Patrol support system, program for patrol support system

Abstract

This system provides a patrol support system that can reduce unnecessary power consumption without compromising the accuracy of license plate reading. [Solution] A patrol support system that assists in patrolling to confirm the presence or absence of people inside vehicles parked in a parking lot, wherein the control unit analyzes the image data input from the imaging unit, reads the information written on the license plate of the vehicle captured in the image data as text data, generates display data to be displayed on the display unit based on the text data, and determines the type of control command data to be output to the light based on the time data input from the timing unit and the signal strength data input from the GPS receiver.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a patrol support system for assisting patrols to check whether there is a situation where a child is left unattended in a vehicle parked in a parking lot of commercial facilities such as amusement arcades, department stores, and malls, and a program for a patrol support system realized by an information processing terminal device.

Background Art

[0002] There are cases where parents come to an amusement arcade or the like by car with their children and leave their children in the car while they enjoy playing in the hall. In such cases, in summer, the temperature inside the vehicle rises, and tragic accidents have been reported in which children suffer from heatstroke and die.

[0003] As an operator of an amusement arcade or the like, it is necessary to take some measures to prevent such accidents. One such measure is that employees or security guards of the amusement arcade regularly conduct patrols to check whether there is a situation where a child is left unattended in a vehicle parked in the parking lot. The inventors proposed a patrol support system for assisting patrol personnel by reading the license plate of a parked vehicle when conducting such patrols in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent No. 7550463).

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In Patent Document 1, the inventors proposed using a smartphone as the hardware of the patrol support system. Here, as a problem when reading a license plate with the camera (imaging unit) of a smartphone, there is a decrease in reading accuracy in a dark place.

[0005] If a smartphone is equipped with an ambient light sensor and the application can acquire ambient light levels, it is possible to take measures such as adjusting the exposure time of the smartphone's image sensor or turning on the smartphone's built-in light based on the ambient light levels. However, if a smartphone cannot acquire ambient light data, only simple controls are possible, such as turning on the light if the patrol is being conducted during nighttime hours.

[0006] On the other hand, patrols are conducted not only in outdoor parking lots but also in indoor environments such as multi-story parking garages, and these facilities are sometimes well-lit even at night due to the lighting installed within them. Turning on lights in environments where sufficient illumination is ensured presents challenges such as causing reflections and overexposure, which could actually reduce the accuracy of reading license plates, as well as unnecessarily consuming electricity. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] This invention solves the above-mentioned problems, and the patrol support system according to the present invention is a patrol support system that uses an information processing terminal device having: a timekeeping unit that generates time data relating to the current time; an imaging unit that takes images and acquires image data; a display unit that receives display data and displays based on the display data; a light that receives control command data and blinks based on the control command data; a GPS receiving unit that measures the signal strength of the received GPS signal and acquires signal strength data; and a control unit that performs calculations based on the input data and outputs the result of the calculation as output data, to support patrols to confirm the presence or absence of people in vehicles parked in a parking lot, wherein the control unit performs image analysis on the image data input from the imaging unit, reads the information written on the license plate of the vehicle reflected in the image data as text data, generates display data to be displayed on the display unit based on the text data, and determines the type of control command data to be output to the light based on the timekeeping unit input and the signal strength data input from the GPS receiving unit.

[0008] Furthermore, the patrol support system according to the present invention is a patrol support system that uses an information processing terminal device having: a timekeeping unit that generates time data relating to the current time; an imaging unit that takes images and acquires imaging data; a display unit that receives display data and displays based on the display data; a light that receives control command data and flashes based on the control command data; a GPS receiving unit that receives GPS signals and generates latitude and longitude data of its own position, measures the signal strength of the received GPS signal and acquires signal strength data; and a control unit that performs calculations based on the input data and outputs the result of the calculation as output data, to support patrols to confirm the presence or absence of people in vehicles parked in a parking lot, wherein the control unit performs image analysis on the imaging data input from the imaging unit, reads the information written on the license plate of the vehicle reflected in the imaging data as text data, generates display data to be displayed on the display unit based on the text data, and determines the type of control command data to be output to the light based on the timekeeping unit input, the latitude and longitude data and signal strength data input from the GPS receiving unit.

[0009] Furthermore, the patrol support system according to the present invention includes a timekeeping unit that generates time data relating to the current time, an imaging unit that takes images and acquires imaging data, a display unit that receives display data and displays based on the display data, a light that receives control command data and blinks based on the control command data, a GPS receiving unit that receives GPS signals and generates latitude and longitude data of its own position, measures the signal strength of the received GPS signal and acquires signal strength data, a communication unit that receives weather data based on the latitude and longitude data, and a control unit that performs calculations based on the input data and outputs the results of the calculations as output data. A patrol support system that uses an information processing terminal device to support patrols to confirm the presence or absence of people in vehicles parked in a parking lot, wherein the control unit analyzes the image data input from the imaging unit, reads the information written on the license plate of the vehicle reflected in the image data as text data, generates display data to be displayed on the display unit based on the text data, and determines the type of control command data to be output to the light based on the time data input from the timing unit, the signal strength data input from the GPS receiver unit, and the weather data input from the communication unit.

[0010] Furthermore, the patrol support system program according to the present invention is a patrol support system program that causes an information processing terminal device to execute processing to support patrolling for the confirmation of the presence or absence of people in vehicles parked in a parking lot, wherein the information processing terminal device includes a processor that executes data processing, a timing unit that generates time data relating to the current time, an imaging unit that takes images and acquires image data, a display unit that receives display data and displays based on the display data, a light that receives control command data and blinks based on the control command data, and a GPS receiving unit that receives GPS signals, generates latitude and longitude data of its own position, measures the signal strength of the received GPS signal and acquires signal strength data, wherein the program is characterized by causing the processor to execute the steps of: image analysis of the image data input from the imaging unit, reading the information written on the license plate of a vehicle reflected in the image data as text data, and generating display data to be displayed on the display unit based on the text data; and determining the type of control command data to be output to the light based on the time data input from the timing unit and the signal strength data input from the GPS receiving unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] The patrol support system according to the present invention determines the type of control command data to be output to the lights using time data generated by the timing unit as well as signal strength data of the GPS signal acquired from the GPS receiver unit. Therefore, since imaging data is acquired by the imaging unit under appropriate brightness conditions both outdoors and indoors, the patrol support system according to the present invention can suppress unnecessary power consumption without reducing the accuracy of license plate reading.

[0012] Furthermore, the patrol support system program according to the present invention includes a step of determining the type of control command data to be output to the lights based on time data input from the timing unit and signal strength data input from the GPS receiver unit. Therefore, according to the patrol support system program according to the present invention, unnecessary power consumption can be suppressed without reducing the accuracy of license plate reading. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This figure shows a patrol being conducted using the patrol support system according to the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram of a smartphone 10, which is an example of an information processing terminal device used in a mobile support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example flowchart of the patrol support process by the patrol support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example flowchart of a light control subroutine for a patrol support system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of the data structure of the database 18 in a patrol support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of the display on the touch panel unit 30 of a patrol support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example flowchart of background processing by a patrol support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of the display on the touch panel section 30 of a patrol support system according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] This figure shows an example flowchart of a light control subroutine for a patrol support system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] This figure shows an example flowchart of a light control subroutine for a patrol support system according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] This is a conceptual diagram illustrating a patrol support system according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described while referring to the drawings. The patrol support system according to the present invention is characterized in that it is a system for assisting manual patrols of a parking lot. More specifically, in the parking lot of commercial facilities such as amusement arcades, department stores, and malls, it is an object of the invention to reduce the labor of a person (hereinafter referred to as a "patrol staff") who performs the operation of checking each parked vehicle one by one while patrolling to see if there is no person (mainly children and infants) in the vehicle (mainly the rear seat).

[0015] When checking each parked vehicle one by one while patrolling the parking lot to see if there are no children, in particular, the laborious part is the operation of walking to the rear of the vehicle and peering into the rear seat side to check if there are no children.

[0016] In order to avoid the above-mentioned operations, for vehicles that have already been patrolled and confirmed, it is possible to shorten the patrol operation time by omitting the operation for re-checking the rear seat. The patrol support system according to the present invention is designed to assist the patrol staff so that they can perform patrols efficiently by notifying the patrol staff whether the vehicle is a vehicle that has already been patrolled and confirmed.

[0017] In the patrol support system according to the present invention, for example, during the business hours of commercial facilities, it is assumed that the patrol staff checks each parked vehicle one by one while patrolling to see if children have been left unattended, about once every hour. At this time, as shown in FIG. 1, it is assumed that the patrol staff P holds an information processing terminal device such as a widely used smartphone 10 and checks each vehicle V while imaging the information described on the license plate N of each vehicle. The smartphone 10 reads the information described on the license plate N and notifies the patrol staff P whether the vehicle V is a vehicle that has already been confirmed in the past based on the read information.

[0018] The configuration of the smartphone 10 that can be used in the circuit support system according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the smartphone 10 which is an example of an information processing terminal device used in the circuit support system according to the embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, the description will be based on an example in which a smartphone is used as the information processing terminal device. However, in the circuit support system according to the present invention, other devices such as tablet terminal devices can also be used as the information processing terminal device.

[0019] The control unit 11 is a configuration corresponding to an arithmetic processing device (processor, Central Processing Unit) and various programs executed on this arithmetic processing device. The basic operating system 16 operating on the arithmetic processing device also includes a program for realizing basic timekeeping functions such as a calendar and a clock. In the present embodiment, a configuration for realizing such a timekeeping function is referred to as a timekeeping unit. In particular, time data related to the current time is generated from this timekeeping unit and used in processing.

[0020] Further, the storage unit 15 is a storage such as a volatile memory (DRAM, SRAM, etc.) and a non-volatile memory (ROM, flash memory, etc.) for storing data. In this storage unit 15, the data written by the control unit 11 can be held, the written data can be referred to by the control unit 11, or the data no longer needed by the control unit 11 can be erased.

[0021] The storage unit 15 stores the basic operating system 16, the circuit support system application program 17 of the present invention operating on this basic operating system 16, and a database 18 in which data is written, data is referred to, or data is erased by this circuit support system application program 17. Each program stored in the storage unit 15 is executed in the control unit 11.

[0022] In the patrol support system according to the present invention, various functions are realized by the control unit 11 executing various processes based on the patrol support system application program 17, which is application software installed in the storage unit 15.

[0023] In the diagram, the control unit 11 can issue various control commands to a block configuration (for example, a touch panel unit 30) connected to it, transfer various data to it, and receive data acquired by that block configuration.

[0024] The communication unit 20 enables data communication and voice calls with external devices via wireless communication. Based on commands from the control unit 11, the communication unit 20 can, for example, transmit data written to the storage unit 15 to an external device, or transfer data received from an external device to the control unit 11.

[0025] The GPS receiver 23 is configured to determine its own latitude and longitude by receiving GPS (Global Positioning System) signals from multiple satellites. The latitude and longitude data determined by the GPS receiver 23 is transmitted to the control unit 11. The control unit 11 works in conjunction with map data and applications (not shown) stored in the memory unit 15 to determine the location of the smartphone 10 on the map, and consequently, the location of the user who is expected to be carrying the smartphone 10. The communication unit 20 can obtain information related to the location of the smartphone 10 (the user's location) from a communication network such as the internet, based on the latitude and longitude data obtained from the GPS receiver 23.

[0026] Furthermore, the GPS receiver 23 is capable of measuring the signal strength of the received GPS signal and acquiring signal strength data. This signal strength data is input to the control unit 11 and used for control and processing related to the patrol support system according to the present invention. Details will be described later.

[0027] The imaging unit 25 is configured to acquire still image data and video image data. The still image data and video image data acquired by the imaging unit 25 are processed by the control unit 11 and displayed on the touch panel unit 30 or stored in the storage unit 15 as needed. The still image data and video image data stored in the storage unit 15 can be configured to be used by the patrol support system. In the patrol support system according to the present invention, it is assumed that video image data will be used as the basis.

[0028] The light 28 is located on the side of the smartphone 10 that is opposite to the side on which the touch panel 30 is located, and can be used as a light source when the imaging unit 25 acquires still image data or moving image data. The light 28 blinks based on control command data input from the control unit 11. In this embodiment, the control command data is described using two types as an example (two-stage control): controlling the light 28 to turn on or controlling the light 28 to turn off. However, the light 28 may be controlled in three or more stages from off to on.

[0029] The touch panel unit 30 provided in the smartphone 10 is used as a user interface. The touch panel unit 30 integrates an input unit 31 that allows the user to input information by detecting the user's finger contact, and a display unit 32 that displays information to the user. In the touch panel unit 30, the display unit 32 and the input unit 31 are arranged to overlap, and the input unit 31 is transparent, so the user can input information based on the display by touching the display of the display unit 32 with their finger. Conventional and well-known techniques are applied to user input operations based on such a touch panel unit 30 in this invention.

[0030] The input section 31 of the touch panel section 30 can be, for example, a capacitive type. Furthermore, the display section 32 of the touch panel section 30 can use a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL (Electroluminescence).

[0031] The input operations commonly known as "tap," "double tap," "long tap," "drag," "move," "flick," "swipe," "pinch," and "pinch out" on the touch panel section 30 of the smartphone 10 are also employed in the patrol support system according to the present invention.

[0032] The audio processing unit 35 modulates and demodulates the audio signal. The audio processing unit 35 modulates the signal received from the microphone 36 and provides the modulated signal to the control unit 11. The audio processing unit 35 also provides the audio signal to the speaker 37. The audio processing unit 35 is implemented, for example, by an audio processing processor. The microphone 36 functions as an audio input unit that receives an audio signal and outputs it to the control unit 11. The speaker 37 functions as an audio output unit that outputs the audio signal to the outside of the smartphone 10.

[0033] The acceleration sensor 41 is an inertial sensor that measures the acceleration applied to the smartphone 10. For example, a MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical System) acceleration sensor that applies MEMS technology can be used as the acceleration detection method.

[0034] The geomagnetic sensor 42 is a sensor that measures the magnitude and direction of a magnetic field. As the geomagnetic sensor 42, a Hall element sensor utilizing the Hall effect of a Hall element, or an MR sensor using a magnetoresistive element, can be used.

[0035] Furthermore, the gyro sensor 43 is an angular velocity sensor that measures the rotational angular velocity of the smartphone 10. A vibration-type gyro sensor using MEMS technology can be suitably used as such a gyro sensor 43.

[0036] Now, let's describe the processing of the patrol support system according to the present invention, which is executed on the smartphone 10 configured as described above. Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of a flowchart of the patrol support processing by the patrol support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Such a flowchart is executed by the control unit 11. Furthermore, such a flowchart is merely an example, and the patrol support system according to the present invention can also be realized using other flowcharts. In addition, the flowchart in Figure 3 is executed each time the vehicle V is imaged.

[0037] In Figure 3, when the patrol support process starts in step S100, the process proceeds to step S200, where the light control subroutine is executed. The flowchart of this light control subroutine will be explained with reference to Figure 4.

[0038] First, the reason for executing such a light control subroutine in the patrol support system according to the present invention will be explained. GPS signals from satellites tend to have a weaker signal strength and significantly lower positioning accuracy indoors with roofs or ceilings compared to outdoors without obstructions. Signal strength also decreases in weather conditions that affect GPS signals, such as cloudy days. Taking advantage of this characteristic, in this embodiment, if the time is nighttime (non-sunlight hours) and the GPS signal strength is high, the system considers it to be outdoors and turns on the light 28. If the time is nighttime (non-sunlight hours) but the GPS signal is low, the system considers it to be indoors with lighting and does not turn on the light 28 to reduce power consumption.

[0039] In Figure 4, when the light control subroutine is started in step S200, the process proceeds to step S201, where time data is obtained from the timing unit, and in step S202, signal strength data is obtained from the GPS receiver 23.

[0040] In step S205, it is determined whether the time data falls within the nighttime period (non-sunlight period). Whether the time data falls within the nighttime period (non-sunlight period) can be determined using the calendar function provided by the basic operating system 16. If the determination in step S205 is FALSE, it is estimated that it is currently daytime and that there is sufficient light to acquire the shooting data, so the process proceeds to step S208, and a control command data to turn off the light is output to the light 28. On the other hand, if the determination in step S205 is TRUE, the process proceeds to step S206.

[0041] In step S206, it is determined whether the signal strength data is above a predetermined value. If the determination in step S206 is FALSE, then even though it is currently nighttime (non-daylight hours), the patrol personnel are patrolling indoors where there is lighting, and therefore it can be estimated that the amount of light when acquiring the image data is sufficient. In this case, the process proceeds to step S208, and a control command data to turn off the lights is output to the light 28.

[0042] On the other hand, if the determination in step S206 is TRUE, it can be inferred that the patrol personnel are patrolling outdoors where there is no lighting, and therefore the amount of light when acquiring the photographic data is insufficient. In this case, the process proceeds to step S207, and control command data for turning on the light is output to the light 28.

[0043] In step S209, the program returns to the main routine.

[0044] As described above, the patrol support system according to the present invention determines the type of control command data to be output to the light 28 using time data generated by the timing unit as well as signal strength data of the GPS signal acquired from the GPS receiving unit 23. Therefore, since imaging data is acquired by the imaging unit under appropriate brightness both outdoors and indoors, the patrol support system according to the present invention can suppress unnecessary power consumption without reducing the accuracy of license plate reading.

[0045] Furthermore, the patrol support system program according to the present invention, provided in program form, includes a step of determining the type of control command data to be output to the light 28 based on time data input from the timing unit and signal strength data input from the GPS receiver 23. Therefore, the patrol support system program according to the present invention can suppress unnecessary power consumption without reducing the accuracy of license plate reading.

[0046] Next, after returning from the light control subroutine to the main routine, the process proceeds to step S101, where image data is acquired from the imaging unit. Subsequently, in step S102, the license plate area is extracted from the vehicle image in the image data, and then in step S103, the information written on the license plate is read as text data to acquire the read data.

[0047] In step S102, any image recognition technology can be used to extract the license plate area, and in step S103, to read the information on the license plate as text data. However, to improve the accuracy of image recognition, machine learning using a neural network model or a deep learning model can be employed. Furthermore, as long as the correlation between the image data and the read data in the above embodiment is learned from the training data, other learning methods may be used, and the above example is not the only one that can be employed. For example, the learning model may be a recurrent neural network (RNN) or an ensemble learning model. Also, when treating it as a regression problem, the learning model may be a statistical learning method, such as an autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model or a Bayesian estimation model.

[0048] In step S104, the read data is compared with the read data registered in the database 18 stored in the storage unit 15. Figure 5 shows an example of the data structure of the database 18 in a patrol support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The database 18 stores read data of license plates N of vehicles V that have been read in the past. The comparison is a process in which, for example, when read data such as "Kawaguchi 300 wa 17-77" as shown in Figure 6 is acquired, it is compared with each registered read date in the database 18 to verify whether or not a match exists.

[0049] The data structure of database 18 can broadly be classified to include "ID number," "license plate reading data," and "reading time data" of the data stored in database 18.

[0050] The "ID number" is a unique and individual piece of data assigned when license plate reading data is first stored in database 18. In this embodiment, the "ID number" is explained as being assigned as a four-digit natural number, but the method of assigning the "ID number" is not limited to this.

[0051] "License plate reading data" is text data related to the information written on a vehicle's license plate. Below the "License plate reading data," the following categories of text data are stored: text data for the "place name section," text data for the "classification number section," text data for the "hiragana section," and text data for the "vehicle number section."

[0052] In this embodiment, all information on the license plate, including the "place name," "classification number," "hiragana," and "vehicle number," is treated as license plate reading data. However, if the processing power of the control unit 11 of the smartphone 10 is insufficient, the information treated as license plate reading data can be limited to numerical text data such as the "classification number" and "vehicle number." While treating only the text data of the "classification number" and "vehicle number" will reduce the accuracy of vehicle identification, it will not cause any major practical problems.

[0053] The "reading time data" stored in database 18 is data related to the time when the "license plate reading data" was acquired. In the case of vehicles parked in a parking lot for a long time, the "license plate reading data" is accumulated each time a patrol is conducted, but in order to know when a particular vehicle has been parked there, a "reading time data" item is provided.

[0054] Now, returning to the flowchart, in step S105, it is determined whether or not registered license plate reading data already exists in database 18 as described above, based on the matching results. If the determination in step S105 is TRUE, proceed to step S106; otherwise, proceed to step S112.

[0055] In step S112, the reading data acquired in step S103 and the reading time at which the reading data was acquired are registered in the database 18 described earlier. Next, in step S113, display data is generated by superimposing the imaging data and the reading data. Here, the text of the reading data (reading data display 63) is set to be displayed surrounded by a frame (frame display 60) as shown in Figure 6, but the display data is generated so that this frame display 60 is displayed in red, and this is displayed on the touch panel unit 30. In this embodiment, the color of the frame display 60 displayed on the touch panel unit 30 is changed to represent a signal. When a red frame is displayed, it notifies the patrol officer that a vehicle has been newly parked since the last patrol, and it is assumed that the patrol officer will check the rear seats.

[0056] Thus, in the patrol support system according to the present invention, the registered reading data stored in the memory unit 15 is compared with the reading data read during the current patrol, and display data is generated by superimposing the image data and the reading data according to the result of this comparison. This makes it possible for patrol personnel to intuitively understand whether a vehicle has already been checked, and to perform patrols efficiently.

[0057] In this embodiment, the frame colors displayed on the touch panel 30 are red, yellow, and green to represent signals, but the colors used for the frame display 60 are not limited to these.

[0058] Now, returning to the flowchart, if the determination in step S105 is TRUE, proceed to step S106. In step S106, calculate the difference between the time of the first read of the read data registered in database 18 and the current time.

[0059] In step S107, it is determined whether the calculated difference in time is greater than or equal to a predetermined time. If the determination in step S107 is TRUE, the process proceeds to step S108; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S110.

[0060] In step S110, the reading time for the current reading in the already registered reading data is registered in the database 18. Next, in step S111, display data is generated by superimposing the imaging data and the reading data, but the color of the frame display 60 surrounding the text of the reading data (reading data display 63) is set to yellow. When a yellow frame is displayed, it notifies the patrol officer that the vehicle was confirmed during the previous patrol, but that not much time has passed since the vehicle was parked, and in this case, the patrol officer is instructed to pay attention.

[0061] If the determination in step S107 is TRUE, the process proceeds to step S108. In step S108, the current reading time from the already registered reading data is registered in the database 18. Subsequently, in step S109, display data is generated by superimposing the image data and the reading data, but the color of the frame display 60 surrounding the text of the reading data (reading data display 63) is set to green. When a green frame is displayed, it means that the vehicle has been confirmed to be parked during previous patrols and sufficient time has passed since the initial acquisition of reading data, so it is a vehicle that does not require rear seat checks, etc., and this is communicated to the patrol personnel.

[0062] In step S114, the patrol support process is terminated.

[0063] As described above, the patrol support system according to the present invention uses an information processing terminal device such as a smartphone 10 as hardware, making it possible to construct the system at a very low cost.

[0064] Furthermore, in the patrol support system according to the present invention, when generating display data by superimposing imaging data and reading data, the system is modified according to the result of checking whether or not the reading data already exists in the storage unit 15, thereby enabling patrol personnel to intuitively understand whether or not a vehicle has already been checked.

[0065] In this embodiment of the patrol support system, one standalone smartphone 10 is configured to be used for patrols approximately once every hour. However, if the database 18 is installed on an external device capable of data communication with the smartphone, and multiple smartphones are configured to update and access this database 18, it becomes possible for multiple patrol personnel to perform patrols simultaneously.

[0066] Incidentally, in the database 18 shown in Figure 5, the amount of data increases with each visit, placing a burden on the data processing in the control unit 11 and the storage unit 15. Therefore, in the visit support system according to the present invention, background processing is performed periodically (for example, every 30 minutes) to organize the data stored in the database 18. Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of a flowchart of background processing by the visit support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Such a flowchart is executed by the control unit 11. Furthermore, such a flowchart is merely an example, and background processing can also be implemented using other flowcharts.

[0067] In Figure 7, when background processing starts in step S300, the process proceeds to step S301, where the variable n is set to 0001. Subsequently, the process proceeds to step S302, where the difference between the latest read time and the current time is calculated in the database 18 for the registered read data of the vehicle with ID n=0001.

[0068] Next, in step S303, it is determined whether the calculated difference time is greater than or equal to a predetermined time. If the determination in this step is TRUE, the process proceeds to step S304, where the registered read data is retained without being discarded; if it is FALSE, the process proceeds to step S305, where the registered read data is deleted.

[0069] In step S306, it is determined whether n corresponds to the last ID registered in database 18. If this determination is FALSE, it means that the check has not been completed for all vehicles, so the process proceeds to step S307, increments n by 1, and returns to step S302. On the other hand, if this determination is TRUE, the process proceeds to step S308, and the background processing ends.

[0070] In the patrol support system according to the present invention, the background processing described above is performed in a timely manner, making it possible to delete the reading data of vehicles that have already left the parking lot from the database 18, thereby reducing the data processing load on the control unit 11 and the storage unit 15.

[0071] Next, other embodiments of the present invention will be described. The patrol support system according to the other embodiments differs from the previous embodiment only in the display on the touch panel unit 30; the other configurations are the same, so the following description will focus on the differences in the display on the touch panel unit 30.

[0072] In the above embodiment, the color of the frame display 60 surrounding the text of the read data (read data display 63) was changed to inform the patrol officer of (a) that the vehicle had been newly parked since the previous patrol, (b) that the vehicle had been confirmed during the previous patrol but had not been parked for very long, or (c) that the vehicle had been confirmed to be parked during previous patrols and that sufficient time had passed since the initial acquisition of read data. Specifically, in case (a), the frame display 60 was set to red, in case (b), the frame display 60 was set to yellow, and in case (c), the frame display 60 was set to green.

[0073] In contrast, in the patrol support system according to another embodiment, when generating display data by superimposing the image data and the read data, the symbols displayed in the display data are changed according to the result of the comparison, thereby informing the patrol personnel of information about the vehicle. Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example of the display of the touch panel section 30 in the patrol support system according to another embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 8, in the patrol support system according to the other embodiment, a symbol display 65 is superimposed on the front part of the imaged vehicle. Here, as an example, in case (a) above, the symbol display 65 can be "×", in case (b) it can be "△", and in case (c) it can be "○", but the type of symbol display 65 used is arbitrary.

[0074] The speaker 37 has the function of receiving and emitting sound commands from the control unit 11, but it can also be set to emit different sounds depending on the sound command, depending on the result of the verification. For example, in case (a), when the frame display 60 is made red or the symbol "×" is displayed 65, a buzzer-like sound can be emitted from the speaker 37 to further alert patrol personnel. Here, it is arbitrary which of the patterns (a), (b), and (c) to set and what kind of sound to emit from the speaker 37.

[0075] Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described. The difference between this embodiment and the embodiments described so far lies in the algorithm of the light control subroutine. Therefore, the patrol support system according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to the flowchart in Figure 9.

[0076] In the previously described embodiment, whether the current time data was from the nighttime period (non-sunlight period) was determined using the calendar function provided by the basic operating system 16. In contrast, in this embodiment, whether the current time is from the nighttime period (non-sunlight period) is determined based on latitude and longitude data. This makes it possible to perform control and processing that takes into account differences in sunset times and other factors that vary from region to region.

[0077] In Figure 9, when the light control subroutine is started in step S200, the process proceeds to step S211, where time data is obtained from the timing unit, and in step S212, latitude / longitude data and signal strength data are obtained from the GPS receiver 23. Subsequently, in step S213, the time zone for the nighttime period (non-sunlight hours) is determined from the latitude / longitude data (mainly latitude data).

[0078] In step S215, it is determined whether the time data falls within the nighttime period (non-sunlight period). If the determination in step S215 is FALSE, it is estimated that it is currently daytime and that there is sufficient light to acquire the shooting data, so the process proceeds to step S218, and a control command data to turn off the light is output to light 28. On the other hand, if the determination in step S215 is TRUE, the process proceeds to step S216.

[0079] In step S216, it is determined whether the signal strength data is above a predetermined value. If the determination in step S216 is FALSE, then even though it is currently nighttime (non-daylight hours), the patrol personnel are patrolling indoors where there is lighting, and therefore it can be estimated that the amount of light when acquiring the image data is sufficient. In this case, the process proceeds to step S218, and a control command data to turn off the lights is output to the light 28.

[0080] On the other hand, if the determination in step S216 is TRUE, it can be inferred that the patrol personnel are patrolling outdoors where there is no lighting, and therefore the amount of light when acquiring the photographic data is insufficient. In this case, the process proceeds to step S217, and control command data for turning on the light is output to the light 28.

[0081] In step S219, the program returns to the main routine.

[0082] The patrol support system according to the second embodiment described above can also enjoy the same effects as the previous embodiment.

[0083] Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described. The difference between this embodiment and the embodiments described so far lies in the algorithm of the light control subroutine. Therefore, the patrol support system according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to the flowchart in Figure 10.

[0084] In this embodiment, weather data for the relevant location is acquired from the GPS receiver 23 based on latitude and longitude data via a communication network such as the Internet, and based on this, it is determined whether the current time falls within a non-sunlight period (e.g., sunny or cloudy).

[0085] In Figure 10, when the light control subroutine is started in step S200, the process proceeds to step S221, where time data is obtained from the timing unit, and in step S222, latitude / longitude data and signal strength data are obtained from the GPS receiver 23. Subsequently, in step S223, weather data for the location where the system is operating is obtained from the communication unit 20 based on the acquired latitude / longitude data. Figure 11 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a patrol support system according to this third embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 11, on a communication network such as the Internet, the smartphone 10 can receive weather data based on latitude / longitude data from a server that provides weather data. In step S224, the non-sunlight period of the smartphone 10's current location is determined from the weather data.

[0086] In step S225, it is determined whether the current time data falls within a non-sunlight period. If the determination in step S225 is FALSE, it can be estimated that the weather is good and there is sufficient light to acquire the shooting data, so the process proceeds to step S228, and a control command data to turn off the light is output to light 28. On the other hand, if the determination in step S225 is TRUE, the process proceeds to step S226.

[0087] In step S226, it is determined whether the signal strength data is above a predetermined value. If the determination in step S226 is FALSE, it can be estimated that even though it is currently a non-sunlight period, the patrol personnel are patrolling indoors where there is lighting, and therefore the amount of light when acquiring the image data is sufficient. In this case, the process proceeds to step S228, and a control command data to turn off the lights is output to the light 28.

[0088] On the other hand, if the determination in step S226 is TRUE, it can be inferred that the patrol personnel are patrolling under cloudy skies without lighting, and therefore the amount of light when acquiring the photographic data is insufficient. In this case, the process proceeds to step S227, and control command data for turning on the light is output to the light 28.

[0089] In step S229, the program returns to the main routine.

[0090] The patrol support system according to the third embodiment described above can also enjoy the same effects as the embodiments described so far.

[0091] In this embodiment, a smartphone 10 is used, but instead of a smartphone 10, a device such as smart glasses worn by the patrol officer may be used. In this case, the display of the patrol support system application program 17 running on the smartphone 10 is set to be displayed on the smart glasses.

[0092] The patrol support system according to the present invention, as described above, is provided in the form of a program, making it possible to run the patrol support system on various information processing terminal devices such as smartphones.

[0093] Furthermore, although the present invention has been described above based on embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Various modifications to the above embodiments or combinations of embodiments within the same and equivalent scope as the present invention are also included in the scope of the present invention.

[0094] In summary, because the patrol support system according to the present invention uses an information processing terminal device such as a smartphone as hardware, it is possible to construct the system at a very low cost.

[0095] Furthermore, in the patrol support system according to the present invention, when generating display data by superimposing imaging data and reading data, the system modifies the display data according to the result of checking whether or not the reading data already exists in the storage unit, thereby enabling patrol personnel to intuitively understand whether or not a vehicle has already been inspected.

[0096] Furthermore, the patrol support system program according to the present invention enables information processing terminal devices such as smartphones to perform actions that allow patrol personnel to intuitively understand whether a vehicle has already been inspected.

[0097] Furthermore, the patrol support system according to the present invention determines the type of control command data to be output to the lights using not only the time data generated by the timing unit but also the signal strength data of the GPS signal acquired from the GPS receiver unit. Therefore, since the imaging unit acquires imaging data under appropriate brightness conditions both outdoors and indoors, the patrol support system according to the present invention can suppress unnecessary power consumption without reducing the accuracy of license plate reading.

[0098] Furthermore, the patrol support system program according to the present invention includes a step of determining the type of control command data to be output to the lights based on time data input from the timing unit and signal strength data input from the GPS receiver unit. Therefore, according to the patrol support system program according to the present invention, unnecessary power consumption can be suppressed without reducing the accuracy of license plate reading. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0099] 10. Smartphone (information processing terminal device) 11. Control Unit 15...Storage section 16. Basic Operating System 17. Patrol Support System Application Program 18.. Database 20... Communications Department 23. GPS receiver 25. Imaging Unit 28...Light 30, 30'...Touch panel section 31...Input section 32...Display section 35. Audio Processing Unit 36.. Mike 37...Speakers 41. Accelerometer 42. Geomagnetic sensor 43. Gyro sensor 60... frame display 63...Display of read data 65... Symbol display P...Patrol personnel V...vehicle N... License plate B button

Claims

1. A timekeeping unit that generates time data related to the current time, An imaging unit that performs imaging and acquires imaging data, A display unit that receives display data and displays information based on that data, A light that blinks based on control command data, A GPS receiver unit that measures the signal strength of the received GPS signal and acquires signal strength data, A patrol support system that uses an information processing terminal device having a control unit that performs calculations based on input data and outputs the result of the calculation as output data, to support patrols to confirm the presence or absence of people in vehicles parked in a parking lot, The control unit analyzes the image data input from the imaging unit, reads the information on the vehicle's license plate captured in the image data as text data, and generates display data to be displayed on the display unit based on the text data. A patrol support system characterized by determining the type of control command data to be output to the light based on time data input from the timing unit and signal strength data input from the GPS receiver.

2. A timekeeping unit that generates time data related to the current time, An imaging unit that performs imaging and acquires imaging data, A display unit that receives display data and displays information based on that data, A light that blinks based on control command data, A GPS receiver unit that receives GPS signals, generates latitude and longitude data of its own position, measures the signal strength of the received GPS signal, and acquires signal strength data. A patrol support system that uses an information processing terminal device having a control unit that performs calculations based on input data and outputs the result of the calculation as output data, to support patrols to confirm the presence or absence of people in vehicles parked in a parking lot, The control unit analyzes the image data input from the imaging unit, reads the information on the vehicle's license plate captured in the image data as text data, and generates display data to be displayed on the display unit based on the text data. A patrol support system characterized by determining the type of control command data to be output to the light based on time data input from the timing unit and latitude / longitude data and signal strength data input from the GPS receiver unit.

3. A timekeeping unit that generates time data related to the current time, An imaging unit that performs imaging and acquires imaging data, A display unit that receives display data and displays information based on that data, A light that blinks based on control command data, A GPS receiver unit that receives GPS signals, generates latitude and longitude data of its own position, measures the signal strength of the received GPS signal, and acquires signal strength data. A communication unit that receives weather data based on the aforementioned latitude and longitude data, A patrol support system that uses an information processing terminal device having a control unit that performs calculations based on input data and outputs the result of the calculation as output data, to support patrols to confirm the presence or absence of people in vehicles parked in a parking lot, The control unit analyzes the image data input from the imaging unit, reads the information on the vehicle's license plate captured in the image data as text data, and generates display data to be displayed on the display unit based on the text data. A patrol support system characterized by determining the type of control command data to be output to the light based on time data input from the timing unit, signal strength data input from the GPS receiver unit, and weather data input from the communication unit.

4. A program for a patrol support system that causes an information processing terminal device to execute a process to support patrolling for the purpose of confirming the presence or absence of people inside vehicles parked in a parking lot, Information processing terminal equipment A processor that performs data processing, A timekeeping unit that generates time data related to the current time, An imaging unit that performs imaging and acquires imaging data, A display unit that receives display data and displays information based on that data, A light that blinks based on control command data, It has a GPS receiver that receives GPS signals, generates latitude and longitude data of its own position, and measures the signal strength of the received GPS signal to acquire signal strength data. The aforementioned processor, The steps include: analyzing the image data input from the imaging unit, reading the information on the license plate of the vehicle captured in the image data as text data, and generating display data to be displayed on the display unit based on the text data; The steps include determining the type of control command data to be output to the light based on the time data input from the time timing unit and the signal strength data input from the GPS receiver, A program for a patrol support system characterized by causing it to execute.

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