Information provision system and information provision method

Abstract

Communication tags are used to suitably provide information about a predetermined search target. [Solution] The information provision system 100 disclosed herein is a system that provides information about a predetermined search target using a communication tag 1, and comprises a communication device 10 on which the communication tag 1 is provided and which is attached to the search target, a user terminal 400 for reading the communication tag 1, and a server 300 that aggregates and provides information about the search target. The user terminal 400 is configured to transmit information about the discovery of the search target to the server 300 by reading the communication tag 1, and the server 300 aggregates the discovery information transmitted from multiple user terminals 400 and provides the discovery information so that it can be centrally displayed on a predetermined terminal.

Description

Technical Field

[0006] , , , ,

[0001] The present invention relates to an information providing system and an information providing method that provide information on a predetermined search target using a communication tag.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, as a system for assisting in finding lost children or lost items, a monitoring service using a communication tag has become widespread. For example, there is a service in which a communication tag is attached to a monitoring target such as a child, an elderly person, or a pet, and the position information is provided to a guardian or the like.

[0003] And technologies have been developed that enable the families of lost children or elderly people with dementia to receive appropriate notifications.

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a system that communicates with a pre-registered guardian using the registered contact phone number or the notification function of an application.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] In conventional monitoring services, there has been a problem that the discoverer of the search target is often required to install a dedicated application or register as a member, which places a heavy burden on the discoverer. In particular, in the case of a lost child or lost item where an unspecified number of discoverers may be involved, it is not realistic to require all discoverers to install the application. On the other hand, when multiple discoverers provide information on a single lost child or a single lost item by various means, it leads to the dissipation of information, and there is also a problem that it is difficult for the guardian of the lost child or the owner of the lost item to grasp the overall situation regarding the search target.

[0007] In the technology described in Patent Document 1, although contact is made with pre-registered guardians, the finder directly notifies the guardians. Therefore, there is still a risk of information becoming scattered when dealing with information from multiple finders, and the technology described in Patent Document 1 does not solve the problem that it is difficult for guardians of lost children or owners of lost items to grasp the overall situation regarding the item being searched for.

[0008] The purpose of this disclosure is to suitably provide information about a predetermined search target using a communication tag. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The information provision system disclosed herein is an information provision system that provides information about a predetermined search target using a communication tag, and comprises a communication device on which the communication tag is provided and which is attached to the search target, a portable terminal for reading the communication tag, and a server device that aggregates and provides information about the search target. The portable terminal is configured to transmit information about the discovery of the search target to the server device by reading the communication tag, and the server device aggregates the discovery information transmitted from multiple portable terminals and provides the discovery information so that it can be centrally displayed on a predetermined terminal.

[0010] The information provision system described above can aggregate and centrally manage information on the discovery of the target of a search, provided by multiple finders. This allows searchers to centrally view information from multiple finders and easily grasp the overall status of the target of the search.

[0011] Furthermore, in the above-described information provision system, the communication tag records information regarding a first URL for accessing a predetermined first website and an ID for identifying an information provision page generated on the first website. When the mobile terminal reads the communication tag, it transmits the ID associated with the communication tag to the server device. Based on the ID obtained from the mobile terminal, the server device may, if the information provision page identified by the ID has not yet been generated, automatically generate the information provision page and accept the submission of the discovery information to the information provision page. If the information provision page identified by the ID has already been generated, it may accept the submission of the discovery information to the information provision page. In this case, discoverers can submit discovery information simply by reading the communication tag. Therefore, there is no need to ask discoverers to install a dedicated app or register as members, minimizing the burden on discoverers, making it easier to obtain their cooperation, and enabling rapid information gathering.

[0012] Furthermore, the communication tag may also record information regarding a second URL for accessing a predetermined second website. The server device may determine the number of times the communication tag is accessed from multiple mobile terminals. If the first access to the communication tag is made from any of the multiple mobile terminals, the server device may direct the mobile terminal that made the first access to the communication tag to the second website to display the user registration page on that mobile terminal. If a second or subsequent access to the communication tag is made from any of the multiple mobile terminals, the server device may direct the mobile terminal that made the second or subsequent access to the communication tag to the first website to display the information provision page on that mobile terminal. This allows the server device to automatically switch between user registration and information provision actions based on the number of accesses to the communication tag, thereby improving user convenience.

[0013] Furthermore, in the information provision system of this disclosure, when the mobile terminal transmits the discovery information to the server device, it may automatically add time information and the location information of the mobile terminal to the discovery information, and when the server device provides the discovery information transmitted from multiple mobile terminals, it may display the movement history of the searched target in chronological order based on the time information and the location information. This makes it possible for a searcher to confirm the movement route of the searched target and estimate its current location.

[0014] Furthermore, in the information provision system of this disclosure, the mobile terminal is a terminal used within a predetermined facility and is configured to acquire zone information defined by dividing the facility into a predetermined number of sections. When the discovery information is transmitted to the server device, the zone information is automatically added to the discovery information, and when the server device provides the discovery information transmitted from multiple mobile terminals, it may display the movement history of the search target based on the zone information.

[0015] In this case, the facility is a commercial facility or a leisure facility, and the mobile terminal may acquire the zone information by communicating with communication equipment installed in the facility when it is difficult to acquire location information by a satellite positioning system. According to this, for example, even in an indoor environment where it is difficult to acquire location information by a satellite positioning system, it becomes possible to determine the location of the search target by acquiring zone information using the communication equipment within the facility.

[0016] Furthermore, the server device may estimate the location of the target of search based on the discovery information and calculate a meeting point between the first user searching for the target and the second user who has protected the target, based on the zone information corresponding to the location of the target of search. In this case, the server device may calculate the meeting point based on the congestion status and safety of the facility included in the zone information corresponding to the location of the target of search, and the current location of the first user. This would support an efficient reunion between the first user searching for the target and the second user who has protected the target.

[0017] Furthermore, this disclosure can also be viewed from the perspective of the method of providing information. That is, the method of providing information in this disclosure is a method of providing information relating to a predetermined search target using a communication tag, wherein a computer performs the following actions: acquires discovery information of the search target transmitted when the communication tag possessed by the search target is read by a mobile terminal, and aggregates the discovery information acquired from multiple mobile terminals and provides the discovery information so that it can be centrally displayed on a predetermined terminal. The computer then acquires an ID from the mobile terminal that identifies the communication tag and identifies an information provision page for the discovery information, and based on the ID acquired from the mobile terminal, if the information provision page identified by the ID has not yet been generated, it automatically generates the information provision page and accepts submissions of the discovery information to the information provision page, and if the information provision page identified by the ID has already been generated, it accepts submissions of the discovery information to the information provision page. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to this disclosure, information regarding a predetermined search target can be suitably provided using a communication tag. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0019] [Figure 1] This diagram shows the schematic configuration of the information provision system. [Figure 2]A diagram that shows the components of a server included in an information providing system in more detail and also shows the components of a user terminal that communicates with the server. [Figure 3] A diagram showing the configuration of communication tags in the first embodiment. [Figure 4] The first diagram exemplifying the flow of operations of the information providing system in the first embodiment. [Figure 5] The second diagram exemplifying the flow of operations of the information providing system in the first embodiment. [Figure 6] A diagram exemplifying one aspect included in an information providing page displayed on the user terminal of a second user who is a finder of a lost person in the first embodiment. [Figure 7] A diagram showing an example of a bulletin board which is one aspect of an information providing page for aggregating and displaying discovery information and is displayed on the user terminal of a first user in the first embodiment. [Figure 8] A diagram exemplifying the flow of operations of the information providing system in the second embodiment. [Figure 9] A diagram exemplifying one aspect included in an information providing page displayed on the user terminal of a second user who is a finder of a lost person in the second embodiment. [Figure 10] A diagram showing an example of a bulletin board which is one aspect of an information providing page for aggregating and displaying discovery information and is displayed on the user terminal of a first user in the second embodiment.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0020] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described based on the drawings. The configurations of the following embodiments are examples, and the present disclosure is not limited to the configurations of the embodiments.

[0021] <First Embodiment> The outline of the information provision system in the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 1. Figure 1 is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of the information provision system in this disclosure. The information provision system 100 in this disclosure is composed of a communication device 10 equipped with a communication tag 1, a network 200, a server 300, and a user terminal 400. The information provision system 100 in this disclosure is a system that provides information about a predetermined search target using a communication tag, and the provision of information about the search target is performed by the server 300. The search target is, for example, a lost child, a wandering elderly person, a pet, or lost property, but in this embodiment, the case where the search target is a lost child will be used as an example. The users who use the information provision system 100 in this embodiment are a first user, who is a guardian searching for the lost child, and a second user, who has found the lost child. The user terminal 400 includes a user terminal 400A owned by the first user and a user terminal 400B owned by the second user.

[0022] Network 200 is, for example, an IP network. Network 200 can be wireless, wired, or a combination of both, as long as it is an IP network. For example, in the case of wireless communication, the user terminal 400 may access a wireless LAN access point (not shown) and communicate with the server 300 via a LAN or WAN. Furthermore, network 200 is not limited to these examples and may also be, for example, a public switched telephone network, an optical fiber line, an ADSL line, or a satellite communication network.

[0023] Server 300 is connected to user terminals 400 via network 200. Note that in Figure 1, for the sake of simplicity, one server 300 and four user terminals 400 are shown, but it goes without saying that the configuration is not limited to these.

[0024] Server 300 can be any electronic computer equipment with processing capabilities for computational and processing operations such as data acquisition, generation, and updating. For example, it may be a personal computer, server, mainframe, or other electronic device. In other words, Server 300 can be configured as a computer having a processor such as a CPU or GPU, main memory such as RAM or ROM, and auxiliary storage such as an EPROM, hard disk drive, or removable media. The removable media may be, for example, a USB memory stick or a disk recording medium such as a CD or DVD. The auxiliary storage device stores the operating system (OS), various programs, various tables, etc.

[0025] Furthermore, the server 300 may use SaaS (Software as a Service), PaaS (Platform as a Service), or IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) via a cloud server as appropriate, without providing dedicated software, hardware, or OS for the information provision system 100 related to this disclosure.

[0026] The user terminal 400 may be any electronic device such as a mobile terminal owned by a user (first user, second user) using the information provision system 100, and may be other terminal devices such as mobile terminals, tablet terminals, smartphones, wearable devices, personal computers, etc.

[0027] Next, a detailed explanation of the components of the server 300 will be given based on Figure 2. Figure 2 is a diagram that shows in more detail the components of the server 300 included in the information provision system 100 in this disclosure, as well as the components of the user terminal 400 that communicates with the server 300.

[0028] The server 300 has a communication unit 301, a storage unit 302, and a control unit 303 as functional units. It loads a program stored in the auxiliary storage device into the working area of ​​the main memory and executes it. Through the execution of the program, each functional unit is controlled, thereby enabling each functional unit to perform its respective function according to its predetermined purpose. However, some or all of the functions may be implemented by hardware circuits such as ASICs or FPGAs.

[0029] Here, the communication unit 301 is a communication interface for connecting the server 300 to the network 200. The communication unit 301 consists of, for example, a network interface board and a wireless communication circuit for wireless communication. The server 300 is connected to a user terminal 400 and other external devices for communication via the communication unit 301.

[0030] The storage unit 302 comprises a main memory and an auxiliary storage device. The main memory is the memory where programs executed by the control unit 303 and data used by said control programs are stored. The auxiliary storage device is the device where programs executed by the control unit 303 and data used by said control programs are stored. The storage unit 302 also stores discovery information, which is data transmitted from the user terminal 400. The server 300 acquires data transmitted from the user terminal 400, etc., via the communication unit 301.

[0031] The control unit 303 is a functional unit that manages the control performed by the server 300. The control unit 303 can be implemented by a processing unit such as a CPU. The control unit 303 is further composed of three functional units: an acquisition unit 3031, a determination unit 3032, and a provision unit 3033. Each functional unit may be implemented by executing a stored program using the CPU.

[0032] The acquisition unit 3031 acquires the lost child's discovery information transmitted when the communication tag 1 possessed by the lost child being searched for is read by the user terminal 400B possessed by the second user. The acquisition unit 3031 acquires the information transmitted from the user terminal 400B as discovery information and stores it in the storage unit 302 of the server 300.

[0033] Here, the communication device 10 in this disclosure is equipped with a communication tag 1 and is attached to the object to be searched. In this embodiment, the communication device 10 is configured as, for example, a tag attached to a child's clothing or belongings, a card, a bracelet, or a keychain-type tag attached to valuables, etc.

[0034] Communication tag 1 is a communication tag such as an NFC (Near Field Communication) tag, an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag, or a BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) beacon that performs short-range wireless communication. In this embodiment, an example in which an NFC tag is used as communication tag 1 will be described.

[0035] Figure 3 shows the configuration of the communication tag 1 in this embodiment. As shown in Figure 3, the communication tag 1 records a common URL 11, which is a first URL for accessing a predetermined first website, and a tag ID 12, which is an ID for identifying the information provision page generated on the first website. The communication tag 1 also records a registered URL 13, which is a second URL for accessing a predetermined second website.

[0036] The common URL 11 is a web address for accessing the first website via the server 300, and is recorded in common for all communication tags 1. Here, the first website is a website for displaying an information provision page that aggregates and provides discovery information. Furthermore, as will be described later, the first website is a website for the second user, the discoverer, to post information about the search target via the information provision page. On the other hand, the tag ID 12 is unique identification information for uniquely identifying each communication tag 1, and is recorded individually for each communication tag 1.

[0037] Furthermore, the user terminal 400 in this disclosure has a communication unit 401, an input / output unit 402, and a storage unit 403 as functional units. The communication unit 401 is a communication interface for connecting the user terminal 400 to the network 200, and is composed of, for example, a network interface board and a wireless communication circuit for wireless communication. The communication unit 401 can read the communication tag 1 by performing short-range wireless communication. The input / output unit 402 is a functional unit for displaying information transmitted from the outside via the communication unit 401, and for inputting information when transmitting information to the outside via the communication unit 401. The storage unit 403 is composed of a main memory and an auxiliary memory, similar to the storage unit 302 of the server 300.

[0038] The input / output unit 402 further includes a display unit 4021, an operation input unit 4022, and an image / audio input / output unit 4023. The display unit 4021 has the function of displaying various information and is implemented by, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) display, an LED (Light Emitting Diode) display, or an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) display. The operation input unit 4022 has the function of receiving operation input from the user and is specifically implemented by soft keys such as a touch panel or hard keys. The image / audio input / output unit 4023 has the function of receiving image input such as still images and videos and is specifically implemented by a camera using an image sensor such as Charged-Coupled Devices (CCD), Metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS), or Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS). The image / audio input / output unit 4023 also has the function of receiving audio input and output and is specifically implemented by a microphone or speaker.

[0039] The second user can then use user terminal 400B to read communication tag 1 and send the information about the search target to server 300. When user terminal 400B reads communication tag 1, it first sends tag ID 12 to server 300. The first user can also use user terminal 400A to read communication tag 1 and send information about user registration for the information provision system 100 to server 300. When user terminal 400A reads communication tag 1, it can access the registration URL 13 recorded on communication tag 1 to register as a user for the information provision system 100.

[0040] Returning to Figure 2, the determination unit 3032 determines whether an information provision page identified by the tag ID 12 recorded in the communication tag 1 has been generated. As will be described later, the server 300 automatically generates an information provision page based on the tag ID 12 obtained from the user terminal 400B owned by the second user. At this time, if an information provision page identified by tag ID 12 has not yet been generated, the server 300 automatically generates an information provision page and accepts submissions of discovery information to the information provision page. On the other hand, if an information provision page identified by tag ID 12 has already been generated, the server 300 accepts submissions of discovery information to the information provision page.

[0041] Furthermore, the determination unit 3032 determines the number of times multiple user terminals 400 have accessed the communication tag 1. If the first access to the communication tag 1 is made, the determination unit 3032 determines that the user registration of the first user, who is the guardian, is in the "unregistered" state, and displays the user registration page on the user terminal 400A by having the first user's user terminal 400A access the second website. If the second or subsequent access to the communication tag 1 is made, the determination unit 3032 determines that the first user is already "registered," and displays the information provision page on the user terminal 400B by having the user terminal 400B access the first website.

[0042] The information provision unit 3033 aggregates and provides information regarding the missing child being searched for. The information provision unit 3033 has the function of aggregating discovery information transmitted from multiple user terminals 400B. Using tag ID 12 as a key, the information provision unit 3033 integrates the discovery information posted from multiple user terminals 400B into a single information provision page. This single information provision page, to which a second user can post discovery information, is, for example, a bulletin board on the first website. Furthermore, the information provision unit 3033 provides the discovery information transmitted from multiple user terminals 400B in a way that allows it to be displayed centrally on a designated terminal. Here, the above terminal is, for example, a user terminal 400A owned by the first user, who is a guardian.

[0043] Here, the operation flow of the information provision system 100 in this embodiment will be described. Figure 4 is the first diagram illustrating the operation flow of the information provision system 100 in this embodiment. Figure 4 describes the operation flow between each component in the information provision system 100 in this embodiment, and the processing performed by each component.

[0044] In this embodiment, first, when the communication tag 1 is read by the user terminal 400 (S101), that information is transmitted to the server 300, and the server 300 acquires the information recorded on the communication tag 1 (S102).

[0045] Next, the server 300 counts the number of times the communication tag 1 has been accessed by the user terminal 400 (S103). By obtaining a tag ID 12 unique to the communication tag 1 in the process of S102, the server 300 can, in the process of S103, count the number of accesses based, for example, on the number of times information about the tag ID 12 has been obtained.

[0046] Next, the server 300 determines whether the access to communication tag 1 by the processing in S101 is the first access (S104). If the determination in S104 is positive, i.e., the access to communication tag 1 is the first access, the server 300 proceeds to the processing in S105. If the determination in S104 is negative, i.e., the access to communication tag 1 is the second or subsequent access, the server 300 proceeds to the processing in S109.

[0047] If a positive result is obtained in S104, that is, if the access to communication tag 1 is the first access, the server 300 then sends a user registration page for user registration with the information provision system 100 to the user terminal 400 that accessed communication tag 1 in the process of S101 (S105). The user registration page is a page on the second website that can be accessed using the registration URL 13.

[0048] Then, the user terminal 400 obtains information about the registration page on the second website (S106). User registration information is then entered into the user terminal 400 by the user who owns the user terminal 400. In this case, the user is the first user, and the user terminal 400 is user terminal 400A.

[0049] The user registration information is then sent to the server 300, and the server 300 retrieves this information (S108), thereby completing the user registration for the first user.

[0050] Figure 5 is a second diagram illustrating the flow of operation of the information provision system 100 in this embodiment. Figure 5 explains the flow of operation between each component in the information provision system 100 in this embodiment, and the processing performed by each component.

[0051] If the determination in S104 shown in Figure 4 above is negative, that is, if the access to communication tag 1 is the second or subsequent access, then the server 300 next determines in S109 shown in Figure 5 whether or not the bulletin board, which is the information provision page identified by the tag ID 12 obtained in the process of S102 shown in Figure 4 above, has already been created. If the determination in S109 is positive, that is, if the bulletin board has already been created, the server 300 proceeds to the process of S111. If the determination in S109 is negative, that is, if the bulletin board has not yet been created, the server 300 proceeds to the process of S110.

[0052] If a negative result is obtained in S109, that is, if the above-mentioned bulletin board has not yet been generated, the server 300 then automatically generates a bulletin board (S110). Here, the bulletin board is one form of an information provision page for providing discovery information that aggregates discovery information sent from multiple user terminals 400B and makes it possible to display the discovery information in a unified manner, and can be generated by adding identification information by tag ID 12 obtained in the process of S102 shown in Figure 4 above to a predetermined bulletin board template.

[0053] Then, if the server 300 determines that the condition is negative in S109, it automatically generates a bulletin board in the process of S110, and if the condition is positive in S109, it sends an information provision page to the user terminal 400B of the second user who read the communication tag 1, based on the bulletin board that has already been generated (S111).

[0054] Then, the second user's terminal 400B receives the information sent from the server 300 (S112), and the discovery information is entered into the user terminal 400B by the second user (S113).

[0055] Here, Figure 6 illustrates one aspect of the information page displayed on the user terminal 400B of the second user who found the lost child in this embodiment. This information page is automatically generated by the server 300 when the second user reads the communication tag 1, or if it has already been generated, the information page is displayed.

[0056] One aspect of the information provision page shown in Figure 6 is configured as a discovery report form. The screen SC1 exemplified in Figure 6 is displayed on the display unit 4021 of the second user's user terminal 400B, and the top of the screen displays the message "You have found your lost child" along with the instruction "Please submit information using the form below." Screen SC1 also shows a display field for automatically acquired information SC11, a message input field SC12, a photo attachment field SC13, and a submit button SC14.

[0057] The SC11 display field for automatically acquired information shows information that is automatically added when the user terminal 400B transmits discovery information to the server 300. Specifically, location information indicating the current location of the user terminal 400B and time information are automatically acquired and displayed. Since this information is automatically acquired by the user terminal 400B and does not require manual input by the second user, the accuracy of the discovery information is ensured, and the input burden on the second user is reduced. The user terminal 400 has a location information acquisition unit as a functional unit. This location information acquisition unit is a means of acquiring the current location of the user terminal 400, and is typically a GPS (Global Positioning System) device that receives GPS satellite signals to obtain location information.

[0058] The message input field SC12 is an optional input field, allowing the second user to freely describe the circumstances under which the lost child was found. For example, they can enter supplementary information about the lost child's characteristics and current situation, such as "It's a boy wearing blue clothes" or "He's waiting on a bench." Additionally, the photo attachment field SC13 is also an optional input field, allowing the second user to take and attach a photo of the lost child. Attaching a photo allows for visual confirmation of the lost child, facilitating verification of their identity between the first user (the searcher) and the second user (the finder).

[0059] At the bottom of screen SC1, there is a post button SC14. When a second user presses the post button SC14, the discovery information, including automatically acquired information, a message, and a photo, is sent to server 300. A message stating "※No app installation or registration required" may also be displayed on screen SC1. This clearly indicates to the second user that they can post discovery information simply by reading the communication tag 1, without installing a dedicated application or registering as a member. This ability to post discovery information simply by reading the communication tag 1 makes it easier to obtain the discoverer's cooperation and enables rapid information gathering.

[0060] Returning to Figure 5, the server 300 acquires discovery information transmitted from the second user's user terminal 400B (S114). At this time, the server 300 can acquire discovery information transmitted from multiple user terminals 400B from multiple second users.

[0061] Next, the server 300 aggregates the discovery information sent from multiple user terminals 400B and provides it in a centralized display format by creating a bulletin board, which is one form of information provision page identified by the tag ID 12 obtained in the process of S102 shown in Figure 4 above (S115), and generates bulletin board information to be provided to the first user (S116). Then, the user terminal 400A owned by the first user acquires the bulletin board information (S117).

[0062] Here, Figure 7 shows an example of a bulletin board, which is one form of an information provision page for aggregating and displaying discovery information, displayed on the first user's user terminal 400A in this embodiment.

[0063] The bulletin board, which is one form of the information provision page shown in Figure 7, is configured as an aggregated display page. The screen SC2 exemplified in Figure 7 is displayed on the display unit 4021 of the first user's user terminal 400A, and at the top of the screen, the words "Tarou-kun's Bulletin Board" are displayed along with "Tag ID: ABC123" as the ID associated with the communication tag 1. In addition, "Last Updated: 14:35" is displayed, showing the time when the discovery information was last posted. This allows the first user to check whether the latest information is reflected. Screen SC2 also shows a display field for discovery reports SC21, a display field for movement history SC22, and a reply button SC23.

[0064] The SC21 display area for discovery reports shows multiple discovery reports in chronological order. Discovery report #1 displays "Location: xxxx" as the location information and a message entered by the discoverer that reads, "I saw a boy in a blue shirt. He was crying, so I called out to him, but he ran away." The time information displayed is "14:15." Discovery report #2 displays "Location: xxxx" as the location information and a message entered by the discoverer that reads, "I'm holding Taro-kun. He's waiting on a bench in the food court." The time information displayed is "14:32," and a photo taken by the discoverer is attached. This location and time information was automatically added when the second user's terminal 400B, the discoverer, sent the discovery information to the server 300.

[0065] The SC22 movement history display area shows the movement history of the searched object, generated by the server 300 based on the time and location information included in the discovery information sent from multiple user terminals 400B, in chronological order. Specifically, the movement from "14:15 xxxx" to "14:32 xxxx" is displayed with an arrow, allowing users to visually understand how the searched object moved. This enables the first user, the searcher, to confirm the object's movement route and estimate its current location.

[0066] Furthermore, the first user can contact the finder who is protecting the missing person by pressing the reply button SC23. This enables rapid communication between the searcher and the finder, facilitating a smooth reunion with the missing person.

[0067] In this way, the server 300 aggregates multiple discovery reports on an information provision page identified by an ID linked to the communication tag 1, and provides them to the first user, the searcher, on their user terminal 400A for centralized display. This allows the first user to view information from multiple discoverers on a single screen, enabling more efficient search operations.

[0068] According to the information provision system 100 described above, information regarding a predetermined search target can be suitably provided using the communication tag 1.

[0069] <Second Embodiment> The information provision system in the second embodiment is described below. In this embodiment, the user terminal 400 is a terminal used within a predetermined facility and is configured to acquire zone information defined by dividing the facility into a plurality of predetermined sections. The above-mentioned facility is, for example, a commercial facility or a leisure facility. In addition to geographical information of the above-mentioned section and information on stores, etc., located within the section, the zone information may also include information on the congestion status and safety of each section within the facility.

[0070] Here, Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating the operation flow of the information provision system 100 in this embodiment. Figure 8 explains the operation flow between each component in the information provision system 100 in this embodiment, and the processing performed by each component. In the processing shown in Figure 8, if the processing is substantially the same as the processing shown in Figure 5 above, the same reference numerals are used and their detailed explanation is omitted.

[0071] In this embodiment, when discovery information is transmitted from the second user's user terminal 400B to the server 300 during processing S113, zone information is automatically added to the discovery information.

[0072] Here, Figure 9 illustrates one aspect of the information page displayed on the user terminal 400B of the second user who found the lost child in this embodiment. This information page is automatically generated by the server 300 when the second user reads the communication tag 1, or if it has already been generated, the information page is displayed.

[0073] One aspect of the information provision page shown in Figure 9 is configured as a discovery report form. The screen SC3 exemplified in Figure 9 is displayed on the display unit 4021 of the second user's user terminal 400B, and the top of the screen displays the message "Lost child found" along with the instruction "Please submit information using the form below." Screen SC3 also shows an automatically acquired information display field SC31, a message input field SC32, a photo attachment field SC33, and a submit button SC34.

[0074] The SC31 display field for automatically acquired information shows information that is automatically added when the user terminal 400B transmits discovery information to the server 300. Specifically, "Current Zone: Area B (Food Court)" is displayed as zone information corresponding to the current location of the user terminal 400B, "Time: 14:32" is displayed as time information, and "Congestion Level: High" is displayed as the congestion level of the zone. Here, the user terminal 400B may acquire zone information by communicating with communication equipment installed in the facility if it is difficult to acquire location information by satellite positioning system within the facility. This makes it possible to accurately pinpoint the location of the search target even in an indoor environment. In addition, the congestion level information is used by the server 300 when calculating the meeting point between the first user searching for the search target and the second user who has protected the search target. Since this information is automatically acquired by the user terminal 400B and does not need to be manually entered by the discoverer, the accuracy of the discovery information is ensured and the input burden on the discoverer is reduced.

[0075] The descriptions for the message input field SC32, the photo attachment field SC33, and the post button SC34 are the same as those for the message input field SC12, the photo attachment field SC13, and the post button SC14 described in Figure 6 above.

[0076] Returning to Figure 8, the server 300 calculates the meeting point after processing in S115 (S215). Here, the server 300 estimates the location of the search target based on the discovery information and calculates the meeting point between the first user searching for the search target and the second user who has protected the search target, based on the zone information corresponding to the location of the search target. At this time, the server 300 can calculate the meeting point based on the congestion status and safety of the facilities included in the zone information corresponding to the location of the search target, and the current location of the first user. This makes it possible for the first user, the searcher, to quickly reunite with the search target in a safe place away from congestion.

[0077] Furthermore, when the server 300 transmits the bulletin board information to the first user's user terminal 400A in the processing of S116, it can also transmit the information regarding the merging point calculated in the processing of S215.

[0078] Here, Figure 10 shows an example of a bulletin board, which is one form of an information provision page for aggregating and displaying discovery information, displayed on the first user's user terminal 400A in this embodiment.

[0079] The bulletin board, which is one form of the information provision page shown in Figure 10, is configured as an aggregated display page. The screen SC4 exemplified in Figure 10 is displayed on the display unit 4021 of the first user's user terminal 400A, and screen SC4 shows a display field SC41 for discovery reports, a display field SC42 for recommended reunion locations, a display field SC43 for movement history, and a reply button SC44.

[0080] In the SC41 display area for discovery reports, discovery report #1 shows "Zone: Area A (near the Ferris wheel)" as zone information, and the message entered by the discoverer reads, "I saw a boy in a blue shirt. He was crying, so I called out to him, but he ran away." The time information is "14:15," and the congestion level of the zone is displayed as "Congestion level: Medium." Discovery report #2 shows "Zone: Area B (food court)" as zone information, and the message entered by the discoverer reads, "I'm holding Taro-kun. He's waiting on a bench in the food court." The time information is "14:32," and the congestion level of the zone is displayed as "Congestion level: High," and a photo taken by the discoverer is attached. This zone information, time information, and congestion level are obtained by the second user's terminal 400B, the discoverer, communicating with the communication equipment installed in the facility, and are automatically added when the discovery information is sent to the server 300.

[0081] The SC42 display area for recommended reunion locations shows a rendezvous point calculated by the server 300 based on the location information, the congestion and safety of facilities included in the zone information corresponding to the location of the searched person, and the current location of the first user who is the searcher. Specifically, the "Information Center" is displayed as the recommended reunion location, along with the additional information "3 minutes walk from current location, congestion level: low." This allows the first user to smoothly reunite with the second user who is protecting the searched person in a safe location away from congestion.

[0082] The SC43 display area for the movement history shows the movement history of the searched target, generated by the server 300 based on zone information included in the discovery information sent from multiple user terminals 400B. Specifically, the movement from "14:15 Area A (near the Ferris wheel)" to "14:32 Area B (food court)" is displayed with an arrow, allowing users to visually understand how the searched target moved. This enables the first user, who is the searcher, to confirm the target's movement route and estimate its current location.

[0083] In this way, the server 300 displays the movement history of the searched target based on zone information, and calculates and provides the optimal meeting point considering congestion and safety. As a result, even in facilities where it is difficult to obtain location information using satellite positioning systems, the first user who is searching for the target can ascertain their location and reunite with them safely and quickly.

[0084] Furthermore, the information provision system 100 described above can also suitably provide information about a predetermined search target using the communication tag 1.

[0085] <Other variations> The embodiments described above are merely examples, and this disclosure may be modified as appropriate without departing from its essence. For example, the processes and means described in this disclosure can be freely combined and implemented as long as no technical inconsistencies arise.

[0086] In the above embodiment, the example of a lost person was used to describe the search target, but the search target in this disclosure may also be a wandering elderly person or a pet. In this case, the first user who is searching is a family member of the elderly person or the owner of the pet. Furthermore, the search target in this disclosure may also be lost property. In this case, the first user who is searching is the owner of the lost property.

[0087] Furthermore, the processing described as being performed by a single device may be divided and executed by multiple devices. For example, the acquisition unit 3031 may be formed in a separate arithmetic processing unit from the server 300. In this case, the separate arithmetic processing unit is configured to cooperate suitably with the server 300. Also, the processing described as being performed by different devices may be executed by a single device. In a computer system, the hardware configuration (server configuration) by which each function is implemented can be flexibly changed.

[0088] The present disclosure can also be realized by supplying a computer program implementing the functions described in the embodiments above to a computer, and having one or more processors in the computer read and execute the program. Such a computer program may be provided to the computer by a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium that can be connected to the computer's system bus, or it may be provided to the computer via a network. Non-temporary computer-readable storage mediums include, for example, any type of disk such as magnetic disks (floppy disks, hard disk drives (HDDs), etc.), optical disks (CD-ROMs, DVDs, Blu-ray discs, etc.), read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), EPROM, EEPROM, magnetic cards, flash memory, optical cards, and any type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0089] 1. Communication Tag 10. Communication devices 100... Information Provision System 200 Network 300 servers 301... Communications Department 302...Storage section 303... Control Unit 400...User terminals

Claims

1. An information provision system that provides information about a predetermined search target using a communication tag, A communication device equipped with the aforementioned communication tag and attached to the object to be searched, A portable terminal for reading the aforementioned communication tag, The system includes a server device that aggregates and provides information regarding the search target, The aforementioned mobile terminal is configured to transmit information about the discovery of the search target to the server device by reading the communication tag. The server device aggregates the discovery information transmitted from multiple mobile terminals and provides the discovery information so that it can be centrally displayed on a predetermined terminal. The communication tag records information regarding a first URL for accessing a predetermined first website, and an ID for identifying an information provision page generated on the first website. When the mobile terminal reads the communication tag, it transmits the ID associated with the communication tag to the server device. Based on the ID obtained from the mobile terminal, the server device automatically generates the information provision page identified by the ID if it has not yet been generated, and accepts the submission of the discovery information to the information provision page; if the information provision page identified by the ID has already been generated, it accepts the submission of the discovery information to the information provision page. Information provision system.

2. The aforementioned communication tag further records information regarding a second URL for accessing a predetermined second website. The server device determines the number of times the communication tag is accessed from multiple mobile terminals, and if the first access to the communication tag is made from any of the multiple mobile terminals, it causes the mobile terminal that made the first access to the communication tag to access the second website, thereby displaying the user registration page on the mobile terminal, and if a second or subsequent access to the communication tag is made from any of the multiple mobile terminals, it causes the mobile terminal that made the second or subsequent access to the communication tag to access the first website, thereby displaying the information provision page on the mobile terminal. The information provision system according to claim 1.

3. When the mobile terminal transmits the discovery information to the server device, it automatically adds time information and the location information of the mobile terminal to the discovery information. When the server device provides the discovery information transmitted from multiple mobile terminals, it displays the movement history of the search target in chronological order based on the time information and the location information. The information provision system according to claim 1.

4. An information provision system that provides information about a predetermined search target using a communication tag, A communication device equipped with the aforementioned communication tag and attached to the object to be searched, A portable terminal for reading the aforementioned communication tag, The system includes a server device that aggregates and provides information regarding the search target, The aforementioned mobile terminal is configured to transmit information about the discovery of the search target to the server device by reading the communication tag. The server device aggregates the discovery information transmitted from multiple mobile terminals and provides the discovery information so that it can be centrally displayed on a predetermined terminal. The aforementioned mobile terminal is a terminal used within a predetermined facility, and is configured to acquire zone information defined by dividing the facility into a predetermined number of sections, so that when the discovery information is transmitted to the server device, the zone information is automatically added to the discovery information. When the server device provides the discovery information transmitted from multiple mobile terminals, it displays the movement history of the search target based on the zone information. The server device estimates the location of the target to be searched based on the discovery information, and calculates the meeting point of the first user who searches for the target and the second user who has protected the target, based on the zone information corresponding to the location of the target to be searched. Information provision system.

5. The server device calculates the merging point based on the congestion status and safety of the facility included in the zone information corresponding to the location of the target to be searched, and the current location of the first user. The information provision system according to claim 4.

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