Information processing system, information processing device, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To facilitate the provision of purified water. [Solution] The system includes a water information database 200 that stores in advance multiple facility location information indicating the location of each of the multiple facilities where water treatment equipment is installed, and multiple raw water location information indicating the location of each of the multiple raw water supply sources capable of supplying raw water, and an information processing device 100 that reads the multiple facility location information and multiple raw water location information from the water information database 200, determines a combination of facilities and raw water supply sources based on the read multiple facility location information and multiple raw water location information, and presents the determined combination.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods have occurred frequently, and there are situations where the supply of water is interrupted due to water cut-off, causing problems in daily life. In such cases, a method has been considered in which some membrane modules are removed from an existing water purification device, attached to a movable water purification device, transported to a destination, and the transported water purification device is used to obtain purified water from raw water at the destination (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the above-described technology, the water purification device transported to the destination is not necessarily transported from a place suitable for the destination. When the water purification device is not transported from a place suitable for the destination, there is a problem that it takes time and effort.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an information processing system, an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a program that can easily provide purified water.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The information processing system of the present invention includes an information processing apparatus and a water information database, The water information database pre-stores multiple facility location information indicating the location of each of the multiple facilities where water treatment equipment is installed, and multiple raw water location information indicating the location of each of the multiple raw water supply sources that can supply raw water. The aforementioned information processing device is A reading unit that reads the location information of multiple facilities and the location information of multiple raw water sources from the water information database, A determination unit determines the combination of the facility and the raw water supply source based on the plurality of facility location information and the plurality of raw water location information read by the reading unit, The system includes a display unit that presents the combination determined by the determination unit.

[0007] Furthermore, the information processing apparatus of the present invention is A reading unit reads multiple facility location information and multiple raw water location information from a water information database that has been pre-stored multiple facility location information indicating the location of each of the multiple facilities where water treatment equipment is installed, and multiple raw water location information indicating the location of each of the multiple raw water supply sources that can supply raw water. A determination unit determines the combination of the facility and the raw water supply source based on the plurality of facility location information and the plurality of raw water location information read by the reading unit, The system includes a display unit that presents the combination determined by the determination unit.

[0008] Furthermore, the information processing method of the present invention is A process of reading multiple facility location information and multiple raw water location information from a water information database that has been pre-stored multiple facility location information indicating the location of each of the multiple facilities where water treatment equipment is installed, and multiple raw water location information indicating the location of each of the multiple raw water supply sources that can supply raw water. A process to determine the combination of the facility and the raw water supply source based on the read-out facility location information and the raw water location information, The process involves presenting the previously determined combination.

[0009] Furthermore, the program of the present invention, A program to be executed by a computer, On the computer, A procedure for reading multiple facility location information and multiple raw water location information from a water information database that has been pre-stored multiple facility location information indicating the location of each of the multiple facilities where water treatment equipment is installed, and multiple raw water location information indicating the location of each of the multiple raw water supply sources that can supply raw water. A procedure for determining a combination of the facility and the raw water supply source based on the read-out facility location information and the raw water location information, The procedure for presenting the aforementioned determined combination is performed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] In this invention, purified water can be easily provided. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This figure shows a first embodiment of the information processing system of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1 shows an example of the information stored in the water information database. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of the components included in the information processing device shown in Figure 1. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of the presentation mode of the display unit shown in Figure 3. [Figure 5] Figure 1 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an information processing method in the information processing device shown. [Figure 6] This figure shows a second embodiment of the information processing system of the present invention. [Figure 7] Figure 6 shows an example of the information stored in the water information database. [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of the components included in the information processing device shown in Figure 6. [Figure 9]It is a flowchart for explaining an example of an information processing method in the information processing apparatus shown in FIG. 6. [Figure 10] It is a diagram showing a third embodiment of the information processing system of the present invention. [Figure 11] It is a diagram showing an example of components included in the information processing apparatus shown in FIG. 10. [Figure 12] It is a sequence diagram for explaining an example of an information processing method in the information processing system shown in FIG. 10. [Figure 13] It is a diagram showing an example of a map displayed on the communication device shown in FIG. 10 in step S27. [Figure 14] It is a diagram showing a fourth embodiment of the information processing system of the present invention. [Figure 15] It is a diagram showing an example of information stored in the corporate information database shown in FIG. 14. [Figure 16] It is a diagram showing an example of components included in the information processing apparatus shown in FIG. 14. [Figure 17] It is a diagram showing an example of a presentation mode of the presentation unit shown in FIG. 16. [Figure 18] It is a flowchart for explaining an example of an information processing method in the information processing apparatus shown in FIG. 14. [Figure 19] It is a diagram showing a fifth embodiment of the information processing system of the present invention. [Figure 20] It is a diagram showing an example of components included in the information processing apparatus shown in FIG. 19. [Figure 21] It is a flowchart for explaining an example of an information processing method in the information processing apparatus shown in FIG. 19. [Figure 22] It is a diagram showing a sixth embodiment of the information processing system of the present invention. [Figure 23] It is a diagram showing an example of components included in the information processing apparatus shown in FIG. 22. [Figure 24] It is a flowchart for explaining an example of an information processing method in the information processing apparatus shown in FIG. 22. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. (First Embodiment)

[0013] Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of the information processing system of the present invention. As shown in Figure 1, this embodiment includes an information processing device 100 and a water information database 200. These are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate via a communication network 300. These connections may be wireless or wired. They may also be directly connected to each other. The communication method used by the information processing device 100 is not particularly limited, but is acceptable as long as it can access the water information database 200, for example, 5G (5th Generation), LTE (Long Term Evolution), or wireless LAN (Local Area Network) if wireless.

[0014] The water information database 200 pre-stores multiple facility location information, which indicates the location of each of the multiple facilities where water treatment equipment is installed, and multiple raw water location information, which indicates the location of each of the multiple raw water supply sources that can supply raw water.

[0015] Figure 2 shows an example of the information stored in the water information database 200 shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 2, the water information database 200 shown in Figure 1 stores multiple facility location information and multiple raw water location information. Facility location information indicates the location of a facility where water treatment equipment that supplies water is installed. This facility is a facility where water treatment equipment is installed, and is a public facility that can be used by the general public, such as a convenience store, supermarket, park, or restaurant. Raw water location information indicates the location of a raw water source that can supply raw water. This raw water source is a water source such as a well, reservoir, or river that can supply water to the water treatment equipment. Furthermore, facility location information and raw water location information may be indicated using latitude and longitude, or they may be indicated using addresses. Facility location information and raw water location information can be edited from an external device (for example, an information processing device 100) of the water information database 200. The water information database 200 may be an external storage medium such as RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), or a hard disk.

[0016] The information processing device 100 is a device operated by the operators who run this information processing system or by the administrators who manage this information processing system. The information processing device 100 may be a computer of the size of a server, a computer of the size of a PC (Personal Computer), or a virtual computer on the cloud.

[0017] Figure 3 shows an example of the components of the information processing device 100 shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 3, the information processing device 100 shown in Figure 1 has a reading unit 110, a determination unit 120, and a presentation unit 130. Note that Figure 3 shows only the main components of the information processing device 100 shown in Figure 1 that are relevant to this embodiment.

[0018] The reading unit 110 reads multiple facility location information and multiple raw water location information from the water information database 200. The reading unit 110 outputs the read multiple facility location information and multiple raw water location information to the determination unit 120.

[0019] The determination unit 120 determines a combination of facility and raw water source based on the multiple facility location information and multiple raw water location information output from the reading unit 110. For example, the determination unit 120 may determine a combination of facility and raw water source based on the distance between the location indicated by the multiple facility location information and the location indicated by the multiple raw water location information output from the reading unit 110. In this case, the determination unit 120 may determine a combination of facility and raw water source where the distance between the location indicated by the multiple facility location information and the location indicated by the multiple raw water location information is the shortest, or it may determine only a predetermined number of combinations with the shortest distance. Alternatively, for example, the determination unit 120 may determine a combination where the locations indicated by the multiple facility location information and the locations indicated by the multiple raw water location information output from the reading unit 110 are located in the same area (for example, within a neighborhood association, within a school district, within a street address, within a city, within a prefecture, etc.). Furthermore, for example, the determination unit 120 may exclude combinations in which a main road or river exists between the location indicated by the facility location information output from the reading unit 110 and the location indicated by the raw water location information when making a determination. Note that the combination of facility and raw water source determined by the determination unit 120 is not limited to one-to-one, but may be one-to-many, many-to-one, or many-to-many. The determination unit 120 outputs the determined combination of facility and raw water source to the presentation unit 130.

[0020] The presentation unit 130 presents the combinations output from the determination unit 120. The presentation method of the presentation unit 130 may be simply the presentation of a list of associated combinations, or it may be a display showing the location indicated by the combined facility location information and the location indicated by the raw water location information on a predetermined map. Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of the presentation method of the presentation unit 130 shown in Figure 3. As shown in Figure 4, the presentation unit 130 presents combinations of the supply source (water source) and the supply destination facility. The presentation unit 130 may also present a list like the one shown in Figure 4 on a display equipped in the information processing device 100 or on a display connected to the information processing device 100.

[0021] The information processing method in the information processing device 100 shown in Figure 1 will be described below. Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the information processing method in the information processing device 100 shown in Figure 1. Here, the process in which the determination unit 120 determines a combination based on the distance between the location indicated by the facility location information and the location indicated by the raw water location information will be explained as an example.

[0022] First, the reading unit 110 reads multiple facility location information and multiple raw water location information from the water information database 200 (step S1). Next, the determination unit 120 calculates the distance between each combination of the locations indicated by the multiple facility location information and the locations indicated by the multiple raw water location information (step S2). Based on the calculated distance, the determination unit 120 determines the combination of facility and raw water supply source (step S3). A specific example of the detailed determination method is as described above. Then, the presentation unit 130 presents the combination of facility and raw water supply source determined by the determination unit 120 (step S4).

[0023] Furthermore, the water treatment equipment that provides purified water is not limited to equipment already installed at the facility; it may also be newly installed or portable. In such cases, for example, the installation location (the location of the purified water supply) may be newly registered in the database 200, or the location may be registered in the database 200 using a location information acquisition function such as GPS (Global Positioning System), so that the location of the water treatment equipment can be recognized.

[0024] In this configuration, the combination of facilities and raw water sources is determined and presented based on the location information of each of the multiple facilities where water treatment equipment is installed, which is pre-stored in the water information database 200, and the location information of each of the multiple raw water sources that can supply raw water. This makes it possible to show which raw water is sourced from which facility and which facility purifies and provides the purified water. Therefore, the provision of purified water can be easily facilitated. (Second Embodiment)

[0025] Figure 6 shows a second embodiment of the information processing system of the present invention. As shown in Figure 6, this embodiment includes an information processing device 101 and a water information database 201. These are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate via a communication network 300. These connections may be wireless or wired. They may also be directly connected to each other. The communication method used by the information processing device 101 may be the same as the communication method used by the information processing device 100 in the first embodiment.

[0026] In addition to the information stored in the water information database 200 in the first embodiment, the water information database 201 further stores the performance of the water treatment equipment and the properties of the raw water at the raw water supply source.

[0027] Figure 7 shows an example of the information stored in the water information database 201 shown in Figure 6. As shown in Figure 7, the water information database 201 shown in Figure 6 stores facility location information for multiple facilities and information indicating the performance of the water treatment equipment installed at each facility, linked together. The information indicating the performance of the water treatment equipment indicates the treatment performance of the water treatment equipment in processing raw water. The information indicating the performance of the water treatment equipment may also be, for example, information indicating what quality of purified water the water treatment equipment can produce from raw water of a certain quality. Alternatively, the information indicating the performance of the water treatment equipment may also be, for example, information indicating the water quality of the purified water provided by the water treatment equipment. Alternatively, the information indicating the performance of the water treatment equipment may also be, for example, information indicating whether the water treatment equipment meets the performance requirements to provide drinking water from raw water. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, the water information database 201 shown in Figure 6 stores raw water location information for multiple raw water sources, linked together with information indicating the properties of each raw water source. Here, the properties of the raw water indicate the water quality and the amount that can be supplied. Information indicating the quality of the raw water is information measured at the supply source. If the supply source is equipped with a water quality meter, the water quality value measured by that meter is stored in the water information database 201. If the supply source is not equipped with a water quality meter, the water quality value measured at each raw water supply source by the operator or administrator of the information processing system is stored in the water information database 201. Facility location information and information indicating the performance of water treatment equipment, as well as raw water location information and information indicating the properties of the raw water, can each be edited from an external device (e.g., information processing device 101) to the water information database 201. The water information database 201 may also be an external storage medium such as RAM, ROM, or a hard disk.

[0028] The information processing device 101 is a device operated by the operators who manage this information processing system or by the administrators who manage this information processing system. The information processing device 101 may be a computer of the size of a server, a computer of the size of a PC, or a virtual computer on the cloud.

[0029] Figure 8 shows an example of the components of the information processing device 101 shown in Figure 6. As shown in Figure 8, the information processing device 101 shown in Figure 6 has a reading unit 111, a determination unit 121, and a presentation unit 130. The presentation unit 130 is the same as that in the first embodiment. Note that Figure 8 shows only the main components of the information processing device 101 shown in Figure 6 that are relevant to this embodiment.

[0030] The reading unit 111 reads multiple facility location information and information indicating the performance of water treatment equipment associated with that facility location information from the water information database 201. The reading unit 111 also reads multiple raw water location information and information indicating the properties of the raw water associated with that raw water location information from the water information database 201. The reading unit 111 outputs the read information to the determination unit 121.

[0031] The determination unit 121 determines a combination of facility and raw water source based on the multiple facility location information, information indicating the performance of water treatment equipment, multiple raw water location information, and information indicating the properties of raw water output from the readout unit 111. For example, the determination unit 121 may determine multiple candidate combinations of facility and raw water source based on the distance between the locations indicated by the multiple facility location information and the locations indicated by the multiple raw water location information output from the readout unit 111, and then determine a combination of facility and raw water source from among the multiple determined candidate combinations based on the information indicating the performance of water treatment equipment and the information indicating the properties of raw water output from the readout unit 111. The algorithm used by the determination unit 121 to determine candidate combinations of facility and raw water source based on the distance between the locations indicated by the multiple facility location information and the locations indicated by the multiple raw water location information output from the readout unit 111 may be the same as that used in the first embodiment. The specific method by which the determination unit 121 determines the combination of a facility and a raw water supply source based on the information indicating the performance of the water treatment equipment and the information indicating the properties of the raw water output from the readout unit 111 is, for example, that the determination unit 121 determines, based on the performance of the water treatment equipment and the properties of the raw water, that the water treatment equipment is capable of treating the raw water and that the water treatment equipment can supply purified water of the desired quality and quantity, and then determines that as the combination of facility and raw water supply source. As the determination criterion, a pre-calculated criterion may be used, or a criterion using an algorithm that matches the properties of the raw water with the performance of the water treatment equipment may be used. Here, the determination unit 121 may determine the combination prioritizing location, or it may determine the combination prioritizing performance and properties. In other words, when the determination unit 121 prioritizes location, it first determines candidate combinations based on location as described above, and then determines a combination from among those candidates based on performance and properties. Also, when the determination unit 121 prioritizes performance and properties, it first determines candidate combinations based on performance and properties, and then determines a combination from among those candidates based on location. Furthermore, the combination of facilities and raw water sources determined by the determination unit 121 is not limited to a one-to-one relationship; it may also be one-to-many, multiple-to-one, or multiple-to-multiple.The determination unit 121 outputs the combination of the determined facility and raw water supply source to the presentation unit 130.

[0032] The information processing method in the information processing device 101 shown in Figure 6 will be described below. Figure 9 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the information processing method in the information processing device 101 shown in Figure 6. Here, we will explain as an example the process in which the determination unit 121 determines candidate combinations based on the distance between the location indicated by the facility location information and the location indicated by the raw water location information, and then determines the combination based on information indicating the performance of the water treatment equipment and information indicating the properties of the raw water.

[0033] First, the reading unit 111 reads multiple facility location information, water treatment equipment performance, multiple raw water location information, and raw water properties from the water information database 201 (step S11). Next, the determination unit 121 calculates the distance between each combination of the locations indicated by the multiple facility location information and the locations indicated by the multiple raw water location information (step S12). Based on the calculated distance, the determination unit 121 determines candidate combinations of facilities and raw water sources (step S13). A specific example of the detailed determination method is as described above. Next, from among the multiple candidate combinations determined in step S13, the determination unit 121 determines a combination of facilities and raw water sources based on the information indicating the performance of the water treatment equipment and the information indicating the properties of the raw water output from the reading unit 111 (step S14). Then, the presentation unit 130 presents the combination of facilities and raw water sources determined by the determination unit 121 (step S15).

[0034] Thus, in this embodiment, in addition to the first embodiment, the performance of the water treatment equipment and the properties of the raw water are used to determine the combination of the facility and the raw water supply source. This makes it possible to provide purified water using more suitable raw water and water treatment equipment, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment. Furthermore, restrictions on the use of the water supplied by the water treatment equipment, such as whether it can be used as drinking water (or only as water for daily life such as washing), may also be determined and presented based on the performance of the water treatment equipment. In addition, raw water supply sources may be divided into multiple levels, such as water sources that can actually supply raw water even under normal circumstances and water sources that can be supplied after water quality testing is conducted in an emergency and the water quality test is passed, and these levels may be stored in the database 201, and the determination unit 121 may also determine the combination based on these levels. (Third embodiment)

[0035] Figure 10 shows a third embodiment of the information processing system of the present invention. As shown in Figure 10, this embodiment includes an information processing device 102, a water information database 200, and communication devices 402-1 to 402-m (where m is a natural number). These are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate via a communication network 300. These connections may be wireless or wired. They may also be directly connected to each other. The communication method used by the information processing device 102 and communication devices 402-1 to 402-m is not particularly limited, but is acceptable as long as it can access the water information database 200 and communicate with each other. The database 200 may be the same as that in the first embodiment.

[0036] Each of the communication devices 402-1 to 402-m is a communication terminal device used by users of this information processing system. Each of the communication devices 402-1 to 402-m is, for example, a device equipped with communication functions and an information display mechanism, such as a smartphone, tablet terminal, or PC. Each of the communication devices 402-1 to 402-m is equipped with a location information acquisition function such as GPS. When each of the communication devices 402-1 to 402-m receives a predetermined operation, it transmits the device location information indicating its acquired location to the information processing device 102. At that time, each of the communication devices 402-1 to 402-m also transmits device identification information that can identify itself, along with the device location information, to the information processing device 102. Furthermore, each of the communication devices 402-1 to 402-m displays the map indicated by the map information transmitted from the information processing device 102.

[0037] The information processing device 102 is a device operated by the operators who run this information processing system or by the administrators who manage this information processing system. The information processing device 102 may be, for example, a computer of the size of a server, a computer of the size of a PC, or a virtual computer on the cloud.

[0038] Figure 11 shows an example of the components of the information processing device 102 shown in Figure 10. As shown in Figure 11, the information processing device 102 shown in Figure 10 has a reading unit 110, a determination unit 122, a presentation unit 132, and a position information acquisition unit 142. The reading unit 110 is the same as that in the first embodiment. Note that Figure 11 shows only the main components of the information processing device 102 shown in Figure 10 that are relevant to this embodiment.

[0039] The location information acquisition unit 142 acquires device identification information for identifying each of the communication devices 402-1 to 402-m, and device location information indicating the location of each of the communication devices 402-1 to 402-m, which have been transmitted from each of the communication devices 402-1 to 402-m. The location information acquisition unit 142 associates the acquired device identification information and device location information and outputs it to the determination unit 122.

[0040] The determination unit 122 determines a combination of a communication device, a facility, and a raw water supply source based on the locations indicated by multiple facility location information output from the reading unit 110, the locations indicated by multiple raw water location information, and the locations indicated by device location information output from the location information acquisition unit 142. For example, similar to the determination unit 121 in the second embodiment, the determination unit 122 may determine candidate combinations of a facility and a raw water supply source based on the distance between the locations indicated by multiple facility location information output from the reading unit 110 and the locations indicated by multiple raw water location information, and then determine a combination of a communication device, a facility, and a raw water supply source based on the location of the facility included in the determined candidate combination and the location indicated by device location information output from the location information acquisition unit 142. In this case, the determination unit 122 may determine a combination of a facility and a raw water supply source and a communication device where the distance between the location of the facility included in the determined candidate combination and the location indicated by device location information output from the location information acquisition unit 142 is the shortest, or it may determine only a predetermined number of combinations with the shortest distance. Furthermore, the determination unit 122 may predict the direction of travel of communication devices 402-1 to 402-m based on the location information of the communication devices 402-1 to 402-m, and determine the combination of communication devices, facilities, and raw water supply sources based on the predicted direction of travel and the location of facilities included in the determined candidate combination. Note that the combination of facilities, raw water supply sources, and communication devices determined by the determination unit 122 is not limited to a one-to-one-to-one relationship. The determination unit 122 outputs the determined combination of facilities, raw water supply sources, and communication devices (device identification information of communication devices 402-1 to 402-m) to the presentation unit 132.

[0041] The presentation unit 132 presents the combination output from the determination unit 122. Specifically, the presentation unit 132 creates a map showing the locations of the facilities, raw water supply sources, and device identification information communication devices 402-1 to 402-m included in the combination output from the determination unit 122. The presentation unit 132 then transmits the map information showing the created map to the device identification information communication devices 402-1 to 402-m included in the combination output from the determination unit 122.

[0042] The information processing method in the information processing system shown in Figure 10 will be described below. Figure 12 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of the information processing method in the information processing system shown in Figure 10. Here, the process in which the determination unit 122 determines a combination based on the distance between the location indicated by the facility location information, the location indicated by the raw water location information, and the location indicated by the device location information will be used as an example. Furthermore, the case in which the target communication device is communication device 402-1 will be used as an example.

[0043] First, the location information acquisition unit 142 acquires device location information indicating the location of the communication device 402-1 from the communication device 402-1 (step S21). Then, the reading unit 110 reads multiple facility location information and multiple raw water location information from the water information database 200 (step S22). Note that the order in which the processes of step S21 and step S22 are performed is not specified.

[0044] Next, the determination unit 122 calculates the distance between each combination of the locations indicated by the multiple facility location information and the locations indicated by the multiple raw water location information. The determination unit 122 also calculates the distance between the locations indicated by the multiple facility location information and the locations indicated by the device location information acquired in step S21 (step S23). Based on the calculated distances, the determination unit 122 determines the combination of the communication device 402-1, the facility, and the raw water supply source (step S24). A specific example of the detailed determination method is as described above.

[0045] Then, the display unit 132 creates a map showing the locations of the facilities, raw water supply sources, and the communication device 402-1 containing the device identification information, which are included in the combination determined by the decision unit 122 (step S25). The display unit 132 then transmits the map information showing the created map to the communication device 402-1 (step S26).

[0046] When map information is transmitted from the display unit 132, the communication device 402-1 displays the map indicated by the map information (step S27).

[0047] Figure 13 shows an example of a map displayed on the communication device 402-1 shown in Figure 10 during step S27. As shown in Figure 13, the communication device 402-1 displays a map showing the combination of the raw water supply source and the facility where the water treatment equipment is installed, along with the current location of the communication device 402-1.

[0048] Furthermore, the above-described process may be performed only if an application for using this information processing system is installed on the communication devices 402-1 to 402-m, and the application is launched when water purification is required, causing the communication devices 402-1 to 402-m to transmit device location information to the information processing device 102. In addition, the above-described process may be performed only if a login ID and password for accessing the information processing device 102 are entered into the communication devices 402-1 to 402-m, and authentication of the user operating the communication devices 402-1 to 402-m using the entered login ID and password is successful.

[0049] Thus, in this embodiment, the combination determined in the first embodiment is further determined based on the current location of the communication device held by the user, and a map is created showing the locations of the facilities (water treatment equipment), the raw water supply source, and the current location of the communication device included in that combination, and the communication device displays the map. Users who require purified water can easily grasp the locations of the facilities (water treatment equipment) and the raw water supply source, and purified water can be provided easily. (Fourth embodiment)

[0050] Figure 14 shows a fourth embodiment of the information processing system of the present invention. As shown in Figure 14, this embodiment includes an information processing device 103, a water information database 200, and a corporate information database 503. These are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via a communication network 300. These connections may be wireless or wired. They may also be directly connected to each other. The communication method used by the information processing device 103 is not particularly limited, but is acceptable as long as it can access the water information database 200 and the corporate information database 503, for example, 5G, LTE, or wireless LAN if wireless. The water information database 200 is the same as that in the first embodiment.

[0051] The corporate information database 503 stores, in advance, the facility identification information assigned to multiple facilities where water treatment equipment is installed, and the corporate identification information assigned to the companies associated with those facilities.

[0052] Figure 15 shows an example of the information stored in the corporate information database 503 shown in Figure 14. As shown in Figure 15, the corporate information database 503 shown in Figure 14 stores multiple facility names, facility identification information assigned to each facility to identify that facility, corporate identification information assigned to the company related to that facility, and corporate information of that company, all associated with each other. The facility name can be anything known to users as the name of the facility where the water treatment equipment is installed. The facility identification information is information assigned to each facility so that it can be identified. The corporate identification information is information assigned to each company so that it can be identified to the company related to that facility. The corporate information is information used to advertise the company. For example, corporate information could include the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) of the company's website, a QR code to access the company's website, the company's trademark, or information indicating the products and services the company provides. Each piece of information stored in the corporate information database 503 can be edited from an external device (e.g., an information processing device 103) to the corporate information database 503. The corporate information database 503 may be, for example, an external storage medium such as RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), or a hard disk.

[0053] The information processing device 103 is a device operated by the operators who run this information processing system or by the administrators who manage this information processing system. The information processing device 103 may be a computer of the size of a server, a computer of the size of a PC, or a virtual computer on the cloud.

[0054] Figure 16 shows an example of the components of the information processing device 103 shown in Figure 14. As shown in Figure 16, the information processing device 103 shown in Figure 14 has a reading unit 113, a determination unit 120, and a presentation unit 133. The determination unit 120 is the same as that in the first embodiment. Note that Figure 16 shows only the main components of the information processing device 103 shown in Figure 14 that are relevant to this embodiment.

[0055] In addition to the functions of the reading unit 110 in the first embodiment, the reading unit 113 has the function of reading corporate information of companies to which corporate identification information associated with facility identification information of facilities included in the combination determined by the determination unit 120 has been assigned, from the corporate information database 503. The reading unit 113 outputs the corporate information read from the corporate information database 503 to the presentation unit 133.

[0056] In addition to the functions of the presentation unit 130 in the first embodiment, the presentation unit 133 has the function of presenting company information output from the reading unit 113 along with the facility and the raw water supply source. Figure 17 is a diagram showing an example of the presentation mode of the presentation unit 133 shown in Figure 16. As shown in Figure 17, the presentation unit 133 presents the combination of the supply source (water source) and the facility that receives the supply, along with company information of the company related to that facility. The presentation unit 133 may also present a list like the one shown in Figure 17 on a display provided by the information processing device 103 or on a display connected to the information processing device 103.

[0057] The information processing method in the information processing device 103 shown in Figure 14 will be described below. Figure 18 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the information processing method in the information processing device 103 shown in Figure 14. Here, we will explain using as an example the process in which the determination unit 120 determines a combination based on the distance between the location indicated by the facility location information and the location indicated by the raw water location information.

[0058] First, the reading unit 113 reads multiple facility location information and multiple raw water location information from the water information database 200 (step S31). Next, the determination unit 120 calculates the distance between each combination of the locations indicated by the multiple facility location information and the locations indicated by the multiple raw water location information (step S32). Based on the calculated distance, the determination unit 120 determines the combination of facility and raw water supply source (step S33). A specific example of the detailed determination method is as described in the first embodiment.

[0059] Then, the reading unit 113 reads from the corporate information database 503 corporate information to which the corporate identification information associated with the facility identification information of the facility included in the combination of facility and raw water supply source determined by the determination unit 120 has been assigned (step S34). Subsequently, the presentation unit 135 presents the combination of facility and raw water supply source determined by the determination unit 120 and the corporate information read by the reading unit 113 from the corporate information database 503 (step S35).

[0060] Thus, in this embodiment, in addition to the first embodiment, corporate information of companies related to the facilities included in the presented combination is also presented. This results in effects that lead to increased advertising revenue and corporate revitalization, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment. (Fifth embodiment)

[0061] Figure 19 shows a fifth embodiment of the information processing system of the present invention. As shown in Figure 19, this embodiment includes an information processing device 104, a water information database 200, and a detection device 604. These are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via a communication network 300. These connections may be wireless or wired. They may also be directly connected to each other. The communication method used by the information processing device 104 is not particularly limited, but is acceptable as long as it can access the water information database 200 and receive detection signals from the detection device 604, for example, 5G, LTE, or wireless LAN if wireless. The database 200 may be the same as that in the first embodiment.

[0062] The detection device 604 detects the occurrence of a predetermined event. For example, the detection device 604 may detect the occurrence of an event if an earthquake with a seismic intensity exceeding a preset value occurs. Alternatively, for example, the detection device 604 may detect the occurrence of an event if rainfall exceeding a preset value occurs. When the detection device 604 detects the occurrence of an event, it transmits a predetermined detection signal to the information processing device 104 indicating this fact. The detection device 604 is installed within the area where the information processing system service is deployed. The detection device 604 may be installed near a raw water source that supplies raw water or a facility where water treatment equipment that provides purified water is installed. There is no particular limit to the number of detection devices 604 installed.

[0063] The information processing device 104 is a device operated by the operators who run this information processing system or by the administrators who manage this information processing system. The information processing device 104 may be a computer of the size of a server, a computer of the size of a PC, or a virtual computer on the cloud.

[0064] Figure 20 shows an example of the components of the information processing device 104 shown in Figure 19. As shown in Figure 20, the information processing device 104 shown in Figure 19 has a reading unit 110, a determination unit 120, and a presentation unit 134. The reading unit 110 and the determination unit 120 are the same as those in the first embodiment. Note that Figure 20 shows only the main components of the information processing device 104 shown in Figure 19 that are relevant to this embodiment.

[0065] When the display unit 134 receives a detection signal from the detection device 604, it performs the same processing as the display unit 130 in the first embodiment.

[0066] The information processing method in the information processing device 104 shown in Figure 19 will be described below. Figure 21 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the information processing method in the information processing device 104 shown in Figure 19. Here, the process in which the determination unit 120 determines a combination based on the distance between the location indicated by the facility location information and the location indicated by the raw water location information will be used as an example.

[0067] First, the reading unit 110 reads multiple facility location information and multiple raw water location information from the water information database 200 (step S41). Next, the determination unit 120 calculates the distance between each combination of the locations indicated by the multiple facility location information and the locations indicated by the multiple raw water location information (step S42). Based on the calculated distance, the determination unit 120 determines the combination of facility and raw water supply source (step S43). A specific example of the detailed determination method is as described in the first embodiment.

[0068] Subsequently, the presentation unit 134 determines whether it has received a detection signal from the detection device 604 (step S44). If the presentation unit 134 has received a detection signal from the detection device 604, it presents the combination of facility and raw water supply source determined by the determination unit 120 (step S45).

[0069] In the example described above, the presentation unit 134 proceeds with processing when a detection signal is received from the detection device 604. However, the reading unit 110 may perform the processing in step S41 when a detection signal is received from the detection device 604, or the determination unit 120 may perform the processing in step S42 or step S43 when a detection signal is received from the detection device 604. Furthermore, the information processing device 104 may perform the above processing not only using the detection signal from the detection device 604, but also using information from an information source that detects and notifies of the occurrence of an event (for example, the Japan Meteorological Agency). In this way, if an information source other than the detection device 604 is provided and the information processing device 104 uses information from that information source, the installation of the detection device 604 is not mandatory.

[0070] Thus, in this embodiment, when the detection device 604 detects the occurrence of a predetermined event, the information processing device 104 executes the same processing as in the first embodiment. Therefore, by avoiding the execution of unnecessary processing, the load on the information processing device 104 can be reduced. (Sixth embodiment)

[0071] Figure 22 shows a sixth embodiment of the information processing system of the present invention. As shown in Figure 22, this embodiment includes an information processing device 105, a water information database 200, and monitoring devices 705-1 to 705-n. These are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via a communication network 300. These connections may be wireless or wired. They may also be directly connected to each other. The communication method used by the information processing device 105 is not particularly limited, but is acceptable as long as it can access the water information database 200 and receive status signals from the monitoring devices 705-1 to 705-n, for example, if wireless. The database 200 may be the same as that in the first embodiment.

[0072] Each of the monitoring devices 705-1 to 705-n is a device that monitors the usage status of each water treatment device, the congestion level of users, and the status of purified water supply from each water treatment device. Each of the monitoring devices 705-1 to 705-n may be placed in the facility where each water treatment device is installed, as long as it is positioned in a location that allows it to monitor the water treatment device. Each of the monitoring devices 705-1 to 705-n transmits status information indicating the usage status of each monitored water treatment device, the congestion level of users, and the status of purified water supply from each water treatment device to the information processing device 105. At this time, each of the monitoring devices 705-1 to 705-n transmits facility identification information of the facility where the water treatment device being monitored is installed, along with the status information, to the information processing device 105. Status information includes, for example, information indicating whether the usage of water treatment equipment exceeds a pre-set threshold, information indicating whether the number of users queuing to use water treatment equipment exceeds a pre-set threshold, information indicating whether it is possible to provide purified water from each water treatment equipment and the result of that determination, and information indicating whether there have been any reports from residents in the area or nearby where each water treatment equipment is installed. Each of the monitoring devices 705-1 to 705-n may be equipped with a sensor to detect the usage of water treatment equipment. Each of the monitoring devices 705-1 to 705-n may also be equipped with a camera and determine the number of users queuing to use water treatment equipment based on images of the area around the water treatment equipment captured by the camera. Each of the monitoring devices 705-1 to 705-n may also monitor the congestion around the water treatment equipment using means capable of detecting congestion around the water treatment equipment (for example, GPS (Global Positioning System) function).

[0073] The information processing device 105 is a device operated by the operators who manage this information processing system or by the administrators who manage this information processing system. The information processing device 105 may be, for example, a computer of the size of a server, a computer of the size of a PC, or a virtual computer on the cloud.

[0074] Figure 23 shows an example of the components of the information processing device 105 shown in Figure 22. As shown in Figure 23, the information processing device 105 shown in Figure 22 has a reading unit 110, a determination unit 120, a presentation unit 135, and a status information acquisition unit 155. The reading unit 110 and the determination unit 120 are the same as those in the first embodiment. Note that Figure 23 shows only the main components of the information processing device 105 shown in Figure 22 that are relevant to this embodiment.

[0075] The status information acquisition unit 155 acquires status information and facility identification information transmitted from each of the monitoring devices 705-1 to 705-n. The status information acquisition unit 155 outputs the acquired status information and facility identification information to the display unit 135.

[0076] In addition to the presentation function in the first embodiment, the presentation unit 135 also has a function to present the status information output from the status information acquisition unit 155. In this case, the presentation unit 135 presents the status information output together with the facility identification information of the facility that is included in the combination to be presented, as the status information of that facility.

[0077] The information processing method in the information processing device 105 shown in Figure 22 will be described below. Figure 24 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the information processing method in the information processing device 105 shown in Figure 22. Here, the process in which the determination unit 120 determines a combination based on the distance between the location indicated by the facility location information and the location indicated by the raw water location information will be used as an example.

[0078] First, the reading unit 110 reads multiple facility location information and multiple raw water location information from the water information database 200 (step S51). Next, the determination unit 120 calculates the distance between each combination of the locations indicated by the multiple facility location information and the locations indicated by the multiple raw water location information (step S52). Based on the calculated distance, the determination unit 120 determines the combination of facility and raw water supply source (step S53). A specific example of the detailed determination method is as described in the first embodiment. In addition, the status information acquisition unit 155 acquires status information and facility identification information transmitted from each of the monitoring devices 705-1 to 705-n (step S54). Note that the order in which steps S51 to S53 and step S54 are performed is not specified.

[0079] Next, the presentation unit 135 presents the combination determined by the decision unit 120, and for the facilities included in that combination, the facility identification information output from the status information acquisition unit 155, along with the status information output along with the facility identification information (step S55).

[0080] In addition, to identify each of the monitoring devices 705-1 to 705-n, monitoring device identification information may be assigned to each of the monitoring devices 705-1 to 705-n, and the correspondence between the monitoring device identification information and the facility identification information may be stored in advance in the water information database 200 or the information processing device 105. In this case, when monitoring device identification information is transmitted from monitoring devices 705-1 to 705-n along with status information, the status information acquisition unit 155 may search for facility identification information based on the acquired monitoring device identification information and output the retrieved facility identification information along with the acquired status information to the presentation unit 135.

[0081] Thus, in this embodiment, in addition to the first embodiment, the usage status and congestion status of the facilities included in the presented combination are also presented. This provides the effect of providing information to help users select the facilities they will use and adjust the timing of their use, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment.

[0082] The above explanation describes how each component is assigned a specific function (process), but this assignment is not limited to those described above. Furthermore, the configurations of the components described above are merely examples and are not limited to them. Also, the embodiments described above may be combined in any combination.

[0083] The processing performed by each of the information processing units 100 to 105 described above may be carried out by logic circuits created according to their respective purposes. Alternatively, a computer program (hereinafter referred to as "program") describing the processing content as a procedure may be recorded on a recording medium readable by each of the information processing units 100 to 105, and the program recorded on this recording medium may be read by each of the information processing units 100 to 105 and executed. Recording media readable by each of the information processing units 100 to 105 include portable recording media such as floppy disks, magneto-optical disks, DVDs (Digital Versatile Discs), CDs (Compact Discs), Blu-ray Discs (Registered Trademarks), USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, and SD cards, as well as built-in memory such as ROM and RAM, and HDDs (Hard Disc Drives) in each of the information processing units 100 to 105. The program recorded on this recording medium is read by the CPU provided in each of the information processing units 100 to 105, and the same processing as described above is performed under the control of the CPU. Here, the CPU acts as a computer that executes programs read from a recording medium on which those programs are stored. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0084] 100-105 Information Processing Equipment 110, 111, 113 Reading section 120-122 Decision Section 130,132~135 Presentation part 142 Location information acquisition unit 155 Situation Information Acquisition Unit 200,201 Water Information Database 300 Communication Networks 402-1~402-m Communication equipment 503 Corporate Information Database 604 Detection device 705-1~705-n Monitoring device

Claims

1. It has an information processing device and a water information database, The water information database pre-stores multiple facility location information indicating the location of each of the multiple facilities where water treatment equipment is installed, and multiple raw water location information indicating the location of each of the multiple raw water supply sources that can supply raw water. The aforementioned information processing device is A reading unit that reads the location information of multiple facilities and the location information of multiple raw water sources from the water information database, A determination unit determines the combination of the facility and the raw water supply source based on the plurality of facility location information and the plurality of raw water location information read by the reading unit, An information processing system having a presentation unit that presents the combinations determined by the aforementioned determination unit.

2. In the information processing system described in claim 1, The water information database further stores the performance of the water treatment equipment and the properties of the raw water at the raw water supply source. The reading unit reads the performance of the water treatment equipment and the properties of the raw water at the raw water supply source from the water information database. The determination unit is an information processing system that determines the combination based on the facility location information, the raw water location information, the performance of the water treatment equipment read by the reading unit, and the properties of the raw water at the raw water supply source.

3. In the information processing system according to claim 1 or claim 2, The determination unit is an information processing system that determines the combination of the facility and the raw water supply source based on the distance between the location indicated by the plurality of facility location information and the location indicated by the plurality of raw water location information.

4. In the information processing system according to claim 1 or claim 2, The display unit is an information processing system that uses the combination of facility location information and raw water location information determined by the determination unit to display the combination on a predetermined map.

5. In the information processing system according to claim 1 or claim 2, The device has a communication device that, upon receiving a predetermined operation, transmits device position information indicating its own position to the information processing device. The information processing device has a location information acquisition unit that acquires the device location information transmitted from the communication device, The determination unit determines the combination of the communication device, the facility, and the raw water supply source based on the location indicated by the device location information acquired by the location information acquisition unit, the plurality of facility location information read by the reading unit, and the plurality of raw water location information. The display unit transmits map information showing the combination to the communication device. The communication device is an information processing system that displays a map indicated by map information transmitted from the display unit.

6. In the information processing system according to claim 1 or claim 2, The system further includes a corporate information database that stores facility identification information assigned to the aforementioned facility in association with corporate identification information assigned to the company related to the facility. The reading unit reads from the company information database the company information to which the company identification information is assigned, which is associated with the facility identification information of the facilities included in the combination determined by the determination unit. The presentation unit is an information processing system that presents the corporate information of companies read by the reading unit, along with the combination.

7. In the information processing system according to claim 1 or claim 2, It has a detection device that detects the occurrence of a predetermined event, The presentation unit is an information processing system that presents the combination when the detection device detects the occurrence of the event.

8. A reading unit reads multiple facility location information and multiple raw water location information from a water information database that has been pre-stored multiple facility location information indicating the location of each of the multiple facilities where water treatment equipment is installed, and multiple raw water location information indicating the location of each of the multiple raw water supply sources that can supply raw water. A determination unit determines the combination of the facility and the raw water supply source based on the plurality of facility location information and the plurality of raw water location information read by the reading unit, An information processing device having a presentation unit that presents the combination determined by the determination unit.

9. A process of reading multiple facility location information and multiple raw water location information from a water information database that has been pre-stored multiple facility location information indicating the location of each of the multiple facilities where water treatment equipment is installed, and multiple raw water location information indicating the location of each of the multiple raw water supply sources that can supply raw water. A process to determine the combination of the facility and the raw water supply source based on the read-out facility location information and the raw water location information, An information processing method that performs the process of presenting the determined combination.

10. On the computer, A procedure for reading multiple facility location information and multiple raw water location information from a water information database that has been pre-stored multiple facility location information indicating the location of each of the multiple facilities where water treatment equipment is installed, and multiple raw water location information indicating the location of each of the multiple raw water supply sources that can supply raw water. A procedure for determining a combination of the facility and the raw water supply source based on the read-out facility location information and the raw water location information, A program for executing the procedure for presenting the aforementioned determined combination.

Images