Information provision system and information provision method

Abstract

To provide an information providing system capable of outputting information on locations of persons in a space.SOLUTION: An information providing system 10 comprises: a first acquisition unit 44 which acquires location information indicative of the location of a first communication device 20 measured on the basis of a communication state of wireless communication between the first communication device 20 owned by a person staying in a space 60 in a facility and a plurality of second communication devices 30 installed in the space 60; a second acquisition unit 45 which acquires area setting information indicative of definitions of one or more areas included in the space 60; and an output unit 46 which outputs location information on locations of persons in one or more areas on the basis of the acquired location information and the acquired area setting information. The output unit 46 outputs the location information when prescribed conditions on attribute information of persons located in the space 60 are met.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information providing system and an information providing method.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a positioning device that can accurately measure the position of a moving object with a simple configuration.

Prior Art Document

Patent Document

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The present invention provides an information providing system and an information providing method that can output information regarding the location of a person in space.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] An information providing system according to an aspect of the present invention includes a first acquisition unit that acquires position information indicating the position of a first communication device held by a person located in a space within a facility, based on a communication state of wireless communication between the first communication device and a plurality of second communication devices installed in the space; a second acquisition unit that acquires area setting information indicating a definition of one or more areas included in the space; and an output unit that outputs location information regarding the location of a person in each of the one or more areas, based on the acquired position information and the acquired area setting information. The output unit outputs the location information when a predetermined requirement regarding attribute information of the person located in the space is satisfied.

[0006] An information provision system according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a first acquisition unit that acquires location information indicating the position of a first communication device, measured based on the communication status of wireless communication between a first communication device held by a person located in a space within a facility and a plurality of second communication devices installed in the space; a second acquisition unit that acquires area setting information indicating the definition of one or more areas included in the space; and an output unit that outputs location information relating to the location of a person in each of the one or more areas based on the acquired location information and the acquired area setting information, wherein the output unit outputs the location information when predetermined requirements are met, and the predetermined requirements differ for each destination to which the location information is output.

[0007] An information provision method according to one aspect of the present invention is an information provision method performed by a computer, comprising: a first acquisition step of acquiring location information indicating the location of a first communication device measured based on the communication status of wireless communication between a first communication device held by a person located in a space within a facility and a plurality of second communication devices installed in the space; a second acquisition step of acquiring area setting information indicating the division of one or more areas included in the space; an output step of outputting location information relating to the location of a person in each of the one or more areas based on the acquired location information and the acquired area setting information; and a step of changing the division of the one or more areas indicated by the area setting information based on user operation, wherein in the output step, the location information is output when predetermined requirements relating to attribute information of a person located in the space are met.

[0008] An information provision method according to one aspect of the present invention is an information provision method performed by a computer, comprising: a first acquisition step of acquiring location information indicating the location of a first communication device, measured based on the communication status of wireless communication between a first communication device held by a person located in a space within a facility and a plurality of second communication devices installed in the space; a second acquisition step of acquiring area setting information indicating the division of one or more areas included in the space; an output step of outputting location information relating to the location of a person in each of the one or more areas based on the acquired location information and the acquired area setting information; and a step of changing the division of the one or more areas indicated by the area setting information based on user operation, wherein in the output step, the location information is output when predetermined requirements are met, and the predetermined requirements differ for each destination to which the location information is output.

[0009] A program according to one aspect of the present invention is a program that causes the computer to execute the information provision method described above. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] The information provision system and information provision method of the present invention can output information regarding the location of a person in a space. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the information provision system according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows the space to which the information provision system according to the embodiment is applied. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows an example of changing the definition of an area. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a flowchart of the location information output process. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows an example of location information. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a flowchart of the monitoring process. [Figure 7]Figure 7 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the information provision system related to modified examples. [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows an indoor space to which the information provision system for modified shapes is applied. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] The embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments described below are all comprehensive or specific examples. The numerical values, shapes, materials, components, arrangement and connection configurations of components, steps, and the order of steps shown in the following embodiments are examples only and are not intended to limit the present invention. Furthermore, components in the following embodiments that are not described in an independent claim will be described as optional components.

[0013] Please note that each figure is a schematic diagram and not necessarily a strictly accurate representation. Furthermore, in each figure, substantially identical components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations may be omitted or simplified.

[0014] (Embodiment) [composition] First, the configuration of the information provision system according to the embodiment will be described. Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the information provision system according to the embodiment. Figure 2 is a diagram showing the space to which the information provision system according to the embodiment is applied.

[0015] The information providing system 10 is a system that can measure the position of a person (e.g., person A or person B in FIG. 2) who possesses the first communication device 20 in the space 60 and provide location information regarding the measured person's position to other systems. The position of the person who possesses the first communication device 20 is measured based on the communication state between the first communication device 20 and each of a plurality of second communication devices 30 installed in the space 60. The space 60 is, for example, an office space, but may also be an indoor space within other facilities such as a space within a commercial facility or a space within a residence. Also, the first communication device 20 may be attached to an object (non-living body). The object is, for example, a forklift or the like.

[0016] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the information providing system 10 includes a plurality of first communication devices 20, a plurality of second communication devices 30, a server system 40, and an information terminal 50. Note that the information providing system 10 may include at least one first communication device 20. In FIG. 1, other systems such as a lighting system 51, an air conditioning system 52, a power supply system 53, a security system 54, a communication system 55, and a security management system 56 are also illustrated as systems other than the information providing system 10. The information providing system 10 may further include other systems.

[0017] The first communication device 20 is a beacon receiver (scanner) that receives beacon signals transmitted by each of the plurality of second communication devices 30 via radio wave communication. The frequency band of the beacon signal is, for example, the 2.4 GHz band, but is not particularly limited.

[0018] The first communication device 20 measures the received signal strength (RSSI: Received Signal Strength Indicator) of the received beacon signal, and measures the position of the first communication device 20 in the space 60 based on the measured received signal strength. The first communication device 20 measures the position of the first communication device 20 at a predetermined time interval of, for example, about several seconds to 1 hour, and transmits position information indicating the measured position to the server system 40. The position information includes the measured position (coordinates) and the first identification information for distinguishing the first communication device 20 from other first communication devices 20.

[0019] Specifically, the first communication device 20 can measure its position in the space 60 by converting the received signal strength of each of the plurality of beacon signals into the distance to the plurality of second communication devices 30. The first communication device 20 stores arrangement information indicating the arrangement (installation positions) of the plurality of second communication devices 30 in the space 60, and this arrangement information is used for measuring the position. Any existing algorithm may be used for the method of measuring the position. The algorithm is, for example, three-point positioning.

[0020] The first communication device 20 is, for example, a portable information terminal (such as a smartphone) that can operate as a beacon receiver, but it may also be a dedicated beacon receiver. As shown in FIG. 2, the first communication device 20 is held by a person located in the space 60.

[0021] Furthermore, the first communication device 20 may measure its position using the angle of arrival (AoA) of the beacon signal in addition to the received signal strength. The first communication device 20 may also measure its position by combining the above-mentioned positioning method using the beacon signal with a positioning method called PDR (Pedestrian Dead Reckoning) that uses an acceleration sensor or the like (a sensor that detects changes in the position of the first communication device 20) provided in the first communication device 20. In addition, the first communication device 20 may measure its position based on UWB (Ultra Wide Band) communication.

[0022] Furthermore, while BLE (Bluetooth® Low Energy) is assumed as the communication standard for radio communication between the first communication device 20 and the second communication device 30 for measuring the position of the first communication device 20, Wi-Fi® may also be used as the communication standard.

[0023] The second communication device 30 is a beacon transmitter that transmits a beacon signal via radio communication. The beacon signal contains the second identification information of the second communication device 30. As shown in Figure 2, the second communication device 30 is detachably connected to, for example, a power supply terminal of a lighting device 31 installed on the ceiling of the space 60, and operates by receiving power from the lighting device 31. The power supply terminal is, for example, a USB terminal.

[0024] The second communication device 30 may be built into the lighting device 31 rather than being attached to it externally. The second communication device 30 may be installed in equipment other than the lighting device 31, or it may be directly fixed to the ceiling of the space 60 without any equipment in between. The second communication device 30 may also be fixed to a wall or the like. As shown in Figure 2, the multiple second communication devices 30 are distributed in a two-dimensional manner when viewed from above. The arrangement (installation position) of the multiple second communication devices 30 is stored in advance as arrangement information in the storage unit (not shown) of the first communication device 20.

[0025] The server system 40 acquires location information of each of the multiple first communication devices 20 and stores the acquired location information in the storage unit 43. In other words, the server system 40 manages the location information of the multiple first communication devices 20. The server system 40 is implemented by one or more server devices, and the components of the server system 40 described below may be distributed among one or more server devices in any way. Each of the one or more server devices may be, for example, a cloud computer located outside the facility (building) that constitutes the space 60, or an edge computer located inside the facility. The server system 40 comprises a communication unit 41, an information processing unit 42, and a storage unit 43.

[0026] The communication unit 41 is a communication module (communication circuit) for the server system 40 to communicate with multiple first communication devices 20. The communication unit 41 receives, for example, location information of each of the multiple first communication devices 20. The communication performed by the communication unit 41 may be wireless communication or wired communication. There are no particular limitations on the communication standard used for communication.

[0027] The information processing unit 42 stores the location information of the multiple first communication devices 20 in the storage unit 43. The location information of each of the multiple first communication devices 20 is stored (updated) at predetermined time intervals, for example, a few seconds to about one hour.

[0028] The information processing unit 42 is specifically implemented by a processor or microcomputer. The information processing unit 42 comprises a first acquisition unit 44, a second acquisition unit 45, an output unit 46, and a setting unit 47 as functional components. The functions of the first acquisition unit 44, the second acquisition unit 45, the output unit 46, and the setting unit 47 are realized by the processor or microcomputer (hardware) constituting the information processing unit 42 executing a computer program (software) stored in the storage unit 43. Details of the functions of the first acquisition unit 44, the second acquisition unit 45, the output unit 46, and the setting unit 47 will be described later.

[0029] The storage unit 43 is a storage device that stores location information received by the communication unit 41, as well as computer programs executed by the information processing unit 42. The storage unit 43 also stores location information for each of the multiple first communication devices 20 measured by the information processing unit 42. Specifically, the storage unit 43 is a semiconductor memory or HDD (Hard Disk). This is achieved through methods such as Drive.

[0030] The information terminal 50 is an information terminal operated by the configurator to make various settings for the server system 40. The information terminal 50 is a portable information terminal such as a smartphone or tablet, but it may also be a stationary information terminal such as a personal computer. In the following embodiments, the configurator may be described as the administrator of a facility that constitutes the space 60 (hereinafter simply referred to as "facility"), or as an employee of a business operator that uses another system, an employee of a business operator that provides (manages) the server system 40, or an employee of a business operator that provides (manages) another system.

[0031] The other system, which is at least one of the lighting system 51, air conditioning system 52, power supply system 53, security system 54, communication system 55, safety management system 56, and advertising distribution system 57, is a system that performs the control of equipment in the space 60. The other system is implemented by, for example, at least one of a control device installed inside the facility and a server device (cloud server) installed outside the facility. The other system may reside on the same server as the server system 40 that manages location information.

[0032] The lighting system 51 is a system that controls the light emission of multiple lighting devices 31 installed in the space 60. Light emission control here includes on / off control, off / off control, dimming control, and color temperature control.

[0033] The air conditioning system 52 is a system that controls multiple air conditioners (not shown) installed in the space 60.

[0034] The power supply system 53 is a system that controls the power supply in space 60. For example, the power supply system 53 communicates with a switch device connected to an outlet in space 60 and controls the on / off state of the switch device, thereby controlling the on / off state of power supply from the outlet to the equipment connected to the switch device. The power supply system 53 may also communicate with a wall switch in space 60 and control the on / off state of power supply to the wall switch. Alternatively, the power supply system 53 may communicate with a distribution board that controls the electrical equipment in space 60 and control the on / off state of power supply.

[0035] Security system 54 is a system provided by a security service provider. Security system 54 is a system that notifies the security service provider (more specifically, an operator belonging to the provider) and the facility manager, etc., when it determines that there is an intruder (a person who should not be in space 60) in space 60. When security system 54 determines that there is an intruder, it may activate an alarm in space 60 by controlling an alarm device installed in space 60, or it may lock a door installed in space 60.

[0036] The communication system 55 is a system that mediates the control of equipment installed in the facility; in other words, it is a system that relays information for controlling equipment. The communication system 55 is, for example, a voice recognition system that converts human voices in space 60 into equipment control commands and provides them to the equipment control system (such as the lighting system 51 or the air conditioning system 52).

[0037] The safety management system 56 is a system provided by a business operator that provides safety management services. The safety management system 56 is a system that notifies the business operator that provides safety management services (more specifically, operators belonging to the business operator, etc.) and the facility manager, etc., when it determines that there is an unsafe person (a person in a dangerous area of ​​space 60) in space 60. When the safety management system 56 determines that there is an unsafe person, it may issue an alarm in space 60 by controlling an alarm device installed in space 60, or it may stop equipment or mobile objects installed in space 60.

[0038] The advertising distribution system 57 is a system provided by a business that provides marketing services. The advertising distribution system 57 is a system that delivers advertisements to shoppers (people who are in a specific commercial area of ​​space 60) when it is determined that there are shoppers in space 60. When the advertising distribution system 57 determines that there are shoppers, it may deliver advertisements to the shoppers' portable information terminals (such as smartphones), or it may display advertisements on display devices such as digital signage installed in space 60.

[0039] [Output operation of location information] The information provision system 10 generates location information regarding the whereabouts of people in each of one or more areas included in the space 60, and can output (provide) the generated location information to other systems. The output operation of location information by the information provision system 10 will be described below.

[0040] First, let's describe the one or more areas included in space 60. The storage unit 43 of the server system 40 stores area setting information that defines one or more areas. The area setting information includes the number of one or more areas included in space 60, as well as information indicating the location, size, and shape of each area.

[0041] The definition of one or more areas (how the space 60 is divided into one or more areas) can be arbitrarily changed by the facility manager or other personnel. When the manager or other personnel perform a setting change operation on the information terminal 50, a change request is sent from the information terminal 50 to the server system 40. The setting unit 47 of the server system 40 changes the definition of one or more areas indicated by the area setting information based on the change request received by the communication unit 41. Figure 3 shows an example of changing the definition of an area.

[0042] As shown in Figure 3, administrators can freely change the division of space 60, for example, by dividing it into three areas: Area A1, Area A2, and Area A3, or into two areas: Area A1 and Area A4. Administrators can also set circular or elliptical areas (areas defined by curves). Furthermore, administrators can set one or more areas in only a part of space 60 (i.e., space 60 may include areas where no areas are set).

[0043] Assuming that the area definition in space 60 is established in this way, the information provision system 10 generates location information and outputs the generated location information according to the flowchart in Figure 4. Figure 4 is a flowchart of the location information output operation.

[0044] As described above, the information processing unit 42 of the server system 40 stores location information indicating the position of each of the multiple first communication devices 20 in space 60 in the storage unit 43. The first acquisition unit 44 acquires the location information of each of the multiple first communication devices 20 from the storage unit 43 (S11). The second acquisition unit 45 acquires area setting information from the storage unit 43 (S12). The location information acquired in step S11 and the area setting information acquired in step S12 are the latest (most recent) information.

[0045] The output unit 46 generates location information based on the acquired location information and the acquired area setting information (S13). The output unit 46 considers the location of the first communication device 20 indicated by the location information as the location of the person possessing the first communication device 20, and compiles information on what kind of person is located in what state in each area indicated by the area setting information. Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of location information.

[0046] As shown in Figure 5, location information includes information indicating the number of people in each of one or more areas. The information indicating the number of people also indicates whether or not there are people in each of one or more areas. The information indicating the number of people may show the aggregated number of people, or it may show an approximate number of people (a number obtained by rounding down or up the aggregated number; the same applies below), for example, 1 person for 0-1 people, 5 people for 2-5 people, and 10 people for 6-10 people.

[0047] Furthermore, the location information includes attribute information of people located in one or more areas. As described above, multiple first communication devices 20 are distinguished by the first identification information of each of the multiple first communication devices 20. Here, if registration information, which associates the first identification information with the attribute information of the first communication device 20, is stored in the storage unit 43 during user registration (initial setup) of the information provision system 10, the output unit 46 can identify the attribute information of the person possessing the first communication device 20 by comparing the first identification information with the registration information, and include the attribute information of the identified person in the location information.

[0048] Specifically, attribute information includes age and gender, but may also include other information. For example, if attribute information includes a declared value for thermal comfort or a preferred set temperature, the air conditioning system 52 can use the declared value for thermal comfort or the preferred set temperature to determine the set temperature of the air conditioner. The declared value for thermal comfort refers to a value indicating the degree to which a person is sensitive to heat or cold. The age included in the attribute information does not need to be an exact age; an approximate age, such as "in their 40s," may be indicated.

[0049] The location information includes information indicating the movement speed of a person located in one or more areas. The output unit 46 can refer to the history of the location information, identify the movement speed of a person (first communication device 20) based on the time displacement of the position indicated by the location information, and include the identified movement speed of the person in the location information. The information indicating the movement speed of a person may show the identified movement speed itself, or it may show an approximate movement speed.

[0050] The output unit 46 may include information indicating a person's acceleration in the location information, either in place of or in addition to the movement speed. The output unit 46 can identify the acceleration of a person (first communication device 20) based on the time displacement of the movement speed and include the identified person's acceleration in the location information. If the server system 40 can obtain acceleration measured by the acceleration sensor provided in the first communication device 20 from the first communication device 20, the location information may include information indicating the acceleration measured by the acceleration sensor. The information indicating acceleration may show the identified acceleration itself or an approximate acceleration.

[0051] Location information includes information indicating the number of times a person has stayed in each of one or more areas. The number of stays here refers to the number of stays on the day the location information is generated, but it may also refer to the number of stays over a predetermined period such as one week or one month. The output unit 46 can manage the number of times a person has stayed in a given area by, for example, referring to the location information history and incrementing the stay count (+1) when a person (first communication device 20) moves from outside the area into the area. The information indicating the number of stays may show the counted number of stays themselves, or it may show an approximate number of stays.

[0052] Location information includes information indicating the duration of stay. Here, the duration of stay may be, for example, the duration of the most recent stay, but it may also be the cumulative duration of stay on the day the location information is generated, or the cumulative duration of stay over a predetermined period such as one week or one month. The output unit 46 can calculate the duration of stay by referring to the history of location information. The information indicating the duration of stay may show the calculated duration of stay itself, or it may show an approximate duration of stay.

[0053] Note that the location information in Figure 5 is just an example, and the location information only needs to include at least one of the multiple pieces of information shown in Figure 5. Furthermore, the content of the location information may differ depending on the output destination of the location information (e.g., whether the output destination is the lighting system 51 or the air conditioning system 52). For example, the content of the location information may be arbitrarily set by a business operator using another system that acquires the location information.

[0054] Furthermore, the content of the location information may vary depending on when the location information is output. For example, the content of the location information may differ depending on the time of day, for example, between daytime and nighttime. Also, the content of the location information may differ by day of the week or by season. In this case as well, the system may be configured so that businesses using other systems that acquire the location information can arbitrarily set the content of the location information according to the time of year.

[0055] Next, the output unit 46 outputs the generated location information (S14). The output unit 46 uses the communication unit 41 to output the location information to at least one of the lighting system 51, air conditioning system 52, power supply system 53, security system 54, and communication system 55.

[0056] As a result, at least one of the lighting system 51, air conditioning system 52, power supply system 53, security system 54, and communication system 55 (the other system) can receive location information and control the equipment based on the received location information. In other words, the location information is used as trigger information for control performed by the other system.

[0057] For example, the lighting system 51 can control the lighting based on location information, such as illuminating areas with more people brighter (and turning off lights in areas with no people). Similarly, the air conditioning system 52 can control the cooling or heating settings based on location information, such as lowering the set temperature in areas with more people.

[0058] Furthermore, the power supply system 53 can perform controls such as turning off the power supply in areas of the space 60 where no people are present. The security system 54 can determine the presence or absence of intruders based on location information and perform controls (at least one of the following, such as notification, alarm, and door locking) according to the presence or absence of intruders.

[0059] The communication system 55 (voice recognition system) can suppress malfunctions of the equipment by performing control such as not outputting control commands even if something resembling voice is acquired in areas of space 60 where there are no people.

[0060] Note that location information differs from command information in that it does not instruct other systems to control the device; the other systems determine what kind of control is performed using the location information. However, location information may also be information that instructs other systems to control the device, similar to command information.

[0061] If location information is information that commands other systems to control equipment, the content of the control is determined by the various types of information that can be included in the location information (such as information indicating the number of people). For example, if the total number of people is 0 to 1, location information that commands the equipment to be turned on is output; if the total number of people is 2 to 5, location information that commands the equipment to be turned off is output; and if the total number of people is 6 to 10, location information that commands the current state to be maintained is output. In this way, the content of the control is determined according to the number of people.

[0062] As described above, the information provision system 10 includes a first acquisition unit 44 that acquires location information indicating the position of the first communication device 20, which is measured based on the communication status of wireless communication between the first communication device 20, which is held by a person located in the space 60 within the facility, and a plurality of second communication devices 30 installed in the space 60; a second acquisition unit 45 that acquires area setting information indicating the definition of one or more areas included in the space 60; and an output unit 46 that outputs location information regarding the whereabouts of a person in each of the one or more areas based on the acquired location information and the acquired area setting information.

[0063] This information provision system 10 can detect a person's location with higher accuracy than a system that installs multiple motion sensors (for example, sensors that detect infrared rays emitted from a person's body) in the space 60. Furthermore, in a system using motion sensors, if it is necessary to know the location of people in each area, it is necessary to reconsider the installation location of the motion sensors in conjunction with changing the area definition (floor plan). In contrast, the information provision system 10 has the advantage that, if the area definition is changed based on the area setting information, it is (in principle) unnecessary to change the installation location of the second communication device 30.

[0064] [Timing of output of location information] Next, the timing of the output of location information will be explained. The server system 40 (output unit 46) outputs location information periodically (at predetermined time intervals), for example, once every hour. In addition, the output unit 46 may also output location information in response to requests from other systems. For example, when the communication unit 41 receives a request for location information from another system, it may output location information to that other system.

[0065] Furthermore, the output unit 46 may determine whether predetermined requirements regarding the presence or absence of people in space 60 have been met, and may output location information when the predetermined requirements have been met. The predetermined requirements are requirements related to at least one of the following: the number of people, the attribute information of the people, the speed of movement of the people, the acceleration of the people, the number of times people have stayed, and the length of time people have stayed (i.e., requirements related to the presence or absence of people in space 60).

[0066] The specified requirements are, specifically, that an area without people (no one) occurs within one or more areas, or that an area with a specified number of people or more occurs within one or more areas (i.e., an area becomes crowded). The specified requirements may also be such that a person with specific attribute information enters a specific area within one or more areas.

[0067] The specified requirements may be the same regardless of the time of year, or they may vary depending on the time of year. For example, the specified requirements may differ depending on the time of day, for example, between daytime and nighttime. Furthermore, the specified requirements may differ from day to day, or from season to season.

[0068] The specified requirements may be the same regardless of the destination of the location information output, or they may differ for each destination of the location information output.

[0069] Such predetermined requirements may be set in advance by, for example, the designer of the information provision system 10, but may also be arbitrarily set by businesses using other systems via the information terminal 50. Specifically, it is conceivable that the predetermined requirements may be changed depending on the destination of the location information output, such as outputting location information to the lighting system 51 when requirement A is met, and outputting location information to the air conditioning system 52 when requirement B, which is different from requirement A, is met.

[0070] Furthermore, when the output unit 46 outputs location information in response to the fulfillment of predetermined requirements, the location information does not need to include specific details regarding the presence or absence of people in space 60 (Figure 5). For example, if the predetermined requirement is that no people are present in area A among one or more areas, the location information does not need to specify the number of people included in area A, and the location information may simply be information indicating that the predetermined requirement has been met (information that does not include substantive details).

[0071] [Monitoring action] If space 60 is a space within a house and the first communication device 20 is being held by the person being monitored (such as an elderly person or a child), the information provision system 10 can perform monitoring operations. Figure 6 is a flowchart of the monitoring operation.

[0072] The information processing unit 42 of the server system 40 stores location information indicating the position of the first communication device 20 in space 60 in the storage unit 43 at predetermined time intervals. The first acquisition unit 44 acquires the latest location information of the first communication device 20 from the storage unit 43 (S21). The second acquisition unit 45 also acquires area setting information from the storage unit 43 (S22).

[0073] The output unit 46 determines whether there is an abnormality in the location of a person in space 60 based on the latest acquired location information and the location information history stored in the storage unit 43 (more specifically, the determination criteria determined by the location information history) (S23). For example, the output unit 46 determines that there is an abnormality in the location of a person when the number of times a person has stayed in a specific area in space 60 (for example, one area defined in the area setting information) in the most recent day is significantly higher than the average number of times a person has stayed up to that point. The output unit 46 can determine that there is an abnormality when, for example, the number of times a person has stayed in the most recent day is equal to or greater than the average number of stays plus a predetermined number, or equal to or greater than a predetermined multiple of the average number of stays.

[0074] Furthermore, the output unit 46 may determine that there is an abnormality in a person's location if the number of times a person has stayed in a specific area of ​​space 60 (for example, an area defined in the area setting information) in the most recent day is significantly less than the average number of times a person has stayed in that area up to that point.

[0075] If the output unit 46 determines that there is an abnormality in the location of a person in space 60 (Yes in S23), it outputs abnormality notification information (information for notifying of the abnormality) (S24). The output abnormality notification information is transmitted by the communication unit 41 to a pre-registered notification destination (such as a mobile device of a family member of the person being monitored). If the security system 54 is a system used by a business operator providing a monitoring service, the abnormality notification information may also be transmitted to the security system 54. On the other hand, if the output unit 46 determines that there is no abnormality in the location of a person in space 60 (No in S23), it does not output abnormality notification information.

[0076] It is not mandatory to determine the presence or absence of an anomaly based on the number of times a person has stayed in a location. For example, the presence or absence of an anomaly may be determined based on the order of movement, which represents how a person moved through multiple areas included in space 60. The output unit 46 can determine that there is an anomaly in the person's location in space 60 if the most recent order of movement differs from the standard order of movement determined by the location information history.

[0077] Furthermore, the determination of whether or not there is an abnormality may be based on the fact that the person's position (the position of the first communication device 20) does not move (or hardly moves) for a long period of time. In other words, the output unit 46 may determine that there is an abnormality when the position of the person 20 does not move (or hardly moves) for a long period of time.

[0078] As explained above, the information provision system 10 can perform monitoring operations.

[0079] [Health management actions] Furthermore, the information provision system 10 can perform health management operations. The output unit 46 of the server system 40 can measure the distance a person travels based on the change in location over time indicated by the location information acquired by the first acquisition unit 44, and store it in the storage unit 43. In other words, the information provision system 10 can manage the distance a person travels.

[0080] Furthermore, the output unit 46 can identify the time a person spends in a specific area based on the location information acquired by the first acquisition unit 44. The output unit 46 can consider the time a person spends in a bedroom (an example of a specific area) as the person's sleep time and store the sleep time in the memory unit 43. In other words, the information provision system 10 can manage a person's sleep time.

[0081] [Use of the Information Provision System] Incidentally, it is assumed that the first business operator who uses (operates) the information provision system 10 and the second business operator who uses (operates) other systems are different businesses. Here, the first business operator provides the second business operator with means of acquiring information (means for the second business operator to receive information from the first business operator). The means of acquiring information could be, for example, an API (Application Programming Interface) or a Webhook. Furthermore, by providing the second business operator with an SDK, the first business operator can enable the other system to easily build a system for receiving and processing location information from the information provision system 10. In other words, the first business operator can make the information provision system 10 a relatively open system.

[0082] Furthermore, the first business operator may provide the second business operator with an SDK for developing a configuration program to set area settings, location information content, and location information output timing. The second business operator can use such an SDK to create a configuration program and install it on the information terminal 50, which will then be able to send configuration requests (defined by the SDK) in a predetermined format to the information provision system 10. In other words, the second business operator can easily make changes to location information settings by providing the SDK.

[0083] [Variations in system configuration] The information provision system 10 (first communication device 20) measured the position of the first communication device 20 based on the received signal strength of the beacon signals transmitted by each of the multiple second communication devices 30. However, the information provision system 10 may also measure the position of the first communication device based on the received signal strength of the beacon signals transmitted by the first communication device 20 at each of the multiple second communication devices 30. The functional configuration of the information provision system 10 according to such a modified example will be described below. Figure 7 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the information provision system according to the modified example. Figure 8 is a diagram showing the space 60 to which the information provision system according to the modified example is applied.

[0084] As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the information provision system 10a comprises a plurality of first communication devices 20a, a plurality of second communication devices 30a, a server system 40a, and an information terminal 50. The information provision system 10a only needs to have at least one first communication device 20a. Figure 7 also illustrates other systems besides the information provision system 10a, such as a lighting system 51, an air conditioning system 52, a power supply system 53, a security system 54, and a communication system 55. The information provision system 10a may further comprise other systems.

[0085] The first communication device 20a is a beacon transmitter that transmits a beacon signal. The first communication device 20a is, for example, a portable information terminal (such as a smartphone) capable of operating as a beacon transmitter, but it may also be a dedicated beacon transmitter such as a beacon tag. As shown in Figure 8, the first communication device 20a is held by a person located in space 60. The beacon signal contains the first identification information of the first communication device 20a.

[0086] The second communication device 30a is a beacon receiver (scanner) that receives beacon signals transmitted by the first communication device 20a. The second communication device 30a also measures the received signal strength (RSSI) of the received beacon signal and transmits signal strength information to the server system 40a, which associates the measured received signal strength with the first identification information contained in the beacon signal and the second identification information of the second communication device 30a itself.

[0087] As shown in Figure 8, the second communication device 30a is detachably connected to a power supply terminal of a lighting device 31 installed on the ceiling of the space 60, for example, and operates by receiving power from the lighting device 31. The power supply terminal is, for example, a USB terminal. The second communication device 30a may be provided on equipment other than the lighting device 31, or it may be directly fixed to the ceiling of the space 60 without any equipment in between. Alternatively, the second communication device 30a may be fixed to a wall or the like. As shown in Figure 8, the multiple second communication devices 30a are distributed two-dimensionally when viewed from above. The arrangement (installation position) of the multiple second communication devices 30a is stored in advance as arrangement information in the storage unit 43a.

[0088] The server system 40a acquires multiple signal strength information corresponding to multiple second communication devices 30a from the multiple second communication devices 30a, and measures the position of the first communication device 20a located in space 60 based on the acquired signal strength information. The server system 40a is implemented by one or more server devices, and the components of the server system 40a described below may be distributed among one or more server devices in any way. Each of the one or more server devices may be, for example, a cloud computer located outside the facility, or an edge computer located inside the facility. The server system 40a comprises a communication unit 41a, an information processing unit 42a, and a storage unit 43a.

[0089] The communication unit 41a is a communication module (communication circuit) for the server system 40a to communicate with multiple second communication devices 30a. The communication unit 41a receives, for example, multiple signal strength information corresponding to each of the multiple second communication devices 30a from each of the multiple second communication devices 30a. The communication performed by the communication unit 41a may be wireless communication or wired communication. There are no particular limitations on the communication standard used for communication.

[0090] The information processing unit 42a measures the position of each of the multiple first communication devices 20a in space 60 and stores the measured positions in the storage unit 43a. For example, the information processing unit 42a measures the position of the first communication device 20a based on multiple signal strength information corresponding to multiple second communication devices 30a transmitted by multiple second communication devices 30a, and arrangement information indicating the arrangement (installation position) of the multiple second communication devices 30a in space 60, and stores position information in the storage unit 43a that associates the first identification information of the first communication device 20a with the measured position. The position information of each of the multiple first communication devices 20a is measured and stored at predetermined time intervals of, for example, several seconds to about one hour. Any existing algorithm may be used for measuring the position based on the multiple signal strength information and arrangement information. An example of such an algorithm is three-point positioning.

[0091] The information processing unit 42a is specifically implemented by a processor or microcomputer. The information processing unit 42a comprises a first acquisition unit 44, a second acquisition unit 45, an output unit 46, and a setting unit 47 as functional components. The functions of the first acquisition unit 44, the second acquisition unit 45, the output unit 46, and the setting unit 47 are realized by the processor or microcomputer (hardware) constituting the information processing unit 42a executing a computer program (software) stored in the storage unit 43a. Details of the functions of the first acquisition unit 44, the second acquisition unit 45, the output unit 46, and the setting unit 47 are as described above.

[0092] The memory unit 43a is a storage device that stores signal strength information received by the communication unit 41a, arrangement information indicating the arrangement of multiple second communication devices 30a, and computer programs executed by the information processing unit 42a. The memory unit 43a also stores the position information of each of the multiple first communication devices 20a measured by the information processing unit 42a. Specifically, the memory unit 43a is implemented by semiconductor memory or an HDD.

[0093] In this way, the information provision system 10a can measure the position of the first communication device 20a based on the received signal strength of the beacon signals transmitted by each of the multiple second communication devices 30a. The information provision system 10 in the above embodiment may be appropriately replaced with the information provision system 10a.

[0094] [Effects, etc.] The following describes examples of inventions that can be obtained from the disclosures in this specification, and explains the effects and other benefits that can be obtained from such inventions.

[0095] Invention 1 is an information provision system 10 comprising: a first acquisition unit 44 that acquires location information indicating the position of a first communication device 20, which is held by a person located in a space 60 within a facility, and a plurality of second communication devices 30 installed in the space 60, based on the communication status of wireless communication between the first communication device 20 and a plurality of second communication devices 30 installed in the space 60; a second acquisition unit 45 that acquires area setting information indicating the definition of one or more areas included in the space 60; and an output unit 46 that outputs location information regarding the whereabouts of a person in each of the one or more areas based on the acquired location information and the acquired area setting information.

[0096] Such an information provision system 10 can output information regarding the location of people in space 60.

[0097] Invention 2 is an information provision system 10 of Invention 1, wherein each of the multiple second communication devices 30 is provided in a lighting device 31 installed in the space 60.

[0098] Such an information provision system 10 can acquire location information indicating the position of the first communication device 20, which is measured using the lighting device 31.

[0099] Invention 3 is an information providing system 10 of Invention 1 or 2, in which the position of the first communication device 20 is measured based on the reception status of signals wirelessly transmitted by each of the plurality of second communication devices 30 in the first communication device 20.

[0100] Such an information provision system 10 can acquire position information indicating the position of the first communication device 20, which is measured based on the reception status of signals wirelessly transmitted by each of the multiple second communication devices 30 in the first communication device 20.

[0101] Invention 4 is an information provision system 10 of Invention 1 or 2, in which the position of the first communication device 20 is measured based on the reception status of the signal wirelessly transmitted by the first communication device 20 in each of the multiple second communication devices 30. Invention 4 is, in other words, a system corresponding to information provision system 10a.

[0102] Such an information provision system 10 can acquire position information indicating the position of the first communication device 20, which is measured based on the reception status of the signal wirelessly transmitted by the first communication device 20 in each of the multiple second communication devices 30.

[0103] Invention 5 is an information provision system 10 of any of Inventions 1 to 4, further comprising a setting unit 47 that changes the definition of one or more areas indicated by area setting information.

[0104] Such an information provision system 10 can change the definition of one or more areas included in the space 60.

[0105] Invention 6 is an information provision system 10 according to any of Inventions 1 to 5, wherein the location information includes information indicating the number of people in each of one or more areas.

[0106] Such an information provision system 10 can output information indicating the number of people in space 60.

[0107] Invention 7 is an information provision system 10 of any of Inventions 1 to 6, wherein the location information includes attribute information of a person located in one or more areas.

[0108] Such an information provision system 10 can output attribute information of people located in space 60.

[0109] Invention 8 is an information provision system 10 of any of Inventions 1 to 7, wherein the location information includes information indicating the movement speed or acceleration of a person located in one or more areas.

[0110] Such an information provision system 10 can output information indicating the speed or acceleration of a person's movement in space 60.

[0111] Invention 9 is an information provision system 10 of any of Inventions 1 to 8, wherein the location information includes information indicating the number of times or duration of stay of a person located in each of one or more areas.

[0112] Such an information provision system 10 can output information indicating the number of times or duration of stay of people located in each of the one or more areas included in the space 60.

[0113] Invention 10 is an information provision system 10 of Inventions 1 to 9, wherein the output unit 46 outputs location information when predetermined requirements are met.

[0114] Such an information provision system 10 can output information regarding the location of a person in space 60 in accordance with predetermined requirements.

[0115] Invention 11 is an information provision system 10 of Invention 10, wherein the predetermined requirements vary depending on the time period.

[0116] Such an information provision system 10 can output information regarding the location of people in space 60 according to different requirements depending on the time period.

[0117] Invention 12 is an information provision system 10 of Inventions 1 to 11, wherein the output unit 46 outputs abnormality notification information when it determines that there is an abnormality in the location of a person in space 60 based on the acquired current location information and the history of location information.

[0118] Such an information provision system 10 can notify that there is an abnormality in the location of a person in space 60.

[0119] Invention 13 is an information provision system 10 of any of Inventions 1 to 12, wherein the output unit 46 outputs location information to at least one of the following: a lighting system 51, an air conditioning system 52, a power supply system 53, a security system 54, a communication system 55, a safety management system 56, and an advertising distribution system 57.

[0120] Such an information provision system 10 can output information regarding the location of people in space 60 to at least one of the following systems: lighting system 51, air conditioning system 52, power supply system 53, security system 54, communication system 55, safety management system 56, and advertising distribution system 57.

[0121] Invention 14 is an information provision method performed by a computer such as an information provision system 10. The information provision method includes a first acquisition step of acquiring location information indicating the position of a first communication device 20, which is measured based on the communication status of wireless communication between a first communication device 20, which is held by a person located in a space 60 within a facility, and a plurality of second communication devices 30 installed in the space 60; a second acquisition step of acquiring area setting information indicating the definition of one or more areas included in the space 60; and an output step of outputting location information regarding the location of a person in each of the one or more areas based on the acquired location information and the acquired area setting information.

[0122] This method of providing information can output information about the location of people in space 60.

[0123] (Other embodiments) Although the information provision system and information provision method according to the embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above.

[0124] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the information provision system was implemented by multiple devices. In this case, each component of the information provision system may be distributed among the multiple devices in any way. For example, the function for measuring a person's location and the function for providing location information may be provided on different server devices.

[0125] Furthermore, the information provision system may be implemented as a single device. For example, the information provision system may be implemented as a single device equivalent to a server device included in a server system.

[0126] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the processing performed by a specific processing unit may be performed by another processing unit. Also, the order of multiple processing units may be changed, or multiple processing units may be executed in parallel.

[0127] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, each component may be realized by executing a software program suitable for each component. Each component may also be realized by a program execution unit such as a CPU or processor reading and executing a software program recorded on a recording medium such as a hard disk or semiconductor memory.

[0128] Furthermore, each component may be implemented by hardware. For example, each component may be a circuit (or integrated circuit). These circuits may form a single circuit as a whole, or they may be separate circuits. Also, each of these circuits may be a general-purpose circuit or a dedicated circuit.

[0129] Furthermore, general or specific embodiments of the present invention may be implemented as a system, apparatus, method, integrated circuit, computer program, or recording medium such as a computer-readable CD-ROM. Alternatively, they may be implemented as any combination of a system, apparatus, method, integrated circuit, computer program, and recording medium.

[0130] For example, the present invention may be implemented as an information provision method executed by a computer, such as an information provision system. Alternatively, the present invention may be implemented as a program for causing a computer to execute the information provision method, or as a computer-readable non-temporary recording medium on which such a program is stored.

[0131] Furthermore, the present invention also includes forms obtained by applying various modifications to each embodiment that a person skilled in the art could conceive, or forms realized by arbitrarily combining the components and functions of each embodiment without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0132] 10, 10a Information Provision System 20, 20a First communication device 30, 30a Second communication device 31 Lighting equipment 44 First Acquisition Department 45 Second Acquisition Department 46 Output section 47 Settings Section 51 Lighting Systems 52 Air conditioning systems 53 Power Systems 54 Security Systems 55 Communication Systems 56 Safety Management System 57. Advertising Delivery System 60 space

Claims

1. A first acquisition unit acquires location information indicating the position of the first communication device, which is measured based on the communication status of wireless communication between a first communication device held by a person located in a space within the facility and a plurality of second communication devices installed in the space; A second acquisition unit acquires area setting information that indicates the definition of one or more areas included in the aforementioned space, The system includes an output unit that outputs location information relating to the location of a person in each of the one or more areas based on the acquired location information and the acquired area setting information. The output unit outputs the location information to a system that controls equipment installed within the facility when predetermined requirements regarding the attribute information of a person located in the space are met. The location information is output in a format that can be commonly used by multiple systems, including the aforementioned system, which have different types of controlled devices. Information provision system.

2. A first acquisition unit acquires location information indicating the position of the first communication device, which is measured based on the communication status of wireless communication between a first communication device held by a person located in a space within the facility and a plurality of second communication devices installed in the space; A second acquisition unit acquires area setting information that indicates the definition of one or more areas included in the aforementioned space, The system includes an output unit that outputs location information relating to the location of a person in each of the one or more areas based on the acquired location information and the acquired area setting information. The output unit outputs the location information to a system that controls equipment installed within the facility when predetermined requirements are met. The aforementioned predetermined requirements differ for each system to which the location information is output. The location information is output in a format that can be commonly used by multiple systems, including the aforementioned system, which have different types of controlled devices. Information provision system.

3. Each of the aforementioned plurality of second communication devices is provided in a lighting device installed in the aforementioned space. The information provision system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The position of the first communication device is measured based on the reception status of the signals transmitted wirelessly by each of the plurality of second communication devices in the first communication device. The information provision system according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The position of the first communication device is measured based on the reception status of the signal wirelessly transmitted by the first communication device in each of the plurality of second communication devices. The information provision system according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The location information includes information indicating the number of people in each of the one or more areas. The information provision system according to claim 1 or 2.

7. The aforementioned location information includes attribute information of people located in each of the one or more areas. The information provision system according to claim 1 or 2.

8. The location information includes information indicating the movement speed or acceleration of a person located in each of the one or more areas. The information provision system according to claim 1 or 2.

9. The aforementioned location information includes information indicating the number of times or duration of stay for a person located in each of the one or more areas. The information provision system according to claim 1 or 2.

10. The aforementioned requirements vary depending on the time period. The information provision system according to claim 1.

11. The aforementioned predetermined requirements differ for each output destination of the location information. The information provision system according to claim 1.

12. The output unit outputs abnormality notification information when it determines, based on the acquired current location information and the history of the location information, that there is an abnormality in the location of a person in the space. The information provision system according to claim 1 or 2.

13. The output unit outputs the location information to at least one of the lighting system, air conditioning system, power supply system, security system, communication system, safety management system, and advertising distribution system. The information provision system according to claim 1 or 2.

14. A method of providing information performed by a computer, A first acquisition step involves acquiring location information indicating the position of a first communication device, which is measured based on the communication status of wireless communication between a first communication device held by a person located in a space within the facility and a plurality of second communication devices installed in the space; A second acquisition step involves acquiring area setting information that indicates the division of one or more areas included in the aforementioned space, An output step that outputs location information regarding the location of a person in each of the one or more areas based on the acquired location information and the acquired area setting information, The process includes the step of changing the division of one or more areas indicated by the area setting information based on user operations, In the output step, if predetermined requirements regarding the attribute information of a person located in the space are met, the location information is output to a system that controls equipment installed within the facility. The location information is output in a format that can be commonly used by multiple systems, including the aforementioned system, which have different types of controlled devices. Information provision method.

15. A method of providing information performed by a computer, A first acquisition step involves acquiring location information indicating the position of a first communication device, which is measured based on the communication status of wireless communication between a first communication device held by a person located in a space within the facility and a plurality of second communication devices installed in the space; A second acquisition step involves acquiring area setting information that indicates the division of one or more areas included in the aforementioned space, An output step that outputs location information regarding the location of a person in each of the one or more areas based on the acquired location information and the acquired area setting information, The process includes the step of changing the division of one or more areas indicated by the area setting information based on user operations, In the output step, if predetermined requirements are met, the location information is output to a system that controls the equipment installed within the facility. The aforementioned predetermined requirements differ for each system to which the location information is output. The location information is output in a format that can be commonly used by multiple systems, including the aforementioned system, which have different types of controlled devices. Information provision method.

16. A program for causing the computer to execute the information provision method described in claim 14 or 15.

Images