Layout analysis device and layout analysis method

Abstract

A layout analysis device (2) generates information indicating the result of analyzing a layout including a plurality of sets of equipment (E). The layout analysis device comprises a storage unit (21) that stores a first layout indicating the arrangement of the plurality of sets of equipment, and a control unit (20) that acquires a second layout calculated from the first layout by numerical calculation for optimizing the arrangement of the plurality of sets of equipment. The control unit compares the first layout with the second layout to specify a characteristic part of the second layout and generates analysis information indicating a relationship between optimization and at least one of the specified part of the second layout and a part of the first layout corresponding to the specified part.

Description

Layout analysis device and layout analysis method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a layout analysis apparatus and a layout analysis method.

[0002] Patent Literature 1 discloses a layout optimization system that analyzes the placement of multiple placement objects. A database server in the layout optimization system stores a work performance table that shows the placement object, actual placement location, and actual work time for each task, and location information that shows multiple placement locations where the placement object can be placed. An analysis server in the layout optimization system acquires an interaction search policy that includes multiple interaction patterns that affect the work time required for the task, and generates a placement plan that shows a proposal for placement locations where the placement object should be placed based on the work performance information, location information, and interaction search policy. Patent Literature 1 aims to provide a layout optimization system that can improve work efficiency.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-119166

[0004] The present disclosure provides a layout analysis device and a layout analysis method that can make it easier for a user to analyze a layout in which the placement of equipment has been optimized.

[0005] A layout analysis device according to the present disclosure generates information indicating an analysis result of a layout of a plurality of pieces of equipment. The layout analysis device includes a storage unit that stores a first layout indicating the arrangement of the plurality of pieces of equipment, and a control unit that acquires a second layout calculated by numerical calculation to optimize the arrangement of the plurality of pieces of equipment from the first layout. The control unit identifies characteristic portions of the second layout by comparing the second layout with the first layout, and generates analysis information indicating a relationship between the identified portions of the second layout and at least one of portions corresponding to the identified portions of the first layout and the optimization.

[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 layout analysis device and layout analysis method according to the present disclosure can make it easier for a user to analyze a layout in which the placement of equipment has been optimized.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overview of a flow line analysis system according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a layout analysis device in the first embodiment; FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an overview of the operation of the layout analysis device; FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the layout analysis device; FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display in the layout analysis device;

[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 Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] 1. Configuration A system using a layout analysis apparatus according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0013] 1-1. System Overview Fig. 1 shows an overview of a traffic flow analysis system 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, this system 1 includes a camera 11, a traffic flow management server 12, and a layout analysis device 2. This system 1 is applied to a workplace 10 equipped with various types of equipment, for example, in a factory, a logistics warehouse, a store, or the like.

[0014] In this embodiment, the movement line analysis system 1 accumulates information for analysis, such as the trajectory, i.e., movement lines, of one or more workers W in a workplace 10 including a plurality of pieces of equipment E. The system 1 is applicable to data analysis, for example, in which a user 15, such as a manager or analyst of the workplace 10, analyzes the layout of the pieces of equipment E in the workplace 10 from the perspective of improving the efficiency of work by the workers W. Each component of the system 1 is connected to a communication network 13, such as a LAN, a WAN, or the Internet, and is capable of data communication with each other.

[0015] In the present system 1, the camera 11 is arranged, for example, in the workplace 10 so as to capture an area including each piece of equipment E. The camera 11 is communicatively connected, for example, via a communication network 13 to a flow line management server 12 so as to be able to transmit image data of the workplace 10. The camera 11 may be, for example, an omnidirectional camera or a box camera. The present system 1 may also include multiple cameras 11.

[0016] The flow line management server 12 is a server device that includes a storage unit and the like that stores and manages information such as image data captured by the camera 11 and flow line data D1 that indicates various flow lines based on the image data.

[0017] The layout analysis device 2 according to this embodiment presents information for analysis by the user 15 from information stored in the system 1, such as the flow line data D1. The layout analysis device 2 is configured as an information processing device, such as a PC (personal computer). The configuration of the layout analysis device 2 will be described with reference to FIG. 2.

[0018] 2 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the layout analysis device 2. The layout analysis device 2 illustrated in Fig. 2 includes a control unit 20, a storage unit 21, an operation unit 22, a display unit 23, a device interface 24, and a network interface 25. Hereinafter, the interface will be abbreviated as "I / F."

[0019] The control unit 20 includes, for example, a CPU or MPU that works in cooperation with software to realize predetermined functions. The control unit 20 controls, for example, the overall operation of the layout analysis apparatus 2. The control unit 20 reads data and programs stored in the storage unit 21 and performs various arithmetic processing to realize various functions.

[0020] The control unit 20 executes, for example, a program including a set of instructions for implementing each of the above functions. The program may be provided via the communication network 13 or may be stored on a portable recording medium. The control unit 20 may also be a hardware circuit such as a dedicated electronic circuit or a reconfigurable electronic circuit designed to implement each of the above functions. The control unit 20 may 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.

[0021] The storage unit 21 is a storage medium that stores programs and data necessary to realize the functions of the layout analysis apparatus 2. As shown in Fig. 2, the storage unit 21 includes a storage unit 21a and a temporary storage unit 21b.

[0022] The storage unit 21a stores parameters, data, control programs, etc. for realizing predetermined functions. The storage unit 21a is configured, for example, with an HDD or SSD. For example, the storage unit 21a stores the above-mentioned programs, map information D2, etc. The map information D2 indicates, for example, the location of each piece of equipment E in the work site 10 in a predetermined coordinate system.

[0023] The temporary storage unit 21b is configured with a RAM such as a DRAM or an SRAM, and temporarily stores (i.e., holds) data. For example, the temporary storage unit 21b holds the flow line data D1 received from the flow line management server 12 (FIG. 1). The temporary storage unit 21b may also function as a work area for the control unit 20, and may be configured as a storage area in the internal memory of the control unit 20.

[0024] The operation unit 22 is a general term for operation members operated by the user. The operation unit 22 may be, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a touchpad, a touch panel, a button, a switch, etc. The operation unit 22 is an example of an acquisition unit that acquires various information input by user operations.

[0025] The display unit 23 is an example of an output unit configured, for example, by a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display. The display unit 23 may display various information such as various icons for operating the operation unit 22 and information input from the operation unit 22.

[0026] The device I / F 24 is a circuit for connecting an external device to the layout analysis apparatus 2. The device I / F 24 performs communication in accordance with a predetermined communication standard. The predetermined standard includes USB, HDMI (registered trademark), IEEE 1394, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc. The device I / F 24 may constitute an acquisition unit in the layout analysis apparatus 2 that receives various information from an external device or an output unit that transmits various information to an external device.

[0027] The network I / F 25 is a circuit for connecting the layout analysis apparatus 2 to the communication network 13 via a wireless or wired communication line. The network I / F 25 performs communication in accordance with a predetermined communication standard. The predetermined communication standard includes communication standards such as IEEE802.3, IEEE802.11a / 11b / 11g / 11ac, etc. The network I / F 25 may constitute an acquisition unit that receives various information or an output unit that transmits various information via the communication network 13 in the layout analysis apparatus 2.

[0028] The above-described configuration of the layout analysis device 2 is merely an example, and the configuration of the layout analysis device 2 is not limited to this. For example, the layout analysis device 2 may be configured as various computers including a server device. The layout analysis device 2 may be configured integrally with the flow line management server 12.

[0029] The acquisition unit in the layout analysis apparatus 2 may be realized in cooperation with various software in the control unit 20, etc. The acquisition unit in the layout analysis apparatus 2 may acquire various pieces of information by reading out the various pieces of information stored in various storage media (e.g., the storage unit 21a) into a working area (e.g., the temporary storage unit 21b) of the control unit 20.

[0030] Various display devices such as a projector and a head-mounted display may be used for the display unit 23 of the layout analysis apparatus 2. When an external display device is used, the display unit 23 of the layout analysis apparatus 2 may be an output interface circuit for a video signal conforming to the HDMI standard, for example.

[0031] 2. Operation The operation of the flow line analysis system 1 and layout analysis device 2 configured as above will be described below.

[0032] In the movement line analysis system 1 ( FIG. 1 ) of this embodiment, for example, a camera 11 sequentially captures images of a workplace 10 frame by frame and transmits the captured image data to a movement line management server 12. The movement line management server 12 performs image recognition to recognize the position of a worker W in the captured image for each frame indicated by the image data from the camera 11, and generates movement line data D1. The movement line management server 12 accumulates the movement line data D1 by sequentially storing the generated movement line data D1 in a storage unit.

[0033] Based on the flow line data D1 accumulated as described above, the layout analysis device 2 of this embodiment executes a numerical calculation simulation to optimize the layout of the equipment E in the workplace 10 under predetermined optimization conditions. The optimization condition is, for example, minimizing the total distance traveled by the worker W between the multiple pieces of equipment E in the flow line data D1.

[0034] 2-1. Overview of Operation The overview of the operation of the layout analysis apparatus 2 in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0035] 3A illustrates map information D2 showing the current layout when flow line data D1 is accumulated in the present system 1. The current layout is an example of a first layout that is the target of layout optimization in the layout analysis device 2. The current layout shows the actual positional relationship of multiple pieces of equipment E1 to E7 in the workplace 10. Hereinafter, the equipment E1 to E7 will be collectively referred to as equipment E. Although FIG. 3 illustrates seven pieces of equipment E1 to E7, the number of pieces of equipment E in the workplace 10 is not particularly limited and may be eight or more or six or less.

[0036] 3A includes a regular layout in which equipment E3, E4, and E5 are aligned with each other and adjacent to equipment E7. Such a current layout may have been established by a worker W or an operator of the workplace 10 based on experience.

[0037] FIG. 3(B) illustrates map information D2a of an optimal layout in the layout analysis device 2. The optimal layout is an example of a second layout generated as a result of the processing of a numerical simulation of layout optimization by the layout analysis device 2. In the optimal layout illustrated in FIG. 3(B), the arrangement of equipment E1 to E7, which is the same as that of the current layout in FIG. 3(A), has been changed, and the regular arrangement of equipment E3 to E7 described above has been lost. At first glance, such an optimal layout may appear to be disorderly. The present inventors have diligently studied such numerical simulations of layout optimization and have discovered the problems that arise therein.

[0038] In other words, the optimal layout is obtained as a result of comprehensively adjusting the placement of multiple pieces of equipment E1 to E7 in a layout optimization numerical simulation. For this reason, the inventors of the present application have discovered a problem in that, with the prior art, it is unclear what causal relationships, such as which parts of the optimal layout provide what benefits and realize improvements from the on-site layout, are unclear. In other words, with the prior art, new problems have been discovered, such as, for example, when the user 15 proposes an optimal layout to the operator of the workplace 10, it is difficult to make a convincing proposal, or when it is not possible to introduce the entire optimal layout, it is difficult to propose partial introduction.

[0039] Therefore, the layout analysis device 2 of this embodiment compares the optimal layout with the current layout and presents information that allows the user 15 or the like to understand what utility each part of the optimal layout has. This makes it easier for the user 15 or the like to analyze the optimal layout, and presents information that is useful when the user 15 proposes an optimal layout. The operation of the layout analysis device 2 of this embodiment will be described in detail below.

[0040] 4 to 6, the overall operation of the layout analysis apparatus 2 of this embodiment will be described. The layout analysis apparatus 2 of this embodiment realizes the presentation of the information described above by data analysis using graph theory.

[0041] Fig. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the layout analysis device 2. Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating graph information G1 and G2 in the layout analysis device 2. Fig. 6 shows an example of display in the layout analysis device 2. The processing shown in the flowchart in Fig. 4 is started, for example, in a state where map information D2 of the current layout is stored in the storage unit 21 of the layout analysis device 2, and is executed by the control unit 20.

[0042] First, the control unit 20 of the layout analysis device 2 acquires the flow line data D1, for example, from the flow line management server 12 via the network I / F 25 (S1). The acquisition of the flow line data D1 is not limited to the above, and for example, the control unit 20 of the layout analysis device 2 may extract flow lines from image data captured by the camera 11. Furthermore, the user 15 may input the flow line data D1 stored on a portable recording medium to the layout analysis device 2.

[0043] Next, the control unit 20 performs a layout optimization process (S2), which involves performing a numerical simulation of layout optimization based on the acquired flow line data D1 and the map information D2 of the current layout to calculate an optimal layout. In this embodiment, an algorithm is employed that enables layout optimization of the differently sized pieces of equipment E1-E7 by equally dividing the area in the map information D2 where the pieces of equipment E1-E7 are located. Furthermore, in step S2, graph theory is used to analyze the characteristics of the current layout. The process of step S2 will be described in detail later.

[0044] 5A illustrates graph information G1 of the current layout obtained in step S2. FIG. 5B illustrates graph information G2 of the optimal layout. The graph information G1 and G2 indicate layout characteristics of the facilities E based on graph theory. The graph information G1 and G2 of each layout includes nodes Gn indicating each facility E and edges Ge connecting two nodes Gn. Each edge Ge indicates characteristics related to the movement of the worker W between the corresponding two facilities E. For example, edges Ge indicated by solid lines in FIG. 5 indicate relatively short travel distances, while edges Ge indicated by dashed lines indicate relatively long travel distances.

[0045] The control unit 20 performs a process (S3) of analyzing the structure of characteristic portions in the graph information G2 of the optimal layout based on the calculation results of the layout optimization process (S2). In the substructure analysis process (S3), characteristic substructures P10, P11, and P12 are extracted from the graph information G2 of the optimal layout using information obtained during the calculation in the layout optimization process (S2). Figure 5(A) illustrates, in the graph information G1 of the current layout, portions P13 and P14 corresponding to the substructures P11 and P12 of the optimal layout, along with a substructure P10 common to the layouts.

[0046] Of the partial structures P10 to P12 extracted from the graph information G2 of the optimal layout as described above, the partial structures P11 and P12 that are not included in the graph information G1 of the current layout are considered to indicate factors that have improved the optimal layout from the current layout. On the other hand, the partial structure P10 that is common to both the optimal layout and the current layout is considered to be a point that should be evaluated as good in the current layout. Details of the processing in step S3 will be described later.

[0047] The control unit 20 also performs a process of analyzing centrality indices in the graph information G2 of the optimal layout from the perspective of comparison with the current layout (S4). The centrality indices are indices that indicate central features in the graph information G2. In the centrality indices analysis process (S4) of this embodiment, page rank and closeness centrality are used as centrality indices.

[0048] In step S4 of this embodiment, the above centrality index is used to quantitatively evaluate the degree to which the worker W can easily access a piece of equipment that functions as a hub for the worker W to move between pieces of equipment E1 to E7 in the workplace 10 and access the desired piece of equipment E, i.e., a hub equipment. In this embodiment, page rank is an example of a centrality index for measuring the degree to which each piece of equipment E in the workplace 10 is considered to be a hub equipment. In this embodiment, closeness centrality is an example of a centrality index for measuring the ease with which the worker W can access each piece of equipment E in various layouts of the workplace 10. Details of the processing in step S4 will be described later.

[0049] Next, the control unit 20 controls the display unit 23 to display information indicating the analysis results comparing the current layout with the optimal layout based on the information obtained by the substructure analysis process (S3) and the centrality index analysis process (S4) (S5). An example of the display by the layout analysis device 2 in step S5 is shown in Figure 6.

[0050] 6, the display unit 23 displays an analysis screen on which map information D2 of the current layout and map information D2a of the optimal layout are arranged side by side. The control unit 20 displays (S5) improvement factor lines L1 and L2, bottleneck factor lines L3 and L4, and an evaluation line L5 on the analysis screen of the display unit 23 based on the processing results of the substructure analysis processing (S3). The control unit 20 also displays (S5) hub facility messages M1 and M2 on the analysis screen based on the processing results of the centrality index analysis processing (S4).

[0051] The control unit 20 ends the processing shown in this flowchart by displaying the analysis screen (S5).

[0052] According to the above process, the layout analysis device 2 uses data analysis based on graph theory to compare the current layout with the optimal layout (S3, S4), and generates information that allows understanding of what utility each part of the optimal layout has, and displays this on the analysis screen (S5). The various lines L1 to L5 and messages M1 and M2 displayed on the analysis screen are examples of analysis information that suggest a causal relationship between the corresponding parts of the optimal layout or the current layout and layout optimization in this embodiment.

[0053] 6, for example, hub facility messages M1 and M2 indicate that the hub facility in the workshop 10 is facility E7, and that the closeness centrality of hub facility E7 has improved from a value of "7.0" in the current layout to a value of "8.4" in the optimal layout. Based on the processing results of the centrality index analysis process (S4) such as these hub facility messages M1 and M2, the user 15 can quantitatively grasp the degree to which the accessibility to hub facility E7 has improved in the optimal layout.

[0054] 6, improvement factor lines L1 and L2 indicate that the travel distances between facilities E3 and E5 and hub facility E7 are relatively short in the optimal layout. Bottleneck factor lines L3 and L4 indicate that the travel distances between facilities E3 and E5 and hub facility E7 are relatively long in the current layout. Evaluation line L5 indicates that the travel distance between facility E6 and hub facility E7 is relatively short in both the current layout and the optimal layout.

[0055] According to the bottleneck factor lines L3 and L4, in the current layout, the adjacent placement of equipment E3 and E5 and hub equipment E7 actually forces workers W to go around when moving around. In contrast, according to the improvement factor lines L1 and L2, in the optimal layout, a path is formed by leaving a gap between equipment E3 and E5 and hub equipment E7, which eliminates the need for workers W to go around when moving around as in the current layout.

[0056] According to the lines L1 to L5 based on the partial structure analysis process (S3), the user 15 can understand that the portion of the optimal layout where spacing is provided between the equipment E7 and the equipment E3, E5, and E6 from the initial layout can improve the ease of movement of the worker W. The user 15 can make a convincing proposal by, for example, presenting factors for improving the optimal layout. Furthermore, for example, in the example of FIG. 6, even if it is difficult to adopt the entire optimal layout, it is possible to propose a partial layout where spacing is provided between the equipment E3 and E5 and the hub equipment E7.

[0057] 2-2-1 Layout Optimization Processing The layout optimization processing in step S2 of FIG. 4 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0058] Fig. 7 is a flowchart illustrating the layout optimization process (S2) in the layout analysis device 2. Fig. 8 is a diagram illustrating map graph information G5 in the layout optimization process (S2). The map graph information G5 is graph information for equally dividing and handling each of the facilities E1 to E7.

[0059] First, the control unit 20 sets map graph information G5 based on the map information D2 of the current layout (S11). An example of the map graph information G5 at step S11 is shown in FIG.

[0060] 8 illustrates an example of map graph information G5 corresponding to the map information D2 of the current layout illustrated in FIG. 3A. The map graph information G5 includes a plurality of facility nodes G51, a plurality of passage nodes G52, and a plurality of movement edges G53. Hereinafter, the facility nodes G51 and the passage nodes G52 are collectively referred to as "division nodes G50."

[0061] The division nodes G50 are placed at a predetermined pitch so as to equally divide the area in the coordinate system (x, y) corresponding to the map information D2. The facility node G51 is a node located within the area in which the facility E is located in the map information D2. The facility node G51 is managed to identify each of the facilities E1 to E7. The passage node G52 is a node located on a passage in the map information D2 where the facility E is not present.

[0062] The predetermined pitch of the split nodes G50 is set from the perspective of representing each piece of equipment E1 to E7 in the map information D2 with an integer number of equipment nodes G51, and is set, for example, by a user's operation on the operation unit 22. The predetermined pitch may be automatically set by the control unit 20 based on the least common multiple of the pieces of equipment E1 to E7. The predetermined pitch of the map graph information G5 may be set separately in the x and y directions, in which case the moving edge G53 may have a weight according to the pitch in the corresponding direction.

[0063] The movement edge G53 is an edge that indicates, for each two adjacent split nodes G50, whether the worker W can move between the two split nodes G50. For example, the passage node G52 and the facility node G51 are connected by the movement edge G53 if the facility E of the facility node G51 is accessible from the position of the passage node G52, and are not connected if the facility E is not accessible (for example, a passage behind the facility E). Furthermore, no movement edge G53 is provided between two facility nodes G51. Furthermore, two passage nodes G52 are connected by a movement edge if the worker W can pass through the corresponding passage, and are not connected otherwise.

[0064] 7, the control unit 20 acquires the number of movements and the movement distance that the worker W has made between the two pieces of equipment E for each combination of two pieces of equipment E among all pieces of equipment E1 to E7 based on the flow line data D1 and the map graph information G5 (S12). The movement distance is the distance that the worker W is expected to be able to move between the two pieces of equipment E through a passage in which the pieces of equipment E1 to E7 are not located in various layouts.

[0065] For example, the control unit 20 calculates the number of movements by counting the number of movement lines from one facility E to the other facility E of two facilities E in the movement line data D1. The control unit 20 also calculates the shortest possible route between the two facilities E on the map by applying the Dijkstra algorithm to the map graph information G5. The above calculation is performed, for example, for each facility node G51 and managed for each facility E. The number of movements may be counted by distinguishing the direction in which the movement line moves between the two facilities E. The calculation of the movement distance may also be limited to combinations of two facilities E with a predetermined number of movements (for example, one time) or more.

[0066] Next, the control unit 20 converts the map graph information G5 of the current layout into graph information G1 of the current layout, for example, as illustrated in FIG. 5A, based on the calculated number of movements and movement distance (S13).

[0067] In such graph information G1, an edge Ge is set, for example, between two pieces of equipment E whose number of movements is equal to or greater than a predetermined number, and is not set between two pieces of equipment E whose number of movements is less than the predetermined number. The predetermined number is, for example, the number of times that indicates that a worker W has moved, such as one time. The predetermined number may be multiple times that is set from the perspective of limiting movement to regular movements due to work difference W. For each edge Ge, for example, the movement distance and the number of movements between the corresponding two pieces of equipment E can be set as weight values. Furthermore, the presence or absence of an edge Ge may be reset by performing a threshold judgment on the movement distance, etc.

[0068] Next, the control unit 20 calculates a centrality index for the current layout based on the graph information G1 of the current layout (S14). The process of step S14 is a preprocessing for the centrality index analysis process (S4 in FIG. 4), and will be described in detail later.

[0069] Next, the control unit 20 performs numerical calculations for layout optimization based on, for example, the calculated number of movements and movement distances between facilities E and the map graph information G5 (S15). For example, the control unit 20 solves the optimization problem expressed by the following equation (1) using the map graph information G5 of the current layout as an initial value.

[0070] In the above formula (1), N is the number of division nodes G50 including facility nodes G51 and passage nodes G52, and i, j, k, and l are integers from 1 to N, and each sum is Σ. ｉｋ , X ｊｌ is a variable that indicates a provisional solution of the layout. For example, X ｉｋ is "1" when the kth split node G50 is placed in the i-th position, and is "0" otherwise. ｋｌ is the number of moves between the kth split node G50 and the lth split node G50. For example, if the kth and lth split nodes G50 are facility nodes G51, then f ｋｌ is the number of trips between two facilities E including each facility node G51, otherwise f ｋｌ = 0. ｉｊ is the distance traveled between the i-th position and the j-th position.

[0071] where f ｋｌ is set to a predetermined value M when the kth and lth facility nodes G51 are included in the same facility E. The predetermined value M is set to a sufficiently large value so that the objective function of the above equation (1) becomes large when two facility nodes G51 are separated. This makes it possible to eliminate provisional solutions in which multiple facility nodes G51 that should be included in the same facility E are placed far apart from each other from the perspective of minimizing the objective function.

[0072] In step S15, the control unit 20 repeats a calculation process for calculating the objective function by setting a tentative solution of the above equation (1) so as to exchange the layout between facility nodes G51, for example, using simulated annealing. The exchange of layouts is not limited to between facility nodes G51, but may also be between facility node G51 and passage node G52, or between passage nodes G52. In the repeated calculation process, the control unit 20 of the layout analysis device 2 of this embodiment sequentially stores information indicating layouts of tentative solutions whose objective function values ​​are smaller than the initial value (i.e., the value for the current layout) in the storage unit 21. The information indicating the multiple layouts, i.e., the optimal layout group, thus stored is used in the subsequent substructure analysis process (S3).

[0073] The control unit 20 repeats the above calculation process until, for example, the termination condition of the simulated annealing method is satisfied, and in step S15, the tentative solution with the smallest objective function is finally stored in the storage unit 21 as the optimal layout.

[0074] Upon completion of the above-described numerical calculations for layout optimization (S15), the control unit 20 ends the layout optimization process (S2) and proceeds to step S3 in FIG. 4, for example.

[0075] According to the layout optimization process (S2) described above, by using map graph information G5 in which each facility E is equally divided at a predetermined pitch by division nodes G50 (S11), numerical calculations for layout optimization can be performed for multiple facilities E1 to E7 of various sizes. In addition, information to be used in the subsequent substructure analysis process (S3) and centrality index analysis process (S4) can also be obtained (S14, S15).

[0076] 2-2-2. Substructure Analysis Processing The substructure analysis processing in step S3 of FIG. 4 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0077] Fig. 9 is a flowchart illustrating the analysis process of the substructure (S3 in Fig. 4) in the layout analysis apparatus 2. Fig. 10 is a diagram for explaining the analysis process of the substructure (S3).

[0078] First, the control unit 20 generates graph information of an optimal layout group (S21) based on, for example, information obtained in the layout optimization process (S2). The graph information generated in step S21 is illustrated in FIG. 10A.

[0079] FIG. 10A illustrates graph information G3 of an optimal layout group obtained in the layout optimization of the example of FIGS. 5A and 5B. The graph information G3 of the optimal layout group includes graph information G2, G31, and G32 corresponding to each layout included in the optimal layout group. The edges Ge in the graph information G3 of the optimal layout group are limited to those between nodes Gn where the number of movements is equal to or greater than a predetermined number and the movement distance between facilities E is equal to or less than a threshold value in the graph information G2, G31, and G32 of each layout. The threshold value is set in advance, for example, as a criterion for a relatively short movement distance. Each edge Ge does not have any particular weighting or direction, for example.

[0080] Next, the control unit 20 performs, for example, a graph theory analysis on the graph information G3 of the generated optimal layout group to extract characteristic substructures in the optimal layouts (S22). An example of the substructures extracted in step S22 is shown in FIG. 10(B).

[0081] 10(B) illustrates characteristic substructures P10, P11, and P12 of the optimal layout in the graph information G3 of the optimal layout group illustrated in FIG. 10(A). The control unit 20 analyzes the graph information G3 of the optimal layout group using, for example, the Cl-GBI (Chunkless Graph Based Induction) method, and extracts substructures P10 to P12 that are common to the multiple pieces of graph information G2, G31, and G32 in the optimal layout group (S22). For example, the substructure P10 has a structure in which the node Gn of equipment E6 and the node Gn of equipment E7 are connected by an edge Ge, and indicates an arrangement in which the number of movements between the equipment E6 and E7 is relatively high and the movement distance is relatively short.

[0082] Next, the control unit 20 performs a process of comparing the current layout with the substructures P10 to P12 extracted using the optimal layout group as described above (S23 to S27). For example, the control unit 20 first sequentially selects one of the substructures P10 to P12 extracted in the optimal layout as a comparison target (S23).

[0083] The control unit 20 determines whether the substructure selected in the optimal layout is included in the graph information G1 of the current layout (FIG. 3A) (S24). In the process of step S3, even in the graph information G1 of the current layout, only edges Ge with relatively short movement distances are taken into consideration, and the dashed edges Ge in FIG. 3A are not taken into consideration.

[0084] For example, in the graph information G1 of the current layout, the nodes Gn of the equipment E6 and E7 are connected to each other by an edge Ge, so the control unit 20 determines that the substructure P10 is included in the current layout (YES in S24). On the other hand, in the graph information G1 of the current layout, there is no edge Ge between the equipment E7 and the equipment E3 and E4, so the control unit 20 determines that the substructures P11 and P12 are not included in the current layout (NO in S24).

[0085] The control unit 20 determines the substructure P10 included in the current layout as a comparison result (YES in S24) and determines the substructure P10 as an evaluation point for the current layout (S25). For example, the control unit 20 determines to display an evaluation line L5 corresponding to the substructure P10 on the analysis screen ( FIG. 6 ) of the display unit 23.

[0086] On the other hand, if a partial structure P11 that is not included in the current layout is used as a comparison result (NO in S24), the control unit 20 determines the partial structure P11 as an improvement factor for the optimal layout (S26). The control unit 20 also determines a corresponding location P13 of the partial structure P11 in the graph information G1 of the current layout as a bottleneck factor for the current layout (S26). For example, the control unit 20 determines to display an improvement factor line L1 corresponding to the partial structure P11 and a bottleneck factor line L3 corresponding to the corresponding location P13 (see FIG. 6 ).

[0087] The control unit 20 determines whether the comparison of the current layout and the optimal layout using the substructures P10 to P12 is complete, for example, depending on whether the above-mentioned comparison results have been determined for all substructures P10 to P12 (S27). If there is a substructure P12 for which the comparison result has not been determined (NO in S27), the control unit 20 performs the processes from step S24 onwards for that substructure P12 again. By repeating steps S23 to S27, the comparison results for each substructure P10 to P12 are determined (YES in S27).

[0088] When the comparison between the current layout and the optimum layout based on the partial structures P10 to P12 is completed (YES in S27), the control unit 20 generates information indicating the results of the determinations made in steps S25 and S26 and records this information in the storage unit 21 (S28).

[0089] By recording the determination information for the substructures P10 to P12 (S28), the control unit 20 terminates the substructure analysis process (S3) and proceeds to, for example, step S4 in Fig. 4. Thereafter, the control unit 20 references the determination information in step S28 and displays the evaluation line L5 corresponding to the substructure P10 on the analysis screen in Fig. 6 (S5). Similarly, the control unit 20 displays the improvement factor lines L1 and L2 corresponding to the substructures P11 and P12, and the bottleneck factor lines L3 and L4 corresponding to the corresponding locations P13 and P14 (S5).

[0090] According to the above-described partial structure analysis process (S3), by extracting partial structures P10 to P12 of the optimal layout from graph information G3 of an optimal layout group that is more optimized than the current layout using, for example, the Cl-GBI method (S22), it is possible to identify characteristic parts of the optimal layout. In this embodiment, the extraction of partial structures P10 to P12 (S22) is not limited to the Cl-GBI method, and for example, the GBI method or the B-GBI method may also be used.

[0091] 2-2-3. Centrality Index Analysis Processing The centrality index analysis processing in step S4 of FIG. 4 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0092] Fig. 11 illustrates an example of a centrality table D31 of the current layout in the layout analysis apparatus 2. Fig. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the centrality index analysis process (S4 in Fig. 4) in this embodiment. Fig. 13 illustrates an example of the centrality table D31 of the optimal layout.

[0093] 12 starts in a state where the centrality table D31 of the current layout shown in Fig. 11 is stored in the storage unit 21. The centrality table D31 of the current layout indicates the calculation result of the centrality index of the current layout in step S14 of Fig. 7.

[0094] 7, the control unit 20 calculates the page rank of each of all facilities E1 to E7 based on, for example, the graph information G1 of the current layout obtained in step S13. For example, the control unit 20 records information identifying each facility E in the centrality table D31, starting with facility E7, which has the highest page rank. The control unit 20 also calculates the closeness centrality of each facility E based on the graph information G1 of the current layout, and records the calculated closeness centrality value in the centrality table D31. The calculation of the closeness centrality may be limited to a predetermined number of facilities E in order of highest page rank.

[0095] Thereafter, in the centrality index analysis process (S4 in FIG. 4), the control unit 20 first calculates the closeness centrality of each facility E in the optimal layout based on the graph information G2 of the optimal layout (S31), as shown in, for example, FIG. 12. The control unit 20 stores the calculated closeness centrality for each facility E in a centrality table D32 of the optimal layout, as shown in, for example, FIG. 13.

[0096] In the centrality table D32 of the optimal layout, the identification information of the facility E is arranged in the same order as in the centrality table D31 (FIG. 11) of the current layout, in the order of page rank, as shown in Fig. 13. The page rank does not change between the current layout and the optimal layout, and can be used as a common index when comparing the two.

[0097] Next, the control unit 20 performs a process of comparing the current layout with the optimal layout based on the calculation results of the centrality index for each layout (S32 to S33). For example, the control unit 20 first selects one facility E as a comparison target in descending order of page rank (S32).

[0098] The control unit 20 refers to each centrality table D31, D32 and determines whether the proximity centrality of the optimal layout for the selected facility E is higher than the centrality of the current layout (S33).

[0099] When the control unit 20 determines that the proximity centrality of the optimal layout for the selected facility E is higher than that of the current layout (YES in S33), it generates hub facility information indicating the selected facility E as a hub facility and records it in the storage unit 21 (S34). The hub facility information includes, for example, the proximity centrality of the current layout for the hub facility and the proximity centrality of the current layout, and identification information of the hub facility.

[0100] On the other hand, if the control unit 20 determines that the proximity centrality of the optimal layout for the selected equipment E is not higher than that of the current layout (NO in S33), it newly selects equipment E with the next highest page rank (S32) and performs step S33 again.The optimal layout of this embodiment is obtained by optimization that minimizes the total travel distance of the worker W, so it is considered that at least one of the equipment E1 to E7 in the workplace 10 has a higher proximity centrality than the current layout.

[0101] The control unit 20 ends the centrality index analysis process (S4) by, for example, recording the hub facility information (S34) and proceeds to step S5 in Fig. 4. At this time, the control unit 20 displays hub facility messages M1 and M2 on the analysis screen in Fig. 6 based on the hub facility information of step S34 (S5).

[0102] According to the above centrality index analysis process (S4), for example, the hub facility E7 can be automatically extracted using PageRank, and it can be confirmed that the closeness centrality of the hub facility E7 has improved by comparing the current layout with the optimal layout (S34).

[0103] PageRank in this embodiment will be described in more detail below. According to PageRank, for example, in graph information G1, G2, the degree of importance of a node Gn is measured from the following perspectives: (1) An important node Gn is connected, i.e., linked, by edges Ge from a larger number of nodes Gn. (2) An important node Gn is linked from more important nodes Gn. (3) An important node Gn is linked from nodes Gn that have fewer edges Ge connected, i.e., fewer links.

[0104] In this embodiment, the above-described PageRank is applied to graph information G1 and G2 of various layouts in which nodes Gn indicate facilities E and edges Ge indicate whether or not there is movement. This makes it possible to measure the importance of each facility E, i.e., the degree to which it functions as a hub facility, based on the idea that, among multiple facilities E1 to E7 in the graph information G1 and G2, a facility E that receives more movement from other facilities E is more important. Because this PageRank measures the importance of a layout based only on whether or not there is movement, it has a common value before and after changing the layout.

[0105] For example, the page rank is calculated by a matrix operation using an adjacency matrix of a directed graph in which an edge Ge in the graph information G1 and G2 indicates whether or not there is movement from one facility E to another facility E. Specifically, the control unit 20 calculates the page rank by calculating the matrix element b ｉｊ Matrix B=(b ｉｊ ) and calculates the value of each element of the eigenvector with the largest eigenvalue as the page rank (S14). ｉｊ = a ｉｊ / Σ ｋ (a ｋｊ ) … (2)

[0106] In the above formula (2), a ｉｊ are the matrix elements of matrix A obtained by transposing the adjacency matrix of the above directed graph. The sum Σ by k is taken over the number of nodes Gn, that is, the number of facilities E1 to E7.

[0107] In this embodiment, the control unit 20 calculates the closeness centrality by, for example, calculating the following equation (3) (S14, S31).

[0108] In the above formula (3), CCi indicates the closeness centrality of the i-th facility E. n is the number of facilities E. d(i, j) is the travel distance between the i-th facility E and the j-th facility E. The sum Σ by j is taken over n-1 facilities E other than the i-th facility E.

[0109] The closer the number of other facilities E to which the worker W may move is to the i-th facility E, the higher the proximity centrality CCi becomes. Therefore, the higher the proximity centrality CCi of the hub facility E, the easier it is for the worker W to access the hub facility E, thereby improving the work efficiency of the worker W.

[0110] 3. Summary As described above, the layout analysis device 2 in this embodiment generates information indicating the results of an analysis of a layout of multiple pieces of equipment E. The layout analysis device 2 includes a memory unit 21 that stores map information D2 of a current layout, which is an example of a first layout showing the arrangement of multiple pieces of equipment E, and a control unit 20 that acquires an optimal layout, which is an example of a second layout calculated by numerical calculation (S2) that optimizes the arrangement of the multiple pieces of equipment E from the current layout. The control unit 20 identifies a substructure or hub equipment as an example of a characteristic part of the optimal layout compared to the current layout (S3, S4). The control unit 20 generates various lines L1 to L5 and messages M1 and M2 as examples of analysis information indicating the relationship between the identified part of the optimal layout and at least one of the parts corresponding to the identified part of the current layout and the optimization (S3 to S5).

[0111] According to the layout analysis device 2 described above, the user 15 can grasp the parts of the optimal layout that are related to optimization based on various analysis information, and can easily analyze the optimized layout in which the equipment placement has been optimized through numerical calculations.

[0112] In the layout analysis device 2 of this embodiment, numerical calculations for optimization are performed so as to minimize the total distance traveled by a worker W, an example of a mobile object, between multiple pieces of equipment E. The control unit 20 identifies characteristic portions in the optimal layout in relation to the movement between the multiple pieces of equipment E. Specifically, the control unit 20 identifies characteristic portions in the optimal layout based on graph information G1, G2 corresponding to each layout. The graph information G1, G2 includes multiple nodes Gn corresponding to the multiple pieces of equipment E, respectively, and multiple edges Ge set between the nodes Gn. By performing data analysis using graph theory based on such graph information G1, G2, it is possible to automatically identify which portions in the optimal layout are considered to have a causal relationship with layout optimization.

[0113] In the layout analysis apparatus 2 of this embodiment, the control unit 20 acquires information indicating an optimal layout group as an example of layout group information indicating multiple layouts including the optimal layout that are calculated to be more optimized than the first layout in the numerical optimization calculation (S15). Based on the acquired layout group information, the control unit 20 identifies substructures P10 to P12 as characteristic portions that are common to the multiple layouts (S22). This makes it possible to identify the characteristic portions of the optimal layout by utilizing information obtained during the numerical optimization calculation.

[0114] In the layout analysis apparatus 2 of this embodiment, graph information G3 of an optimal layout group, which is an example of layout group information, includes graph information G2, G31, and G32 corresponding to multiple layouts, respectively. The control unit 20 applies at least one of the Cl-GBI method, the GBI method, and the B-GBI method to the graph information G3 of the optimal layout group to identify substructures P10 to P12 (S22). For example, by applying the Cl-GBI method, it is possible to accurately extract characteristic substructures P10 to P12 in the optimal layout.

[0115] In the layout analysis apparatus 2 of this embodiment, if the substructures P11 and P12 are not included in the current layout (NO in S24), the improvement factor lines L1 and L2, which are examples of analysis information, indicate the substructures P11 and P12 as factors that caused the optimal layout to be optimized from the current layout (S26). This allows the user 15 to understand the improvement factors in the optimal layout.

[0116] In the layout analysis apparatus 2 of this embodiment, if the substructure P10 is not included in the current layout (NO in S24), the bottleneck factor lines L3 and L4, which are examples of analysis information, indicate the corresponding locations P13 and P14 as factors that cause the current layout to be suboptimal (S26), allowing the user 15 to understand the factors that cause bottlenecks in the current layout.

[0117] In the layout analysis apparatus 2 of this embodiment, when the partial structure P10 is included in the current layout (YES in S24), the evaluation line L5, which is an example of analysis information, indicates the partial structure P10 as a part common to the current layout and the optimal layout, thereby allowing the user 15 to grasp favorable evaluation points in the current layout in terms of comparison with the optimal layout.

[0118] In the layout analysis device 2 of this embodiment, the control unit 20 compares the centrality index of the current layout with the centrality index of the optimal layout (S32-S33), and identifies hub facilities that are examples of characteristic parts of the optimal layout (S34). By using such centrality indexes of each layout, it is possible to grasp the characteristic parts of the optimal layout in relation to layout optimization.

[0119] In the layout analysis device 2 of this embodiment, the hub facility messages M1 and M2, which are examples of analysis information, indicate that the centrality index (e.g., closeness centrality) of a specified part in the optimal layout is higher than the centrality index of the corresponding part in the current layout. From this improvement in centrality index, the user 15 can understand factors for improvement in the optimal layout.

[0120] In the layout analysis device 2 of this embodiment, the optimization numerical calculation (S2) is performed so as to minimize the total distance traveled by a worker W, an example of a mobile object, between multiple pieces of equipment E. The identified portion is, for example, a hub facility E where the movement of mobile objects is concentrated among the multiple pieces of equipment E. The analysis information indicates that the closeness centrality, which is an example of a centrality index related to the ease of movement of mobile objects, for the hub facility E is higher in the optimal layout than in the current layout. This allows the user 15 to understand that the improved accessibility of the hub facility E in the optimal layout is an improvement factor.

[0121] In the layout analysis device 2 of this embodiment, the centrality indices include page rank and closeness centrality. By using these centrality indices, for example, it is possible to extract hub facilities E in the work area 10 and grasp their accessibility.

[0122] In the layout analysis device 2 of this embodiment, the numerical calculation for optimization (S2) is performed by using a state in which the area in the current layout in which each piece of equipment E is located is divided into divided areas of a predetermined size by division nodes G50 at a predetermined pitch as an initial value, and arranging the divided areas corresponding to each piece of equipment E together (S11, S15). This makes it possible to perform numerical calculation for layout optimization such as simulated annealing for multiple pieces of equipment E1 to E7 that have different sizes, making it easier to perform layout optimization.

[0123] In the layout analysis device 2 of this embodiment, the control unit 20 performs numerical calculations to optimize the placement of multiple pieces of equipment E from the current layout, and calculates an optimal layout (S2). In this way, the layout analysis device 2 performs numerical calculations for optimization, making it easier to use information during the numerical calculations.

[0124] In this embodiment, the layout analysis device 2 further includes a display unit 23 that displays the analysis information generated by the control unit 20. The user 15 can easily analyze the optimal layout by checking the analysis information displayed on the display unit 23.

[0125] In this embodiment, there is provided a layout analysis method for generating information indicating the analysis results of a layout of a plurality of pieces of equipment E. This method includes the steps of: acquiring an optimal layout calculated by numerical calculation to optimize the arrangement of the plurality of pieces of equipment E from a current layout indicating the arrangement of the plurality of pieces of equipment E (S2); identifying characteristic parts of the optimal layout by comparing it with the current layout (S3, S4); and generating analysis information indicating the relationship between the identified parts of the optimal layout and at least one of the parts corresponding to the identified parts of the current layout and the optimization (S3 to S5).

[0126] In this embodiment, a program is provided to cause the control unit 20 of a computer such as the layout analysis device 2 to execute the above-described layout analysis method. The layout analysis method of this embodiment makes it easier for the user 15 to analyze a layout in which the placement of equipment E has been optimized.

[0127] (Other Embodiments) As described above, embodiment 1 has been described as an example of the technology disclosed in the present application. However, the technology in the present disclosure is not limited to this, 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 a new embodiment. Therefore, other embodiments will be described below as examples.

[0128] In the first embodiment described above, page rank and closeness centrality are given as examples of centrality indices. In the layout analysis device 2 of this embodiment, the centrality indices are not particularly limited and may be, for example, betweenness centrality. For example, the betweenness centrality in the map graph information G5 can be used to calculate the degree of congestion for each passage node G52. In the layout analysis device 2 of this embodiment, the centrality indices may include at least one of page rank, closeness centrality, and betweenness centrality.

[0129] In the first embodiment, the closeness centrality is calculated using the formula (3). In the present embodiment, the closeness centrality is not limited to the formula (3) but may be calculated using the following formula (4), for example.

[0130] In the above formula (4), C ＷＦ (i) indicates the closeness centrality of the i-th facility E. n is the number of facilities E. The sum Σ by j is taken over n-1 facilities E other than the i-th facility E. f(j) matches the number of trips if the worker W moves between the i-th facility E and the j-th facility E, and is "1" if there is no trip. f'(j) is the product of the number of trips and the distance traveled if the worker W moves between the i-th facility E and the j-th facility E, and matches the distance traveled if there is no trip.

[0131] The closeness centrality C in the above formula (4) ＷＦ According to (i), since the number of moves is taken into consideration in the calculation of closeness centrality, it is easy to quantitatively evaluate the importance of equipment E with a large number of moves. For example, the closeness centrality C ＷＦ (i) may be used without being used in combination with PageRank.

[0132] In the above embodiments, an example of minimizing the total distance traveled by the workers W has been described as an example of an optimization condition. In this embodiment, the optimization condition is not limited to the above and can be set to various conditions that improve work efficiency in the workplace 10. For example, the optimization condition in this embodiment may be minimizing the congestion level in the workplace 10. In this case, the sum of betweenness centrality across all aisle nodes G52 may be used as the objective function to be minimized in layout optimization. Furthermore, in applications to fields such as logistics, logistics volume may be used in addition to or instead of the number of movements.

[0133] In each of the above embodiments, an example of applying an algorithm that divides the equipment E equally using the map graph information G5 in layout optimization has been described, but the layout analysis device 2 of this embodiment is not particularly limited to this. The layout analysis device 2 of this embodiment does not particularly need to use the map graph information G5, and may perform layout optimization using various algorithms that do not divide the equipment E equally. For example, layout optimization may be performed in a workplace 10 where multiple pieces of equipment E are the same size.

[0134] In the above embodiments, an example has been described in which the Dijkstra algorithm is used to calculate the travel distance between the facilities E in each layout, but this is not particularly limited to this. In the present embodiment, various methods such as the Warshall-Floyd algorithm may be used to calculate the travel distance. Furthermore, the travel distance between the facilities E may be a set distance value that is set for each combination of positions on the map.

[0135] In the above embodiments, the simulated annealing method is used in the numerical calculation of layout optimization. In the layout analysis apparatus 2 of this embodiment, the numerical calculation of layout optimization is not limited to the above, and various other methods can be applied. For example, an approximate solution method using a hill-climbing method or a neighborhood search such as a genetic algorithm may be used. Even in this case, an optimal layout group can be obtained from information obtained during the layout optimization calculation. Furthermore, when an optimal layout group is not used, various other numerical calculation methods can be applied.

[0136] In the above-described embodiments, examples have been described in which the layout analysis device 2 executes numerical calculations for layout optimization. In the present embodiment, the numerical calculations for layout optimization may be performed outside the layout analysis device 2, for example, by an external server such as the traffic line management server 12. In this case, the control unit 20 of the layout analysis device 2 may acquire information such as the optimal layout by receiving, via the network I / F 25, the optimal layout calculated by the external server or various information during the calculation.

[0137] In each of the above embodiments, the worker W has been described as an example of a moving object. In this embodiment, the moving object may be a person other than the worker W, or may be a living thing, various vehicles, or robots, etc., without being limited to a person.

[0138] 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.

[0139] 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.

[0140] 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.

[0141] The present disclosure is applicable to data analysis relating to layouts in which facilities are arranged in various fields, such as factories or logistics.

Claims

1. A layout analysis device that generates information indicating an analysis result of a layout of a plurality of pieces of equipment, A storage unit that stores a first layout indicating an arrangement of the plurality of pieces of equipment; a control unit that acquires a second layout calculated by a numerical calculation that optimizes an arrangement of the plurality of pieces of equipment from the first layout, The control unit is Identifying features in the second layout compared to the first layout; generating analysis information indicative of a relationship between the optimization and at least one of the identified portion in the second layout and a portion in the first layout corresponding to the identified portion; Layout analysis device.

2. The control unit is acquiring layout group information indicating a plurality of layouts including the second layout, the layouts being calculated to be more optimized than the first layout in the numerical optimization calculation; Based on the acquired layout group information, a portion common to the plurality of layouts is identified as the characteristic portion. The layout analysis apparatus according to claim 1 .

3. the layout group information includes graph information corresponding to each of the plurality of layouts, The control unit applies at least one of a Cl-GBI method, a GBI method, and a B-GBI method to the layout group information to identify the common portion. The layout analysis apparatus according to claim 2 .

4. The analysis information indicates the identified portion as a factor of the second layout being optimized from the first layout when the common portion is not included in the first layout.

4. The layout analysis apparatus according to claim 2 or 3.

5. The analysis information indicates, when the common portion is not included in the first layout, the corresponding portion as a factor that causes the first layout to be suboptimal.

4. The layout analysis apparatus according to claim 2 or 3.

6. The analysis information indicates the identified portion as a common portion between the first and second layouts if the common portion is included in the first layout.

4. The layout analysis apparatus according to claim 2 or 3.

7. The control unit compares a centrality index in the first layout with a centrality index in the second layout to identify the characteristic portion in the second layout.

4. The layout analysis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the layout analysis device is a computer.

8. The analysis information indicates that a centrality metric of the identified portion in the second layout is higher than a centrality metric of the corresponding portion in the first layout. The layout analysis apparatus according to claim 7 .

9. The optimization numerical calculation is performed so as to minimize a total distance traveled by a moving object between the plurality of facilities; the specified portion is a facility in which movement of the moving object is concentrated among the plurality of facilities, The analysis information indicates that a centrality index related to ease of movement of the moving object is higher in the second layout than in the first layout for the facility where the movement is concentrated. The layout analysis apparatus according to claim 8 .

10. The centrality index includes at least one of page rank, closeness centrality, and betweenness centrality. The layout analysis apparatus according to claim 7 .

11. The optimization numerical calculation is performed by setting an initial value in a state where an area in which each piece of equipment is located in the first layout is divided into divided areas of a predetermined size, and arranging the divided areas corresponding to each piece of equipment together.

4. The layout analysis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the layout analysis device is a computer.

12. The control unit calculates the second layout by performing a numerical calculation to optimize a layout of the plurality of pieces of equipment from the first layout.

4. The layout analysis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the layout analysis device is a computer.

13. The control unit further includes a display unit that displays the analysis information generated by the control unit.

4. The layout analysis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the layout analysis device is a computer.

14. 1. A layout analysis method for generating information indicating an analysis result of a layout of a plurality of pieces of equipment, comprising: acquiring a second layout calculated by a numerical calculation that optimizes the arrangement of the plurality of pieces of equipment from a first layout indicating the arrangement of the plurality of pieces of equipment; identifying features in the second layout compared to the first layout; generating analysis information indicative of a relationship between the optimization and at least one of the identified portion in the second layout and a portion in the first layout corresponding to the identified portion. Layout analysis method.

15. 15. A program for causing a control unit of a computer to execute the layout analysis method according to claim 14.