Support device, support method, and program

Abstract

To reduce the time required for office setup work when relocating or establishing a new office. [Solution] The support device is a support device for designing an office layout, and comprises: a concept acquisition unit that acquires a design concept for the office to be designed; a zoning type determination unit that determines which zoning type to be emphasized from among a plurality of pre-set zoning types based on the design concept; an inference result acquisition unit that acquires the type of room, the number of rooms, and the area ratio of the rooms based on the acquired design concept and the determined zoning type; and a proposal unit that proposes office zoning based on the information obtained by the inference result acquisition unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a support apparatus, a support method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, when considering an office layout, there has been a technology that interactively receives user requests using a chatbot or the like, and performs inference using generative AI based on the received requests to generate an optimal layout plan (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Even if an office layout can be generated using such a technology, it usually takes about one month to relocate an office, as it requires selecting wallpaper and floor materials, selecting fixtures, selecting ICT-related equipment, obtaining quotations from multiple vendors, and verifying the appropriateness of the costs. The same applies when establishing a new office, such as at the time of corporate launch. That is, there has been a demand for reducing the time required for office installation work at the time of office relocation and new establishment.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a support apparatus, a support method, and a program that can reduce the time required for office installation work at the time of office relocation and new establishment.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] (1) One aspect of the present invention is an assisting device for designing an office layout, comprising the design concept of the office to be designed. The design concept includes the company philosophy extracted from the target company's webpage and information obtained from the person in charge. A concept acquisition unit that acquires the design concept; a zoning type determination unit that determines which zoning type to prioritize from a plurality of pre-set zoning types based on the design concept; an inference result acquisition unit that acquires the room type, the number of rooms, and the area ratio of the rooms based on the acquired design concept and the determined zoning type; and a proposal unit that proposes office zoning based on the information obtained by the inference result acquisition unit. It is a support device equipped with [the following features].

[0007] (2) In addition, in one aspect of the present invention, in the support device described in (1) above, the zoning type determination unit determines a plurality of zoning types and the importance ratio of each zoning type as the zoning types to be emphasized.

[0008] (3) In addition, one aspect of the present invention is a support device according to (1) or (2) described above, further comprising a weighting unit that weights the room types to be emphasized based on the determined zoning type, and the inference result acquisition unit acquires the room type, the number of rooms, and the area ratio of the rooms, which are obtained as input information from the weighting results performed by the weighting unit.

[0009] (4) In addition, in one aspect of the present invention, in the support device described in (3) above, machine learning is used in part of the processing performed by the weighting unit.

[0010] (5) In addition, one aspect of the present invention is a support device of any of the above-described (1) to (4) further comprising a consideration determination unit that determines considerations for zoning based on the determined zoning type, and the inference result acquisition unit acquires the type of room, the number of rooms, and the area ratio of the rooms, which are obtained using the considerations determined by the consideration determination unit as input information.

[0011] (6) In addition, in one aspect of the present invention, in the support device described in (5) above, machine learning is not used in the processing performed by the consideration determination unit, and the processing performed by the consideration determination unit is performed according to predetermined rules or calculation formulas. (7) In addition, one aspect of the present invention is a support device according to (1) or (2) described above, further comprising a weighting unit that weights the types of rooms to be emphasized based on the determined zoning type, and a consideration determination unit that determines considerations for zoning based on the determined zoning type, wherein the inference result acquisition unit takes the weighted results from the weighting unit as input information and acquires the room type, the number of rooms, and the area ratio of the rooms obtained using machine learning, and the consideration determination unit determines whether the rooms are adjacent or separated without using machine learning once the considerations have been determined by the consideration determination unit. (8) In addition, one aspect of the present invention further comprises a weighting unit that weights the room types to be given importance based on the determined zoning type, wherein the weighting unit weights the room types to be given importance according to the importance ratio determined by the zoning type determination unit. (9) In addition, one aspect of the present invention is the support device described in (2) above, further comprising a consideration determination unit that determines considerations for zoning based on the determined zoning type, wherein the consideration determination unit determines considerations for zoning according to the emphasis ratio determined by the zoning type determination unit. (10) In addition, in one aspect of the present invention, in any of the support devices described in (1) to (9) above, the zoning type indicates the direction of zoning and is a classification in advance of what kind of activity the space should be optimized for, and the zoning type determination unit determines which zoning type to prioritize from among a plurality of pre-classified zoning types.

[0012] ( 11 Furthermore, one aspect of the present invention is a method for assisting in the design of an office layout performed using a computer, wherein the computer provides the design concept of the office to be designed. The design concept includes the company philosophy extracted from the target company's webpage and information obtained from the person in charge. The support method comprises: a concept acquisition step to acquire a design concept; a zoning type determination step in which the computer determines which zoning type to prioritize from a plurality of pre-set zoning types based on the design concept; an inference result acquisition step in which the computer acquires the types of rooms, the number of rooms, and the area ratio of the rooms based on the acquired design concept and the determined zoning type; and a proposal step in which the computer proposes office zoning based on the information obtained in the inference result acquisition step.

[0013] ( 12 )Another aspect of the present invention is a program that causes a computer to perform processing to assist in designing an office layout, and the design concept of the office to be designed. The design concept includes the company philosophy extracted from the target company's webpage and information obtained from the person in charge. This program performs the following steps: a concept acquisition step to acquire a design concept; a zoning type determination step to determine which zoning type to prioritize from among a plurality of pre-set zoning types based on the design concept; an inference result acquisition step to acquire the room type, number of rooms, and area ratio of rooms based on the acquired design concept and the determined zoning type; and a proposal step to propose office zoning based on the information obtained in the inference result acquisition step. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, it is possible to obtain the effect of being able to provide a support device, a support method, and a program that can reduce the time required for office installation work at the time of relocating a office and establishing a new office. [Brief Description of the Drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] It is a diagram showing an overview of the system according to the present embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a functional configuration diagram showing an example of the functional configuration used when the support device according to the present embodiment provides a zoning proposal function. [Figure 3] It is a functional configuration diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the concept acquisition unit according to the present embodiment. [Figure 4] It is a flowchart showing a series of flows when the zoning proposal function is provided by the support method according to the present embodiment. [Figure 5] It is a first diagram showing an example of the screen configuration of a display screen presented in the zoning proposal function according to the present embodiment. [Figure 6] It is a second diagram showing an example of the screen configuration of a display screen presented in the zoning proposal function according to the present embodiment. [Figure 7] It is a third diagram showing an example of the screen configuration of a display screen presented in the zoning proposal function according to the present embodiment. [Figure 8] It is a fourth diagram showing an example of the screen configuration of a display screen presented in the zoning proposal function according to the present embodiment. [Figure 9] It is a flowchart for explaining a modified example of the zoning proposal function according to the present embodiment. [Figure 10] It is a functional configuration diagram showing an example of the functional configuration used when the support device according to the present embodiment provides a modified example of the zoning proposal function. [Figure 11] It is a functional configuration diagram showing an example of the functional configuration used when the support device according to the present embodiment provides a layout proposal function. [Figure 12] This figure shows an example of correspondence information where furniture and images are associated in the layout proposal function according to this embodiment. [Figure 13] The first figure shows an example of the screen configuration of the display screen presented in the layout proposal function according to this embodiment. [Figure 14] This is the second figure, which shows an example of the screen configuration of the display screen presented in the layout proposal function according to this embodiment. [Figure 15] This flowchart shows a series of steps when providing a layout suggestion function using the support method according to this embodiment. [Figure 16] This flowchart illustrates a modified example of the layout suggestion function according to this embodiment. [Figure 17] This is a functional configuration diagram showing an example of a functional configuration used when the support device according to this embodiment provides a modified version of the layout suggestion function. [Figure 18] This figure illustrates an example of applying a color concept in the layout proposal function according to this embodiment. [Figure 19] This is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the support device according to this embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0016] [Embodiment] The support device, support method, and program according to aspects of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings, with reference to preferred embodiments. It should be noted that the aspects of the present invention are not limited to these embodiments, and include various modifications and improvements. In other words, the components described below include those that are easily conceivable to those skilled in the art, and those that are substantially the same, and the components described below can be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, or modifications of components can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Also, in the following drawings, the scale and number of components in each structure may differ from the scale and number of components in the actual structure in order to make each structure easier to understand.

[0017] [System Overview] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the schematic of the system according to this embodiment. First, System 1 will be described with reference to this figure. System 1 supports multiple users in designing office layouts. In the following description, a user is someone who takes the lead in designing the office layout. A user may be the organization itself that is considering moving offices, or the person in charge of office relocation within that organization. The office layout design supported by System 1 is intended to be a broad definition of design, encompassing everything from setting the concept of the destination office to generating zoning, layout generation, and calculating estimated costs. In the following description, the term "layout design" may refer to layout design in a broad sense or in a narrow sense. Layout design in a narrow sense refers to selecting furniture and equipment (including ICT equipment) to be placed in an already determined floor plan, and then arranging the selected furniture.

[0018] System 1 comprises a support device 10 and a plurality of user terminal devices 30. The figure shows, as an example of the plurality of user terminal devices 30, user terminal device 30-1, user terminal device 30-2, ..., user terminal device 30-n (where n is a natural number greater than or equal to 1). Hereafter, when the plurality of user terminal devices 30 are not distinguished, they may simply be referred to as user terminal device 30.

[0019] The support device 10 and the user terminal device 30 are connected to each other via a predetermined communication network NW. The predetermined communication network NW is a communication network configured using circuits. An example of a communication network NW is the internet. The communication network NW is an open network, and devices connected to the communication network NW can communicate with each other using predetermined protocols. Communication using the Internet Protocol (IP), etc., takes place in the internet layer of the communication network NW.

[0020] The support device 10 is connected separately and independently to multiple user terminal devices 30. The support device 10 acquires information from each user terminal device 30 and assists in office layout design based on the acquired information. When assisting with layout design, the support device 10 may access various other information on the internet in addition to the information acquired from the user terminal devices 30.

[0021] The support device 10 comprises a communication unit 11, an arithmetic unit 12, and a storage unit 13. Each of these functional units is implemented, for example, using electronic circuits. Each functional unit may also be equipped with internal storage means such as semiconductor memory or magnetic hard disk drives, as needed. Furthermore, each function may be implemented by a computer with a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and software. In addition, all or part of each functional unit may be implemented using hardware (e.g., circuitry) such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), PLD (Programmable Logic Device), or FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array). Furthermore, all or part of each functional unit may be implemented by a combination of software and hardware.

[0022] The memory unit 13 stores the support program P. The support program P has a zoning suggestion function F1 and a layout suggestion function F2. Each of these functions, and an example of the functional unit for realizing each of these functions, will be described later. Note that the figure shows an example in which the service provided by system 1 is realized by a web application. When realized by a so-called native application, each of the functions of the information processing program P, or a part thereof, may be distributed to, installed on, and executed on the user terminal device 30. In this case, the user terminal device 30 on which the support program P is installed can also be called the support device 10.

[0023] The user terminal device 30 is a terminal device operated by the user. The user proceeds with the office layout design by operating the user terminal device 30. Examples of user terminal devices 30 include information processing devices such as personal computers, tablets, and smartphones. The user terminal device 30 comprises a communication unit 31, a calculation unit 32, a storage unit 33, an operation unit 34, and a display unit 35. The communication unit 31 communicates information with the support device 10, etc. The calculation unit 32 performs processing based on information stored in the storage unit 33. The storage unit 33 stores predetermined information. The operation unit 34 accepts user input. The display unit 35 presents predetermined information to the user.

[0024] [Zoning suggestion function] Figure 2 is a functional configuration diagram showing an example of the functional configuration used when the support device according to this embodiment provides a zoning proposal function. The zoning proposal function F1 will be explained with reference to this figure. First, zoning is the division of office space into work zones, meeting zones, exchange zones, etc., according to work style and activity content. The zoning proposal function F1 provided by System 1 makes an optimal room allocation based on the design concept. The design concept will be described later. The zoning proposal function F1 proposes a room allocation that solves the office's problems and achieves its objectives. The office's problems include issues related to Information and Communication Technology (ICT). To provide the zoning proposal function F1, the support device 10 includes a concept acquisition unit 111, an instruction statement generation unit 112, an inference result acquisition unit 113, a proposal unit 114, and a feedback acquisition unit 115 as functional units.

[0025] The concept acquisition unit 111 acquires the design concept of the office to be designed. In the following explanation, "design concept" refers to a design concept in a broad sense. A design concept in a broad sense includes not only concepts aimed at designing the layout of an office, but also information that, at first glance, does not seem directly related to a design concept, such as a company philosophy. However, a company philosophy is preferable to be reflected in the office layout design and is therefore included in a design concept in a broad sense. Concepts aimed at designing the layout of an office may be acquired from users. For example, it is conceivable to acquire user requests using a chatbot or the like. Furthermore, a company philosophy may be acquired from publicly available information, such as the target company's website. A design concept in a broad sense can also be said to be a concept that integrates information acquired from users and the company philosophy (i.e., an integrated concept).

[0026] The instruction text generation unit 112 generates an instruction text (prompt) to be input to the generation AI based on the design concept acquired by the concept acquisition unit 111. Preferably, the instruction text includes the design concept acquired by the concept acquisition unit 111, in addition to basic information of the target organization, the characteristics of the work, and information about space. Basic information of the target organization includes quantitative information such as the number of employees (total number, number of employees who are always in the office, percentage of remote work, etc.), organizational structure, and future expandability. Characteristics of the work include qualitative information such as whether the organization has many meetings or whether it is an organization where people work mostly individually, and if the organization is divided into departments, etc., which departments have the most meetings. Information about space includes quantitative information such as the total area and shape of the office. The design concept acquired by the concept acquisition unit 111 includes both quantitative and qualitative information. In this way, the instruction text generation unit 112 generates an instruction text based on quantitative and qualitative information. The trained model 21 shown in Figure 2 is an example of a generation AI that receives instruction sentences generated by the instruction sentence generation unit 112 as input. The instruction sentence generation unit 112 inputs the generated instruction sentences into the trained model 21.

[0027] The inference result acquisition unit 113 inputs the instruction generated by the instruction generation unit 112 into the trained model 21 and obtains the result of a zoning plan that conforms to the design concept. The zoning plan includes the type of room, the number of rooms, and the area ratio of the rooms. The area ratio is the area of ​​the rooms relative to the total area, and may also represent the size itself.

[0028] The proposal unit 114 proposes office zoning to the user based on the information obtained by the inference result acquisition unit 113. This proposal is implemented by transmitting information to the user terminal device 30 and displaying the information on the display unit 35 provided on the user terminal device 30. This proposal may be made by displaying the types of rooms, the number of rooms, and the area ratio of the rooms numerically. Alternatively, this proposal may be made by displaying a diagram containing two-dimensional or three-dimensional information in a manner that is easy to recognize and understand visually.

[0029] Here, the proposal unit 114 may output a proposal that does not meet the user's wishes. Furthermore, the user may want to modify part of the proposed plan. To address such requests, the support device 10 includes a feedback acquisition unit 115. The feedback acquisition unit 115 obtains feedback regarding the office zoning proposed by the proposal unit 114 from the design engineer (hereinafter broadly including company employees, and sometimes simply referred to as the engineer). This feedback may be in natural language or in the form of selecting from a set of options. After receiving the feedback, the instruction generation unit 112 generates a new instruction based on the feedback. The trained model 21 performs inference again based on the new instruction. The inference result acquisition unit 113 obtains the inference results again. Based on the new inference results, the proposal unit 114 proposes the office zoning to the user again.

[0030] The proposal unit 114 may propose multiple zoning plans to the user. The proposal unit 114 can also propose multiple plans to the user simultaneously. Simultaneously means without performing further inference considering feedback. In this case, the instruction generated by the instruction generation unit 112 includes an instruction to the trained model 21 to generate multiple plans. The calculation unit 32 infers the multiple plans. The inference result acquisition unit 113 acquires the multiple plans inferred by the trained model 21. The proposal unit 114 proposes the office zoning acquired by the inference result acquisition unit 113 to the user, with multiple plans.

[0031] Figure 3 is a functional configuration diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the concept acquisition unit according to this embodiment. Referring to the figure, an example of a specific configuration of the concept acquisition unit 111 will be described. As shown in the figure, the concept acquisition unit 111 comprises a corporate philosophy acquisition unit 111A, a user acquisition unit 111B, and an integrated concept acquisition unit 111C. By having these configurations, the concept acquisition unit 111 acquires a design concept that includes the corporate philosophy and information extracted from the user (i.e., the person in charge of office layout design).

[0032] The Corporate Philosophy Acquisition Unit 111A acquires the corporate philosophy of the target company or organization. The Corporate Philosophy Acquisition Unit 111A may, for example, extract the corporate philosophy from the target company's webpage. The Corporate Philosophy Acquisition Unit 111A may also extract the corporate philosophy based on various other publicly available information. Furthermore, the Corporate Philosophy Acquisition Unit 111A may acquire the corporate philosophy from the user.

[0033] The user acquisition unit 111B extracts requests from the user regarding office layout design or office challenges. The user acquisition unit 111B may also extract information by asking questions to the user through a chat function. User requests may be expressed in natural language, or they may be operations selected by the user from multiple options or operations entered in multiple checkboxes.

[0034] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the sequence of steps when providing a zoning proposal function using the support method according to this embodiment. The sequence of steps for the zoning proposal function F1 provided by the support device 10 will be explained with reference to this figure.

[0035] (Step S11) The Corporate Philosophy Acquisition Unit 111A acquires the corporate philosophy of the target company by referring to the target company's website and other publicly available information.

[0036] (Step S12) The user acquisition unit 111B acquires concepts regarding the office layout design through chat with the user. At this time, information such as the total area and number of people in the destination office may be acquired from the user through chat or other means.

[0037] (Step S13) The integrated concept acquisition unit 111C acquires an integrated concept, which is information obtained by integrating the information acquired in step S11 and the information acquired in step S12.

[0038] (Step S14) The instruction generation unit 112 generates an instruction to be input into the trained model 21 based on the total area of ​​the destination office and the number of employees of the target company (i.e., the number of people working in the new office).

[0039] (Step S15) The inference result acquisition unit 113 acquires the results inferred by the trained model 21.

[0040] (Step S16) The proposal unit 114 proposes to the user the inference result obtained by the inference result acquisition unit 113, i.e., the office zoning plan.

[0041] (Step S17) If the feedback acquisition unit 115 has received feedback from the user as a result of proposing a zoning plan to the user in step S16 (i.e., step S17; YES), it returns to step S15 and performs inference again. If no feedback is received from the user (i.e., step S17; NO), it terminates the process.

[0042] (Step S18) The instruction generation unit 112 generates an instruction based on user feedback for performing further reasoning.

[0043] Figure 5 is the first diagram showing an example of the screen configuration of the display screen presented in the zoning suggestion function according to this embodiment. The display screen D10 shown in the figure is an example of information operated by the user and transmitted to the support device 10. The user transmits information about the destination office to the support device 10 by operating the screen. Specifically, the display screen D10 includes reference numerals D11 and D12 as screen components.

[0044] The symbol D11 comprises the symbols D111 and D112 as components of the screen. Symbol D111 is the "Import Data Below" button. By operating this button, the user imports a diagram showing the shape and dimensions of the destination office. Symbol D12 shows an example of a display unit that shows the information after the shape and dimensions of the office have been imported. After importing the diagram, the user may make modifications by operating symbol D12. Symbol D13 is the "Input Complete" button. By operating this button, the user completes the input of the data below and proceeds to the next step.

[0045] Figure 6 is a second diagram showing an example of the screen configuration of the display screen presented in the zoning proposal function according to this embodiment. The display screen D20 shown in the figure is an example of a display screen that is displayed when the user acquisition unit 111B extracts information from the user using the chat function. The speech bubble coming from the left of the screen is a statement from the support device 10, and the statement coming from the right of the screen is a statement from the user.

[0046] Code D21 is a question from the support device 10 to the user asking about the reason for the relocation, specifically, "Hello, Mr. / Ms. XX. I understand you are considering relocating your office. First, could you tell me the reason for the relocation?" The user responds in natural language, specifically, "Our current office has become too small due to an increase in the number of employees, so we need more space." This kind of natural language information is an example of the requirements for office layout design that can be elicited from the design team. Code D23 is a confirmation report from the support device 10 to the user that the information has been obtained, specifically, "Thank you, Mr. / Ms. XX. The reason is 'our current office has become too small due to an increase in the number of employees, so we need more space.' Let's move on." The user can object if they disagree.

[0047] Code D24 is a question from the support device 10 to the user asking about their goals in the new office, specifically, "What do you want to achieve in the new office?" The display screen D20 shown in the figure shows the screen at the stage where the user answers this question. The user is presented with options in response to this question. Specifically, the options are shown as code D25, and there are three options: (1) I want to eliminate the walls between departments and create a space where natural communication can occur, (2) I want to balance both quiet, focused spaces with spaces where people can talk casually, and (3) I want to create a highly designed office that employees can be proud of. The user selects the desired option by operating the cursor 26. In the example shown, option (2) is selected. The result of the user's selection is entered into input box D27. The information entered into input box D27 can also be edited. If there are no desired options, the user can directly enter their answer into input box D27. Once the user has finished entering their answer, they submit their answer by operating code D28.

[0048] Figure 7 is a third diagram showing an example of the screen configuration of the display screen presented in the zoning proposal function according to this embodiment. Display screen D30 is an example of a display screen that is shown when the user acquisition unit 111B extracts information from the user using the chat function, and can be said to be a continuation of the display screen D20 described above.

[0049] Code D21 is a question from the support device 10 to the user asking about the image of the office the user desires, specifically asking, "Which office atmosphere best matches your image?" Furthermore, the support device 10 presents the user with two images as code D32. Code D32 is the first image and is labeled A. Code D33 is the second image and is labeled B. These images may be actual photographs of an office, other imagery, or illustrations.

[0050] The display screen D30 shown in the figure shows the screen at the stage where the question is answered. The question presents the user with options. Specifically, the options are indicated by code D33, and there are three options: (1) Proceed with A, (2) Proceed with B, and (3) Add a modern element. The user selects the desired option by manipulating cursor 34. In the illustrated example, option (1) is selected. The user's selection is entered into input box D35. The information entered in input box D35 can also be edited. If there are no desired options, the user can directly enter their answer into input box D35. Once the user has finished entering their answer, they submit it by manipulating code D36.

[0051] Figure 8 is a fourth figure showing an example of the screen configuration of the display screen presented in the zoning suggestion function according to this embodiment. Display screen D40 is an example of the display screen when the suggestion unit 114 suggests zoning to the user in step S16 described above. The support device 10 transmits information to the user terminal device 30, causing the display screen D40 to be displayed on the display unit 35 of the user terminal device 30. Specifically, the display screen D40 includes reference numerals D41 and D42 as screen components.

[0052] The symbol D41 comprises the symbols D411 and D412 as components of the screen. Symbol D411 is a "Regenerate" button. By operating this button, the user causes the support device 10 to execute the zoning plan again. Before the second execution, the user may be given an opportunity to provide feedback. This feedback may be provided using, for example, the chat function described with reference to Figures 6 and 7. Symbol D42 shows an example of a zoning plan that the support device 10 actually proposes to the user. After confirming the zoning plan, the user decides on the zoning by operating symbol D412 and proceeds to the narrow-sense layout design provided by the layout proposal function F2.

[0053] [Summary of Zoning Proposal Function F1] As described above, the support device 10 assists in the design of an office layout using the zoning proposal function F1. The support device 10 includes a concept acquisition unit 111 to acquire the design concept of the office to be designed, an instruction text generation unit 112 to generate instruction text to be input to the generation AI based on the acquired design concept, an inference result acquisition unit 113 to acquire the room types, number of rooms, and area ratios of the rooms in accordance with the design concept as a result of inputting the instruction text generated by the instruction text generation unit 112 to the generation AI, and a proposal unit 114 to propose office zoning based on the information obtained by the inference result acquisition unit 113. By adopting this configuration, it becomes possible to suitably generate zoning, which is a preliminary stage to office layout. By suitably generating office zoning, it becomes possible to suitably generate office layout. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the time required for office setup work when relocating or establishing a new office can be shortened.

[0054] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the design concept acquired by the concept acquisition unit 111 includes the corporate philosophy and information extracted from the design staff. By first designing the design concept based on the corporate philosophy and information extracted from the design staff, it becomes possible to generate zoning that better matches the corporate culture. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to prevent situations in the broader office layout design process where work has to be redone after progressing to downstream processes, and the time required for office setup work during office relocation and new office construction can be shortened.

[0055] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the concept acquisition unit 111 further includes a corporate philosophy acquisition unit 111A to extract the corporate philosophy from the target company's web page. By adopting such a configuration, the user can avoid the trouble of manually entering the corporate philosophy. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the time required for office setup work during office relocation and new office establishment can be easily reduced.

[0056] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the concept acquisition unit 111 further includes a user acquisition unit 111B to elicit requests from the design engineer regarding office layout design or office issues. By directly eliciting requests from the design engineer, the designer's intentions can be clearly understood. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to prevent situations where work has to be redone after progressing to downstream processes in the broader office layout design process, and the time required for office setup work during office relocation and new office construction can be shortened.

[0057] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the user acquisition unit 111B extracts information by asking questions to the design engineer through the chat function. By adopting such a configuration, the support device 10 can easily and accurately obtain the design engineer's requests.

[0058] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the instruction text generation unit 112 generates instruction texts based on the total area and number of occupants of the office whose layout is to be designed. Here, the total area and number of occupants of the office whose layout is to be designed are quantitative information. The design concept includes at least qualitative information. In other words, according to this embodiment, instruction texts are generated based on quantitative information and qualitative information. By adopting such a configuration, the support device 10 can generate zoning with high accuracy.

[0059] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, by including a feedback acquisition unit 115, feedback regarding the office zoning proposed by the proposal unit 114 is obtained from the design engineer. The proposal unit 114 then proposes the office zoning again based on the acquired feedback. In this way, by acquiring and incorporating feedback at the zoning stage, it is possible to prevent situations where the work has to be redone after progressing to downstream processes. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the time required for office setup work during office relocation and new office construction can be shortened.

[0060] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the instruction generated by the instruction generation unit 112 includes an instruction to the generation AI to generate multiple options, the inference result acquisition unit 113 acquires the multiple options inferred by the generation AI, and the proposal unit 114 proposes multiple office zoning options acquired by the inference result acquisition unit 113. In this way, the support device 10 allows the user to select the desired zoning from many options by proposing multiple options. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to prevent situations where the process has to be redone after proceeding to the downstream process. Thus, according to this embodiment, the time required for office setup work during office relocation and new office construction can be shortened.

[0061] [Variations of the zoning suggestion function] Next, a modified version of the zoning suggestion function will be described with reference to Figures 9 and 10. Note that in the description of the modified version of the zoning suggestion function, components already described may be omitted from further explanation by using the same reference numerals.

[0062] Figure 9 is a flowchart illustrating a modified version of the zoning suggestion function according to this embodiment. First, the flow of a series of processes related to the modified version of the zoning suggestion function will be explained with reference to the same figure. In the modified version of the zoning suggestion function, additional processing is performed between steps S13 and S14 of the process described with reference to Figure 4. The processing added in the modified version of the zoning suggestion function may be described as an adjustment process, and may be referred to as step S110.

[0063] (Step S111) First, in step S110, the zoning type is determined. Determining the zoning type involves deciding which zoning type to prioritize from among several pre-set zoning types. If there are multiple zoning types to prioritize, it also involves determining the ratio of which zoning types to prioritize. After determining the ratio, the top multiple zoning types may be selected. This decision is made based on the integrated concept obtained in step S13. This decision may be made by AI, or it may be made without AI using a rule-based method with a calculation formula, etc. As an example of the multiple zoning types that can be set, the following eight types of zoning types can be exemplified.

[0064] (1) Communication and Interaction (2) Centralized intellectual production system (3) Efficiency and Operation System (4) Relaxation / Refreshment (5) Brand and cultural dissemination (6) Innovation Labs (7) Digital Technology (8) Security and Privacy

[0065] As can be seen from the examples listed, the zoning type may indicate the direction of zoning. In step S111, any multiple zoning types may be determined. In this case, in addition to the zoning type, the weighting of each is determined. For example, as a result of the decision in step S111, (1) Communication and Interaction and (7) Digital Technology may be determined, and the weighting of each may be determined to be 70% for (1) Communication and Interaction and 30% for (7) Digital Technology. This decision can also be considered a guess.

[0066] (Step S121) Next, weighting is performed on the types of rooms that should be given importance. This weighting is performed based on the zoning type determined in step S111. The types of rooms may be predetermined, and in this step, consideration is given to which of the predetermined types of rooms should be given more weight. As an example of the set types of rooms and the results of the weighting, for example, in the case of (1) communication and interaction systems mentioned above, the following specific example can be given.

[0067] • Cafeteria (weighting: +1) • Work lounge (weighting: none) • Meeting space (weighting: +2) • Library (weighting: none) • Coworking space (weighting: none) • Exhibition space (weighting: -1) • Kitchen, cafe, snack booth (weighting: none) • Individual booth (weighting: -2)

[0068] Furthermore, in the case of (7) digital technology mentioned above, the following specific examples can be given. • Cafeteria (weighting: -1) • Work lounge (weighting: none) • Meeting space (weighting: +1) • Library (weighting: +1) • Coworking space (weighted: +1) • Exhibition space (weighting: none) • Kitchen, cafe, snack booth (weighted: -2) • Individual booth (weighting: +2)

[0069] Furthermore, the weighting performed in step S121 is preferably based on the ratio of zoning types determined in step S111 above. For example, if (1) Communication and Interaction is determined to be 70% and (7) Digital Technology is determined to be 30%, the weight of the cafeteria will be the sum of 70% of the weight for (1) Communication and Interaction and 30% of the weight for (7) Digital Technology. Specifically, the weight of the cafeteria is calculated as +1 × 0.7 - 1 × 0.3 = 0.4. Similarly, the weight of the meeting space will be the sum of 70% of the weight for (1) Communication and Interaction and 30% of the weight for (7) Digital Technology. Specifically, it is calculated as +2 × 0.7 + 1 × 0.3 = 1.7.

[0070] Thus, weighting may be applied to either the positive or negative side. Furthermore, there may be room types that are not weighted (i.e., have a zero weighting). This weighting may be performed using AI or a rule-based approach.

[0071] (Step S122) Next, based on the weighting results from step S121, the total office area and number of occupants obtained from the user in step S12, etc., and the integrated concept obtained in step S13, an instruction statement for input to the trained model 21 is generated. Based on this instruction statement, the trained model 21 generates the proportion and area of ​​each room type. Note that the information used to generate the instruction statement for input to the trained model 21 is not limited to this example and may be based on other information.

[0072] (Step S131) ​​Next, considerations are determined based on the zoning type determined in Step S111. Considerations are matters to be taken into consideration when zoning, such as the relationship between adjacent or separated rooms, and the arrangement of rooms (for example, arranging this room so that it faces this direction). The determination of these considerations is preferably done using a calculation formula or rule-based method in order to prevent hallucination by AI. As an example of considerations, for example, in the case of (1) communication and interaction systems mentioned above, the following specific examples can be given.

[0073] • The interaction space is located close to the offices, encouraging casual conversations. • The work lounge is located along the corridor and functions as a hub for traffic flow. • The cafeteria is located near windows or on the south side to ensure natural light and views. • The meeting space is located in a location easily accessible from the office. • The interaction space is located away from the concentration booths to prevent sound interference. • Separate visitor traffic and employee traffic to ensure security. • The coworking space is located close to the visitor area, separating the flow of external users.

[0074] Furthermore, the determination of considerations in step S131 is preferably based on the ratio of zoning types determined in step S111 above. For example, if (1) communication and interaction is determined to be 70% and (7) digital technology is determined to be 30%, then 7 of the 10 considerations for communication and interaction (i.e., 70%) may be selected from the highest priority considerations, and 3 of the 10 priority considerations for digital technology (i.e., 30%) may be selected from the highest priority considerations. In this case, if there are conflicting conditions, the plan with the higher total score may be selected.

[0075] (Step S132) Once the considerations are determined, the adjacency or separation of rooms is then determined. This is an attempt to materialize (or verbalize) any constraints on the adjacency or separation of rooms that arise based on the considerations derived in Step S131. This process is also preferably carried out using calculation formulas or rules to prevent hallucination by the AI.

[0076] (Step S133) After the considerations have been determined, the relationship with the orientation and windows, etc., is further determined. This is an attempt to materialize (or verbalize) the constraints if there are orientations or locations where the room should be placed, based on the considerations derived in Step S131. This process should also preferably be performed using calculation formulas or rules to prevent hallucination by the AI.

[0077] Of the processes described above, it is preferable that AI is used in at least part of the process including steps S121 and S122. On the other hand, it is preferable that the process including steps S131, S132, and S133 is performed using a predetermined rule base or calculation formula without the use of AI. By adopting such a configuration, hallucination by AI can be suppressed, and it becomes possible to prevent zoning that is not normally conceivable (and is not suitable as a realistic room design), such as rooms being created inside rooms or rooms being placed in impossible locations.

[0078] (Step S120) After the adjustment process described above, the process is returned to Figure 4, and more appropriate zoning is performed based on the concept.

[0079] Figure 10 is a functional configuration diagram showing an example of a functional configuration used when the support device according to this embodiment provides a modified version of the zoning proposal function. Referring to this figure, an example of support device 10A, which is a modified version of support device 10 described above, will be explained. In the explanation of support device 10A, components that are the same as those of support device 10 may be denoted by the same reference numerals, and their explanation may be omitted.

[0080] The zoning type determination unit 141 determines which of the pre-set zoning types to prioritize. The zoning type determination unit 141 makes this determination based on the design concept acquired by the concept acquisition unit 111. AI may be used in this determination process.

[0081] The zoning type determination unit 141 may determine multiple zoning types as the zoning types to be emphasized. In this case, the zoning type determination unit 141 determines the emphasis ratio for each of the multiple zoning types determined. The zoning type determination unit 141 determines the ratios so that the sum of the estimated ratios for the multiple zoning types equals 100%. For example, when the zoning type determination unit 141 determines two zoning types, it may set the first zoning type at 70% and the second zoning type at 30%. Alternatively, when the zoning type determination unit 141 determines three zoning types, it may set the first zoning type at 50%, the second zoning type at 30%, and the third zoning type at 30%.

[0082] The weighting unit 142 weights the room types that should be given importance based on the zoning type determined by the zoning type determination unit 141.

[0083] The considerations determination unit 143 examines the considerations for zoning based on the zoning type determined by the zoning type determination unit 141.

[0084] The inference result acquisition unit 113 acquires the room type, number of rooms, and area ratio of rooms based on the acquired design concept and the determined zoning type. Preferably, the inference result acquisition unit 113 acquires the room type, number of rooms, and area ratio of rooms obtained using the considerations considered by the consideration determination unit 143 as input information. Furthermore, preferably, the inference result acquisition unit 113 acquires the room type, number of rooms, and area ratio of rooms obtained using the weighting results from the weighting unit 142 as input information.

[0085] Furthermore, it is preferable that machine learning be used in at least part of the processing performed by the weighting unit 142. On the other hand, it is preferable that the processing performed by the consideration determination unit 143 does not use machine learning and is performed according to predetermined rules or calculation formulas.

[0086] [Summary of variations in the zoning suggestion function] As described above, according to the modified version of the zoning proposal function F1, the support device 10A is a support device that assists in the design of an office layout, and includes a concept acquisition unit 111 to acquire the design concept of the office to be designed, a zoning type determination unit 141 to determine which of a plurality of pre-set zoning types to prioritize based on the design concept, an inference result acquisition unit 113 to acquire the room type, the number of rooms, and the area ratio of the rooms based on the acquired design concept and the determined zoning type, and a proposal unit 114 to propose office zoning based on the information obtained by the inference result acquisition unit 113. According to this embodiment, by adopting such a configuration, hallucination due to the use of AI can be prevented, and zoning that matches the design concept can be proposed with high accuracy.

[0087] Furthermore, according to the above-described embodiment, the zoning type determination unit 141 adopts a configuration that determines multiple zoning types and the importance ratio of each zoning type as the zoning type to be emphasized. This makes it possible to propose zoning that matches the design concept even when it is not possible to narrow it down to a single zoning type. Moreover, according to this embodiment, by specifying multiple zoning types by ratio, it is possible to propose zoning that better matches the design concept.

[0088] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the support device 10A includes a weighting unit 142 that weights the types of rooms that should be given importance based on the determined zoning type, and the inference result acquisition unit 113 acquires the room type, the number of rooms, and the area ratio of the rooms, which are obtained as input information based on the weighting results from the weighting unit 142. By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to propose zoning that is more in line with the design concept.

[0089] Furthermore, according to the above-described embodiment, machine learning is used in at least part of the processing performed by the weighting unit 142. According to this embodiment, by using machine learning to determine the zoning type, it is possible to propose zoning that is accurate and matches the design concept.

[0090] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the support device 10A includes a consideration determination unit 143 which examines considerations for zoning based on the determined zoning type, and the inference result acquisition unit 113 acquires the room type, number of rooms, and area ratio of rooms, which are obtained using the considerations examined by the consideration determination unit 143 as input information. By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to propose zoning that is more in line with the design concept.

[0091] Furthermore, according to the above-described embodiment, machine learning is not used in the processing performed by the consideration determination unit 143, and the processing performed by the consideration determination unit 143 is carried out according to predetermined rules or calculation formulas. According to this embodiment, by not using machine learning for the purpose of considering considerations, hallucination due to the use of AI can be prevented.

[0092] [Layout suggestion function] Figure 11 is a functional configuration diagram showing an example of the functional configuration used when the support device according to this embodiment provides a layout proposal function. The layout proposal function F2 will be explained with reference to this figure. First, the layout provided by the layout proposal function F2 is a layout in the narrow sense, which refers to arranging furniture and other items in an already determined (zoned) space. In order to provide the layout proposal function F2, the support device 10 includes, as functional units, a concept acquisition unit 121, a corresponding information acquisition unit 122, an instruction statement generation unit 123, an inference result acquisition unit 124, a proposal unit 125, and a feedback acquisition unit 126.

[0093] The concept acquisition unit 121 acquires the design concept of the office to be designed. In the description of the layout proposal function F2, the concept acquisition unit 121 may have the same configuration as the concept acquisition unit 111 described above. In the detailed description of the concept acquisition unit 121 in the layout proposal function F2, the explanation of matters that are the same as those of the concept acquisition unit 111 will be omitted.

[0094] Unlike the zoning proposal function F1, the layout proposal function F2 designs each room individually, so each room may have its own design concept. For example, the design concepts for the office area, the free space, and the conference room may be different from each other. For instance, the design concept for the office area could be "classic," the free space "cafe-style," and the conference room "modern." In this case, the concept acquisition unit 121 can acquire the characteristics of each room based on the design concept.

[0095] The correspondence information acquisition unit 122 acquires correspondence information that associates elements installed in the office with information about those elements. The information about the elements includes the image of the element and specific information about the element. Elements installed in the office include, for example, furniture such as chairs and desks. The image of the element may be "modern," "cafe style," "classic style," etc. The image of the element may use words that are used in conjunction with the design concept for each room as described above, or different words may be used. Examples of specific information about the element include color patterns, materials, quality, performance (whether it is a luxury item or inexpensive, etc.), and concepts (for example, lightweight design for easy movement to facilitate communication).

[0096] The instruction statement generation unit 123 generates an instruction statement (prompt) to be input to the generation AI based on the design concept acquired by the concept acquisition unit 111 and the corresponding information acquired by the corresponding information acquisition unit 122. Preferably, the instruction statement includes information necessary to determine which furniture to place in the designated area. This information includes the design concept. The trained model 222 shown in Figure 11 is an example of a generation AI to which the instruction statement generated by the instruction statement generation unit 123 is input. The instruction statement generation unit 123 inputs the generated instruction statement to the trained model 233.

[0097] Furthermore, when the instruction statement generation unit 123 generates an instruction statement, the result of the zoning suggestion function F1 described above may be referenced. In other words, the layout suggestion function F2 may exist as a process after the zoning suggestion function F1 has been executed. However, this embodiment is not limited to this example, and the layout suggestion function F2 may exist as a separate and independent function separate from the zoning suggestion function F1.

[0098] The inference result acquisition unit 124 inputs the instruction generated by the instruction generation unit 123 into the trained model 222 and obtains a proposed office layout. The proposed office layout includes the types, number, and arrangement of furniture and equipment (including ICT equipment) to be placed in each room. The proposed office layout may also include two-dimensional or three-dimensional images of the actual furniture arrangement.

[0099] The proposal unit 125 proposes an office layout to the user based on the information obtained by the inference result acquisition unit 124. This proposal is executed by transmitting information to the user terminal device 30 and displaying the information on the display unit 35 of the user terminal device 30. This proposal is made by referring to correspondence information that associates elements to be installed in the office (e.g., furniture, etc.) with images of those elements. Furthermore, this proposal is made using elements that conform to the design concept acquired by the concept acquisition unit 121.

[0100] Here, the proposal unit 114 may output a proposal that does not meet the user's wishes. Also, the user may want to change part of the proposed design. To address such requests, the support device 10 is equipped with a feedback acquisition unit 126. The feedback acquisition unit 126 acquires feedback from the design engineer regarding the office layout proposed by the proposal unit 125. This feedback may be in natural language or in the form of selecting one of several options. After receiving the feedback, the instruction text generation unit 123 generates a new instruction text that takes the feedback into consideration. The trained model 222 performs inference again based on the new instruction text. The inference result acquisition unit 124 acquires the results of this re-inference. Based on the new inference results, the proposal unit 125 proposes an office layout to the user again.

[0101] The correspondence information generation unit 127 generates correspondence information and stores it in the correspondence information storage unit 221. The correspondence information is generated using a generation AI, with at least product information of the element (for example, product information obtainable from the fixture manufacturer's website or product catalog) as input information, to identify information about the element, such as its image and specific details. The correspondence information generation unit 127 generates correspondence information by associating the element with the identified information. It is preferable that the information about the element, such as its image and specific details, is identified mechanically (automatically) by the correspondence information generation unit 127, but human judgment may also be involved.

[0102] Figure 12 shows an example of correspondence information in which furniture and images are associated in the layout suggestion function according to this embodiment. The figure shows an example of correspondence information stored in the correspondence information storage unit 221. As shown in the figure, the correspondence information associates furniture (an example of an element) with images. In the example shown, the image corresponding to the furniture "desk 1" is "natural (wood cafe style)", the image corresponding to the furniture "desk 2" is "natural (green x cafe style)", the image corresponding to the furniture "desk 3" is "classic (European classic)", and the image corresponding to the furniture "desk 4" is "natural (Japanese classic)".

[0103] In the example shown here, the corresponding information can be described as having a hierarchical structure of images. For example, the image "Natural" is a higher-level structure, and "Wood Cafe Style" or "Green x Cafe Style" are lower-level structures. In this case, with a hierarchical structure, it is conceivable to first propose "Wood Cafe Style" under "Natural" to the user, and then propose "Green x Cafe Style," which has a similar higher-level structure. In other words, when the proposal unit 125 proposes an office layout again based on the feedback results from the feedback acquisition unit 126, it can also propose an office layout using elements that are suitable at the same or a higher level.

[0104] In the explanation above, referring to Figure 12, we described an example where an image of an element is used as the corresponding information. However, specific information may also be associated with the element as the corresponding information. Examples of specific information include color patterns, materials, quality, performance (e.g., whether it is a luxury item or inexpensive), and concept (e.g., lightweight design for easy movement to facilitate communication). In addition, various other types of information that can be used for matching can be used as element information.

[0105] Figure 13 is the first diagram showing an example of the screen configuration of a display screen presented in the layout proposal function according to this embodiment. The display screen D50 shown in the figure is an example of a case in which the result of the layout design performed by the support device 10 is presented to the user on a two-dimensional information display screen. Specifically, the display screen D50 includes reference numerals D51 and D52 as screen components.

[0106] The symbol D51 comprises the symbols D511, D512, D513, and D514 as components of the screen. Symbol D511 is a button for recreating the proposed layout. The proposed layout is displayed in symbol D52. Note that there may be cases where some of the proposed layouts are to be adopted and others are not. In such cases, it is possible to lock (confirm) each room. In this case, the user can also recreate only the rooms that are not locked (not confirmed) by operating symbol D511.

[0107] The symbol D512 transitions to the three-dimensional information display screen. An example of the three-dimensional information display screen will be described later with reference to Figure 14. Note that display screen D50 shows an example of the two-dimensional information display screen. The symbol D513 is the "Save button". The user saves the layout by operating this button. The symbol D514 is a button that transitions to a screen for checking the reasonableness of costs and checking building regulations, etc.

[0108] The symbol D52 displays the results of the layout design performed by the support device 10 in a two-dimensional information display. Symbol D52 shows an example of how furniture and other items are arranged in each room. The user can zoom in on the screen to see details, or zoom out to see the whole picture. The user can also check the details of the furniture that has been placed.

[0109] Figure 14 is a second diagram showing an example of the screen configuration of a display screen presented in the layout proposal function according to this embodiment. The display screen D60 shown in the figure is an example of a case in which the results of the layout design performed by the support device 10 are presented to the user on a three-dimensional information display screen. Specifically, the display screen D60 includes reference numerals D61 and D62 as screen components.

[0110] The symbol D61 comprises the symbols D611, D612, D613, and D614 as screen components. The screen configuration of symbol D51 is the same as that of symbol D51 described above, but differs from symbol D51 in that symbol D612 is a button for transitioning to a two-dimensional information display screen. An example of a two-dimensional information display screen has already been explained with reference to Figure 13.

[0111] The symbol D62 displays the results of the layout design performed by the support device 10 in a three-dimensional information display. Symbol D62 shows an example of how furniture and other items are arranged in each room. The user can zoom in on the screen to see details, or zoom out to see the whole picture. The user can also check the details of the furniture that has been placed.

[0112] Figure 15 is a flowchart showing the sequence of steps when providing a layout suggestion function using the support method according to this embodiment. The sequence of steps for the layout suggestion function F2 provided by the support device 10 will be explained with reference to this figure.

[0113] (Step S21) The concept acquisition unit 121 acquires the design concept for the office. Step S21 may include steps S11 to S13 described above.

[0114] (Step S22) The proposal unit 125 refers to the corresponding information stored in the corresponding information storage unit 221 and proposes an office layout to the user that matches the design concept.

[0115] (Step S23) If the feedback acquisition unit 126 has received feedback from the user as a result of proposing the layout to the user in step S22 (i.e., step S23; YES), it proceeds to step S24. If it does not receive feedback from the user (i.e., step S23; NO), it terminates the process.

[0116] (Step S24) If user feedback is obtained, the feedback is added to the considerations and the layout design is revised.

[0117] [Summary of Layout Suggestion Function F2] As described above, the support device 10 assists in the design of an office layout using the layout proposal function F2. The support device 10 includes a concept acquisition unit 121 to acquire the design concept of the office to be designed, a proposal unit 125 to refer to correspondence information that associates elements to be installed in the office with images of those elements, and proposes an office layout using elements that conform to the design concept acquired by the concept acquisition unit 121, and a feedback acquisition unit 126 to obtain feedback from the design engineer regarding the office layout proposed by the proposal unit 125. Furthermore, the proposal unit 125 proposes an office layout again based on the feedback results from the feedback acquisition unit 121. By adopting such a configuration, it becomes possible to suitably carry out office layout design. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the time required for office installation work when relocating or establishing a new office can be shortened.

[0118] Furthermore, according to the above-described embodiment, the support device 10 further includes a corresponding information generation unit 127, which uses product information of an element as input information, identifies the image of the element using a generation AI, and generates corresponding information by associating the element with the identified image. The input information may include, for example, the homepage or product catalog of a furniture manufacturer. According to this embodiment, layout design can be performed for furniture provided by various furniture manufacturers, so a layout design that meets the user's needs can be created. By creating a layout design that meets the user's needs, the number of revisions can be reduced. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the time required for office setup work when relocating or establishing a new office can be shortened. In addition, according to this embodiment, it becomes possible to respond flexibly even when a furniture manufacturer releases a new product or when the sale of an old product is discontinued.

[0119] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the corresponding information has a hierarchical structure of images, and when the proposal unit 125 proposes an office layout again based on the feedback results from the feedback acquisition unit 126, it proposes an office layout using suitable elements in the same or higher hierarchical levels. By using such a hierarchical structure, even if the user does not like the current layout, they can easily find the next candidate. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the time required for office setup work during office relocation and new office establishment can be reduced.

[0120] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the concept acquisition unit 121 acquires the design concept of the office to be designed from the design engineer. The concept acquisition unit 121 extracts information by, for example, asking questions to the design engineer through a chat function. By adopting such a configuration, the support device 10 can easily and accurately elicit the design engineer's requests.

[0121] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the concept acquisition unit 121 acquires the design concept of the office to be designed based on the corporate philosophy and information extracted from the design staff. By first designing the design concept based on the corporate philosophy and information extracted from the design staff, it becomes possible to implement a layout design that better matches the corporate culture. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to prevent situations in the broader office layout design process where work has to be redone after progressing to the downstream processes, and the time required for office setup work during office relocation and new office construction can be shortened.

[0122] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the concept acquisition unit 121 acquires the characteristics of each room based on the design concept. By adopting such a configuration, it becomes possible to implement a suitable layout design for each room.

[0123] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, if a design concept for a smart office is acquired by the concept acquisition unit 131, a larger amount is set for ICT-related expenses. By adopting such a configuration, it becomes possible to individually and specifically apply the costs to items other than furniture, such as ICT expenses, according to the specific design concept.

[0124] [Variations of the layout suggestion function] Next, we will describe modified versions of the layout suggestion function with reference to Figures 16 to 18. Note that in the description of modified versions of the layout suggestion function, components already described may be omitted from further explanation by using the same reference numerals.

[0125] Figure 16 is a flowchart illustrating a modified version of the layout suggestion function according to this embodiment. First, the flow of a series of processes related to the modified version of the layout suggestion function will be explained with reference to the figure. The processes described in the figure may be additional processes performed between steps S21 and S22 of the processes explained with reference to Figure 15.

[0126] (Step S211) First, the zoning type is obtained. This zoning type may be determined in the modified version of the zoning proposal function described above.

[0127] (Step S221) Next, a color concept is obtained. The color concept is determined based on the office design concept obtained in step S21. The color concept may be determined based on colors extracted from, for example, the company's web page or logo. Alternatively, the color concept may be determined based on the zoning type obtained in step S211, in addition to the design concept. The color concept is a color representation of the office design concept, and may, for example, identify a base color and an accent color. The base color is the dominant color of the office. The accent color is an accent color used in part of the layout based on the base color. As for the logic of determining the specific colors, a hue angle from the color wheel theory for the accent color may be defined for each zoning type, and a suitable base color may be determined. As an example of a color concept, for example, in the case of (1) Communication and Interaction System mentioned above, the following specific example can be given.

[0128] • Bright, warm colors (orange, yellow): Promote lively conversation • Accent colors (blue and green): Add brand colors and visual rhythm.

[0129] (Step S222) Next, layout considerations are examined. These layout considerations are based on the zoning type and room type. Layout considerations include considerations regarding the placement of furniture. The examination of these layout considerations is preferably performed using formulas or rules to prevent hallucination by the AI. Machine learning algorithms may also be used if it is possible to prevent hallucination. As an example of the examination of layout considerations, for example, in the case of (1) communication and interaction systems described above, the following specific example can be given.

[0130] • The main table is a round table. • Standing tables are used.

[0131] (Step S231) Next, the module assignment process is performed. In the module assignment process, an appropriate module is selected from the module database and applied to each room arranged in the zoning. The module database is a database that stores the arrangement of furniture, etc., with each room unit as one module. In other words, the module database does not register specific products of furniture and equipment. The module database may store, for example, "room type", "area size", "number of seats", "compatible zoning type (multiple possible)", "arrangement of accent color and base color of furniture", "price range", etc., associated with each module.

[0132] (Step S232) After the module is assigned, specific product information is determined by matching. In the matching process, the information of each fixture and equipment included in the module is matched with the specific product information.

[0133] Figure 17 is a functional configuration diagram showing an example of a functional configuration used when the support device according to this embodiment provides a modified version of the layout suggestion function. Referring to the figure, an example of support device 10B, which is a modified version of support device 10 described above, will be explained. In the explanation of support device 10B, components that are the same as those of support device 10 may be denoted by the same reference numerals and their explanation may be omitted. Support device 10B differs from support device 10 described above in that it further includes a color concept determination unit 151, a zoning type acquisition unit 152, a module assignment unit 153, and a color determination unit 154.

[0134] The color concept determination unit 151 determines the color concept based on the design concept acquired by the concept acquisition unit 121 and the zoning type acquired by the zoning type acquisition unit 152. The color concept determination unit 151 determines the base color and accent color of the office as the color concept. Specifically, it is preferable for the color concept determination unit 151 to determine two colors that are complementary to each other based on the color wheel as the base color and accent color. In addition to the color wheel, the color concept determination unit 151 may also determine the base color and accent color based on saturation, lightness, etc. Furthermore, it is preferable that the base color determined by the color concept determination unit 151 is determined based on the accent color and a predetermined rule in accordance with color wheel theory. Specifically, the base color determined by the color concept determination unit 151 may be a darker color compared to the accent color.

[0135] The zoning type acquisition unit 152 acquires a zoning type that is important from among a plurality of pre-set zoning types, based on the design concept acquired by the concept acquisition unit 121. The zoning type acquisition unit 152 may also acquire a zoning type that has been inferred by the zoning type prediction unit 121 described above.

[0136] Furthermore, if multiple zoning types are determined, the layout considerations will be determined based on the proportion of each zoning type, similar to the zoning considerations. Specifically, the proportions will be applied starting from the highest-ranking consideration. In addition, if multiple zoning types are determined, the color concept may reflect the zoning type with the highest proportion among the determined zoning types.

[0137] The module assignment unit 153 assigns predefined modules based on the zoning type acquired by the zoning type acquisition unit 152. "Based on the zoning type" may mean selecting and assigning modules corresponding to each room determined by the zoning type from a predefined group of modules. This group of modules may be prepared in advance as a module database. The color of the furniture is indirectly specified for each module assigned by the module assignment unit 153. "Indirectly specified" means that it is specified as a base color or accent color, and the specific color name is not specified in the module itself.

[0138] The color determination unit 154 determines the color of each fixture included in the module assigned by the module assignment unit 153. For each fixture designated as a base color or accent color by the module, the color determination unit 154 determines a specific color name according to the color concept determined by the color concept determination unit 151.

[0139] The instruction text generation unit 123 generates an instruction text based on the concept acquired by the concept acquisition unit 121, the color of the furniture determined by the color determination unit 154, and the correspondence information acquired by the correspondence information acquisition unit 122 (information that associates elements installed in the office with images of those elements), and inputs the instruction text into the trained model 222.

[0140] The inference result acquisition unit 124 obtains the results of inference performed by the trained model 222. These inference results include the results of an office layout using elements that conform to the design concept and the color concept.

[0141] The proposal unit 125 proposes an office layout to the user, which is obtained as a result of inference performed by the trained model 222. In this modified example, the proposal unit 125 proposes an office layout in which specific product information is identified based on the color of each piece of furniture determined by the color determination unit 154.

[0142] Figure 18 is a diagram illustrating an example of the application of the color concept in the layout proposal function according to this embodiment. Referring to this figure, first, an example of the module described above will be explained, followed by an example of the application of the color concept. The reference numeral D70 shown in the figure includes reference numerals D71 and D72. Reference numeral D71 is an example of the result of zoning an office. One of the multiple rooms included in reference numeral D71 is reference numeral D711, which is, for example, an office. Reference numeral D72 is an example of a module assigned to the office shown in reference numeral D711.

[0143] Code D72 includes four desks: D721, D722, D723, and D724. The color of these desks is the base color. Each desk has a corresponding chair. The color of the chair is either the base color or the accent color. As an example, let's describe the chair assigned to desk D721. Six chairs, D721A through D721F, are placed around desk D721. Of these, the colors of D721A, D721B, D721D, and D721E are the base colors. On the other hand, the colors of D721C and D721F are the accent colors.

[0144] Each module stored in the module database stores the arrangement of the fixtures and the color of each fixture. Here, the color of each fixture is simply stored as either a base color or an accent color; the specific color name is determined according to the color concept.

[0145] [Summary of variations in the layout suggestion function] As described above, according to the modified version of the layout proposal function F2, the support device 10B is a support device that assists in the design of an office layout, and by including a concept acquisition unit 121, it acquires the design concept of the office to be designed, by including a color concept determination unit 151, it determines a color concept based on the acquired design concept, and by including a proposal unit 125, it refers to correspondence information that associates elements to be installed in the office with the image of those elements, and proposes an office layout using elements that match the design concept acquired by the concept acquisition unit 121 and the color concept determined by the color concept determination unit 151. According to this embodiment, by proposing an office layout using elements that match the color concept derived from the design concept, it is possible to propose a layout that matches the design concept.

[0146] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the support device 10B includes a zoning type acquisition unit 152 to acquire a zoning type of importance from among a plurality of pre-set zoning types based on the design concept acquired by the concept acquisition unit 121, a module assignment unit 153 to assign a predefined module based on the acquired zoning type, and a color determination unit 154 to determine the color of each element (for example, furniture) included in the module. In addition, the proposal unit 125 identifies specific product information based on the color of each element determined by the color determination unit 154 and proposes an office layout. According to this embodiment, the image of the space can be greatly changed by applying colors that match the design concept to the modules.

[0147] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the support device 10B determines a base color for the office and an accent color as a color concept, and the color determination unit 154 determines the color of each element included in the module based on the base color and the accent color. According to this embodiment, by determining the base color and the accent color, it becomes possible to express a space that matches the design concept.

[0148] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the support device 10B determines two colors that are complementary to each other based on the color wheel, with the color concept determination unit 151 as the base color and accent color. According to this embodiment, it is possible to determine the base color and accent color using the concept of the color wheel, based on a single angle. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the base color and accent color can be easily determined.

[0149] Furthermore, according to the above-described embodiment, the base color determined by the color concept determination unit 151 is determined by the accent color and a predetermined rule in accordance with the color wheel theory, according to the support device 10B. Specifically, the base color is darker than the accent color. According to this embodiment, it is possible to give a calm impression with the base color while expressing a lively impression with the accent color.

[0150] [Internal structure] Figure 19 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the support device according to this embodiment. The computer shown in the figure shows an example of a specific hardware configuration for realizing the support device 10. The computer consists of a central processing unit (processor) 901, RAM 902, input / output ports 903, input / output devices 904 and 905, etc., and a bus 906. The computer itself can be realized using existing technology. The central processing unit 901 executes instructions contained in programs read from RAM 902, etc. The central processing unit 901 writes data to RAM 902, reads data from RAM 902, and performs arithmetic and logical operations according to each instruction. RAM 902 stores data and programs. Each element contained in RAM 902 has an address and can be accessed using that address. RAM stands for "Random Access Memory". Input / output ports 903 are ports for the central processing unit 901 to exchange data with external input / output devices, etc. Input / output devices 904 and 905 are input / output devices. Input / output devices 904 and 905 exchange data with the central processing unit 901 via input / output ports 903. Bus 906 is a common communication channel used within the computer. For example, the central processing unit 901 reads and writes data to RAM 902 via bus 906. Also, for example, the central processing unit 901 accesses input / output ports via bus 906. Furthermore, all or part of the support device 10 may be implemented using hardware such as ASICs, PLDs, or FPGAs. Furthermore, all or part of each functional unit may be implemented by a combination of software and hardware.

[0151] Furthermore, the above-described embodiment makes it possible to "propose a suitable office layout and shorten the time required for office setup work during relocation and new construction." The suitable office layout includes matters related to ICT. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to contribute to Goal 9 of the United Nations-led Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), "Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and expand innovation."

[0152] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and design modifications and the like are also included within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

[0153] Alternatively, computer programs for realizing the functions of each of the above-mentioned devices may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and the programs recorded on this recording medium may be loaded into a computer system and executed. Note that the term "computer system" here may include hardware such as an operating system and peripheral devices. Furthermore, "computer-readable recording media" refers to writable non-volatile memory such as flexible disks, magneto-optical disks, ROMs, and flash memory, portable media such as DVDs (Digital Versatile Discs), and storage devices such as hard disks built into computer systems.

[0154] Furthermore, "computer-readable recording media" also includes volatile memory (e.g., DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory)) within a computer system that acts as a server or client when a program is transmitted via a network such as the Internet or a communication line such as a telephone line, which retains the program for a certain period of time. In addition, the above program may be transmitted from the computer system that stores the program in a storage device, etc., to another computer system via a transmission medium or by transmission waves within the transmission medium. Here, the "transmission medium" for transmitting the program refers to a medium that has the function of transmitting information, such as a network such as the Internet or a communication line such as a telephone line. Furthermore, the above program may be for the purpose of realizing a part of the above-mentioned functions. Moreover, it may be a so-called differential file (differential program) that can realize the above-mentioned functions in combination with a program already recorded in the computer system. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0155] 1...System, 10...Support device, 11...Communication unit, 12...Calculation unit, 13...Storage unit, P...Support program, F1...Zoning suggestion function, F2...Layout suggestion function, 30...User terminal device, 31...Communication unit, 32...Calculation unit, 33...Storage unit, 34...Operation unit, 35...Display unit, 111...Concept acquisition unit, 112...Instruction statement generation unit, 113...Inference result acquisition unit, 114...Suggestion unit, 115...Feedback acquisition unit, 21...Trained model 111A...Corporate Philosophy Acquisition Unit, 111B...User Acquisition Unit, 121...Concept Acquisition Unit, 122...Corresponding Information Acquisition Unit, 123...Instruction Sentence Generation Unit, 124...Inference Result Acquisition Unit, 125...Proposal Unit, 126...Feedback Acquisition Unit, 221...Corresponding Information Storage Unit, 222...Trained Model, 131...Concept Acquisition Unit, 132...Element Cost Acquisition Unit, 133...Presentation Unit, 134...Operation Acquisition Unit, 135...Cost Calculation Unit, 231...Element Cost Information Storage Unit

Claims

1. An assistive device for designing office layouts, A concept acquisition unit acquires a design concept for the office to be designed, which includes the corporate philosophy extracted from the target company's webpage and information obtained from the person in charge. Based on the aforementioned design concept, a zoning type determination unit determines which zoning type to prioritize from among a plurality of pre-set zoning types, An inference result acquisition unit that acquires the room type, the number of rooms, and the area ratio of the rooms based on the acquired design concept and the determined zoning type, Based on the information obtained by the aforementioned inference result acquisition unit, a proposal unit proposes office zoning, A support device equipped with the following features.

2. The zoning type determination unit determines multiple zoning types to be prioritized, and the importance ratio of each zoning type. The support device according to claim 1.

3. Based on the determined zoning type, the system further includes a weighting section that assigns weights to the types of rooms that should be given importance. The inference result acquisition unit acquires the room type, the number of rooms, and the area ratio of the rooms, which are obtained as input information based on the weighting results performed by the weighting unit. The support device according to claim 1.

4. At least machine learning is used in part of the processing performed by the weighting unit. The support device according to claim 3.

5. Based on the determined zoning type, the considerations for zoning are determined. It further includes a section for determining considerations, The inference result acquisition unit acquires the room type, the number of rooms, and the area ratio of the rooms, which are obtained using the considerations determined by the considerations determination unit as input information. The support device according to claim 1 or claim 3.

6. The processing performed by the aforementioned consideration determination unit does not utilize machine learning. The processing performed by the aforementioned consideration determination unit is carried out according to predetermined rules or calculation formulas. The support device according to claim 5.

7. A weighting unit that weights the room types that should be given importance based on the determined zoning type, The system further comprises a consideration determination unit that determines considerations for zoning based on the determined zoning type, The inference result acquisition unit uses the weighted results from the weighting unit as input information to acquire the room type, the number of rooms, and the area ratio of the rooms, which are obtained using machine learning. The consideration determination unit, once the considerations have been determined, determines whether rooms are adjacent or separated without using machine learning. The support device according to claim 1 or claim 2.

8. Further comprising a weighting unit that weights the room types that should be given importance based on the determined zoning type, The weighting unit weights the room types that should be given importance according to the importance ratio determined by the zoning type determination unit. The support device according to claim 2.

9. The system further comprises a consideration determination unit that determines considerations for zoning based on the determined zoning type, The aforementioned consideration determination unit determines the considerations for zoning according to the importance ratio determined by the zoning type determination unit. The support device according to claim 2.

10. The zoning type indicates the direction of zoning and is a classification in advance of what kind of activity the space should be optimized for. The zoning type determination unit determines which zoning type to prioritize from among a plurality of pre-classified zoning types. The support device according to claim 1 or claim 2.

11. A method for assisting in the design of office layouts performed using a computer, The computer performs a concept acquisition process to acquire a design concept for the office to be designed, which includes the corporate philosophy extracted from the target company's webpage and information obtained from the person in charge. The computer performs a zoning type determination step in which it determines which zoning type to prioritize from among a plurality of pre-set zoning types based on the design concept, The computer performs an inference result acquisition step, which acquires the type of room, the number of rooms, and the area ratio of the rooms based on the acquired design concept and the determined zoning type. The computer, based on the information obtained in the inference result acquisition step, proposes an office zoning step, A support method that has the following characteristics.

12. A program that causes a computer to perform processes to assist in designing an office layout, A concept acquisition step involves obtaining a design concept for the office to be designed, which includes the corporate philosophy extracted from the target company's webpage and information obtained from the person in charge. Based on the aforementioned design concept, a zoning type determination step is performed to determine which zoning type to prioritize from among several pre-set zoning types, An inference result acquisition step to acquire the room type, number of rooms, and area ratio of rooms based on the acquired design concept and the determined zoning type, Based on the information obtained in the aforementioned inference result acquisition step, a proposal step is made to propose office zoning, A program that executes the command.

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