Capacity management method, program, capacity management system and management system

Abstract

The present invention addresses the problem of taking preventive measures against an infectious disease in an area where users are present. A capacity management method according to the present invention includes an acquiring step, a determining step, a changing step, and a reporting step. In the acquiring step, a plurality of items of position-related information related to the individual positions of a plurality of users in a space are acquired. In the determining step, on the basis of the plurality of items of position-related information individually corresponding to the plurality of users, it is determined whether or not the capacity in a determination target area included in the space has been exceeded. When it is determined in the determining step that the status of accommodation in the determination target area is excessive, in the changing step, a determining criterion that is used in the determining step is changed so as to decrease the capacity per reference area. In the reporting step, report information corresponding to the result of determination in the determining step is reported.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to a capacity management method, a program, a capacity management system, and a management system, and more particularly to a capacity management method, a program, a capacity management system, and a management system for obtaining the location of users present in a space. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a system for notifying a person of the risk of infectious diseases is known (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] The information processing system described in Patent Document 1 has a management server. The management server manages the history of which mobile devices have been detected using the Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication search function of the mobile device carried by each user. When it is determined that a user of a certain mobile device has an infectious disease such as a new strain of influenza, the management server identifies users who have been nearby, i.e., who may be infected with the same infectious disease, based on the search result history of the user's mobile device. The management server notifies the mobile device of the identified user that they may be infected with the infectious disease.

[0004] In Patent Document 1, when it is determined that a mobile terminal user has an infectious disease such as a new strain of influenza, the management server notifies users who have been near that user in the past. In other words, it is possible to inform users of the risk of infection due to being near a specific user who has the infectious disease. However, the system in Patent Document 1 does not allow for preventive measures against infection in the area where the user is present. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-277452 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a capacity management method, program, capacity management system, and management system that can take preventive measures against infectious diseases in areas where users are present.

[0007] A capacity management method according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: The capacity management method is executed by a computer system. The method includes an acquisition step, a determination step, a change step, and a notification step. The acquisition step acquires multiple pieces of position-related information related to the positions of multiple users in a space. The determination step determines whether or not an area to be determined included in the space is over capacity based on the multiple pieces of position-related information corresponding to each of the multiple users. The change step, if it is determined in the determination step that the capacity of the area to be determined is over capacity, changes the determination criteria used in the determination step so that the capacity per reference area is reduced. The notification step notifies notification information according to the determination result of the determination step.

[0008] A program according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes: The aforementioned computer system and a program for causing the facility to execute the capacity management method.

[0009] A capacity management system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes an acquisition unit, a determination unit, a change unit, and a notification unit. The acquisition unit acquires multiple pieces of position-related information related to the positions of multiple users in a space. The determination unit determines whether an overcapacity state has occurred in a determination target area included in the space based on the multiple pieces of position-related information corresponding to each of the multiple users. When the determination unit determines that an overcapacity state has occurred in the determination target area, the change unit changes the determination criteria used by the determination unit to reduce the capacity per reference area. The notification unit issues notification information according to the determination result of the determination unit.

[0010] A management system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes the capacity management system and a position detection system, wherein the position detection system detects the positions of each of the plurality of users in the space; The aforementioned The plurality of location-related information corresponding to each of the plurality of users is transmitted to the occupancy management system. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the system configuration of a management system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a management server as a capacity management system provided in the management system. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the coordinates of the start point of the reference area managed by the management server of the above embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the transition of changes in the determination target area. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram showing the operation of the management system of the above embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the management server. [Figure 7] 7A to 7C are diagrams showing changes to the determination target area in the management system according to the first modification. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] The embodiments and modifications described below are merely examples of the present disclosure, and the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments and modifications. Various modifications other than the following embodiments and modifications are possible depending on the design, etc., as long as they do not deviate from the technical concept of the present disclosure.

[0013] (Embodiment) Hereinafter, a capacity management system 1 according to this embodiment and a management system 3 including the capacity management system 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. FIG.

[0014] (1) Overview 1, the management system 3 according to this embodiment includes a management server 10 as a capacity management system 1, and a position detection system 2. The position detection system 2 detects the positions of each of a plurality of users in a space 5, and transmits a plurality of pieces of position-related information corresponding to each of the plurality of users to the capacity management system 1.

[0015] The position detection system 2 is, for example, an LPS (Local Positioning System). As shown in FIG. 1, the position detection system 2 includes a detection server 20, a plurality of (two in the illustrated example) scanners 30, and a plurality of (five in the illustrated example) tags 40. The plurality of scanners 30 are provided in a space 5 provided in a facility. The space 5 includes a plurality of predetermined ranges, for example, a plurality of rectangular zones (here, two zones 5a and 5b). A scanner 30 is provided on the ceiling of each of the zones 5a and 5b. The scanner 30 is provided on the ceiling so as to be located at the center of the zone when the zone is viewed from above (see FIG. 3). Here, the facility is an office building or an office.

[0016] Each of the multiple tags 40 is configured to be able to wirelessly communicate with the scanner 30. The tag 40 is carried by a user. When the user enters one of the multiple zones 5a, 5b, the tag 40 communicates with the scanner 30 installed in that zone. When the scanner 30 receives a tag identifier that identifies the tag 40 from the tag 40, the scanner 30 transmits user detection information to the detection server 20, which includes the identifier of the scanner 30 (scanner identifier), the tag identifier of the tag 40, and the reception strength of a signal representing information from the tag 40, and indicates that the presence of the user has been detected.

[0017] The detection server 20 receives user detection information from each of the multiple scanners 30 and manages the user detection results from each scanner 30. Based on the received user detection information, the detection server 20 detects the location of the user corresponding to the user detection information. The detection server 20 transmits location-related information relating to the user's location in space to the management server 10. Here, the location-related information includes the location of the detected user and information indicating the zone in which the scanner 30 that transmitted the user detection information used by the detection server 20 to detect the user is located.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 2, the management server 10 serving as the capacity management system 1 includes an acquisition unit 131, a determination unit 133, a change unit 134, and a notification unit 135. The acquisition unit 131 acquires multiple pieces of position-related information related to the positions of multiple users in the space. The determination unit 133 determines whether or not the capacity of a determination target area included in the space is exceeded, based on the multiple pieces of position-related information corresponding to each of the multiple users. If the determination unit 133 determines that the capacity of the determination target area is exceeded, the change unit 134 changes the determination criteria used by the determination unit 133 so as to reduce the capacity of the reference area. The notification unit 135 issues notification information according to the determination result of the determination unit 133.

[0019] The management server 10 can communicate with a plurality of (six in the illustrated example) information terminals 50. The information terminals 50 are carried by users. The information terminals 50 are, for example, smartphones, tablet terminals, or portable personal computers.

[0020] In the following description, when it is necessary to refer to each of the multiple scanners 30 individually, they will be referred to as scanners 31 and 32. Similarly, when it is necessary to refer to each of the multiple tags 40 individually, they will be referred to as tags 41 to 45. When it is necessary to refer to each of the multiple information terminals 50 individually, they will be referred to as information terminals 51 to 56.

[0021] In this embodiment, scanner 31 is provided in zone 5a, and scanner 32 is provided in zone 5b.

[0022] Furthermore, among the multiple information terminals 50, information terminals 51 to 55 are owned by multiple users present within space 5, respectively, and information terminal 56 is owned by a user present outside space 5. That is, information terminals 51 to 55 are owned by multiple users present at the office, respectively, and information terminal 56 is owned by a user before coming to work.

[0023] (2) Composition Here, the configuration of the management system 3 will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. The management system 3 comprises a management server 10 as a capacity management system 1, and a position detection system 2. The position detection system 2 detects the position of each of a plurality of users in the space 5, and transmits a plurality of pieces of position-related information corresponding to each of the plurality of users to the management server 10 as a capacity management system 1.

[0024] (2.1) Location detection system 1, the position detection system 2 includes a detection server 20, a plurality of (two in the illustrated example) scanners 30, and a plurality of (five in the illustrated example) tags 40. The position detection system 2 detects the spatial positions of a plurality of users, and transmits a plurality of pieces of position-related information corresponding to each of the plurality of users.

[0025] The position detection system 2 detects users present in each of the plurality of zones 5a and 5b, that is, the position detection system 2 detects the positions of the plurality of users.

[0026] The tag 40 periodically transmits the tag identifier via wireless communication.

[0027] The scanner 30 acquires, via wireless communication, tag identifiers, including the tag identifier of the tag 40, from tags 40 present in the zone where the scanner 30 is installed. Upon acquiring the tag identifier, the scanner 30 transmits to the detection server 20 user detection information, including the tag identifier, the reception strength when the tag identifier was received, the date and time when the tag identifier was received (hereinafter referred to as the detection date and time), and the identifier of the scanner 30 (hereinafter referred to as the "scanner identifier").

[0028] For example, when the scanner 31 acquires the tag identifier of tag 41, it transmits user detection information including the tag identifier of tag 41, the reception strength when the tag identifier of tag 41 was received, the detection date and time, and the scanner identifier of scanner 31 to the detection server 20. When the scanner 31 acquires the tag identifier of tag 42, it transmits user detection information including the tag identifier of tag 42, the reception strength when the tag identifier of tag 42 was received, the detection date and time, and the scanner identifier of scanner 31 to the detection server 20. When the scanner 31 acquires the tag identifier of tag 43, it transmits user detection information including the tag identifier of tag 43, the reception strength when the tag identifier of tag 43 was received, the detection date and time, and the scanner identifier of scanner 31 to the detection server 20.

[0029] When the scanner 32 acquires the tag identifier of the tag 44, it transmits user detection information including the tag identifier of the tag 44, the reception strength when the tag identifier of the tag 44 was received, the detection date and time, and the scanner identifier of the scanner 32 to the detection server 20. When the scanner 32 acquires the tag identifier of the tag 45, it transmits user detection information including the tag identifier of the tag 45, the reception strength when the tag identifier of the tag 45 was received, the detection date and time, and the scanner identifier of the scanner 32 to the detection server 20.

[0030] The detection server 20 includes, for example, a computer system having a processor and a memory. The processor executes a program stored in the memory, causing the computer system to function as the detection server 20. The program executed by the processor is pre-recorded in the memory of the computer system in this example, but may also be provided by being recorded on a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card, or via a telecommunications line such as the Internet.

[0031] The detection server 20 is configured to be able to communicate with the management server 10 via a network NT1 such as the Internet.

[0032] The detection server 20 receives user detection information from each scanner 30. The detection server 20 stores the received user detection information in a predetermined storage area. The detection server 20 detects the user's position and direction based on the reception strength of the signal from the tag 40 contained in the received user detection information. Specifically, the detection server 20 detects the user's position as the distance from the scanner 30 to the user and the user's direction relative to the scanner 30. The detection server 20 transmits position-related information including the detected user's position and information indicating the zone in which the scanner 30 is installed (zone identifier) ​​to the management server 10 via the network NT1.

[0033] (2.2) Management Server The management server 10 serving as the capacity management system 1 includes a communication unit 11, a storage unit 12, and a control unit 13, as shown in FIG.

[0034] The management server 10 has, for example, a computer system having a processor and a memory. The processor executes a program stored in the memory, causing the computer system to function as the control unit 13. The program executed by the processor is pre-recorded in the memory of the computer system here, but may also be provided by being recorded on a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card, or may be provided via a telecommunications line such as the Internet.

[0035] The communication unit 11 has a communication interface for communicating with the detection server 20 and each information terminal 50 via the network NT1.

[0036] The storage unit 12 is configured by a device selected from a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), and the like.

[0037] The storage unit 12 stores information (zone-related information) about each of the multiple zones 5a and 5b. Each of the multiple zones 5a and 5b is divided into multiple rectangular reference areas for management. Here, each of the multiple zones 5a and 5b is managed by treating the zone as a two-dimensional plane and virtually dividing the two-dimensional plane into multiple reference areas. In this embodiment, a 2m x 2m area is used as the reference area. Each zone and each reference area is managed using coordinates on the two-dimensional plane. The coordinates (0,0) are assigned to the start point of each zone, and coordinates such as (x1,0), (x2,0), (0,y1), and (0,y2) are assigned to the start point of each reference area depending on the length of one side of the zone (see FIG. 3). The zone-related information includes coordinates (scanner position coordinates) on the two-dimensional plane when the scanner 30 is viewed from the ceiling and the coordinates of the start point of each reference area.

[0038] Furthermore, the storage unit 12 stores target area information as a criterion for determining whether an occupancy is exceeded for each rectangular target area that is a target area for determining whether an occupancy is exceeded. The target area information is information about the target area and includes the occupancy and the coordinates of each of the four vertices of the target area. In an initial stage, the storage unit 12 stores a plurality of target area information associated with each of the plurality of reference areas, with each of the plurality of reference areas being a target area for determination.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 13 includes an acquisition unit 131, a capacity calculation unit 132, a determination unit 133, a change unit 134, a notification unit 135, and a setting unit 136.

[0040] The acquisition unit 131 acquires a plurality of pieces of position-related information related to the positions of each of a plurality of users in space. In this embodiment, the acquisition unit 131 periodically acquires a plurality of pieces of position-related information related to the positions of each of a plurality of users in space from the detection server 20 of the position detection system 2 via the network NT1.

[0041] The occupancy calculation unit 132 calculates the number of users present in each determination target area. The occupancy calculation unit 132 calculates the number of users present in the determination target area using the multiple pieces of position-related information acquired by the acquisition unit 131. The occupancy calculation unit 132 calculates the number of users present in the determination target area using one or more pieces of position-related information that include the same zone identifier among the multiple pieces of position-related information. More specifically, for each user present in the same zone, the occupancy calculation unit 132 identifies coordinates (user coordinates) on a two-dimensional plane corresponding to the location of the user based on the distance and direction from the scanner 30 of the user included in each of the one or more pieces of position-related information and the zone-related information. For each determination target area, the occupancy calculation unit 132 calculates the number of users present in the determination target area using the user coordinates identified for each of the multiple users.

[0042] The determination unit 133 determines whether or not the capacity of a determination target area included in the space is exceeded, based on a plurality of pieces of position-related information respectively corresponding to a plurality of users. The determination unit 133 determines, for each of a plurality of determination target areas, whether or not the number of users calculated for that determination target area by the capacity-calculation unit 132 exceeds the capacity included in the target area information corresponding to that target area.

[0043] When the determination unit 133 determines that the occupancy status of the determination target area is exceeded, the change unit 134 changes the determination criteria used by the determination unit 133 so as to reduce the number of occupants per reference area. For example, the change unit 134 changes the determination criteria by changing the area to a larger area than the current determination target area as the new determination target area. At this time, the same number of occupants as the occupancy number associated with the current determination target area is associated with the new determination target area.

[0044] Furthermore, if the determination unit 133 determines that no excess occupancy has occurred in the new determination target area during a predetermined period after the larger area is set as the new determination target area, the change unit 134 changes the determination criteria to increase the capacity per reference area. That is, if the determination unit 133 determines that no excess occupancy has occurred in the new determination target area (the larger area after the change) during a predetermined period after the area to be determined is changed, the change unit 134 changes the determination criteria to increase the capacity per reference area. For example, if the determination unit 133 determines that no excess occupancy has occurred in the changed area (the new determination target area) during a predetermined period after the area to be determined is changed, the change unit 134 sets the area to be determined to an area smaller than the new determination target area (for example, the area before it was changed to the new determination target area).

[0045] For example, assume that zone 5a is divided into nine reference areas e1 to e9 (see the upper diagram in FIG. 4 ) and managed, and each of the reference areas e1 to e9 is a determination target area. In this case, if the determination unit 133 determines that there is an excess of occupants in reference area e1, the change unit 134 sets a new rectangular area e11 (middle diagram in FIG. 4 ) including reference areas e2 and e4 adjacent to reference area e1 as the new determination target area. In other words, if the determination unit 133 determines that there is an excess of occupants in reference area e1, the change unit 134 changes the determination target area from reference area e1 to the new rectangular area e11 including reference areas e1, e2, e4, and e5. In this case, the capacity of reference area e1 is the same as the capacity of area e11. Therefore, the capacity of each of the reference areas e1, e2, e4, and e5 in area e11 is one-fourth of the capacity of the reference area e1 before the change. In other words, the capacity of each reference area in area e11 is less than the capacity of the reference area e1 before the change.

[0046] When the area e11 is the target area for judgment, if the judgment unit 133 judges that there is an excess of people in the area e11, the change unit 134 sets a new rectangular area e21 (lower diagram in FIG. 4) including the reference areas e3, e6 to e8 adjacent to the area e11 as the new target area for judgment. In other words, the change unit 134 sets the 6 m x 6 m rectangular area e21 as the new target area for judgment. That is, if the judgment unit 133 judges that there is an excess of people in the area e11, the change unit 134 changes the target area for judgment from the area e11 to the new rectangular area e21 including the reference areas e1 to e9. At this time, the capacity of the reference area e1 is the same as the capacity of the area e21. Therefore, the capacity of each of the reference areas e1 to e9 in the area e21 is one-ninth of the capacity of the reference area e1 in the initial state. This shows that the capacity per reference area in area e21 is smaller than the capacity of reference area e1 included in area e11 before the change.

[0047] When area e21 is the area to be determined, if the determination unit 133 determines that the area e21 has not exceeded its capacity for a predetermined period after the area e21 was designated as the area to be determined, the change unit 134 changes the area to be determined to area e11. At this time, the capacity of area e21 is the same as the capacity of area e11. Therefore, the capacity per reference area in area e11 is greater than the capacity per reference area in area e21.

[0048] When area e11 is the determination target area, if the determination unit 133 determines that the area e11 has not exceeded its capacity for a predetermined period after the area e11 was designated as the determination target area, the change unit 134 changes the determination target area to reference area e1. At this time, the capacity of the reference area e1 is the same as the capacity of the area e11. Therefore, the capacity of the reference area e1 after the change is greater than the capacity of the reference area of ​​area e11.

[0049] In this embodiment, when the determination unit 133 determines that an excess of occupancy has occurred in the determination target area, the change unit 134 changes the determination target area by increasing the length of one side of the rectangular determination target area by the length of one side of the reference area. However, this configuration is not limited to this. The change unit 134 may set the new determination target area to an area with a side length twice the length of one side of the current determination target area. In this case, when the determination unit 133 determines that an excess of occupancy has not occurred in the determination target area during a predetermined period, the change unit 134 may set the new determination target area to an area with a side length half the length of one side of the rectangular determination target area.

[0050] In this embodiment, the acquisition unit 131 periodically acquires a plurality of pieces of position-related information relating to the positions of a plurality of users in space from the detection server 20 of the position detection system 2. Every time the acquisition unit 131 acquires a plurality of pieces of position-related information, the capacity calculation unit 132, the determination unit 133, the notification unit 135, and the change unit 134 are executed. That is, the capacity calculation unit 132, the determination unit 133, the notification unit 135, and the change unit 134 are periodically executed.

[0051] When the judgment criteria are changed during a predetermined management period (e.g., 8:00 to 20:00), the setting unit 136 sets the criterion used for the longest period among the multiple criteria used as judgment criteria as the judgment criterion for the new predetermined management period (e.g., 8:00 to 20:00 the next day). For example, when the state shown in the middle diagram of FIG. 4 was used for the longest period during the predetermined management period, the setting unit 136 stores the target area information corresponding to each of the reference areas e3, e6, e7 to e9 and area e11 in the storage unit 12 as the judgment criteria for the new predetermined management period (e.g., 8:00 to 20:00 the next day).

[0052] When the change unit 134 changes the judgment criteria during a specified management period, the judgment unit 133 uses the criterion that was used for the longest period among the multiple criteria used as judgment criteria as the judgment criterion for the new specified management period according to the setting by the setting unit 136.

[0053] The notification unit 135 notifies the user of notification information according to the determination result of the determination unit 133. For example, when the determination unit 133 determines that the capacity of at least one of the multiple determination target areas is exceeded, the notification unit 135 notifies the multiple users who are the owners of the multiple information terminals 51 to 56 of the notification information. That is, the notification unit 135 transmits the notification information to each of the multiple information terminals 51 to 56. Here, the notification information is information that the number of users in at least one of the determination target areas exceeds the capacity, and includes information identifying the determination target area where the capacity is exceeded (such as the name of the determination target area).

[0054] (2.3) Information terminals The information terminal 50 has, for example, a computer system having a processor and a memory. The processor executes a program stored in the memory, causing the computer system to function as the information terminal 50. The program executed by the processor is pre-recorded in the memory of the computer system here, but may also be provided by being recorded on a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card, or may be provided via a telecommunications line such as the Internet.

[0055] The information terminal 50 is configured to be able to communicate with the management server 10 via the network NT1. The information terminal 50 receives notification information from the management server 10 via the network NT1.

[0056] The information terminal 50 displays the name of the determination target area included in the notification information and a message to the effect that the number of users in the determination target area exceeds the capacity.

[0057] (3) Operation (3.1) Operation of the management system Here, the operation of the management system 3 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0058] The detection server 20 of the position detection system 2 receives user detection information from each scanner 30 (step S1).

[0059] The detection server 20 performs a position detection process (step S2). Based on the reception strength of the signal from the tag 40 included in the received user detection information, the detection server 20 detects the distance from the scanner 30 to the user and the direction of the user relative to the scanner 30 as the user's position.

[0060] The detection server 20 transmits a plurality of pieces of location-related information, including the location of the detected user and the zone identifier of the zone where the scanner 30 is installed, to the management server 10 (step S3). The acquisition unit 131 of the management server 10 acquires the plurality of pieces of related information.

[0061] The occupancy calculation unit 132 of the management server 10 performs occupancy calculation processing (step S4). For each determination target area, the occupancy calculation unit 132 calculates the number of users present in the determination target area. The occupancy calculation unit 132 calculates the number of users present in the determination target area using one or more pieces of location-related information that include the same zone identifier among the multiple pieces of location-related information. Specifically, for each user present in the same zone, the occupancy calculation unit 132 identifies user coordinates corresponding to the user's location based on the distance and direction from the scanner 30 of the user included in each piece of location-related information and the zone-related information. For each determination target area, the occupancy calculation unit 132 calculates the number of users present in the determination target area using the user coordinates identified for each of the multiple users.

[0062] The determination unit 133 performs a determination process (step S5). The determination unit 133 determines whether or not the capacity of a determination target area included in the space is exceeded, based on a plurality of pieces of position-related information corresponding to a plurality of users. Specifically, the determination unit 133 determines, for each of a plurality of determination target areas, whether or not the number of users calculated for that determination target area by the capacity calculation unit 132 exceeds the capacity included in the target area information corresponding to that target area.

[0063] The change unit 134 performs a change process (step S6). When the determination unit 133 determines that an excess of capacity has occurred in the determination target area, the change unit 134 changes the determination criteria used by the determination unit 133 so as to reduce the capacity per reference area. At this time, the same number of capacity as the capacity associated with the current determination target area is associated with the new determination target area. Furthermore, when the determination unit 133 determines that an excess of capacity has not occurred in the new determination target area during a predetermined period after the change of the area to be determined, the change unit 134 changes the determination criteria so as to increase the capacity per reference area.

[0064] The notification unit 135 notifies the user's information terminal 50 of notification information according to the determination result of the determination unit 133 (step S7). For example, when the determination unit 133 determines that the capacity of at least one of the multiple determination target areas is exceeded, the notification unit 135 transmits notification information indicating that the number of users in the at least one determination target area exceeds the capacity to each of the multiple information terminals 51 to 56.

[0065] When the information terminal 50 receives the notification information from the management server 10, it performs a display process (step S8). The information terminal 50 displays the name of the area to be determined included in the notification information and a message indicating that the number of users in the area to be determined exceeds the capacity.

[0066] (3.2) Management Server Operation Here, the operation of the management server 10 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0067] The acquisition unit 131 of the management server 10 acquires a plurality of pieces of position-related information relating to the positions of a plurality of users in space (step S101).

[0068] The capacity calculation unit 132 calculates the number of users present in each determination target area (step S102). Note that the capacity calculation process in step S4 described above includes the process in step S102.

[0069] The determination unit 133 determines whether or not the capacity of a determination target area included in the space 5 is exceeded, based on a plurality of pieces of position-related information corresponding to the plurality of users respectively (step S103). Specifically, the determination unit 133 determines, for each of the plurality of determination target areas, whether or not the number of users calculated for that determination target area by the capacity calculation unit 132 exceeds the capacity of that target area. Note that the determination process in step S5 described above includes the process of step S103.

[0070] If the determination unit 133 determines that the capacity of the determination target area is exceeded ("Yes" in step S103), the change unit 134 performs a first change process (step S104). In the first change process, the change unit 134 changes the determination criteria used by the determination unit 133 so that the capacity per reference area decreases. In step S104, the change unit 134 changes the determination criteria by changing the determination target area to an area larger than the determination target area as a new determination target area.

[0071] After the change unit 134 performs the first change process, the notification unit 135 performs the first notification process (step S105). For example, the notification unit 135 notifies the user of notification information according to the determination result in step S103. More specifically, the notification unit 135 notifies the user's information terminal 50 of notification information indicating that the number of users in the determination target area exceeds the capacity.

[0072] If the determination unit 133 determines that the capacity limit of the area to be determined has not been exceeded ("No" in step S103), the change unit 134 determines whether a predetermined period has elapsed during which the capacity limit of the area to be determined has not been exceeded (step S106).

[0073] If it is determined that the predetermined period has elapsed ("Yes" in step S106), the change unit 134 performs a second change process (step S107). In the second change process, the change unit 134 changes the determination criteria used by the determination unit 133 so that the capacity per reference area increases. More specifically, in step S107, if the change unit 134 determines in step S103 that the new determination target area has not exceeded its capacity during the predetermined period, the change unit 134 sets the area to be determined to be smaller than the new determination target area.

[0074] After the change unit 134 performs the second change process, the notification unit 135 performs the second notification process (step S108). For example, the notification unit 135 notifies the information terminal 50 of the user of notification information indicating that the number of users in the determination target area does not exceed the capacity.

[0075] The change process in step S6 described above includes the processes in steps S104, S106, and S107. Furthermore, step S7 described above includes the processes in steps S105 and S108.

[0076] As described above, when the judgment criteria are changed during a predetermined management period (e.g., 8:00 to 20:00), the setting unit 136 sets the criterion used for the longest period among the multiple criteria used as the judgment criteria as the judgment criterion for the new predetermined management period (e.g., 8:00 to 20:00 the next day). In step S103 above, when the judgment criteria are changed in at least one of step S104 and step S107 during the predetermined management period due to the setting by the setting unit 136, the judgment unit 133 uses the criterion used for the longest period among the multiple criteria used as the judgment criteria as the judgment criterion for the new predetermined management period.

[0077] (4) Advantages The above embodiment is merely one of various embodiments of the present disclosure. The above embodiment can be modified in various ways depending on the design, etc., as long as the object of the present disclosure can be achieved. Furthermore, functions similar to the capacity management system 1 may be embodied in a capacity management method, a computer program, or a non-transitory recording medium on which a program is recorded, etc.

[0078] The capacity management method of the capacity management system 1 according to one embodiment includes an acquisition step, a determination step, a change step, and a notification step. The acquisition step acquires multiple pieces of position-related information related to the positions of each of multiple users in the space 5. The determination step determines whether or not the capacity is exceeded in the determination target areas (e.g., reference areas e1 to e9, areas e11, e21) included in the space 5 based on the multiple pieces of position-related information corresponding to each of the multiple users. The change step changes the determination criteria used in the determination step so that the capacity per reference area is reduced if it is determined in the determination step that the capacity is exceeded in the determination target areas. The notification step notifies notification information according to the determination result of the determination step.

[0079] According to this capacity management method, if the capacity of the target area is exceeded, the judgment criteria are changed to reduce the capacity per reference area. In other words, the number of people in the target area is limited. This allows preventive measures against infectious diseases to be taken in the target area (area) where users are present.

[0080] A program according to one aspect is a program for causing a computer system to function as the above-described occupancy management system 1 or the occupancy management method of the occupancy management system 1.

[0081] According to this program, if the capacity of the area to be judged is exceeded, the number of people in the area to be judged is limited, allowing preventive measures against infectious diseases to be taken in the area to be judged where the user is present.

[0082] Moreover, the capacity management system 1 according to one embodiment includes an acquisition unit 131, a determination unit 133, a change unit 134, and a notification unit 135. The acquisition unit 131 acquires a plurality of pieces of position-related information relating to the positions of each of a plurality of users in the space 5. The determination unit 133 determines whether or not the capacity of a determination target area (e.g., reference areas e1 to e9, areas e11, e21) included in the space 5 is exceeded, based on the plurality of pieces of position-related information corresponding to each of the plurality of users. When the determination unit 133 determines that the capacity of the determination target area is exceeded, the change unit 134 changes the determination criteria used by the determination unit 133 so as to reduce the capacity of each reference area. The notification unit 135 notifies notification information according to the determination result of the determination unit 133.

[0083] According to this configuration, if the capacity of the area to be determined is exceeded, the number of people in the area to be determined is limited, so that preventive measures against infectious diseases can be taken in the area to be determined where users are present.

[0084] Furthermore, the management system 3 according to one embodiment includes a capacity management system 1 and a position detection system 2. The position detection system 2 detects the positions of each of a plurality of users in the space 5, and transmits a plurality of pieces of position-related information corresponding to each of the plurality of users to the capacity management system 1.

[0085] According to this configuration, if the capacity of the area to be determined is exceeded, the number of people in the area to be determined is limited, so that preventive measures against infectious diseases can be taken in the area where users are present.

[0086] (5) Variations Modifications are listed below. The modifications described below can be applied in appropriate combination with the above-described embodiment.

[0087] (5.1) Variation 1 In the embodiment, the determination target area is rectangular, but is not limited to this, and may have a shape according to the usage status of the zones 5a and 5b.

[0088] For example, assume that zone 5a is initially divided into 12 rectangular reference areas A1 to A12 as target areas (see FIG. 7A). Using the detection results of the position detection system 2, the management server 10 calculates the user density in each target area (reference area) over a measurement period (e.g., one week). If adjacent target areas have low user density, i.e., are not densely populated, the management server 10 merges the adjacent target areas into a single new target area. An example of the result of merging multiple non-dense target areas is shown in FIG. 7B. In FIG. 7B, area B1 is obtained by merging reference areas A1, A5, A6, and A9 to A11, which are the target areas initially set in FIG. 7A, into a new target area. Also, in FIG. 7B, area B2 is obtained by merging reference areas A3 and A4, which are the target areas initially set in FIG. 7A, into a new target area.

[0089] For example, when the determination unit 133 determines that an overcapacity state has occurred in area B1, which is a determination target area shown in FIG. 7B, the change unit 134 of the management server 10 excludes a reference area where people are congested from area B1, and sets the excluded reference area (exclusion target area) and the area obtained by excluding the exclusion target area from area B1 as the determination target areas. For example, FIG. 7C shows the result when reference area A9 is set as the exclusion target area in the determination target areas shown in FIG. 7B. In FIG. 7C, the management server 10 sets reference areas A2, A7, A8, A12, and area B2, as well as reference area A9, which is an exclusion target area, and area B11, obtained by excluding the reference area from determination target area B1 (i.e., the area obtained by integrating reference areas A1, A5, A6, A10, and A11), as the determination target areas.

[0090] (5.2) Variation 2 In the above embodiment, the management server 10 is configured to determine whether the target area exceeds its capacity, i.e., the management server 10 is configured to include the determination unit 133. However, this configuration is not limiting. The information terminal 50 may include the determination unit 133, or the detection server 20 may include the determination unit 133.

[0091] In the above embodiment, the management server 10 is configured to calculate the number of users present in each determination area, i.e., the management server 10 is configured to include the capacity calculation unit 132. However, this configuration is not limiting. The information terminal 50 may include the capacity calculation unit 132, or the detection server 20 may include the capacity calculation unit 132.

[0092] (5.3) Variation 3 In the above embodiment, the determination unit 133 is configured to change the determination criteria when the target determination area is in an over-capacity state, but is not limited to this configuration.

[0093] The determination unit 133 may be configured to use at least one of the following conditions for changing the determination criteria: carbon dioxide concentration in the determination target area, temperature, humidity, ventilation status, sterilization status, weather, season, infectious disease outbreak status in the location of the facility, and definition of distance between people. Furthermore, the determination unit 133 may combine these conditions with the condition of whether or not the target determination area is over capacity.

[0094] When the carbon dioxide concentration in the determination target area is used as a condition for changing the determination criterion, the determination unit 133 reduces the occupancy capacity of the determination target area when the carbon dioxide concentration in the determination target area is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. Conversely, the determination unit 133 increases the occupancy capacity of the determination target area when the carbon dioxide concentration in the determination target area for a predetermined period is less than a predetermined value.

[0095] When the temperature in the determination target area is used as a condition for changing the determination criterion, the determination unit 133 reduces the occupancy capacity in the determination target area when the temperature in the determination target area is equal to or higher than a predetermined value. Conversely, the determination unit 133 increases the occupancy capacity in the determination target area when the temperature in the determination target area is less than a predetermined value for a predetermined period of time.

[0096] When the humidity in the determination target area is used as a condition for changing the determination criterion, the determination unit 133 reduces the occupancy capacity of the determination target area when the humidity in the determination target area is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. Conversely, the determination unit 133 increases the occupancy capacity of the determination target area when the humidity in the determination target area is less than a predetermined value for a predetermined period of time.

[0097] When the ventilation status in the determination target area is used as a condition for changing the determination criterion, the determination unit 133 reduces the occupancy capacity in the determination target area if the ventilation status in the determination target area is poor. Conversely, the determination unit 133 increases the occupancy capacity in the determination target area if the ventilation status in the determination target area is good for a predetermined period.

[0098] When the sterilization status of the judgment target area is used as a condition for changing the judgment criterion, the judgment unit 133 reduces the number of people that can be accommodated in the judgment target area if the sterilization status in the judgment target area is poor. Conversely, the judgment unit 133 increases the number of people that can be accommodated in the judgment target area if the sterilization status in the judgment target area is good for a predetermined period of time.

[0099] When the weather in the determination target area is used as a condition for changing the determination criterion, the determination unit 133 reduces the number of people that can be accommodated in the determination target area when the weather in the determination target area is bad (for example, when it is raining). Conversely, the determination unit 133 increases the number of people that can be accommodated in the determination target area when the sterilization situation in the determination target area is good (for example, when it is sunny).

[0100] When the season of the determination target area is used as a condition for changing the determination criterion, the determination unit 133 reduces the capacity of the determination target area when the season is winter, and conversely, the determination unit 133 increases the capacity of the determination target area when the season is summer.

[0101] When the condition for changing the judgment criteria is the outbreak status of infectious diseases in the location of the facility including the judgment target area, the judgment unit 133 reduces the capacity of the judgment target area when the outbreak status indicates an increasing trend in the number of infected people. Conversely, the judgment unit 133 increases the capacity of the judgment target area when the outbreak status indicates a decreasing trend or a flat trend in the number of infected people.

[0102] When the definition of the distance between people is used as a condition for changing the judgment criterion, the judgment unit 133 reduces the capacity of the judgment target area when the defined distance between people is equal to or less than a predetermined value. Conversely, the judgment unit 133 increases the capacity of the judgment target area when the defined distance between people is greater than the predetermined value.

[0103] (5.4) Variation 4 In the above embodiment, the notification information may be sent to a user who is in the determination target area where the capacity limit is exceeded. That is, the notification unit 135 may transmit the notification information to the information terminal 50 of the user who is in the determination target area where the capacity limit is exceeded.

[0104] Alternatively, the notification information may be sent to a user who is present in a zone including the determination target area where the capacity limit is exceeded. That is, the notification unit 135 may transmit the notification information to the information terminal 50 of a user who is present in a zone including the determination target area where the capacity limit is exceeded.

[0105] The notification information may be sent to the user who last entered the determination target area where the capacity limit is exceeded, in other words, the user who caused the capacity limit to be exceeded. That is, the notification unit 135 may send the notification information to the information terminal 50 of the user who caused the capacity limit to be exceeded.

[0106] (5.5) Variation 5 The notification information may include information about an area where the capacity limit is not exceeded (for example, the area name).

[0107] This allows the management server 10 to recommend to users who are in a judgment target area where the capacity limit is exceeded, or to users who are about to come to work, that they go to an area where the capacity limit is not exceeded.

[0108] (5.6) Variation 6 Management server 10 may cause information terminal 50 to display the layout of the zone, and to display areas where the capacity limit is exceeded and areas where the capacity limit is not exceeded in different colors. In this case, notification unit 135 includes in the notification information information related to the layout of the zone and the determination result by determination unit 133 for each of the multiple areas included in the zone.

[0109] In addition, the management server 10 may display on the information terminal 50 a route of travel from an area where the capacity limit is exceeded to an area where the capacity limit is not exceeded, i.e., a route to an area where the risk of infection with an infectious disease is low.

[0110] (5.7) Variation 7 The notification unit 135 may transmit the notification information to the information terminal 50 by push notification. This allows the information terminal 50 that receives the notification information to immediately notify the user.

[0111] (5.8) Variation 8 The management server 10 may be linked to lighting devices arranged in a determination target area. For example, when the determination unit 133 determines that an excess of the capacity state has occurred in a certain determination target area, the management server 10 changes at least one of the illuminance and the color of the lighting devices arranged in the determination target area.

[0112] Alternatively, when the determining unit 133 determines that an excess of the accommodation state has occurred in a certain determination target area, the management server 10 may cause the lighting devices arranged in the determination target area to blink.

[0113] (5.9) Variation 9 When the determination unit 133 determines that an excess of capacity has occurred in a certain determination target area, the change unit 134 is configured to immediately change the determination criteria for that determination target area, but is not limited to this configuration.

[0114] When the determination unit 133 determines that an excess of capacity has occurred in a certain determination target area during a predetermined period, the change unit 134 may change the determination criteria for the determination target area, and the notification unit 135 may notify notification information.

[0115] Alternatively, when the determination unit 133 determines that an excess of capacity has occurred in a certain determination target area for a predetermined number of consecutive times or more, the change unit 134 may change the determination criteria for the determination target area, and the notification unit 135 may notify notification information.

[0116] When the determination unit 133 determines that the capacity limit has not been exceeded in a certain determination target area for a predetermined number of consecutive times or more, the change unit 134 may change the determination criteria for the determination target area, and the notification unit 135 may notify notification information.

[0117] (5.10) Variation 10 The judgment criteria may be multi-level. For example, the management server 10 stores three criteria for the capacity: 2, 4, and 5 people. The notification unit 135 sends notification information every time the number of users calculated by the capacity calculation unit 132 exceeds the capacity stored in the management server 10. In this case, the change unit 134 changes the judgment criteria when the number of users calculated by the capacity calculation unit 132 exceeds the maximum capacity.

[0118] (5.11) Variation 11 In the embodiment, one scanner 30 is arranged in each of the zones 5a and 5b, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration.

[0119] A plurality of scanners 30 may be placed in each of the zones 5a and 5b. In this case, for example, one of two or more of the plurality of scanners 30 placed in the zone 5a receives the tag identification transmitted from the tag 40. The two or more scanners 30 transmit user detection information including the reception strength received from the tag 40 to the detection server 20. The detection server 20 detects the location of the user present in the zone 5a based on two or more reception strengths corresponding to the two or more scanners 30, respectively.

[0120] (Other variations) The entity executing the capacity management system 1 or the capacity management method of the capacity management system 1 in the present disclosure includes a computer system. The computer system has a processor and memory as hardware. The processor executes a program stored in the memory of the computer system to realize the functions of the entity executing the capacity management system 1 or the capacity management method of the capacity management system 1 in the present disclosure. The program may be pre-stored in the memory of the computer system or may be provided via a telecommunications line. The program may also be provided by being recorded on a non-transitory recording medium readable by the computer system, such as a memory card, an optical disk, or a hard disk drive. The processor of the computer system is composed of one or more electronic circuits including a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) or a large-scale integrated circuit (LSI). The integrated circuits, such as ICs and LSIs, are referred to by different names depending on the degree of integration, and include integrated circuits called system LSIs, very large-scale integration (VLSI), or ultra-large-scale integration (ULSI). Furthermore, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) that is programmed after the LSI is manufactured, or a logic device that allows the reconfiguration of the connections within the LSI or the reconfiguration of the circuit partitions within the LSI, can also be employed as a processor. Multiple electronic circuits may be integrated into a single chip or distributed across multiple chips. Multiple chips may be integrated into a single device or distributed across multiple devices.

[0121] Furthermore, it is not essential for the occupancy management system 1 that multiple functions are concentrated in one housing, and the components of the occupancy management system 1 may be distributed across multiple housings. Furthermore, at least some of the functions of the occupancy management system 1 may be realized by the cloud (cloud computing) or the like.

[0122] (summary) As described above, the capacity management method of the first aspect includes an acquisition step, a determination step, a change step, and a notification step. The acquisition step acquires multiple pieces of position-related information related to the positions of multiple users in the space (5). The determination step determines whether or not the capacity is exceeded in the determination target areas (e.g., reference areas e1 to e9, areas e11, e21) included in the space (5) based on the multiple pieces of position-related information corresponding to the multiple users. The change step changes the determination criteria used in the determination step so that the capacity per reference area is reduced if it is determined in the determination step that the capacity is exceeded in the determination target areas. The notification step notifies notification information according to the determination result of the determination step.

[0123] According to the first aspect, it is possible to take preventive measures against infectious diseases in the area where the user is present.

[0124] In the capacity management method of the second aspect, in the first aspect, the changing step changes the determination criterion by setting an area larger than the determination target area as the new determination target area.

[0125] According to the second aspect, a new target area is set to be larger than the target area so that the number of people that can be accommodated per reference area is reduced, thereby limiting the number of people in the larger area, thereby enabling preventive measures against infectious diseases to be taken in the area where users are present.

[0126] In the third aspect of the capacity management method, in the second aspect, the change step changes the judgment criteria so that the capacity per reference area is increased if, during a predetermined period after the large area is designated as the new judgment target area, the judgment step determines that the capacity has not exceeded the new judgment target area.

[0127] According to the third aspect, the determination criteria are changed so that the number of people that can be accommodated per reference area is increased, so that the limit on the number of people in an area can be relaxed, and preventive measures can be taken according to the number of users in the determination area.

[0128] In the fourth aspect of the capacity management method, in the third aspect, the change step is to set an area smaller than the new judgment target area as the area to be judged if, during a predetermined period after the larger area is set as the new judgment target area, the judgment step determines that the new judgment target area does not exceed the capacity.

[0129] According to the fourth aspect, it is possible to take preventive measures according to the number of users in the determination target area.

[0130] In the capacity management method of the fifth aspect, in any of the first to fourth aspects, when the judgment criteria are changed in the change step during a specified management period, the judgment step uses the criterion used for the longest period among the multiple criteria used as judgment criteria as the judgment criterion for the new specified management period.

[0131] According to the fifth aspect, it is possible to set appropriate criteria at the start of a new predetermined management period based on the criteria used in the past predetermined management period.

[0132] A program according to a sixth aspect is a program for causing a computer to execute the capacity management method according to any one of the first to fifth aspects.

[0133] According to the sixth aspect, it is possible to take preventive measures against infectious diseases in the area where the user is present.

[0134] The capacity management system (1) of the seventh aspect includes an acquisition unit (131), a determination unit (133), a change unit (134), and a notification unit (135). The acquisition unit (131) acquires a plurality of pieces of position-related information related to the positions of a plurality of users in a space (5). The determination unit (133) determines whether or not an excess of capacity has occurred in a determination target area (e.g., reference areas e1 to e9, areas e11, e21) included in the space (5) based on the plurality of pieces of position-related information corresponding to the plurality of users. When the determination unit (133) determines that an excess of capacity has occurred in the determination target area, the change unit (134) changes the determination criteria used by the determination unit (133) so as to reduce the capacity of each reference area. The notification unit (135) notifies notification information according to the determination result of the determination unit (133).

[0135] According to the seventh aspect, it is possible to take preventive measures against infectious diseases in the area where the user is present.

[0136] The management system (3) of the eighth aspect includes the capacity management system (1) of the seventh aspect and a position detection system (2). The position detection system (2) detects the positions of each of a plurality of users in the space (5) and transmits a plurality of position-related information corresponding to each of the plurality of users to the capacity management system (1).

[0137] According to the eighth aspect, it is possible to take preventive measures against infectious diseases in the area where the user is present. [Explanation of symbols]

[0138] 1 Capacity Management System 2. Position detection system 3 Management System 5 Space 10 Management Server 131 Acquisition Department 133 Judgment section 134 Changes 135 Notification Department A1~A12, e1~e9 Reference area B1, B2, B11, e11, e21 Area (Determination area)

Claims

1. A method for managing seating capacity executed by a computer system, comprising: an acquiring step of acquiring a plurality of pieces of location-related information related to a location in space of each of a plurality of users; a determination step of determining whether or not an excess of occupancy has occurred in a determination target area included in the space based on the plurality of pieces of position-related information corresponding to a plurality of users; a modification step of modifying the determination criteria used in the determination step so that the number of people that can be accommodated per reference area is reduced when it is determined in the determination step that the capacity of the determination area is exceeded; a notification step of notifying notification information according to the determination result of the determination step, Capacity management methods.

2. In the changing step, the determination criterion is changed by setting an area larger than the determination target area as a new determination target area. The method of managing capacity according to claim 1 .

3. In the change step, if it is determined in the determination step that the new determination area does not exceed its capacity during a predetermined period after the large area is designated as the new determination area, the determination criteria are changed so that the capacity per reference area is increased. The method for managing capacity according to claim 2.

4. In the change step, if it is determined in the determination step that the new determination area does not exceed its capacity within a predetermined period after the larger area is designated as the new determination area, an area smaller than the new determination area is designated as the area to be determined. The method for managing capacity according to claim 3.

5. In the determination step, when the determination criterion is changed in the change step during a predetermined management period, the criterion used for the longest period among the multiple criteria used as the determination criterion is used as the determination criterion for a new predetermined management period. The capacity management method according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. A program for causing the computer system to execute the capacity management method described in any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. an acquisition unit that acquires a plurality of pieces of position-related information related to the positions in space of each of a plurality of users; a determination unit that determines whether or not an excess of occupancy has occurred in a determination target area included in the space based on the plurality of pieces of position-related information corresponding to each of a plurality of users; a change unit that changes the determination criteria used by the determination unit so that the number of people that can be accommodated per reference area decreases when the determination unit determines that the capacity of the determination target area is exceeded; a notification unit that notifies notification information according to the determination result of the determination unit, Capacity management system.

8. The capacity management system according to claim 7; a position detection system that detects the positions of each of the plurality of users in the space and transmits the plurality of position-related information corresponding to each of the plurality of users to the capacity management system. Management system.

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