Display control device, display control method, and recording medium

Abstract

This display control device comprises an acquisition unit and a display control unit. The acquisition unit acquires reservation information. The reservation information specifies at least one vacancy area present on a shelf and indicates that the vacancy area is a reserved area in which an article is scheduled to be stored. The display control unit generates vacancy information indicating a vacant area that can be reserved by a user of the shelf, and displays the vacancy information in a first display area and a second display area. Upon acquiring the reservation information in association with the first display area, a pre-display control unit updates the vacancy information to be displayed in at least the second display area by using the reservation information.

Description

Display control device, display control method, and recording medium

[0001] The present invention relates to a display control device, a display control method, and a recording medium.

[0002] Warehouses often have shelves for storing items. Patent Document 1 describes how a reservation unit in a shelf management device reserves a shelf that has been confirmed to be vacant in an automated warehouse.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-120908

[0004] In a warehouse, multiple people may work at the same time. In such a case, if multiple people try to store items in the same empty space, the efficiency of the work of storing items will decrease. To avoid this, it would be possible to reserve empty space on a shelf, but even in this case, there is a possibility that the reservation of empty space will overlap.

[0005] The display control device of the present disclosure comprises: an acquisition means for identifying at least one vacant space occurring on a shelf, and acquiring reservation information indicating that the vacant space is a reserved space in which items are to be stored; and a display control means for generating vacant information indicating the vacant space that can be reserved by users of the shelf, and displaying the vacant information in a first display area and a second display area, and, when the reservation information is acquired in association with the first display area, using the reservation information to update the vacant information to be displayed in at least the second display area.

[0006] The display control method of the present disclosure is a display control method in which at least one computer identifies at least one vacant space that has occurred on a shelf, acquires reservation information indicating that the vacant space is a reserved space in which items are to be stored, generates vacant information indicating the vacant space that can be reserved by users of the shelf, and displays the vacant information in a first display area and a second display area, and, when the reservation information is acquired in association with the first display area, uses the reservation information to update the vacant information to be displayed in at least the second display area.

[0007] The recording medium of the present disclosure records a program that causes at least one computer to have: an acquisition means that identifies at least one vacant space that has occurred on a shelf and acquires reservation information that indicates that the vacant space is a reserved space where items are to be stored; and a display control means that generates vacant information that indicates the vacant space that can be reserved by users of the shelf and displays it in a first display area and a second display area, and, when the reservation information is acquired in association with the first display area, uses the reservation information to update the vacant information to be displayed in at least the second display area.

[0008] According to the present disclosure, users can reserve free space on shelves, and overlapping reservations of free space can be prevented.

[0009] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a shelf used together with a display control device according to the present disclosure. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a display control device. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation of a display control device. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed in a display area. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed in a display area. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a usage environment of a display control device. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a display control device. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of real space information stored in a real space information storage unit. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of information stored in a reservation information storage unit. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a display control device. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation of a display control device. FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining an example of processing performed by a display control device. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining an example of processing performed by a display control device. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining an example of processing performed by a display control device. FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining an example of processing performed by a display control device. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed in a display area.

[0010] Hereinafter, in this disclosure, the drawings relate to one or more embodiments. In addition, in all drawings, similar components are given similar reference numerals and descriptions thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

[0011] First, an example of a shelf 50 used together with the display control device 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 1 . The shelf 50 is placed in a warehouse. An example of this warehouse is a logistics warehouse, but it may also be a store or factory warehouse. A plurality of items 30, for example, luggage, is stored on the shelf 50. Then, a worker working in the warehouse, i.e., a user of the display control device 10, stores a new item 30 in an empty space 54 on the shelf 50.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 2 , the display control device 10 includes an acquisition unit 110 and a display control unit 120 .

[0013] The acquisition unit 110 acquires reservation information. The reservation information indicates at least one free space 54 occurring on the shelf 50 and indicates that an item is planned to be stored in the free space 54. Hereinafter, the free space 54 to be reserved will be referred to as a reserved space 56. It is preferable that the reservation information further includes information that can identify the position of the reserved space 56. The acquisition unit 110 acquires the reservation information from, for example, a communication device operated by a user of the shelf 50. An example of this communication device is the first communication device 20a or the second communication device 20b, which will be described later.

[0014] The display control unit 120 generates availability information and displays it in the first display area 22a and the second display area 22b. The availability information indicates available spaces 54 on the shelf 50 that can be reserved by users. In the first display area 22a and the second display area 22b, the available spaces 54 may be selectable for reservation. An example of selection here is clicking. Furthermore, if the first display area 22a and the second display area 22b are touch panels, an example of selection is touching an area of ​​the touch panel that corresponds to the available space 54.

[0015] The display control unit 120 may display, in addition to the availability information, a button for confirming the selection result of the available space 54 in the first display area 22a and the second display area 22b. The display control unit 120 may also display a button for canceling the selection result of the available space 54.

[0016] The first display area 22 a and the second display area 22 b may be provided on the same display or on different displays, where the first display area 22 a is a display controlled by, for example, a first communication device 20 a (described later), and the second display area 22 b is a display controlled by, for example, a second communication device 20 b (described later).

[0017] When the display control unit 120 acquires the reservation information in association with the first display area 22a, the display control unit 120 uses the reservation information to update the availability information to be displayed at least in the second display area 22b.

[0018] The reservation information includes, for example, information indicating that a specific empty area 54 has been selected in the first display area 22a. One example of "acquiring reservation information in association with the first display area 22a" is acquiring information indicating that the reservation information has been entered into an input area linked to the first display area 22a or into the first display area 22a, along with the reservation information. Another example is acquiring information indicating that the reservation information has been transmitted from a communication device that controls the first display area 22a, along with the reservation information.

[0019] An example of "updating the availability information displayed in the second display area 22b" includes changing the display mode of the reserved area 56 in the second display area 22b from the display mode of the available area 54 that is different from the reserved area 56, i.e., the available area 54 that has not yet been reserved. The display mode may include, for example, at least one of color, hatching, and line thickness. The display mode may also include a mark or text displayed in association with each available area 54. The displayed text indicates, for example, whether the available area 54 (or the reserved area 56) has been reserved. The display control unit 120 further prevents the user from selecting the reserved area 56.

[0020] The display control unit 120 may display the updated availability information in the first display area 22 a. In this case, the display control unit 120 may display the reserved area 56 in different ways in the first display area 22 a and the second display area 22 b. For example, the display control unit 120 uses a display mode in the first display area 22 a that indicates that the reservation has been made successfully.

[0021] 2, the display control unit 120 controls two display areas, i.e., a first display area 22a and a second display area 22b. However, the display control unit 120 may control three or more display areas.

[0022] The display control device 10 operates, for example, as shown in Fig. 3. First, the display control unit 120 of the display control device 10 displays availability information in the first display area 22a and the second display area 22b (step S10).

[0023] A user viewing the first display area 22a views the availability information and inputs information into the communication device to reserve at least one available area 54. The communication device generates reservation information based on the input and transmits it to the display control device 10. At this time, the communication device also transmits information indicating that the reservation information is associated with the first display area 22a.

[0024] The display control unit 120 of the display control device 10 acquires the reservation information (step S20), updates the availability information based on the reservation information (step S30), and then displays the updated availability information in at least the second display area 22b (step S40).

[0025] In step S10, a screen such as that shown in FIG. 4 is displayed in the first display area 22a and the second display area 22b. On this screen, a shelf 50 is displayed as an image. This image also includes a mark indicating an empty space 54. This mark indicates the position and size of the empty space 54. In the example shown in this figure, this mark is a rectangle indicating the position and size of the empty space 54.

[0026] In step S40, a screen such as that shown in Fig. 5 is displayed in at least the second display area 22b. This screen also displays a shelf 50 as an image. This image also includes a mark indicating an empty area 54 and a mark indicating a reserved area 56. The information indicated by these marks is the same as the information indicated by the marks shown in Fig. 5.

[0027] In this way, the acquisition unit 110 of the display control device 10 acquires the reservation information. Therefore, users of the shelf 50 can reserve the available space 54 by using the display control device 10. Furthermore, when the display control unit 120 of the display control device 10 acquires the reservation information in association with the first display area 22a, it uses the reservation information to update the available space information to be displayed in at least the second display area 22b. Therefore, users looking at the second display area 22b can understand that new reservation information has been entered and the available space 54 has been updated. Therefore, overlapping reservations of the available space 54 can be prevented.

[0028] A detailed example of the display control device 10 will be described below.

[0029] The display control device 10 is used together with a plurality of communication devices, for example, a first communication device 20a and a second communication device 20b, and a sensor 40, as shown in FIG. 6, for example.

[0030] The multiple communication devices are operated by different users. An example of a communication device user is a warehouse worker. The multiple communication devices control different display areas. The display areas are at least partial areas of the displays controlled by the communication devices. The communication devices may have the displays. The communication devices may be portable communication devices such as smartphones or tablets, or may be fixed communication devices such as fixed personal computers.

[0031] 6 shows two communication devices, i.e., a first communication device 20a and a second communication device 20b. However, the number of communication devices may be three or more. The first communication device 20a controls the first display area 22a, and the second communication device 20b controls the second display area 22b. The user of the first communication device 20a is different from the user of the second communication device 20b. Therefore, the user can easily understand the information provided to him or her by the display control device 10.

[0032] The sensor 40 has a detection range that includes the shelf 50 and generates data for detecting areas of the shelf where items 30 are stored. The sensor 40 includes at least one of a weight sensor provided on the shelf and an imaging device whose imaging range includes the shelf 50. The display control device 10 processes the data generated by the sensor 40 to generate and update information that indicates unused areas of the shelf 50 where no items are present. Hereinafter, this information will be referred to as real space information.

[0033] In addition, when the sensor 40 has an imaging device, this imaging device may be attached to a mobile device, for example, a self-propelled robot. In this case, one imaging device can capture images of multiple shelves 50.

[0034] As shown in Fig. 7, the display control device 10 has the acquisition unit 110 and display control unit 120 shown in Fig. 2, and the real space information update unit 130. The display control device 10 can also use a real space information holding unit 140 and a reservation information holding unit 150. The real space information holding unit 140 stores real space information. The reservation information holding unit 150 stores reservation information by linking it to a user corresponding to the reservation information or a communication device used by the user. The real space information holding unit 140 and the reservation information holding unit 150 may be part of the display control device 10, or may be located outside the display control device 10.

[0035] The acquisition unit 110 and the display control unit 120 perform the processes described with reference to Figures 2 to 5. The acquisition unit 110 further acquires reservation information and stores it in the reservation information storage unit 150. Furthermore, the display control unit 120 uses the real space information stored in the real space information storage unit 140 and the reservation information stored in the reservation information storage unit 150 when generating availability information. Furthermore, the display control unit 120 uses the real space information when identifying the available space 54. For example, the display control unit 120 determines, as available space, an area of ​​the unused area indicated by the real space information that is not reserved by the reservation information. In this way, the accuracy of determining that the available space 54 is actually available is increased.

[0036] The real-space information update unit 130 acquires data generated by the sensor 40 and processes this data to generate and update real-space information. For example, if the sensor 40 has multiple weight sensors installed on a shelf, the real-space information update unit 130 designates an area of ​​the shelf where the weight sensors do not detect weight as an unused area. If the sensor 40 includes an imaging device, the real-space information update unit 130 processes images generated by the imaging device to detect an area of ​​the shelf 50 where items 30 are present, and identifies the unused area by removing this area from the shelf 50. The real-space information update unit 130 associates the generated real-space information with the shelf 50 corresponding to the real-space information and stores it in the real-space information storage unit 140. If real-space information corresponding to the shelf 50 is already stored in the real-space information storage unit 140, the real-space information update unit 130 updates the real-space information stored in the real-space information storage unit 140 with the newly generated real-space information.

[0037] When the real space information is updated, the display control unit 120 updates the availability information using the updated real space information and displays the updated availability information in multiple display areas, for example, the first display area 22 a and the second display area 22 b. In this way, the user of the communication device can immediately grasp the latest availability area 54.

[0038] The real space information storage unit 140 stores, for example, the data shown in Fig. 8. This real space information includes identification information, shelf information, shape information, and detection date and time. In the example shown in this figure, real space information is generated for each unused area.

[0039] The identification information is information that identifies the real space information. In other words, the real space information update unit 130 assigns new identification information to the real space information every time it generates the real space information.

[0040] The shelf information is information that identifies a shelf on which an unused area exists. For example, if identification information is assigned to a shelf, the shelf information includes the identification information of the shelf on which the unused area exists. Note that if one shelf has multiple levels, the shelf information may also include information that identifies the level on which the unused area exists.

[0041] The shape information is information that can identify the position and shape of the unused area. For example, the shape information includes coordinate information based on a local coordinate system within the shelf. If the unused area is represented by a rectangle, this coordinate information includes information that can identify the four vertices of the rectangle. In the example shown in FIG. 8 , the first value of "0,0,20,20" is the x-coordinate (width direction) of the start point of the top edge, the second value is the y-coordinate of the start point of the top edge, the third value is the x-coordinate of the end point of the bottom edge, and the fourth value is the y-coordinate of the end point of the bottom edge. In other words, this information indicates the coordinates of the top left and bottom right of the rectangle.

[0042] The coordinates included in the shape information may be generated based on the positions of the pixels that make up the image, or may be generated based on a coordinate system in real space.

[0043] The shape information may be generated based on a real space coordinate system within the warehouse. In this case, even if the real space information does not include shelf information, it is possible to identify the shelf 20 on which the vacant area 54 exists.

[0044] The information stored in the real space information storage unit 140 is also used as part of the reservation information. Therefore, the shape information stored in the real space information storage unit 140 is used as first shape information that specifies the position and shape of the unused area, and is also used as second shape information that can specify the position and shape of the reserved area.

[0045] In addition, if each of the multiple shelves is partitioned into multiple regions in the width direction in advance and identification information is assigned to each region, this identification information may be used instead of the coordinate information. The regions provided on each shelf may be actual regions in real space or may be virtual regions.

[0046] Furthermore, in a three-dimensional real space, if the entire warehouse is virtually divided into multiple spaces and each space is assigned identification information, this identification information may be used instead of the coordinate information described above.

[0047] The detection date and time shown in FIG. 8 indicates the date and time when the data that is the basis of the real space information was generated.

[0048] As shown in Figure 9, the reservation information storage unit 150 stores, as reservation information, the identification information of the real-space information that is the subject of the reservation information, the identification information of the user corresponding to the reservation information, the selection information, and the selection date and time, in correspondence with each other.

[0049] Since the reservation information includes identification information for the real space information, the display control device 10 can use the real space information storage unit 140 to identify the position and size of the free space 54 reserved by the reservation information from the reservation information.

[0050] The selection information indicates whether the reservation information is confirmed or unconfirmed. Unconfirmed indicates that the reservation information is in a provisional reservation state. The selection date and time indicates the date and time when the reservation information was created, i.e., the date and time when the user selected the free space 54 that is the subject of the reservation information.

[0051] Note that, for example, when the sensor 40 is an imaging device attached to a self-propelled robot, the real-space information update unit 130 may perform updates less frequently. In this case, the unused area after the update may have been an unused area before the update and may have become a new unused area as a result of reservations, item placement, and item removal during the time leading up to the update. Therefore, in order to treat this unused area as free space 54, it is preferable that the acquisition unit 110 deletes reservation information from the reservation information storage unit 150 for which a certain period of time has elapsed since the selected date and time. An example of the certain period is two days, but is not limited to this.

[0052] The display control device 10 has, as a hardware configuration, for example, as shown in FIG. 10, a bus 1010, a processor 1020, a memory 1030, a storage device 1040, an input / output interface 1050, and a network interface 1060.

[0053] The bus 1010 is a data transmission path for transmitting and receiving data among the processor 1020, memory 1030, storage device 1040, input / output interface 1050, and network interface 1060. However, the method of connecting the processor 1020 and the like to each other is not limited to bus connection.

[0054] The processor 1020 is implemented by a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or the like.

[0055] The memory 1030 is a main storage device realized by a RAM (Random Access Memory) or the like.

[0056] The storage device 1040 is an auxiliary storage device realized by removable media such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), or a memory card, or a read-only memory (ROM), and has a recording medium. The recording medium of the storage device 1040 stores program modules that realize each function of the display control device 10 (e.g., the acquisition unit 110, the display control unit 120, and the real space information update unit 130). The processor 1020 loads each of these program modules into the memory 1030 and executes them, thereby realizing each function corresponding to the program module. The storage device 1040 may also function as at least one of the real space information storage unit 140 and the reservation information storage unit 150.

[0057] The input / output interface 1050 is an interface for connecting the display control device 10 to various input / output devices.

[0058] The network interface 1060 is an interface for connecting the display control device 10 to a network. This network is, for example, a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN). The network interface 1060 may connect to the network wirelessly or by wire. The display control device 10 may communicate with communication devices (e.g., the first communication device 20a and the second communication device 20b) and the sensor 40 via the network interface 1060.

[0059] The display control device 10 performs processing, for example, as shown in the flowchart in Fig. 11. In parallel with the processing shown in Fig. 11, the real space information update unit 130 updates the real space information storage unit 140 every time the sensor 40 generates new information, and the acquisition unit 110 updates the reservation information storage unit 150 every time new reservation information is acquired from the communication device.

[0060] First, the acquisition unit 110 of the display control device 10 acquires real-space information from the real-space information storage unit 140 and reservation information from the reservation information storage unit 150 (step S110). The display control unit 120 generates availability information using the real-space information and reservation information acquired by the acquisition unit 110 (step S120). This availability information indicates available spaces 54 in unused areas of the shelf that can be reserved and includes identification information for the available spaces 54. The display control unit 120 then displays the availability information in the display areas of multiple communication devices, for example, the first display area 22a of the first communication device 20a and the second display area 22b of the second communication device 20b (step S130). At this time, the available spaces 54 included in the availability information are displayed in a selectable manner. An example of the screen displayed here is as described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.

[0061] The user of the communication device selects an area they wish to reserve from among the available areas 54 displayed in the display area. The communication device then transmits information indicating the selected area, such as identification information for that area, along with information identifying the user of the communication device to the display control device 10. The acquisition unit 110 of the display control device 10 uses the information acquired from the communication device to generate new reservation information and stores this reservation information in the reservation information storage unit 150.

[0062] Note that the reservation of the free space 54 may be configured to allow a formal reservation to be made after a provisional reservation. For example, when a user of a communication device selects an area to be reserved from the free space 54 displayed in the display area, the communication device transmits information indicating the selected area and information identifying the user of the communication device to the display control device 10 as provisional reservation information. The acquisition unit 110 of the display control device 10 then stores the selected area as a provisional reservation in the reservation information storage unit 150. Thereafter, the user inputs information to the communication device indicating that the selected area will be formally reserved. This input is, for example, by selecting a confirmation button displayed in the display area. The communication device then transmits information to the display control device 10 indicating that the provisional reservation will be changed to a formal reservation. The acquisition unit 110 of the display control device 10 then updates the selection information in the reservation information storage unit 150 from provisional reservation to formal reservation.

[0063] In addition, if the provisionally reserved area does not become a formal reservation even after a predetermined time has passed, the acquisition unit 110 may cancel the provisional reservation and return the provisionally reserved area to a normal free area 54.

[0064] The communication device may automatically select the free areas 54. In this case, the user inputs the number of free areas 54 that the user wants to select into the communication device. The communication device then selects the input number of free areas 54. This selection result is displayed in the display area. In this display, the selection result may be displayed together with information indicating that the selection was automatic. Furthermore, this selection result may be treated as a tentative reservation.

[0065] When the real space information storage unit 140 or the reservation information storage unit 150 is updated (step S140), the acquisition unit 110 of the display control device 10 acquires the updated information from the real space information storage unit 140 or the reservation information storage unit 150. The display control unit 120 then updates the availability information using the updated real space information or reservation information (step S150) and displays the updated availability information in multiple display areas, for example, the first display area 22a and the second display area 22b (step S160). An example of the screen displayed here is as described using Figures 4 and 5.

[0066] When the reservation information includes two levels of information, tentative reservation and formal reservation, the display control unit 120 may display the tentatively reserved area and the formally reserved area in different ways. For example, the display control unit 120 may differentiate at least one of the color, hatching, and line thickness of these two types of areas.

[0067] The items 30 can be moved freely in the width direction of the shelf 50. Therefore, a user may move an item 30 that is already stored on the shelf 50 in the width direction. Therefore, the size of the unused area may change. When the size of the unused area changes, the real space information update unit 130 of the display control device 10 updates the real space information, for example, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 .

[0068] As described above, the real space information includes shape information that can identify the position and shape of the non-used area. As shown in Fig. 12, when a first non-overlapping area, in which shape information (first shape information) indicated by real space information already stored in the real space information holding unit 140 and shape information (updated first shape information) indicated by newly generated real space information do not overlap, satisfies a first criterion, the real space information update unit 130 determines that the areas indicated by the first shape information before and after the update are identical to each other. For example, the real space information update unit 130 updates the area or width d of the first non-overlapping area by １ Here, the real space information updating unit 130 may determine that the areas indicated by the shape information before and after updating are the same if the absolute value of is equal to or less than a reference value.

[0069] In this case, the display control unit 120 does not need to update the availability information, i.e., the display control unit 120 does not need to update the information displayed in the display area.

[0070] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 13, the area or width d １ If the absolute value of is greater than the reference value, the display control unit 120 determines that the size indicated by the updated shape information is different from the size indicated by the shape information before the update. In this case, the display control unit 120 updates the space information so that the size is the size indicated by the updated shape information.

[0071] Furthermore, if the area indicated by the updated shape information is larger than the area indicated by the shape information before the update and the first non-overlapping area satisfies the second criterion, the real space information update unit 130 sets this first non-overlapping area as a new free area 54. For example, the real space information update unit 130 sets the area or width d of the first non-overlapping area as a new free area 54. １ If the absolute value of exceeds the reference value, the first non-overlapping region is set as a new free region 54. The reference value used here may be the same as the reference value described with reference to FIG.

[0072] In this case, the display control unit 120 updates the availability information so that the new available space 54 is displayed in the display area in addition to the available space 54 that has already been displayed. The display area, for example, the first display area 22 a and the second display area 22 b, displays the updated availability information.

[0073] When the real space information update unit 130 and the display control unit 120 operate as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the accuracy of the availability information provided to the user increases.

[0074] As described above, the shape information of the unused area (first shape information) is used as the shape information of the reserved area (second shape information). In this case, after the reserved area is generated and the shape information associated with this reserved area is determined, the size of the unused area corresponding to the reserved area may change if a user moves an item 30 stored on the shelf 50 in the width direction. In anticipation of such a case, the display control unit 120 operates, for example, as shown in Figures 14 and 15.

[0075] 14, the display control unit 120 identifies a second non-overlapping area in which the area indicated by the shape information associated with the reserved area 56 does not overlap with the area indicated by the latest shape information among the shape information of the unused area located at the same position as the reserved area 56. If this second non-overlapping area satisfies a third criterion, the display control unit 120 determines that the areas indicated by the two pieces of shape information are the same. For example, the display control unit 120 determines the area or width d of the second non-overlapping area. ２ If the absolute value of is equal to or less than a reference value, the display control unit 120 determines that the areas indicated by the two pieces of shape information are the same. Here, the display control unit 120 may determine that the two areas are the same if the ratio of the second non-overlapping area to the overlapping area where the two pieces of shape information overlap is equal to or less than a reference value.

[0076] The display control unit 120 then generates availability information using the determination result. For example, the display control unit 120 determines that the unused area is the same as the reserved area 56, and generates availability information that displays only the reserved area 56.

[0077] 15, if the non-used area is larger than the reserved area 56 and the second non-overlapping area satisfies the fourth criterion, the display control unit 120 sets the non-overlapping area as a new free area 54. For example, the display control unit 120 determines the area or width d of the second non-overlapping area as ２ If the absolute value of exceeds the reference value, the second non-overlapping area is set as a new free area 54. The reference value used here may be the same as the reference value described with reference to FIG.

[0078] In this case, the display control unit 120 updates the availability information so that the new available area 54 is displayed in the display area in addition to the reserved area 56. The display area, for example, the first display area 22a and the second display area 22b, displays the updated availability information.

[0079] 12 to 15 improves the accuracy of whether the free space 54 displayed in the display area is actually free. Also, it improves the accuracy of displaying unused areas of a size that can be used as free space 54 as free space 54.

[0080] The display control unit 120 may display information indicating the selection result of the free space 54 in a display area, for example, the first display area 22a or the second display area 22b. For example, as shown in Fig. 16, the display control unit 120 may display in the display area the number of items that the user using that display area needs to place on the shelf and the number of reserved free spaces 54. In the example shown in Fig. 16, the display control unit 120 also displays the positions of the reserved free spaces 54 in the display area.

[0081] As described above, according to this embodiment, the display control device 10 includes the display control unit 120. When the display control unit 120 acquires reservation information in association with the first display area 22a, it uses the reservation information to update the availability information to be displayed in at least the second display area 22b. Therefore, a user looking at the second display area 22b can understand that new reservation information has been added and the availability area 54 has been updated. Therefore, overlapping reservations in the availability area 54 can be prevented.

[0082] Although the present disclosure has been described above with reference to the embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Various modifications that can be understood by those skilled in the art can be made to the configuration and details of the present disclosure within the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, each embodiment can be combined with other embodiments as appropriate.

[0083] In addition, although the flowcharts used in the above description show a sequence of steps (processes), the order of steps executed in each embodiment is not limited to the sequence shown in the flowcharts. In each embodiment, the order of steps shown in the diagrams can be changed as long as it does not cause any problems in terms of the content.

[0084] Some or all of the above embodiments can be described as in the following supplementary notes, but are not limited to the following. 1. A display control device comprising: an acquisition means for identifying at least one vacant area on a shelf and acquiring reservation information indicating that the vacant area is a reserved area in which an item is to be stored; and a display control means for generating vacant information indicating the vacant area that can be reserved by a user of the shelf and displaying the vacant information in a first display area and a second display area, and for updating the vacant information displayed in at least the second display area using the reservation information when the reservation information is acquired in association with the first display area. 2. A display control device according to above 1, wherein the vacant information includes information that can identify the vacant area in which an item is to be stored, and wherein the display control means, after updating the vacant information, changes the display mode of the reserved area indicated by the reservation information, at least in the second display area, from the display mode of an vacant area that is different from the reserved area. 3. A display control device according to above 1 or 2, wherein the display control means identifies the vacant area using real space information that indicates an unused area on the shelf in which no item is present. 4. 1. The display control device according to claim 3, further comprising: a real space information update means for updating the real space information using a detection result of a sensor having a detection range including the shelf, wherein the display control means updates the vacancy information using the updated real space information and displays the updated vacancy information in the first display area and the second display area. 5. The display control device according to claim 4, wherein the sensor includes at least one of a weight sensor provided on the shelf and an imaging means having an imaging range including the shelf. 6. The display control device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the real space information includes first shape information capable of identifying the position and shape of the unused area, and the real space information update means determines that the areas indicated by the first shape information before and after the update are the same when a first non-overlapping area, in which the area indicated by the first shape information before the update and the area indicated by the first shape information after the update, does not overlap, satisfies a first criterion.7. The display control device according to claim 6, wherein the real space information update means sets the non-overlapping area as the new available area when an area indicated by the first shape information before the update and an area indicated by the updated first shape information are larger than the area indicated by the first shape information before the update and the first non-overlapping area satisfies a second criterion. 8. The display control device according to any one of claims 3 to 7, wherein the real space information includes first shape information capable of identifying the position and shape of the unused area, the reservation information is linked to second shape information capable of identifying the position and shape of the reserved area, and when a second non-overlapping area in which the area indicated by the first shape information and the area indicated by the second shape information do not overlap satisfies a third criterion, the display control means determines that the area indicated by the first shape information is the same as the area indicated by the second shape information, and generates the available information using the determination result. 10. The display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the first display area is controlled by a first communication device, and the second display area is controlled by a second communication device. 11. The display control device according to claim 10, wherein a user of the first communication device is different from a user of the second communication device. 12. A display control method, wherein at least one computer identifies at least one vacant area on a shelf and acquires reservation information indicating that the vacant area is a reserved area where items are to be stored, generates vacant information indicating the vacant area that can be reserved by a user of the shelf, and displays the vacant information in the first display area and the second display area, and, when the reservation information is acquired in association with the first display area, uses the reservation information to update the vacant information displayed in at least the second display area.13. A recording medium having recorded thereon a program for causing at least one computer to have: an acquisition means for identifying at least one vacant area occurring on a shelf and acquiring reservation information indicating that the vacant area is a reserved area in which items are to be stored, and a display control means for generating vacant information indicating the vacant area that can be reserved by users of the shelf and displaying the vacant information in a first display area and a second display area, and for, when the reservation information is acquired in association with the first display area, using the reservation information to update the vacant information displayed in at least the second display area. 14. The program described in 13 above.

[0085] Furthermore, some or all of the configurations described in Supplementary Notes 2 to 11, which are dependent on Supplementary Note 1, may also be dependent on Supplementary Notes 12 to 14 in the same dependent relationship as Supplementary Notes 2 to 11. Furthermore, not limited to Supplementary Notes 1 and Supplementary Notes 12 to 14, some or all of the configurations described as Supplements may be made dependent on various hardware, software, various recording means for recording software, or systems, within the scope of each of the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0086] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Display control device 20a First communication device 20b Second communication device 22a First display area 22b Second display area 30 Item 40 Sensor 50 Shelf 110 Acquisition unit 120 Display control unit 130 Real space information update unit 140 Real space information storage unit 150 Reservation information storage unit

Claims

1. An acquisition means for identifying at least one empty area occurring in a shelf and acquiring reservation information indicating that the empty area is a reserved area scheduled to store an article; and a display control means for generating empty information indicating the empty area available for reservation by a user of the shelf, displaying the empty information in a first display area and a second display area, and updating the empty information to be displayed in at least the second display area using the reservation information when the reservation information is acquired in association with the first display area. A display control device comprising:

2. The display control device according to claim 1, wherein the empty information includes information capable of identifying the empty area in which an article is scheduled to be stored, and the display control means, after the empty information is updated, makes the display mode of the reserved area indicated by the reservation information different from the display mode of the empty area different from the reserved area in at least the second display area. A display control device.

3. The display control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the display control means identifies the empty area using real space information indicating a non-use area in which no article exists in the shelf. A display control device.

4. The display control device according to claim 3, further comprising real space information updating means for updating the real space information using a detection result of a sensor having the shelf as a detection range, and the display control means updates the empty information using the updated real space information and displays the updated empty information in the first display area and the second display area. A display control device.

5. The display control device according to claim 4, wherein the sensor includes at least one of a weight sensor provided on the shelf and imaging means having the shelf as an imaging range. A display control device.

6. The display control device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the real space information includes first shape information capable of identifying the position and shape of the non-use area, and the real space information updating means determines that the areas indicated by the first shape information before and after the update are the same as each other when a first non-overlapping area where the area indicated by the first shape information before the update and the area indicated by the first shape information after the update do not overlap satisfies a first criterion. A display control device.

7. In the display control device according to claim 6, when the area indicated by the first shape information before update and the area indicated by the first shape information after update are larger than the area indicated by the first shape information before update, and the first non-overlapping area satisfies the second criterion, the real space information update means sets the non-overlapping area as the new free area. Display control device.

8. In the display control device according to any one of claims 3 to 7, the real space information includes first shape information capable of specifying the position and shape of the unused area, and the reservation information is associated with second shape information capable of specifying the position and shape of the reserved area. When a second non-overlapping area where the area indicated by the first shape information and the area indicated by the second shape information do not overlap satisfies the third criterion, the display control means determines that the area indicated by the first shape information is the same area as the area indicated by the second shape information, and generates the free information using the determination result. Display control device.

9. In the display control device according to claim 8, when the area indicated by the first shape information is larger than the second shape information and the second non-overlapping area satisfies the fourth criterion, the display control means sets the non-overlapping area as the new free area. Display control device.

10. In the display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, the first display area is controlled by a first communication device, and the second display area is controlled by a second communication device. Display control device.

11. In the display control device according to claim 10, the user of the first communication device is different from the user of the second communication device. Display control device.

12. At least one computer identifies at least one free area occurring in a shelf, obtains reservation information indicating that the free area is a reserved area where an article is scheduled to be stored, generates free information indicating the free area that can be reserved by the user of the shelf and displays it on a first display area and a second display area, and when obtaining the reservation information associated with the first display area, updates the free information to be displayed on at least the second display area using the reservation information. Display control method.

13. A recording medium storing a program that causes at least one computer to include: acquisition means for identifying at least one free area occurring on a shelf and acquiring reservation information indicating that the free area is a reserved area scheduled to store an article; and display control means for generating free area information indicating the free area that can be reserved by a user of the shelf, displaying the free area information on a first display area and a second display area, and updating the free area information to be displayed on at least the second display area using the reservation information when the reservation information is acquired in association with the first display area.

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