Display control device, display control system, display control method and program

Abstract

To provide a display control device, a display control system, a display control method and a program with which it is possible to easily and timely confirm the current position of a target, such as a child, on the basis of information regarding the target that is received from a terminal device that the target possesses.SOLUTION: In a display control system S, a display terminal 30 acquires information regarding a target, such as a child, to be watched over and causes an icon related to the current position and / or the activity of the target associated to the information regarding the target to be displayed by an output unit. The display control system S comprises a positioning terminal 10 for sending out the information regarding the target, and an icon display control unit for acquiring the information regarding the target from the positioning terminal 10 and causing an icon related to the current position and / or the activity of the target associated to the information regarding the target to be displayed by the output unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a display control device, a display control system, a display control method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] The safety of children who are out and about, such as when going to school, is one of the most important concerns for parents. Systems have been proposed for monitoring children who are out and about, in which children carry various types of location information transmitting devices, and parents can receive location information from the child's device using a mobile device such as a smartphone carried by the parent, and use an app on the mobile device to check the child's location. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a technology in which location information from a GPS device carried by the child is sent via a server to a mobile device such as a smartphone carried by the parent, allowing the parent to check the child's current location on the mobile device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-161906 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in Patent Document 1, in order to check the child's current location, it is necessary to take out the mobile device and launch the necessary app, which poses a problem that the child's current location cannot be immediately checked on the mobile device, for example, if the mobile device is in a bag or if the parent is doing housework while the mobile device is on a desk.To solve this problem, it is possible to display the child's current location on a wearable device such as a smart watch worn by the parent, but there is a problem that it is difficult to display the child's current location on a map due to the limited display capabilities of wearable devices (restrictions on display area, resolution, etc.).

[0005] One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a display control device, a display control system, a display control method, and a program that enable simple and timely notification of the status of a subject, such as a child, based on information about the subject received from a terminal device carried by the subject. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A display control device according to one aspect of the present invention acquires information about an object, and displays information related to at least one of a current location and an activity of the object associated with the information about the object. icon is displayed on the display. and when a predetermined condition is satisfied after the icon is displayed on the display unit in a first size, the icon is displayed on the display unit in a second size smaller than the first size. . [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to notify a subject, such as a child, of the situation in a simple and timely manner based on information about the subject received from a terminal device carried by the subject. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a system configuration diagram illustrating the configuration of a display control system S according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of a positioning terminal 10, a mobile terminal 20, and a display terminal 30 in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 3 is a block diagram illustrating functions realized by a processing unit 11 of the positioning terminal 10 illustrated in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 4] 3 is a block diagram illustrating functions realized by a processing unit 21 of the mobile terminal 20 illustrated in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 5] 3 is a block diagram illustrating functions realized by a processing unit 31 of the display terminal 30 illustrated in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 6] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a target icon ID table 1 held by the mobile terminal 20. FIG. [Figure 7] 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a schedule table 2 held by the mobile terminal 20. FIG. [Figure 8] 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display setting screen of the mobile terminal 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 9] 10 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an icon data table 3 held by a display terminal 30. FIG. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of an icon display process by a display control system S according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11A] 3 is a diagram showing an example of a normal display screen of a display terminal 30 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 11B] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of an icon main display screen of the display terminal 30 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11C] 10 is a diagram showing an example of an icon sub-display screen of the display terminal 30 in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 11D] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a schedule display screen of a display terminal 30 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11E] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a weather display screen of the display terminal 30 in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11F] 10 is a diagram showing an example of a school route monitoring display screen of a display terminal 30 in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of an icon display process by a display control system S according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of an icon display process by a display control system S according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] 10 is a diagram showing an example of a time passage display screen of the display terminal 30 in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 15] 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a time passage display icon 30G of the display terminal 30 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on an embodiment thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0010] <Display control system> Fig. 1 is a system configuration diagram illustrating the system configuration of a display control system S according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 1, the display control system S includes a positioning terminal 10 carried by a target of location confirmation such as a child C, a mobile terminal 20 carried by a guardian P, and a display terminal 30 such as a wearable terminal worn by the guardian P. The target of location confirmation (target of monitoring) is not limited to the child C, but may be another person such as an elderly person, or may be a moving object such as a car.

[0011] The positioning terminal 10 carried by the child C has a function of receiving positioning satellite signals from a satellite positioning system such as GPS and calculating location information indicating the current location (latitude, longitude, altitude) of the positioning terminal 10, and is a terminal device that can transmit the calculated location information to another terminal device via wireless communication, and can be suitably configured as, for example, a smart watch, a smartphone, or the like. Alternatively, the positioning terminal 10 may be configured as a portable device simply having only a positioning function and a communication function. In the embodiment described herein, the altitude information of the positioning terminal 10 is not used, but this is not particularly excluded and may be used as information for identifying the location of the positioning terminal 10, as appropriate.

[0012] The mobile terminal 20 is a terminal device possessed by the guardian P, and has a function of reading out an icon ID, which is information about the type of icon to be displayed on the display terminal 30, based on the location information received from the positioning terminal 10, and transmitting the icon ID to the display terminal 30. The mobile terminal 20 can be suitably configured as, for example, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or the like. The location information received from the positioning terminal 10 can be displayed on a map screen of the mobile terminal 20.

[0013] The display terminal 30 can be suitably configured as a wearable terminal such as a smart watch that the guardian P can wear and immediately check the screen display as needed. The display terminal 30 displays the corresponding icon on the screen in accordance with the icon ID received from the mobile terminal 20.

[0014] Referring to FIG. 1, a positioning terminal 10 carried by a child C is communicatively connected to a mobile terminal 20 of a guardian P via a network N. The network N is configured with a wired or wireless communication line that enables secure communication, such as a mobile communication network or a local area network (LAN). The mobile terminal 20 and a display terminal 30 carried by the guardian P are communicatively connected via wireless communication based on a communication standard such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy (BLE), Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) (registered trademark), or Near Field Communication (NFC). The positioning terminal 10 carried by the child C receives a signal from a positioning satellite GS to determine its current location. The location information acquired by the positioning terminal 10 is transmitted to the mobile terminal 20 of the guardian P via the network N. The mobile terminal 20 displays the location of the positioning terminal 10 on a map as the current location of the child C based on the received location information, and transmits the type of display icon associated with the current location of the child C to the paired display terminal 30. The display terminal 30 reads out the icon data to be displayed according to the received icon ID and displays it on the screen in a predetermined display format. For example, even if the guardian P cannot immediately operate the mobile terminal 20 to check the current location of the child C on a map, the guardian P can instantly know the current location of the child C by looking at the display terminal 30. The icon display on the display terminal 30 will be described later with reference to the data processing flows in the positioning terminal 10, the mobile terminal 20, and the display terminal 30.

[0015] <Positioning device> Next, the configuration of the positioning terminal 10 will be described. Fig. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the positioning terminal 10 in one embodiment of the present invention. Note that the hardware configurations of the mobile terminal 20 and the display terminal 30 in this embodiment are also substantially the same as the configuration illustrated in Fig. 2.

[0016] As described above, the positioning terminal 10 in this embodiment is configured as a smart watch. The positioning terminal 10 includes a processing unit 11, a main memory unit 12, an auxiliary memory unit 13, an input unit 14, an output unit 15, a GNSS unit 16, a sensor unit 17, and a communication unit 18.

[0017] The processing unit 11 is configured by a processor that performs various calculations, control, and other processes required for the operation of the positioning terminal 10. The processing unit 11 can also be referred to as a processor. The processor that configures the processing unit 11 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), MPU (Micro Processing Unit), SoC (System on a Chip), DSP (Digital Signal Processor), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), PLD (Programmable Logic Device), FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a combination thereof. The processing unit 11 may also be a combination of these processors with a hardware accelerator, etc.

[0018] The main memory unit 12 stores programs such as firmware, system software, and application software, and also functions as a work area temporarily used for various processes. The main memory unit 12 is configured by, for example, a non-volatile memory such as a read-only memory (ROM) or a volatile memory such as a random access memory (RAM).

[0019] The auxiliary storage unit 13 stores user information, etc. The auxiliary storage unit 13 is configured with a semiconductor memory, etc.

[0020] The input unit 14 is composed of, for example, a touch panel, various buttons such as keys, a microphone, etc., and accepts user operations. The output unit 15 is composed of a display equipped with the above-mentioned touch panel for displaying images, a speaker for amplifying audio, etc., and outputs images and audio.

[0021] The GNSS unit 16 is a positioning information acquisition unit for acquiring location information. GNSS is an abbreviation for Global Navigation Satellite System, and the GNSS unit 16 is a satellite positioning device that uses a satellite positioning system such as GPS (Global Positioning System). The GNSS unit 16 is composed of an antenna and electronic components, and acquires positioning satellite signals transmitted from multiple positioning satellites to identify its own position.

[0022] The sensor unit 17 is a variety of sensors that detect the state and movement of the user. The sensor unit 17 is configured by, for example, an acceleration sensor, an angular acceleration sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, a heartbeat sensor, etc. The acceleration sensor, the angular acceleration sensor, and the geomagnetic sensor can cause the sensor unit 17 to function as a behavior detection unit for detecting the movement of the user, or as a position identification unit together with the GNSS unit 16. Furthermore, the heartbeat sensor can cause the sensor unit 17 to function as a biometric information acquisition unit.

[0023] The communication unit 18 controls communication with external information processing devices such as smartphones, tablets, etc. The communication unit 18 is configured by, for example, a network connection device such as a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card or a network adapter, or a short-range wireless communication device based on a communication standard such as BLE (Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy), Wi-Fi (registered trademark) (Wireless Fidelity), or NFC (Near Field Communication).

[0024] The communication unit 18 may be a system that exchanges information with an external information processing device via a network such as the Internet, or a system that exchanges information with an external information processing device through an information processing terminal such as a paired smartphone or tablet.

[0025] Next, we will explain the functions realized by the processing unit 11 of the positioning terminal 10. The processing unit 11 of this embodiment has a communication control unit 111, an output control unit 112, an input control unit 113, a position information acquisition unit 114, a sensor information acquisition unit 115, and an exercise information acquisition unit 116.

[0026] The communication control unit 111 executes a process for communicating with an external device via the communication unit 18. For example, the communication control unit 111 communicates with the mobile terminal 20 possessed by the guardian P to send and receive various information.

[0027] The output control unit 112 executes processing for displaying an image on the screen of the output unit 15. For example, the output control unit 112 executes processing for displaying a clock display image of a smart watch on the screen of the output unit 15.

[0028] The input control unit 113 executes a process of accepting a user's operation of the input unit 14. For example, the input control unit 113 executes a process of accepting an input operation for a selection item that the user inputs to the input unit 14 based on a menu image displayed on the screen of the output unit 15.

[0029] The position information acquisition unit 114 has a function of calculating the latitude and longitude indicating the current position of the positioning terminal 10 based on the positioning satellite signals received by the GNSS unit 16, and setting the calculated latitude and longitude as position information.

[0030] The sensor information acquisition unit 115 has a function of acquiring measurement values ​​obtained by the various sensors provided in the sensor unit 17 from the sensor signals acquired by each sensor.

[0031] The motion information acquisition unit 116 has a function of detecting the motion of the positioning terminal 10 based on each measurement value obtained through the sensor information acquisition unit 115 from the acceleration sensor, angular acceleration sensor, geomagnetic sensor, etc. of the sensor unit 17.

[0032] <Mobile device> Next, we will explain the configuration of the mobile terminal 20. As mentioned above, the hardware configuration of the mobile terminal 20 in this embodiment is substantially the same as the configuration of the positioning terminal 10 illustrated in Fig. 2, so the explanation will be omitted.

[0033] Next, a description will be given of functions realized by the processing unit 21 of the mobile terminal 20. Fig. 4 illustrates an example of functional blocks of the mobile terminal 20 in this embodiment. The processing unit 21 in this embodiment has a communication control unit 211, an output control unit 212, an input control unit 213, a position information acquisition unit 214, a current position information receiving unit 215, a current position determination unit 216, and an icon display setting unit 217.

[0034] The functions of the communication control unit 211, the output control unit 212, the input control unit 213, and the location information acquisition unit 214 are essentially the same as the functions of the communication control unit 111, the output control unit 112, the input control unit 113, and the location information acquisition unit 114 in the positioning terminal 10, so their explanation will be omitted.

[0035] The current position information receiving unit 215 has a function of acquiring the position information received from the positioning terminal 10 as the current position of the positioning terminal 10, that is, the current location of an object such as child C who is carrying the positioning terminal 10.

[0036] The current position determination unit 216 has a function of comparing the position information from the positioning terminal 10 with range information indicating the locations of schools, parks, etc. registered as places where icons, which will be described later, are to be displayed, and determining whether the positioning terminal 10 is within any of the ranges. In this application, an area on a map where facilities such as schools are located or an area on a map indicating a route such as a school route along which an object moves is referred to as an "area," and data such as latitude and longitude for specifying each range on a map is referred to as "range information."

[0037] The icon display setting unit 217 provides a function for setting range information, etc., indicating the location of a school or other location corresponding to an icon display, which is used in the determination process by the current location determination unit 216. FIG. 8 shows an example of a range information setting screen on the mobile terminal 20. The range information setting screen 90 is displayed on the output unit 25 by an application program (app) installed on the mobile terminal 20 to implement the icon display function of this embodiment. The range information setting screen 90 illustrated in FIG. 8 includes a map 91, target range information 92, target icon information 93, target name information 94, notification-related information 95, and a settings save button 96. The map 91 displayed on the range information setting screen 90 is obtained, for example, from map information (including features such as buildings and roads) stored in the auxiliary storage unit 23 of the mobile terminal 20 or from map information stored on a server (not shown) via the communication unit 28 of the mobile terminal 20. The target range information 92 on the map 91 can be set by tapping multiple times or tracing the outline of a building or facility, such as a school, hospital, base, or park, on the map 91 to enclose a desired area. The set area is displayed, for example, by shading the tapped area, as shown in FIG. 8 . Once the target range information 92 is set, the name of the facility or facility corresponding to the location is automatically set as target name information 94, and a default icon (icon image) corresponding to the location is automatically set as target icon information 93. This setting is performed automatically based on the location information indicated by the target range information 92 and the map information. After setting the target range information 92, tapping the area where the icon in the target icon information 93 is displayed may display a pull-down menu of multiple predetermined icon images pre-stored in the auxiliary storage unit 23, etc., allowing the user to select any icon image. The name of the target name information 94 can be edited by tapping the displayed name. The notification related information 95 provides a notification condition setting function such as turning on / off the notification function according to the position information of the positioning terminal 10, and the conditions for sending a notification (inside or outside the location range).The setting save button 96 has the function of associating the icon ID, target name information 94, and target range information 92 corresponding to the icon set (selected) as target icon information 93 and recording them as a target icon ID table 1 in the auxiliary memory unit 23.

[0038] FIG. 6 shows an example of information stored in the target icon ID table 1. The icon ID is identification information for identifying a display icon image stored in the display terminal 30 (described later). The target name information and range information indicate the name of the target indicated by the corresponding icon ID and data representing the range of the target, respectively. In the example of FIG. 6, the icon ID "001" identifies the home, and the range is specified as a range surrounded by four position coordinates (latitude, longitude) of (P1, P2, P3, P4). Note that the range data can be defined as a range surrounded by position coordinates, or, for example, a range surrounded by a circle of radius R1 centered at position coordinate P5, which serves as the reference for that range, as in the range corresponding to icon ID "002." Furthermore, as in the case of icon ID "003," the range surrounded by a circle of radius R2 centered at position coordinate P6 and the range surrounded by a circle of radius R3 centered at position coordinate P7 can be defined as the range of school (non-attending). The same concept applies to ID "004." In other words, something enclosed in parentheses (e.g., (P5, R1)) indicates a single range defined by the position information and radius information within the parentheses. As described above, when there are multiple items enclosed in parentheses, the combined range of the respective ranges constitutes the range information. The icon display setting unit 217 automatically generates the data format of the range information of the target icon ID table 1. Furthermore, the user can manually modify the data format (a range surrounded by three or more position coordinates, a circular range defined by one position coordinate and one radius information, etc.) and the position coordinates of the recorded range information by tapping or otherwise selecting target range information 92 displayed as already set on the screen shown in FIG. 8. Furthermore, the mobile terminal 20 may store information of the icon data table 3 (described later) in the auxiliary storage unit 23 when the application program (app) is installed.

[0039] The mobile device 20 can be configured to pre-register schedules for children A and B, whose current locations are to be acquired from the positioning terminal 10 (those being monitored). In this embodiment, the registered schedules for each child A and B are stored in the auxiliary storage unit 23 as a schedule table 2. Schedule registration in this schedule table 2 can be easily performed, for example, by linking it to a calendar function or a schedule book function installed in the mobile device 20. FIG. 7 shows an example of the configuration of schedule table 2. For example, the schedule table 2 includes fields for each monitored device ID, such as date, day of the week, time period, schedule (location), and notes (such as the name of each schedule, such as "cram school" or "club activities"). FIG. 7 shows an example of child A, who is assigned the device ID "A," and indicates that child A will attend X Elementary School from 8:00 to 16:00 on December 6, 2021, and then will be at Y Elementary School, a school not attended by child A, from 16:30 until 18:30 for club activities. As will be described later, even if it is the same elementary school, if Child A attends some schools and not others, it is possible to assign different icons to Elementary School X and Elementary School Y.

[0040] <Display terminal> Next, we will explain the configuration of the display terminal 30. As mentioned above, the hardware configuration of the display terminal 30 in this embodiment is substantially the same as the configuration of the positioning terminal 10 illustrated in Fig. 2, so the explanation will be omitted.

[0041] Next, a description will be given of functions realized by the processing unit 31 of the display terminal 30. Fig. 5 illustrates an example of functional blocks of the display terminal 30 in this embodiment. The processing unit 31 in this embodiment has a communication control unit 311, an output control unit 312, an input control unit 313, a position information acquisition unit 314, an exercise information acquisition unit 315, and an icon display control unit 316.

[0042] The functions of the communication control unit 311, the output control unit 312, the input control unit 313, the position information acquisition unit 314, and the exercise information acquisition unit 315 are substantially the same as the functions of the communication control unit 111, the output control unit 112, the input control unit 113, the position information acquisition unit 114, and the exercise information acquisition unit 116 in the positioning terminal 10, so their explanation will be omitted.

[0043] The icon display control unit 316 has a function of reading out icon data corresponding to an icon ID received from the mobile terminal 20 from an icon data table 3 described later, and displaying the icon data on the display screen of the display terminal 30. The form in which each icon is displayed on the display screen is controlled by the icon display control unit 316 in accordance with the timing of receiving the icon ID in the mobile terminal 20, and the posture and movement of the display terminal 30 based on information from the exercise information acquisition unit 315. An example of display control by the icon display control unit 316 will be described below with reference to an example data processing flow in this embodiment.

[0044] FIG. 9 shows an example of the configuration of the icon data table 3 used by the icon display control unit 316. The icon data table 3 stores display data for icons to be displayed on the display screen constituting the output unit 35 of the display terminal 30 in accordance with icon IDs received from the mobile terminal 20. The icon data stored in the icon data table 3 may be stored in advance in the auxiliary storage unit 33 of the display terminal 30 as preset data, or may be downloaded to the display terminal 30 by the user of the display terminal 30 by accessing a predetermined website, the mobile terminal 20, or the like. The icon data table 3 stores, as a set of records, icon display data (icon image data) for displaying icons, and names and icon IDs corresponding to the icon display data. Each icon is an image designed to allow the user to intuitively grasp the current location and activity of a child being monitored who is carrying the positioning terminal 10 at a glance, without using map information (facility, road, and other features) around the current location, depending on the type of activity, such as a facility (land feature) such as "home," "school," or "park," or "going to and from school" or "traveling to an after-school activity" (activity). Icon display data such as "cram school," "music class," "swimming," "abacus class," "calligraphy," "English / English conversation," "computer / programming," "martial arts class," "ballet class," "baseball club," and "soccer club" in icon data table 3 represent facilities (land features) such as classrooms, fields, and ball fields where lessons and sports club activities are held. Whether a target is performing an action is determined by whether the time-series data of location information transmitted from positioning terminal 10 is within a range set as "going to or from school" or "traveling to a lesson location." Each icon display data is created in advance according to the display area and resolution of the display device of display terminal 30, such as a smartwatch, as will be described later.

[0045] <Icon Display Processing on Display Terminal 30> The icon display on the display terminal 30 of this embodiment is as follows: (1) Calculation of location information based on positioning satellite signals in the positioning terminal 10 and transmission of the location information to the mobile terminal 20 (2) Determining the current location of the target based on the location information received from the positioning terminal 10 and the set range information, determining whether the target is within any range, and whether the target is performing a specific action, extracting an icon ID based on the determination result, and transmitting the icon ID to the display terminal 30. (3) Reading out corresponding icon display data based on the icon ID received from the mobile terminal 20, and displaying the icon display data in a display format determined based on the timing of reception, the attitude and movement of the display terminal 30. This is realized through cooperation between the positioning terminal 10, the mobile terminal 20, and the display terminal 30, and through data processing by each terminal device. Below, the icon display processing will be described with reference to an example of a data processing flow in this embodiment.

[0046] Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of icon display processing on the display terminal 30 in this embodiment. The processing flow in Fig. 10 starts with reception of a positioning satellite signal by the positioning terminal 10 on the left side of the page. It is assumed that the positioning terminal 10, the mobile terminal 20, and the display terminal 30 are powered on and in operation.

[0047] In step S1001, the position information acquisition unit 114 of the positioning terminal 10 performs positioning processing based on the positioning satellite signal from the positioning satellite GS received by the GNSS unit 16. In step S1002, the position information acquisition unit 114 uses the positioning result in step S1001 to calculate position information consisting of latitude and longitude indicating the current position of the positioning terminal 10. In step S1003, the position information acquisition unit 114 transmits the calculated position information to the mobile terminal 20.

[0048] 10, the positioning terminal 10 may upload the location information to a server located on the network N. In this case, the mobile terminal 20 accesses the server at an appropriate timing and downloads and acquires the location information uploaded by the positioning terminal 10.

[0049] In step S1004, the current position information receiving unit 215 of the mobile terminal 20 waits to receive position information from the positioning terminal 10 (step S1004: No). If it is determined that the position information has been received (step S1004: Yes), in step S1005, the current position information receiving unit 215 executes a receiving process. In step S1006, the current position determining unit 216 of the mobile terminal 20 compares and determines whether the received position information is included in any of the ranges stored in the target icon ID table 1. If it is determined that the received position information is included in any of the ranges (step S1006: Yes), in step S1007, the current position determining unit 216 reads out the icon ID associated with the corresponding range from the target icon ID table 1 and transmits it to the display terminal 30. If it is determined that the received location information is not included in any range (step S1006: No), in step S1008, the current location determination unit 216 reads out the icon ID "000" whose target name information is associated with "not matched" from the target icon ID table 1 and transmits it to the display terminal 30.

[0050] In step S1009, before receiving icon ID information from mobile terminal 20, display terminal 30 configured as a smart watch displays the time display screen of a digital clock, which is a normal display. An example of the time display screen is shown in FIG. 11A.

[0051] In step S1010, the icon display control unit 316 of the display terminal 30 waits until it receives an icon ID from the mobile terminal 20 (step S1010: No). If it is determined that an icon ID has been received (step S1010: Yes), in step S1011, the icon display control unit 316 executes icon ID reception processing. In step S1012, the icon display control unit 316 of the display terminal 30 determines whether a predetermined time has elapsed since it received the previous icon ID. If it is determined that the predetermined time has not elapsed (step S1012: No), the icon display control unit 316 continues to wait until it receives the next icon ID. This processing is intended to ensure a time limit for display switching in order to reduce or eliminate the annoyance that may be felt by the user when the screen display on the display terminal 30 frequently switches to an icon main display, which will be described later, upon receiving an icon ID from the mobile terminal 20.

[0052] If the icon display control unit 316 determines in step S1012 that a predetermined time has elapsed since the previous icon ID was received (Yes in step S1012), then in step S1013, the icon display control unit 316 reads out icon display data corresponding to the icon ID from the icon data table 3 and performs processing to display only the corresponding icon on the display screen of the display terminal 30. FIG. 11B shows an example of a display screen displaying only the corresponding icon. In the example of FIG. 11B, the entire display screen of the smart watch, which is the display terminal 30, is used to display an icon image indicated by the icon display data "Going to and from school (moving along the school route)" (icon ID=004). In the present application, this display mode in which icons are displayed using the entire display screen of the display terminal 30 is referred to as "icon main display." 11B, the icons are displayed using the entire display screen of the display terminal 30, such as a worn smartwatch, so even if the guardian P is away from the mobile terminal 20, such as a smartphone, or is unable to immediately operate the mobile terminal 20, the guardian P can intuitively understand and grasp where the child C, who is the target (person being watched over), is or what he or she is doing, without displaying map information about the area around the target (including text information representing buildings, roads, and their attributes (building names, road names)). In other words, the icon images displayed on the output unit 35 of the display terminal 30 can easily convey to the guardian P where the child C is or what he or she is doing.

[0053] Returning to the description of FIG. 10 , in step S1014, the icon display control unit 316 continues the icon main display for a predetermined time (e.g., 10 seconds) set by a timer. After the predetermined time has elapsed, in step S1015, the icon display control unit 316 transitions to a display mode in which the icons displayed across the entire display screen of the display terminal 30 in the icon main display are displayed smaller in one of the corners of the display screen. In the present application, this display mode is referred to as the “icon sub-display.” FIG. 11C shows an example of the icon sub-display. In FIG. 11C, the display terminal 30 in the form of a smartwatch displays a digital clock, which is its original function, and displays an icon indicating “going to and from school” in the upper right corner of the display screen, smaller than in the icon main display. This icon sub-display allows the user to know the location and behavior of the child C of interest while utilizing the original functions of the display terminal 30.

[0054] <Other display modes of the display terminal 30> 11D to 11F show other display modes of the display terminal 30. In FIG. 11D, the "On the way to extracurricular activities" icon (30C) in the icon data table 3 of FIG. 9 is displayed in the icon main display mode, and the character string "07:54 until start" (30D) is also displayed. This indicates that child C carrying the positioning terminal 10 is on the way to an extracurricular activity such as a music class, and that there are 7 minutes and 54 seconds until the start of the extracurricular activity. Such a display can be realized, for example, by storing child C's activity schedule in advance in the schedule table 2 of the mobile terminal 20, and by comparing the current time with the activity schedule when receiving location information from the positioning terminal 10 to calculate the remaining time until the next event. The mobile terminal 20 can then transmit to the display terminal 30, from the time-series data of the location information from the positioning terminal 10 and the activity schedule, information on the icon ID (021) corresponding to "On the way to extracurricular activities" and information indicating "07:54 until start."

[0055] 11E shows an example in which the weather (30E) at the current location of the positioning terminal 10 is graphically displayed on the display screen of the display terminal 30 in icon main display mode. The weather at the current location of the positioning terminal 10 can be realized, for example, by the mobile terminal 20 receiving location information from the positioning terminal 10 and using that location information to obtain weather information from an external device via the Internet. This allows the guardian P to know the location of the child C as well as the weather at that location, which can be useful in determining whether or not it is necessary to take an umbrella when picking up or dropping off the child C.

[0056] FIG. 11F shows an example of a main icon display screen for an icon indicating "Going to and from school," in which the status of monitoring along the school route is graphically displayed. In the example of FIG. 11F, five small flag images (30F) are displayed above the "Going to and from school" icon. To ensure the safety of children on the way to and from school, parents or volunteer staff may monitor children at key points along the route. Data communication via short-range wireless communication is enabled between a positioning terminal 10, such as a smartwatch carried by a child, and a mobile device, such as a smartphone, carried by a parent or volunteer staff member. Each time the child's positioning terminal 10 communicates data with the mobile device of the parent or volunteer staff member, the positioning terminal 10 transmits information indicating successful data communication to the mobile terminal 20. Upon receiving this information, the mobile terminal 20 determines that the positioning terminal 10 has passed a key point where a parent or volunteer staff member is present during the course of the school commute, and transmits the details of this determination (image data of a flag indicating the passage in the example of FIG. 11F) to the display terminal 30 as needed. As a result, the display terminal 30 can indicate the progress of the child C on the route to and from school by the number of flag images displayed. Therefore, the present application does not provide a typical display (a display with a large amount of information) in which the current location of the child C is superimposed on a map displayed on the output unit 35 of the display terminal 30, but rather allows the user to intuitively grasp the current location of the child C by simply displaying an image indicating the location of the person being watched over and supplementary information about the location (the number of flag images) as shown in Fig. 11F.

[0057] Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing another example of icon display processing on the display terminal 30 in this embodiment. As with Fig. 10, the processing flow in Fig. 12 starts with reception of a positioning satellite signal by the positioning terminal 10 on the left side of the paper. It is assumed that the positioning terminal 10, the mobile terminal 20, and the display terminal 30 are powered on and in operation. Fig. 12 shows an example of display on the display terminal 30 when the positioning terminal 10 is once determined to be within a certain range in the processing flow of Fig. 10 and then goes outside that range.

[0058] In step S1201, the position information acquisition unit 114 of the positioning terminal 10 transmits the position information calculated in the processes of steps S1001 and S1002 of FIG.

[0059] In step S1202, the current position information receiving unit 215 of the mobile terminal 20 waits to receive position information from the positioning terminal 10 (step S1202: No). If it is determined that the position information has been received (step S1202: Yes), in step S1203, the current position information receiving unit 215 executes reception processing. In step S1203, the current position information receiving unit 215 of the mobile terminal 20 executes reception processing of the position information from the positioning terminal 10. In step S1204, the current position determination unit 216 of the mobile terminal 20 compares and determines whether the received position information is outside any of the ranges stored in the target icon ID table 1. If it is determined that the received position information is still included in any of the ranges (step S1204: No), the current position determination unit 216 continues monitoring the position information. If it is determined that the received location information is not included in any range (Yes in step S1204), in step S1205, the current location determination unit 216 reads out from the target icon ID table 1 the icon ID corresponding to the range in which the positioning terminal 10 was most recently determined to be included, and transmits it to the display terminal 30.

[0060] In step S1206, the icon display control unit 316 of the display terminal 30 waits until it receives an icon ID from the mobile terminal 20 (step S1206: No). If it is determined that the icon ID has been received (step S1: Yes), in step S1207, the icon display control unit 316 executes icon ID reception processing. At this point, the display terminal 30 configured as a smart watch is performing icon main display or icon sub-display for the icon that falls within the previous position range.

[0061] In step S1208, the icon display control unit 316 of the display terminal 30 performs "black and white inversion" of the icon main display for the icon corresponding to the immediately preceding range. This inversion allows the guardian P wearing the display terminal 30 to know that the child C has left a certain location.

[0062] In steps S1209 to S1211, icon display control unit 316 continues the inverted icon main display for the time set by the timer, and then in step S1212 returns to the normal display of Fig. 11A. That is, in step S1209, icon display control unit 316 initializes and starts the timer. In step S1210, icon display control unit 316 waits for a predetermined time to elapse since the timer started (step S1210: No). If it is determined that the predetermined time has elapsed (step S1210: Yes), icon display control unit 316 stops and initializes the timer, and then proceeds to the processing of step S1212.

[0063] Fig. 13 is a flowchart showing a modified example of the icon display process on the display terminal 30 shown in Fig. 10. The process flow in Fig. 13 is almost the same as the process flow in Fig. 10, but the process in S1009 for suppressing frequent icon display switching is different from that in Fig. 10. For simplicity, this different process will be explained here.

[0064] 13, if it is determined in step S1012 that a predetermined time has not elapsed since the previous icon ID was received (step S1012: No), the icon display control unit 316 further determines the importance of the received icon ID in step S1012A. If it is determined that the importance of the received icon ID is not low (step S1012A: No), the icon display control unit 316 performs the icon main display in step S1013 even before the predetermined time has elapsed. If it is determined that the importance of the received icon ID is low (step S1012A: Yes), the icon display control unit 316 executes the icon sub-display in step S1015. Note that the determination in step S1010A of whether the importance of the icon ID is low is made by comparing it with a preset reference value (threshold value).

[0065] In this way, by setting the importance level according to the icon ID and causing the display terminal to display an icon-main display for an icon ID with a high importance level regardless of the time elapsed since the last icon-main display, the parent / guardian P wearing the display terminal 30 can be notified without delay when the child C enters a location of high importance, regardless of the frequency of the icon-main display. The importance level of the icon ID can be determined by the icon display control unit 316 by providing items such as importance levels A (high), B, and C (low) corresponding to the icon ID in the target icon ID table 1. The importance level in this case can be appropriately determined based on, for example, criteria such as whether public activities (e.g., going to school) are more important than private activities (e.g., visiting a friend's house or getting a haircut). The importance level may also be set using a pull-down menu (not shown in FIG. 8) for selecting the importance level when setting the target range information 92, target icon information 93, target name information 94, etc., using the screen of FIG. 8.

[0066] <Other display processes> FIG. 14 shows another example of display processing in the display terminal 30 in this embodiment. In the example of FIG. 14, the icon display control unit 316 of the display terminal 30 is configured to display an image representing the passage of time in the icon-main display mode. That is, in FIG. 15, an icon (30C) representing a "park" is displayed in the icon-main display mode, and an image (30G) representing the passage of time is displayed, showing a frog growing from an egg to a tadpole and then to an adult (FIGS. 14(A) to 14(E)). When displaying this icon representing the passage of time, the icon display control unit 316 can control the display to be displayed on the display terminal 30 when, for example, the child C to be watched over enters a place that is not registered in the schedule table 2 of the mobile terminal 20, such as the "park" shown in FIG. 14.

[0067] Icons indicating the passage of time can be easily understood, such as a frog growing from an egg or a plant growing from a seed, as shown in FIG. 15. In FIG. 15, for example, in the case of a frog, each stage—egg, tadpole, tadpole with hind legs, frog with tail, and adult frog—is set to represent 15 minutes. By displaying such icons indicating the passage of time together with icons representing locations, for example, in the example of FIG. 15, the parent / guardian P wearing the display terminal 30 can intuitively know how long child C has been staying in the park, and can take action such as calling or emailing child C to encourage him or her to come home earlier. Furthermore, the display process described above is not limited to when child C enters a location not registered in the schedule table 2 for the day on the mobile terminal 20. The display process described above may also be performed when child C enters a location registered in the schedule table 2 on the mobile terminal 20.

[0068] Furthermore, the exercise information acquisition unit 116 of the positioning terminal 10 may detect the movement (activity) status (walking, running, cycling, etc.) of the positioning terminal 10 based on each measurement value obtained from the sensors included in the sensor unit 17, and transmit the information to the mobile terminal 20 via the communication unit 18. Then, the mobile terminal 20 may display an image related to the activity on the output unit 35 of the display terminal 30 based on the acquired movement (activity) status and the icon data table 3. In this case, the name of the activity (walking, running, cycling, etc.) included in the detected movement status is compared with the name information, which is a component of the icon data table 3, and the corresponding icon display data is extracted (for example, "walking" indicates going to or from school, "cycling" indicates traveling to a place where lessons are taken, etc.).

[0069] In the present embodiment, icon display data (still images) are registered as icons in the icon data table 3, but this is not limiting. Moving images (which may include audio) may also be registered as icons.

[0070] The information about the object may be information about the object's current location and information about the activity.

[0071] In this way, the current location and activities of the child C who is the object of monitoring can be grasped on the display terminal 30.

[0072] The processing unit 31 of the display terminal 30 may prevent other images showing features near the current position from being displayed on the output unit 35.

[0073] In this way, on the display terminal 30, it is possible to intuitively grasp only the current location and activities of the child C who is the target of monitoring.

[0074] The processing unit 31 may be configured to display an icon corresponding to the acquired location information on the output unit 35 in a first size and then, after a predetermined time has elapsed, display the icon on the output unit 35 in a second size smaller than the first size.

[0075] In this way, the limited display area of ​​the output unit 35 of the display terminal 30 can be effectively utilized.

[0076] The processing unit 31 may display the icon of the second size and other information on the output unit 35 so that they do not overlap.

[0077] In this way, the current location of the subject such as the child C can be confirmed on the display terminal 30 using the icon, and other information such as a clock displayed by the functions of the display terminal 30 can also be visually confirmed.

[0078] The processing unit 31 may change the icon to be displayed on the output unit 35 of the display terminal 30 based on location information, which is information indicating the current location of the child C, and information about the object, such as the child C, that is held about the object at the time the location information is obtained, and display the icon on the output unit 35.

[0079] In this way, even if the icon display on the output unit 35 of the display terminal 30 is for the same school facility, it can be identified at a glance as to whether it is the school where the target child C is enrolled or another school, and the target's current location can be known more specifically.

[0080] The processing unit 31 may determine whether the location information, which is information indicating the current location of the target, is within a predetermined range, and if it determines based on the location information of the target that the target has left the range, it may change the display mode of the icon displayed on the output unit 35.

[0081] In this way, it is possible to know when the subject has left a specific range and is moving on to the next action.

[0082] The processing unit 31 may obtain weather information at the location where the target is located from an external device on the network N based on location information, which is information indicating the current location of the target, and display it on the output unit 35.

[0083] In this way, it is possible to take action (such as picking up child C) as the target, if necessary, based on the weather information at the target's current location.

[0084] The processing unit 31 may be configured to display, based on location information indicating the current location of the target, an icon indicating the elapsed time since the target entered the facility indicated by the icon on the output unit 35 of the display terminal 30, if the target remains within the facility indicated by the icon.

[0085] In this way, the guardian of the target child C can warn him or her by phone, email, or other means depending on the amount of time he or she remains in the area, or urge him or her to leave quickly.

[0086] The processing unit 31 may cause the output unit 35 to display an icon related to at least one of a facility and an activity located at the current location of the target.

[0087] In this way, the guardian or the like can intuitively understand the situation of the child C who is the object of their supervision.

[0088] Furthermore, an embodiment of the present invention can be configured as a display control system including a positioning terminal 10 that sends information about an object, and a processing unit 31 that acquires information about the object from the positioning terminal 10 and displays on the output unit 35 an icon related to at least one of the object's current location and activity that is associated with the information about the object.

[0089] In this case, the positioning terminal 10 may be configured as a battery-powered wireless terminal device, and may send at least one of information regarding the battery status and information indicating the wireless communication status of the positioning terminal 10 to the display terminal 30.

[0090] In this way, when it becomes difficult or impossible for a parent or guardian carrying the display terminal 30 to receive the location information from the positioning terminal 10, the parent or guardian can easily know the cause.

[0091] The above-described series of processes can be executed by hardware or software. In other words, the functional configurations shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 are merely illustrative and are not particularly limited. That is, it is sufficient for the positioning terminal 10, the mobile terminal 20, and the display terminal 30 to be equipped with functions capable of executing the above-described series of processes as a whole. The functional blocks used to realize these functions are not particularly limited to those shown in FIGS. 3 to 5. Furthermore, each functional block may be configured as a single piece of hardware, a single piece of software, or a combination thereof. The functional configuration in this embodiment is realized by a processor that executes arithmetic processing. Processors that can be used in this embodiment include those configured as a single processing device such as a single processor, a multiprocessor, or a multicore processor, as well as those that combine these processing devices with processing circuits such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array).

[0092] When a series of processes is executed by software, the programs that make up the software are installed into a computer or the like from a network or a recording medium. The computer may be a computer built into dedicated hardware. Alternatively, the computer may be a computer that can execute various functions by installing various programs, such as a general-purpose personal computer.

[0093] The recording medium containing such a program may be a removable medium such as a USB memory that is distributed separately from the device main body in order to provide the program to the user, or may be a recording medium that is provided to the user in a state where it is pre-installed in the device main body. Removable media may be, for example, a magnetic disk (including a floppy disk), an optical disk, or a magneto-optical disk. Optical disks may be, for example, CD-ROMs (Compact Disk-Read Only Memory), DVDs (Digital Versatile Disks), Blu-ray (registered trademark) Discs, etc. Magneto-optical disks may be, for example, MDs (Mini-Disks), etc. Furthermore, recording media that are provided to the user in a state where they are pre-installed in the device main body may be, for example, a ROM on which the program is recorded, or a hard disk included in the auxiliary storage unit 13, 23, 33.

[0094] In this specification, the steps of describing a program to be recorded on a recording medium include not only processes that are performed chronologically in accordance with the order, but also processes that are not necessarily performed chronologically but are performed in parallel or individually.

[0095] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are merely illustrative and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention. The present invention can take various other embodiments, and it is also possible to combine the configurations of the above embodiments and modifications. Furthermore, various modifications such as omissions and substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included within the scope and spirit of the invention described in this specification, etc., and are included in the invention described in the claims and their equivalents.

[0096] The inventions described in the claims of the present application as originally filed are set forth below. [Appendix 1] Obtain information about the subject, A display control device including a display control unit that displays, on a display unit, an image related to at least one of a current location and an activity of the object, the image being associated with information about the object. [Appendix 2] The information about the object is information about the current location of the object and information about the activity. 2. A display control device according to claim 1. [Appendix 3] the display control unit does not display on the display unit other images showing features near the current location. 10. A display control device according to claim 1 or 2. [Appendix 4] the display control unit causes the display unit to display the image at a first size and then, after a predetermined time has elapsed since the display control unit caused the image to be displayed at a first size, causes the display unit to display the image at a second size smaller than the first size. 4. A display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. [Appendix 5] the display control unit displays the image of the second size and other information on the display unit so as not to overlap each other. A display control device according to appendix 4. [Appendix 6] the display control unit changes the image based on location information indicating a current location of the target and information about the target stored in relation to the target at the time of acquiring the location information, and causes the image to be displayed on the display unit. 6. A display control device according to any one of appendixes 1 to 5. [Appendix 7] the display control unit determines whether location information, which is information indicating the current location of the target, is within a preset range, and when it determines that the target has left the range based on the location information of the target, changes the display mode of the image displayed on the display unit and displays it. 7. A display control device according to any one of appendixes 1 to 6. [Appendix 8] the display control unit acquires weather information at a location where the target is located from an external device based on location information that is information indicating a current location of the target, and displays the weather information on the display unit. 8. A display control device according to any one of appendixes 1 to 7. [Appendix 9] the display control unit, when the target remains within the facility shown in the image, causes the display unit to display an image representing the elapsed time since the target entered the facility, based on location information that is information indicating the current location of the target; 9. A display control device according to any one of appendixes 1 to 8. [Appendix 10] the display control unit causes the display unit to display the image related to at least one of a facility and an activity located at the current location of the target; 10. A display control device according to any one of appendixes 1 to 9. [Appendix 11] a terminal device that transmits information about the target; Obtaining information about the target from the terminal device; a display control device including a display control unit that displays, on a display unit, an image related to at least one of a current location and an activity of the target that is associated with information about the target; A display control system comprising: [Appendix 12] A display control system as described in Appendix 11, wherein the terminal device is a wireless terminal device powered by a battery, and sends at least one of information regarding the status of the battery and information indicating the status of wireless communication of the terminal device to the display control device. [Appendix 13] The information processing device Obtain information about the subject, displaying, on a display unit, an image related to at least one of a current location and an activity of the target, the image being associated with information about the target; Display control method. [Appendix 14] In the information processing device, Obtain information about the subject, Execute a process of displaying, on a display unit, an image related to at least one of a current location and an activity of the target, the image being associated with information about the target. program. [Explanation of symbols]

[0097] S Display Control System 1 Target Icon ID Table 2 Schedule Table 3 Icon Data Table 10 Positioning terminal 11, 21, 31 Processing section 20 Mobile devices 30 Display terminal 35 Output section 316 Icon display control unit

Claims

1. Obtain information about the subject, a display control unit that causes a display unit to display an icon related to at least one of a current location and an activity of the target, the icon being associated with information about the target; the display control unit displays the icon on the display unit in a first size, and then, when a predetermined condition is satisfied, displays the icon on the display unit in a second size smaller than the first size. Display control device.

2. The information about the object is information about the current location of the object and information about the activity. The display control device according to claim 1 .

3. the display control unit does not display on the display unit other images showing features near the current location. The display control device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the display control unit displays the icon of the second size and other information on the display unit so as not to overlap each other. The display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The predetermined condition is after a predetermined time has elapsed. The display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. Acquire information about the subject, a display control unit that causes a display unit to display an icon related to at least one of a current location and an activity of the target, the icon being associated with information about the target; the display control unit changes the icon based on location information indicating a current location of the target and information about the target stored in relation to the target at the time of acquiring the location information, and causes the icon to be displayed on the display unit. Display control device.

7. Obtaining information about a subject, a display control unit that causes a display unit to display an icon related to at least one of a current location and an activity of the target, the icon being associated with information about the target; the display control unit determines whether location information, which is information indicating the current location of the target, is within a predetermined range, and when it determines that the target has left the range based on the location information of the target, changes the display mode of the icon displayed on the display unit and displays it. Display control device.

8. Acquire information about the subject, a display control unit that causes a display unit to display an icon related to at least one of a current location and an activity of the target, the icon being associated with information about the target; the display control unit acquires weather information at a location where the target is located from an external device based on location information that is information indicating a current location of the target, and displays the weather information on the display unit. Display control device.

9. Acquire information about the subject, a display control unit that causes a display unit to display an icon related to at least one of a current location and an activity of the target, the icon being associated with information about the target; the display control unit, when the target remains within the facility indicated by the icon, causes the display unit to display an image representing the elapsed time since the target entered the facility, based on location information that is information indicating the current location of the target; Display control device.

10. the display control unit causes the display unit to display an image related to at least one of a facility and an activity located at the current location of the target; The display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. a terminal device that transmits information about the target; Obtaining information about the target from the terminal device; a display control device including a display control unit that displays, on a display unit, an icon related to at least one of a current location and an activity of the target, the icon being associated with information about the target; Equipped with the display control unit displays the icon on the display unit in a first size, and then, when a predetermined condition is satisfied, displays the icon on the display unit in a second size smaller than the first size. Display control system.

12. The display control system according to claim 11, wherein the terminal device is a wireless terminal device powered by a battery, and at least one of information regarding the state of the battery and information indicating the state of wireless communication of the terminal device is sent to the display control device.

13. The information processing device Obtain information about the subject, displaying an icon related to at least one of a current location and an activity of the target, the icon being associated with information about the target, on a display unit; When a predetermined condition is satisfied after the icon is displayed on the display unit in a first size, the icon is displayed on the display unit in a second size smaller than the first size. Display control method.

14. In the information processing device, Obtain information about the subject, Execute a process of displaying an icon related to at least one of a current location and an activity of the target, the icon being associated with information about the target, on a display unit; When a predetermined condition is satisfied after the icon is displayed on the display unit in a first size, the icon is displayed on the display unit in a second size smaller than the first size. program.

Images