Information provision system, information provision method and program

Abstract

This information provision system comprises: a subject detection means for detecting, on the basis of information acquired from an apparatus installed in a public area, a subject whose state of being at home is to be managed, among people passing by the public area; a movement direction identification means for identifying the movement direction of the subject; an at-home management means for updating information relating to the at-home state of the subject on the basis of the estimated direction of movement; and an output means for outputting information relating to the at-home state.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information providing system, an information providing method, and a program recording medium. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a delivery route generation system that can suppress a decrease in efficiency of delivery operations. According to the document, this delivery route generation system has a destination information acquisition unit that acquires destination information including at least information resulting from the behavior of the consignee at each destination, an estimation unit that estimates the presence or absence of the consignee based on the destination information, and a delivery route generation unit that generates a delivery route based on the estimation of the presence or absence of the consignee. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2020 / 262010 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the configuration of Patent Document 1, a sensor that functions as a destination information acquisition unit needs to be installed for each consignee, and a mechanism needs to be established for collecting data that becomes destination information from the group of sensors.

[0005] A primary object of the present invention is to provide an information providing system, an information providing method, and a program recording medium that can provide, at low cost, information as to whether or not a person is at home. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a public area management system including: a target person detection means for detecting a target person who is a target of at-home status management among people passing through the public area based on information acquired from a device installed in the public area; and a movement direction identification means for identifying a movement direction of the target person; An information providing system is provided that includes a home-at-home management means that updates information regarding the home-at-home status of the subject based on the estimated direction of movement, and an output means that outputs information regarding the home-at-home status of the subject.

[0007] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information provision method in which a computer capable of acquiring information from equipment installed in a public area detects, based on the information, targets of at-home status management among those passing through the public area, identifies the direction of movement of the targets, updates information regarding the at-home status of the targets based on the estimated direction of movement, and outputs information regarding the at-home status of the targets.

[0008] According to a third aspect of the present invention, a computer capable of acquiring information from a device installed in a public area is provided with a process for detecting a target person who is a target of at-home status management among people passing through the public area based on the information, a process for identifying a direction of movement of the target person, and A program recording medium is provided that records a program for executing a process of updating information regarding the subject's at-home status based on the estimated direction of movement, and a process of outputting information regarding the subject's at-home status. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to each aspect of the present invention, an information providing system, an information providing method, and a program recording medium are provided that contribute to facilitating the provision of information on whether a person is at home or not. Note that the effects of the present invention are not limited to the above. The present invention may achieve other effects instead of or in addition to the effects. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an overview of an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a modification of the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a modified example of an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of cameras in the information providing system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining an example of subject information held in the subject information management unit of the information provision system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining an example of camera information stored in the camera information storage unit of the information providing system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of the information providing system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the information providing system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the information providing system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining an example of subject information held in the subject information management unit of the information provision system according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining an example of base station information stored in the base station information storage unit of the information providing system according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15]FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining an example of subject information held in the subject information management unit of the information provision system according to the third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a diagram for explaining an addition operation of the information providing system according to the third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing the operation of the information providing system according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing the operation of the information providing system according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 21] FIG. 21 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the sixth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 22] FIG. 22 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the information providing system according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 23] FIG. 23 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the information providing system according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 24] FIG. 24 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the information providing system according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 25] FIG. 25 is a flowchart showing the operation of a modified embodiment of the information providing system according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 26] FIG. 26 is a flowchart showing the operation of a modified embodiment of the information providing system according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 27] FIG. 27 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a server device capable of functioning as an information providing system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] First, an outline of one embodiment will be described. The reference numerals in the drawings are added to each element for convenience as an example to aid in understanding, and the description of the outline is not intended to be limiting. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the blocks shown in each drawing represent functional units rather than hardware units. The connection lines between the blocks in each drawing include both bidirectional and unidirectional. The unidirectional arrows are used to diagrammatically indicate the flow of the main signal (data) and do not exclude bidirectionality. In this specification and the drawings, elements that can be similarly described may be given the same reference numerals to avoid redundant description.

[0012] In one embodiment, the present invention can be realized by an information providing system 10 including a subject detection means 11, a movement direction identification means 12, a presence-at-home management means 13, and an output means 14, as shown in FIG.

[0013] More specifically, the subject detection means 11 detects subjects who are targets of at-home status management from among people passing through the public area, based on information acquired from equipment installed in the public area.

[0014] The movement direction identifying means 12 identifies the movement direction of the subject.

[0015] The at-home management means 13 updates information relating to the at-home status of the subject based on the estimated moving direction.

[0016] The output means 14 outputs information regarding the subject's at-home status.

[0017] By adopting the above configuration, it becomes possible to easily provide information as to whether or not a certain person is at home.

[0018] As shown in Fig. 2, the above-mentioned information provision system can also take the form of an information provision system 10a that uses cameras installed around roads as devices installed in public areas. In this case, the subject detection means 11a detects the subject by identifying a person or vehicle from an image captured by the camera. The movement direction identification means 12a identifies the movement direction of the subject based on the orientation of the camera and the orientation of the person or vehicle. Then, the at-home management means 13 updates the information on the at-home status stored in the at-home status information storage means 15 based on the position of the subject's home and the movement direction of the subject.

[0019] As shown in Fig. 3, the above-mentioned information provision system can also take the form of an information provision system 10b that uses base stations (or roadside devices) installed around roads as devices installed in public areas. In this case, the subject detection means 11b detects the subject by identifying terminal information connected to the base station. The movement direction identification means 12b identifies the movement direction of the subject based on the movement direction of the terminal obtained from the base station (or roadside device). Then, the at-home management means 13 updates the information on the at-home status stored in the at-home status information storage means 15 based on the home position of the subject and the movement direction of the subject.

[0020] Specific embodiments will be described in more detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0021] [First embodiment] First, a first embodiment using cameras installed around roads as devices installed in public areas will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings. Fig. 4 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the first embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Fig. 4, an information providing system 100 is shown which is connected to a camera 110 and can transmit information to an in-vehicle terminal 210 of a vehicle, a mobile terminal 220, etc.

[0022] The camera 110 is installed near a road, captures images of people and vehicles passing along the road, and provides the captured images to the information providing system 100.

[0023] Fig. 5 shows an example of the arrangement of the cameras 110. For example, two cameras 110 are installed facing each other so that they can capture images of people and vehicles passing through an arbitrarily selected intersection. In the example of Fig. 5, a total of four cameras are installed at adjacent intersections, as shown by the reference symbols C0001, C0002, C0003, and C0004.

[0024] The number of cameras 110 can be reduced by adjusting the installation position or by using cameras equipped with wide-angle lenses. Therefore, the number of cameras 110 is not limited as long as it is one or more. Furthermore, the camera 110 may be one that captures still images at a predetermined time interval or one that captures moving images.

[0025] The information provision system 100 includes a subject detection unit 101, a movement direction identification unit 102, a home-stay management unit 103, a transmission unit 104, a subject information management unit 105, and a camera information storage unit 106. The subject detection unit 101, the movement direction identification unit 102, the home-stay management unit 103, and the transmission unit 104 correspond to the subject detection means 11, the movement direction identification means 12, the home-stay management means 13, and the output means 14 described above.

[0026] The subject detection unit 101 identifies a person or a vehicle from an image captured by the camera 110, and detects a target of at-home status management (hereinafter referred to as a "subject"). For example, the subject detection unit 101 cuts out a portion of the image captured by the camera 110 in which a person or a vehicle is captured, and identifies the person or the vehicle from the image features of the person or the vehicle, character-recognized license plate information, etc. Furthermore, the subject detection unit 101 checks against information registered in the subject information management unit 105 to determine whether the identified person or vehicle is a subject or not.

[0027] The movement direction identification unit 102 identifies the movement direction of the target person based on the orientation of the camera 110 and the orientation of the person or vehicle. For example, if the camera 110 is installed facing east and a person or vehicle is approaching the direction of the camera 110, the movement direction identification unit 102 determines that the person or vehicle is moving west. Note that the method of identifying the movement direction of the target person is not particularly limited as long as it can identify the movement direction of the person or vehicle.

[0028] The at-home management unit 103 updates the subject information including the at-home status of the subject stored in the subject information management unit 105 based on the home position of the subject and the moving direction of the subject.

[0029] The subject information management unit 105 manages subject information used to manage the at-home status. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining an example of subject information stored in the subject information management unit 105. In the example of FIG. 6, subject information is shown in which, for each subject identified by a subject ID (IDentifier), the camera ID of the camera that detected the subject, the detection time, the movement direction, the subject's biometric information, the home position, the at-home determination result, and the like are associated with the subject. The detection time indicates the most recent detection time of the subject, and the movement direction indicates the movement direction of the subject identified by the movement direction identification unit 102. The biometric information is provided to the subject detection unit 101 and is used to identify the subject.

[0030] The camera information storage unit 106 stores the installation position and orientation of the camera 110, and provides information regarding the camera position and orientation to the movement direction identification unit 102. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of camera information stored in the camera information storage unit 106.

[0031] The transmission unit 104 transmits information on the at-home status of the target person based on the target person information to the in-vehicle terminal 210 of the delivery company's vehicle and the mobile terminal 220 of a pre-set family member of the target person, etc. Note that the transmission form of the information on the at-home status can be a form in which the transmission unit 104 transmits information on the at-home status of the relevant person when there is a change in the at-home status, or a form in which the information on the at-home status of the target person is transmitted in response to a request from these terminals.

[0032] Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Fig. 8 is a flow chart showing the operation of the information provision system of the first embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Fig. 8, first, the information provision system 100 detects a subject based on an image obtained from the camera 110 and biological information of the subject obtained from the at-home management unit 103 (step S001).

[0033] Next, the information providing system 100 refers to the camera information to identify the moving direction of the detected subject (step S002).

[0034] Next, the information provision system 100 updates the at-home status of the subject based on the movement direction of the identified subject (step S003). For example, the subject with subject ID 0001 in Fig. 6 has a home position south (S) from the camera with code C0001 as shown in Fig. 9. The subject is detected to have headed south (S), which is the direction of his / her home, from the position of the camera with code C0001. In this case, the at-home management unit 103 determines that the subject with subject ID 0001 will be "at-home" after a predetermined time, and updates the at-home determination result column to "at-home".

[0035] Similarly, for example, the home position of the subject with subject ID 0002 is west (W) of the camera with code C0001, as shown in Fig. 10. The subject is detected to have headed east (E) away from the home direction from the position of the camera with code C0001. In this case, the at-home management unit 103 determines that the subject with subject ID 0002 has become "absent" and updates the at-home determination result column to "absent".

[0036] Finally, the information providing system 100 transmits information about the target person's at-home status to the above-mentioned vehicle-mounted terminal 210 and mobile terminal 220 (step S004).

[0037] In this way, the delivery company that receives the information about the target person's at-home status can make the delivery after confirming whether the resident at the delivery address is present or absent. Also, the target person's family members can know the target person's presence or absence and can accordingly speed up or delay their return home.

[0038] [Second embodiment] Next, a second embodiment using a base station installed around a road as the device installed in a public area will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the second embodiment of the present invention. A major difference in configuration from the first embodiment shown in FIG. 4 is that an information providing system 100b is connected to a base station instead of the camera 110. The presence-at-home management unit 103 and the transmission unit 104 of the information providing system 100b are the same as those of the first embodiment, and therefore the following description will focus on the differences.

[0039] The base station 200 is a base station of the fifth generation mobile communication system that is installed around a road and provides services to terminals carried by people passing along the road and in-vehicle terminals of vehicles. Note that in this embodiment, the base station 200 is described as a base station of the fifth generation mobile communication system, but as described below, the base station 200 is not particularly limited as long as it can detect the terminal of a target person and identify the moving direction.

[0040] FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining an example of subject information held in the subject information management unit 105b. In the example of FIG. 12, subject information is shown in which the base station ID of the base station that detected the subject, the detection time, the moving direction, the terminal information of the subject, the home position, the at-home determination result, and the like are associated with each subject identified by the subject ID. A major difference from the subject information of the first embodiment is that the base station ID is recorded instead of the camera ID, and the moving direction is identified from the information obtained from the base station. Also, in this embodiment, terminal information is set instead of the biometric information of the first embodiment and is used to identify the subject.

[0041] The base station information storage unit 106b stores the installation position of the base station 200, the arrangement of the antenna, and the like, and provides the movement direction identification unit 102b with information for identifying the movement direction of the target person. Fig. 13 is a diagram showing an example of base station information stored in the base station information storage unit 106b.

[0042] The target person detection unit 101b receives connected terminal information from the base station 200, and detects the target person.

[0043] The moving direction identifying unit 102b identifies the moving direction of the target person based on the moving direction of the terminal obtained from the base station 200. The base station 200 is assumed to be able to identify the moving direction of the terminal by using information of the antenna communicating with the connected terminal and beam tracking information. The moving direction identifying unit 102b identifies the moving direction of the target person using the moving direction of the terminal obtained in this manner and information of the base station 200 that provides the information.

[0044] Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 8, since it follows the same flow as the first embodiment. First, the information providing system 100b detects a target person based on the terminal information obtained from the base station 200 and the target person's terminal information obtained from the at-home management unit 103 (step S001).

[0045] Next, the information providing system 100b refers to the base station information of the base station that detected the target person, and identifies the moving direction of the detected target person (step S002).

[0046] Next, the information providing system 100b updates the at-home status of the target person based on the identified moving direction of the target person (step S003).

[0047] Finally, the information providing system 100b transmits information about the target person's at-home status to the above-mentioned vehicle-mounted terminal 210 and mobile terminal 220 (step S004).

[0048] In this manner, in this embodiment as well, it is possible to provide information regarding the subject's at-home status to a delivery company, the subject's family, etc. In the above description, a base station is used, but instead of the base station 200, a roadside device capable of communicating with the subject's terminal can also be used. When this roadside device is used, it is also possible to identify the subject's moving direction by using the order in which the subject's terminal communicates with multiple roadside devices.

[0049] [Third embodiment] Next, a third embodiment in which some improvements have been made to the subjects managed by subject information management unit 105 will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Fig. 14 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the third embodiment of the present invention. A major difference in configuration from the second embodiment shown in Fig. 11 is that a subject information receiving unit 107 has been added. Other configurations are the same as those of the second embodiment, so the following description will focus on the differences.

[0050] The target person information receiving unit 107 receives information on a target person to whom a package is scheduled to be delivered from the delivery business system (delivery company system) of the delivery company, and registers the details in the target person information management unit 105b. The information on the target person to whom a package is scheduled to be delivered may be that exemplified in FIG. 15. The target person ID may be, for example, a package inquiry number. The home location may be an actual address to be the delivery destination, instead of the relative location from the base station exemplified in FIG. 15. The target person information managed in the target person information management unit 105b is preferably deleted from the target person information management unit 105b when the delivery is completed, etc.

[0051] Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Fig. 16 is a flow chart showing a process added to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 16, first, the target person information receiving unit 107 receives information on a target person to whom a package is scheduled to be delivered from a delivery company system (step S101).

[0052] Then, the subject information receiving unit 107 adds the received subject information to the subject information managing unit 105b (Step S102).

[0053] The subsequent operations are the same as those in the second embodiment, and therefore the explanation will be omitted. According to this embodiment, it is possible to provide information on the presence of the target person to the vehicle-mounted terminal 210 or the mobile terminal 220 of the delivery company that will deliver the product on that day.

[0054] In the above embodiment, the information providing system 100c is described as receiving the information of the target person from the delivery company system, but the source of the information of the target person is not limited to the delivery company. For example, the information of the target person may be received from a visiting care service or various food delivery companies. By providing information on the target person's at-home status to the terminals of the personnel providing these services, it becomes possible to provide efficient services and perform efficient rounds.

[0055] [Fourth embodiment] Next, a fourth embodiment in which targets to be managed for the at-home status are narrowed down based on the attributes of the person will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 17 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the fourth embodiment of the present invention. The difference in configuration from the first embodiment shown in FIG. 4 is that an attribute analysis unit 108 is added to the information providing system 100d, and a target person detection unit 101d requests the attribute analysis unit 108 to analyze the attributes of the person captured by the camera 110. Since the other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, the differences will be mainly described below.

[0056] The attribute analysis unit 108 analyzes the attributes of the person shown in the image received from the target person detection unit 101d. The person's attributes are assumed to be the person's age group, sex, etc. For example, the age group is classified as children, adults, and the elderly. Furthermore, it may be a specific age instead of an age group. These attributes can be realized, for example, by creating a classifier that classifies binary or multi-valued person attributes by performing learning using previously prepared learning data, and by providing the attribute analysis unit 108 with this classifier.

[0057] Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. Fig. 18 is a flow chart showing the operation of the information provision system of the fourth embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Fig. 18, first, when the information provision system 100d acquires an image from the camera 110, it requests the attribute analysis unit 108 to analyze the attributes of the person (step S201).

[0058] If the analysis results in the person's attributes meeting a predetermined exclusion condition (Yes in step S202), the information provision system 100d does not perform the following process. For example, the predetermined exclusion condition can be set to children, elderly people, women, men, etc. In this way, it is possible to prevent deliveries, etc. from being made when these people are at home.

[0059] On the other hand, if the analysis result shows that the person's attributes do not meet the predetermined exclusion conditions (No in step S202), the information provision system 100d performs the same operations as steps S001 to S004 in the first embodiment. Specifically, the information provision system 100d detects the target person, identifies the moving direction, updates the at-home status, and transmits the at-home status based on the image from the camera 110.

[0060] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to narrow down the targets of the at-home status provision based on attributes such as age, sex, etc. Also, by excluding children, elderly people, women, etc. from the targets of at-home status management, it is possible to prevent delivery companies, etc. from visiting these people when they are at home alone.

[0061] Furthermore, the fourth embodiment described above can be modified to a configuration in which, after updating the at-home status of a subject, the attribute analysis unit 108 analyzes the person's attributes and determines whether the person's attributes meet a predetermined exclusion condition. For example, as shown in FIG. 25, after detecting a subject (step S001), identifying the moving direction (step S002), and updating the at-home status (step S003), a process of analyzing the person's attributes may be performed (step S301). Then, if the analyzed person's attributes meet a predetermined exclusion condition (Yes in step S302), the information providing system 100d suppresses the transmission of information regarding the at-home status of the subject. According to such a modified example, it is possible to obtain a configuration in which the at-home status of all subjects is updated, while the at-home status of a person who meets the predetermined exclusion condition is not provided to the outside.

[0062] [Fifth embodiment] Next, a fifth embodiment in which a subject is selected based on an image obtained by a camera 110 will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Fig. 19 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the fifth embodiment of the present invention. The configuration is almost the same as that of the fifth embodiment shown in Fig. 17 except that the operation of a subject detection unit 101e is different, and the following description will focus on the differences.

[0063] Similar to the subject detection unit 101d of the information provision system 100d of the fourth embodiment, the subject detection unit 101e requests the attribute analysis unit 108 to analyze the attributes of a person captured by the camera 110. Furthermore, when the attributes of the person satisfy a predetermined condition, the subject detection unit 101e selects the person as a subject.

[0064] Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. Fig. 20 is a flow chart showing the operation of the information provision system of the fifth embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Fig. 20, first, when the information provision system 100e acquires an image from the camera 110, it requests the attribute analysis unit 108 to analyze the attributes of the person (step S201).

[0065] If the analysis result shows that the person's attributes do not meet the predetermined monitoring target conditions (No in step S202d), the information providing system 100e does not perform the following process. As the predetermined monitoring target conditions, for example, monitoring of the at-home status, i.e., children, elderly people, women, men, etc., which require watching, can be set.

[0066] On the other hand, if the analysis results in the person's attributes meeting the predetermined monitoring target conditions (Yes in step S202d), the information provision system 100e performs the same operations as steps S001 to S004 in the first embodiment. Specifically, the information provision system 100e detects the target person, identifies the moving direction, updates the at-home status, and transmits the at-home status based on the image from the camera 110.

[0067] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to select targets based on attributes such as age and gender, monitor their at-home status, and notify a specified terminal, etc., when any changes occur.

[0068] Furthermore, the fifth embodiment described above can be modified to a configuration in which, after updating the at-home status of the subject, the attribute analysis unit 108 analyzes the person's attributes and determines whether the person's attributes meet a predetermined monitoring target condition. For example, as shown in FIG. 26, after detecting the subject (step S001), identifying the moving direction (step S002), and updating the at-home status (step S003), a process of analyzing the person's attributes may be performed (step S301). Then, if the analyzed person's attributes meet the predetermined monitoring target condition (Yes in step S302d), the information providing system 100d transmits information on the at-home status of the subject. According to such a modified example, a configuration can be obtained in which the at-home status of all subjects is updated, while only the persons who meet the monitoring target condition are provided to the outside.

[0069] Furthermore, whether or not to transmit information about the at-home status may be determined according to a predetermined condition. Examples of the predetermined condition include the attributes of the owner of the terminal that provides the service and the type of service provided. For example, in the case of a delivery service, information about whether or not a child is at home is not transmitted, whereas in the case of a monitoring service, only information about whether or not a child is at home is transmitted. In this way, by setting a predetermined condition for whether or not to transmit information about whether or not a child is at home, appropriate information can be provided according to the service.

[0070] [Sixth embodiment] Next, a sixth embodiment in which a function of providing delivery route information (route information) is added using information on the at-home status of each target person described above will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 21 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the sixth embodiment of the present invention. The difference from the first embodiment is that a route calculation unit 109 is added, and a transmission unit 104f can provide delivery route information (route information) to an in-vehicle terminal 210 of the delivery company's vehicle and a mobile terminal 220 of the person in charge. The other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, so the following description will focus on the differences.

[0071] The route calculation unit 109 holds road information that indicates the connection relationship of roads in a specified area, and when one or more delivery destination information on a road is specified, creates a route (route) that allows the one or more delivery destinations to be traveled via a shorter route. Note that the route calculation unit 109 does not need to be held by the information providing system 100f itself, and can be replaced with a configuration that determines a route using, for example, an external route calculation server. In this case, the route calculation unit 109 functions as a processing unit that transmits delivery destination information to the route calculation server and receives the created route information.

[0072] FIG. 22 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the information provision system of the sixth embodiment of the present invention. Route 1 in FIG. 22 indicates the initial delivery route of the delivery company's vehicle. Meanwhile, according to the information provision system 100f of this embodiment, for example, it can be detected that a resident (target person) of delivery destination B in FIG. 22 is absent. In this case, the route calculation unit 109 of the information provision system 100f creates route 2 that goes directly from delivery destination A to delivery destination C. Then, the transmission unit 104f transmits route 2 to the vehicle-mounted terminal 210 of the delivery company's vehicle. This makes it possible for the delivery person of the delivery company to save the trouble of visiting and calling delivery destination B.

[0073] FIG. 23 is a diagram for explaining another operation of the information providing system according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention. The route 2 in FIG. 23 indicates a delivery route during a period when the delivery destination B is absent. On the other hand, according to the information providing system 100f of the present embodiment, for example, as shown in FIG. 23, it is possible to detect that the resident (target person) of the delivery destination B has headed toward his / her home. In this case, the route calculation unit 109 of the information providing system 100f creates a route 3 that travels around the delivery destinations A, B, and C in that order. Then, the transmission unit 104f transmits the route 3 to the vehicle-mounted terminal 210 of the delivery company's vehicle. This enables the delivery person of the delivery company to visit the delivery destination B and deliver the package. Note that, when it is detected that the resident (target person) of the delivery destination B has headed toward his / her home, the at-home management unit 103 of the information providing system 100f may perform at-home determination in consideration of the distance D1 from the position of the detected resident (target person) to his / her home. For example, the at-home management unit 103 may use the distance D1 and the speed of the detected resident (subject) to determine the timing (time) of returning home, and update the information on the at-home status at that timing (time). The detected speed of the resident (subject) may be a speed estimated from a camera image or the like, or the average walking speed of an adult may be used. Of course, as in the fourth and fifth embodiments, when the information provision system 100f is provided with the attribute analysis unit 108, the walking speed or the like may be corrected or the timing of returning home may be corrected according to the attributes of the resident (subject).

[0074] Alternatively, if the difference in time between the timing (time) when the target person returns home to destination B and the timing (time) when the delivery person arrives at destination B is within a predetermined threshold, route 3 may be created and transmitted to the in-vehicle terminal 210 of the delivery company's vehicle or the mobile terminal 220. Also, as shown in Fig. 24, the timing (time) when the target person returns home to the delivery destination and the timing (time) when the delivery person arrives at the delivery destination may be displayed. Also, route 2 and route 3 may be displayed simultaneously to allow the delivery person to select a delivery route.

[0075] Next, the hardware of each device constituting the above-mentioned information providing system will be described. Fig. 27 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a server device 900 capable of functioning as the above-mentioned information providing system.

[0076] The server device 900 can be configured by an information processing device (so-called a computer), and has the configuration exemplified in Fig. 27. For example, the server device 900 includes a processor 911, a memory 912, an input / output interface 913, and a communication interface 914. The components such as the processor 911 are connected by an internal bus or the like, and are configured to be able to communicate with each other.

[0077] However, the configuration shown in Fig. 27 is not intended to limit the hardware configuration of the server device 900. The server device 900 may include hardware not shown, and may not include the input / output interface 913 as necessary. In addition, the number of processors 911 and the like included in the server device 900 is not intended to be limited to the example shown in Fig. 27, and for example, the server device 900 may include multiple processors 911.

[0078] The processor 911 is, for example, a programmable device such as a central processing unit (CPU), a micro processing unit (MPU), or a digital signal processor (DSP). Alternatively, the processor 911 may be a device such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The processor 911 executes various programs including an operating system (OS).

[0079] The memory 912 is a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), etc. The memory 912 stores an OS program, application programs, and various data.

[0080] The input / output interface 913 is an interface for a display device and an input device (not shown). The display device is, for example, a liquid crystal display, etc. The input device is, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, etc. that accepts user operations.

[0081] The communication interface 914 is a circuit, a module, etc. that communicates with other devices. For example, the communication interface 914 includes a NIC (Network Interface Card) or the like.

[0082] The functions of the server device 900 are realized by various processing modules. The processing modules are realized, for example, by the processor 311 executing a program stored in the memory 912. The program can be recorded in a computer-readable storage medium. The storage medium can be a non-transitory medium such as a semiconductor memory, a hard disk, a magnetic recording medium, or an optical recording medium. That is, the present invention can also be embodied as a computer program product. The program can be downloaded via a network or updated using a storage medium storing the program. The processing modules may also be realized by a semiconductor chip.

[0083] The server device 900, which is an information processing device, is equipped with a computer, and can realize the functions of the server device 900 by causing the computer to execute a program. The server device 900 also executes an information providing method by the program.

[0084] [Variations] The configuration, operation, and the like of the information providing system described in the above embodiment are merely examples, and are not intended to limit the system configuration, and the like.

[0085] For example, in the above embodiment, the information provision system has been described as detecting a walking pedestrian as a target, but a person traveling in a vehicle can also be included as a target. In this case, a method of identifying a target using biometric information such as a face image, a terminal ID held by the person, or a license plate number of the vehicle can be adopted.

[0086] In the flow charts (flow charts, sequence diagrams) used in the above description, multiple steps (processes) are described in order, but the order of execution of the steps executed in the embodiments is not limited to the order described. In the embodiments, the order of the steps shown in the figures can be changed to a degree that does not interfere with the content, such as executing each process in parallel.

[0087] The above-mentioned embodiments have been described in detail to facilitate understanding of the present disclosure, and it is not intended that all of the configurations described above are necessary. In addition, when a plurality of embodiments are described, each embodiment may be used alone or in combination. For example, it is possible to replace a part of the configuration of an embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, or to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of an embodiment. Furthermore, it is possible to add, delete, or replace a part of the configuration of an embodiment with another configuration.

[0088] The above explanation makes clear the industrial applicability of the present invention, and the present invention can be suitably applied to an information providing system that facilitates the provision of information as to whether or not a person is at home.

[0089] A part or all of the above-described embodiments can be described as, but is not limited to, the following supplementary notes.

[0090] [Appendix 1] a target person detection means for detecting a target person who is a target of at-home status management among people passing through the public area based on information acquired from a device installed in the public area; A movement direction identification means for identifying a movement direction of the subject; a home-at-home management means for updating information about the home-at-home status of the subject based on the estimated moving direction; and an output means for outputting information regarding the subject's at-home status. Information provision system. [Appendix 2] In the information provision system of Appendix 1, Further, a transmission means for transmitting information regarding the at-home status of the subject to a predetermined terminal. An information provision system equipped with: [Appendix 3] In the information provision system of Appendix 1 or 2, The device installed in the public area is a camera installed around a road, The subject detection means detects the subject by identifying a person or a vehicle from an image captured by the camera, the movement direction identification means identifies a movement direction of the subject based on a direction of the camera and a direction of the person or vehicle; An information providing system, wherein the at-home management means updates information regarding the at-home status based on the position of the subject's home and the subject's direction of movement. [Appendix 4] In the information provision system of Appendix 1 or 2, The device installed in the public area is a base station or a roadside device installed around a road, The target person detection means detects the target person by identifying terminal information connected to the base station, The moving direction identification means identifies a moving direction of the target person based on a moving direction of the terminal obtained from the base station or the roadside device, An information providing system, wherein the at-home management means updates information regarding the at-home status based on the position of the subject's home and the subject's direction of movement. [Appendix 5] In any one of the information provision systems set forth in Supplementary Note 1 to 4, The target person detection means detects the target person based on target person information received from a terminal of a predetermined business operator. [Appendix 6] In any one of the information provision systems set forth in appendix 1 to 5, An information provision system that excludes from the target persons those passing through the public area those whose attributes satisfy predetermined conditions. [Appendix 7] In any one of the information provision systems set forth in appendix 1 to 5, The information provision system selects, as the target person, those passing through the public area whose attributes do not satisfy a predetermined condition. [Appendix 8] In the information provision system of Appendix 2, The transmitting means is an information providing system that determines whether or not to transmit information regarding the subject's at-home status based on predetermined conditions. [Appendix 9] In the information provision system of Appendix 8, The transmission means is an information providing system that transmits information regarding the at-home status of a person passing through the public area when the person's attributes satisfy a predetermined condition. [Appendix 10] In the information provision system of Appendix 8, The transmission means is an information providing system that does not transmit information regarding the at-home status of a person passing through the public area when the person's attributes satisfy a predetermined condition. [Appendix 11] In any one of the information provision systems of appendix 1 to 10, The information providing system further comprises a route transmitting means for transmitting a delivery route using information regarding the at-home status of the target person. [Appendix 12] In any one of the information provision systems of appendix 1 to 11, The transmission means is an information providing system that transmits information regarding the at-home status of the subject to terminals of related parties that are registered in advance for each subject. [Appendix 13] In any one of the information provision systems set forth in Supplementary Note 1 to 12, The at-home management means estimates a time when the subject will arrive at his / her home based on a location of the subject's home, a moving direction of the subject, and a location of a device installed in the public area; An information providing system that updates information regarding the subject's at-home status to a at-home status using the estimated time. [Appendix 14] A computer that can obtain information from devices installed in public areas Based on the information, detect a person who is a target of at-home status management among people passing through the public area; Identifying a direction of movement of the subject; updating information about the subject's at-home status based on the estimated moving direction; Outputting information regarding the subject's at-home status. Information provision method. [Appendix 15] A computer that can obtain information from devices installed in public areas. A process of detecting a person who is a target of at-home status management among people passing through the public area based on the information; A process of identifying a moving direction of the subject; updating information about the subject's at-home status based on the estimated moving direction; A process of outputting information regarding the subject's at-home status; A program recording medium on which a program for executing the above is recorded.

[0091] The disclosures of the above cited prior art documents are incorporated herein by reference. Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that these embodiments are merely illustrative and that various modifications are possible without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. In other words, the present invention naturally includes various modifications and amendments that a person skilled in the art can make in accordance with the entire disclosure, including the scope of the claims, and the technical ideas. [Explanation of symbols]

[0092] 10, 10a, 10b, 100, 100a Information provision system 11, 11a, 11b Target detection means 12, 12a, 12b Movement direction identification means 13 Home care measures 14 Output Method 15. At-home status information storage means 100, 100b, 100c, 100e, 100f Information provision system 110 Camera 200 base stations 210 Vehicle-mounted terminal 220 Mobile Devices 101, 101b, 101d, 101e Subject detection unit 102, 102b Movement direction identification unit 103 Home Care Department 104, 104f Transmitter 105, 105b Subject Information Management Department 106 Camera information storage unit 106b Base station information storage unit 107 Target Information Receiving Department 108 Attribute Analysis Department 109 Route Calculation Unit

Claims

1. a target person detection means for detecting a target person who is a target of at-home status management among people passing through the public area based on information acquired from a device installed in the public area; A movement direction identification means for identifying a movement direction of the subject; a home-at-home management means for updating information about the home-at-home status of the subject based on the identified moving direction; and an output means for outputting information regarding the subject's at-home status, The device installed in the public area is a camera installed around a road, The subject detection means detects the subject by identifying a person or a vehicle from an image captured by the camera, the movement direction identification means identifies a movement direction of the subject based on a direction of the camera and a direction of the person or vehicle; An information providing system, wherein the at-home management means updates information regarding the at-home status based on the position of the subject's home and the subject's direction of movement.

2. Further, a transmission means for transmitting information regarding the at-home status of the subject to a predetermined terminal. The information providing system according to claim 1, comprising:

3. The device installed in the public area is a base station or a roadside device installed around a road, The target person detection means detects the target person by identifying terminal information connected to the base station, The moving direction identification means identifies a moving direction of the target person based on a moving direction of the terminal obtained from the base station or the roadside device, The at-home management means updates the at-home status information based on the home position of the subject and the moving direction of the subject. The information providing system according to claim 2.

4. 4. The information providing system according to claim 1, wherein the target person detection means detects the target person based on target person information received from a terminal of a predetermined business.

5. 5. The information providing system according to claim 1, wherein among people passing through the public area, people whose attributes satisfy a predetermined condition are excluded from the target people.

6. 5. The information providing system according to claim 1, wherein, from among people passing through the public area, people whose attributes satisfy a predetermined condition are selected as the target persons.

7. 3. The information providing system according to claim 2, wherein said transmission means determines whether or not to transmit the information regarding the at-home status of said subject based on a predetermined condition.

8. A computer that can obtain information from devices installed in public areas Based on the information, detect a person who is a target of at-home status management among people passing through the public area; Identifying a direction of movement of the subject; Update information regarding the subject's at-home status based on the identified direction of movement; Outputting information regarding the subject's at-home status.

1. A method for providing information, comprising: The device installed in the public area is a camera installed around a road, The computer, Detecting the target person by identifying a person or a vehicle from an image captured by the camera; Identifying a moving direction of the subject based on a direction of the camera and a direction of the person or vehicle; An information providing method for updating information regarding the at-home status based on a position of the subject's home and a direction of movement of the subject.

9. A computer that can obtain information from devices installed in public areas. A process of detecting a person who is a target of at-home status management among people passing through the public area based on the information; A process of identifying a moving direction of the subject; updating information about the subject's at-home status based on the identified moving direction; A process of outputting information regarding the subject's at-home status; A program for executing The device installed in the public area is a camera installed around a road, The computer includes: A process of detecting the target person by identifying a person or a vehicle from an image captured by the camera; A process of identifying a moving direction of the subject based on a direction of the camera and a direction of the person or vehicle; updating information about the at-home status based on the location of the subject's home and the subject's moving direction; A program that executes the following.

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