Information processing system and method

Abstract

To provide an information processing system and method capable of clearly indicating an area to be cautioned when inundation occurs.SOLUTION: An information processing system comprises: a plurality of inundation detection units (sensors 40) for detecting an inundation level; a plurality of consumption detection units (meters M) for measuring utility consumption at a utility consumption location; and an information processing device (server) capable of communicating with the plurality of consumption detection units and the plurality of inundation detection units. An information processing device executes: processing for acquiring inundation levels from the plurality of inundation detection units; processing for acquiring consumption from the plurality of consumption detection units; and estimation processing for estimating a caution area to be cautioned based on the inundation level and the consumption.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing system and method. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a system has been proposed that collects information from flood sensors and the like via the Internet, collects damage conditions, and displays them on a map (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2007-183874 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] As described in the above document, in the prior art, it was sometimes difficult to determine which areas should be given priority for vigilance, particularly in the event of large-scale flooding.

[0005] In this case, we focus on the above circumstances and aim to provide a system that can clearly indicate areas that require caution in the event of flooding. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] As one aspect, the present invention provides an information processing system comprising a plurality of water flooding detection units that detect water flooding levels, a plurality of consumption detection units that measure the consumption of a utility at a point where the utility is consumed, and an information processing device capable of communicating with the plurality of consumption detection units and the plurality of water flooding detection units, wherein the information processing device performs a process of acquiring the water flooding levels from the plurality of water flooding detection units, a process of acquiring the consumption amounts from the plurality of consumption detection units, and an estimation process of estimating alert areas that require vigilance based on the water flooding levels and the consumption amounts. Effect of the Invention

[0007] The above configuration makes it possible to provide a system that can clearly indicate areas that require caution in the event of flooding. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is an outline of an embodiment of an information processing system according to the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is an overall configuration diagram of an information processing system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the appearance of a sensor. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a sensor. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of an information processing device. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a server. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a configuration of a database for storing sensor information. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the configuration of a database for storing meter information. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a database for storing alert level information. [Figure 10] 4 is a flowchart showing a process according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 shows the results of (a) water level mapping and (b) water level increment mapping. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a mapping result of the estimated number of visitors. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the mapping results of alert areas and overall alert levels. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] 〔overview〕 Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 are schematic configuration diagrams of an information processing system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The information processing system 1 has a plurality of sensors 40, a plurality of meters M, a server 10, and a terminal 20. The server 10 is connected to the sensors 40 and the meters M via a network 5 so as to be able to communicate with each other. The network 5 may be either a private network or a public network including the Internet. In this embodiment, the network 5 at least partially includes a communication network for smart meters.

[0010] The terminals 20 are terminals installed in various places such as government ministries, local governments, fire stations, medical institutions, and police stations, as well as terminals owned by residents of local governments, and can receive and display information from the server 10 (FIGS. 1 and 2). They can also request the server 10 to transmit desired data.

[0011] The sensor 40 is placed at a plurality of dispersed monitoring points. As shown in Fig. 3, the sensor 40 is formed in an elongated shape and is attached to urban structures such as utility poles, street lights, and traffic lights. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the sensor 40 includes a rod-shaped sensor unit 41, a communication unit 42, a display unit 43, and a control unit 44. The sensor 40 also operates by obtaining power from a solar cell (not shown).

[0012] The sensor unit 41 is fixed to a city structure so that its bottom end is located at a predetermined height above the ground surface and so that it extends vertically. The control unit 44 can measure how far the sensor unit 41 is submerged, i.e., the flood level, by measuring the electrical resistance of the long sensor unit 41. The control unit 44 can transmit the measured flood level data via the communication unit 42 over the network 5. The control unit 44 can also display the flood level via the display unit 43.

[0013] The display unit 43 is installed so as to be located above the control unit 44, i.e., above the sensor 40. The display unit 43 may be a device equipped with an electronic display board that displays numerical values ​​and letters, or may be a device that lights up lamps of different colors according to the flood level. For example, when displaying the flood level using color, the display unit 43 not only indicates the flood level, but also lights up red if the flood level is 0.5 meters or more, lights up yellow if the flood level is between 0.1 meters and less than 0.5 meters, and displays blue if the flood level is less than 0.1 meters. Furthermore, even if the sensor 40 is located within a warning area (described below), the display unit 43 will also display a message advising immediate evacuation and light up red.

[0014] The meter M is a smart meter installed in a structure or place where electricity is consumed, such as a residence, an office, or a factory, and has a function of measuring electricity consumption. The meter M also has a communication function and can transmit data by connecting to a network 5. Note that the network 5 can also be configured in part so that data is transmitted by the meters M and relay devices (not shown) communicating with each other.

[0015] The electric power or electricity in this embodiment is an example of a utility in the present invention. Here, utility is a concept that broadly includes energy, fuel, materials, information, etc., supplied to human habitation, such as electricity, gas, and water. Therefore, specific examples of the supply and provision of utility include the provision of communication via a communication network such as a cable television line, a telephone line, or an Internet line, and the supply of heat via hot water, etc.

[0016] 5 shows an example of hardware (hereinafter referred to as "information processing device 100") used to realize the server 10 and the terminal 20. As shown in the figure, the information processing device 100 includes a processor 101, a main storage device 102, an auxiliary storage device 103, an input device 104, an output device 105, and a communication device 106. These are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via a communication means such as a bus (not shown).

[0017] Incidentally, the entire configuration of server 10 does not necessarily need to be realized by hardware, and all or part of the configuration may be realized by virtual resources such as a cloud server of a cloud system.

[0018] The processor 101 is configured using a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), etc. The processor 101 reads and executes a program stored in a main memory device 102, thereby realizing the functions of the server 10, the terminal 20, and the imaging device 30.

[0019] The main memory device 102 is a device for storing programs and data, and is a read only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a non-volatile semiconductor memory (Non Volatile RAM (NVRAM)), or the like.

[0020] The auxiliary storage device 103 may be various non-volatile memories (NVRAM: Non-volatile memory) such as SSDs (Solid State Drives) and SD memory cards, hard disk drives, optical storage devices (CDs (Compact Discs), DVDs (Digital Versatile Discs), etc.), storage areas of cloud servers, etc.

[0021] The input device 104 is an interface that accepts input of information, and is, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, a card reader, a voice input device (such as a microphone), a voice recognition device, etc. The information processing device 100 may be configured to accept input of information between it and another device via the communication device 106.

[0022] The output device 105 is an interface that outputs various types of information, such as a screen display device (such as a liquid crystal monitor, LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), a graphic card, a printer, etc.), a voice output device (such as a speaker), a voice synthesizer, etc. The information processing device 100 may be configured to output information to other devices via the communication device 106. The output device 105 corresponds to the display unit in the present invention.

[0023] The communication device 106 is a wired or wireless communication interface that realizes communication with other devices via the network 5, and is, for example, a NIC (Network Interface Card), a wireless communication module, a USB (Universal Serial Interface) module, a serial communication module, etc.

[0024] [Functional configuration] 6 shows the main functional configuration of the server 10. As shown in the figure, the server 10 includes databases 114 and 115, an alert level database 116, and a management unit 120.

[0025] The databases 114 and 115 are stored in the main storage device 102 of the server 10. Note that, although the databases 114 and 115 are stored in the main storage device 102 in this embodiment, they may be stored in the auxiliary storage device 103.

[0026] 7, the database 114 stores information indicating the installation location of the sensor 40 (location information of the monitoring target point) and detection data of the flood level in association with the identification information (ID) of the sensor 40. The detection data includes the detection time and the detection value of the flood level.

[0027] 8, the database 115 stores information indicating the installation location of the meter M and detection data of the amount of power consumption in association with identification information (ID) of the meter M. The detection data includes a detection time and a detection value.

[0028] Moreover, alert level database 116 stores information on the alert level for each region, as shown in Fig. 9, for example. In detail, alert level database 116 stores flood level, water level alert level, number of visitors, alert level for the number of visitors, and overall alert level. These data are organized by the time of measurement and stored in alert level database 116. Fig. 9 shows information on the alert level for each region at a certain time, in detail flood level, water level alert level, number of visitors, alert level for the number of visitors, and overall alert level. The contents of the data will be described in detail later.

[0029] 〔process〕 The process executed by the server 10 will be described below with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 10. In this process, first, the processor 101 of the server 10 starts a program stored in the main storage device 102 or the auxiliary storage device 103, and the process of the information processing system 1 is executed by the management unit 120 as follows.

[0030] In step S1, the management unit 120 executes a process of collecting detection data of the sensor 40. The management unit 120 sequentially transmits detection data transmission requests using the communication device 106 of the server 10, and receives identification information and detection data from the sensor 40.

[0031] Next, the management unit 120 updates the database 114 (S3). For example, when detection data is received from the sensor 40 to which the identification information ID=1 is assigned, the detection result is added to the database 114 in association with the ID of the identification information as shown in FIG.

[0032] In step S5, the management unit 120 executes a process of collecting data of the meter M. The management unit 120 sequentially transmits data transmission requests using the communication device 106 of the server 10, and receives identification information and detection data from the meter M.

[0033] Next, the management unit 120 updates the database 115 (S7). For example, when detection data is received from the meter M given the identification information ID=1, the detection result is added to the database 115 in association with the ID of the identification information as shown in FIG.

[0034] In step S9, the management unit 120 maps the flooding level. Specifically, the management unit 120 maps the positions of the sensors 40 and the flooding levels detected by each sensor 40 on a map showing the area in which the sensors 40 are located, in association with each other ( FIG. 11(a) ). The flooding levels are extracted from the database 114.

[0035] When the mapping results are displayed on the terminal 20, as in Fig. 11, they may be displayed by interpolating the sensors 40 with a function (e.g., a quadratic function) and displaying water level contours that connect the same flood levels with lines, or by showing the sensor positions and numerical values ​​of the flood level, or by displaying them in different colors. In addition, the increment in flood level per unit time is also displayed as a mapping result using past mapping results (Fig. 11(b)). When displaying in different colors, the positions of the sensors 40 or the map areas are displayed in different colors according to the flood level or its increment, for example, red for the flood level or its increment of 0.5 meters or more, yellow for 0.1 meters to less than 0.5 meters, and blue for the flood level less than 0.1 meters.

[0036] In step S11, the management unit 120 estimates the number of people staying around each meter M based on the detected power consumption. The management unit 120 compares the current power consumption with the past power consumption read from the database 115 to estimate the current number of people staying at the power demand location that is the measurement target of the meter M.

[0037] For example, if the current power consumption is sufficiently low compared to the past power consumption recorded in database 115 for the same season, day of the week, and time, management unit 120 estimates that the number of people at the measurement location of meter M is zero.

[0038] Furthermore, if the current power consumption is equal to or greater than the past power consumption on the same day and at the same time, and is higher than the amount of power estimated to be standby power, the management unit 120 estimates that there is a visitor at the measurement location of the meter M. Furthermore, if the measurement location is a dwelling and the number of people in the household can be determined, the management unit 120 can estimate the number of visitors from the number of people in the household. Furthermore, if the measurement location is an office building or the like, the management unit 120 can also estimate the number of visitors based on the number of employees of each company that occupies the building.

[0039] In step S13, the management unit 120 maps the estimated number of visitors. Specifically, the management unit 120 maps the estimated number of visitors (estimated number of visitors) on a map showing the area where the meter M is located (FIG. 12). When the mapping result is displayed on the terminal 20, etc., it may be displayed in a different color for each area depending on the magnitude of the estimated number of visitors. In the example of FIG. 12, the area is divided into rectangular areas, and the numerical value obtained by accumulating the estimated number of visitors of each meter M in each area is displayed as the number of visitors in each area. Note that the shape of the area is not limited to a rectangle, and may be set in a shape that takes into account the topography, or in administrative division units such as towns, villages, and blocks. In addition, a dwelling unit or a building may be set as the smallest unit of the area, and the number of visitors for each dwelling unit or building may be displayed.

[0040] In step S15, the management unit 120 estimates areas requiring special vigilance (alert areas). The management unit 120 sets as alert areas those areas where the sensors 40 and meters M are located that have experienced flooding and where people are present. Furthermore, the management unit 120 sets a high alert level to areas within the alert areas where the flood level is high and there are a large number of estimated people, as areas requiring special vigilance. In this way, the management unit 120 detects areas requiring special vigilance based on the flood level and the estimated number of people. The estimated and set alert areas and alert levels are stored in the alert level database 116.

[0041] Specifically, as shown in Figures 9 and 13, an alert level is set according to the height of the flood level and the number of visitors, and an overall alert level is set by combining these alert levels. In the example of Figure 9, the flood level alert level is set to increase by one for every 0.2 meters of flood level, and the visitor alert level is set to increase by one for every 20 visitors. In the example of Figure 13, for each area, an indication is given of whether it is an alert area and an overall alert level.

[0042] In Figure 9, the overall alert level is calculated by multiplying the flood level alert level by the number of visitors alert level (Equation 1), but the overall alert level may also be calculated by other methods such as addition (Equation 3) or the average value.

[0043] In this way, the management unit 120 sets areas where flooding has occurred and people are present as alert areas. The management unit 120 also calculates the overall alert level so that areas that require particular vigilance are assigned a higher value. As a result, as shown in Figures 9 and 13, areas with no people are assigned an overall alert level of zero, but areas with a large number of people and high flood levels are assigned a higher overall alert level.

[0044] Further, detection of alert areas may be performed taking into consideration other factors. For example, the management unit 120 can set an incremental alert level for areas where the increment of the inundation level since the previous measurement or per unit time is high, in addition to the flood level, and calculate the overall alert level and set alert areas by further taking the incremental alert level into consideration by further multiplying, adding, or averaging the resident alert level and flood level alert level (for example, formulas 2 and 4 in FIG. 9).

[0045] In step S17, the management unit 120 performs a notification process. The management unit 120 can employ various methods for notifying terminals 20 managed by local governments, fire departments, medical institutions, etc., particularly alert areas, such as a method of displaying a map in which each alert area is displayed in a different color, or a method of displaying a pop-up on the target terminal 20.

[0046] In addition, the management unit 120 transmits a request to the sensor 40 to perform a display. In response to the request, the sensor 40 displays on the display unit 43 that it is designated as a warning area, prompting the nearby occupants to evacuate.

[0047] Also, the management unit 120 executes displays of various information (Figs. 11 to 13), such as the display of the warning area, the display of the estimated number of occupants, and the display of the inundation level, in response to the request from the terminal 20. Additionally, detection data of the inundation level for a certain period in the past may be read from the database 114, and a graph representing the temporal change of the inundation level may be created based on the read detection data of the inundation level.

[0048] Thereby, among the areas where inundation has occurred, it is possible to notify appropriate groups, organizations, and individuals of the areas where the number of occupants is particularly large and where it is necessary to promptly give evacuation advice, as well as the areas where a large number of personnel should be assigned for patrol. In particular, disaster prevention personnel and information users in local governments and fire departments can immediately grasp the local inundation situation and the presence or absence of those who cannot evacuate or are left behind by looking at the setting of the warning area and the degree of warning, and can take appropriate measures when arranging the patrol personnel and determining the order of the areas for evacuation advice and patrol. Also, since the network 5 may use a public network such as the Internet, it is possible to notify not only the disaster prevention personnel and information users in the area where inundation has occurred but also those outside the area.

[0049] <Effect> In the above embodiment, an information processing system 1 is disclosed, which includes a sensor 40 for detecting the inundation level (corresponding to the inundation detection unit of the present invention), a plurality of meters M for measuring the power consumption at power consumption locations, which are a type of utility (consumption amount detection unit), and a server 10, which is an information processing device capable of communicating with the meters M and the sensor 40. The server 10 executes a process of acquiring the inundation level from the sensor 40 (S1), a process of acquiring the power consumption from the meters M (S5), and an estimation process of estimating a warning area to be warned based on the inundation level and the power consumption (S15).

[0050] The above configuration makes it possible to clearly indicate areas that require caution in the event of flooding. By being particularly vigilant about areas with high power consumption, it becomes possible to estimate areas where people are remaining, and the server 10 can appropriately present areas that require caution.

[0051] In addition, in the estimation process (S15), the server 10 performs a process of estimating the number of people in the power consumption location based on the power consumption, and a process of setting areas with a large number of people and areas with high flood levels as alert areas, giving priority to those areas.

[0052] In the above configuration, it is possible to estimate the area in which the visitor remains, and the server 10 can appropriately present areas that require caution.

[0053] In step S15, the server 10 calculates the number of visitors by comparing the consumption amount with past records.

[0054] In the above configuration, it is possible to estimate the number of visitors more accurately by comparing with past records.

[0055] In step S15, the server 10 sets areas where the increase in flood level is large as alert areas.

[0056] In the above configuration, by taking into account areas with high increments in flood levels, it is possible to set alert areas more accurately than if alert areas were set based only on the number of visitors and flood levels.

[0057] The sensors 40 are each installed on city structures including at least one of utility poles, street lights, and traffic lights.

[0058] By installing the sensor 40 in urban structures, it becomes possible to install a large number of sensors cheaply and easily.

[0059] Each sensor 40 is equipped with a display unit 43 for displaying the flood level and warnings, which is installed on top of a city structure.

[0060] By the sensor 40 displaying the water level and the warning using the display unit 43, the water level and the warning can be notified to those who do not have the terminal 20 as well.

[0061] The information processing system 1 further includes a plurality of terminals 20 connectable to the server 10. The server 10 also executes a process of transmitting a result of the estimation process to the terminals 20 (S17).

[0062] By transmitting the result of the designation process to the terminal 20, the server 10 appropriately disseminates the information to local governments, fire departments, medical institutions, residents in the flooded area, and the like.

[0063] <Modification> The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment as it is, and in the implementation stage, the components can be modified and embodied without departing from the gist of the invention. In addition, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining multiple components disclosed in the above-described embodiment. For example, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the embodiment. Furthermore, components from different embodiments may be appropriately combined.

[0064] In addition, the configuration of the server 10, the control procedures and control contents of the data collection control, data management control and data creation control, the position of the sensor 40 and the meter M and the shape of the mark or contour line indicating the water level, the display color, density, line display pattern, etc. can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of this invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] Information Processing System 1 Server 10 Terminal 20 Meter M Sensor 40

Claims

1. A plurality of water inundation detection units for detecting water levels; A plurality of consumption detectors for measuring the consumption of the utility at a point where the utility is consumed; an information processing device capable of communicating with the plurality of consumption detection units and the plurality of water immersion detection units, The information processing device includes: A process of acquiring the water level from the plurality of water submersion detection units; A process of acquiring the consumption amount from the plurality of consumption amount detection units; An information processing system that executes an estimation process to estimate alert areas based on the flood level and the consumption amount.

2. The information processing device, in the estimation process, A stay estimation process of estimating the number of visitors at the consumption location based on the consumption amount; A process of assigning a high alert level to an area among the alert areas where the number of people staying is large and the flood level is high; The information processing system according to claim 1 , further comprising:

3. The information processing device, in the stay estimation process, The information processing system according to claim 2 , wherein the number of visitors is calculated by comparing the consumption amount with a past record of the consumption amount.

4. The information processing device, in the estimation process, The information processing system according to claim 1 , further comprising a process for setting the alert area taking into account an increment in the flood level.

5. Each of the plurality of water immersion detection units is The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which is installed on a city structure selected from a utility pole, a street light, a sign, and a traffic light.

6. The information processing system according to claim 5 , wherein each of the plurality of water flood detection units includes a display unit that displays the water flood level and an alarm.

7. Further comprising a plurality of terminal devices connectable to the information processing device, The information processing device includes: The information processing system according to claim 1 , further comprising a process of transmitting a result of the estimation process to the plurality of terminal devices.

8. A method for causing an information processing device to execute the method, A process of acquiring the water level from a plurality of water flooding detection units that detect the water level; acquiring the consumption of the utility from a plurality of consumption detectors that measure the consumption of the utility at a point of consumption of the utility; and an estimation process for estimating areas requiring caution based on the flood level and the consumption amount.

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