satellite positioning accuracy is reduced.

[0089] (Aspect 10) Each of the aforementioned multiple moving bodies includes a radio receiver that receives radio waves transmitted by a radio transmitter installed in the area, which have communication information different from the location information. The management system according to embodiment 9, wherein the position information of the multiple moving objects is calculated based on the radio waves received by the radio wave receiver.

[0090] With this configuration, location information is acquired using a radio receiver that receives radio waves containing communication information different from location information. This eliminates the need to install new sensors for acquiring location information, making it easier to reduce system implementation costs.

[0091] (Aspect 11) The aforementioned physical wave is a radio wave emitted by an access point installed indoors. The management system according to embodiment 10, wherein acquiring the location information includes calculating the positions of the multiple moving objects by inputting the radio wave data detected by the sensor into a machine learning model that has previously learned the indoor radio wave environment.

[0092] This configuration allows for highly accurate determination of the location of a moving object.

[0093] (Aspect 12) A management method for managing at least one of several mobile bodies that move within an area including indoors, and at least one of the facilities installed in the area, To calculate management information that affects at least one of the movement of at least one of the plurality of moving bodies and the operation of the equipment, To acquire position information obtained using sensors provided on each of the aforementioned multiple moving objects, A management method comprising changing the management information based on the positions of the plurality of moving objects.

[0094] (Aspect 13) A management program that causes at least one processor to perform the method described in embodiment 12. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0095] 1 Management System 2 Designated area 3 Mobile robots 4 Humans 5. Information Processing Terminal 6 Wireless access points 7 Equipment 8 servers 14. Radio wave receiver (sensor) 26. Radio wave receiver (sensor) 30 Processing Circuits 31 processors 50 Machine Learning Models K attribute information P1-P3 Management Program

Claims

1. A management system for managing at least one of several mobile bodies that move within an area including indoors, and at least one of the facilities installed in the said area, It includes a processing circuit, and the processing circuit is To calculate management information that affects at least one of the following: the movement of at least one of the multiple moving bodies, and the operation of the equipment. The process involves obtaining positional information of the multiple moving bodies using sensors provided on each of the multiple moving bodies, The management information is changed based on the positions of the aforementioned multiple moving objects. A management system configured to perform the following actions.

2. The management system according to claim 1, wherein the management information includes movement support information that assists in the movement of the moving body.

3. The aforementioned plurality of mobile bodies include mobile robots, The management system according to claim 2, wherein the mobility support information includes the destination or planned travel route of the mobile robot.

4. The aforementioned multiple mobile entities include a person possessing an information processing terminal, The management system according to claim 2, wherein the mobility support information includes mobility guidance information provided to the human from the information processing terminal.

5. The processing circuit is configured to acquire attribute information indicating the attributes of the person, The management system according to claim 4, wherein changing the management information includes changing the navigation guidance information according to the attribute.

6. The management system according to claim 1, wherein the management information includes request information relating to the control of the equipment.

7. The aforementioned multiple mobile entities include a human being carrying a portable information terminal and a mobile robot. The management system according to claim 1, wherein the management information includes both mobility support information that assists the movement of the human and request information relating to the control of the mobile robot or the equipment.

8. The management system according to claim 1, wherein the management information includes both movement support information for assisting the movement of the mobile body and request information relating to the control of the equipment.

9. The sensor includes a sensor that detects physical waves occurring indoors, The management system according to claim 1, wherein the position information of the plurality of moving bodies is determined using the physical waves detected by the sensor.

10. Each of the aforementioned multiple moving bodies includes a radio receiver that receives radio waves transmitted by a radio transmitter installed in the area, which have communication information different from the location information. The management system according to claim 9, wherein the position information of the plurality of moving bodies is calculated based on the radio waves received by the radio wave receiver.

11. The aforementioned physical wave is a radio wave emitted by a wireless access point installed indoors. The management system according to claim 10, wherein acquiring the location information includes calculating the positions of the plurality of moving objects by inputting the radio wave data detected by the sensor into a machine learning model that has previously learned the indoor radio wave environment.

12. A management method for managing at least one of several mobile bodies that move within an area including indoors, and at least one of the facilities installed in the area, To calculate management information that affects at least one of the following: the movement of at least one of the multiple moving bodies, and the operation of the equipment. To acquire position information obtained using sensors provided on each of the aforementioned multiple moving objects, A management method comprising changing the management information based on the positions of the plurality of moving bodies.

13. A management program that causes at least one processor to execute the method according to claim 12.

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