Evacuation support system, information processing device, information processing method, and program

Abstract

This invention provides an evacuation support system, information processing device, information processing method, and program that enable the rapid and efficient identification of dangerous areas during a disaster. [Solution] The information processing device includes an acquisition unit that acquires first route information indicating a standard route which is a reference route from the user's location to the evacuation site, and second route information indicating the actual route taken from the user's location to the evacuation site during a disaster; a difference detection unit that detects the difference between the standard route indicated by the first route information and the route taken by the second route information; and a specification unit that identifies areas requiring attention between the user's location and the evacuation site using the detection results of the difference detection unit.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] An example of an evacuation route map creation system that generates map information for presenting an evacuation route at the time of a disaster is described in Patent Document 1. In the system of Patent Document 1, from mobile terminals respectively installed in a plurality of types of mobile bodies moving in the disaster area, passage section information indicating the passage section of the mobile body generated based on the position information acquired by the GPS function, mobile body type information indicating the type of the mobile body input by an operation such as a driver, and passage obstacle information notifying a place where passage by the mobile body is impossible input by an operation such as a driver or a pedestrian are transmitted to a center device. Then, the center device of the system of Patent Document 1 creates evacuation route map information clearly showing an evacuation route using the passage section information for each type of mobile body based on the received information, and provides it to a user who requests browsing of evacuation information via the Internet or the like. In the technology described in the above-mentioned patent document, an evacuation route is generated using passage obstacle information input by an operation of a driver or a pedestrian for a place where passage is impossible.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the event of a disaster, quickly identifying dangerous areas is crucial for ensuring the safety of evacuees and victims, as well as for conducting rescue and recovery activities. However, as with the technology described in the aforementioned patent document, when drivers and pedestrians who are actually evacuating and encountering road closures during a disaster are asked to input information about the road closures, they often do not have the time to do so. Therefore, it is difficult to quickly collect information about actual road closures through input from drivers and pedestrians. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] An information processing device in one aspect of this disclosure is An acquisition means for acquiring a first route information that indicates a standard route, which is a reference route from the user's location to the evacuation site, and a second route information that indicates the actual route taken from the aforementioned location to the evacuation site during a disaster. A difference detection means for detecting the difference between the reference route indicated by the first route information and the travel route indicated by the second route information, The system includes a means for identifying areas of concern between the location and the evacuation site, using the detection results of the difference detection means.

[0006] One aspect of this disclosure is the evacuation support system, Information processing equipment and A communication device carried by the user, The aforementioned information processing device is An acquisition means for acquiring a first route information that indicates a standard route, which is a standard route from the user's location to the evacuation site, and a second route information that indicates the actual route taken from the user's location to the evacuation site during a disaster. A difference detection means for detecting the difference between the reference route indicated by the first route information and the travel route indicated by the second route information, The system includes a means for identifying areas requiring attention between the location and the evacuation site, using the detection results of the difference detection means.

[0007] The information processing method in one aspect of this disclosure is: One or more computers, The system acquires first route information, which shows a standard route from the user's location to the evacuation site, and second route information, which shows the actual route taken from the aforementioned location to the evacuation site during a disaster. The difference between the reference route indicated by the first route information and the travel route indicated by the second route information is detected. This includes identifying areas requiring special attention between the location and the evacuation site using the results of the difference detection.

[0008] One aspect of this disclosure is that the program is On the computer, Acquisition process to acquire first route information, which shows a standard route from the user's location to the evacuation site, and second route information, which shows the actual route taken from the aforementioned location to the evacuation site during a disaster. A difference detection process that detects the difference between the reference route indicated by the first route information and the travel route indicated by the second route information. This program is for executing a process to identify areas of concern between the current location and the evacuation site, using the detection results of the difference detection process. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to one example of this disclosure, an evacuation support system, an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program can be obtained that enable the rapid and efficient identification of dangerous areas in the event of a disaster. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a functional block diagram showing an example configuration of the information processing device related to this disclosure. [Figure 2] This flowchart shows an example of the processing operation of the information processing device related to this disclosure. [Figure 3] This diagram conceptually illustrates an example of the system configuration of the evacuation support system described herein. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of the configuration of a computer that implements the information processing device described herein. [Figure 5] It is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of user information. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the first route information. [Figure 7] It is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the second route information. [Figure 8] It is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of disaster information. [Figure 9] It is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of locations requiring attention. [Figure 10] It is a diagram for explaining a method of specifying locations requiring attention. [Figure 11] It is a functional block diagram showing another configuration example of the information processing apparatus according to the present disclosure. [Figure 12] It is a flowchart showing another processing operation example of the information processing apparatus according to the present disclosure. [Figure 13] It is a flowchart showing still another processing operation example of the information processing apparatus according to the present disclosure. [Figure 14] It is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of non-disaster time passage ratio information. [Figure 15] It is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of disaster time passage ratio information. [Figure 16] It is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of road condition information. [Figure 17] It is a functional block diagram showing still another configuration example of the information processing apparatus according to the present disclosure. [Figure 18] It is a flowchart showing still another processing operation example of the information processing apparatus according to the present disclosure. [Figure 19] It is a flowchart showing still another processing operation example of the information processing apparatus according to the present disclosure.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] In this disclosure, the drawings are associated with one or more embodiments. In all drawings, similar components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions are omitted where appropriate. In the following drawings, components that are not essential to the disclosure are omitted and are not shown.

[0012] In this disclosure, "acquisition" includes at least one of the following: the device retrieving data or information stored in another device or storage medium (active acquisition), and the device inputting data or information output from another device into its own device (passive acquisition). Examples of active acquisition include making a request or inquiry to another device and receiving a response, and accessing and reading data from another device or storage medium. Examples of passive acquisition include receiving information that is delivered (or transmitted, push notification, etc.). Furthermore, "acquisition" may also mean selecting and acquiring data or information from received data or information, or selecting and receiving data or information that has been delivered.

[0013] <Example of Functional Configuration> As shown in Figure 1, the information processing device 100 includes an acquisition unit 102, a difference detection unit 104, and a specification unit 106. The acquisition unit 102 acquires first route information, which indicates a standard route from the user's current location to the evacuation site, and second route information, which indicates the actual route taken from the user's current location to the evacuation site during a disaster. The difference detection unit 104 detects the difference between the reference route indicated by the first route information and the travel route indicated by the second route information. The identification unit 106 uses the detection results of the difference detection unit 104 to identify areas of concern between the current location and the evacuation site.

[0014] <Example of operation> The information processing device 100 operates as shown in the flowchart in Figure 2. The acquisition unit 102 acquires first route information, which indicates a standard route from the user's current location to the evacuation site (step S101). Furthermore, the acquisition unit 102 acquires second route information, which indicates the actual route taken from the user's current location to the evacuation site during a disaster (step S103). The difference detection unit 104 detects the difference between the reference route indicated by the first route information and the travel route indicated by the second route information (step S105). The identification unit 106 uses the detection results of the difference detection unit 104 to identify areas of concern between the current location and the evacuation site (step S107).

[0015] According to this information processing device 100, the difference detection unit 104 detects the difference between the reference route indicated by the first route information acquired by the acquisition unit 102 and the travel route indicated by the second route information, and the identification unit 106 uses the detection result to identify areas of concern between the current location and the evacuation site, so that dangerous areas can be identified quickly and efficiently in the event of a disaster.

[0016] The following describes a detailed example of the information processing device 100.

[0017] (First Embodiment) <System Overview> Below, an example of the configuration of the evacuation support system 1 in this disclosure will be explained using Figure 3. The evacuation support system 1 provides information about the disaster and information about evacuation to communication devices 200a and 200b (hereinafter referred to as communication device 200 unless otherwise specified) used by users Ua and Ub (hereinafter referred to as user U unless otherwise specified) in the event of a disaster.

[0018] User U includes residents living in the disaster-stricken area, visitors to the area, people evacuating to shelters, people going to pick up family members, people returning home, etc., as well as people returning home or moving to shelters during a disaster. Alternatively, User U includes people investigating the damage, taking countermeasures, disseminating evacuation information, etc., as well as people confirming the damage situation and taking countermeasures during a disaster.

[0019] The evacuation support system 1 includes an information processing device 100 and communication devices 200a and 200b (hereinafter referred to as communication device 200 unless otherwise specified). The information processing device 100 and the communication devices 200 are connected to each other via a communication network 3.

[0020] The information processing device 100 includes a storage device 120. The storage device 120 may be located inside the information processing device 100 or outside of it. In other words, the storage device 120 may be hardware integrated with the information processing device 100 or it may be hardware separate from the information processing device 100.

[0021] The information processing device 100 is a computer such as a personal computer or a server computer. The information processing device 100 may also include a web server that, in cooperation with the server computer, provides a website that offers services for the evacuation support system 1.

[0022] The communication device 200 is a computer such as a personal computer, smartphone, or tablet terminal used by user U. Alternatively, the communication device 200 may be a computer in an in-vehicle device (e.g., a navigation system), or it may be a device realized by the cooperation of both the in-vehicle device and the smartphone's computers.

[0023] The communication device 200 has an application pre-installed, and by launching this application, user U can use various services provided by the evacuation support system 1 on the communication device 200. Alternatively, the communication device 200 may launch a designated browser, access a designated URL (Uniform Resource Locator), and access the website provided by the evacuation support system 1.

[0024] User U completes the user registration procedure in advance to use the services of the evacuation support system 1 and obtains a user account (e.g., authentication information such as a user ID and password) for user authentication processing. User U displays the login screen of the evacuation support system 1 on the communication device 200 and enters the user account through user operation. After user authentication using the entered user account, the evacuation support system 1 allows user U to log in to the evacuation support system 1.

[0025] However, in the event of an actual disaster, the evacuation support system 1 may publish information indicating areas of concern and recommended evacuation routes on its website. In other words, even users U who do not have an account may be able to view the information provided by the evacuation support system 1. Furthermore, the evacuation support system 1 may, with the consent of user U, collect the location information of users U who are actually evacuating on its website.

[0026] If the person evacuating is a user U utilizing the services of the evacuation support system 1, the evacuation support system 1 provides the user U's communication device 200 with information indicating a safe evacuation route. The evacuation support system 1 also obtains the actual travel routes of multiple users U from each user U's communication device 200. The user U can then evacuate safely using the evacuation route provided by the evacuation support system 1.

[0027] If the person confirming the extent of the damage and taking countermeasures is User U, who utilizes the services of Evacuation Support System 1, Evacuation Support System 1 provides User U's communication device 200 with information indicating locations requiring special attention, as described below. User U can then efficiently prioritize checking the locations requiring special attention provided by Evacuation Support System 1 within the disaster area.

[0028] <Example Hardware Configuration> The information processing device 100 according to this disclosure is implemented by the computer 1000 shown in Figure 4. The communication device 200 shown in Figure 3 is also implemented by the computer 1000. Furthermore, the functions of the information processing device 100 may be shared between the computer 1000 of the communication device 200 and the computer 1000 of the information processing device 100.

[0029] Computer 1000 has a bus 1010, a processor 1020, memory 1030, a storage device 1040, an input / output interface 1050, and a network interface 1060.

[0030] Bus 1010 is a data transmission path for the processor 1020, memory 1030, storage device 1040, input / output interface 1050, and network interface 1060 to send and receive data to and from each other. However, the method of connecting the processor 1020 and the other components to each other is not limited to bus connection.

[0031] The 1020 processor is a processor implemented in components such as the CPU (Central Processing Unit) and GPU (Graphics Processing Unit).

[0032] Memory 1030 is a main memory device implemented using RAM (Random Access Memory), etc.

[0033] The storage device 1040 is an auxiliary storage device implemented as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), memory card, or ROM (Read Only Memory). The storage device 1040 stores program modules that implement each function of the information processing device 100 (for example, the acquisition unit 102, the difference detection unit 104, the identification unit 106, the output unit 108 and the generation unit 110, which will be described later). The processor 1020 reads each of these program modules into the memory 1030 and executes them, thereby realizing each function corresponding to that program module. Alternatively, the storage device 1040 may also function as the storage device 120 of the information processing device 100.

[0034] The program module may be recorded on a recording medium. The recording medium on which the program module is recorded includes a non-temporary, tangible medium usable by a computer 1000, and program code that can be read by the computer 1000 (processor 1020) may be embedded in that medium.

[0035] The input / output interface 1050 is an interface for connecting the computer 1000 to various input / output devices. The input / output interface 1050 also functions as a communication interface for short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) and NFC (Near Field Communication). Furthermore, the input / output interface 1050 also functions as a wired communication interface such as USB (Universal Serial Bus) and HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) (registered trademark).

[0036] The network interface 1060 is an interface for connecting the computer 1000 to the communication network 3. This communication network 3 is, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) or a WAN (Wide Area Network). The method by which the network interface 1060 connects to the communication network 3 may be a wireless connection or a wired connection. Furthermore, the network interface 1060 also functions as a communication interface for communication using mobile communication systems such as CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4th generation communication (4G), 5th generation communication (5G), and 6th generation communication (6G) and later, via a mobile communication network.

[0037] The computer 1000 then connects to necessary devices (for example, the display, touch panel, operation buttons, touchpad, keyboard, mouse, speaker, microphone, camera, printer, etc. of the information processing device 100 or communication device 200) via the input / output interface 1050 or the network interface 1060.

[0038] Each component of the information processing device 100 shown in each figure can be realized by any combination of the hardware and software of the computer 1000 shown in Figure 4. Those skilled in the art will understand that there are various modifications to the implementation method and apparatus. The functional block diagrams showing the information processing device 100 shown in each figure represent blocks of logical functional units, not hardware-level configurations.

[0039] <Example of Functional Configuration> Hereinafter, an example of the configuration of the information processing device 100 in this disclosure will be described with reference to Figure 1. As described above, the information processing device 100 includes an acquisition unit 102, a difference detection unit 104, and a specification unit 106.

[0040] As described above, User U completes a user registration procedure in advance to create an account to be used when using the evacuation support system 1. The created account information is stored in the storage device 120 as user information 130. As shown in Figure 5, user information 130 for each user U includes identification information that can identify user U (user ID in the figure), authentication information such as a password, and information indicating user U's location and destination in the event of a disaster. Multiple pieces of information indicating user U's location and destination in the event of a disaster may be included in user information 130.

[0041] Information indicating user U's location and destination in the event of a disaster can be obtained, for example, through the user interface (UI) of a screen such as a My Page for registering user U's information in the application or website of the evacuation support system 1. The information received by the information processing device 100 is registered in user information 130.

[0042] User U's location may include, for example, their workplace and home. Their destination in the event of a disaster may include their home, a daycare or after-school program where their children are cared for, or their parents' home. User information 130 can contain multiple sets of information indicating User U's location and destination. Each set of information indicating User U's location and destination includes at least one of the following: the name of the location (company name, daycare name, etc.), the address, or the latitude and longitude.

[0043] The acquisition unit 102 acquires first route information, which is a standard route from the user U's location to the evacuation site, and second route information, which is the actual route taken from the user U's location to the evacuation site during a disaster. For example, the acquisition unit 102 reads information indicating the user U's location and destination from the user information 130 that is registered in advance when the user is registered, and acquires it as the user U's location and evacuation site. Then, the acquisition unit 102 acquires information indicating the standard route, which is a recommended evacuation route generated from the acquired location and evacuation site. The standard route may be generated in advance and provided to the user U, or it may be generated when a disaster occurs and provided to the user U.

[0044] For example, the evacuation support system 1 may provide a user U with a recommended evacuation route displayed on a map via an application or website. The route information may further include information indicating the direction of travel, landmarks in the surrounding area, distance, and estimated time for each of several points in order to show the way.

[0045] The first route information is stored in the storage device 120 as the first route information 132 shown in Figure 6. For each user U, the first route information 132 includes identification information that can identify the user U (user ID in the figure), information indicating the location of each of at least one set of location and destination registered in the user information 130 (e.g., latitude and longitude), and information indicating a reference route, which is a recommended evacuation route generated from the location information.

[0046] If multiple sets of location and destination are registered in the user information 130 described above, the first route information 132 may register multiple standard routes identified using multiple sets. Alternatively, the first route information 132 may register a standard route identified using the set with the highest priority, according to the priority previously registered by user U. Alternatively, in the event of a disaster, user U may be asked to select a set to use from among multiple sets, and the standard route identified using the selected set may be registered in the first route information 132.

[0047] Furthermore, user information 130 may include a set of location and destination, associated with the time (day of the week and time) when the set is used. For example, user information 130 may include a set of location (workplace) and destination (home), associated with working hours (day of the week and time). If the time of the disaster falls within working hours, the location (workplace) and destination (home) in the set can be used to identify a route from the workplace to home as a reference route.

[0048] The set of usage time associated with a location and destination set may be one of two sets. In that case, the other set will be used for times other than those associated with the first set. For example, if the working hours are associated with the first set and the second set does not have a usage time associated with it, the second set will be used if a disaster occurs outside of working hours.

[0049] The second route information is stored in the storage device 120 as the second route information 134 shown in Figure 7. For each user U, the second route information 134 includes identification information that can identify the user U (user ID in the figure), information indicating the location of each of at least one set of location and destination registered in the user information 130 (e.g., latitude and longitude), identification information that can identify the disaster assigned to the disaster that occurred (disaster ID), information indicating the date and time the second route information was acquired, and information indicating the actual route taken from the location at the time of the disaster to the evacuation site.

[0050] There are various ways to obtain the actual travel route, as exemplified below, but this is not limited to these methods. Furthermore, multiple methods described below may be combined. (a1) The application on the communication device 200 periodically acquires the location information of user U, which is obtained using the GPS (Global Positioning System) function of the communication device 200 carried by user U, and generates a travel route. The generated travel route is then retrieved from the communication device 200. (a2) The information processing device 100 periodically acquires the location information of user U, which is obtained using the GPS function of the communication device 200 carried by user U, and generates a travel route. (a3) After user U has evacuated via the operation menu of the application or website using the communication device 200, the device accepts input from user U regarding the route actually taken and records it as the route taken.

[0051] Furthermore, when a disaster occurs, the acquisition unit 102 may also acquire information related to the disaster. The acquired information is stored in the storage device 120 as disaster information 136 in Figure 8. For example, for each disaster, the disaster information 136 includes identification information (disaster ID in the figure) that can identify the disaster assigned to it, information indicating the date and time of the disaster, information indicating the type of disaster, information indicating the level of the disaster and the level of evacuation orders, and information indicating the target area. The information indicating the level of the disaster and the level of evacuation orders and the information indicating the target area may include information indicating the level of the disaster and the level of evacuation orders for each target area for multiple target areas, or it may include information indicating multiple target areas for each level of disaster. However, the disaster information 136 is not limited to this.

[0052] The disasters covered include, for example, earthquakes, tsunamis, typhoons, storms, heavy rain, river flooding, floods, storm surges, tornadoes, landslides, volcanic eruptions, wildfires, fires, explosions, building collapses, etc. Information indicating the level of the disaster and the level of evacuation orders includes, for example, information indicating the seismic intensity if the type of disaster is an earthquake. Disaster information 136 may include information indicating multiple areas for each seismic intensity, or information indicating the seismic intensity for each area. If the type of disaster is heavy rain, etc., information indicating the level of evacuation orders includes, for example, information indicating emergency safety measures, evacuation orders, evacuation for the elderly, etc. Disaster information 136 may include information indicating multiple target areas for each evacuation order level, or information indicating the evacuation order level for each area. If the type of disaster is a tsunami, information indicating the arrival time and height of the tsunami for each area.

[0053] The difference detection unit 104 detects the difference between the reference route indicated by the first route information and the travel route indicated by the second route information. For example, as shown in Figure 9, suppose that the reference route 30 from user U's location 10 to the destination 20, which is an evacuation site, is the route indicated by the dashed line, and that user U used the travel route 40, indicated by the dashed line, from location 10 to destination 20 when a disaster occurred. The difference detection unit 104 detects that there is a difference between the reference route 30 and the travel route 40. For example, the difference detection unit 104 extracts the portion where the reference route 30 and the travel route 40 deviate by more than a threshold as the deviation portion. The threshold is set within a range that takes into account the error of the GPS positioning data (for example, a few centimeters). In another example, the difference detection unit 104 extracts the portion of the reference route 30 that was not used for travel because the travel route 40 deviates from the reference route 30 by more than a threshold as the deviation portion. The difference detection unit 104 may extract multiple divergent portions in the reference route 30.

[0054] The identification unit 106 uses the detection results of the difference detection unit 104 to identify areas of concern 50 between the current location 10 and the destination 20, which is an evacuation site. Areas of concern 50 are, for example, dangerous areas that are impassable due to landslides or the like. In other words, areas of concern 50 are places that are dangerous for user U to pass through. Furthermore, areas of concern 50 are places that should be restored by the government or other authorities as disaster sites, and are also places where the extent of the damage should be confirmed beforehand.

[0055] The identification unit 106 identifies the portion of the standard route 30 that has been extracted as a deviation as a location requiring attention 50. In other words, the identification unit 106 identifies the portion of the standard route 30 that user U did not actually travel through as a location requiring attention 50.

[0056] The identification unit 106 may identify the locations requiring attention 50 using the divergence portions, which are the difference information of multiple users U. For example, the identification unit 106 may identify the locations requiring attention 50 using statistically processed information (e.g., mean and standard deviation (σ), etc.) of the areas (ranges) corresponding to the divergence portions of multiple users U. In other words, the identification unit 106 identifies the areas (ranges) that are common to many users U among the divergence portions of multiple users U as locations requiring attention 50.

[0057] Furthermore, the specific unit 106 may use a machine learning model to extract the discrepancies. The machine learning model is trained with map information (road information, etc.) of the target area, a standard route 30, anticipated hazardous areas, and anticipated travel routes 40 in those cases. After a disaster occurs, the travel routes 40 and standard route 30 of multiple users U can be input into the machine learning model to identify the areas where multiple users U deviated from the standard route 30 and output areas requiring attention 50. The machine learning model may include generative AI (Artificial Intelligence). For example, the identification unit 106 may input map information (road information, etc.) of the target area, the travel routes 40 of multiple users U, and a reference route 30 into the generative AI, and output locations requiring attention 50.

[0058] The identification unit 106 stores the identified locations of concern 50 in the storage device 120 as location of concern information 138 in Figure 10. The location of concern information 138 includes, for each disaster, identification information that can identify the disaster (disaster ID in the figure), information indicating the date and time the location of concern 50 was identified, information indicating the target area (for example, information indicating the road name and section), difference information indicating the detected discrepancy, and information indicating the identified location of concern 50.

[0059] The information indicating the date and time when the location of concern 50 was identified includes at least the date and time when the location of concern 50 was first identified. If the scope of the location of concern 50 changes, the information indicating the date and time may be updated. The target area may be, for example, information indicating the name of the region in which damage is expected, or information indicating the names of each road within that region and the target section in which damage is expected. The difference information is information indicating at least one discrepancy detected by the difference detection unit 104, and may be, for example, information indicating road names and sections, or information indicating areas on a map. The information indicating the location of concern is information indicating at least one location of concern 50 identified by the identification unit 106, and may be, for example, information indicating road names and sections, or information indicating areas on a map.

[0060] <Example of operation> An example of the processing operation of the information processing device 100 in this disclosure will be explained below with reference to Figure 2. Before the flow is executed, user U inputs information such as their current location and destination in case of disaster from the application or website's My Page screen of the evacuation support system 1, and this information is stored in the storage device 120 as user information 130.

[0061] Then, when a disaster occurs, this flow is initiated. For example, when a disaster occurs, this flow is initiated by receiving an operation from the operator of the evacuation support system 1. Alternatively, this flow may be initiated when information indicating the occurrence of a disaster of a predetermined level or higher (for example, an earthquake of a predetermined seismic intensity or higher) is obtained. Alternatively, this flow may be initiated when the application or website receives an initiation operation from each user U in order to use the evacuation support system 1 using the communication device 200. When a disaster is detected, identification information (disaster ID) for identifying the disaster is assigned.

[0062] The acquisition unit 102 acquires first route information that indicates a reference route, which is a standard route from the user U's location to the evacuation site (step S101). Specifically, the acquisition unit 102 reads at least one set of location and destination from the user information 130. Then, the acquisition unit 102 identifies the reference route from the acquired location and destination information and makes it the first route information. The acquisition unit 102 then stores the information indicating the location of the location and destination, respectively, and the information indicating the reference route as the first route information 132 in the storage device 120.

[0063] Next, the acquisition unit 102 acquires second route information that shows the actual route taken from the user's location during a disaster to the evacuation site (step S103). Specifically, when a disaster occurs, the acquisition unit 102 reads at least one location and destination set from the user information 130. Furthermore, the acquisition unit 102 periodically acquires location information that indicates the location of the communication device 200, which is acquired using the GPS function for each user U, and generates a route. The acquisition unit 102 stores this as second route information 134 in the storage device 120.

[0064] The difference detection unit 104 detects the difference between the reference route indicated by the first route information and the travel route indicated by the second route information (step S105). Specifically, it detects the portion of the reference route where the travel route deviates from the reference route and was not actually traveled by user U. The difference detection unit 104 stores the difference information indicating the detected deviation portion as attention location information 138 in the storage device 120.

[0065] The identification unit 106 uses the detection results of the difference detection unit 104 to identify areas of concern between the current location and the evacuation site (step S107). Specifically, the identification unit 106 reads difference information from the area of ​​concern information 138 and identifies areas of concern 50 within the target area. The identification unit 106 stores information indicating the identified areas of concern 50 as area of ​​concern information 138 in the storage device 120. The information indicating the areas of concern 50 includes, for example, information indicating the section of a predetermined road within the target area that constitutes an area of ​​concern 50.

[0066] As described above, according to this embodiment, the information processing device 100 comprises an acquisition unit 102, a difference detection unit 104, and a identification unit 106. The acquisition unit 102 acquires first route information, which is a reference route from the user's location to the evacuation site, and second route information, which is the actual route taken from the location to the evacuation site during a disaster. The difference detection unit 104 detects the difference between the reference route shown by the first route information and the route taken by the second route information. The identification unit 106 uses the detection result of the difference detection unit 104 to identify areas of concern between the location and the evacuation site. According to this embodiment, an evacuation support system, information processing device, information processing method, and program are obtained that can quickly and efficiently identify dangerous areas when a disaster occurs.

[0067] (Second Embodiment) The second information processing device 100 in Figure 11 of this disclosure is the same as the information processing device 100 in Figure 1, except that it further has an output unit 108. Note that each element in Figure 11 may be combined to the extent that it does not conflict with each element of one or more embodiments.

[0068] <Example of Functional Configuration> As shown in Figure 11, the information processing device 100 includes the same acquisition unit 102, difference detection unit 104, and identification unit 106 as in Figure 1, and further includes an output unit 108. The output unit 108 outputs information indicating locations requiring special attention.

[0069] Areas requiring special attention are, for example, places that user U should avoid when evacuating. Therefore, it is desirable to inform user U, who is evacuating, of these areas requiring special attention. Furthermore, areas requiring special attention are places that the local government should be aware of and can be used in future reconstruction and evacuation plans. In addition, areas requiring special attention are places where the situation should be checked using automated mobile devices equipped with sensors (e.g., cameras) to confirm the extent of the damage, such as drones. Since the number of automated mobile devices such as drones is limited, it is desirable to fly them efficiently to the locations where the situation should be checked. Therefore, the output unit 108 outputs information indicating areas requiring special attention as shown below.

[0070] The output unit 108 outputs information indicating areas requiring attention to various destinations, as exemplified below, but is not limited to these. Furthermore, multiple output destinations may be combined. (b1) Display the information on the screen of user U's communication device 200. (On an application or website) (b2) A sensor (e.g., a camera) is installed to detect the conditions within a predetermined area, and the data is transmitted to an automated mobile device (e.g., a drone) that can move within the predetermined area. (b3) A sensor (e.g., a camera) is installed to detect the conditions within a predetermined area, and the information is transmitted to a remote control device for an automated mobile device that can move within the predetermined area.

[0071] The display may be, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display. The camera includes a lens and an image sensor such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) image sensor. The camera may also be capable of transmitting live video and may be a network camera such as an IP (Internet Protocol) camera. The network camera may have, for example, a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) communication function and is connected to the information processing device 100 via a relay device (not shown) such as a router of the communication network 3.

[0072] The images generated by the camera are preferably captured in real time and transmitted to the information processing device 100. However, the images transmitted to the information processing device 100 do not have to be transmitted directly from the camera, and may be images with a predetermined time delay. The images captured by the camera may be temporarily stored in another storage device, and the information processing device 100 may read them sequentially, at predetermined intervals, or later from the storage device. Furthermore, the images transmitted to or acquired by the information processing device 100 are preferably moving images, but may also be frame images at predetermined intervals or still images.

[0073] <Example of operation> An example of the processing operation of the information processing device 100 in this disclosure will be explained below with reference to Figure 12. The flow in Figure 12 is executed after step S107 in Figure 2. The output unit 108 outputs information indicating the location requiring attention 50 identified in step S107 (step S111). This flow may also be initiated when user U requests an operation from the application or website's operation menu to display a screen showing the location requiring attention 50.

[0074] Furthermore, the output unit 108 may transmit information indicating the location of concern 50 (e.g., latitude and longitude) to the automatic mobile device as a control signal to move the automatic mobile device to the location of concern 50. The automatic mobile device uses the received information indicating the location of concern 50 to move to the location of concern 50, takes an image of the location of concern 50 using a camera, and records the captured image on a recording medium or transmits it to the information processing device 100. The information processing device 100 may acquire the captured image of the location of concern 50 from the automatic mobile device and display it on the display of the information processing device 100 or the communication device 200. The captured image may be a video, a still image, or an image frame at a predetermined interval.

[0075] As described above, in the information processing device 100 of this embodiment, the output unit 108 outputs information indicating the location requiring attention 50. For example, the output unit 108 displays the information indicating the location requiring attention 50 on the user U's display screen or transmits it to the automatic moving device. Thus, the information processing device 100 of this embodiment provides the same effects as the above embodiment, and furthermore, it can inform the user U of the location of concern 50 during evacuation, so that the user U can evacuate while avoiding the location of concern 50 included in the standard route. This ensures the safety of the user U.

[0076] Furthermore, the output unit 108 displays the locations requiring attention 50 on the screen of the communication device 200 of the administrative official in charge of the target area, so that the official can grasp the extent of the damage in the target area and use it for future reconstruction and evacuation plans. Alternatively, the information processing device 100 can transmit the locations requiring attention 50 to an automated mobile device and move it to the locations requiring attention 50, so that information indicating the situation of the locations requiring attention 50 (for example, captured images) can be obtained from the automated mobile device. Since the information processing device 100 can identify the locations requiring attention 50, by prioritizing the destination of automated mobile devices such as drones, which have a limited number of units, to the locations requiring attention 50, information indicating the situation of the locations requiring attention 50 can be obtained efficiently, and the extent of the damage can be confirmed.

[0077] (Third embodiment) The third information processing device 100 according to this disclosure is the same as the information processing device 100 in Figure 1, except that it has a configuration that further designates locations requiring special attention as "special attention locations." Since the third information processing device 100 has the same configuration as the information processing device 100 in Figure 1, it will be explained using Figure 1. Note that each element of the information processing device 100 according to this disclosure may be combined to the extent that it does not cause inconsistencies with each element of one or more embodiments.

[0078] <Example of Functional Configuration> The identification unit 106 compares the ratio of traffic to the total traffic volume of the area including the identified area with the area of ​​concern, during a disaster and during a non-disaster period. Then, using the results of this comparison, the identification unit 106 identifies areas that require particular attention from among the extracted areas of concern as areas requiring special attention.

[0079] For example, the traffic ratio information 140 during non-disaster times shown in Figure 13, the traffic ratio information 142 during disaster times shown in Figure 14, and the road condition information 144 in Figure 15 are stored in the storage device 120. The traffic ratio information 140 during non-disaster times includes the traffic ratio for each time period during normal times (non-disaster times) for each road (may include sections) included in a predetermined area that includes a place of concern. The traffic ratio is the ratio of the traffic volume at the place of concern to the total traffic volume of the predetermined area that includes the place of concern. The traffic volume may be identified, for example, using captured images of the road, or obtained from a website that provides traffic information. In addition, the traffic ratio information 140 during non-disaster times, the traffic ratio information 142 during disaster times, and the road condition information 144 may include information targeting bridges, specific intersections, etc., in addition to roads.

[0080] The traffic occupancy rate information during disasters 142 includes, for each road, information indicating the traffic occupancy rate after a disaster and information indicating the traffic occupancy rate during non-disaster periods, obtained from the traffic occupancy rate information during non-disaster periods 140 in Figure 13, in association with each other. The traffic occupancy rate information during disasters 142 further includes information indicating the date and time when the traffic occupancy rate after the disaster was identified. The traffic occupancy rate information during disasters 142 further includes information indicating the difference between the traffic occupancy rate during disasters and the traffic occupancy rate during non-disaster periods. If the traffic occupancy rate increases during disasters compared to non-disaster periods, the difference will be a positive value; if the traffic occupancy rate decreases during disasters compared to non-disaster periods, the difference will be a negative value.

[0081] The identification unit 106 refers to the traffic ratio information during disasters 142 and, for example, identifies locations where the difference is greater than or equal to a threshold as locations requiring special attention. The identification unit 106 stores this information in the storage device 120 as road condition information 144. The road condition information 144 includes, for each road, information indicating the difference and information indicating whether or not it has been identified as a location requiring special attention (indicated as the "caution flag" in the diagram). The caution flag for locations (roads or sections of roads) identified as locations requiring special attention is set to "on" (or "1"). The caution flag for other locations (roads or sections of roads) remains "off" (or "0").

[0082] Road condition information 144 further includes information indicating the date and time the special attention location was identified.

[0083] <Example of operation> An example of the processing operation of the information processing device 100 in this disclosure will be explained below with reference to Figure 16. The flow in Figure 16 is executed after step S107 in Figure 2. The identification unit 106 compares the ratio of traffic to the total traffic volume of the area including the identified area with that area, during a disaster and during a non-disaster period (step S121). Then, using this comparison result, the identification unit 106 identifies areas that require particular attention among the extracted areas with that area as areas requiring special attention (step S123).

[0084] As described above, in the information processing device 100 of this embodiment, the identification unit 106 compares the ratio of traffic to the total traffic volume of a predetermined area including the identified location of concern with traffic volume during a disaster and during a non-disaster period. Then, using this comparison result, the identification unit 106 identifies locations that require particular attention among the extracted locations of concern as locations requiring special attention. Thus, the information processing device 100 of this embodiment provides the same effects as the above embodiment, and furthermore, by comparing the traffic ratio during non-disaster and disaster times, it is possible to identify areas requiring special attention, making it possible to efficiently identify areas requiring special attention that should be prioritized for verification among areas requiring attention.

[0085] Furthermore, by combining it with the second information processing device 100 having the output unit 108 shown in Figure 11, information indicating a special caution location can be displayed on the screen of the user U's communication device 200, allowing the user U to evacuate via a route that avoids the special caution location.

[0086] Alternatively, by combining it with a second information processing device 100 having the output unit 108 in Figure 11, information indicating a special attention location can be transmitted to the automated mobile device. With this configuration, the automated mobile device can fly to a special attention location, and the special attention location can be imaged with a camera to acquire information indicating the situation of the special attention location (for example, captured images). Since the information processing device 100 can identify the special attention location 50, by prioritizing the destination of automated mobile devices such as drones, which have a limited number of units, to the special attention location 50, information indicating the situation of the special attention location 50 can be efficiently acquired, and the extent of the damage can be confirmed.

[0087] (Fourth Embodiment) The fourth information processing device 100 in Figure 17 of this disclosure is the same as the information processing device 100 in Figure 1, except that it further includes a generation unit 110. Note that each element of the information processing device 100 in Figure 17 may be combined to the extent that it does not conflict with the elements of one or more embodiments.

[0088] <Example of Functional Configuration> As shown in Figure 17, the information processing device 100 includes the same acquisition unit 102, difference detection unit 104, and identification unit 106 as in Figure 1, and also includes a generation unit 110. The generation unit 110 generates and outputs route information for evacuating to a safe location while avoiding areas of concern.

[0089] The route information generated by the generation unit 110 may be transmitted to the user U's communication device 200, or it may be published on a website accessible by the user U's communication device 200. Route information may be superimposed on a map, or it may further include information indicating the direction of travel, nearby landmarks, distance, and estimated time for each of several points in order to show the route.

[0090] <Example of operation> An example of the processing operation of the information processing device 100 in this disclosure will be explained below with reference to Figure 18. The flow in Figure 18 is executed after step S107 in Figure 2. The generation unit 110 uses the information indicating the location of concern 50 identified in step S107 to generate and output route information for evacuating to an evacuation site while avoiding the location of concern 50 (step S131).

[0091] As described above, in the information processing device 100 of this embodiment, the generation unit 110 generates and outputs route information for evacuating to an evacuation site while avoiding areas of concern. Thus, the information processing device 100 of this embodiment provides the same effects as the above embodiment, and furthermore, it can obtain information indicating a recommended route from a location that avoids the area of ​​concern 50 to the destination (evacuation site), thereby enabling safe evacuation guidance.

[0092] Furthermore, by combining it with the second information processing device 100 having the output unit 108 shown in Figure 11, route information for evacuating to a shelter while avoiding dangerous areas can be displayed on the display of the user U's communication device 200, allowing the user U to safely evacuate to a shelter via a route that avoids dangerous areas.

[0093] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, but these are merely examples of the present invention, and various other configurations can also be adopted.

[0094] (Other embodiments) For example, the traffic ratio information 140 for non-disaster traffic ratios in Figure 13 of the above embodiment is prepared by time period, but is not limited to this. In other embodiments, the identification unit 106 further uses the traffic ratios for each condition within a predetermined area to identify places that require special attention among the extracted places of concern as places of special concern.

[0095] Information 140 on traffic rates during non-disaster situations includes traffic rates during non-disaster situations, categorized by conditions.

[0096] Furthermore, the conditions include at least one of the following: the presence or absence of an event in the designated area or its surrounding area, and the time period. In other words, the conditions include those that affect traffic volume.

[0097] The time periods included in the conditions may include periods of daytime and nighttime when road brightness differs, days of the week with different traffic volumes, weekdays and holidays with different traffic volumes, or periods with different traffic volumes than normal, such as Obon holidays, New Year's holidays, and Golden Week.

[0098] An example of the processing operation of the information processing device 100 will be explained using Figure 19. The identification unit 106 further uses the traffic ratios for each condition within a predetermined area to identify locations that require special attention from among the extracted locations requiring attention as locations requiring special attention (step S141).

[0099] For example, if a disaster occurs during Golden Week, the identification unit 106 obtains information showing the traffic ratio during non-disaster times in Golden Week from the non-disaster traffic ratio information 140, calculates the difference with the traffic ratio during a disaster, and identifies locations where the difference is greater than or equal to a threshold as special attention locations that require particular attention among the extracted locations requiring attention.

[0100] With this configuration, even on roads where traffic volume changes depending on the conditions, the identification unit 106 can further use the traffic ratio for each condition to identify locations that require special attention from among the extracted locations requiring attention, thereby improving the accuracy of identifying locations requiring special attention.

[0101] Other examples of the disclosure may include a program that causes at least one computer to execute the method disclosed above, or a recording medium that is readable by a computer on which such a program is recorded. This recording medium may include non-temporary tangible media. This computer program includes computer program code that, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform an information processing method on an information processing device.

[0102] Furthermore, any combination of the above components, as well as any conversion of the expressions of this disclosure between methods, apparatus, systems, recording media, computer programs, etc., are also valid forms of this disclosure.

[0103] Furthermore, the various components of this disclosure do not necessarily have to be independent entities; multiple components may be formed as a single member, one component may be formed from multiple members, one component may be part of another component, or a part of one component may overlap with a part of another component, and so on.

[0104] Furthermore, although the methods and computer programs disclosed herein describe multiple steps in sequence, the order in which these steps are described does not limit the order in which they must be performed. Therefore, when implementing the methods and computer programs disclosed herein, the order of the steps can be changed to the extent that it does not impair the content.

[0105] Furthermore, the methods and computer programs described herein are not limited to being executed at individually different times. For example, other procedures may be executed while one procedure is being executed, or the timing of one procedure's execution may overlap with the timing of another procedure's execution in whole or in part.

[0106] Although the present disclosure has been described above with reference to embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above. Various modifications to the structure and details of the present disclosure can be made as can be understood by those skilled in the art within the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, each embodiment can be combined with other embodiments as appropriate. Furthermore, any information regarding users (User U) obtained or used in this disclosure shall be conducted in a lawful manner.

[0107] Furthermore, while the flowcharts used in the above description show multiple steps (processes) in sequence, the execution order of the steps performed in each embodiment is not limited to the order in which they are described. In each embodiment, the order of the illustrated steps can be changed to the extent that it does not impair the content.

[0108] Some or all of the above embodiments may also be described as follows, but are not limited to the following: 1. Acquisition means for acquiring a first route information that indicates a standard route, which is a reference route from the user's location to the evacuation site, and a second route information that indicates the actual route taken from the location to the evacuation site during a disaster. A difference detection means for detecting the difference between the reference route indicated by the first route information and the travel route indicated by the second route information, An information processing device comprising: identification means for identifying a location requiring attention between the location and the evacuation site using the detection results of the difference detection means. 2. In the information processing device described in 1., An information processing device further comprising output means for outputting information indicating the aforementioned location requiring attention. 3. In the information processing device described in 1. or 2., The identification means compares the traffic ratio of each identified location requiring attention to the traffic volume of the entire area including the location requiring attention, during a disaster and during a non-disaster period, and uses the results of this comparison to identify locations that require particular attention among the extracted locations requiring attention as locations requiring special attention. 4. In the information processing device described in any one of items 1 to 3, An information processing device further comprising a generation means for generating and outputting route information for evacuating to an evacuation site while avoiding the aforementioned areas of concern. 5. In the information processing device described in any one of items 1 to 4, The aforementioned identification means further uses the traffic ratios for each condition within a predetermined area to identify locations requiring special attention from among the extracted locations requiring special attention as locations requiring special attention. In the information processing device described in 6.2, The output means is an information processing device that transmits information indicating the location requiring attention to an automated mobile device equipped with a sensor for detecting the situation within a predetermined area and capable of moving within the predetermined area. 7. In the information processing device described in 2. or 6., The output means is an information processing device that displays information indicating the location requiring attention on a display screen. In the information processing device described in 8.5, The aforementioned condition is at least one of the presence or absence of an event in the predetermined area or its surrounding area, and the time period.

[0109] 9. Information processing equipment and, A communication device carried by the user, The aforementioned information processing device is An acquisition means for acquiring a first route information that indicates a standard route, which is a standard route from the user's location to the evacuation site, and a second route information that indicates the actual route taken from the user's location to the evacuation site during a disaster. A difference detection means for detecting the difference between the reference route indicated by the first route information and the travel route indicated by the second route information, An evacuation support system comprising: identification means for identifying areas of concern between the location and the evacuation site using the detection results of the difference detection means. 10. One or more computers, The system acquires first route information, which shows a standard route from the user's location to the evacuation site, and second route information, which shows the actual route taken from the aforementioned location to the evacuation site during a disaster. The difference between the reference route indicated by the first route information and the travel route indicated by the second route information is detected. An information processing method for identifying areas of concern between the location and the evacuation site using the results of the difference detection. 11. To the computer, Acquisition process to acquire first route information, which shows a standard route from the user's location to the evacuation site, and second route information, which shows the actual route taken from the aforementioned location to the evacuation site during a disaster. A difference detection process that detects the difference between the reference route indicated by the first route information and the travel route indicated by the second route information. A program for executing a process to identify areas of concern between the location and the evacuation site, using the detection results of the difference detection process. 12. To the computer, Acquisition process to acquire first route information, which shows a standard route from the user's location to the evacuation site, and second route information, which shows the actual route taken from the aforementioned location to the evacuation site during a disaster. A difference detection process that detects the difference between the reference route indicated by the first route information and the travel route indicated by the second route information. A computer-readable recording medium storing a program for executing a process to identify areas of concern between the location and the evacuation site, using the detection results of the difference detection process.

[0110] Furthermore, some or all of the configurations described in Appendices 2 to 7, which are subordinate to Appendice 1 (information processing device) as described above, may also be subordinate to Appendice 9 (evacuation support system), Appendice 10 (information processing method), Appendice 11 (program), and Appendice 12 (recording medium) in the same subordinate relationship as in Appendices 2 to 7. Moreover, not limited to Appendices 9, 10, 11, and 12, some or all of the configurations described as appendices may also be subordinate to various hardware, software, various recording means for recording software, or systems, without departing from the embodiments described above. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0111] 1. Evacuation Support System 3. Communication Network 10 Location 20 destinations 30 Standard Route 40 Traffic Routes 50 Caution areas 100 Information Processing Devices 102 Acquisition Department 104 Difference detection unit 106 Specific part 108 Output section 110 Generation part 120 Storage device 130 User Information 132 First Route Information 134 Second Route Information 136 Disaster Information 138 Caution place information 140 Information on traffic volume during non-disaster situations 142 Information on traffic flow during disasters 144 Road Condition Information 200, 200a, 200b communication equipment 1000 computers 1010 Bus 1020 Processor 1030 memory 1040 Storage Devices 1050 Input / Output Interface 1060 Network Interfaces

Claims

1. An acquisition means for acquiring a first route information that indicates a standard route, which is a reference route from the user's location to the evacuation site, and a second route information that indicates the actual route taken from the location to the evacuation site during a disaster. A difference detection means for detecting the difference between the reference route indicated by the first route information and the travel route indicated by the second route information, An information processing device comprising: identification means for identifying a location requiring attention between the location and the evacuation site using the detection results of the difference detection means.

2. In the information processing apparatus according to claim 1, An information processing device further comprising output means for outputting information indicating the aforementioned location requiring attention.

3. In the information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, The identification means compares the traffic ratio of each identified location requiring attention to the traffic volume of the entire area including the location requiring attention, during a disaster and during a non-disaster period, and uses the results of this comparison to identify locations that require particular attention among the extracted locations requiring attention as locations requiring special attention.

4. In the information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, An information processing device further comprising a generation means for generating and outputting route information for evacuating to an evacuation site while avoiding the aforementioned areas of concern.

5. In the information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, The aforementioned identification means further uses the traffic ratios for each condition within a predetermined area to identify locations requiring special attention from among the extracted locations requiring special attention as locations requiring special attention.

6. In the information processing apparatus according to claim 2, The output means is an information processing device that transmits information indicating the location requiring attention to an automated mobile device equipped with a sensor for detecting the situation within a predetermined area and capable of moving within the predetermined area.

7. In the information processing apparatus according to claim 5, The aforementioned condition is at least one of the presence or absence of an event in the predetermined area or its surrounding area, and the time period.

8. Information processing equipment and A communication device carried by the user, The aforementioned information processing device is Acquisition means for acquiring first route information, which indicates a standard route from the user's location to the evacuation site, and second route information, which indicates the actual route taken from the user's location to the evacuation site during a disaster. A difference detection means for detecting the difference between the reference route indicated by the first route information and the travel route indicated by the second route information, An evacuation support system comprising: identification means for identifying areas of concern between the location and the evacuation site using the detection results of the difference detection means.

9. One or more computers, The system acquires a first route information that shows a standard route from the user's location to the evacuation site, and a second route information that shows the actual route taken from the aforementioned location to the evacuation site during a disaster. The difference between the reference route indicated by the first route information and the travel route indicated by the second route information is detected. An information processing method for identifying areas of concern between the location and the evacuation site using the results of the difference detection.

10. On the computer, Acquisition process to acquire first route information, which shows a standard route from the user's location to the evacuation site, and second route information, which shows the actual route taken from the aforementioned location to the evacuation site during a disaster. A difference detection process that detects the difference between the reference route indicated by the first route information and the travel route indicated by the second route information. A program for executing a process to identify areas of concern between the location and the evacuation site, using the detection results of the difference detection process.

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