Abnormality notification device, method, and system

Abstract

This abnormality notification device that notifies a plurality of users of an abnormality in a facility installed in an environment includes: a communication unit that performs data communication with a plurality of terminal devices respectively associated with the plurality of users; a control unit that controls operation of the communication unit to transmit / receive information; a state information acquisition unit that acquires state information indicating a state of the facility; and a positional information acquisition unit that acquires positional information indicating positions of the users in the environment. The control unit identifies that the facility is in an abnormal state on the basis of the state information and then transmits abnormality notification indicating that the facility is in the abnormal state to the plurality of terminal devices, detects, after transmission of the abnormality notification, a user who is to move to the facility being in the abnormal state from among the plurality of users on the basis of the positional information, and transmits, upon detection of the user to move, cancellation notification indicating cancellation of the abnormality notification to a part of all of the plurality of terminal devices to which the abnormality notification has been transmitted.

Description

Anomaly notification device, method, and system

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an abnormality notification device, method, and system.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a work management system that includes a work management server that manages various tasks occurring in real time and assists in task allocation, and a clerk terminal carried by each employee. The work management server transmits work request information requesting registered tasks to each clerk terminal and receives response information from the clerk terminal in response to the employee's response. The work management server notifies the clerk terminal that responds first of the work assignment, and then notifies the other clerk terminals that the work request has been canceled. In this way, the work management server of Patent Document 1 aims to allocate tasks fairly and efficiently.

[0003] JP 2017-156882 A

[0004] The present disclosure provides an abnormality notification device, method, and system that enable multiple workers to efficiently deal with equipment abnormalities.

[0005] An abnormality notification device according to one aspect of the present disclosure notifies multiple users of an abnormality in equipment installed in an environment. The abnormality notification device includes a communication unit, a control unit, a status information acquisition unit, and a location information acquisition unit. The communication unit performs data communication with multiple terminal devices associated with the multiple users, respectively. The control unit controls the operation of the communication unit to send and receive information. The status information acquisition unit acquires status information indicating the status of the equipment. The location information acquisition unit acquires location information indicating the location of each user in the environment. When the control unit determines that the equipment is in an abnormal state based on the status information, it transmits an abnormality notification indicating that the equipment is in an abnormal state to the multiple terminal devices. After transmitting the abnormality notification, the control unit detects, based on the location information, a user of the multiple users moving toward the equipment in the abnormal state. When the control unit detects the moving user, it transmits a cancellation notification indicating cancellation of the abnormality notification to some or all of the multiple terminal devices that transmitted the abnormality notification.

[0006] These general and specific aspects may be realized by a system, a method, and a computer program, as well as combinations thereof.

[0007] The abnormality notification device, method, and system disclosed herein enable multiple workers to efficiently deal with equipment abnormalities.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an abnormality notification system according to the first embodiment; FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of an operator terminal according to the first embodiment; FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a notification server according to the first embodiment; FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the abnormality notification system; FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining an example of the operation of the abnormality notification system; FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of notification display on an operator terminal of the abnormality notification system;

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, more detailed explanation than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed explanation of well-known matters or redundant explanation of substantially the same configuration may be omitted. This is to avoid unnecessary redundancy in the following explanation and to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art.

[0010] The applicant provides the accompanying drawings and the following description to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and does not intend for them to limit the subject matter described in the claims.

[0011] (First embodiment) 1. Configuration An abnormality notification system according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an overview of an abnormality notification system 1 according to this embodiment.

[0012] 1, an abnormality notification system 1 according to this embodiment includes worker terminals 4-1, 4-2, and 4-3 and a notification server 5. In this system 1, the worker terminals 4 and the notification server 5 are configured to be able to communicate with each other via a communication network 3 such as the Internet.

[0013] The present system 1 is an example of an abnormality notification system that notifies workers W1, W2, W3, etc. of abnormalities in equipment A1, A2, etc. installed in a workplace 6, such as a factory. In the present system 1, for example, worker terminals 4-1 to 4-3 are associated with and managed by workers W1 to W3, respectively. A notification server 5 is provided, for example, to be able to communicate data with each of the equipment A1 and A2 and collects status information indicating the operating status of each of the equipment A1 and A2. In the present system 1, when an abnormality occurs in the equipment A1 or A2 in the workplace 6, notification information notifying the abnormality is sent from the notification server 5 to the worker terminal 4. The workers W1 to W3 can respond to the abnormality in the workplace 6 in real time using the notification information on their respective worker terminals 4-1 to 4-3. While FIG. 1 illustrates two pieces of equipment A1 and A2, the number of pieces of equipment included in the present system 1 is not limited to two and may be one, three, or more.

[0014] Hereinafter, worker terminals 4-1, 4-2, and 4-3 will be collectively referred to as worker terminal 4. Furthermore, workers W1 to W3 will be collectively referred to as worker W. The worker terminal 4 is an example of a terminal device in this embodiment, and the notification server 5 is an example of an abnormality notification device in this embodiment.

[0015] The specific configurations of the worker terminal 4 and the notification server 5 in this system 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, respectively.

[0016] 1-2. Configuration of the Worker Terminal Fig. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the worker terminal 4. The worker terminal 4 is configured as an information processing device such as a smartphone or tablet terminal. The worker terminal 4 illustrated in Fig. 2 includes a control unit 40, a storage unit 41, an operation unit 42, a display unit 43, a device interface 44, and a network interface 45. Hereinafter, the term "interface" will be abbreviated as "I / F."

[0017] The control unit 40 includes, for example, a CPU or MPU that cooperates with software to realize predetermined functions. The control unit 40 controls, for example, the overall operation of the worker terminal 4. The control unit 40 reads data and programs stored in the storage unit 41 and performs various arithmetic processing to realize various functions. The above programs may be provided via a communication network such as the Internet, or may be stored on a portable recording medium. The control unit 40 may be configured with various semiconductor integrated circuits such as a GPU. The control unit 40 is an example of a terminal control unit in this embodiment.

[0018] The storage unit 41 is a storage medium that stores programs and data necessary to realize the functions of the worker terminal 4. As shown in Fig. 2, the storage unit 41 includes a storage unit 41a and a temporary storage unit 41b.

[0019] The storage unit 41a stores parameters, data, control programs, and the like for realizing predetermined functions. The storage unit 41a is configured, for example, by an HDD or SSD. For example, the storage unit 41a stores the above-mentioned programs, and the like. The temporary storage unit 41b is configured, for example, by a RAM such as a DRAM or an SRAM, and temporarily stores (i.e., holds) data. Furthermore, the temporary storage unit 41b may function as a work area for the control unit 40, and may be configured as a storage area in the internal memory of the control unit 40.

[0020] The operation unit 42 is a general term for operation members operated by the user. The operation unit 42 may constitute a touch panel together with the display unit 43. The operation unit 42 is not limited to a touch panel, and may be, for example, a keyboard, a touch pad, a button, a switch, etc. The operation unit 42 is an example of an input unit that acquires information through user operations.

[0021] The display unit 43 is an example of an output unit configured, for example, by a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display. The display unit 43 displays notification information received from the notification server 5. The display unit 43 may display various information such as various icons for operating the operation unit 42 and information input from the operation unit 42.

[0022] The device I / F 44 is a circuit for connecting an external device to the worker terminal 4. The device I / F 44 communicates in accordance with a predetermined communication standard. The predetermined communication standard includes USB, HDMI (registered trademark), IEEE 1394, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), etc. The device I / F 44 may constitute an acquisition unit in the worker terminal 4 that receives various information from an external device or an output unit that transmits various information to an external device. The device I / F 44 may communicate with a beacon transmitter via Bluetooth, for example. The device I / F 44 may constitute a communication unit in the worker terminal 4 that connects to an external device via the communication network 3.

[0023] The network I / F 45 is a circuit for connecting the worker terminal 4 to the communication network 3 via a wireless or wired communication line. The network I / F 45 performs communication in accordance with a predetermined communication standard. The predetermined communication standard includes IEEE 802.3, IEEE 802.11a / 11b / 11g / 11ac, etc. The network I / F 45 is an example of a terminal communication unit in this embodiment, and connects to the notification server 5, for example, via the communication network 3. The network I / F 45 transmits location information indicating the location of the corresponding worker terminal 4, for example, as the location of each worker W in the workplace 6, to the notification server 5. The network I / F 45 may constitute an acquisition unit that receives various information or an output unit that transmits various information via the communication network 3 in the worker terminal 4.

[0024] 1-3. Configuration of the Notification Server Fig. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the notification server 5. The notification server 5 is configured as an information processing device such as a computer. The notification server 5 illustrated in Fig. 3 includes a control unit 50, a storage unit 51, a device I / F 54, and a network I / F 55.

[0025] The control unit 50 includes, for example, a CPU or MPU that cooperates with software to realize predetermined functions. The control unit 50 controls, for example, the overall operation of the notification server 5. The control unit 50 reads data and programs stored in the storage unit 51 and performs various arithmetic processing to realize various functions. The operation of the various functions of the notification server 5 will be described later.

[0026] The control unit 50 executes a program including, for example, a set of instructions for realizing the functions of the notification server 5. The program may be provided from the communication network 3 or may be stored on a portable recording medium. The control unit 50 may also include an internal memory as a temporary storage area for storing various data and programs.

[0027] The control unit 50 may also be a hardware circuit such as a dedicated electronic circuit or a reconfigurable electronic circuit designed to realize each of the above functions. The control unit 50 may also be configured with various semiconductor integrated circuits such as a CPU, an MPU, a GPU, a GPGPU, a TPU, a microcomputer, a DSP, an FPGA, and an ASIC.

[0028] The storage unit 51 is a storage medium that stores programs and data necessary to realize the functions of the notification server 5. As shown in Fig. 3, the storage unit 51 includes a storage unit 51a and a temporary storage unit 51b.

[0029] The storage unit 51a stores parameters, data, control programs, etc. for realizing predetermined functions. The storage unit 51a is configured, for example, with an HDD or SSD. For example, the storage unit 51a stores the above-mentioned programs and map information showing the locations of the facilities A1, A2, etc. in the work site 6 in a predetermined coordinate system.

[0030] The temporary storage unit 51b is configured with a RAM such as a DRAM or an SRAM, and temporarily stores data. For example, the temporary storage unit 51b holds location information received from the worker terminal 4. The temporary storage unit 51b may also function as a work area for the control unit 50, and may be configured as a storage area in the internal memory of the control unit 50.

[0031] The device I / F 54 is a circuit for connecting an external device to the notification server 5. The device I / F 54 performs communication in accordance with a predetermined communication standard, similar to the device I / F 44 of the worker terminal 4, for example. The device I / F 54 may constitute a communication unit that connects to the external device via the communication network 3. The device I / F 54 may constitute an acquisition unit in the notification server 5 that receives various information from the external device or an output unit that transmits various information to the external device.

[0032] The network I / F 55 is a circuit for connecting the notification server 5 to the communication network 3 via a wireless or wired communication line. The network I / F 55 performs communication in accordance with a predetermined communication standard similar to that of the network I / F 45 of the worker terminal 4, for example. The network I / F 55 is an example of a communication unit that performs data communication with the worker terminal 4 in this embodiment.

[0033] In the present embodiment, the network I / F 55 receives, for example, location information generated by the worker terminal 4 using beacon positioning technology through data communication with the worker terminal 4. The network I / F 55 is an example of a location information acquisition unit in the present embodiment. Note that the location information in the worker terminal 4 is not limited to beacon positioning, and may be location information generated by positioning using a Wi-Fi access point or GPS.

[0034] Furthermore, the network I / F 55 establishes a communication connection with the facilities A1 and A2 via the communication network 3, for example, and receives status information from the facilities A1 and A2 as needed. The network I / F 55 is an example of a status information acquisition unit in this embodiment. The network I / F 55 may also constitute an acquisition unit that receives various information or an output unit that transmits various information via the communication network 3 in the notification server 5.

[0035] The above-described configurations of the worker terminal 4 and the notification server 5 are merely examples, and the configurations are not limited to the above examples. The notification management method of this embodiment may be executed using distributed computing. Furthermore, the various acquisition units in the worker terminal 4 and the notification server 5 may be realized by cooperation with various software in the control units 40, 50, etc., respectively. Each acquisition unit may acquire various pieces of information by reading out various pieces of information stored in various storage media (e.g., storage units 41a, 51a) into the work areas (e.g., temporary storage units 41b, 51b) of the control units 40, 50, respectively.

[0036] 2. Operation The operation of the abnormality notification system 1, notification server 5, and worker terminal 4 configured as above will be described below.

[0037] 2-1. Overview of Operation The overview of the operation of the abnormality notification system 1 in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0038] In the abnormality notification system 1 illustrated in Fig. 1, when the notification server 5 receives status information from each piece of equipment A1, A2 via, for example, the communication network 3, it detects an abnormal state in which an abnormality has occurred in either piece of equipment A1, A2 based on the status information. When the notification server 5 detects an abnormal state, it transmits notification information to the worker terminals 4-1 to 4-3 of the workers W1 to W3. Each worker terminal 4 displays the received notification information on, for example, the display unit 43.

[0039] 4 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the abnormality notification system 1 of this embodiment. FIG. 4 shows a bird's-eye view of the work site 6.

[0040] FIG. 4A shows an example in which an abnormal state of specific equipment A2 is detected. Hereinafter, equipment A2 in an abnormal state is also referred to as abnormal equipment A2. In the example of FIG. 4A, the notification server 5 transmits notification information for calling the detected abnormal equipment A2 to the worker terminals 4-1 to 4-3 of all workers W1 to W3 in the workplace 6. This allows all workers W1 to W3 to be notified of the abnormal state of equipment A2, and enables any worker W to quickly address the abnormal equipment A2.

[0041] 4(B) shows an example in which a worker W3 moves toward the abnormal equipment A2 in response to a call from the notification information received by the worker terminal 4-3 from the scene in FIG. 4(A). At this time, it can be predicted that the moved worker W3 will deal with the abnormal equipment A2 and resolve the abnormal condition. On the other hand, even if the other workers W1 and W2 subsequently head toward the abnormal equipment A2, it is conceivable that their efforts will be in vain. For example, it is conceivable that all workers W1 to W3 will gather at the abnormal equipment A2, leading to a decrease in work efficiency in the workplace 6.

[0042] Therefore, for example, when worker W3 moves toward the abnormal equipment A2, the system 1 sends notification information to the worker terminals 4-1 and 4-2 corresponding to the other workers W1 and W2 to cancel the call to the abnormal equipment A2.

[0043] 4(C) shows an example in which the operator terminals 4-1 and 4-2 receive notification information canceling the call and change the display after the display in FIG. 4(B). In the example of FIG. 4(C), the cancellation is notified to operators W1 and W2, and only operator W3 responds to the call to the abnormal equipment A2. This cancellation prevents the other operators W1 and W2 from wasting time by heading to the abnormal equipment A2 where operator W3 has already gone. In this way, the system 1 can quickly secure operator W3 to handle the abnormal equipment A2 while reducing the excessive labor of the other operators W1 and W2, thereby efficiently handling the abnormal equipment A2 in the workplace 6.

[0044] 2-2. Overall Operation of the System The overall operation of the abnormality notification system 1 in this embodiment will be described using Fig. 5 and Fig. 6. Fig. 5 is a diagram for explaining an example of the operation of the system 1. Fig. 5 illustrates an example of the operation sequence of the system 1 corresponding to the example of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a notification display on the worker terminal 4 of the abnormality notification system 1.

[0045] In this system 1, the notification server 5 acquires status information D21, D22 indicating the operating status of each piece of equipment A1, A2 in the work site 6 (S1). Each piece of equipment A1, A2 generates status information D21, D22, for example, at predetermined time intervals, associates it with the time, and transmits it to the notification server 5. The status information D21, D22 includes information indicating whether an abnormality, such as a breakdown, has occurred in each piece of equipment A1, A2, and the content of the abnormality, such as an error code.

[0046] The notification server 5 of this embodiment detects an abnormal state of each of the facilities A1 and A2 based on, for example, the acquired status information D21 and D22 (S2). In the example of Fig. 5, it is identified that the facility A2 is in an abnormal state based on the status information D22.

[0047] When an abnormal state is detected, the notification server 5 transmits an abnormality notification D3 indicating that the equipment A2 is in an abnormal state to each worker terminal 4 as notification information for calling each worker W to the detected abnormal equipment A2 (S3). In the example of Fig. 5, the abnormality notification D3 is transmitted to the worker terminals 4-1 to 4-3 corresponding to each worker W1 to W3.

[0048] When each worker terminal 4 receives the abnormality notification D3 from the notification server 5, it displays the abnormality notification D3 on the display unit 43 (S4). Fig. 6(A) shows an example of how the abnormality notification D3 is displayed on the worker terminal 4. The display unit 43 in Fig. 6(A) displays, for example, "NG" indicating that an abnormal state has been detected and a message indicating the details of the abnormality. In the example of Fig. 6(A), a message indicating the occurrence of "fault E01" is displayed as the details of the abnormality in the abnormal equipment A2.

[0049] After transmitting the abnormality notification D3 (S3), the notification server 5 detects (S5) the worker W moving to the abnormal equipment A2. This movement detection process (S5) is performed in order to transmit (S6) a cancellation notification D6 (described later) when it is detected that one of the multiple workers W has moved to the abnormal equipment A2 in response to the display of the abnormality notification D3 (S4).

[0050] In the movement detection process (S5) of this embodiment, the notification server 5 detects the movement of the responding worker by acquiring the position information D41, D42, and D43 transmitted at predetermined intervals from the worker terminals 4-1 to 4-3 corresponding to the workers W1 to W3, respectively. In the example of Fig. 5, the moving worker W3 is detected as the responding worker based on the position information D43.

[0051] When the movement of the responder is detected, the notification server 5 of this embodiment transmits a cancellation notification D6 indicating the cancellation of the abnormality notification D3 to the worker terminal 4 other than the responder, as notification information for canceling the call to the abnormal equipment A2, for example (S6). In the example of Fig. 5, the notification server 5 transmits the cancellation notification D6 to the worker terminals 4-1 and 4-2 corresponding to the workers W1 and W2 other than the worker W3.

[0052] When each worker terminal 4 receives the cancellation notice D6 from the notification server 5, it displays the cancellation notice D6 on the display unit 43 (S7). Fig. 6(B) shows an example of the display of the cancellation notice D6 on the worker terminal 4. The display unit 43 in Fig. 6(B) displays "OK" indicating that the abnormal condition has been resolved and a message indicating that a responder has arrived in response to the notification in Fig. 6(A). Note that the display control in response to the cancellation notice D6 is not limited to the display example in Fig. 6(B), and may be, for example, display control on the display unit 43 that erases the display of the abnormality notice D3 as in Fig. 6(A).

[0053] The abnormality notification system 1 repeats the above processing (S1 to S7) periodically, for example.

[0054] According to the above process, the abnormal state of equipment A2 detected in the abnormality detection process (S2) is notified to worker W by abnormality notification D3 (S3, S4). Thereafter, when movement of the responder is detected by movement detection process (S5), cancellation notification D6 is sent to workers W other than the responder to cancel the abnormality notification D3 (S6, S7). This notifies each worker W of the abnormal equipment A2 to encourage early action to the abnormal state, while canceling the abnormality notification D3 when the responder moves to the abnormal equipment A2, thereby preventing a decrease in work efficiency, such as multiple workers W concentrating excessively on the abnormal equipment A2. Furthermore, according to the movement detection process (S5), for example, even if worker W3 does not operate the worker terminal 4 as a responder, cancellation can be automatically notified to other workers W1 and W2 in response to the detection of moving worker W3.

[0055] 2-3. Operation When An Anomaly is Detected The operation of the notification server 5 when an abnormal state is detected in the abnormality notification system 1 described above will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0056] Fig. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation when an abnormality is detected in the abnormality notification system 1 of this embodiment. Fig. 8 is a diagram for explaining the movement detection process in the abnormality notification system 1 of this embodiment. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing another example of display on the worker terminal 4.

[0057] The flowchart of Fig. 7 starts after the abnormality notification D3 is transmitted (S3) in a state where the abnormal equipment A2 is identified in step S2 of Fig. 5. Each process of the flowchart is executed by, for example, the control unit 50 of the notification server 5.

[0058] First, the control unit 50 detects the movement of the worker W who responds to the abnormality notification D3 (S11). The process of detecting the movement of the responder (S11) and the process of step S12 correspond to step S5 in Fig. 5. This process is also simply referred to as the movement detection process.

[0059] In the abnormality notification system 1 of this embodiment, the notification server 5 performs movement detection processing (S11) based on the position information received from each worker terminal 4. An example of generating position information on the worker terminal 4 side in the movement detection processing of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0060] In the abnormality notification system 1 of this embodiment, for example, as shown in Fig. 8, a plurality of beacon transmitters 65 are installed in advance at various locations in the workplace 6. Note that the beacon transmitters 65 are not shown in the drawings other than Fig. 8. The worker terminal 4 of this embodiment communicates with the beacon transmitters 65 at various locations in the workplace 6 via the device I / F 44, and generates location information based on information received from nearby beacon transmitters 65. Details of the movement detection process (S11) will be described later.

[0061] 7, the control unit 50 next determines whether or not the movement of the attendant has been detected, i.e., whether or not the worker W moving as the attendant has been detected, based on the detection result of the movement detection process (S11) (S12). If the control unit 50 determines that the movement of the attendant has not been detected (NO in S12), it repeats the movement detection process (S11) at a predetermined detection period, such as the transmission period of the location information by the worker terminal 4.

[0062] On the other hand, if movement of the respondent is detected (YES in S12), the control unit 50 transmits a cancellation notification D6 to the worker terminal 4 of, for example, the worker W other than the respondent (S13). Step S13 corresponds to step S6 in FIG. 5.

[0063] After sending the cancellation notification D6 (S13), the control unit 50 performs processing related to re-notification (S14 to S17). Even if the abnormality notification system 1 detects the movement of the responder (YES in S12), it is possible that the abnormal condition will not be resolved, for example, if the responder does not reach the abnormal equipment A2. Therefore, in the abnormality notification system 1 of this embodiment, if a predetermined period of time has passed without the abnormal condition being resolved, processing is performed to re-notify each worker W of the abnormal condition (S14 to S17).

[0064] Specifically, first, the control unit 50 acquires the newly received status information from the abnormal equipment A2, for example, via the network I / F 55 (S14). The control unit 50 stores the acquired status information in, for example, the temporary storage unit 51b.

[0065] Next, the control unit 50 determines whether a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the transmission of the cancellation notice D6 (S13) (S15). The predetermined period of time is set, for example, from the perspective of predicting the time required for the detected responder to arrive at the abnormal equipment A2 and deal with the abnormal equipment A2 to resolve the abnormal condition. If the predetermined period of time has not elapsed (NO in S15), the control unit 50 repeats the acquisition of status information from the abnormal equipment A2 (S14).

[0066] For example, when a predetermined period has elapsed (YES in S15), the control unit 50 determines whether the abnormal state has been resolved based on the status information acquired from the abnormal equipment A2 (S16). For example, if the status information D22 does not indicate an abnormality in the equipment A2 after any time within the predetermined period, the control unit 50 determines that the abnormal state has been resolved.

[0067] If the abnormal condition has not been resolved (NO in S16), the control unit 50 transmits, as notification information, a re-notification to the worker terminals 4-1 and 4-2 to which the cancellation notification D6 was sent, to call each worker W again to the abnormal equipment A2 (S17). Fig. 9 shows an example of the display of the re-notification on the worker terminal 4. The display unit 43 illustrated in Fig. 9 displays, for example, "Re-NG" indicating that the abnormal condition notified by the abnormality notification D3 has not been resolved, and a message indicating that no one has arrived at the abnormal equipment A2.

[0068] As a result, if the abnormal condition is not resolved, for example, because the responding worker W3 does not or cannot deal with the abnormal equipment A2, the abnormal condition can be re-notified to the worker terminals 4-1 and 4-2 of the other workers W1 and W2, urging them to deal with the abnormal equipment A2.

[0069] After transmitting the re-notification (S17), the control unit 50 repeats the movement detection process (S11) and subsequent processes.

[0070] On the other hand, if the abnormal state has been resolved (YES in S16), the control unit 50 does not transmit a re-notification (S17) and ends the process shown in this flowchart.

[0071] According to the above process, when the movement detection process (S11) detects the movement of the responder toward the abnormality notification D3 (YES in S12), the cancellation notification D6 is transmitted to the worker terminal 4 other than the responder (S13). This makes it possible to avoid inefficiencies such as other workers W1 and W2 heading to the abnormal equipment A2 to which the responder worker W3 has already headed as the responder.

[0072] Furthermore, if the abnormal state of the abnormal equipment A2 has not been resolved (NO in S16) after a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the transmission of the cancellation notice D6 (YES in S15), a re-notification is sent to each worker terminal 4 (S17). This makes it possible to secure a worker W to deal with the abnormal equipment A2 even after the abnormality notice D3 has been canceled by the cancellation notice D6.

[0073] In the above description, an example has been described in which the cancellation notification D6 is sent (S13) to some of the worker terminals 4 corresponding to the workers W excluding the responder. In step S13, the control unit 50 may send the cancellation notification D6 to all of the worker terminals 4 corresponding to each worker W, including the responder. Furthermore, the determination (S16) of whether the abnormal state has been resolved may be made based on the status information at the last time of the predetermined period, not limited to the status information at each time over the predetermined period.

[0074] 2-3-1 Movement Detection Processing Details of the movement detection processing in step S11 in FIG. 7 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0075] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a movement detection process in the abnormality notification system 1 of this embodiment. Similar to the flowchart of FIG. 7, the process shown in this flowchart is started after the abnormality notification D3 is transmitted (S3) in a state where the abnormal equipment A2 has been identified in step S2 of FIG. 5, for example.

[0076] First, the control unit 50 acquires position information D41 to D43 from each of the worker terminals 4-1 to 4-3 via the network I / F 55 (S21), for example, as shown in Fig. 5. The position information D41 to D43 is generated based on the position associated with the beacon transmitter 65 to which each of the worker terminals 4-1 to 4-3 is closest, for example, out of multiple beacon transmitters 65 installed in the workplace 6 as shown in Fig. 4(B).

[0077] Next, the control unit 50 calculates the current distance of each of the worker terminals 4-1 to 4-3 from the abnormal equipment A2 based on the position information D41 to D43 acquired in this step S21 (S22). The control unit 50 calculates the current distance by calculating the Euclidean distance with reference to map information including the position of the equipment A2 in the work site 6, which is stored in advance in the storage unit 51a, for example.

[0078] Next, the control unit 50 determines whether the current distance between each operator terminal 4 and the abnormal equipment A2, that is, the previous distance calculated in step S21 in the previous movement detection process, is retained (S23). For example, in the first movement detection process after detecting an abnormal state, the control unit 50 proceeds to NO in step S23.

[0079] If the previous distance is not stored (NO in S23), the control unit 50 stores the current distance calculated in step S11 as the previous distance in, for example, the temporary storage unit 51b (S27). Then, the process returns to step S12 in Fig. 7, and since the movement of the person has not been detected (NO in S12), the movement detection process for the next detection cycle (S11) is executed.

[0080] If the previous distance is retained (YES in S23), the control unit 50 calculates (S24) the difference between the previous distance and the current distance, i.e., the approach width, for each worker terminal 4. The approach width for each worker terminal 4 is the difference between the previous distance and the current distance from the abnormal equipment A2, and indicates the width of the distance that the worker W corresponding to each worker terminal 4 has approached toward the abnormal equipment A2 during the detection period of the movement detection process.

[0081] Next, the control unit 50 determines whether there is any worker terminal 4 whose calculated approach width is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (S25). The predetermined value is set in advance as a value large enough to indicate that the worker W in the workplace 6 has moved toward the abnormal equipment A2 during the detection period.

[0082] If there is a worker terminal 4 whose approach width is equal to or greater than the predetermined value (YES in S25), the control unit 50 determines the worker W corresponding to that worker terminal 4 as the person to handle the call (S26). In the example of FIGS. 4 and 5, the approach width calculated for worker terminal 4-3 is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, and worker W3 corresponding to worker terminal 4-3 is determined as the person to handle the call. Then, the process proceeds to step S12 in FIG. 7. In this case, because movement of the person to handle the call has been detected (YES in S12), a cancellation notice D6 is sent to workers W1 and W2 (S13).

[0083] If there is no worker terminal 4 with an approach width equal to or greater than the predetermined value (NO in S25), the control unit 50 stores the current distance as the previous distance (S27) and proceeds to step S12 in Fig. 7. In this case, since movement of the responder has not been detected (NO in S12), the movement detection process (S11), i.e., the process from step S21 onwards, is executed again.

[0084] According to the movement detection process described above, for each worker terminal 4, an approach width is calculated for movement detection based on the difference between the previous distance and the current distance to the abnormal equipment A2 (S24), and the worker W corresponding to the worker terminal 4 whose approach width is equal to or greater than a predetermined value is determined to be the responder (S26). In this way, the worker W who has moved a distance in the direction of the abnormal equipment A2 during the detection cycle of the movement detection process, i.e., whose approach width is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, can be determined to be the responder. This makes it possible to detect a worker W who is assumed to have moved in response to the abnormality notification D3 indicating the abnormal equipment A2 as the movement of the responder.

[0085] The location information D41 to D43 acquired in step S21 is not limited to the above example. For example, the location information may be calculated by each of the worker terminals 4-1 to 4-3 estimating the distance to the multiple beacon transmitters 65 based on the signal strength received from the beacon transmitters 65. The beacon transmitters 65 are not limited to devices that can communicate with the device I / F 44 of the worker terminal 4 according to the Bluetooth standard, and may be, for example, a Wi-Fi access point.

[0086] 3. Summary As described above, the notification server 5 in this embodiment is an example of an abnormality notification device that notifies workers W1 to W3, as an example of multiple users, of abnormalities in equipment A1 and A2 installed in a workplace 6, as an example of an environment. The notification server 5 includes a network I / F 55, as an example of a communication unit, a status information acquisition unit, and a location information acquisition unit, and a control unit 50. The network I / F 55 communicates data with worker terminals 4-1 to 4-3 (examples of multiple terminal devices) associated with the multiple workers W1 to W3, respectively. The control unit 50 controls the operation of the network I / F 55 to send and receive information. The network I / F 55 acquires status information D21 and D22 indicating the status of the equipment A1 and A2 (S1). The network I / F 55 acquires location information D41 to D43 indicating the locations of each worker W1 to W3 in the workplace 6 (S5, S11, S21). When the control unit 50 determines that equipment A2 is in an abnormal state based on the status information D21 and D22 (S2), it transmits an abnormality notification D3 indicating that equipment A2 is in an abnormal state to the multiple worker terminals 4-1 to 4-3 (S3). After transmitting the abnormality notification D3, the control unit 50 detects worker W3 as an example of a worker moving to equipment A2 in the abnormal state, i.e., abnormal equipment A2, among the multiple workers W1 to W3, based on the location information D41 to D43 (S5). When the control unit 50 detects the moving worker W3, it transmits a cancellation notification D6 indicating the cancellation of the abnormality notification D3 to some or all of the multiple worker terminals 4-1 to 4-3 that transmitted the abnormality notification D3 (S6).

[0087] The notification server 5 described above can secure worker W3 to deal with the abnormal equipment A2 in response to the abnormality notification D3, while reducing the excessive labor of all workers W1 to W3 who responded to the abnormality notification D3 by heading to the abnormal equipment A2 through the cancellation notification D6. This can reduce unnecessary movement of worker W when dealing with abnormalities in the equipment A1 and A2 in the workplace 6, thereby making it possible to deal with abnormalities more efficiently.

[0088] In this embodiment, when the control unit 50 detects the moving worker W3 (YES in S12), it transmits a cancellation notification D6 to the worker terminals 4-1 and 4-2 associated with the workers W1 and W2 other than the detected worker W3, among the multiple worker terminals 4-1 to 4-3 that transmitted the abnormality notification D3 (S13). This prevents the other workers W1 and W2 from wasting time by heading to the abnormal equipment A2 to which the worker W3 has already headed, and makes it possible to efficiently deal with the abnormal equipment A2 in the workplace 6.

[0089] In this embodiment, the control unit 50 determines whether the abnormal condition has been resolved within a predetermined period of time since the transmission of the cancellation notice D6 (S15). If the control unit 50 determines that the abnormal condition has not been resolved (NO in S16), it transmits a re-notification indicating the cancellation of the cancellation notice D6 to the worker terminals 4-1 and 4-2 that transmitted the cancellation notice D6 (S17). As a result, even if the abnormal condition has not been resolved after the transmission of the cancellation notice D6, the cancellation notice D6 can be canceled and the worker W can be secured to deal with the abnormal equipment A2.

[0090] In this embodiment, the network I / F 55 (an example of a location information acquisition unit) sequentially acquires location information D41 to D43 from each of the worker terminals 4-1 to 4-3 associated with each of the workers W1 to W3 (S21). Note that the location information D41 to D43 of each of the worker terminals 4-1 to 4-3 is not limited to positioning using the beacon transmitter 65, and may be generated by positioning using, for example, a global positioning satellite system (GPS or GNSS).

[0091] In this embodiment, the control unit 50 calculates the change in distance between each of the workers W1-W3 and the abnormal equipment A2 based on the position information D41-D43 sequentially acquired from the network I / F 55, and detects a moving worker W (S22-S27). This allows the control unit 50 to perform the responder movement detection process (S11), for example, based on the change in distance between each of the workers W1-W3 and the abnormal equipment A2. In this embodiment, the control unit 50 detects the worker W3 whose approach width to the abnormal equipment A2 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value within a predetermined time interval (e.g., a predetermined cycle) as a change in calculated distance, as a moving worker W (S26).

[0092] In this embodiment, the abnormality notification system 1 is an example of a notification system that includes worker terminals 4-1 to 4-3 (an example of a plurality of terminal devices) associated with a plurality of workers W1 to W3, respectively, and a notification server 5 (an example of an abnormality notification device). In this abnormality notification system 1, the notification server 5 can efficiently handle abnormalities in the equipment A1 and A2 in the workplace 6.

[0093] The abnormality notification method in this embodiment is a method for notifying workers W1 to W3, as an example of a plurality of users, of an abnormality in equipment A1 and A2 installed in a workplace 6, as an example of an environment. In this method, a network I / F 55 of a notification server 5, as an example of a computer communication unit that communicates data with worker terminals 4-1 to 4-3 (examples of multiple terminal devices) associated with the multiple workers W1 to W3, respectively, acquires status information D21 and D22 indicating the status of equipment A1 and A2 (S1). The network I / F 55 acquires location information D41 to D43 indicating the locations of each worker W1 to W3 in the workplace 6 (S5, S11, S21). When a control unit 50 of the notification server 5 determines that equipment A2 is in an abnormal state based on the status information D21 and D22 (S2), it transmits an abnormality notification D3 indicating that equipment A2 is in an abnormal state to the multiple worker terminals 4-1 to 4-3 (S3). After transmitting the abnormality notification D3, the control unit 50 detects worker W3 as an example of a worker among the multiple workers W1 to W3 who is moving to the abnormal equipment A2 based on the location information D41 to D43 (S5). When the control unit 50 detects the moving worker W3, it transmits a cancellation notification D6 indicating the cancellation of the abnormality notification D3 to some or all of the multiple worker terminals 4-1 to 4-3 that transmitted the abnormality notification D3 (S6).

[0094] In this embodiment, a program for causing a computer to execute the abnormality notification method described above is provided. The abnormality notification method and program described above enable efficient handling of abnormalities in the equipment A1 and A2 in the workplace 6.

[0095] 11 and 12 , a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. In the first embodiment, the abnormality notification system 1 is described, which cancels the abnormality notification D3 when it is detected that the worker W has moved to the abnormal equipment A2 after the abnormality notification D3 has been transmitted. In the second embodiment, the abnormality notification system 1 is described, which controls the cancellation of the abnormality notification D3 based on information about the worker W who has moved to the abnormal equipment A2.

[0096] Hereinafter, the abnormality notification system 1 according to this embodiment will be described, omitting descriptions of the same configurations and operations as those of the abnormality notification system 1 according to the first embodiment as appropriate.

[0097] In the abnormality notification system 1 of this embodiment, the notification server 5 uses, as information about the workers W, qualified person information indicating whether each worker W is qualified to deal with an abnormal state of each piece of equipment A1, A2. For example, in the movement detection process, if a worker W detected moving to the abnormal equipment A2 does not correspond to a qualified person according to the qualified person information, the notification server 5 of this embodiment does not determine the worker W as a responder. This makes it possible to prevent the abnormality notification D3 from being canceled when a worker W who is expected to have difficulty dealing with the abnormal equipment A2 heads toward the abnormal equipment A2.

[0098] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of the data structure of qualified person information D5 in the abnormality notification system 1 of this embodiment. The qualified person information D5 is stored in advance in, for example, the storage unit 51a of the notification server 5. The qualified person information D5 is information for managing qualified persons regarding abnormal conditions of the equipment A1 and A2. The qualified persons in the qualified person information D5 are an example of managers who manage the equipment A1 and A2 among the workers W in the workplace 6, and are set to workers who are qualified to deal with abnormal conditions of the equipment A1 and A2. The qualified person information D5 is an example of manager information indicating managers in this embodiment. In the example of FIG. 11, the qualified person information D5 manages whether each worker W1, W2, and W3 is qualified for each of the equipment A1 and A2, depending on whether they are qualified for each of the equipment A1 and A2.

[0099] 12 is a flowchart illustrating the movement detection process in the abnormality notification system 1 of this embodiment. In the notification server 5 of this embodiment, for example, the control unit 50 executes a determination process (S31) based on the qualified person information D5 in addition to processes similar to steps S21 to S27 in the movement detection process (FIG. 10) of the first embodiment.

[0100] For example, if there is an operator terminal 4 whose approach width to the abnormal equipment A2 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (YES in S25), the control unit 50 determines whether the operator W corresponding to the operator terminal 4 is a qualified person for the abnormal equipment A2 (S31). The determination in step S31 is made by comparing, for example, the qualified person indicated by the qualified person information D5 stored in advance in the storage unit 51a with the operator W whose approach width is determined to be equal to or greater than the predetermined value in step S25, i.e., the operator W whose movement to the abnormal equipment A2 has been detected.

[0101] If the worker W corresponding to the worker terminal 4 whose approach width is equal to or greater than a predetermined value is a qualified person (YES in S31), the control unit 50 determines the worker W corresponding to that worker terminal 4 as the person to respond (S26). For example, if the approach width to the abnormal equipment A2 for the worker terminal 4-3 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the qualified person information D5 shown in Figure 11 indicates that the worker W3 corresponding to the worker terminal 4-3 is qualified for the equipment A2, and therefore the worker W is determined to be the person to respond. Thereafter, the control unit 50 proceeds to step S12 in Figure 7.

[0102] On the other hand, if the worker W corresponding to the worker terminal 4 whose approach width is equal to or greater than the predetermined value is not a qualified person (NO in S31), the control unit 50 does not select the worker W as the person to handle the call. For example, if the approach width for the worker terminal 4-2 is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, the qualified person information D5 in FIG. 11 indicates that the worker W2 corresponding to the worker terminal 4-2 is not qualified for the equipment A2, and therefore the worker W2 is not selected as the person to handle the call. In this case (NO in S31), the control unit 50 retains the current distance as the previous distance (S27), just as in the case where there is no worker terminal 4 whose approach width is equal to or greater than the predetermined value (NO in S25), and proceeds to step S12 in FIG. 7.

[0103] According to the above process, among the workers W whose movement to the abnormal equipment A2 has been detected (YES in S25), the worker W who is qualified for the abnormal equipment A2 (YES in S31) is determined to be the responder (S26). In this way, the worker W can be selectively determined as the responder based on the qualified person information D5 regarding the abnormal equipment A2. As a result, the cancellation notice D6 can be sent only when it is considered that the worker W who can deal with the abnormal equipment A2 has responded to the abnormality notice D3 (S13 in FIG. 7).

[0104] In the above step S24, an example has been described in which the approach width to the abnormal equipment A2 is calculated for all worker terminals 4. In the movement detection process of this embodiment, the calculation of the approach width for detecting movement may be performed only for the worker terminals 4 of qualified workers. For example, in step S21, the control unit 50 may acquire location information only from the worker terminal 4 of a qualified worker W, and perform the processes from step S22 onwards without particularly executing the process of step S31. In this case, too, the worker W who is qualified for the abnormal equipment A2 and who moves to the abnormal equipment A2 can be determined to be the responder.

[0105] In the abnormality notification system 1 of this embodiment, the cancellation notification D6 may include information indicating that the movement of a qualified person to respond has been detected. For example, on the display screen of the worker terminal 4 (see FIG. 6B ) based on the cancellation notification D6, the display unit 43 may display that a qualified person has appeared to respond.

[0106] As described above, the notification server 5 in this embodiment further includes a storage unit 51a (an example of a memory unit), which stores qualified person information D5 (an example of manager information) indicating which of the workers W1 to W3 (an example of multiple users) are qualified to manage the equipment A1 and A2 (an example of a manager). If the responding worker W3 (an example of a moving user) is qualified with respect to the abnormal equipment A2 (an example of equipment in an abnormal state) according to the qualified person information D5 (YES in S31), the control unit 50 transmits a cancellation notice D6 (S13). If the responding worker W3 is not qualified with respect to the abnormal equipment A2 according to the qualified person information D5 (NO in S31), the control unit 50 does not transmit the cancellation notice D6.

[0107] According to the notification server 5, if the responder moving to the abnormal equipment A2 is not qualified, the abnormal equipment A2 continues to be called by the abnormality notification D3. This ensures that a qualified worker W is the responder, and makes it possible for multiple workers W to efficiently handle abnormalities in the equipment A1 and A2.

[0108] 13 and 14 , a third embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below. In the second embodiment, the abnormality notification system 1 was described, which determines a responder using qualified person information in the movement detection process by the notification server 5. In the third embodiment, the abnormality notification system 1 is described, which further allows switching whether or not to display a notification on the worker terminal 4.

[0109] Below, the abnormality notification system 1 according to this embodiment will be described, omitting descriptions of the same configurations and operations as those of the abnormality notification systems 1 according to the first and second embodiments as appropriate.

[0110] 13 is a diagram showing an example of a display of a setting screen on the worker terminal 4 of this embodiment. In the abnormality notification system 1 of this embodiment, each worker W can set, on his / her own worker terminal 4, whether to display or hide notifications based on notification information such as the abnormality notification D3, cancellation notification D6, and re-notification received from the notification server 5.

[0111] In the display example of FIG. 13 , the display unit 43 of the worker terminal 4 displays the setting item for "notification permission" to be set for all equipment A1 and A2, the setting items for "equipment A1" and "equipment A2" to be set for each equipment A1 and A2, and a terminal ID unique to each worker terminal 4. In the example of FIG. 13 , the terminal ID "430" corresponding to the worker terminal 4-3 is displayed. The display unit 43 further displays selection buttons for switching between "ON" and "OFF," i.e., between enabled and disabled, for each setting item. The operation unit 42 of the worker terminal 4 receives an input from the worker W to select "ON" or "OFF."

[0112] For example, when "ON" or "OFF" is selected for "Notification Permission," the setting items for each of the equipment A1 and A2 are enabled or disabled collectively. By setting notification permission, or by selecting "ON" or "OFF" for "equipment A1" and "equipment A2," the setting items for each of the equipment A1 and A2 are enabled or disabled. For example, by setting equipment A2, which can handle abnormalities, to "ON" and the other equipment A1 to "OFF," worker W3 can switch between displaying and hiding notifications for each of the equipment A1 and A2. Each worker terminal 4 stores setting information indicating whether to display or hide notifications set on such a setting screen, for example, in the storage unit 41a.

[0113] In the abnormality notification system 1 of this embodiment, each worker terminal 4 transmits setting information to the notification server 5, for example, at a predetermined interval or when updated by user operation. The notification server 5 updates (or generates) the qualified person information D5 based on the setting information received from each worker terminal 4. For equipment for which the notification setting is "ON" in the setting information, the notification server 5 updates the qualified person information D5 so that the worker W corresponding to that worker terminal 4 is qualified. In the example of FIG. 13 , worker W3 corresponding to worker terminal 4-3 with terminal ID "430" can be updated to be qualified for equipment A2 for which the notification setting is "ON" by updating the qualified person information D5.

[0114] Furthermore, the worker terminal 4 of this embodiment performs a display control process for controlling the display when notification information is received from the notification server 5 based on the setting information.

[0115] 14 is a flowchart illustrating a display control process in the worker terminal 4 according to the present embodiment. This flowchart is started, for example, when the worker terminal 4 has stored setting information. Each process shown in this flowchart is executed, for example, by the control unit 40 of the worker terminal 4.

[0116] First, the control unit 40 determines whether or not notification information such as the abnormality notification D3 has been received from the notification server 5 via, for example, the network I / F 45 (S40). If notification information has not been received (NO in S40), the control unit 40 repeats the determination in step S40.

[0117] If notification information is received (YES in S40), the control unit 40 refers to the setting information and determines whether the notification permission setting is "ON" (S41). In the following, an example will be described in which notification information regarding facility A2 of multiple facilities A1 and A2 in the workplace 6 is received.

[0118] If the notification permission setting is "ON" (YES in S41), the control unit 40 refers to the setting information for the equipment A2 from which the notification information was received and determines whether the setting for the equipment A2 is "ON" (S42).

[0119] If the setting for equipment A2 in the received notification information is "ON" (YES in S42), the control unit 40 causes the display unit 43 to display a notification screen based on the notification information (S43). In the example of Fig. 13, the notification permission setting is "ON" (YES in S41) and the setting for equipment A2 is "ON" (YES in S42) in the worker terminal 4-3 with terminal ID "430". In this case, the display unit 43 of the worker terminal 4-3 displays a notification screen for equipment A2.

[0120] On the other hand, if the notification permission setting is not "ON" (NO in S41), or if the setting for equipment A1 or equipment A2 of the received notification information is not "ON" (NO in S42), the control unit 40 does not display the notification information on the display unit 43 (S44).

[0121] After displaying the notification screen (S43) or after not displaying the notification screen (S44), the control unit 40 ends the process shown in this flowchart.

[0122] According to the above process, the worker terminal 4 controls whether to display a notification screen based on the received notification information based on the setting information (S40 to S44). As a result, on the worker terminal 4 of each worker W, notifications related to each worker W, for example, from notifications about facilities A1 and A2, can be selectively displayed based on the setting information.

[0123] As described above, in the abnormality notification system 1 of this embodiment, each worker terminal 4 (an example of a terminal device) includes a network I / F 45 as an example of a terminal communication unit, a display unit 43, an operation unit 42, and a control unit 40 as an example of a terminal control unit. The network I / F 45 communicates data with the notification server 5 (an example of an abnormality notification device). The display unit 43 displays information. The operation unit 42 accepts user operations to set setting information, including whether to display or hide notifications related to the equipment A1 and A2. The control unit 40 switches whether to display the abnormality notification D3 and the cancellation notification D6 on the display unit 43 based on the setting information (S40 to S44).

[0124] According to the worker terminal 4, each worker W, who is an example of a user, can set the terminal 4 to display notification information such as the abnormality notification D3 and the cancellation notification D6 for the equipment related to the worker W, for example, among the equipment A1 and A2. This can reduce the effort required for each worker W to check unrelated notification information, and can improve the efficiency of multiple workers W in dealing with abnormalities in the equipment A1 and A2.

[0125] In the notification server 5 of this embodiment, the qualified person information D5, which is an example of manager information, manages, as a qualified person (an example of a manager), a worker W (an example of a user) associated with a worker terminal 4 that transmitted to the network I / F 55 setting information (an example of predetermined information) in which notification for specific equipment A1, A2 is set to "ON," i.e., enabled, based on setting information, which is an example of information received by the network I / F 55 (an example of a communication unit) from multiple worker terminals 4. In this embodiment, the control unit 50 updates the qualified person information D5 by designating the worker W associated with the worker terminal 4 that transmitted the predetermined information as a qualified person. This makes it possible to efficiently manage qualified persons in the qualified person information D5, for example, by using setting information set by each worker W depending on whether or not they are capable of dealing with an abnormal state for each piece of equipment A1, A2.

[0126] 15 and 16, a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below. In the first to third embodiments, an abnormality notification system 1 that acquires location information transmitted from a worker terminal 4 and detects the movement of a worker W has been described. In the fourth embodiment, an abnormality notification system 1A that detects the movement of a worker W by image recognition in a workplace 6 will be described.

[0127] Below, the description of the abnormality notification system 1A according to this embodiment will be explained, omitting the description of the configuration and operation that are the same as those of the abnormality notification system 1 according to the first to third embodiments as appropriate.

[0128] FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an abnormality notification system 1A according to this embodiment. In addition to the same configuration as the abnormality notification system 1 according to embodiment 1, this system 1A also includes multiple cameras 2-1, 2-2, and 2-3. Hereinafter, cameras 2-1 to 2-3 will also be collectively referred to as cameras 2. While FIG. 15 illustrates three cameras 2-1 to 2-3, the number of cameras 2 included in this system 1A is not particularly limited to three, and may be two or less, or four or more.

[0129] Camera 2 is an example of an imaging device in system 1A. Camera 2 includes an imaging unit that captures images and a communication unit that transmits image data representing the images captured by the imaging unit. The imaging unit is implemented using a CCD image sensor or a CMOS image sensor. The communication unit includes an interface circuit for communicating with external devices in accordance with a predetermined communication standard, such as IEEE 802.11.

[0130] In this system 1A, cameras 2-1 and 2-2 are positioned so as to capture equipment A1 and A2, respectively. Camera 2-3 is positioned in the workplace 6 at a distance from equipment A1 and A2 so as to capture the range in which worker W moves. Camera 2, for example, repeats image capturing operations at a predetermined cycle in the workplace 6 and generates image data representing the captured images. Camera 2 is connected to notification server 5 so that the image data is transmitted to notification server 5, for example.

[0131] In the abnormality notification system 1A of this embodiment, the notification server 5 performs a movement detection process of the responder by using image recognition technology to recognize the position of the worker W in an image captured by, for example, the camera 2-3. After transmitting the cancellation notification D6, the notification server 5 also performs an image recognition process to detect a predetermined gesture by the responder in an image captured by the camera 2-2 that captures the abnormal equipment A2, for example. The predetermined gesture is a gesture in which the responding person, such as the worker W, crosses his or her arms to request the transmission of a re-notification.

[0132] 16 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the anomaly notification system 1A of this embodiment when an anomaly is detected. In the notification server 5, for example, the control unit 50 performs a movement detection process using image recognition (S11A) instead of the movement detection process using position information from the worker terminal 4 in embodiments 1 to 3 (S11 in FIG. 7). Furthermore, in this embodiment, in addition to the same processes as step S11A and steps S12 to S17 in FIG. 7, the control unit 50 also performs processes related to re-notification in response to a predetermined gesture by the worker W (S51, S52).

[0133] First, the control unit 50 acquires image data from the camera 2-1 via the network I / F 55 and performs a process (S11A) of detecting the movement of the respondent through image recognition. Based on the acquired image data, the control unit 50 recognizes the position of each worker W1-W3 through image recognition and generates position information indicating the position of each worker W1-W3 in the workplace 6. The control unit 50 is an example of a position information acquisition unit in this embodiment. Such image recognition processing for recognizing positions is realized, for example, using trained models based on various types of machine learning or various image recognition algorithms. Based on the generated position information D41-D43, the control unit 50 performs processes similar to steps S22-S27 of FIG. 10 , for example.

[0134] When the movement of the attendant is detected (YES in S12), the control unit 50 transmits a cancellation notification D6 (S13) and acquires status information, for example, from the abnormal equipment A2 (S14). Furthermore, the control unit 50 of this embodiment acquires image data from the camera 2-2 capturing the abnormal equipment A2, for example, via the network I / F 55, and performs image recognition processing to detect a predetermined gesture by the attendant based on the image data (S51).

[0135] The image recognition process of step S51 is realized by using, for example, an image of a person making a predetermined gesture as training data, and various types of machine learning trained models, etc. For example, in step S51, the control unit 50 inputs an image of an area near the abnormal equipment A2 in the acquired image data into the trained model, and acquires a gesture recognition result from the trained model. Based on the acquired recognition result (S51), the control unit 50 determines whether the predetermined gesture of the attendant has been detected (S52).

[0136] If a predetermined gesture by the person answering the call is detected (YES in S52), the control unit 50 transmits a re-notification to, for example, the worker terminal 4 corresponding to a worker W other than the person answering the call (S17). At this time, the control unit 50 may transmit, for example, a captured image in which the predetermined gesture was detected, together with the re-notification. This allows the worker W who receives the re-notification on the worker terminal 4 to confirm the person answering the call by displaying the captured image.

[0137] If the predetermined gesture of the attendant is not detected (NO in S52), the control unit 50 proceeds to step S15.

[0138] According to the above process, the movement detection process of the respondent is performed by image recognition based on image data from the camera 2-3 (S11A). As a result, even when it is difficult to install a beacon transmitter 65 or the like in the workplace 6, the movement detection process can be performed using the camera 2-3 that captures images of the worker W moving in the workplace 6. Furthermore, for example, when a predetermined gesture by the respondent is detected by image recognition of a predetermined gesture based on image data from the camera 2-2 that captures the abnormal equipment A2 (S51), a re-notification is sent (S17). As a result, if the respondent is unable to deal with the abnormal equipment A2, for example, by making a predetermined gesture, another worker W can be called by the re-notification.

[0139] In this embodiment, the worker terminal 4 does not need to generate and transmit location information to the notification server 5. Furthermore, when detecting an abnormal state of the equipment A1, A2 (S2 in FIG. 5), for example, by photographing lamps or the like installed on each equipment A1, A2 that indicate the operating status using cameras 2-1, 2-2, the operating status of the equipment A1, A2 may be determined from the photographed image without using the status information. Furthermore, in the abnormality notification system 1A, the cameras that photograph the equipment A1, A2 are not limited to cameras 2-1, 2-2. For example, similar to camera 2-3, a camera that photographs the workplace 6 to recognize the position of the worker W may be used. For example, without using cameras 2-1, 2-2, movement detection by image recognition (S11A) and image recognition of a predetermined gesture (S51) may be performed using a camera installed in the workplace 6 so as to capture the entire range in which the worker W moves.

[0140] In the notification server 5 of this embodiment, the network I / F 55, which is an example of a communication unit, receives image data (an example of first image data) from the camera 2-3, which is an example of a first imaging device that captures an image of the workplace 6, which is an example of an environment. In this embodiment, the control unit 50, which is an example of a position information acquisition unit, recognizes the position of each worker W (an example of a user) in the captured image represented by the image data based on the image data received from the camera 2-3 and acquires position information (S11A). This allows the notification server 5 to perform movement detection processing using position information based on the image data, even if each worker terminal 4 does not generate and transmit position information D41 to D43 to the notification server 5.

[0141] In this embodiment, the network I / F 55 (an example of a communication unit) receives image data (an example of second image data) from the camera 2-2, which is an example of a second imaging device capturing an image of the equipment A2, which is an example of an equipment in an abnormal state. After transmitting the cancellation notification D6 (S13), the control unit 50 detects a gesture of the responding worker W (an example of a user) included in the captured image represented by the image data based on the image data received from the camera 2-2 (S51). When the control unit 50 detects a predetermined gesture (YES in S52), it transmits a re-notification indicating the cancellation of the cancellation notification D6 (S17). As a result, for example, even if the responding worker W arrives at the abnormal equipment A2 but is unable to resolve the abnormal state, the responding worker W can perform a predetermined gesture to prompt the sending of a re-notification, thereby ensuring that another worker W is available to deal with the abnormal state.

[0142] (Other Embodiments) As described above, embodiments 1 to 4 have been described as examples of the technology disclosed in this application. However, the technology in this disclosure is not limited to these, and can be applied to embodiments in which modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc. are made as appropriate. Furthermore, it is also possible to combine the components described in each of the above embodiments to create new embodiments. Therefore, other embodiments will be described below as examples.

[0143] In the above embodiments, the notification server 5 transmits notification information such as the abnormality notification D3 to the worker terminals 4 of all workers W in the workplace 6 when issuing a notification to call the worker W to the abnormal equipment A2 (S3, S17). In the present embodiment, the notification server 5 may transmit the notification information only to some of the worker terminals 4. For example, the notification server 5 may transmit the notification information to the worker terminals 4 of workers W located in a specific area of ​​the workplace 6 based on the location information of the workers W. This makes it possible to selectively notify workers W in a conference room, or to notify only workers W within a predetermined range of the abnormal equipment, making it easier to prevent a decrease in work efficiency due to excessive call notifications.

[0144] In the above embodiments, the notification server 5 transmits the cancellation notice D6 to the worker terminal 4 (S13) when movement of a responder is detected (YES in S12), regardless of the number of responders. In this embodiment, the notification server 5 may transmit the cancellation notice D6 (S13) depending on the number of responders. For example, the control unit 50 may proceed to step S13 only when movement of a predetermined number of responders (e.g., two) or more is detected in step S12, and may repeat the movement detection process if the number of responders is less than the predetermined number.

[0145] In the above-described second embodiment, an example was described in which, in the responder movement detection process, it was determined whether the worker W is qualified based on pre-stored qualified person information (S31). In this embodiment, the abnormality notification system may include a camera installed to capture the worker W, similar to the camera 2-3 in the abnormality notification system 1A of the fourth embodiment. In this embodiment, the abnormality notification system may determine whether the worker W is qualified by recognizing characteristics such as the color of the worker W's clothing, such as a hat, or the presence or absence of an armband, based on image data from the camera in step S31. For example, in this system, the control unit 50 of the notification server 5 may acquire image data from the camera and apply image recognition processing to recognize the characteristics.

[0146] In the above embodiments, the notification server 5 performs the re-notification process (S14 to S17) after transmitting the cancellation notification D6. In this embodiment, the notification server 5 does not need to perform the re-notification process (S14 to S17).

[0147] In each of the above embodiments, an example has been described in which the abnormality notification system 1, 1A is applied to a workplace 6. In this embodiment, the site to which the abnormality notification system 1, 1A and the notification server 5 are applied is not limited to the workplace 6, and may be various other sites, such as a logistics warehouse or a sales floor in a store.

[0148] As described above, the embodiments have been described as examples of the technology in the present disclosure, and for that purpose, the accompanying drawings and detailed description have been provided.

[0149] Therefore, the components shown in the accompanying drawings and detailed description may include not only essential components for solving the problem, but also components that are not essential for solving the problem in order to illustrate the above technology. Therefore, the fact that these non-essential components are shown in the accompanying drawings or detailed description should not be interpreted as immediately indicating that these non-essential components are essential.

[0150] Furthermore, since the above-described embodiments are intended to illustrate the technology of the present disclosure, various modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc. may be made within the scope of the claims or their equivalents.

[0151] The present disclosure is applicable to various notification systems that notify multiple workers of information that induces them to move in various environments such as factories, logistics sites, and stores.

Claims

1. An abnormality notification device that notifies a plurality of users of an abnormality in equipment installed in an environment, a communication unit that performs data communication with a plurality of terminal devices associated with the plurality of users, respectively; A control unit that controls an operation of the communication unit to transmit and receive information; A status information acquisition unit that acquires status information indicating a status of the equipment; a location information acquisition unit that acquires location information indicating a location of each user in the environment, The control unit is When it is determined that the equipment is in an abnormal state based on the status information, an abnormality notification indicating that the equipment is in the abnormal state is transmitted to the plurality of terminal devices; After transmitting the abnormality notification, detecting a user among the plurality of users who moves to the facility in the abnormal state based on the location information; When the moving user is detected, a cancellation notification indicating cancellation of the abnormality notification is transmitted to a part or all of the plurality of terminal devices that transmitted the abnormality notification. Abnormality notification device.

2. When the control unit detects the moving user, the control unit transmits the cancellation notification to a terminal device associated with a user other than the detected user among the multiple terminal devices that transmitted the abnormality notification. The abnormality notification device according to claim 1.

3. The control unit is determining whether the abnormal condition has been eliminated within a predetermined period of time after the cancellation notice is sent; If it is determined that the abnormal state has not been resolved, a re-notification indicating the cancellation of the cancellation notice is sent to the terminal device that sent the cancellation notice. The abnormality notification device according to claim 1.

4. The control unit detects the moving user by calculating a change in distance between each of the users and the equipment in the abnormal state based on the location information sequentially acquired from the location information acquisition unit. The abnormality notification device according to claim 1.

5. A storage unit for storing administrator information indicating an administrator who manages the equipment among the plurality of users, The control unit is If the moving user is the manager for the equipment in the abnormal state according to the manager information, the cancellation notice is sent; If the moving user is not the manager of the equipment in the abnormal state according to the manager information, the cancellation notice is not sent. The abnormality notification device according to claim 1.

6. The administrator information manages, as the administrator, a user associated with a terminal device that has transmitted predetermined information to the communication unit based on information received by the communication unit from the plurality of terminal devices. The abnormality notification device according to claim 5.

7. The location information acquisition unit sequentially acquires the location information from each of the terminal devices associated with each of the users. The abnormality notification device according to claim 1.

8. The communication unit receives first image data from a first imaging device that captures an image of the environment; The position information acquisition unit recognizes a position of each user in a captured image represented by the first image data based on the first image data received from the first imaging device, and acquires the position information. The abnormality notification device according to claim 1.

9. The communication unit receives second image data from a second imaging device that images the equipment in the abnormal state, The control unit is After the cancellation notification is transmitted, based on second image data received from the second imaging device, a gesture of a user included in a captured image represented by the second image data is detected; When a predetermined gesture is detected, a re-notification indicating the cancellation of the cancellation notification is transmitted. The abnormality notification device according to claim 1.

10. a plurality of terminal devices respectively associated with the plurality of users; The abnormality notification device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, Notification system.

11. Each of the terminal devices A terminal communication unit that performs data communication with the abnormality notification device; A display unit for displaying information; an operation unit that accepts a user operation to set setting information including displaying or hiding a notification regarding the facility; a terminal control unit that switches whether or not to display the abnormality notification and the cancellation notification on the display unit based on the setting information. The notification system of claim 10.

12. An abnormality notification method for notifying a plurality of users of an abnormality in equipment installed in an environment, comprising: a communication unit of a computer that performs data communication with a plurality of terminal devices associated with the plurality of users, Acquire status information indicating a status of the equipment; obtaining location information indicative of a location of each user in the environment; The control unit of the computer When it is determined that the equipment is in an abnormal state based on the status information, an abnormality notification indicating that the equipment is in the abnormal state is transmitted to the plurality of terminal devices; After transmitting the abnormality notification, detecting a user among the plurality of users who moves to the facility in the abnormal state based on the location information; When the moving user is detected, a cancellation notification indicating cancellation of the abnormality notification is transmitted to a part or all of the plurality of terminal devices that transmitted the abnormality notification. Abnormality notification method.

13. A program for causing a control unit of a computer to execute the abnormality notification method according to claim 12.