Specific support devices, specific support methods, and programs

Abstract

We provide an identification support device for identifying dangerous trees. [Solution] The identification support device 100 comprises a data acquisition unit 10 that acquires measurement data measuring the positions of power lines 110 and trees 200; a fallen tree area setting unit 20 that sets a fallen tree area A where trees are likely to fall based on the measurement data of the trees; a tree identification unit 30 that identifies dangerous trees that may interfere with power lines based on the fallen tree area and the measurement data of power lines; and an output unit 40 that displays the dangerous trees in 3D rendering on a display unit 45.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a specific support device, a specific support method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a "separation distance confirmation instrument" for "stably capturing an aerial image below a power line at a predetermined distance while accurately maintaining the separation between the power line and the objective lens, and confirming the separation distance between the power line and objects in the vicinity of the power line during ground patrol." [Prior Art Document] [Patent Document] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-110107

Summary of the Invention

[0003] In a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a specific support device including: a data acquisition unit that acquires measurement data obtained by measuring the positions of power lines and trees; a fallen tree area setting unit that sets a fallen tree area where the trees may fall based on the measurement data of the trees; a tree identification unit that identifies dangerous trees that may interfere with the power lines based on the fallen tree area and the measurement data of the power lines; and an output unit that causes the dangerous trees to be displayed in a three-dimensional rendering on a display unit.

[0004] In a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a specific support method including: a step in which a computer acquires measurement data obtained by measuring the positions of power lines and trees; a step in which the computer sets a fallen tree area where the trees may fall based on the measurement data of the trees; and a step in which the computer identifies dangerous trees that may interfere with the power lines based on the fallen tree area and the measurement data of the power lines.

[0005] In a third aspect of the present invention, a program is provided that, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform the following steps: acquire measurement data measuring the positions of power lines and trees; set up areas where trees are likely to fall based on the measurement data of the trees; and identify dangerous trees that may interfere with power lines based on the areas where trees are likely to fall and the measurement data of the power lines.

[0006] It should be noted that the above summary of the invention does not enumerate all of its features. Furthermore, subcombinations of these features may also constitute an invention. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] The configuration of the specific support device 100 is shown below. [Figure 2] This is an example of an operation flowchart for the specific support device 100. [Figure 3] This is an example of a 3D rendering image showing area A with fallen trees. [Figure 4A] A modified example of the specific support device 100 is shown. [Figure 4B] This is an example of a 3D rendering image showing area A with fallen trees. [Figure 5A] A modified example of the specific support device 100 is shown. [Figure 5B] This is an example of a 3D rendering image showing area A with fallen trees. [Figure 5C] This is an example of a 3D rendering image showing area A with fallen trees. [Figure 6A] A modified example of the specific support device 100 is shown. [Figure 6B] This is an example of a tree table stored in the tree table storage unit 70. [Figure 7A] A modified example of the specific support device 100 is shown. [Figure 7B] Here is an example of a method for identifying dangerous trees. [Figure 8]Examples of a computer 2200 in which multiple aspects of the present invention may be embodied in whole or in part are shown. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] The present invention will be described below through embodiments of the invention, but these embodiments are not intended to limit the invention as defined in the claims. Furthermore, not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention.

[0009] Figure 1 shows an overview of the configuration of the specific support device 100. In this example, the specific support device 100 comprises a data acquisition unit 10, a fallen tree area setting unit 20, a tree identification unit 30, and an output unit 40. The specific support device 100 may also include a display unit 45.

[0010] The identification support device 100 assists in identifying trees 200 located around the power lines 110. The identification support device 100 assists in identifying hazardous trees that may interfere with the power lines 110. In this example, the identification support device 100 assists in identifying hazardous trees that may interfere with the power lines 110 due to falling.

[0011] In one example, the identification support device 100 assists in identifying trees 200 that should be felled among the trees 200 near the power line 110. The identification support device 100 may assist the user in identifying trees 200 to be felled on the screen, or it may assist in identifying trees 200 that are dangerous on site.

[0012] In this example, the wire 110 is a power transmission line, but is not limited to this. The wire 110 may also be a communication cable or an overhead wire for a train. The wire 110 may also be multiple power transmission lines.

[0013] The data acquisition unit 10 acquires measurement data that measures the positions of the power lines 110 and trees 200. The data acquisition unit 10 may also acquire measurement data of things other than the power lines 110 and trees 200, such as the ground surface. The measurement data may be acquired using any measurement unit mounted on an unmanned aerial vehicle such as a drone. The measurement unit may have an irradiation unit that emits laser light and a sensor that receives reflected light reflected from the object. The measurement unit may acquire measurement data using any technology such as LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging). The measurement data may be data that measures the distance to the object and the shape of the object based on the information of the reflected light of the emitted laser light.

[0014] The data acquisition unit 10 may acquire three-dimensional map information of the power lines 110 and trees 200 using technologies such as SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping). The data acquisition unit 10 can acquire three-dimensional map information including the power lines 110 and trees 200 by estimating the self-position of the unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with the measurement unit and creating an environmental map using data measured by the measurement unit. The data acquisition unit 10 may also have a measurement unit for acquiring measurement data.

[0015] The fallen tree area setting unit 20 sets a fallen tree area A where the tree 200 is likely to fall, based on measurement data of the tree 200. The fallen tree area setting unit 20 may adjust the fallen tree area A considering the type of tree 200, information about the tree 200's roots or age, the season, sunlight, the tree 200's growth rate, etc. The fallen tree area setting unit 20 may set a larger fallen tree area A than necessary, taking safety into consideration. The fallen tree area setting unit 20 may set the position information of the fallen tree area A so that it can be overlaid on an image of the power lines 110 and the tree 200 rendered in 3D.

[0016] The fallen tree area A is, in one example, a dome-shaped area with a radius R being an arbitrary distance from a predetermined reference point P of the tree 200. The dome-shaped area may be a spherical area or a hemispherical area. The dome-shaped area may be an asymmetric shape obtained by cutting off only a portion of the sphere close to the electric wire 110. The method of setting the fallen tree area A may be arbitrarily set by the user.

[0017] The fallen tree area A may be displayed in a manner that can be overlaid and displayed with the measurement data acquired by the data acquisition unit 10. The fallen tree area A may be a dome-shaped layer displayed in 3D rendering. The fallen tree area A may be defined by a surface, a line, a point, a color, etc. The fallen tree area A may be displayed as a surface from a set of set points. The fallen tree area A may be displayed semi-transparently or in a mesh form. The method of setting the fallen tree area A will be described later.

[0018] The tree identification unit 30 identifies dangerous trees that may interfere with the electric wire 110 based on the measurement data of the fallen tree area A and the electric wire 110. When the electric wire 110 is located within the fallen tree area A, the tree identification unit 30 may determine the tree 200 as a dangerous tree.

[0019] The dangerous tree may be a tree 200 that should be felled because there is a possibility of interference with the electric wire 110 when it falls. The dangerous tree may be a tree 200 that is a monitoring target that does not need to be felled immediately but should be monitored.

[0020] The tree identification unit 30 may identify dangerous trees in consideration of the fact that the position of the electric wire 110 fluctuates. The tree identification unit 30 may adjust the position of the electric wire 110 according to the usage environment of the electric wire 110. For example, the tree identification unit 30 adjusts the position of the electric wire 110 in consideration of the fact that the temperature of the electric wire 110 rises and the position of the electric wire 110 drops due to an increase in the electricity consumption.

[0021] The output unit 40 displays the hazardous trees in 3D rendering on the display unit 45. The output unit 40 may also display the fallen tree area A on the display unit 45. The output unit 40 may transmit 3D data containing information on the fallen tree area A and the hazardous trees to an external device of the identification support device 100, or store it in any storage unit. The output unit 40 may print the 3D rendering image on any printing device.

[0022] The display unit 45 displays the 3D data of the special support device 100. The display unit 45 may be a monitor or a user terminal display. The special support device 100 may or may not include the display unit 45. The special support device 100 may also cause an external display unit 45 to display a 3D rendering image via the output unit 40.

[0023] The identification support device 100 in this example can identify hazardous trees from among multiple trees 200 that may interfere with power lines 110. The identification support device 100 in this example assists the user in identifying hazardous trees. This allows the user to easily identify and cut down trees that are hazardous.

[0024] Figure 2 is an example of an operation flowchart of the specific support device 100. In step S100, measurement data is acquired to measure the positions of the power lines 110 and the trees 200. Measurement data of the ground surface and other terrain may be acquired simultaneously with the power lines 110 and the trees 200. In step S102, a tree fall area A is set based on the measurement data of the trees 200, where the trees 200 are likely to fall. The tree fall area A may be updated according to changes such as the growth of the trees 200. If there is no change in the position of the power lines 110, it is not necessary to update the measurement data of the power lines 110 and the terrain.

[0025] In step S104, dangerous trees that may interfere with the power lines 110 are identified based on the measurement data of the fallen tree area A and the power lines 110. The conditions for identifying dangerous trees may be arbitrarily set by the user. In step S106, the dangerous trees are displayed in 3D rendering on the display unit 45.

[0026] Figure 3 is an example of a 3D rendering image showing the fallen tree area A. This example of a 3D rendering image shows a viewpoint in the direction in which the power line 110 extends. In other words, this example of a 3D rendering image shows a cross-section of the power line 110.

[0027] The fallen tree area A is a dome-shaped region with radius R, which is the distance from a predetermined reference point P on tree 200 to the point on tree 200 furthest from reference point P. In this example, reference point P is the base 202 of tree 200. In this example, the fallen tree area A is a dome-shaped region with the base 202 as its center, and radius R, which is the distance from the base 202 to the point on tree 200 furthest from the base 202. For example, radius R is the distance from the base 202 to the highest point of tree 200. If tree 200 extends widely in the lateral direction, radius R does not have to be the distance from the base 202 to the highest point of tree 200. Reference point P may be the same as or different from the center of the fallen tree area A.

[0028] The output unit 40 displays the hazardous tree and the power line 110 that the hazardous tree may interfere with in a three-dimensional rendering on the display unit 45. This allows the identification support device 100 to provide the user with an easy-to-understand positional relationship between the power line 110 and the hazardous tree, thereby assisting in the identification of the hazardous tree. The identification support device 100 can provide more persuasive information in applications such as reaching a consensus on the felling of the tree 200.

[0029] In this example, the output unit 40 displays only hazardous trees, but it may also display other trees 200. Furthermore, the output unit 40 may display hazardous trees in a different color from the other trees 200, or highlight them in any way. Displaying hazardous trees in a different way from the other trees 200 makes them easier to identify.

[0030] Figure 4A shows a modified example of the specific support device 100. In this example, the fallen tree area setting unit 20 has a fallen tree area adjustment unit 22.

[0031] The fallen tree area adjustment unit 22 adjusts the fallen tree area A based on information about the trees 200. The information about the trees 200 may be information that cannot be obtained from the measurement data acquired by the data acquisition unit 10. The information about the trees 200 may be information about the roots or age of the trees 200. The fallen tree area adjustment unit 22 may adjust the radius R of the fallen tree area A based on the information about the trees 200. The specific adjustment method will be described later.

[0032] The fallen tree area adjustment unit 22 may adjust the radius R of the fallen tree area A based on the slope of the ground surface. For example, the fallen tree area adjustment unit 22 may adjust the fallen tree area A considering that the base of the tree 200 will shift when it falls as the slope increases. Alternatively, the fallen tree area adjustment unit 22 may adjust the fallen tree area A considering that the tree 200 will fall from a high position to a low position. In this case, the data acquisition unit 10 may acquire information about the ground surface around the tree 200 as measurement data and detect the slope of the ground surface around the tree 200.

[0033] Figure 4B is an example of a 3D rendering image showing the fallen tree area A. In this example, the specific support device 100 acquires the slope θ of the ground surface 210. The specific support device 100 may also calculate the slope θ from the measurement data of the ground surface 210 acquired by the data acquisition unit 10. The specific support device 100 may also acquire the slope θ of the ground surface 210 near the trees 200 from arbitrary map data that includes information about the slope θ.

[0034] The fallen tree area adjustment unit 22 may adjust the size of the radius R of the fallen tree area A according to the magnitude of the slope θ. The fallen tree area adjustment unit 22 may increase the radius R of the fallen tree area A when the slope θ exceeds a predetermined magnitude. The fallen tree area adjustment unit 22 may set a larger radius R as the slope θ increases. The fallen tree area adjustment unit 22 may increase the radius R of the fallen tree area A on the side where the slope descends relative to the tree 200, and decrease the radius R of the fallen tree area A on the side where the slope ascends. In this example, the fallen tree area adjustment unit 22 takes the slope θ into consideration and sets a radius R that is larger than the height of the tree 200.

[0035] Figure 5A shows a modified example of the specific support device 100. This example of the specific support device 100 differs from the specific support device 100 in Figure 4A in that it includes a branch width acquisition unit 50 and a root width calculation unit 60. This example will be explained in detail in terms of the differences from the specific support device 100 in Figure 4A.

[0036] The branch width acquisition unit 50 acquires the width of the branches of the tree 200. The branch width acquisition unit 50 may acquire the width of the branches of the tree 200 as viewed from above. The branch width acquisition unit 50 may acquire the maximum value of the branch width of the tree 200.

[0037] The root width calculation unit 60 calculates the root width of the tree 200 based on the width of its branches. Here, the root width may be correlated with the width of its branches. Depending on the type of tree 200, the root width may be proportional to the width of its branches. Therefore, the branch width acquisition unit 50 can calculate the root width of the tree 200 based on the width of its branches.

[0038] The fallen tree area adjustment unit 22 may adjust the radius R of the fallen tree area A based on the root width calculated by the root width calculation unit 60. The fallen tree area adjustment unit 22 may also adjust the radius R of the fallen tree area A in combination with adjustments in other embodiments, such as the slope θ.

[0039] Figure 5B is an example of a 3D rendering image showing the fallen tree area A. In this example, the specific support device 100 sets the fallen tree area A taking into account the roots of the trees 200.

[0040] In this example, the branch width acquisition unit 50 acquires the width Wt of a branch 201 of a tree 200. The branch width acquisition unit 50 acquires the width Wt of the largest branch 201 at that viewpoint. The branch width acquisition unit 50 may also acquire the width Wt of a branch 201 from a top view, or from other viewpoints from the side.

[0041] The root width calculation unit 60 calculates the root width Wb of the tree 200 based on the width Wt of the branch 201. The root width Wb may be the same as or different from the width Wt of the branch 201. The root width calculation unit 60 may also calculate the root width Wb from the relationship between the root width Wb and the width Wt of the branch 201 by referring to an arbitrary database.

[0042] The fallen tree area adjustment unit 22 may adjust the radius R and center of the fallen tree area A based on information about the roots of the tree 200. In this example, the fallen tree area adjustment unit 22 uses the lowest point of the underground roots of the tree 200 as a reference point P, and the radius R is the distance from the reference point P to the furthest point. The fallen tree area A may be an area centered on the lowest point of the underground roots of the tree 200. This makes it possible to identify dangerous trees, taking into account cases where the tree 200 falls using its roots as a pivot point.

[0043] Figure 5C is an example of a 3D rendering image showing the fallen tree area A. In this example, the specific support device 100 sets the fallen tree area A taking into account the roots of the trees 200.

[0044] The fallen tree area A is a dome-shaped region centered at a point on the base 202 of tree 200 that is close to the power line 110 by the width of the roots Wb, with radius R being the distance from the center of the tree to the point furthest from the center. In this example, the reference point P for determining radius R and the center of fallen tree area A are the same, but they may be different. Also, the method of selecting the reference point P and determining the center of fallen tree area A is just one example and is not limited to this example. The identification support device 100 in this example can identify appropriate hazardous trees even when tree 200 falls with its roots as the center.

[0045] Figure 6A shows a modified example of the specific support device 100. In this example, the specific support device 100 includes a root width calculation unit 60, a tree table storage unit 70, and a height calculation unit 80.

[0046] The tree table storage unit 70 stores a tree table that associates the type and height of the tree 200 with the width of the tree 200's roots. The tree table may include information from a general database about the tree 200, or it may include information based on measurement data previously acquired by the data acquisition unit 10.

[0047] The height calculation unit 80 calculates the height of the tree 200. The height calculation unit 80 may calculate the height of the tree 200 based on the measurement data of the tree 200 acquired by the data acquisition unit 10. However, the height calculation unit 80 may calculate the height of the tree 200 from an image of the tree 200 or the like, without using the measurement data of the tree 200.

[0048] The root width calculation unit 60 calculates the root width of the tree 200 by referring to a tree table using the type of tree 200 and the height of the tree 200 calculated by the height calculation unit 80. The root width of the tree 200 calculated by the root width calculation unit 60 may be stored in the tree table.

[0049] The fallen tree area adjustment unit 22 may adjust the radius R of the fallen tree area A based on the root width calculation unit 60. The root width of the tree 200 calculated by the root width calculation unit 60 in this example may be used for the root width in other embodiments as appropriate.

[0050] Figure 6B shows an example of a tree table stored in the tree table storage unit 70. In this example, the tree table storage unit 70 stores the type of tree 200, the corresponding height of the tree 200, and the root width in a table format. The tree table storage unit 70 may have root widths for each tree height. For example, the tree table shows that for tree A, the root widths are 4.5m, 9m, and 14m for heights of 5m, 10m, and 15m, respectively.

[0051] The tree table may contain the average height and average root width of trees. For example, the tree table shows that for tree B, the average height is 15m and the average root width is 12m. The tree table may also include other information for tree 200, such as branch width and root depth. The tree table may also include information for tree 200, such as branch width and other combinations of information, such as root width.

[0052] The root width calculation unit 60 may use data close to the height of the target tree 200, or it may calculate the height of the tree 200 by correcting the data in the tree table according to the height of the tree 200. For example, if the height of the target tree 200 is 10% higher than the tree height in the tree table, the identification support device 100 may use a value 10% higher than the root width in the tree table as the root width of the target tree 200.

[0053] Figure 7A shows a modified example of the specific support device 100. The specific support device 100 in this example differs from the specific support device 100 in Figure 1 in that it includes an extraction unit 90. In this example, the differences from the specific support device 100 in Figure 1 will be explained in particular.

[0054] The extraction unit 90 extracts trees 200 from the trees 200 surrounding the power line 110 to set up a fallen tree area A. The extraction unit 90 may obtain the results of manual extraction by the user using an input device such as a mouse, or it may automatically extract using any algorithm. The extraction unit 90 may extract multiple trees 200 as candidates for trees 200 to set up a fallen tree area A. The fallen tree area setting unit 20 may set up a fallen tree area A for each of the multiple trees 200 extracted by the extraction unit 90.

[0055] The extraction unit 90 may extract trees for setting up a fallen tree area A based on at least one of the size or location of the trees 200. In one example, the extraction unit 90 extracts trees for setting up a fallen tree area A based on the height of the trees 200 around the power lines 110. The extraction unit 90 may exclude trees 200 that are shorter than the height of the power lines 110 from the candidates for setting up a fallen tree area A.

[0056] The extraction unit 90 extracts trees for setting up the fallen tree area A based on their distance from the power lines 110. The extraction unit 90 may also extract trees for setting up the fallen tree area A based on the height of the trees 200 and the distance between the trees 200 and the power lines 110. For example, the extraction unit 90 may set a predetermined reference height based on the maximum or average height of the surrounding trees, and exclude trees 200 that are further from the power lines 110 than the reference height from the candidates for setting up the fallen tree area A, as they do not need to be cut down.

[0057] Figure 7B shows an example of a method for identifying dangerous trees. The extraction unit 90 extracts a specific tree, tree 200a, from a group of trees 200.

[0058] Tree 200b is a tree shorter than the height of the power line 110. The extraction unit 90 may exclude trees 200b shorter than the height of the power line 110 from the list of hazardous trees. The height to be compared may be an absolute height in three-dimensional space, or it may be a height from the ground surface 210.

[0059] Tree 200c is a tree that is further from the power line 110 than a predetermined distance. The extraction unit 90 may exclude trees 200c that are further from the power line 110 than a predetermined distance from the power line 110 from the list of candidates for dangerous trees. The predetermined distance may be determined based on the average height or maximum height of the trees 200. For example, the extraction unit 90 excludes trees 200 that are further from the power line 110 than their maximum height from the list of candidates for dangerous trees. The maximum height may be a statistical maximum height depending on the type of tree 200, or it may be the maximum height of the trees 200 around the power line 110. The extraction unit 90 may arbitrarily set a standard, such as twice the average height of the trees 200, and exclude trees 200 that are further from the power line 110 than the standard from the list of candidates for dangerous trees.

[0060] Tree 200d is a tree located on the ground surface 210 where the slope is on the opposite side from the power line 110. The extraction unit 90 may exclude tree 200d, which is located on the ground surface 210 where the slope is on the opposite side from the power line 110, from the list of candidates for dangerous trees. The extraction unit 90 may also extract candidates that will become dangerous trees, or exclude them from the list of candidates that will become dangerous trees, by appropriately combining methods for identifying candidates for dangerous trees.

[0061] The output unit 40 may output location information of hazardous trees. The location information of hazardous trees may be three-dimensional coordinate information in a predetermined coordinate space. The location information of hazardous trees is not limited to information that can identify the location of the hazardous tree. The location information of hazardous trees may be the position coordinates of the base 202. Outputting the position coordinates of the base 202 makes it easier for users to more accurately identify hazardous trees on site.

[0062] In this case, it was difficult to identify hazardous trees around power line 110 at the site, and sometimes not only the hazardous trees but also surrounding trees were cut down together. In particular, it was difficult to identify trees when cutting down trees far from the transmission tower or when cutting down trees on slopes or other difficult terrain. In this example, the location of hazardous trees can be accurately identified, eliminating the need to cut down only the hazardous trees and not the other trees. This makes it possible to reduce the cost of tree felling while protecting the environment.

[0063] Figure 8 shows an example of a computer 2200 in which multiple aspects of the present invention may be embodied in whole or in part. A program installed on the computer 2200 can cause the computer 2200 to function as an operation or one or more sections of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, or to execute such operation or one or more sections, and / or to cause the computer 2200 to execute a process or a stage of such process according to an embodiment of the present invention. Such a program may be executed by the CPU 2212 to cause the computer 2200 to perform a particular operation associated with some or all of the blocks in the flowcharts and block diagrams described herein.

[0064] The computer 2200 according to this embodiment includes a CPU 2212, RAM 2214, a graphics controller 2216, and a display device 2218, which are interconnected by a host controller 2210. The computer 2200 also includes input / output units such as a communication interface 2222, a hard disk drive 2224, a DVD-ROM drive 2226, and an IC card drive, which are connected to the host controller 2210 via an input / output controller 2220. The computer also includes legacy input / output units such as a ROM 2230 and a keyboard 2242, which are connected to the input / output controller 2220 via an input / output chip 2240.

[0065] The CPU 2212 operates according to programs stored in the ROM 2230 and RAM 2214, thereby controlling each unit. The graphics controller 2216 acquires image data generated by the CPU 2212 from the frame buffer provided in RAM 2214 or from itself, and displays the image data on the display device 2218.

[0066] The communication interface 2222 communicates with other electronic devices via a network. The hard disk drive 2224 stores programs and data used by the CPU 2212 in the computer 2200. The DVD-ROM drive 2226 reads programs or data from the DVD-ROM 2201 and provides them to the hard disk drive 2224 via the RAM 2214. The IC card drive reads programs and data from the IC card and / or writes programs and data to the IC card.

[0067] The ROM 2230 stores boot programs and / or hardware-dependent programs of the computer 2200, which are executed by the computer 2200 upon activation. The input / output chip 2240 may also connect various input / output units to the input / output controller 2220 via parallel ports, serial ports, keyboard ports, mouse ports, etc.

[0068] The program is provided on a computer-readable medium such as a DVD-ROM 2201 or an IC card. The program is read from the computer-readable medium and installed on a hard disk drive 2224, RAM 2214, or ROM 2230, which are examples of computer-readable mediums, and executed by the CPU 2212. The information processing described within these programs is read by the computer 2200, resulting in coordination between the program and the various types of hardware resources described above. The apparatus or method may be configured to realize the manipulation or processing of information in accordance with the use of the computer 2200.

[0069] For example, when communication is performed between a computer 2200 and an external device, the CPU 2212 may execute a communication program loaded into RAM 2214 and, based on the processing described in the communication program, instruct the communication interface 2222 to perform communication processing. Under the control of the CPU 2212, the communication interface 2222 reads transmission data stored in a transmission buffer processing area provided in a recording medium such as RAM 2214, a hard disk drive 2224, a DVD-ROM 2201, or an IC card, transmits the read transmission data to the network, or writes received data received from the network to a reception buffer processing area provided on the recording medium.

[0070] Furthermore, the CPU 2212 may read all or necessary parts of files or databases stored on external storage media such as the hard disk drive 2224, DVD-ROM drive 2226 (DVD-ROM 2201), or IC card into the RAM 2214, and perform various types of processing on the data in the RAM 2214. The CPU 2212 then writes the processed data back to the external storage media.

[0071] Various types of information, such as various types of programs, data, tables, and databases, may be stored on the recording medium and subjected to information processing. The CPU 2212 may perform various types of processing on the data read from RAM 2214, including various types of operations, information processing, conditional judgments, conditional branching, unconditional branching, information retrieval / replacement, etc., as described throughout this disclosure and specified by the program instruction sequence, and write the results back to RAM 2214. The CPU 2212 may also retrieve information in files, databases, etc., within the recording medium. For example, if multiple entries are stored in the recording medium, each having an attribute value of a first attribute associated with an attribute value of a second attribute, the CPU 2212 may search among the multiple entries for an entry that matches the condition for which the attribute value of the first attribute is specified, read the attribute value of the second attribute stored in that entry, and thereby obtain the attribute value of the second attribute associated with the first attribute that satisfies a predetermined condition.

[0072] The programs or software modules described above may be stored on or near computer 2200 on a computer-readable medium. Alternatively, recording media such as hard disks or RAM provided within a server system connected to a dedicated communication network or the Internet can be used as computer-readable media, thereby providing programs to computer 2200 via the network.

[0073] Although the present invention has been described above using embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications or improvements can be made to the above embodiments. It will be clear from the claims that such modified or improved forms may also be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0074] It should be noted that the execution order of operations, procedures, steps, and stages in the apparatus, systems, programs, and methods shown in the claims, specifications, and drawings is not explicitly stated as "before," "prior to," etc., and that these can be implemented in any order unless the output of a previous process is used in a later process. Even if the operation flow in the claims, specifications, and drawings is described using phrases such as "first," "next," etc. for convenience, it does not mean that it is essential to perform the operations in that order. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0075] 10...Data acquisition unit, 20...Fallen tree area setting unit, 22...Fallen tree area adjustment unit, 30...Tree identification unit, 40...Output unit, 45...Display unit, 50...Branch width acquisition unit, 60...Root width calculation unit, 70...Tree table storage unit, 80...Height calculation unit, 90...Extraction unit, 100...Identification support device, 110...Power line, 200...Tree, 201...Branch, 202...Root, 210...Ground surface, 2200...Computer, 22 01···DVD-ROM, 2210···Host Controller, 2212···CPU, 2214···RAM, 2216···Graphics Controller, 2218···Display Device, 2220···Input / Output Controller, 2222···Communication Interface, 2224···Hard Disk Drive, 2226···DVD-ROM Drive, 2230···ROM, 2240···Input / Output Chip, 2242···Keyboard

Claims

1. A data acquisition unit that acquires measurement data by measuring the positions of power lines and trees, A tree-falling area setting unit sets a tree-falling area where the tree is likely to fall, based on the measurement data of the tree. A tree identification unit identifies dangerous trees that may interfere with the power lines, based on the area of ​​fallen trees and the measurement data of the power lines. The output unit displays the aforementioned dangerous trees in 3D rendering on the display unit, A specific support device equipped with the following features.

2. The aforementioned fallen tree area is a dome-shaped region whose radius is the distance between a predetermined reference point on the tree and the point on the tree furthest from the reference point. The specific support device according to claim 1.

3. The fallen tree area is a dome-shaped region centered on the base of the tree, with a radius equal to the distance from the base to the point on the tree furthest from the base. The specific support device according to claim 2.

4. The fallen tree area setting unit has a fallen tree area adjustment unit that adjusts the fallen tree area based on information about the trees. The specific support device according to claim 1.

5. The fallen tree area adjustment unit adjusts the radius and center of the fallen tree area based on information regarding the tree roots. The specific support device according to claim 4.

6. The data acquisition unit acquires information about the ground surface around the tree as measurement data, and detects the slope of the ground surface around the tree. The fallen tree area adjustment unit adjusts the radius of the fallen tree area based on the slope of the ground surface. The specific support device according to claim 4.

7. A branch width acquisition unit that acquires the width of the branches of the tree as viewed from above, A root width calculation unit that calculates the width of the tree's roots based on the width of the branches, Equipped with, The fallen tree area is a dome-shaped region centered at a point close to the power line by the width of the roots, with a radius equal to the distance from the center of the tree to the point furthest from the center. A specific support device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A tree table storage unit that stores a tree table that associates the type and height of a tree with the width of the tree's roots, A height calculation unit for calculating the height of the aforementioned tree, A root width calculation unit calculates the width of the tree's roots by referring to the tree table using the type of tree and the height calculated by the height calculation unit, Equipped with, The fallen tree area is a dome-shaped region centered at a point close to the power line by the width of the roots, with a radius equal to the distance from the center of the tree to the point furthest from the center. A specific support device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

9. The system includes an extraction unit that extracts trees from the trees surrounding the power line to define the fallen tree area. A specific support device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

10. The extraction unit extracts trees for defining the fallen tree area based on the height of the trees surrounding the power line. The specific support device according to claim 9.

11. The extraction unit extracts trees for defining the fallen tree area based on their distance from the power lines. The specific support device according to claim 9.

12. The output unit causes the display unit to display the hazardous tree and the power line that the hazardous tree may interfere with in a three-dimensional rendering. A specific support device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

13. The computer acquires measurement data that measures the positions of power lines and trees. The computer sets up areas where the tree is likely to fall, based on the measurement data of the tree. The computer identifies hazardous trees that may interfere with the power lines based on the measurement data of the fallen tree area and the power lines, A specific support method that includes the following features.

14. When executed by a computer, the computer will The stage of acquiring measurement data by measuring the positions of power lines and trees, Based on the measurement data of the aforementioned trees, the step of setting up areas where the trees are likely to fall, Based on the area of ​​fallen trees and the measurement data of the power lines, the step is to identify dangerous trees that may interfere with the power lines. A program that executes the command.

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