Apparatus and method

Abstract

To provide a device or method that easily confirms the position etc., of a body.SOLUTION: In an information processing system in which a distribution server and one or more user terminals are connected through a communication network to transmit and receive data to each other, the user terminals 30 each comprise a control part which can be connected to a display part of an information processing device. The control part executes: acquisition processing to acquire an area image showing an area where at least a part of a construction object OB is constructed; processing to acquire the position of the construction object; generation processing to generate, based upon the position, a composite image displayed having a construction object image superposed on the area image as an image of the construction object; and display processing to display the composite image at a display part while making the construction object image movable in a direction crossing a reference surface of the area.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method.

Background Art

[0002] A method of displaying an object buried in a road as an image is known as a conventional technique (Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In a system such as Patent Document 1, it has been difficult to confirm the position and the like of an object underground.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus or a method that makes it easy to confirm the position and the like of an object.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The present invention, as one aspect, provides an apparatus including a control unit connectable to a display unit, the control unit performing an acquisition process of acquiring a region image indicating a region where at least a part of a laid object is laid, a process of acquiring the position of the laid object, a generation process of generating a composite image in which a laid object image, which is an image of the laid object, is superimposed and displayed on the region image based on the position, and a display process of making the laid object image movable in a direction intersecting with a reference plane of the region and displaying the composite image on the display unit.

[0007] Furthermore, in one aspect, the present invention provides a method to be performed by a control unit connectable to a display unit, comprising: an acquisition process for acquiring a region image showing an area where at least a part of a paving material is laid; a process for acquiring the position of the paving material; a generation process for generating a composite image by superimposing a paving material image, which is an image of the paving material, onto the region image based on the position; and a display process for making the paving material image movable in a direction intersecting the region with respect to the display unit, and displaying the composite image. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] With the above configuration, the present invention can provide an apparatus or method that makes it easy to confirm the shape of an object. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of the system according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] This is an example of hardware (information processing device) used in realizing the system according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] This figure shows the functional configuration (software configuration) of (a) the distribution server and (b) the user terminal used in realizing the system of this embodiment. [Figure 4] This diagram illustrates the photographic conditions of an area where a paving material has been laid. [Figure 5] This flowchart shows an example of the processing according to this embodiment. [Figure 6] This figure illustrates (a) the region image, (b) the laid object image, and (c) the composite image. In Figures 6(b) and (c), opaque areas are shown with solid lines and semi-transparent areas with dotted lines for easier understanding. [Figure 7] This is the user terminal screen displaying the composite image, corresponding to the diagram in Figure 6(c). [Figure 8] This diagram illustrates the relationship between images of the laid-out structures, composite images, and the image as seen from the viewpoint. Opaque areas are shown with solid lines, and semi-transparent areas are shown with dotted lines. [Figure 9] This is the user's terminal screen displaying a composite image. [Figure 10] This is the user's terminal screen displaying a composite image. [Figure 11] This diagram shows a user terminal screen displaying a composite image, rendered as a line diagram, with the laid-out object image moved upwards. Opaque areas are shown as solid lines, and semi-transparent areas as dotted lines. [Figure 12] This is the user terminal screen displaying the composite image, corresponding to the diagram in Figure 11. [Figure 13] This is a user terminal screen displaying a composite image, showing the state after moving the laid-out object image further upwards from the state shown in Figures 11 and 12. [Figure 14] This is a user terminal screen displaying a synthesized image created using virtual reality. [Figure 15] This is the user terminal screen displaying the dialog box. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] <System Overview> Figure 1 shows the configuration of an information processing system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The information processing system 1 includes a distribution server 10 and the computing units of one or more user terminals 30. The distribution server 10 and the user terminals 30 are connected to each other via a communication network 5 so that they can send and receive data. The communication network 5 is a wireless or wired communication means, such as the Internet, WAN (Wide Area Network), LAN (Local Area Network), public communication network, or dedicated line.

[0011] Note that although the information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment is composed of the plurality of information management devices described above, the present invention does not limit the number of these devices. Therefore, the information processing system 1 can be composed of one or more devices as long as it has the following functions. Also, it is possible to realize the configuration by dispersing the functions among a plurality of devices. The mode of function dispersion is not limited to the embodiment and various modes can be considered.

[0012] The user terminal 30 is an information processing device operated by a user (such as an operator), and for example, a smartphone, a tablet, a mobile phone, a personal computer, or the like.

[0013] The distribution server 10 is an information processing device that manages data 151 described later.

[0014] FIG. 2 is an example of hardware (hereinafter referred to as "information processing device 100") used to realize the distribution server 10 and the user terminal 30. As shown in the figure, the information processing device 100 includes a processor 101, a main storage device 102, an auxiliary storage device 103, an input device 104, an output device 105, and a communication device 106. These are connected to each other so as to be communicable via communication means such as a bus (not shown).

[0015] Note that not all configurations of the information processing device 100 necessarily need to be realized by hardware, and all or part of the configuration may be realized by virtual resources such as a cloud server of a cloud system, for example.

[0016] The processor 101 is configured using a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), or the like. By reading and executing the program stored in the main storage device 102, the functions of the distribution server 10 and the user terminal 30 are realized.

[0017] The main memory 102 is a device for storing programs and data, and can be ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), non-volatile semiconductor memory (NVRAM (Non-Volatile RAM)), etc.

[0018] The auxiliary storage device 103 includes, for example, various non-volatile memory (NVRAM) such as SSDs (Solid State Drives) and SD memory cards, hard disk drives, optical storage devices (CDs (Compact Discs), DVDs (Digital Versatile Discs), etc.), and the storage area of ​​a cloud server. Programs and data stored in the auxiliary storage device 103 are read into the main memory 102 as needed.

[0019] The input device 104 is an interface that accepts information input, and can be, for example, a keyboard, mouse, touch panel, card reader, voice input device (microphone, etc.), or voice recognition device. The information processing device 100 may also be configured to accept information input from other devices via the communication device 106. In particular, the user terminal 30 has an imaging device equipped with a lens and an image sensor as the input device 104, and can capture images.

[0020] The output device 105 is an interface for outputting various types of information, such as a screen display device (liquid crystal monitor, LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), graphics card, etc.), a printing device, etc.), an audio output device (speaker, etc.), a speech synthesizer, etc. The information processing device 100 may also be configured to output information to other devices via the communication device 106. In particular, the output device 105 of the user terminal 30 is equipped with a screen SC (shown in Figure 4, etc.) for displaying images.

[0021] The communication device 106 is a wired or wireless communication interface that enables communication with other devices via the communication network 5, and is, for example, a NIC (Network Interface Card), a wireless communication module, a USB (Universal Serial Interface) module, a serial communication module, etc. In particular, the communication device 106 of the user terminal 30 can communicate with a GPS (Global Positioning System) and obtain position coordinates.

[0022] [Map Server Functional Configuration] Figure 3(a) shows the main functions (software configuration) of the distribution server 10. As shown in the figure, the distribution server 10 includes the functions of a storage area 110 and a management unit 120. These functions are realized by the processor 101 of the distribution server 10 reading and executing programs stored in the distribution server 10's main memory 102 or auxiliary memory 103. In addition to the above functions, the distribution server 10 also includes functions such as an operating system, file system, device drivers, and DBMS (Database Management System).

[0023] The memory area 110 is composed of, for example, ROM or RAM, and stores various data and programs, as well as being used as a temporary storage area for data. Programs stored in the memory area 110 include the operating system (hereinafter referred to as "OS") and data management programs 151.

[0024] Furthermore, data 151 is stored in the memory area 110. Data 151 includes data necessary to create three-dimensional images of terrain and objects. For example, it includes data for objects laid above or below ground.

[0025] Data 151 contains data on the names, types, shapes, and coordinates of objects laid above and below ground. Specific examples of objects include buildings, roads, water and sewage pipes, conduits, underground cables, gas pipes, underpasses, tunnels, telephone poles, power poles, shared poles, tunnels, and manholes, handholes, and other structures that make up these facilities.

[0026] In addition, data 151 may include topographic data, as well as data such as scale, dimensions, dimension lines, symbols, and contour lines indicated on maps and drawings. Examples of topographic data include rivers, coastlines, vegetation, elevation, and soil type.

[0027] Data 151 stores the three-dimensional coordinates of terrain and objects. While coordinate formats vary, one example is that Data 151 can store the latitude, longitude, and height or depth (such as overburden) of an object. Furthermore, as terrain data, Data 151 can store the latitude, longitude, and elevation of multiple locations.

[0028] The distribution server 10 performs various functions by launching programs on the CPU 110. These functions include performing processes such as generating composite images and acquiring captured images.

[0029] [Functional configuration of user terminal 30] As shown in Figure 3(b), the user terminal 30 is equipped with the functions of a storage area 310 and a management unit 320. These functions are realized by the processor 101 of the user terminal 30 reading and executing programs stored in the main memory 102 or auxiliary memory 103 of the user terminal 30. In addition to the above functions, the distribution server 10 is equipped with functions such as an operating system, file system, device drivers, and DBMS (Database Management System).

[0030] The memory area 310 is composed of, for example, ROM or RAM, and stores various data and programs, as well as being used as a temporary storage area for data. Programs stored in the memory area 310 include the OS and image processing programs. The management unit 320 controls various parts of the user terminal 30 by executing programs read from the memory area 310.

[0031] The management unit 320 uses the functions of the user terminal 30 to generate the region image P, the laid object image Q, and the composite image R, as described below.

[0032] <Processing> The processing on the user terminal 30 will be explained below using the flow chart in Figure 5.

[0033] The management unit 320 first obtains data 151 from the distribution server 10 (S1).

[0034] Next, the management unit 320 performs the acquisition of the region image P (S3). The region image P may be generated by forming a three-dimensional image that represents the terrain in three dimensions from the data 151 (virtual reality mode; details will be described later), or it may be acquired by taking a photograph of the region to be investigated (augmented reality mode). In this explanation, it will be assumed that the region image P is generated when the user takes a photograph of a certain region A.

[0035] As shown in Figure 4, the user takes a photograph of area A using an external device such as a camera or an input device 104 (imaging device) and acquires an area image P (Figure 6(a)). The area image P may be a still image or may be acquired as a video. In this step, the management unit 320 acquires the latitude and longitude of area A from GPS or the like, and uses the acquired latitude and longitude to refer to data 151 and acquire the elevation of area A.

[0036] Next, the control unit 320 sets the reference point (S5). The reference point is a point used to position the object image on the region image P.

[0037] In this process, the management unit 320 displays the region image P on the output device 105 (screen SC) of the user terminal 30 and prompts the user to specify the location of the reference point. The reference point can be any point corresponding to a part of the objects laid in region A (hereinafter referred to as laid objects OB), but it is desirable that it be a part that is visible to the user. For example, the center of a manhole cover or the center of a sewage manhole cover are exposed above ground, making them easy for the user to recognize and suitable as reference points.

[0038] Various methods can be considered for setting the reference point. In this embodiment, the management unit 320 uses a method in which the user specifies the position on the region image P. The user specifies the position to be used as the reference point on the region image P using the input device 104 of the user terminal 30. The management unit 320 recognizes the specified position as the reference point and displays the image of block B on the region image P so that its lower edge coincides with the reference point (Figures 6(a), 9, etc.).

[0039] Once the reference point is set, the next step S7 generates the laid structure image Q. In this process, the control unit 320 first uses the coordinates of area A to refer to data 151 and obtains the coordinates of laid structure OB. Based on the obtained coordinates, the control unit 320 generates a 3D image of laid structure OB, which is designated as the laid structure image Q (Figure 6(b)).

[0040] Next, the control unit 320 generates a composite image R (S9). In this process, the control unit 320 overlays the laid object image Q onto the region image P based on the reference points set in the region image P, and generates a composite image R.

[0041] If the reference point is set as the center of the manhole cover, the control unit 320 moves the laid object image Q so that the reference point on the region image P coincides with the center of the manhole cover on the laid object image Q. The control unit 320 generates a composite image R by superimposing the moved laid object image Q onto the region image P.

[0042] When generating the composite image R, the control unit 320 displays the parts exposed above ground as opaque and the parts buried underground as semi-transparent, as shown in Figures 6-8. More specifically, the control unit 320 sets a reference plane RP for area A and compares the coordinates of the laid object OB with the height of the reference plane RP. Based on the comparison, the control unit 320 changes the rendering method to opaque and semi-transparent for parts above and below the reference plane RP (Figure 8).

[0043] The reference plane RP can be set to any position desired by the user. In this explanation, the reference plane RP is assumed to coincide with the ground surface of area A. As described above, the management unit 320 can obtain the coordinates (including elevation) of the ground surface from the data 151.

[0044] As shown in Figures 8 and 9, when observing the laid-out object image Q from the user's viewpoint set during the generation of the composite image R, the portion exposed from the reference plane RP appears to the user as being in front of the reference plane RP. Conversely, the portion covered by the reference plane RP appears to be hidden behind the reference plane RP.

[0045] Next, the control unit 320 displays the composite image R on the screen SC (S10). When displaying, the control unit 320 further overlays the pole R1, slider R2, switch SW, and icons R3-R6 onto the composite image R (Figures 7-10, etc.). The control unit 320 continues the display until it receives instructions from a new user (S11: NO, S13: NO).

[0046] Pole R1 is an image depicting a virtual rod extending vertically from the reference plane RP, with black and white stripes drawn on its surface. The black and white stripes serve as a scale in the composite image R, and the vertical length of each black and white stripe corresponds to 20 centimeters in the actual area A. In other words, pole R1 indicates the vertical coordinates and height in area A. By displaying pole R1, the user can read the dimensions, vertical coordinates, and vertical length of the laid object OB displayed on the screen.

[0047] Pole R1 can be placed at any position in the composite image R, but it is desirable to display it around the exposed portion of the laid structure OB (such as a manhole cover). In this case, the management unit 320 places pole R1 according to the shape of the exposed portion. For example, the management unit 320 places pole R1 at the corners of the cover exposed on the ground surface. That is, if the cover is triangular, pole R1 is placed at three corners, and if the cover is hexagonal, pole R1 is placed at six corners. If the cover is circular or elliptical and has no corners, pole R1 is placed at the corners of the underground portion of the buried structure OB.

[0048] In Figure 10, poles R1 are positioned at each of the four corners of the rectangular lid. As shown in each figure, the control unit 320 renders poles R1 with the portion below the reference plane RP being semi-transparent and the portion above the reference plane RP being opaque.

[0049] As another example, the poles R1 may always be positioned in the same location regardless of the shape of the buried object OB. In this case, the control unit 320 always places the same number (four, six, etc.) of poles R1 at equal intervals around the perimeter of the lid, regardless of whether the lid is circular or rectangular.

[0050] The slider R2 has a vertically extending scale section R21 and an indicator section R22. The scale section R21 has markings corresponding to vertical coordinates. The indicator section R22 can move up and down along the scale section R21 in response to user instructions via the input device 104. By moving the indicator section R22 along the scale section R21, the user can move the laid object image Q up and down.

[0051] For example, if the user moves the indicator unit R22 upward by 20 centimeters on the scale unit R21, the control unit 320 redraws the composite image R (S11: YES). In the redraw, the control unit 320 moves the laid object image Q upward by an amount corresponding to the actual height of 20 centimeters in area A (S7). Furthermore, the control unit 320 combines the laid object image Q with the area image P to generate the composite image R (S9).

[0052] As shown in Figures 11-13, by moving the laid object image Q upwards, the portion that was embedded in the reference plane RP (ground surface) becomes exposed from the reference plane RP and is displayed opaquely. By observing the redrawn composite image R, the user can understand the shape of the laid object image Q, i.e., the shape of the laid object OB, in detail.

[0053] Furthermore, it is possible to change the direction of slider R2. For example, it is possible to tilt slider R2 diagonally or horizontally and operate the indicator unit R22. In this case, the management unit 320 moves the laid object image Q and redraws the composite image R according to the amount and direction of movement of the indicator unit R22 relative to the scale unit R21.

[0054] The switching unit SW is an icon that accepts instructions to switch the acquisition and generation method of the region image P. There are two methods for acquiring the region image P: using an image of region A taken as described above (AR, augmented reality mode), and generating the region image P using the management unit 320 (VR, virtual reality mode).

[0055] When the user operates the switching unit SW and selects virtual reality mode (S13:YES), the management unit 320 returns to processing S3 and, based on the terrain data held in data 151, redraws the region image P as a 3D image and sequentially executes the generation of the laid-out object image Q and the composite image R (S7, S9). Note that in virtual reality mode, the processing in step S5 does not need to be executed. As a result of the redrawing, the composite image R generated as an image of the 3D space in virtual reality is displayed on the screen SC (S10).

[0056] In virtual reality mode, as shown in Figure 14, composite image R can be generated over a wide area. Therefore, users can verify the location of the laid structures OB using the laid structure image Q without having to go to the site.

[0057] In virtual reality mode, the control unit 320 displays not only the slider R2 and pole R1, but also the icon MP on the screen SC (S10, Figure 14). The control unit 320 can receive user input via the icon MP. Upon receiving instructions for the icon MP, the control unit 320 displays a dialog DL showing a wide-area map on the screen SC (Figure 15).

[0058] The user can specify an area in the dialog DL to display a composite image R of the desired area on the management unit 320. Specifically, when the management unit 320 receives an instruction in the dialog DL (S13:YES), the management unit 320 sequentially generates an area image P, an object image Q, and a composite image R for the specified area (S3-S9) and displays them (S10).

[0059] In addition to the above, the user can operate icons R3-R6 to cause the management unit 320 to execute the controls assigned to each icon.

[0060] Icon R3 is used to change the orientation of the laid object OB. When an operation on icon R3 is received (S11: YES), the management unit 320 transforms the coordinates of the laid object OB as if it had rotated horizontally and draws the laid object image Q (S7). Using the newly generated laid object image Q, the management unit 320 generates and displays a composite image R (S9, S10). By performing this control, the user can correct the misalignment between the laid object image Q and the area image P. This process can also be performed on only a part of the laid object image Q, such as for each type of laid object OB.

[0061] Icon R4 corresponds to a control that displays detailed information about the laid structure OB. When an operation is received on icon R4, the management unit 320 displays a new window on screen SC containing information such as the type and coordinates of the laid structure OB.

[0062] Icon R5 corresponds to control for changing the length or range of the laid object image Q displayed on screen SC. When an operation on icon R5 is received (S11: YES), the management unit 320 changes the display range and regenerates the laid object image Q (S7). Step S5 may be omitted. Using the newly generated laid object image Q, the management unit 320 generates and displays the composite image R (S9, S10). This control makes it possible to adjust the length of the pipeline displayed as the laid object image Q, etc.

[0063] Icon R6 corresponds to control for changing the color tone and transparency of the laid object image Q displayed on screen SC. When an operation on icon R6 is received (S11: YES), the management unit 320 changes the color tone and transparency of the laid object image Q and regenerates the laid object image Q (S7). Using the newly generated laid object image Q, the management unit 320 generates and displays the composite image R (S9, S10). This control allows the user to display the laid object image Q using a display mode that is easy to see.

[0064] <Effects> In the above embodiment, the user terminal 30 includes a processor 101 connected to an output device 105 (corresponding to a display unit). The management unit 320 generated by the processor 101 performs the following operations: acquisition process (S3) to acquire a region image P showing a region A where at least a part of the laid object OB is laid; acquisition process (S7) to acquire the position of the laid object OB; generation process (S9) to generate a composite image R by superimposing a laid object image Q, which is an image of the laid object OB, onto the region image P based on the position of the laid object OB; and display process (S10) to make the laid object image Q movable in a direction intersecting the reference plane RP of region A (up and down in the embodiment) and to display the composite image R to the output device 105.

[0065] In the above configuration, the user can move the laid object image Q relative to the reference plane RP to recognize parts below the reference plane. Therefore, it can be a method or device that makes it easy to confirm the position of objects.

[0066] In the display processing (S10), the management unit 320 displays the portion of the laid object image Q exposed from the reference surface RP as opaque in the composite image R, and the portion of the laid object image Q covered by the reference surface RP as transparent or semi-transparent.

[0067] According to the above configuration, in the composite image R, the portion exposed from the reference plane RP is displayed as being in front of the reference plane RP, and the portion covered by the reference plane RP is displayed as being hidden behind the reference plane RP (see Figures 8, 9, etc.). Therefore, the user can clearly understand to what extent the laid object OB is covered by the reference plane RP or exposed from the reference plane RP.

[0068] As a comparison to the present configuration, let's consider a conventional technology where the entire laid object image Q is displayed in the same manner, such as being opaque or semi-transparent. In this case, on a two-dimensional screen, the laid object image Q may appear to be entirely exposed from the reference plane RP, or appear to be floating above the reference plane RP, or appear to be entirely covered by the reference plane RP. Therefore, it was difficult for conventional users to recognize the location of the laid object OB. On the other hand, the present configuration eliminates such difficulties.

[0069] The management unit 320 further performs a process to define reference points in the region image P that correspond to a part of the laid object image Q (S5), and then performs a generation process (S9) based on the reference points.

[0070] In the above configuration, by defining a reference point, the positioning of the laid object image Q can be made even more precise. This allows for the generation of an accurate composite image R.

[0071] In the display process (S10), the management unit 320 further displays a vertically extending scale section R21 (corresponding to a bar) and an indicator section R22 that can move along the scale section R21 on the composite image R. The management unit 320 also performs the following processes: receiving a movement instruction for the indicator section R22 (S11: YES), and, based on the movement instruction, moving the indicator section R22 in the composite image R and moving the laid object image Q vertically (S7, S9).

[0072] With the above configuration, the user can move the laid object image Q and check the shape of the buried portion. Furthermore, by moving it up and down using the slider R2, the actual length of movement can be confirmed. This makes it easy to grasp the dimensions of the laid object OB and allows for precise movement of the laid object image Q by the desired length.

[0073] In the acquisition process (S3), the management unit 320 acquires at least one of the images of region A that was captured and the artificially drawn image as the region image.

[0074] In the above configuration, users can view the composite image R in either VR (Virtual Reality) or AR (Augmented Reality) modes. When using AR, users can easily understand how the laid structures OB are laid in the actual site. When using VR, users can check the status of the laid structures OB without having to go to the site in person. Furthermore, it allows for the checking of laid structures OB over a wide area. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 1. Information Processing System 10 Distribution Servers 30 User terminals

Claims

1. It is equipped with a control unit that can be connected to the display unit, The control unit, An acquisition process to obtain a region image showing an area where at least a portion of the laid material is installed, A process to obtain the position of the aforementioned laid object, A generation process that generates a composite image by overlaying an image of the laid object, which is an image of the laid object, onto the region image based on the aforementioned position, The display unit is made capable of moving the laid object image in a direction intersecting the reference plane of the region, and a display process is performed to display the composite image. In the aforementioned display process, In the composite image, the portion of the laid object image that is exposed from the reference surface due to movement in the direction is displayed as opaque, and the portion of the laid object image that is covered by the reference surface is displayed as transparent or semi-transparent. Device.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the aforementioned direction is upward.

3. The control unit, Further processing is performed to determine a reference point corresponding to a part of the laid object image in the aforementioned region image. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising performing the generation process based on the aforementioned reference point.

4. The control unit, The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein in the composite image, a virtual object indicating the coordinates in the direction is displayed around the laid object image.

5. It is equipped with a control unit that can be connected to the display unit, The control unit, An acquisition process to obtain a region image showing an area where at least a portion of the laid material is installed, A process to obtain the position of the aforementioned laid object, A generation process that generates a composite image by overlaying an image of the laid object, which is an image of the laid object, onto the region image based on the aforementioned position, The display unit is made capable of moving the laid object image in a direction intersecting the reference plane of the region, and a display process is performed to display the composite image. In the aforementioned display process, The composite image is further displayed with a bar extending in the aforementioned direction and an indicator unit that is movable along the bar. A process for receiving a movement instruction for the instruction unit, Based on the aforementioned movement instruction, the process involves moving the instruction unit in the composite image and moving the laid object image in the aforementioned direction. A device that performs this task.

6. The control unit, in the acquisition process, The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which acquires at least one of an image of the region and an artificially drawn image as the region image.

7. A method to have a control unit connected to a display unit perform the following: An acquisition process to obtain a region image showing an area where at least a portion of the laid material is installed, A process to obtain the position of the aforementioned laid object, A generation process that generates a composite image by overlaying an image of the laid object, which is an image of the laid object, onto the region image based on the aforementioned position, The display unit includes a display process that allows the laid object image to be moved in a direction intersecting the reference plane of the region, and displays the composite image. In the aforementioned display process, In the composite image, the portion of the laid object image that is exposed from the reference surface due to movement in the direction is displayed as opaque, and the portion of the laid object image that is covered by the reference surface is displayed as transparent or semi-transparent. method.

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