Paddy field management device, paddy field management system, paddy field management program, and paddy field management method

Abstract

To provide a paddy field management device, a paddy field management system, a paddy field management program, and a paddy field management method that enable efficient management of the mid-season drainage period. [Solution] A paddy field management device equipped with a control unit that displays a start registration page and an end registration page on the display unit of an information terminal. The start registration page accepts registration of a start image indicating that mid-season drainage has started. The end registration page accepts registration of an end image indicating that mid-season drainage has ended. The control unit receives an instruction to display the registration page for the start of mid-season drainage of a paddy field and displays the start registration page on the display unit. The control unit receives an instruction to display the registration page for the end of mid-season drainage of a paddy field and displays the end registration page on the display unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a paddy field management device, a paddy field management system, a paddy field management program, and a paddy field management method for managing the working conditions in paddy fields.

Background Art

[0002] Water management in paddy fields is carried out according to the growth stage of rice and is an important factor throughout the entire cultivation period of paddy rice. In recent years, from the perspective of reducing methane (a greenhouse gas), attention has been focused on mid-drying, which is a process of draining and drying the water in paddy fields. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries recommends extending the mid-drying period by about one week from the conventional practice in order to reduce the amount of methane generated. For example, Patent Document 1 mentions the correlation between the mid-drying period of paddy fields and the amount of methane reduction.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, from the perspective of improving environmental problems such as preventing global warming, whether mid-drying has actually been extended is more important than the mechanism by which the generation amount of methane is suppressed. That is, in order to aim at a substantial reduction in methane, a system for managing and promoting the extension of mid-drying by rice farmers is desired.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide a paddy field management device, a paddy field management system, a paddy field management program, and a paddy field management method for efficiently managing the mid-drying period.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A paddy field management device according to one aspect of the present invention has a control unit that, upon receiving an instruction to display a registration page for the start of mid-season drainage of a paddy field, displays a start registration page on the display unit of an information terminal that accepts registration of a start image indicating that mid-season drainage has started, and upon receiving an instruction to display a registration page for the end of mid-season drainage of a paddy field, displays an end registration page on the display unit that accepts registration of an end image indicating that mid-season drainage has ended.

[0007] A paddy field management system according to one aspect of the present invention includes an information terminal equipped with a display unit that displays a start registration page for accepting registration of a start image indicating that mid-season drainage has begun and a end registration page for accepting registration of an end image indicating that mid-season drainage has ended, and a paddy field management device equipped with a control unit that, upon receiving an instruction to display the registration page for the start of mid-season drainage of a paddy field, displays the start registration page on the display unit, and upon receiving an instruction to display the registration page for the end of mid-season drainage of a paddy field, displays the end registration page on the display unit.

[0008] A paddy field management program according to one aspect of the present invention uses a computer as a recording processing means to display a start registration page on the display unit of an information terminal that accepts registration of a start image indicating that the paddy field has started, upon receiving an instruction to display a registration page for the start of mid-season drainage of a paddy field, and to display an end registration page on the display unit that accepts registration of an end image indicating that the paddy field has finished, upon receiving an instruction to display a registration page for the end of mid-season drainage of a paddy field.

[0009] A paddy field management method according to one aspect of the present invention involves one or more processors performing a start registration process, in which, upon receiving an instruction to display a registration page for the start of mid-season drainage of a paddy field, the processor displays a start registration page on the display unit of an information terminal that accepts registration of a start image indicating that mid-season drainage has started, and an end registration process, in which, upon receiving an instruction to display a registration page for the end of mid-season drainage of a paddy field, the processor displays an end registration page on the display unit that accepts registration of an end image indicating that mid-season drainage has ended. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, a start registration page for registering an image indicating the start of the mid-season drying period and an end registration page for registering an image indicating the end of the mid-season drying period are displayed according to the user's instructions, thereby facilitating the smooth registration of each image that can be used for managing the mid-season drying period. Thus, users can efficiently manage the mid-season drying period. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a diagram illustrating an example of a paddy field management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the state of the water intake and drainage outlets of a paddy field at the start of mid-season drainage. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the state of the water intake and drainage outlets of a paddy field at the end of the mid-season drainage period. [Figure 4] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a paddy field list page displayed on the display unit in Figure 1. [Figure 5] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a paddy field information page displayed on the display unit in Figure 1. [Figure 6] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a task selection page displayed on the display unit in Figure 1. [Figure 7] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the start registration page displayed on the display unit in Figure 1. [Figure 8] Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the state in which the mid-season drying start date (implementation date) has been set by operating the date setting section on the start registration page. [Figure 9] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the display of the information terminal when the camera is activated via a page accessed from the initial registration page in Figure 7 or via the initial registration page in Figure 10. [Figure 10] This is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the start registration page displayed in the display section of Figure 1. [Figure 11] This is an illustrative diagram showing an example of a start registration page where images are displayed as candidates for the first start image, either captured or selected. [Figure 12] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating a confirmation screen used to determine whether or not to register the photo displayed in Figure 15 as the first starting image. [Figure 13] It is an explanatory diagram exemplifying a registration completion page transitioned from the state of FIG. 12. [Figure 14] It is an explanatory diagram exemplifying a start registration page that has entered a state of performing registration processing for the second start image after going through the state of FIG. 13. [Figure 15] It is an explanatory diagram exemplifying a start registration page on which a photo as a candidate for the second start image taken or selected is displayed. [Figure 16] It is an explanatory diagram exemplifying a confirmation screen for determining whether to register the photo displayed in FIG. 15 as the second start image. [Figure 17] It is an explanatory diagram exemplifying a registration completion page in a state where the first start image is displayed in the first start section and the second start image is displayed in the second start section. [Figure 18] It is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an end registration page displayed on the display section of FIG. 1. [Figure 19] It is an explanatory diagram exemplifying a registration completion page in a state where the first end image is displayed in the first end section and the second end image is displayed in the second end section. [Figure 20] It is an explanatory diagram exemplifying a paddy field list page displayed on the display section of FIG. 1 from after the registration process related to the start of the middle stem is completed until the registration process related to the end of the middle stem is completed. [Figure 21] It is an explanatory diagram exemplifying a registration status browsing page displayed on the management display section of FIG. 1. [Figure 22] It is an explanatory diagram exemplifying a production management record page displayed on the management display section of FIG. 1. [Figure 23] It is a sequence chart exemplifying the flow of operations until the first start image is registered in the middle stem start registration process of the paddy field management method in the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 24] It is a sequence chart exemplifying the flow of operations and the like until the second start image is registered in the middle stem start registration process of the paddy field management method in the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 25]This is a sequence chart illustrating the flow of operations in the mid-season drainage completion registration process of the paddy field management method according to an embodiment of the present invention, up to the registration of the first completion image. [Figure 26] This is a sequence chart illustrating the flow of operations, etc., in the mid-season drainage completion registration process of the paddy field management method in an embodiment of the present invention, up to the registration of the second completion image. [Figure 27] This is a sequence chart illustrating the transition flow from the registration status viewing page to the production management record page after logging in, as part of the paddy field management method in an embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] Embodiment. Based on Figures 1 to 22, an example of the overall configuration and functional configuration of the paddy field management system 100 in the embodiment will be described. The same reference numerals are used for components common to each figure, and their explanations will be omitted or simplified as appropriate. In each figure, some reference numerals are omitted to avoid making the drawings too complex.

[0013] As shown in Figure 1, the paddy field management system 100 includes a paddy field management device 10, an operation terminal 20, one or more information terminals 30, and one or more management terminals 40. The paddy field management device 10, the operation terminal 20, one or more information terminals 30, and one or more management terminals 40 can communicate with each other via a network N such as the Internet, either by wired or wireless connection.

[0014] The paddy field management device 10 manages information related to registered fields. In this embodiment, the paddy field management device 10 is configured to manage information related to paddy fields in particular. The paddy field management device 10 consists of a cloud server based on cloud computing, an on-premise physical server, or a server system combining these. Details of the paddy field management device 10 will be described later.

[0015] The operating terminal 20 is a PC (Personal Computer) or the like used by the operator of the paddy field management system (hereinafter referred to as "this system") provided by the paddy field management device 10. PCs include desktop PCs, notebook PCs, tablet PCs, and smartphones. The operator can use the operating terminal 20 to add and edit information from the software and database managed by the paddy field management device 10, and to perform maintenance on this system.

[0016] The information terminal 30 is a PC or similar device used by users to register information about rice paddies. Since the information terminal 30 is carried to the rice paddy by the user and needs to function as a camera, a smartphone or tablet PC is preferable. Users include workers such as rice farmers or owners of rice paddies. The information terminal 30 may be owned by the user or lent to the user. Through the information terminal 30, the user registers their username (such as the user's name), unique identification information (such as an ID or email address), unique password, and information about the rice paddy in this system. If there are multiple rice paddies to manage, the user registers information about each of the multiple rice paddies in this system. For example, the user can use the first service provided by this system by entering their identification information and password on the login screen provided by the rice paddy management device 10. The first service is for registering information about work in the rice paddy and managing said work.

[0017] The information terminal 30 includes, for example, a communication unit 31, an information processing unit 32, a storage unit 33, an input unit 34, a display unit 35, and an imaging unit 36. The communication unit 31 is an interface for the information processing unit 32 to communicate with external devices such as the paddy field management device 10 via wired or wireless means. The storage unit 33 stores various information in addition to the operating program of the information processing unit 32. The operating program of the information processing unit 32 also includes a segmented program that is transmitted from the paddy field management device 10 in a timely manner. The segmented program constitutes the paddy field management program 13p. Based on the operation of the segmented program, the information processing unit 32 can perform simple processing, such as switching the display of each element on a page, without communicating with the paddy field management device 10. The operating program of the information processing unit 32 is software that works in cooperation with a computing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), MPU (Micro Processing Unit), or GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) to realize various functions. The memory unit 33 is composed of RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), flash memory, eMMC (embedded Multi Media Card), SSD (Solid State Drive), or HDD (Hard Disk Drive), etc.

[0018] The input unit 34 receives input operations from the user and outputs an operation signal to the information processing unit 32 according to the content of the received operation. The display unit 35 is composed of a liquid crystal display (LCD) or the like and displays various information according to instructions from the information processing unit 32. In this embodiment, the information terminal 30 has a touch panel that combines the input unit 34 and the display unit 35. For example, the display unit 35 functions as a display panel that displays characters or images, and the input unit 34 is stacked on the display unit 35 and functions as a detection means for detecting touch operations. However, the touch panel may use an organic EL panel. Alternatively, the input unit 34 may be composed of a keyboard and a pointing device such as a mouse or trackball, and may be separate from the display unit 35. The imaging unit 36 ​​has an image sensor such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Devices) or CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) and captures video or still images. The imaging unit 36 ​​functions as a camera and outputs the captured video or still image as imaging data to the information processing unit 32.

[0019] The information processing unit 32, in response to operation signals from the input unit 34, and in cooperation with the paddy field management device 10, displays the paddy field list page Pa, paddy field information page Pb, work selection page Pc, start registration page Ps, registration completion page Pm, end registration page Pe, and registration completion page Pn, as well as related subwindows, on the display unit 35. The information processing unit 32 accepts user operations using each page and executes processing according to the content of the operation. The information processing unit 32 is composed of one or more processors. More specifically, the information processing unit 32 is composed of arithmetic processing units such as a CPU, MPU, or GPU, and the various functions of the information processing unit 32 are realized by the arithmetic processing units and operating programs. Some of the various functions of the information processing unit 32 may be realized by hardware.

[0020] The management terminal 40 is a PC or the like used by the user to check information related to paddy fields. The management terminal 40 may be owned by the user or may be lent to the user. The user can use the second service provided by this system by, for example, entering identification information and a password on the login screen provided by the paddy field management device 10. The second service is for checking information registered using the first service. In this embodiment, the application related to the second service is specialized in the management of mid-season drainage among paddy field operations and is responsible for creating production management records.

[0021] The management terminal 40 includes, for example, a communication unit 41, a management processing unit 42, a storage unit 43, an input unit 44, and a management display unit 45. The communication unit 41 is an interface for the management processing unit 42 to communicate with external devices such as the paddy field management device 10 via wired or wireless means. The storage unit 43 stores various information in addition to the operation program of the management processing unit 42. The operation program of the management processing unit 42 is software that works in cooperation with a processing unit such as a CPU, MPU, or GPU to realize various functions. The storage unit 43 is composed of RAM and ROM, flash memory, eMMC, SSD, or HDD.

[0022] The input unit 44 receives input operations from the user and outputs an operation signal to the management processing unit 42 according to the content of the received operation. The input unit 44 is composed of, for example, a keyboard and a pointing device such as a mouse or trackball. The management display unit 45 is composed of a liquid crystal display or the like and displays various information according to instructions from the management processing unit 42. The management terminal 40 may have a touch panel instead of the input unit 44 and the management display unit 45, or together with at least one of them.

[0023] The management processing unit 42, in response to operation signals from the input unit 44 and the like, displays the registration status viewing page Pj and the production management record page Pk (described later) on the management display unit 45 in cooperation with the paddy field management device 10. The management processing unit 42 accepts user operations using each page and executes processing according to the content of the operation. The management processing unit 42 is composed of one or more processors. More specifically, the management processing unit 42 is composed of arithmetic processing units such as a CPU, MPU, or GPU, and the various functions of the management processing unit 42 are realized by the arithmetic processing units and operating programs. Some of the various functions of the management processing unit 42 may be realized by hardware.

[0024] The paddy field management device 10 includes a communication unit 11, a control unit 12, and a storage unit 13. The communication unit 11 is an interface for the control unit 12 to communicate with external devices such as an operation terminal 20, an information terminal 30, and a management terminal 40 via wired or wireless means. The storage unit 13 is composed of RAM and ROM, flash memory, eMMC, SSD, or HDD. The storage unit 13 stores various information, including the operation program of the control unit 12, which includes the paddy field management program 13p. The paddy field management program 13p is software that works in cooperation with a processing unit such as a CPU, MPU, or GPU to realize various functions.

[0025] The memory unit 13 stores information necessary to display and operate each page, as described later. The memory unit 13 includes a user database (user DB) in which user information is organized. For example, the user DB is configured by linking the username and user identification information with information about one or more rice paddies managed by that user. This information is entered when the system is installed and can be updated as needed in response to changes in the condition of the rice paddies or changes in users.

[0026] The storage unit 13 includes a paddy field database (paddy field DB) 13d in which information about paddy fields is organized. The paddy field database 13d manages information such as paddy field name, paddy field-specific identification information, Kochi number, planted area, yield grade, rice variety to be cultivated, notes, information related to photographs showing the overall view of the paddy field, information on registered images related to the start and end of mid-season drainage (mid-season drainage registration images), and location information. The mid-season drainage registration images consist of a start image S indicating the start of mid-season drainage and an end image E indicating the end of mid-season drainage. The storage unit 13 may also have a storage 13s for storing the mid-season drainage registration images.

[0027] The control unit 12 is composed of one or more processors. More specifically, the control unit 12 is composed of a processing unit such as a CPU, MPU, or GPU, and the various functions of the control unit 12 are realized by the processing unit and the paddy field management program 13p. Some of the various functions of the control unit 12 may be realized by hardware. The paddy field management program 13p causes a computer (one or more processors) to function as a recording processing means 12a and a management processing means 12b.

[0028] The control unit 12 provides various information in response to user requests via the information terminal 30. The control unit 12 stores the information instructed to be registered by the user via the information terminal 30 in the storage unit 13. The control unit 12 creates and updates various databases within the storage unit 13. Upon receiving an instruction to display the registration page for the start of mid-season drainage of a rice paddy, the control unit 12 displays the start registration page Ps on the display unit 35, which accepts the registration of a start image S indicating that mid-season drainage has started. Furthermore, upon receiving an instruction to display the registration page for the end of mid-season drainage of a rice paddy, the control unit 12 displays the end registration page Pe on the display unit 35, which accepts the registration of an end image E indicating that mid-season drainage has ended.

[0029] The start registration page Ps of this embodiment is configured to accept registration of a first start image S1 and a second start image S2 as start images S. The first start image S1 is an image showing a state in which water cannot be taken into the paddy field. The second start image S2 is an image showing a state in which water is being discharged from the paddy field. Hereinafter, when the first start image S1 and the second start image S2 are not distinguished, they may be collectively referred to as start image S.

[0030] The completion registration page Pe of this embodiment is configured to accept registration of a first completion image E1 and a second completion image E2 as completion images E. The first completion image E1 is an image showing a state in which water can be taken into the paddy field. The second completion image E2 is an image showing a state in which water cannot be drained from the paddy field. Hereinafter, when the first completion image E1 and the second completion image E2 are not distinguished, they may be collectively referred to as completion image E.

[0031] In other words, upon receiving an instruction to display the registration page for the start of mid-season drainage of the paddy field, the control unit 12 displays the start registration page Ps on the display unit 35, which accepts the registration of the first start image S1 and the second start image S2. Also, upon receiving an instruction to display the registration page for the end of mid-season drainage of the paddy field, the control unit 12 displays the end registration page Pe on the display unit 35, which accepts the registration of the first end image E1 and the second end image E2.

[0032] Here, using Figures 2 and 3, we will explain the relationship between the state of the paddy field at the start and end of mid-season drainage and the state of the water intake and drainage outlets. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the state of the paddy field and its water intake and drainage outlets at the start of mid-season drainage. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the state of the paddy field and its water intake and drainage outlets at the end of mid-season drainage. In each figure, ○ indicates a state in which water can pass through, such as an open state, and × indicates a state in which water cannot pass through, such as a closed state.

[0033] More specifically, a closed water intake means that water cannot be taken into the paddy field, and this includes being closed with a special lid or sandbag, or having the water intake pipe removed. An open water intake means that water can be taken into the paddy field, and this includes being removed with the special lid or sandbag, or having the water intake pipe installed. A closed drainage outlet means that water cannot be discharged from the paddy field, and this includes being closed with a special lid or sandbag. An open drainage outlet means that water can be discharged from the paddy field, and this includes being removed with the special lid or sandbag.

[0034] As shown in Figure 2, when the water intake is closed and the drainage outlet is open, no water flows in from the water intake, and the water accumulated in the paddy field continues to be discharged from the drainage outlet, eventually draining the paddy field completely. Therefore, if, with the water intake closed and the drainage outlet open, a photograph of the area around the water intake (like region R1) is recorded as the first starting image S1, and a photograph of the area around the drainage outlet (like region R2) is registered as the second starting image S2, these will serve as evidence that the mid-season drainage has begun.

[0035] On the other hand, if the water intake is opened and the drainage outlet is closed, as shown in Figure 3, water will accumulate in the paddy field because the water flowing in from the intake will not be discharged from the drainage outlet. However, immediately after switching from the state shown in Figure 2 to the state shown in Figure 3, there is no water accumulated in the paddy field. Therefore, if, after the planned mid-season drainage period has elapsed, the water intake is opened and the drainage outlet is closed, and a photograph of the area around the water intake, such as region R1, is recorded as the first completion image E1, and a photograph of the area around the drainage outlet, such as region R2, is registered as the second completion image E2, these will serve as evidence that the mid-season drainage has ended, or more specifically, that the mid-season drainage period has been extended by a predetermined number of days.

[0036] The control unit 12 includes a recording processing means 12a and a management processing means 12b. The recording processing means 12a performs processing related to the first service and manages the information provided to the user via the information terminal 30. The recording processing means 12a provides various information to the information terminal 30, causing the display unit 35 to display various pages. Here, "page" basically refers to a web page.

[0037] More specifically, the recording processing means 12a displays the paddy field list page Pa, paddy field information page Pb, work selection page Pc, start registration page Ps, registration completion page Pm, end registration page Pe, and registration completion page Pn, along with related subwindows, on the display unit 35 of the information terminal 30. The recording processing means 12a makes these pages function in cooperation with the information terminal 30. The recording processing means 12a stores the information for which registration has been instructed via these pages in the storage unit 13. The control unit 12 stores the start image S for which registration has been instructed via the start registration page Ps, and the end image E for which registration has been instructed via the end registration page Pe, in the storage unit 13.

[0038] The management processing means 12b performs processing related to the second service, and in this embodiment, it manages information provided to the user via the management terminal 40. The management processing means 12b, in cooperation with the management terminal 40, displays and functions the registration status viewing page Pj and the production management record page Pk, described later, on the management display unit 45. When information regarding mid-season drainage of paddy fields is requested via the management terminal 40, the management processing means 12b displays the production management record page Pk on the management display unit 45. The production management record page Pk includes a start image S and an end image E, along with mid-season drainage period data Q, which is information regarding the start date and end date of mid-season drainage of paddy fields selected by the user. However, the management processing means 12b may also display and function the registration status viewing page Pj and the production management record page Pk on the display unit 35 in cooperation with the information terminal 30. In this case, when information regarding mid-season drainage of paddy fields is requested via the information terminal 30, the management processing means 12b displays the production management record page Pk on the display unit 35.

[0039] Referring to Figures 4 to 17, the structure of each page displayed at the start of mid-season drainage will be explained, along with the transitions between them. The paddy field list page Pa, exemplified in Figure 4, has an application section A, a page section n, a user section Y, and a title section T. The application section A displays, for example, the name of this system (this application). The page section n displays, for example, terms related to the currently displayed page. The user section Y displays, for example, the logged-in username, or a sentence containing the username. The title section T displays, for example, the title of the page. The application section A, page section n, user section Y, and title section T are not mandatory components and can be selected or omitted as appropriate, and the characters displayed can also be changed as appropriate. However, in order to give an overview of the currently displayed page, it is good to have at least one of the page section n and title section T, and in order to confirm the logged-in user, it is good to have a user section Y.

[0040] The paddy field list page Pa also has a list display section 50 and a filtering button 58. The list display section 50 displays one or more paddy field sections 5n. Each paddy field section 5n displays extracted information about the paddy field. Hereinafter, information about the paddy field will also be referred to as "paddy field data". That is, if multiple paddy fields are registered in this system, the list display section 50 will display a list of paddy field sections 5n for each paddy field, as shown in Figure 4. Each paddy field section 5n displays various information extracted from the corresponding paddy field data in an organized manner. Each paddy field section 5n should at least include the paddy field name, such as the name or abbreviation of the paddy field. The paddy field section 5n shown in Figure 4 also includes information such as the cultivated area, the variety of rice being cultivated, and notes. However, the information displayed in the paddy field section 5n is not limited to these and can be selected as appropriate.

[0041] The filtering button 58 is a virtual button used to instruct the user to filter the paddy field sections 5n displayed on the list display section 50. When the user presses the filtering button 58 by tapping or clicking, a filtering screen (not shown) is displayed for instructing the user to filter based on the set conditions. The filtering screen may be displayed in a sub-window or on a web page accessed from the paddy field list page Pa. When the user sets the filtering conditions on the filtering screen and instructs the user to filter, the paddy field sections 5n corresponding to paddy fields that meet the set conditions are displayed on the list display section 50 of the paddy field list page Pa.

[0042] In this embodiment, the paddy field section 5n is configured to be selectable, that is, it functions as a virtual button that accepts user selection operations. However, the paddy field section 5n may also be configured to be selected through a selection section such as a checkbox or radio button that is placed in conjunction with it. The paddy field list page Pa may be configured to allow sorting and searching of the order of the paddy field sections 5n in the list display section 50.

[0043] By the way, in Figure 4, the page section n and title section T are labeled "Field List," which indicates that this system can be widely applied not only to paddy fields but also to fields, orchards, pastures, and other places where crops are cultivated. However, since this embodiment is an example of how the system can be used to manage paddy fields, the page section n and title section T may also be labeled with words such as "Paddy Field List," or other notations. Note that when applying this system to a location other than paddy fields, the content of the work selection page Pc in Figure 6 will differ.

[0044] The paddy field information page Pb illustrated in Figure 5 has a detail section 51, an edit button 52, a map button 53, a work date registration button 54, a history confirmation button 55, a list transition button R, and a back button r. The detail section 51 is the part that displays the paddy field data of the paddy field associated with the paddy field section 5n selected on the paddy field list page Pa in more detail. The detail section 51 illustrated in Figure 5 includes a photograph showing the appearance of the paddy field in question, which has been registered in advance. This configuration is helpful in cases where it is difficult to make a judgment based solely on the paddy field name H, etc.

[0045] The edit button 52 is a virtual button for editing pre-registered paddy field data. When the user presses the edit button 52, an editing screen (not shown) for editing paddy field data is displayed. The editing screen may be displayed in a sub-window or as a web page accessed from the paddy field information page Pb. When the user edits (changes, modifies, deletes, etc.) the information contained in the paddy field data on the editing screen, the edited content is reflected in the paddy field section 5n and the detail section 51.

[0046] The map button 53 is a virtual button for displaying a map screen (not shown) showing the location of the paddy field associated with the detail section 51. The map screen may be one that has been pre-registered by the user, or it may be displayed in conjunction with various map search services. The work date registration button 54 is a virtual button for transitioning to the work selection page Pc. The history confirmation button 55 is a virtual button for displaying a history screen (not shown) that allows users to check the display history and editing history. The list transition button R is a virtual button for transitioning to the paddy field list page Pa. The back button r is a virtual button for returning to the previous display state or the previous display page. Figure 5 shows an example where the edit button 52 and the map button 53 are displayed overlaid on the detail section 51, but it is not limited to this, and either or both of the edit button 52 and the map button 53 may be displayed outside the area of ​​the detail section 51. The paddy field information page Pb does not have to have at least one or both of the map button 53 and the history confirmation button 55.

[0047] The work selection page PC illustrated in Figure 6 has multiple work item buttons. In Figure 6, the work selection page PC is illustrated with the following work item buttons: plowing button 61, puddling button 62, rice planting button 63, mid-season drainage start button 64, and mid-season drainage end button 65. The types of work item buttons are not limited to these; the work selection page PC only needs to include at least the mid-season drainage start button 64 and the mid-season drainage end button 65. The mid-season drainage start button 64 is a virtual button for instructing the display of the registration page for the start of mid-season drainage of a paddy field. In this embodiment, the registration page for the start of mid-season drainage of a paddy field corresponds to the start registration page Ps. The mid-season drainage end button 65 is a virtual button for instructing the display of the page related to the end of mid-season drainage. In this embodiment, the page related to the end of mid-season drainage corresponds to the end registration page Pe.

[0048] Figures 7, 8, and 10-12 illustrate the start registration page Ps related to the registration process of the first start image S1. The start registration page Ps illustrated in Figure 7 has a work section W, a date setting section 70s, a first button 71, a second button 72, a paste section 73, a register button 76, and a cancel button 77. The work section W displays the name of the task associated with the start registration page Ps. The date setting section 70s is for setting the start date of the mid-season drying. In this embodiment, when the user presses the date setting section 70s, it switches to a date selection mode as shown in Figure 8. However, date selection via the date setting section 70s is not limited to the drum roll method shown in Figure 8; various methods can be used, such as selecting a date from a calendar display. However, the date setting section 70s may also be configured to allow direct input of the date.

[0049] The first button 71 is a virtual button that enables registration of the first start image S1 or the first end image E1. The second button 72 is a virtual button that enables registration of the second start image S2 or the second end image E2. The attachment section 73 is the area where the photograph taken or selected is displayed. In this embodiment, the attachment section 73, either in its central text portion or entirely, functions as a virtual button that displays a selection screen (not shown) requesting a choice between taking a photograph or selecting a photograph.

[0050] When the user selects to take a photo, the information terminal 30 switches to the imaging screen Gm as shown in Figure 9. The imaging screen Gm includes at least a monitor unit M that displays the image captured by the imaging unit 36. Whether the imaging screen Gm has other virtual buttons such as a capture button B depends on the type of browser and the model of the information terminal 30. When the user selects to select a photo, the information terminal 30 or a server linked to it becomes capable of selecting a photo, but this state depends on the type of browser and the model of the information terminal 30.

[0051] The start registration page Ps may be configured to allow the user to choose between taking a photo and selecting a photo without going through a selection screen (not shown), as shown in Figure 10. The start registration page Ps in Figure 10 has a shooting button 73a that instructs the imaging unit 36 ​​to start, and a selection button 73b that allows selection from saved photos. Note that the registration button 76 and the cancel button 77 do not function in the states shown in Figures 7 and 10.

[0052] Figure 11 illustrates the start registration page Ps after a photograph has been taken using the imaging screen Gm as shown in Figure 9, or after one of the saved photographs has been selected. On the start registration page Ps in Figure 11, a photograph So as a candidate for the first start image S1 is displayed in the attachment area 73. As shown in Figure 11, the register button 76 and cancel button 77 are functional on the start registration page Ps while the photograph that has been taken or selected is displayed. When the user presses the register button 76, a confirmation screen Gs as shown in Figure 12 is displayed on the display unit 35, and when the user presses the cancel button 77, the page returns to the start registration page Ps with the photograph hidden, as shown in Figure 7.

[0053] The confirmation screen Gs in Figure 12 includes at least an affirmative button By and a negative button Bn. The affirmative button By is a virtual button for formally registering the photo displayed on the start registration page Ps immediately after taking or selecting it, and the negative button Bn is a virtual button for canceling the photo and returning to the start registration page Ps with the photo hidden, as shown in Figure 7. The confirmation screen Gs illustrated in Figure 12 has an explanatory label Sa that displays the content of the photo to be registered here, and a cautionary label Sb that displays notes to be taken after registration.

[0054] The registration completion page Pm is a page indicating that at least one image related to the start of the mid-season drainage has been registered. The registration completion page Pm in Figure 13 has a status section 80, a start information section Ma, a first start section 81, and a second start section 82. The status section 80 displays information indicating the current status. In Figure 13, it is indicated that a photograph of the water intake at the start of the mid-season drainage, i.e., the first start image S1, has been registered. The start information section Ma has a space reserved for displaying the date of the start of the mid-season drainage (mid-season drainage start date), but in this embodiment, the date of the start of the mid-season drainage is not displayed in the start information section Ma until both the first start image S1 and the second start image S2 have been registered.

[0055] The first starting section 81 is the part where the first starting image S1 is displayed. The second starting section 82 is the part where the second starting image S2 is displayed. As shown in Figure 13, the first starting section 81 may include a label indicating that the displayed photograph is the first starting image S1 (labeled "Water Intake" in Figure 13). Similarly, the second starting section 82 may include a label indicating that the displayed photograph is the second starting image S2 (labeled "Drain Outlet" in Figure 13).

[0056] Figures 14 to 16 illustrate the start registration page Ps related to the registration process of the second start image S2. The basic structure of the start registration page Ps in Figure 14 is the same as that of the start registration page Ps in Figure 7. However, in the start registration page Ps of Figure 14, the first button 71 is in a non-functional state. In the example of Figure 14, the text on the first button 71 has changed to indicate that the first start image S1 has been registered, and the density of the button has also decreased. The second button 72 may be selected from the beginning.

[0057] Figure 15 illustrates the start registration page Ps after a photograph has been taken using the imaging screen Gm as shown in Figure 9, or after one of the saved photographs has been selected. On the start registration page Ps in Figure 15, the photograph So as a candidate for the second start image S2 is displayed in the attachment area 73. In the start registration page Ps as shown in Figure 15, the register button 76 and cancel button 77 function as in the case of Figure 11. When the user presses the register button 76, a confirmation screen Gs as shown in Figure 16 is displayed on the display unit 35, and when the user presses the cancel button 77, the system returns to the start registration page Ps with the photograph hidden, as shown in Figure 14. The configuration of the confirmation screen Gs in Figure 16 is the same as the example in Figure 12, and the explanatory notation Sa corresponds to the second start image S2.

[0058] The registration completion page Pm in Figure 17 has the same configuration as the example in Figure 13, with the first start section 81 displaying the first start image S1 and the second start section 82 displaying the second start image S2. Therefore, the status section 80 displays "Registered" to indicate that registration for the start of the mid-season drying period has been completed. The start information section Ma displays the date of the start of the mid-season drying period. Figure 17 illustrates a registration completion page Pm that has a scheduled date display Dx indicating the scheduled end date of the mid-season drying period. In this embodiment, the date of the start of the mid-season drying period can be set at any time until registration is completed, as shown in Figure 17, and the setting can also be changed. Specifically, the date of the start of the mid-season drying period can be set and changed in any of the states of the start registration page Ps in Figures 7, 10, 11, 14, and 15.

[0059] Next, referring to Figures 18 to 20, we will explain these transitions along with the structure of each page displayed at the end of the mid-term period. However, since the basic screen transitions are the same as those at the start of the mid-term period as explained using Figures 4 to 17, we will focus here on explaining the end registration page Pe in Figure 18 and the registration completion page Pn in Figure 19.

[0060] The completion registration page Pe in Figure 18 includes a scheduled date display Dx and a date setting unit 70e. The scheduled date display Dx shows the scheduled end date of the mid-season drying period (hereinafter also simply referred to as the "scheduled end date"). The scheduled end date is determined, for example, by adding a base number of days based on the mid-season drying period of the most recent few years and a suppression coefficient to the start date of the mid-season drying period. The date setting unit 70e is for setting the end date of the mid-season drying period, and its configuration is the same as that of the date setting unit 70s.

[0061] The registration completion page Pn is a page indicating that at least one image related to the end of the mid-season drying period has been registered. In the registration completion page Pn in Figure 19, the first ending image E1 is displayed in the first ending section 83, and the second ending image E2 is displayed in the second ending section 84. The ending information section Mb displays the date of the end of the mid-season drying period (mid-season drying completion date). In this embodiment, the date of the end of the mid-season drying period can be set at any time until registration is completed, as shown in Figure 19, and the setting can also be changed.

[0062] Incidentally, it is conceivable that users may forget the scheduled end date of the mid-season drainage and extend the drainage period unintentionally. This is especially true if the user manages a large number of rice paddies. In other words, simply displaying the scheduled date Dx on the completion registration page Pe may not be enough to avoid the above-mentioned situation. Therefore, as shown in Figure 20, the scheduled date Dx may be displayed on the rice paddy list page Pa in the rice paddy section 5n associated with the rice paddy currently undergoing mid-season drainage. This way, users can check the scheduled end date for each rice paddy at the initial stage of screen transitions, thereby improving convenience.

[0063] The registration status viewing page Pj, illustrated in Figure 21, displays a list of information related to mid-season drainage (hereinafter also referred to as mid-season drainage registration data) from among the information related to one or more paddy fields (paddy field data) that the user manages using this system. The mid-season drainage registration data is information registered by the user using the application related to the first service of this system.

[0064] In the registration status viewing page Pj shown in Figure 21, the title section T, which indicates the page title, displays "Mid-season drying implementation status," and below it, there is an explanation regarding the display of production management records. The registration status viewing page Pj also has a list display section Z1 and a search section 92. The search section 92 is used to narrow down the information displayed in the list display section Z1.

[0065] In the list display section Z1 illustrated in Figure 21, the following information is organized for each paddy field: "Field" corresponding to the paddy field name H, "Variety" indicating the rice variety, mid-season drainage period, mid-season drainage start date, "Water intake (start)" corresponding to the first start image S1, "Drainage outlet (start)" corresponding to the second start image S2, mid-season drainage end date, "Water intake (start)" corresponding to the first end image E1, "Drainage outlet (start)" corresponding to the second end image E2, and "Heading date". This information is based on the mid-season drainage registration data, and the information displayed in the list display section Z1 may be only a part of this. In addition, each paddy field in the list display section Z1 is associated with a display button 93. The display button 93 is a virtual button for displaying the production management record of the paddy field in question.

[0066] The production management record page Pk, illustrated in Figure 22, is displayed when the display button 93 is pressed on the registration status viewing page Pj in Figure 21. The title section T indicates that it is a production management record. The production management record page Pk has a paddy field details section Z2 and an image display section Z3. The paddy field details section Z2 displays various information about the paddy field, including at least the mid-season drainage period data Q. The image display section Z3 displays the start image S and the end image E. In the example in Figure 22, the first start image S1, the second start image S2, the first end image E1, and the second end image E2 are displayed in the image display section Z3. In addition, each image in the image display section Z3 is associated with a photo title Ta to Td to indicate what it represents. The production management record page Pk can be used as a production management record to be used as reference material when applying for registration under the J-Credit system.

[0067] Next, with reference to Figures 23 to 27, the paddy field management method according to this embodiment will be described. First, based on the sequence charts in Figures 23 and 24, an example of operation at the time of registering the start of mid-season drainage will be described. Note that the processing in steps S134 to S146 is the same as the processing in steps S117 to S129, so the explanation of steps S134 to S146 will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0068] When a user launches the application related to the first service of this system and the login process is completed, the control unit 12 of the paddy field management device 10 displays the initial screen on the display unit 35. That is, when the control unit 12 receives a login request from the information terminal 30 via the login screen (step S101), it compares the user's unique information included in the login request with the user database. If the match is successful (step S102), the control unit 12 sends the paddy field list data to the information terminal 30 (step S103), and displays the paddy field list page Pa as shown in Figure 4 on the display unit 35 via the information processing unit 32 of the information terminal 30 (step S104). In this embodiment, the paddy field list page Pa is set as the initial screen. The paddy field list data is the information necessary to display and operate the paddy field list page Pa.

[0069] When the information processing unit 32 receives a paddy field selection operation (step S105) and one paddy field section 5n is selected in the list display unit 50, it transmits selection data to the paddy field management device 10. The selection data includes identification information of the paddy field associated with the selected paddy field section 5n (step S106). The control unit 12 compares the transmitted selection data with the paddy field database 13d and transmits the extracted paddy field data to the information terminal 30 (step S107), thereby displaying the paddy field information page Pb as shown in Figure 5 on the display unit 35 via the information processing unit 32 (step S108). The paddy field data is the information necessary to display and function the paddy field information page Pb.

[0070] When the work date registration button 54 is pressed and a work display is instructed (step S109), the information processing unit 32 sends a work display request to the paddy field management device 10 (step S110). The control unit 12 sends work selection data to the information terminal 30 in response to the work display request (step S111), and via the information processing unit 32, displays the work selection page PC as shown in Figure 6 on the display unit 35 (step S112). The work selection data is information that enables the display and functioning of the work selection page PC.

[0071] When the mid-season drainage start button 64 is pressed and the display of the registration page for the start of mid-season drainage of the paddy field is instructed (step S113), the information processing unit 32 sends a start registration request to the paddy field management device 10 (step S114). The control unit 12 sends start registration data to the information terminal 30 in response to the start registration request (step S115), and via the information processing unit 32, displays the start registration page Ps as shown in Figure 7 on the display unit 35 (step S116). The start registration data is information necessary to display and function the start registration page Ps.

[0072] When the date for the start of the mid-season drainage is set by an operation on the date setting unit 70s, the information processing unit 32 registers the set date as the mid-season drainage start date (step S117). Also, when the water intake is not selected, if the user presses the first button 71, the information processing unit 32 switches to a state where the water intake is selected (step S118). When the user instructs the information processing unit 32 to take a photograph, it activates the imaging unit 36 ​​and displays the imaging screen Gm, and when the photograph is taken (step S119), it displays the start registration page Ps, which includes the image of the photograph corresponding to the water intake, as shown in Figure 11 (step S120). On the other hand, when the user requests to select a photograph, the information processing unit 32 makes a saved photograph selectable, and when a photograph is selected (step S119), it displays the start registration page Ps as shown in Figure 11 (step S120).

[0073] When the user presses the registration button 76 and instructs the registration of a photograph (step S121), the information processing unit 32 sends a photograph registration request to the paddy field management device 10 (step S122). The control unit 12 sends confirmation data to the information terminal 30 in response to the photograph registration request (step S123), and displays a confirmation screen Gs as shown in Figure 12 on the display unit 35 via the information processing unit 32 (step S124). The confirmation data is information necessary to display and function the confirmation screen Gs.

[0074] When the user presses the affirmative button By and instructs the user to confirm the photo (step S125), the information processing unit 32 sends a confirmation request to the paddy field management device 10. In this embodiment, the confirmation request includes data of the photograph taken or selected. The confirmation request may also include information on the start date of mid-season drainage set in the date setting unit 70s (step S126). The control unit 12 stores the photo data included in the confirmation request as the first start image S1 in the storage unit 13. More specifically, the control unit 12 stores the first start image S1 in the storage 13s and stores information on the URL of the link destination of the first start image S1 in the paddy field database 13d (step S127).

[0075] When the registration process in step S127 is completed, the control unit 12 transmits the registration completion data to the information terminal 30 (step S128), causing the registration completion page Pm as shown in Figure 13 to be displayed on the display unit 35 via the information processing unit 32 (step S129). The registration completion data is the information necessary to display and function the registration completion page Pm.

[0076] When the information processing unit 32 receives an operation to return to a previous page, such as pressing the back button r by the user (step S130), it sends a start registration request to the paddy field management device 10 (step S131). The control unit 12 sends start registration data to the information terminal 30 in response to the start registration request (step S132), and displays the start registration page Ps as shown in Figure 14 on the display unit 35 via the information processing unit 32 (step S133).

[0077] When the user presses the second button 72 while the drain is not selected (step S133), the information processing unit 32 switches to a state where the drain is selected (step S134). When a photo is taken by the user (step S135), the information processing unit 32 displays the start registration page Ps containing the image of the photo corresponding to the drain on the display unit 35, as shown in Figure 15 (step S136). On the other hand, when a photo is selected by the user (step S135), the information processing unit 32 displays the start registration page Ps in the state shown in Figure 15 on the display unit 35 (step S136).

[0078] When the user instructs the information processing unit 32 to register a photo (step S137), it sends a photo registration request to the paddy field management device 10 (step S138). The control unit 12 sends confirmation data to the information terminal 30 in response to the photo registration request (step S139), and via the information processing unit 32, displays a confirmation screen Gs as shown in Figure 16 on the display unit 35 (step S140).

[0079] When the user instructs the information processing unit 32 to confirm the photograph (step S141), it sends a confirmation request to the paddy field management device 10 (step S142). The control unit 12 stores the photograph data included in the confirmation request as the second start image S2 in the storage unit 13. More specifically, the control unit 12 saves the second start image S2 to the storage 13s and stores the URL information of the link destination of the second start image S2 in the paddy field database 13d (step S143).

[0080] The control unit 12 may determine the scheduled end date of the mid-season drainage in response to a confirmation request and store the determined end date in the storage unit 13. Specifically, it is advisable to store the mid-season drainage periods for the past few years in the storage unit 13 in advance for the paddy fields registered in this system. It is advisable to allow users to register the mid-season drainage periods for the past few years using this system. The control unit 12 then uses the mid-season drainage start date (the date on which mid-season drainage began) and the mid-season drainage periods for the past few years to determine the scheduled end date and store the determined end date in the paddy field DB.

[0081] The control unit 12 may determine the scheduled end date by calculation based on the following equations (1) to (3). This calculation assumes that calendar information is stored in the storage unit 13. The start date in equation (1) refers to the "day" of the mid-year start date; for example, if it is September 20th, it would be 20 (day). The scheduled end date corresponds to the "day" of the scheduled end date, and the provisional end date is calculated as the provisional scheduled end date. The adoption conditions are indicated in parentheses in equations (2) and (3).

[0082]

number

[0083]

number

[0084]

number

[0085] If the provisional end date is less than or equal to the number of days in the month in which the mid-year drought begins, the control unit 12 determines the scheduled end date using formula (2). In other words, if the condition that the provisional end date is less than or equal to the number of days in the month in which the mid-year drought begins is met, the control unit 12 sets the provisional end date as the scheduled end date. On the other hand, if the provisional end date is greater than the number of days in the month in which the mid-year drought begins is met, the control unit 12 determines the scheduled end date using formula (3). When using formula (3), that is, if the condition that the provisional end date is greater than the number of days in the month in which the mid-year drought begins is met, the control unit 12 sets the month following the month in which the mid-year drought began as the "month" of the scheduled end date.

[0086] The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries' website states that "extending the mid-season drainage period in rice cultivation" has been approved as a new methodology for J-Credits. Specifically, it states that "if the mid-season drainage period is extended by 7 days or more compared to the average number of days of implementation in the paddy field over the past two years or more, and a prescribed review is conducted, certification of 'credits' for the amount of reduction can be obtained." Therefore, the paddy field management device 10 in this embodiment uses the average of the mid-season drainage periods over the past two years as the reference number of days, and employs a method of determining the planned completion date with a suppression coefficient of 7 (days).

[0087] In the example shown in Figure 18, where the mid-season drainage start date (implementation date) is set to September 20, 2024, the control unit 12 applies the start date of 20 (days), the base number of days of 8 (days), and the suppression coefficient of 7 (days) to equation (1) to calculate 34 (days) as the provisional end date (20 + 8 + 7 - 1 = 34). Next, the control unit 12 compares the calculated provisional end date with the number of days in September. Since the provisional end date of 34 (days) is greater than the number of days in September of 30 (days), the control unit 12 uses equation (3) to find 4 (days) as the planned end date (34 - 30 = 4). Then, the control unit 12 adds 1 to the mid-season drainage start month of 9 (month), making the "month" of the planned end date 10 (month), to find "October 4th" as the planned end date.

[0088] However, the system may use the previous year's mid-season drought period as the base number of days. If the mid-season drought periods for the most recent few years are stored, the base number of days may be determined not only by the average of these periods, but also by other methods such as weighting each year and then taking the average. This system may also be configured to allow registration of the base number of days instead of the mid-season drought periods for the most recent few years. The suppression coefficient is not limited to 7 (days) and should be changed as appropriate from the perspective of suppressing methane generation.

[0089] When the registration process is complete, the control unit 12 transmits the registration completion data to the information terminal 30 (step S145), and via the information processing unit 32, displays the registration completion page Pm as shown in Figure 17 on the display unit 35. The user can confirm that the registration process at the start of the mid-season has been completed by viewing the registration completion page Pm (step S146).

[0090] Incidentally, users do not need to log in to this system until the mid-season drainage is complete, but in this embodiment, they can check the scheduled completion date as needed, for example, by following the steps below. For example, when the registration completion page Pm is displayed on the display unit 35, if the user presses the list transition button R to instruct them to return to the paddy field list (step S147), the information processing unit 32 sends a list request to the paddy field management device 10 (step S148). The control unit 12 sends the paddy field list data to the information terminal 30 in response to the list request (step S149), and displays the paddy field list page Pa as shown in Figure 4 or Figure 20 on the display unit 35 via the information processing unit 32. In the case where the paddy field list page Pa as shown in Figure 20 is displayed, the user can check the scheduled completion date at this point. The same applies after logging in again (step S150).

[0091] When the information processing unit 32 receives a selection operation for a paddy field on the paddy field list page Pa (step S151), it transmits the selection data to the paddy field management device 10 (step S152). The control unit 12 compares the transmitted selection data with the paddy field DB and transmits the extracted paddy field data to the information terminal 30 (step S153), thereby displaying the paddy field information page Pb as shown in Figure 18 on the display unit 35 via the information processing unit 32. The user can check the scheduled completion date by viewing the paddy field information page Pb (step S154).

[0092] Next, an example of operation at the time of registering the end of mid-season drainage will be described based on the sequence charts in Figures 25 and 26. Processes similar to those in Figures 23 and 24 will be omitted or simplified as appropriate. The paddy field management system 100 executes the processes in steps S101 to S104 according to the user's operation. That is, the control unit 12 displays the paddy field list page Pa, as shown in Figure 4 or Figure 20, on the display unit 35.

[0093] When the information processing unit 32 receives a paddy field selection operation (step S105), it transmits the selection data to the paddy field management device 10 (step S106), and the control unit 12 returns the paddy field data (step S107), causing the paddy field information page Pb as shown in Figure 5 to be displayed on the display unit 35. The paddy field information page Pb may also include a scheduled date display Dx (step S108). When the information processing unit 32 is instructed to display a task (step S109), it transmits a task display request to the paddy field management device 10 (step S110), and the control unit 12 returns task selection data (step S111), causing the task selection page Pc as shown in Figure 6 to be displayed on the display unit 35 (step S112).

[0094] When the mid-season drainage completion button 65 is pressed and the display of the registration page for the completion of mid-season drainage of the paddy field is instructed (step S201), the information processing unit 32 sends a completion registration request to the paddy field management device 10 (step S202). The control unit 12 sends completion registration data to the information terminal 30 in response to the completion registration request (step S203), causing the completion registration page Pe as shown in Figure 18 to be displayed on the display unit 35 (step S204). The completion registration data is the information necessary to display and function the completion registration page Pe.

[0095] When the date for the end of the mid-season drainage is set by an operation on the date setting unit 70e, the information processing unit 32 registers the set date as the mid-season drainage end date (step S205). Also, when the water intake is not selected, the information processing unit 32 switches to a state where the water intake is selected when the first button 71 is pressed by the user (step S206). When a photograph is taken or selected by the user (step S207), the information processing unit 32 displays the end registration page Pe, which includes an image of the photograph corresponding to the water intake (step S208).

[0096] When the information processing unit 32 receives an instruction to register a photograph (step S209), it sends a photograph registration request to the paddy field management device 10 (step S210). The control unit 12 sends confirmation data to the information terminal 30 in response to the photograph registration request (step S211), and displays the confirmation screen Gs, which is configured in the same way as in the example in Figure 12, on the display unit 35 (step S212).

[0097] When the information processing unit 32 is instructed to confirm the photograph (step S213), it sends a confirmation request to the paddy field management device 10. In this embodiment, the confirmation request includes data of the photograph taken or selected. The confirmation request may also include information on the end date of mid-season drainage set in the date setting unit 70e (step S214). The control unit 12 stores the photograph data included in the confirmation request as the first final image E1 in the storage unit 13. More specifically, the control unit 12 saves the first final image E1 to the storage 13s and stores the URL information of the link destination of the first final image E1 in the paddy field database 13d (step S215). When the registration process in step S215 is completed, the control unit 12 sends the registration completion data to the information terminal 30 (step S216), and displays the registration completion page Pm, which is configured in the same way as in the example in Figure 13, on the display unit 35 (step S217).

[0098] When the information processing unit 32 receives a request to return to the previous page (step S218), it sends a termination registration request to the paddy field management device 10 (step S219). The control unit 12 sends termination registration data to the information terminal 30 in response to the termination registration request (step S220), causing the termination registration page Pe, in a state where the first button 71 is not functioning, to be displayed on the display unit 35 (step S221).

[0099] When the user presses the second button 72 while the drain outlet is not selected, the information processing unit 32 switches to the state where the drain outlet is selected (step S222). When a photograph is taken or selected by the user (step S223), the information processing unit 32 displays the completion registration page Pe, which includes the image of the photograph corresponding to the drain outlet, on the display unit 35 (step S224).

[0100] When the user instructs the information processing unit 32 to register a photo (step S225), it sends a photo registration request to the paddy field management device 10 (step S226). The control unit 12 sends confirmation data to the information terminal 30 in response to the photo registration request (step S227), and displays a confirmation screen Gs configured in the same way as in the example in Figure 16 on the display unit 35 (step S228).

[0101] When the user instructs the information processing unit 32 to confirm the photo (step S229), it sends a confirmation request to the paddy field management device 10 (step S230). The control unit 12 stores the photo data included in the confirmation request as the second final image E2 in the storage unit 13. More specifically, the control unit 12 saves the second final image E2 to the storage 13s and stores the URL information of the link destination of the second final image E2 in the paddy field database 13d (step S231).

[0102] When the registration process is complete, the control unit 12 transmits the registration completion data to the information terminal 30 (step S232), causing the registration completion page Pn shown in Figure 19 to be displayed on the display unit 35. By viewing the registration completion page Pn, the user can confirm that the registration process at the end of the middle period has been completed (step S233).

[0103] The above processes have been explained in the order of the step numbers indicated in each figure, but the order of the processes is not limited to these examples, and it is possible to omit some of the processes. For example, the process of taking or selecting a photograph of the water intake which will become the first start image S1 and the process of taking or selecting a photograph of the drainage outlet which will become the second start image S2 may be performed in either order. Similarly, the process of taking or selecting a photograph of the water intake which will become the first end image E1 and the process of taking or selecting a photograph of the drainage outlet which will become the second end image E2 may be performed in either order. Setting the start date of mid-season drainage in step S117 does not need to be done at the timing shown in Figure 23, and setting the end date of mid-season drainage in step S205 does not need to be done at the timing shown in Figure 25. The confirmation processes in steps S123 to S126 and the confirmation processes in steps S211 to S214 may be omitted. The processes in steps S131 and S132 may be omitted, in which case the information processing unit 32 may perform the process in step S133 without communicating with the paddy field management device 10. Similarly, steps S219 and S220 may be omitted, in which case the information processing unit 32 may perform the process in step S221 without communicating with the paddy field management device 10.

[0104] Next, referring to the sequence chart in Figure 27, we will explain an example of the operation from the registration status viewing page Pj to the display of the production management record page Pk. The second service can also be received at the information terminal 30, but here we will explain it assuming that the user uses the service via the management terminal 40.

[0105] When a user launches the application related to the second service of this system and the verification process for login is completed (steps S301 and S302), the control unit 12 obtains registration information (mid-season drainage registration data) related to the mid-season drainage of each paddy field associated with that user from the paddy field database 13d (step S303), and obtains registration images (mid-season drainage registration images) related to the start or end of mid-season drainage from the storage 13s (step S304). Then, the control unit 12 transmits viewing data, including the mid-season drainage registration data and mid-season drainage registration images related to that user, to the management terminal 40 (step S305), and displays the registration status viewing page Pj as shown in Figure 21 on the management display unit 45 via the management processing unit 42 (step S306). The viewing data is information necessary to display and operate the registration status viewing page Pj.

[0106] When the user presses the display button 93 and the management processing unit 42 receives a paddy field selection operation, it transmits paddy field selection data indicating the selected paddy field to the paddy field management device 10. The paddy field selection data includes identification information of the paddy field corresponding to the pressed display button 93 (step S308). The control unit 12 obtains the mid-season drainage registration data for the paddy field associated with the paddy field selection data from the paddy field database 13d (step S309), and also obtains the mid-season drainage registration image from the storage 13s (step S310). Then, the control unit 12 transmits viewing data including the mid-season drainage registration data and mid-season drainage registration image related to the paddy field to the management terminal 40 (step S311), causing the production management record page Pk as shown in Figure 22 to be displayed on the management display unit 45 via the management processing unit 42 (step S312). The user can utilize the displayed production management record page Pk by printing it out or saving it as a PDF.

[0107] As described above, the paddy field management device 10 in this embodiment displays a start registration page Ps on the display unit 35 upon receiving a display instruction for the start of mid-season drainage, and displays a end registration page Pe on the display unit 35 upon receiving a display instruction for the end of mid-season drainage. The start registration page Ps accepts registration of a first start image S1 indicating that water cannot be taken into the paddy field, and a second start image S2 indicating that water is being discharged from the paddy field. The end registration page Pe accepts registration of a first end image E1 indicating that water can be taken into the paddy field, and a second end image E2 indicating that water cannot be discharged from the paddy field. Therefore, the registration of these images that can be used for managing the mid-season drainage period can be smoothly facilitated, allowing users to efficiently manage the mid-season drainage period. Furthermore, with text input or handwritten applications, it is difficult to confirm whether the mid-season drainage period has actually been extended, but in the paddy field management system 100, registration of photographs that allow for a quick confirmation of the situation is a mandatory requirement. Therefore, the reliability of the final determined mid-season drainage period can be increased.

[0108] The start registration page Ps has the function of accepting registration operations for the start date of the mid-season drying period, and the end registration page Pe has the function of accepting registration operations for the end date of the mid-season drying period. More specifically, the start registration page Ps includes a date setting section 70s for setting the start date of the mid-season drying period, and the end registration page Pe includes a date setting section 70e for setting the end date of the mid-season drying period. Users do not necessarily register photos immediately after taking them; it is expected that they may register them several days later. If the date on which the photo is registered is recorded as the start date or end date of the mid-season drying period, a discrepancy will occur between the recorded mid-season drying period and the actual mid-season drying period. In this regard, by configuring the system to allow registration of both the start date and the end date of the mid-season drying period, it is possible to record an accurate mid-season drying period even when registration is made several days after taking the photo.

[0109] However, the control unit 12 may extract the shooting date from the photo data and record it as the start date or end date of the mid-season drying period. For example, the control unit 12 may extract the shooting dates from the first start image S1 and the second start image S2 and store the extracted shooting dates in the storage unit 13 as the start date of the mid-season drying period. Similarly, the control unit 12 may extract the shooting dates from the first end image E1 and the second end image E2 and store the extracted shooting dates in the storage unit 13 as the end date of the mid-season drying period. The control unit 12 may then display the shooting dates extracted from the first start image S1 and the second start image S2 as the start date of the mid-season drying period on the registration completion page Pm, or display the shooting dates extracted from the first end image E1 and the second end image E2 as the end date of the mid-season drying period on the registration completion page Pn. The control unit 12 may also use the extracted shooting dates as the start date of the mid-season drying period to determine the planned end date of the mid-season drying period. The control unit 12 may display or notify an alert if the shooting dates of the first start image S1 and the second start image S2 are different. Similarly, the control unit 12 may display or notify an alert if the shooting dates of the first end image E1 and the second end image E2 are different. Furthermore, the control unit 12 may add GPS location information to the captured photographs.

[0110] The control unit 12 may use the start date of the mid-season drainage of the paddy field and the mid-season drainage period for the paddy field over the past few years, which have been registered in advance, to determine the scheduled end date of the mid-season drainage in the paddy field. The control unit 12 may then display the determined scheduled end date on the registration completion page Pm (corresponding to Figure 17), which indicates that the first start image S1 and the second start image S2 have been registered. In this way, the scheduled end date of the mid-season drainage can be known at the stage when the start images S are registered, allowing for earlier planning of the work. The control unit 12 may also display the determined scheduled end date on the completion registration page Pe (corresponding to Figure 18). In this way, when a user opens the completion registration page Pe prior to registering the end of the mid-season drainage, they can be allowed to confirm the scheduled end date in advance. Also, when a user opens the completion registration page Pe to register the end of the mid-season drainage, they can be allowed to confirm whether there is any discrepancy with the scheduled end date, whether the current day is after the scheduled end date, etc. The control unit 12 may also display the determined scheduled end date on the paddy field list page Pa (see Figure 20). This allows users to check the scheduled completion date early in the screen transition, and users who have registered multiple rice paddies can check the scheduled completion dates for each of them on the rice paddy list page Pa.

[0111] When information regarding mid-season drainage of a paddy field is requested via the management terminal 40, the control unit 12 may display the production management record page Pk, which includes the start image S and end image E, along with information regarding the start date and end date of mid-season drainage of the paddy field, on the management display unit 45 of the management terminal 40. As the information terminal 30, a smartphone or tablet PC that is easy to carry to the paddy field is mainly used, but the screen of a smartphone is unsuitable for checking the production management record page Pk. Therefore, in this embodiment, a separate application for the second service is provided so that the user can check the production management record page Pk using the management terminal 40 located at home or in the office.

[0112] However, the application related to this system, that is, the paddy field management program 13p, may be configured to allow selective use of the first service and the second service. For example, when the user login process is completed, the paddy field management device 10 may be configured to display an initial screen on the display unit 35 that includes a paddy field list button that transitions to a paddy field list page Pa as shown in Figure 4, and a registration status confirmation button that transitions to a registration status viewing page Pj as shown in Figure 21. In this case, the user can check the production management record page Pk on either the information terminal 30 or the management terminal 40. In other words, when information regarding mid-season drainage of a paddy field is requested via the information terminal 30, the control unit 12 may display the production management record page Pk, which includes the start image S and end image E, along with information regarding the start date and end date of mid-season drainage of the paddy field, on the display unit 35.

[0113] In this embodiment, the paddy field management method is configured such that one or more processors execute a start registration process, in which, upon receiving an instruction to display a registration page for the start of mid-season drainage of a paddy field, a start registration page Ps that accepts the registration of a start image S indicating that mid-season drainage has started is displayed on the display unit 35 of the information terminal 30, and an end registration process, in which, upon receiving an instruction to display a registration page for the end of mid-season drainage of a paddy field, an end registration page Pe that accepts the registration of an end image E indicating that mid-season drainage has ended is displayed on the display unit 35. When information regarding mid-season drainage of a paddy field is requested via the information terminal 30 or the management terminal 40, the one or more processors execute a production management record display process, in which they display a production management record page Pk on the display unit 35 or the management display unit 45.

[0114] The embodiments described above are examples of paddy field management devices, paddy field management systems, paddy field management programs, and paddy field management methods, and the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. For example, the above embodiments show an example in which two images are registered at the start of mid-season drainage and at the end of mid-season drainage, but the invention is not limited to this. The paddy field management system 100 may be configured to register only one image at either the start of mid-season drainage or the end of mid-season drainage, or it may be configured to register only one image at either the start of mid-season drainage or the end of mid-season drainage. For example, the paddy field management device 10 and the paddy field management program 13p may be configured to request a first start image S1 at the start of mid-season drainage and at least one of the first end image E1 and the second end image E2 at the end of mid-season drainage. Alternatively, the paddy field management device 10 and the paddy field management program 13p may be configured to request a second start image S2 at the start of mid-season drainage and at least one of the first end image E1 and the second end image E2 at the end of mid-season drainage. Even in this manner, the first start image S1 and the first end image E1 show a portion of the paddy field along with the water intake, allowing us to check the condition of the water intake and the water level in the paddy field. Similarly, the second start image S2 and the second end image E2 show a portion of the paddy field along with the water intake, allowing us to check the condition of the drainage outlet and the water level in the paddy field. Therefore, the start and end of mid-season drainage can be determined by these combinations as well.

[0115] However, it is preferable to request a first start image S1 when the mid-season drainage begins, and it is more preferable to request two images each at the start and end of the mid-season drainage. However, the paddy field management system 100 may be configured to register three or more images for at least one of the start and end of the mid-season drainage. At the start of the mid-season drainage, the paddy field management system 100 may request the registration of a photograph, for example, a panoramic view of the paddy field, in addition to the first start image S1 and the first end image E1. Similarly, at the end of the mid-season drainage, the paddy field management system 100 may request the registration of a photograph, for example, a panoramic view of the paddy field, in addition to the second start image S2 and the second end image E2.

[0116] The initial registration page Ps does not necessarily have to have a first button 71 and a second button 72. For example, if the order of photo registration is predetermined as "water intake → drain outlet," there is no need to ask the user to make a selection. Therefore, instead of the first button 71 and the second button 72, when registering the first initial image S1, a string containing "water intake" may be displayed, such as a descriptive phrase like "Please register a photo of the water intake" or simply the word "water intake." Similarly, when registering the second initial image S2, a string containing "drain outlet" may be displayed instead of the first button 71 and the second button 72. The same applies when registering the final image E.

[0117] The pages shown in each diagram (Pa, Pb, Pc, Pe, Pj, Pk, Pm, Pn, Ps) are merely examples. The arrangement of elements displayed on each screen, as well as their shapes, fonts, and expressions, can be changed as appropriate, and elements can be freely selected or omitted. For example, the text on each virtual button and the descriptions on each page can be changed as appropriate, not limited to the examples in the diagrams. While the diagrams are shown in grayscale, actual screens will use colors for text, graphics, etc., as appropriate. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0118] 5n Paddy field section, 10 Paddy field management device, 11 Communication unit, 12 Control unit, 12a Recording processing means, 12b Management processing means, 13 Storage unit, 13d Paddy field database, 13p Paddy field management program, 13s Storage, 20 Operation terminal, 30 Information terminal, 31 Communication unit, 32 Information processing unit, 33 Storage unit, 34 Input unit, 35 Display unit, 36 Imaging unit, 40 Management terminal, 41 Communication unit, 42 Management processing unit, 43 Storage unit, 44 Input unit, 45 Management display unit, 50 List display unit, 51 Details unit, 52 Edit button, 53 Map button, 54 Work day registration button, 55 History confirmation button, 58 Filter button, 61 Plowing button, 62 Puddling button, 63 Rice planting button, 64 Mid-season drainage start button, 65 Mid-season drainage end button, 70e Date setting section, 70s Date setting section, 71 First button, 72 Second button, 73 Paste section, 73a Shoot button, 73b Select button, 76 Register button, 77 Cancel button, 80 Status section, 81 First start section, 82 Second start section, 83 First end section, 84 Second end section, 92 Search section, 93 Display button, 100 Paddy field management system, A Application section, B Shoot button, Bn Negative button, By Affirmative button, Dx Scheduled date display, E End image, E1 First end image, E2 Second end image, Gm Image capture screen, Gs Confirmation screen, H Paddy field name, M Monitor section, Ma Start information section, Mb End information section, N Network, Pa Paddy field list page, Pb Paddy field information page, Pc Work selection page, Pe End registration page, Pj Registration status viewing page, Pk Production management record page, Pm, Pn Registration complete page, Ps Registration start page, Q Mid-season drainage period data, R List transition button, R1, R2 Area, S Start image, S1 First start image, S2 Second start image, Sa Description, Sb Warning, So Photo, T Title section, Ta Photo title, W Working section, Y User section, Z1 List display section, Z2 Paddy field details section, Z3 Image display section, n Page section, r Back button.

Claims

1. A paddy field management device having a control unit that, upon receiving an instruction to display a registration page for the start of mid-season drainage of a paddy field, displays a start registration page on the display unit of an information terminal that accepts registration of a start image indicating that mid-season drainage has started, and upon receiving an instruction to display a registration page for the end of mid-season drainage of a paddy field, displays an end registration page on the display unit that accepts registration of an end image indicating that mid-season drainage has ended.

2. The aforementioned start registration page accepts registration of a first start image showing a state in which water cannot be taken into the paddy field, and a second start image showing a state in which water is being discharged from the paddy field, as the start images. The paddy field management device according to claim 1, wherein the termination registration page accepts registration of a first termination image showing a state in which water can be taken into the paddy field and a second termination image showing a state in which water cannot be discharged from the paddy field, as the termination images.

3. The aforementioned registration page has the function of accepting registration of the start date of the mid-season drying period. The paddy field management device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the aforementioned completion registration page has a function to accept registration of the mid-season drainage completion date.

4. The control unit, A paddy field management device according to claim 1 or 2, which uses the start date of mid-season drainage of the paddy field and the mid-season drainage period of the paddy field for the most recent few years, which have been registered in advance, to determine the scheduled end date of mid-season drainage in the paddy field, and displays the determined scheduled end date on a registration completion page indicating that the start image has been registered.

5. The control unit, A paddy field management device according to claim 1 or 2, which uses the start date of mid-season drainage of the paddy field and the mid-season drainage period of the paddy field for the most recent few years, which have been registered in advance, to determine the planned end date of mid-season drainage in the paddy field, and displays the determined planned end date on the end date registration page.

6. The control unit, A paddy field management device according to claim 1 or 2, which uses the start date of mid-season drainage of the paddy field and the mid-season drainage period of the paddy field for the most recent few years, which have been registered in advance, to determine the scheduled end date of mid-season drainage in the paddy field, and displays the determined scheduled end date on a paddy field list page where information on one or more paddy fields registered by the user is displayed in a list.

7. The control unit, The paddy field management device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when information regarding mid-season drainage of a paddy field is requested via the management terminal, a production management record page including the start image and the end image, along with information regarding the start date and end date of mid-season drainage of the paddy field, is displayed on the management display unit of the management terminal.

8. The control unit, The paddy field management device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when information regarding mid-season drainage of a paddy field is requested via the information terminal, the display unit displays a production management record page including the start image and the end image, along with information regarding the start date and end date of mid-season drainage of the paddy field.

9. An information terminal equipped with a display unit that shows a start registration page for accepting registration of start images indicating that the mid-season drying period has begun, and a end registration page for accepting registration of end images indicating that the mid-season drying period has ended, A paddy field management system comprising a paddy field management device equipped with a control unit that, upon receiving an instruction to display a registration page for the start of mid-season drainage of a paddy field, displays the start registration page on the display unit, and upon receiving an instruction to display a registration page for the end of mid-season drainage of a paddy field, displays the end registration page on the display unit.

10. An information terminal equipped with a display unit that shows a start registration page for accepting registration of start images indicating that the mid-season drying period has begun, and a end registration page for accepting registration of end images indicating that the mid-season drying period has ended, A management terminal equipped with a management display unit that displays a production management record page including the start image and the end image, along with information related to the start date and end date of mid-season drainage of paddy fields selected by the user, A paddy field management device comprising a control unit that, upon receiving an instruction to display the registration page for the start of mid-season drainage of a paddy field, displays the start registration page on the display unit, and upon receiving an instruction to display the registration page for the end of mid-season drainage of a paddy field, displays the end registration page on the display unit, The control unit, A paddy field management system that, when information regarding mid-season drainage of a paddy field is requested via the management terminal, displays the production management record page on the management display unit.

11. A paddy field management program that causes a computer to function as a recording processing means, which, upon receiving an instruction to display a registration page for the start of mid-season drainage of a paddy field, displays a start registration page on the display unit of an information terminal that accepts registration of a start image indicating that mid-season drainage has started, and upon receiving an instruction to display a registration page for the end of mid-season drainage of a paddy field, displays an end registration page on the same display unit that accepts registration of an end image indicating that mid-season drainage has ended.

12. A paddy field management method comprising: a start registration processing step in which, upon receiving an instruction to display a registration page for the start of mid-season drainage of a paddy field, the information terminal's display unit executes a start registration page that accepts registration of a start image indicating that mid-season drainage has started; and a end registration processing step in which, upon receiving an instruction to display a registration page for the end of mid-season drainage of a paddy field, the display unit executes an end registration page that accepts registration of a end image indicating that mid-season drainage has ended, one or more processors execute these steps.

Images