server

Abstract

To enable evacuees to take the lead in setting up and operating evacuation centers without manuals, a server is needed to manage the progress of the evacuation center setup process. [Solution] A server for managing the progress of shelter opening operations during a disaster, wherein the server is connected to multiple mobile terminals for mutual communication, collects progress information on multiple tasks related to shelter opening operations transmitted from each of the multiple mobile terminals, manages the progress status of shelter opening operations based on the progress information, identifies incomplete tasks based on the progress status, and transmits information on incomplete tasks to the multiple mobile terminals.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a server that manages the progress of the opening work of evacuation shelters for evacuation during disasters.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, natural disasters such as earthquakes, typhoons, and volcanic eruptions have been on the increase. When a natural disaster occurs, evacuation shelters are opened as needed to evacuate residents by region. After an evacuation shelter is opened during a disaster, an evacuation guidance system has been proposed that can propose an appropriate evacuation destination to evacuees in view of the current situation of the evacuation shelter (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Conventional technologies such as proposing an appropriate evacuation shelter or managing an evacuation shelter after it is opened have been proposed in various forms, including Citation Document 1. However, during a disaster, it is first necessary to open an evacuation shelter, and in most cases, local governments and the like take the lead in opening the evacuation shelter in accordance with a pre-determined manual.

[0005] In such a current situation, there are the following three points of concern when opening an evacuation shelter. (Concern 1) Regarding the securing of manpower In the current situation where local government officials are primarily responsible for setting up evacuation centers, securing personnel can become difficult during a disaster. For example, if officials themselves are affected by the disaster, or if a large-scale disaster occurs, it may become difficult to secure local government staff to open evacuation centers, potentially delaying their opening.

[0006] In some areas, community-based disaster prevention organizations may have been established. However, there are many areas where such organizations do not exist. Furthermore, the aging of the members of these organizations may mean that local residents may not be able to provide assistance when opening evacuation centers.

[0007] (Concern 2) Lack of experience Even if local government officials are able to secure the capacity to set up and operate evacuation centers, these officials will need to focus on disaster prevention duties that differ from their usual routine. Consequently, there is a risk that the opening and operation of evacuation centers may not proceed smoothly due to anxiety about disaster prevention duties stemming from a lack of experience.

[0008] Furthermore, some municipalities have prepared evacuation center management manuals in advance, which require considerable time and effort. However, it is not easy to read a manual that spans dozens of pages and smoothly open and operate an evacuation center when a disaster strikes.

[0009] (Concern 3) Community dependency Many evacuation center management manuals state that "it is important to hold discussions in advance." However, in areas without neighborhood associations or self-governing disaster prevention organizations, or in urban areas, building a community in advance is often practically difficult.

[0010] This disclosure is made to solve the above-mentioned problems and aims to provide a server that can manage the progress of the shelter opening process when evacuees take the lead in opening and operating shelters without manuals. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The server relating to this disclosure is a server that manages the progress of shelter opening operations during a disaster. The server is connected to multiple mobile terminals in a manner that enables mutual communication with them, and collects progress information on multiple tasks related to shelter opening operations transmitted from each of the multiple mobile terminals. Based on the progress information, the server manages the progress status of the shelter opening operations, identifies incomplete tasks based on the progress status, and transmits information on the incomplete tasks to the multiple mobile terminals. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to this disclosure, when evacuees take the lead in opening and operating evacuation shelters without manuals, it is possible to obtain a server that can manage the progress of the evacuation shelter opening process. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This is a diagram illustrating the concept of an evacuation system according to Embodiment 1 of this disclosure. [Figure 2] This is an overall configuration diagram of the evacuation system according to Embodiment 1 of this disclosure. [Figure 3] This is a functional block diagram of a mobile terminal in Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of the display of the first screen in Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of the display of the second screen in Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of the display of the third screen in Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] This figure shows examples of the display of the fourth and fifth screens in Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of the display of the 6th to 8th screens in Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] This figure shows an example of the display of the ninth screen in Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0014] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the server of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The server according to the present disclosure is used to quickly realize the opening and operation of a shelter mainly by evacuees, and in particular, is characterized in that it can manage the progress of the shelter opening work.

[0015] Embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the concept of an evacuation system according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. The area A1 in FIG. 1 simulates the area for evacuating to the shelter 2 when a disaster occurs. As an example, the "elementary and junior high school districts" correspond to this area A1.

[0016] In addition, the shelter 2 established within the area A1 corresponds to the pre-set shelter for each evacuee 1 living within the area A1 during a disaster. Examples include public facilities such as elementary schools, junior high schools, and community centers.

[0017] The present disclosure aims to obtain an evacuation system in which evacuees 1 can mainly carry out the opening and operation of shelters without a manual. Therefore, during a disaster, the evacuee 1 holds the mobile terminal 10 and heads to the pre-designated shelter 2, and utilizes the application software pre-installed in the mobile terminal 10 to take the lead in the opening and operation of the shelter 2.

[0018] FIG. 2 is an overall configuration diagram of the evacuation system according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. In FIG. 2, the mobile terminals 10 held by each evacuee 1 within the area A1 are exemplified as N mobile terminals 10(1) to mobile terminal 10(N).

[0019] Each evacuee 1 activates a dedicated application software installed on their mobile device 10 to open and operate shelter 2. As a result, even in the absence of local government officials, each evacuee 1 can take the lead in opening and operating shelter 2.

[0020] Furthermore, each of the mobile terminals 10(1) to 10(N) is connected to the cloud server 30 via an internet communication network 20, such as the Internet, enabling mutual communication. Therefore, each evacuee 1 can share information with other evacuees 1 to proceed with the establishment and operation of the evacuation center 2.

[0021] Specifically, each evacuee 1 who arrives at shelter 2 can launch a dedicated application software on their mobile device 10 and proceed with tasks sequentially according to the on-screen instructions. Furthermore, each evacuee 1 can share information such as the tasks being performed by other evacuees 1, enabling them to accurately and quickly understand what actions they need to take.

[0022] As a result, each evacuee 1 can accurately and quickly take the necessary actions to open and operate shelter 2 by following the on-screen instructions, even in the absence of local government officials, without requiring any specialized knowledge.

[0023] In reality, there are multiple areas A1 depending on the region, and each area has a different shelter 2. To identify shelter 2, the application software may either acquire the location information of the mobile device 10 when it is launched and set the shelter 2 corresponding to that location, or the user may select the appropriate shelter 2 from the regional menu when the application is launched, or directly enter the name of shelter 2.

[0024] Figure 3 is a functional block diagram of the mobile terminal 10 in Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. The mobile terminal 10 is configured to include a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, a display unit 13, and an input unit 14.

[0025] The memory unit 12 has pre-installed dedicated application software that allows evacuees to take the lead in setting up and operating the evacuation center without needing a manual. The control unit 11 corresponds to the CPU of the mobile terminal 10 and starts the application software based on the input operations performed by the evacuee 1 via the input unit 14.

[0026] Furthermore, the control unit 11 launches the application software to sequentially display the tasks necessary for opening and operating the evacuation center 2 on the screen (display unit 13), and sequentially executes the tasks based on the input operations performed by the evacuee 1 via the input unit 14.

[0027] Furthermore, the control unit 11 also performs communication control, transmitting the progress of tasks performed based on the input operations of evacuee 1 to the cloud server 30 via the network communication 20. As a result, the cloud server 30 can manage the progress of the opening work of the evacuation center 2 based on the task progress collected from each mobile terminal 10(1) to 10(N).

[0028] The control unit 11 can obtain information regarding the progress of the setup work, which is managed by the cloud server 30, via the network communication 20. Therefore, each evacuee 1 can understand which tasks have been completed and which remain based on the progress of the setup work, and then work with other evacuees 1 to sequentially complete the remaining setup work.

[0029] Next, using Figures 4 to 9, the specific screen display content and the content of tasks performed by evacuees will be described in detail. Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of the display of the first screen in Embodiment 1 of this disclosure. The display unit 13 of the mobile terminal 10 is broadly divided into three display areas when performing the work of opening the evacuation center 2: the progress information display area 13a, the task instruction content display area 13b, and the activity status display area 13c.

[0030] The progress information display area 13a is an area for displaying the progress status, quantitatively showing what percentage of the preparation for opening shelter 2 has been completed. The control unit 11 obtains progress information on the opening work from the cloud server 30, which centrally manages the progress of the opening work for shelter 2, and based on the obtained progress information, it can display what percentage of the preparation for opening shelter 2 has been completed in the progress information display area 13a.

[0031] The task of setting up Shelter 2, which will be described later, does not necessarily require completing the first task before moving on to the next; it is possible to proceed with different tasks simultaneously. Therefore, it is desirable for evacuees 1 who have gathered at Shelter 2 to launch the application, check the progress status in the progress information display area 13a, and then check any uncompleted tasks in the activity status display area 13c and perform the work on those tasks.

[0032] Task instruction display area 13b is an area for displaying specific work instructions for the tasks that evacuee 1 should sequentially perform in order to open shelter 2. Evacuee 1 only needs to execute the work instructions displayed in task instruction display area 13b, and can quickly perform the tasks that need to be done now without having to read a manual.

[0033] The activity status display area 13c displays a list of items necessary for preparing to open shelter 2, and identifies and displays items that have been completed, are in progress, and have not yet been performed, based on progress information obtained from the cloud server 30. In addition, evacuee 1 can select the tasks they will perform by touching the items that have not yet been completed from the list of items displayed.

[0034] In the first screen shown in Figure 4, the process of setting up shelter 2 is about to begin, so the progress information display area 13a shows the progress of the setup work as "Preparing 0%". Also, when evacuee 1 selects "Building (Outside)" from the items displayed in the activity status display area 13c, the task instruction content "Let's check the safety of the building" is displayed in the task instruction content display area 13b, and a triangle appears to scroll the screen to the right.

[0035] Figure 5 shows an example of the display of the second screen in Embodiment 1 of this disclosure. In the first screen shown in Figure 4, when the evacuee 1 touches the triangle displayed in the task instruction content display area 13b, which is used to scroll the screen to the right, the system transitions to the second screen shown in Figure 5.

[0036] On the second screen, the task instruction display area 13b displays the instruction "Walk along the perimeter of the building and check for any abnormalities in its appearance," along with a triangle indicating how to scroll the screen to the right or left.

[0037] Figure 6 shows an example of the display of the third screen in Embodiment 1 of this disclosure. In the second screen shown in Figure 5, when the evacuee 1 touches the triangle displayed in the task instruction content display area 13b, which is used to scroll the screen to the right, the system transitions to the third screen shown in Figure 6.

[0038] On the third screen, the task instruction display area 13b displays the instruction "If you find an abnormality, take a picture with the camera and report the situation," and a "Camera Activation" window appears, along with triangles that allow you to scroll the screen to the right or left.

[0039] The camera can be the camera equipped on the mobile device 10. The evacuee 1 can take desired images using the camera, and the control unit 11 can transmit the images taken by the camera to the cloud server 30.

[0040] Camera images of abnormal locations uploaded to the cloud server 30 can be viewed by any evacuee 1 using a mobile device 10 on which this evacuation opening application is installed, via the app.

[0041] In this way, by viewing the first to third screens displayed sequentially as shown in Figures 4 to 6, evacuee 1 can easily confirm the tasks they need to perform to open shelter 2 and immediately put them into action. If any abnormalities are detected, images captured by the camera can be easily sent to the cloud server 30. The series of operations shown in Figures 4 to 6 completes the work on the "exterior of the building."

[0042] In other words, if you perform the tasks displayed sequentially in the task instruction display area 13b, the tasks will be treated as completed. When the final task in a given task is completed, a "Task Complete Button" will appear on the display unit 13 of the mobile terminal 10 (not shown in the diagram), and when this button is tapped, the information on the cloud server 30 will be updated to indicate that the task has been completed.

[0043] As described later, completed tasks are identified and displayed in the activity status display area 13c, making it possible to confirm whether each task selected by each evacuee has been completed.

[0044] Figure 7 shows examples of the display of the fourth and fifth screens in Embodiment 1 of this disclosure. As the work for "Building (Exterior)" has been completed, the progress information display area 13a on the fourth screen shown in Figure 7 displays the progress of the opening work as "Preparing 15%".

[0045] Furthermore, the control unit 11 can signal the completion of the series of operations shown in Figures 4 to 6, and can also acquire progress information from the cloud server 30. Accordingly, the "Building (Exterior)" item displayed in the activity status display area 13c on the fourth screen changes to an identification display indicating completion of the work based on the acquired progress information.

[0046] Specifically, when a task is completed, only the "Building (Exterior)" display changes to blue. In this way, completed tasks, in this case the "Building (Exterior)" check, and incomplete tasks, such as the "Building (Interior)" check located to the right of "Building (Exterior)," are identified and displayed. This identification display makes it possible to prompt other evacuees, such as evacuee 1 who has checked "Building (Exterior)," to select the incomplete tasks.

[0047] Evacuee 1 can select "Inside the building" from the items displayed in the activity status display area 13c and proceed to the next task. Once Evacuee 1 selects "Inside the building," the task instruction display area 13b displays the instruction "Unlock the building and go inside," along with a triangle indicating that the screen should be scrolled to the right.

[0048] In the fourth screen shown in Figure 7, when evacuee 1 touches the triangle displayed in the task instruction content display area 13b, which is used to scroll the screen to the right, the screen transitions to the fifth screen shown in Figure 7.

[0049] On the fifth screen, the task instruction display area 13b displays the work instruction "Thank you for your hard work. Let's move on to the next preparation," and a "Return to TOP" window appears, along with a triangle indicating that the screen should be scrolled to the left.

[0050] Figure 8 shows an example of the display of screens 6 to 8 in Embodiment 1 of this disclosure. After unlocking the door and entering the building, evacuee 1 can then select "Equipment Check" and "Preparation for Reception" from the items displayed in the activity status display area 13c as specific tasks related to "inside the building".

[0051] When evacuee 1 selects "Equipment Check" and "Preparation for Reception," the screen transitions to the sixth screen shown in Figure 8. On the sixth screen, the task instruction display area 13b shows the work instruction "First, let's bring a blue tarp and duct tape from the storage warehouse," and a triangle is displayed to scroll the screen to the right.

[0052] Evacuee 1 brings a blue tarp and duct tape according to the work instructions. Then, in the sixth screen shown in Figure 8, Evacuee 1 touches the triangle displayed in the task instruction display area 13b, which is used to scroll the screen to the right, and the screen transitions to the seventh screen shown in the center of Figure 8.

[0053] On screen 7, the task instruction display area 13b displays the work instruction "Are the ceiling and light fixtures falling?", and windows for "Yes" and "No" are displayed, along with a triangle that allows scrolling the screen to the right.

[0054] Evacuee 1 checks the current state of the ceiling and lighting fixtures, touching "yes" if they have fallen, and "no" if they have not fallen. Based on this touch input from Evacuee 1, the control unit 11 can easily transmit information regarding the status of the ceiling and lighting fixtures to the cloud server 30.

[0055] Subsequently, in the seventh screen shown in Figure 8, when evacuee 1 touches the triangle displayed in the task instruction content display area 13b, which is used to scroll the screen to the right, the screen transitions to the eighth screen shown in Figure 8.

[0056] On screen 8, the task instruction display area 13b shows the work instruction "Let's check the equipment in the facility. Is the electricity available?", and windows for "Yes" and "No" are displayed, along with a triangle that allows scrolling the screen to the right.

[0057] Evacuee 1 checks the current status of whether electricity is available and touches "Yes" if it is available, and "No" if it is not available. Based on this touch input by Evacuee 1, the control unit 11 can easily send information regarding the availability of electricity to the cloud server 30.

[0058] While I will omit the specific details, the availability of other utilities such as gas and water can be checked in the same way as with electricity.

[0059] The cloud server 30 manages the progress of the shelter opening work based on mutual communication with each mobile terminal 10(1) to 10(N). When the cloud server 30 finally determines that the opening work is complete, it sends information regarding the progress, indicating that the opening work is 100% complete, to each mobile terminal 10(1) to 10(N). As a result, each evacuee 1 can recognize that the opening work is complete while cooperating with other evacuees.

[0060] After the opening of shelter 2 is completed, the process moves to the shelter operation phase. Figure 9 shows an example of the display of the ninth screen in Embodiment 1 of this disclosure. This ninth screen corresponds to the screen displayed in the operation phase after the opening work is completed.

[0061] In the operation phase, the display unit 13 of the mobile terminal 10 is broadly divided into three display areas: the opening information display area 13d, the operation status display area 13e, and the stockpiling status display area 13f.

[0062] The opening information display area 13d is an area for displaying information indicating that the opening work for shelter 2 has been completed and that it has transitioned to an operational state. The control unit 11 obtains progress information on the opening work from the cloud server 30, which centrally manages the progress of the opening work for shelter 2. If the obtained progress information is 100%, the control unit 11 determines that the opening work is complete and that it can transition to the operational stage, and can display the word "Opened" in the opening information display area 13d.

[0063] Therefore, each evacuee 1 can easily recognize that the opening of evacuation center 2 has been completed by visually confirming that "Open" is displayed in the opening information display area 13d.

[0064] The operational status display area 13e is an area for displaying information indicating the current status of shelter 2 during the operational phase. The control unit 11 can obtain information indicating the current status of shelter 2 during the operational phase from the cloud server 30, which centrally manages the operational status of shelter 2, and display it in the operational status display area 13e.

[0065] Figure 9 shows an example where the operational status display area 13e on the ninth screen displays the number of evacuees, the number of people requiring assistance, the damage status of the evacuation center, and the availability of electricity, gas, and water.

[0066] Furthermore, during the preparation phase for opening the evacuation center, evacuee 1, who is carrying out the work instructions for opening the center, operates a mobile terminal 10 to send information such as the status of electricity, water, and gas to the cloud server 30. Therefore, each evacuee 1 can accurately grasp the current situation of the evacuation center 2 by viewing the information displayed in the operational status display area 13e and engage in support work as needed.

[0067] The stockpiling status display area 13f is an area for displaying the stockpiling status of evacuation center 2. The control unit 11 can obtain current stockpiling information from the cloud server 30, which centrally manages the stockpiling status of evacuation center 2, and display it in the stockpiling status display area 13f.

[0068] In addition, while the stockpiling status of supplies is normally stored on the cloud server 30, information such as the number of food items may be used to update the latest stockpiling quantity information by having evacuee 1 directly count the quantity of supplies during an evacuation.

[0069] The ninth screen shown in Figure 9 illustrates a situation where the stockpiling status is displayed, stating, "With the current number of evacuees, there is enough food for another two days." Therefore, each evacuee 1 can accurately grasp the current stockpiling status of evacuation center 2 by viewing the information displayed in the stockpiling status display area 13f.

[0070] As described above, the evacuation system according to Embodiment 1 includes a mobile terminal with dedicated application software installed that sequentially displays multiple tasks necessary for opening an evacuation center and provides work instructions to evacuees, and also allows evacuees to easily grasp the current status of the evacuation center through input operations.

[0071] Specifically, mobile devices can perform the following functions by launching application software: • A function that sequentially displays multiple tasks necessary for opening an evacuation center. • A function to check whether each task selected by the evacuee has been completed. • A function that identifies and displays completed and incomplete tasks among multiple tasks, prompting the user to select incomplete tasks.

[0072] Furthermore, the evacuation system according to Embodiment 1 can perform the following functions by including a server that can communicate with multiple mobile terminals via an internet communication network. • A function on the server to centrally manage the progress of shelter opening operations, the current status of shelter operations, and the stockpiling status of shelters, based on information collected from multiple mobile devices. • A function that provides information obtained through centralized management to each of multiple mobile devices, thereby streamlining information distribution.

[0073] By utilizing these functions, each evacuee can take the appropriate actions necessary for opening and operating the evacuation center by following the instructions displayed on the screen, without requiring specialized knowledge. Furthermore, each evacuee can easily identify any incomplete items among the items necessary for opening the center and begin working on them, allowing all evacuees to share the work and proceed with the opening process without undue burden.

[0074] As a result, even in situations where there are few experienced local government officials, experts, or experienced individuals on-site, it is possible to construct an evacuation system that allows evacuees to take the lead in quickly opening and operating evacuation centers when the need for sudden evacuation center opening arises.

[0075] In this embodiment, the explanation was given assuming that application software for setting up evacuation shelters during disasters is installed on a mobile device (native app). However, it is also possible to use an application that resides in the cloud and is accessed via the internet on the mobile device without installing an application on the mobile device (web app), or to use a hybrid app that combines a native app and a web app. [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] 1 Evacuee, 2 Evacuation center, 10, 10(1)~10(N) Mobile terminal, 11 Control unit, 12 Memory unit, 13 Display unit, 13a Progress information display area, 13b Task instruction content display area, 13c Activity status display area, 13d Opening information display area, 13e Operation status display area, 13f Stockpile status display area, 14 Input unit, 20 Network communication network, 30 Cloud server (server).

Claims

1. A server that manages the progress of the work to open evacuation centers during a disaster, The aforementioned server, Multiple mobile devices are connected in a way that allows for mutual communication. The system collects progress information on multiple tasks related to the establishment of the evacuation center, transmitted from each of the aforementioned multiple mobile terminals. Based on the aforementioned progress information, the progress of the work to open the evacuation center will be managed. Based on the progress described above, identify any incomplete tasks. transmit information about the incomplete tasks to the aforementioned multiple mobile terminals. server.

2. The server calculates information that quantitatively indicates the progress and transmits it to the multiple mobile terminals. The server according to claim 1.

3. The server receives image information transmitted from the mobile terminal and manages the image information so that it can be shared among the multiple mobile terminals. The server according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The server manages information regarding the number of evacuees, the availability of equipment, and the status of supplies during the operation phase of the evacuation center, and transmits this information to the multiple mobile terminals. The server according to claim 1 or 2.

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