Waste collection support system
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- AISIN CORP
- Filing Date
- 2022-05-23
- Publication Date
- 2026-08-03
Smart Images
Figure 0007898670000001 
Figure 0007898670000002 
Figure 0007898670000003
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
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[0001] The present invention relates to a waste collection support system.
Background Art
[0002] Conventionally, there has been known a technique in which an operator who collects bulky waste prints out a file containing waste collection information such as the type of bulky waste and the location of bulky waste collection, and collects waste according to this (Patent Document 1).
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0003]
Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0004] By the way, when performing a waste collection operation such as bulky waste, a collection plan for collecting waste may be created based on the knowledge and know-how of the person performing the collection operation (for example, an operator or a manager), and it is required to support the creation of the collection plan. However, in the system of Patent Document 1, creating a collection plan based on the knowledge and know-how of the person performing the collection operation is not considered.
[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a waste collection support system that supports the creation of a waste collection plan.
Means for Solving the Problems
[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the waste collection support system comprises: an acquisition unit that acquires waste collection information including the waste collection location, the size of the waste, and the type of waste; a display control unit that displays the waste collection information and information indicating the collection service to collect the waste on a display unit; a reception unit that receives instructions to assign the waste to the collection service; and a collection route creation unit that creates a collection route for when the assigned waste is collected by the collection service.
[0007] As described above, the waste collection support system displays information on its display unit, including waste collection locations, waste size, and waste type, as well as information indicating the collection service to be used. Those performing waste collection work create a collection plan, determining the order in which to collect the waste, based on the information displayed on the display unit. In other words, the waste collection support system assists in creating collection plans, including the order of collection. This allows those performing collection work to easily create collection plans, including the order of waste collection. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0008] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the waste collection support system. [Figure 2] This is a diagram illustrating an example of waste collection information. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of the display unit (the initial screen before assigning a collection service). [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of the display unit (the screen after being assigned to a collection service). [Figure 5] This is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing in a waste collection support system. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0009] Here, embodiments of the present invention will be described in the following order. (1) Configuration of the waste collection support system: (2) Flowchart: (3) Other embodiments:
[0010] (1) Configuration of the waste collection support system: The waste collection support system in this embodiment relates to a system for collecting so-called general waste, such as household waste, which is ultimately managed by municipalities, and so-called industrial waste, which is waste generated as a result of business activities, based on requests from clients. Hereinafter, general waste and industrial waste will be simply referred to as "waste" or "garbage." Although the type of waste is not limited to combustible waste, non-combustible waste, recyclable waste, bulky waste, etc., in this embodiment, for the sake of explanation, bulky waste will be used as an example of the type of waste.
[0011] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the waste collection support system 10 in the present invention. In this embodiment, the waste collection support system 10 is composed of a server computer. The waste collection support system 10 can communicate with an administrator terminal 100 used by an administrator who manages waste collection operations, a worker terminal 200 used by workers who perform waste collection operations, and a route search server 300 that searches for waste collection routes. Although Figure 1 shows one worker terminal 200, the waste collection support system 10 may be able to communicate with multiple worker terminals 200. The route search server 300 is a server that searches for a route that allows travel between two points with the minimum travel cost using a known algorithm.
[0012] The configurations of the administrator terminal 100, the worker terminal 200, and the waste collection support system 10 will be described below.
[0013] The administrator terminal 100 is an information processing device used by the administrator (or person in charge) who manages waste collection operations. In this embodiment, the administrator terminal 100 may be, for example, a smartphone, a tablet, or a PC (personal computer). The administrator terminal 100 comprises a recording medium 110, a communication unit 120, a control unit 130, and a user interface unit 140. The control unit 130 includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc., and the CPU is capable of executing various programs recorded in the ROM and the recording medium 110.
[0014] The recording medium 110 stores waste collection information 110a, which is information about waste obtained from a requester (e.g., a citizen). It is assumed that the requester will request waste collection via the internet, telephone, etc. Figure 2 shows an example of the data structure of waste collection information 110a. The data structure shown here includes information about the requester ID, the date of waste collection, the waste collection location, the type of waste, and the size of the waste. Although not shown in Figure 2, waste collection information 110a may also include other information such as the amount (number) of waste collected.
[0015] The client ID is identification information for the client, such as a citizen, and various pieces of information such as the waste collection date, waste collection location, waste type, and waste size are associated with this client ID.
[0016] The collection date is the day the client requests the waste to be collected. In addition to the date, the collection date may also include a specific time (e.g., 9:00) or time slot (e.g., 9:00-11:00).
[0017] The collection location is the location designated by the requester as the waste collection place. For example, it is determined by the requester operating a terminal such as a smartphone to input location information, or by the requester operating the map screen displayed on the terminal to select the collection location. In addition, the collection location may be a waste collection place predetermined by the local government or region, etc., in addition to the requester designating the collection location. When the requester requests waste collection by phone, fax, etc., the person in charge who received the request, etc., will input the collection location.
[0018] The waste item indicates the specific content of the waste. For example, when the type of waste is bulky waste, "sofa", "bed", "wardrobe", "TV", etc. are assumed.
[0019] The size of the waste indicates the specific size of the waste, and for example, information indicating the length, width, and height of the waste is recorded.
[0020] In the example shown in Figure 2, the information of "collection date: May 1, 2022", "collection location (coordinates): XXX", "item: sofa", and "size: 90×160×40" is respectively associated with the requester 01. For the requesters 02 and later, since it is as shown in Figure 2, the description thereof is omitted.
[0021] In addition, the waste collection information 110a can be updated. Specifically, when the administrator operates the user I / F unit 140 to perform the operation of allocating waste to the collection trip, the information of the allocated waste is recorded in the waste collection information 110a and updated. The specific content of the operation of allocating waste to the collection trip will be described later.
[0022] The communication unit 120 is a device for wireless communication with external devices, and the administrator terminal 100 can communicate with at least the waste collection support system 10 via the communication unit 120. The user interface unit 140 is an interface unit for receiving instructions from the administrator and providing various information to the administrator, and includes a display unit 150 which is a display that shows maps and waste collection information, and input units (not shown) such as switches, keyboards, mice, and touch panels.
[0023] When a client requests waste collection, the control unit 130 transmits waste collection information 110a to the waste collection support system 10, which will be described later. The control unit 130 also obtains information from the waste collection support system 10 for creating a waste collection plan and displays the obtained information on the display unit 150 of the user interface unit 140.
[0024] The worker terminal 200 is an information processing device used by workers (i.e., collectors) who collect waste. In this embodiment, the worker terminal 200 may be a portable terminal such as a tablet or smartphone. The worker terminal 200 includes a recording medium 210, a communication unit 220, a GNSS receiving unit 230, a control unit 240, and a user I / F unit 250. The control unit 240 includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc., and the CPU is capable of executing various programs, including navigation programs, recorded in the ROM and the recording medium 210.
[0025] The recording medium 210 stores waste collection information 210a. The waste collection information 210a contains information from the waste collection information 110a that pertains to the waste assigned to the collection run handled by the worker. For example, it stores information such as the type of waste assigned to the collection run handled by the worker, the waste collection location, the size of the waste, the collection route of the collection run, and the order in which the waste is collected.
[0026] The communication unit 220 is a device for wireless communication with external devices, and the worker terminal 200 can communicate with at least the waste collection support system 10 via the communication unit 220. The user I / F unit 250 is an interface unit for inputting worker instructions and providing various information to the worker, and includes a display unit 260 which is a display that shows maps and waste collection information, and input units (not shown) such as switches, keyboards, mice, and touch panels.
[0027] The GNSS receiver 230 is a device that receives GNSS signals. It receives radio waves from navigation satellites and outputs a signal to calculate the position of the worker terminal 200 via an interface (not shown). The control unit 240 acquires this signal and obtains the position of the worker terminal 200 by executing a navigation program.
[0028] The control unit 240 acquires information on the waste assigned to the collection trip of a worker holding a worker terminal 200 from the waste collection support system 10, and overlays the collection route for that collection trip and the location of the worker terminal 200 acquired by the GNSS receiver unit 230 onto a map and displays it on the display unit 260 of the user interface unit 250.
[0029] The waste collection support system 10 includes a control unit 20 equipped with a CPU, RAM, ROM, etc., a recording medium 30, and a communication unit 40. The communication unit 40 is equipped with a circuit for communicating with other devices, and the waste collection support system 10 can communicate with an administrator terminal 100, a worker terminal 200, and a route search server 300 via the communication unit 40.
[0030] The recording medium 30 includes map information 30a and waste collection information 110a. The map information 30a includes node data indicating the locations of nodes set on roads on which waste collection vehicles (i.e., collection vehicles) travel, shape interpolation point data indicating the locations of shape interpolation points for identifying the shape of roads between nodes, link data indicating connections between nodes, and facility data indicating the locations of facilities on and around roads. Here, nodes correspond to intersections, and links correspond to road sections from one intersection to another.
[0031] The waste collection information 110a recorded on the recording medium 30 is acquired from the administrator terminal 100. That is, the waste collection information 110a recorded on the recording medium 110 and the waste collection information 110a recorded on the recording medium 30 are the same. Therefore, in this embodiment, the same code (110a) is assigned to the waste collection information recorded on the administrator terminal 100 and the waste collection information recorded on the waste collection support system 10. As described above, the waste collection information 110a includes information such as the type of waste, the waste collection location, and the size of the waste. It also includes information about the waste collection order created by the administrator based on the information transmitted from the waste collection support system 10, and information about the assignment of waste to collection services. The waste information acquired from the administrator terminal 100 can be updated by the administrator operating the display unit 150, as described above. Therefore, when the administrator updates the waste information, the information in the waste collection information 110a will also be updated.
[0032] The control unit 20 can execute various programs stored in the recording medium 30 or ROM. In this embodiment, as an example of such a program, the waste collection support program 21 can be executed. The waste collection support program 21 is a program that provides information for waste collection to managers and workers (i.e., provides support for waste collection). When the waste collection support program 21 is executed, the control unit 20 functions as an acquisition unit 21a, a display control unit 21b, a reception unit 21c, and a collection route creation unit 21d. In the following, the processes described as being performed by the acquisition unit 21a, the display control unit 21b, the reception unit 21c, and the collection route creation unit 21d are processes implemented by the control unit 20.
[0033] The control unit 20 acquires waste collection information 110a, including the waste collection location, size of the waste, and type of waste, through the functions of the acquisition unit 21a. Specifically, the acquisition unit 21a acquires waste collection information 110a from the administrator terminal 100 via the communication unit 40, including coordinates indicating the waste collection location, the size of the waste, and type of waste such as chests of drawers, beds, chairs, and televisions. The acquisition unit 21a then records the acquired waste collection information 110a on the recording medium 30.
[0034] The display control unit 21b functions to cause the control unit 20 to display information on the display unit 150 of the administrator terminal 100 for the administrator to create a collection plan. Specifically, the display control unit 21b transmits to the administrator terminal 100 via the communication unit 40 information to be displayed on the display unit 150, which includes information indicating waste collection information 110a, collection schedule information, and information regarding a map reflecting the collection locations included in the waste collection information 110a. In this embodiment, the collection schedule information is information managed by the administrator and indicates collection schedules available to workers. The collection schedule information may be defined in various ways, and in this embodiment, the collection schedule information includes collection schedule identification information and the time period (morning or afternoon) during which the collection schedule performs collection. The same collection vehicle cannot be used as a collection schedule in the same time period, but the same collection vehicle may be used as a collection schedule in different time periods.
[0035] In this embodiment, the map information is image data for displaying a map showing the location of each type of waste indicated by the waste collection information 110a. The control unit 20 identifies an area where collection locations exist based on the waste collection information 110a and determines the map scale to be displayed on the display unit 150 for that area. The control unit 20 then draws a map of that area based on the map information 30a and superimposes icons indicating the collection locations of each type of waste onto the map. The control unit 20 generates image data showing the obtained drawing result.
[0036] The control unit 130 of the administrator terminal 100 acquires this information via the communication unit 120 and controls the display unit 150 of the user interface unit 140 to display the acquired information. Based on the information displayed on the display unit 150, the administrator determines the number of collection trips, the waste to be assigned to each trip, and the order in which the waste will be collected. As described above, in this embodiment, the control unit 20 of the waste collection support system 10 transmits information to the administrator terminal 100 using the functions of the display control unit 21b, and displays the information on the display unit 150 of the user interface unit 140. Hereafter, this process may simply be referred to as the display control unit 21b displaying information on the display unit 150.
[0037] Figure 3 shows an example of the initial screen displayed on the display unit 150. The control unit 130 controls the user interface unit 140 to display the waste collection information 110a in a list on the display unit 150. At this time, the control unit 130 sorts and displays the waste information according to predetermined criteria. The predetermined criteria may be various criteria, for example, sorting by item, sorting by size, or sorting by collection date. Figure 3 shows an example of the state in which the waste collection information 110a is displayed in a list on the display unit B1.
[0038] When displaying the waste collection information 110a in a list, it may be sorted according to various criteria as described above, but there may be exceptions to the sorting. In some municipalities, the order of waste collection may be predetermined. For example, if the waste to be collected includes home appliances, there may be regulations that require home appliances to be collected earlier than other waste. Therefore, if such regulations exist, the waste in question can be made more prominent by displaying it at a higher rank than other waste. Accordingly, if the display control unit 21b finds that a predetermined type of waste that should be given priority in display rank is included in the waste collection information 110a, it assigns a flag to that waste and transmits it to the administrator terminal 100. When the control unit 130 displays the waste in a list based on the waste collection information 110a, it displays the waste with the flag assigned at a higher rank than other waste. In the display unit B1 of Figure 3, an example is shown where home appliances are displayed at the top of the list in a configuration where waste with home appliances is ranked higher than other waste.
[0039] Furthermore, the control unit 130 controls the user interface unit 140 to display collection service information on the display unit 150. Specifically, the control unit 130 displays identification information for each collection service, characters indicating the time period during which the collection service will perform collection, and checkboxes to specify whether or not to use each collection service. An example of the display of collection service information is shown in display unit B2 of Figure 3. When an administrator operates the input unit of the user interface unit 140 to check the checkboxes, the control unit 130 considers the checked collection services to be to be used. In this case, the control unit 130 displays a frame on the display unit 150 corresponding to the checked collection services. In Figure 3, all four collection services shown on display unit B2 are checked, and frames F corresponding to all collection services are displayed.
[0040] The control unit 130 transmits the identification information of the checked collection box to the waste collection support system 10 via the communication unit 120. The control unit 20 of the waste collection support system 10 acquires this identification information via the communication unit 40 and identifies the collection box to be used for collection. In this embodiment, the frame F indicating the collection box is colored in the display unit 150. Therefore, the control unit 20 assigns a color to the collection box to be used for collection and transmits information indicating the color via the communication unit 40. The control unit 130 of the administrator terminal 100 receives the information indicating the color via the communication unit 120 and colors each of the frames F indicating the collection box with the color assigned to the collection box. In Figure 3, the text indicates that each frame F is colored in red, blue, yellow, and green.
[0041] Furthermore, the control unit 130 controls the user interface unit 140 based on the image data showing the map, causing the display unit 150 to display the map. As described above, the map includes icons indicating the waste collection locations. In Figure 3, the icons indicating the waste collection locations are represented by circles, and the roads are represented by straight lines. The star symbols on the map indicate the departure points for the collection service. Note that the collection locations indicated by the icons and the waste items shown on the display unit B1 may be associated by displaying the same identification information or by connecting them with leader lines.
[0042] As shown in Figure 3, the administrator can assign waste to collection services while viewing information such as the waste collection location, type of waste, and size of the waste, based on the waste collection information 110a displayed. In this embodiment, when assigning waste to a collection service, the administrator selects the waste to be assigned from the waste collection information 110a displayed on the display unit 150 and operates the input unit of the user I / F unit 140 to move the selected waste to the frame corresponding to the collection service. The movement of collection services can be carried out in various ways, but for example, a configuration can be adopted in which the administrator selects an icon indicating the collection location displayed on the map or waste listed on the display unit B1 and moves it to frame F using drag and drop.
[0043] When a drag-and-drop operation is performed, the control unit 130 identifies identification information indicating the waste that was dragged and dropped, and information indicating the collection service to which the waste was dropped (i.e., to which the waste was assigned). The control unit 130 refers to the waste collection information 110a stored in the recording medium 110 and associates the identification information indicating the collection service with the assigned waste. Furthermore, the control unit 130 transmits the identification information indicating the collection service and the information indicating the waste assigned to that collection service to the waste collection support system 10 via the communication unit 120. When the control unit 20 of the waste collection support system 10 receives this information via the communication unit 40, the control unit 20 receives an instruction to assign the waste to a collection service using the function of the reception unit 21c. That is, the control unit 20 refers to the waste collection information 110a using the function of the reception unit 21c, identifies the waste to which the same identification information as the received waste is associated, and associates the identification information of the collection service with that waste. As a result, the waste is assigned to that collection service.
[0044] When waste is assigned to a collection service, the display control unit 21b displays information to associate the assigned collection service with the waste collection location. Specifically, when the display control unit 21b displays information indicating the collection service on the display unit 150, it displays the icon indicating the collection service in a color. For this purpose, the display control unit 21b identifies the color corresponding to the collection service to which the waste is assigned and transmits information indicating that color via the communication unit 40. The control unit 130 of the administrator terminal 100 receives the information indicating that color via the communication unit 120 and controls the display unit 150 to color the icon displayed at the waste collection location on the map with that color. For example, as in the example in Figure 3, if "Collection Service: AM1" is shown in red, the icon for the waste collection location assigned to AM1 will be colored red. Of course, the display on the display unit B1 may change at this time. For example, the assigned waste may be deleted from the display unit B1, or the assigned waste may be displayed in the same color as the icon indicating the collection service. Furthermore, after the waste has been assigned to a collection service, it may be possible to drag and drop the waste within the designated area and modify the assignment.
[0045] In this embodiment, the administrator can assign each type of waste to a collection slot by repeating the above operations using the user interface shown in Figure 3. Figure 4 shows an example of the display on the display unit 150 after multiple types of waste have been assigned to multiple collection slots. In the example in Figure 4, for illustrative purposes, "Collection Slot: AM1" is shown with a solid line in red, "Collection Slot: AM2" is shown with a dashed line in blue, "Collection Slot: PM1" is shown with a dashed line in yellow, and "Collection Slot: PM2" is shown with a dashed line in green.
[0046] In this embodiment, the administrator can determine the waste collection order through the assignment process using the user interface described above. Waste dropped into the collection slot is displayed sorted in collection order, as shown in Figure 4, for example. The administrator then drops the waste at the desired position in the displayed waste collection order. For example, if a certain waste is to be collected second in "Collection Slot: AM1" in the example in Figure 4, the administrator drops the waste between the first and second waste items in the collection order.
[0047] The method for specifying the collection order is not limited to this configuration, but in any case, when waste is assigned to a collection service with the collection order specified, the control unit 130 updates the waste collection information 110a. That is, the control unit 130 identifies the collection order of the waste assigned to the collection service, refers to the waste collection information 110a stored in the recording medium 110, and associates the information indicating the collection order with the assigned waste.
[0048] Furthermore, the control unit 130 transmits information indicating the waste identification information and collection order to the waste collection support system 10 via the communication unit 120. The control unit 20 of the waste collection support system 10, using the function of the reception unit 21c, obtains the waste identification information and collection order via the communication unit 40, associates the collection order with the waste identified in the waste, and updates the waste collection information 110a stored in the recording medium 30. Once the synchronization of the waste collection information 110a is completed in this way, the control unit 20, using the function of the display control unit 21b, transmits information via the communication unit 40 indicating that the registration of the waste collection order has been successfully completed. When the control unit 130 of the administrator terminal 100 receives this information via the communication unit 120, it displays the number indicating the collection order in the collection service on the map, associating it with the collection location. In Figure 4, the collection order is indicated by the numerical value shown within the icon indicating the collection location. The numerical value indicating the collection order is also displayed as an association with each of the waste items within frame F.
[0049] In this embodiment, the user interface described above is further equipped with various functions. For example, the administrator can change the scale of the map shown in Figures 3 and 4. The administrator understands the width of the surrounding roads, including the waste collection location, and then performs the operation of assigning which waste to which collection service (i.e., a drag-and-drop operation). Specifically, the administrator operates the input unit of the user I / F unit 140 to instruct the display unit 150 to zoom in or out. When an instruction to zoom in or out is given, the control unit 130 transmits information indicating the content of the instruction to the waste collection support system 10 via the communication unit 120. The control unit 20 receives the instruction via the communication unit 40 using the function of the reception unit 21c.
[0050] Furthermore, the control unit 20 determines the map scale based on the instructions. Then, using the functions of the display control unit 21b, the control unit 20 draws a map of the area containing the collection locations based on the map information 30a, and further superimposes icons indicating the collection locations of each type of waste onto the map. The control unit 20 generates image data showing the obtained drawing results. Once the image data is generated, the control unit 20 transmits the image data to the administrator terminal 100 via the communication unit 40 using the functions of the display control unit 21b, causing the display unit 150 to display the map after the scale change. With this configuration, the administrator can understand the width of the surrounding roads including the waste collection locations and then perform the operation of assigning which waste to which collection service. This allows, for example, operations such as assigning the waste from a collection location to a small vehicle service in areas where the surrounding roads including a given collection location are relatively narrow.
[0051] Furthermore, the display control unit 21b displays information on the display unit 150 indicating the difference between the volume of the cargo bed of the collection truck and the total volume of waste allocated to the collection truck, as information to assist the manager in assigning waste to collection trucks. The manager determines whether the waste can be loaded onto the cargo bed of the collection truck, and if it is determined that the waste cannot be loaded onto the cargo bed, the manager assigns the waste to another collection truck. Therefore, to assist in this task of assigning waste to collection trucks, the display control unit 21b displays information on the display unit 150 indicating the difference between the volume of the cargo bed of the collection truck and the total volume of waste allocated to the collection truck.
[0052] Specifically, the display control unit 21b obtains the volume of the cargo bed pre-associated with the collection shipment and information regarding the size (length, width, and height) of the waste assigned to the collection shipment by referring to the waste collection information 110a. The display control unit 21b then calculates the product of the length, width, and height of the acquired waste to obtain the volume of each piece of waste. The display control unit 21b also obtains the sum of the volumes of each piece of waste to calculate the total volume of all waste assigned to the collection shipment (i.e., the total volume of waste). Furthermore, the display control unit 21b calculates the difference between the volume of the collection shipment and the total volume of waste, and displays the calculated volume difference on the display unit 150. The display control unit 21b performs the same process for all collection shipments selected by the administrator terminal 100.
[0053] Once the assignment is made through the user interface described above, the control unit 20 uses the functions of the collection route creation unit 21d to create a collection route for when the assigned waste is collected by the collection service. Specifically, the collection route creation unit 21d refers to the waste collection information 110a stored in the recording medium 30 and obtains the collection location and collection order for each waste item assigned to it. The collection route creation unit 21d then transmits the collection service, collection location, and collection service information to the route search server 300 via the communication unit 40. In other words, the collection route creation unit 21d instructs the route search server 300 to perform a route search. Upon receiving the route search instruction, the route search server 300 refers to the received information regarding the collection order and performs a route search between each pair of points for each collection service. Specifically, the route search server 300 performs a route search between the collection base and the first collection location. If there are multiple collection locations, the route search server 300 performs a route search between the first collection location and the second collection location. The route search server 300 performs a similar process for all pairs of points in the order they are collected. The route search is performed based on map information recorded on the route search server 300's recording medium (not shown). The map information includes the travel cost for each link. The travel cost may be determined by various methods. For example, the travel time obtained from probe traffic information corresponding to each link (road traffic information generated using the actual location and speed of the vehicle) or the travel time generated from VICS® information may be considered as the travel cost. The travel time may also reflect information on congestion and traffic density. Furthermore, the travel cost may be the distance of the link. The above route search may be performed using various algorithms, for example, Dijkstra's algorithm, A* algorithm, or improved versions thereof can be employed.
[0054] Then, once the creation of the collection route is complete, the control unit 20 uses the functions of the display control unit 21b to display the created collection route and a map including the collection locations on the display unit 260 of the worker terminal 200. The worker collecting the waste collects the waste according to the instructions displayed on the display unit 260.
[0055] (2) Flowchart: Next, the waste collection support processing performed by the control unit 20 will be explained with reference to the flowchart in Figure 5. This waste collection support processing is executed, for example, when an administrator gives instructions to create a waste collection plan, and in response to those instructions, a request to start processing is made from the administrator terminal 100 to the waste collection support system 10. The specific processing details will be explained below.
[0056] When the waste collection support process is started, the control unit 20 reads the waste collection information 110a (step S1). That is, the control unit 20 reads information regarding the waste collection location, the type of waste, and the size of the waste by referring to the waste collection information 110a that has been acquired by the function of the acquisition unit 21a and recorded on the recording medium 30.
[0057] Next, the control unit 20 displays a map reflecting the collection locations, checkboxes for collection services, and a list of waste on the display unit 150 (step S2). That is, the control unit 20, based on the information read in step S1, transmits information indicating the waste collection information 110a, information on collection services, and information regarding a map reflecting the collection locations included in the waste collection information 110a to the administrator terminal 100 via the communication unit 40. As a result, a user interface as shown in Figure 3 is displayed on the display unit 150 of the administrator terminal 100. The waste collection information 110a is displayed sorted according to predetermined criteria, but if the waste collection information 110a includes a predetermined type of waste (e.g., home appliances), the display control unit 21b may display the predetermined waste in a higher order than the other waste. In this case, according to this embodiment, the predetermined waste can be made more conspicuous than other waste, making it easier for the administrator to recognize the existence of the predetermined waste.
[0058] Next, the control unit 20 receives the number of collection shipments (step S3). This is a step to determine how many collection shipment icons to create. When the administrator checks the checkbox by operating the input section of the user interface unit 140, information indicating the check result is sent to the waste collection support system 10. The control unit 20 receives this information using the function of the reception unit 21c and identifies the collection shipment selected by the administrator.
[0059] Next, the control unit 20 displays information about the collected items (step S4). Specifically, the control unit 20, using the function of the display control unit 21b, transmits information to the administrator terminal 100 indicating the color corresponding to the collected items, according to the number of collected items received in step S3. As a result, the display unit 150 of the administrator terminal 100 displays a frame indicating the collected items, and furthermore, the frame of the collected items is colored with red, blue, yellow, green, etc.
[0060] Next, the control unit 20 accepts the assignment of waste (step S5). Specifically, the control unit 20 accepts the assignment by obtaining information that waste has been assigned to collection slots from the administrator terminal 100 using the function of the reception unit 21c. The administrator operates the user interface unit 140 to assign waste to collection slots. Specifically, the administrator selects the waste to be assigned to the collection slots from the waste collection information 110a displayed on the display unit 150 and drops the selected waste into the collection slot frame. The administrator also determines the waste collection order at the same time as dropping the waste into the collection slot frame. The administrator performs this operation for each collection slot corresponding to the number of collection slots displayed in step S4.
[0061] Furthermore, when an administrator drops and assigns waste within the designated collection slots, the control unit 20 may, using the function of the display control unit 21b, display the designated waste in order of collection once it has been dropped. For example, as described above, when creating a collection plan for a municipality where the collection order for home appliances is determined first, the control unit 20 will cause the display unit 150 to display the designated waste, which is a home appliance, in order of collection once it has been dropped within the slots. In other words, the control unit 20 provides the administrator with information to determine the collection order of the waste. This makes it easier for the administrator to determine the collection order of designated waste, such as home appliances, when determining the waste collection order.
[0062] Furthermore, the control unit 20, using the functions of the display control unit 21b, displays information on the display unit 150 indicating the difference between the volume of the cargo bed of the collection truck and the total volume of waste allocated to the collection truck, as information to support the manager's work of allocating waste to the collection truck (step S6). As described above, the manager makes a judgment as to whether or not the waste can be loaded onto the cargo bed of the collection truck. Therefore, in order to support the work of allocating waste to such collection trucks, the display control unit 21b displays information on the display unit 150 indicating the difference between the volume of the cargo bed of the collection truck and the total volume of waste allocated to the collection truck.
[0063] Next, when the control unit 20 receives the waste assignment, it updates the map on the display unit 150 (step S7). The display unit 150 already displays a map including the collection locations as a result of the processing in step S2. Also, the control unit 20 has received a drag-and-drop operation from the administrator to assign the waste to a collection service as a result of the processing in step S5. Therefore, the display control unit 21b displays the waste collection locations on the map in a color corresponding to the color of the information indicating the collection service on the map, in order to reflect the waste assignment information from the administrator on the map already displayed on the display unit 150. Specifically, the display control unit 21b displays the collection locations on the map in red for those included in the red frame of the collection service displayed in step S4. Similarly, it displays other collection locations in a color corresponding to the frame of the collection service in which they are included.
[0064] Furthermore, when updating the map on the display unit 150, the display control unit 21b displays a number indicating the collection order for the collection service on the map, corresponding to the collection location. Through the processing of step S5 described above, the control unit 20 has received the waste collection order through the function of the reception unit 21c, and therefore, the control unit 20 displays a number indicating the waste collection order on the map, corresponding to the collection location, through the function of the display control unit 21b. In other words, when updating the map display, the display control unit 21b displays the collection order in addition to coloring the icons indicating the collection locations. Note that the order of this step S7 and step S6 described above may be reversed.
[0065] Next, the control unit 20 determines whether or not the allocation of waste has been completed (step S8). Specifically, the control unit 20 receives instructions from the administrator indicating the completion of waste allocation through the function of the reception unit 21c. An instruction indicating the completion of waste allocation is, for example, an operation by the administrator to indicate that the allocation of waste has been completed, such as "waste allocation completed" or "collection route created," by operating the display unit 150.
[0066] If a negative result is determined in step S8, that is, if the control unit 20 determines that the allocation of waste has not been completed, for example, because it has not received notification that the allocation of waste has been completed by the function of the reception unit 21c, the control unit 20 returns the process to step S5 and repeatedly executes the processes from step S5 to step S8 until a positive result is determined in step S8.
[0067] On the other hand, if a positive result is determined in step S8, that is, if the system determines that all waste allocations are complete because it has received notification from the reception unit 21c that the waste allocation has been completed, a collection route is created (step S9). Specifically, the control unit 20, using the function of the collection route creation unit 21d, transmits information regarding the waste collection order for each collection service received by the reception unit 21c to the route search server 300 via the communication unit 40. Upon receiving the instruction to search for a route, the route search server 300 searches for a route that visits the waste collection locations in the order of collection for each collection service. Information indicating the created route is transmitted to the waste collection support system 10.
[0068] Then, once the creation of the collection route is complete, the control unit 20 uses the functions of the display control unit 21b to display the created collection route and a map including the collection locations on the display unit 260 of the worker terminal 200 used for each collection trip. The worker collecting the waste can then collect the waste by following the instructions displayed on the display unit 260 using the navigation function of the worker terminal 200.
[0069] Next, the effects of this embodiment will be described. As described above, in this embodiment, the control unit 20, through the function of the display control unit 21b, displays waste collection information 110a, including the waste collection location, size of the waste, and type of waste, as well as a collection slot, on the display unit 150 of the administrator terminal 100 that assigns waste. This allows the administrator to assign waste to collection slots while understanding the collection location and size of each waste item. With this configuration, it is possible to support the creation of a waste collection plan, and the administrator can easily perform waste assignments for creating a waste collection plan.
[0070] Furthermore, the control unit 20 displays information on the display unit 150 for allocating waste within the collection slots. In other words, the control unit 20 assists the administrator in creating a collection plan, including the collection order. This allows the administrator to easily create a collection plan, including the waste collection order. Moreover, by providing this assistance in creating a collection plan, even someone with little experience in collection work or creating a collection plan can easily create one.
[0071] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the control unit 20 causes the display unit 150 to display a map including the collection location using the functions of the display control unit 21b. The administrator can identify the width of the surrounding roads, including the collection location, by operating the map displayed on the display unit 150, such as zooming in or out. As a result, it becomes possible to assign waste from collection locations with narrow roads to collection vehicles, preventing inconveniences such as the collection vehicle being too large to approach the collection location in actual field work. In addition, the control unit 20 causes the display unit 150 to display information regarding the size of the waste using the functions of the display control unit 21b. That is, as shown in Figure 4, the control unit 20 displays the length, width, and height information of the waste on the display unit 150. This makes it easier for the administrator to determine whether the waste will fit on the cargo bed of the collection vehicle compared to when information indicating the size of the waste is not displayed.
[0072] Furthermore, when the control unit 20 displays information related to the waste collection information 110a on the display unit 150, if a predetermined waste is included in the waste collection information 110a, it displays the predetermined waste higher in the display order compared to other wastes. With this configuration, the manager can perform waste allocation while being aware of the presence of the predetermined waste. As a result, it is less likely that waste that should be allocated preferentially will be overlooked and allocation will proceed, and then later the manager will realize the waste that should have been prioritized and have to redo the allocation, which will be time-consuming. As a result, the burden on the manager in creating collection plans can be further reduced.
[0073] Furthermore, the control unit 20 colors the display of the collection slots and, when displaying a map including the collection locations, displays the collection locations on the map in a color corresponding to the color of the collection slots. As a result, the collection locations corresponding to the collection slots are displayed on the map in the same color as the collection slots, making it easy for managers to understand where the waste assigned to the same collection slot is located on the map and to grasp the positional relationships between the collection locations when assigning waste to collection slots.
[0074] Furthermore, when the control unit 20 displays the map on the display unit 150, it displays numbers indicating the collection order for each collection service on the map, corresponding to the collection locations. As a result, the collection order according to the collection service is displayed on the map at each collection location, allowing the administrator to understand the correspondence between collection locations and collection orders on the map and assign waste, including the collection order. In addition, by combining this display of the collection order with the color-coded display corresponding to the collection service boxes mentioned above, the correspondence between collection locations on the map and the displays within the collection service boxes becomes even easier to understand, thereby improving the efficiency of the administrator's work in assigning waste to collection services.
[0075] Furthermore, the control unit 20 displays information on the display unit 150 indicating the difference between the volume of the collection truck's cargo bed and the total volume of waste allocated to the collection truck, as information to assist the manager in allocating waste to the collection truck. In other words, it provides the manager with information to determine whether or not the allocated waste can be loaded onto the collection truck's cargo bed. Therefore, compared to when such information is not displayed, it becomes easier for the manager to determine whether or not the waste can be loaded onto the collection truck's cargo bed.
[0076] (3) Other embodiments: The above embodiments are merely examples for carrying out the present invention, and various other embodiments can be adopted. At least a portion of the acquisition unit 21a, display control unit 21b, reception unit 21c, and collection route creation unit 21d that constitute the waste collection support system 10 may be divided among multiple devices. For example, some of the functions of the acquisition unit 21a, display control unit 21b, reception unit 21c, and collection route creation unit 21d may be implemented on other servers. Of course, some of the configurations of the above embodiments may be omitted, and the order of processing may be changed or omitted.
[0077] Furthermore, the systems and terminals constituting the above-described embodiments may consist of fewer devices that share functions. For example, one example is in which at least one system or terminal shown in Figure 1 is composed of the same device as one or more other systems or terminals. For example, the waste collection support system 10 and the administrator terminal 100 may be composed of a single device. Alternatively, the waste collection support system 10 and the worker terminal 200 may be composed of a single device. Alternatively, the administrator terminal 100 and the worker terminal 200 may be composed of a single device.
[0078] Of course, the worker terminal 200 may be installed in the collection vehicle used for collection, or it may be a portable terminal, etc. Furthermore, the system shown in Figure 1 may consist of more systems. For example, the waste collection support system 10 may be configured as a cloud server.
[0079] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the frame of the collection service was explained as an example of information indicating the collection service to be displayed on the display unit 150. However, the information indicating the collection service can be any icon or symbol that represents a collection service, other than the frame of the collection service. For example, instead of the frame icon described above, an icon of the collection vehicle, which is the collection service, can be displayed on the display unit 150, and the display control unit 21b can further display the icon of the collection vehicle with a different color for each collection service.
[0080] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the manager determines the order in which waste is collected by the collection service. However, the determination of the collection order may be performed by a worker, or by the waste collection support system 10. When the waste collection support system 10 performs the determination, it determines the collection order in a way that minimizes travel costs, such as travel time and travel distance.
[0081] Furthermore, the display control unit 21b displays the information indicating the collection service in a colored format and displays the collection location on the map in a color corresponding to the color of the information indicating the collection service. However, the display only needs to be able to identify each collection service. For example, in the above embodiment, collection services were identified by color and line type, such as a solid line for red and a dashed line for blue, but at least one of these displays is sufficient. In addition, symbols such as "○" or "◎" may be attached to the information indicating the collection service. In that case, the display control unit 21b displays the symbols attached to the information indicating the collection service on the map.
[0082] Furthermore, although the above embodiment describes an example in which a manager performs the task of allocating waste, the task of allocating waste may also be performed by the workers who collect the waste.
[0083] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the waste collection support system 10, the administrator terminal 100, and the worker terminal 200 were each equipped with recording media, but it is sufficient for these recording media to be provided in at least one of the terminals or systems. In that case, the waste collection support system 10, the administrator terminal 100, and the worker terminal 200 can send and receive information about waste via their respective communication units.
[0084] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, bulky waste such as beds, chests of drawers, and televisions was explained as an example of waste type, but the waste may also be other types of waste such as combustible waste, non-combustible waste, or recyclable waste.
[0085] Furthermore, the methods of the present invention can also be applied as programs and methods. Moreover, such systems, programs, and methods may be implemented as standalone devices, or they may be implemented using parts shared with various components of a vehicle, encompassing a variety of embodiments. They can also be modified as appropriate, such as being partly software and partly hardware. Furthermore, the invention also functions as a recording medium for a program that controls the system. Of course, the recording medium for the program may be a magnetic recording medium, a semiconductor memory, or any recording medium developed in the future can be considered in exactly the same way. [Explanation of symbols]
[0086] 10...Waste collection support system, 20...Control unit, 21...Waste collection support program, 21a...Acquisition unit, 21b...Display control unit, 21c...Reception unit, 21d...Collection route creation unit, 30...Recording medium, 30a...Map information, 40...Communication unit, 100...Administrator terminal, 110...Recording medium, 110a...Waste collection information, 120...Communication unit, 130...Control unit, 140...User I / F unit, 150...Display unit, 200...Worker terminal, 210...Recording medium, 210a...Waste collection information, 220...Communication unit, 230...GNSS receiver unit, 240...Control unit, 250...User I / F unit, 260...Display unit.
Claims
1. An acquisition unit that acquires waste collection information including the waste collection location, the size of the waste, and the type of waste, A display control unit that displays the waste collection information and information indicating the collection service that collects the waste on a display unit, A reception unit that receives instructions to allocate the aforementioned waste to the aforementioned collection service, It includes a collection route creation unit that creates a collection route for when the assigned waste is collected by the collection service, In the display control unit, the information indicating the collection slips displayed on the display unit includes a frame corresponding to each of the collection slips, In the display control unit, the collection location displayed on the display unit is shown as a map with icons superimposed on the collection location. At the reception desk, an instruction to assign the waste to the collection service is received, which is performed by selecting the icon and moving it to the frame. Waste collection support system.
2. The display control unit, The information indicating the collection service is displayed in color, and the collection locations are displayed on the map in colors corresponding to the color of the information indicating the collection service. The waste collection support system according to claim 1.
3. The aforementioned reception unit is The order of collection of the aforementioned waste by the aforementioned collection service is accepted. The display control unit, The numbers indicating the collection order in the aforementioned collection service are displayed on a map in correspondence with the collection locations. The waste collection support system according to claim 1 or 2.
4. The display control unit, The display unit will show information indicating the difference between the volume of the cargo bed of the collection vehicle and the total volume of the waste allocated to the collection vehicle. The waste collection support system according to claim 1 or 2.
5. The display control unit, The display order of the waste collection information for a given type of waste is set to be higher than the display order of the waste collection information for other types of waste, and the waste collection information for each type of waste is displayed on the display unit according to the display order. The waste collection support system according to claim 1 or 2.