Tracking device

Abstract

This tracking device comprises: a collection unit that collects, from an acquisition device, an operation log that can be acquired using an acquisition device attached to a moving body for moving a tracking target serving as a target of tracking when the moving body moves the tracking target, and collects an operation log from an acquisition device attached to a processing device that performs a prescribed processing process on the tracking target; and a generation unit that generates tracking data indicating a movement procedure or a processing procedure for the tracking target in accordance with the operation logs collected by the collection unit.

Description

Tracking device

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

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Techniques for realizing traceability that enable tracking of the movement of raw materials and the like of a product are known.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a system that is connected to a management server and includes a reading device that can read information about ingredients and information for tracing ingredients that is included in ingredient labels attached to ingredients (objects to be tracked), and a storage container that stores ingredients that are inappropriate to have ingredient labels attached to them. According to Patent Document 1, the management server has means for receiving ingredient information and ingredient tracking information obtained by reading ingredient labels attached to ingredients selected according to a manufacturing plan with the reading device, and for storing the ingredient information and ingredient tracking information in a manufacturing database in association with the product tracking information.

[0004] JP 2012-103848 A

[0005] The technology described in Patent Document 1 requires that tracking objects be labeled. However, depending on the tracking object, for example, when the tracking object is a piece of wood such as a log or an iron plate, it may be difficult to label each of the tracking objects. As a result, there is a problem in that it may be difficult to track the movement process, etc.

[0006] Therefore, one of the objects of the present disclosure is to provide a tracking device, a tracking method, a recording medium, and a tracking system that can solve the above-mentioned problems.

[0007] In order to achieve this object, the tracking device of the present disclosure comprises a collection unit that collects operation logs that can be acquired using an acquisition device attached to a moving body that moves a tracking object, which is a target of tracking, from the acquisition device when the moving body moves the tracking object, and collects the operation logs from the acquisition device attached to a processing device that performs a predetermined processing process on the tracking object, and a generation unit that generates tracking data that shows the movement process or processing process of the tracking object according to the operation logs collected by the collection unit, wherein the collection unit collects the operation logs including location information that is information according to the position when the tracking object is moved or when processing is performed on the tracking object from the acquisition devices attached to multiple moving bodies or processing devices, and the generation unit generates the tracking data from the multiple operation logs by connecting the operation logs together according to the location information included in the operation logs collected by the collection unit.

[0008] Furthermore, the tracking method of the present disclosure has a configuration in which an information processing device collects, from an acquisition device attached to a moving body that moves a tracking object, which is a target of tracking, an operation log that can be acquired using the acquisition device when the moving body moves the tracking object, and collects the operation log from the acquisition device attached to a processing device that performs a predetermined processing process on the tracking object, generates tracking data that indicates the movement process or processing process of the tracking object according to the collected operation log, collects, when collecting the operation logs, the operation logs including position information that is information according to the position when the tracking object is moved or when processing is performed on the tracking object from the acquisition devices attached to multiple moving bodies or processing devices, and when generating the tracking data, generates the tracking data from the multiple operation logs by connecting the operation logs according to the position information included in the collected operation logs.

[0009] Furthermore, the recording medium in the present disclosure is a computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program that causes an information processing device to perform the following processes: collect, from an acquisition device attached to a moving body that moves a tracking object, which is the target of tracking, an operation log that can be acquired using the acquisition device when the moving body moves the tracking object, and collect the operation log from the acquisition device attached to a processing device that performs a predetermined processing process on the tracking object; and generate tracking data that shows the movement process or processing process of the tracking object according to the collected operation log; when collecting the operation logs, collect the operation logs including location information that is information according to the position when the tracking object is moved or when processing is performed on the tracking object from the acquisition devices attached to multiple moving bodies or processing devices; and when generating the tracking data, generate the tracking data from multiple operation logs by connecting the operation logs according to the location information included in the collected operation logs.

[0010] Furthermore, the tracking system in the present disclosure includes a tracking device that is attached to a moving body that moves a tracking object that is a target to be tracked, and that acquires an operation log including location information that is information according to the location of the tracking object when the moving body to which it is attached moves the tracking object; the acquisition device that is attached to a processing device that performs a predetermined processing process on the tracking object; a collection unit that collects the operation logs acquired by the acquisition devices from a plurality of the acquisition devices; and a generation unit that generates tracking data that shows the movement process of the tracking object from the plurality of operation logs by connecting the operation logs according to the location information included in the operation logs collected by the collection unit.

[0011] According to the above-described configurations, it becomes possible to track the movement process of an object to be tracked without attaching a label to each object.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overview of a tracking system in the present disclosure. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration included in a tracking system. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of an acquisition device. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of information included in an operation log acquired by the acquisition device. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a tracking device. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a processing by a splicing unit. FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation of the tracking device. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an overview of a tracking system in a second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation log that can be acquired in a processing device. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a second tracking device in the present disclosure. FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a tracking device. FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation of the tracking device.

[0013] [First Embodiment] An example configuration of a tracking system 100 according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 8. Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overview of the tracking system 100. Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example configuration included in the tracking system 100. Fig. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example configuration of an acquisition device 200. Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of information included in an operation log acquired by the acquisition device 200. Fig. 5 is a block diagram illustrating an example configuration of a tracking device 300. Figs. 6 and 7 are diagrams illustrating an example processing by a splicing unit 352. Fig. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an example operation of the tracking device 300. Note that in the present disclosure, the drawings may be associated with one or more embodiments.

[0014] In a first embodiment of the present disclosure, a tracking system 100 is described that enables tracking of a tracking target, which is a target for tracking such as a movement process, without attaching an individual label to the tracking target or reading the label. As shown in FIG. 1 , in the tracking system 100 of the present disclosure, each moving object that moves the tracking target, such as a truck or a forklift, has an acquisition device 200 such as a sensor for acquiring an operation log. Furthermore, the acquisition device 200 possessed by each moving object included in the tracking system 100 acquires an operation log, which is information corresponding to the movement of the tracking target, when moving the tracking target. Thereafter, the tracking system 100 connects the operation logs acquired by each moving object to generate tracking data indicating the movement process, etc., and enables tracking.

[0015] In the present disclosure, a mobile object refers to a machine used to move a tracked object. Mobile objects may include trucks, forklifts, ships, aircraft, picking robots, and any other machine. The operation log includes information that can be acquired when moving the tracked object. The operation log may include information indicating the time when the tracked object is moved and information indicating the position of the tracked object. For example, the operation log includes date and time information and position information when the movement of the tracked object starts and ends. The operation log may also include information other than the above examples, such as identification information of the mobile object and any other information.

[0016] Furthermore, the tracking target may include any object that is the target of tracking, such as a moving process. For example, the tracking target may be an object that requires the above-mentioned various moving bodies when moving due to its size, weight, etc. As an example, the tracking target may be wood such as a log or an iron plate. However, the tracking target may be other than the above examples.

[0017] FIG. 2 shows an example configuration of the tracking system 100. Referring to FIG. 2, the tracking system 100 includes a plurality of acquisition devices 200 and a tracking device 300. For example, the acquisition devices 200 and the tracking device 300 can be connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via wireless communication. Note that information transmission and reception between the acquisition devices 200 and the tracking device 300 may be performed via any recording medium such as a memory card. Furthermore, the acquisition devices 200 and the tracking device 300 may be connected to each other by wire so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0018] The acquisition device 200 is a device that is attached in advance to a moving body included in the tracking system 100. The acquisition device 200 acquires an operation log when the moving body to which the acquisition device 200 is attached moves a tracked object. For example, the acquisition device 200 has various sensors such as a GPS (Global Positioning System) sensor, an altitude sensor, and a clock function, and can acquire operation logs such as date and time information and location information using the various sensors.

[0019] FIG. 3 shows an example configuration of the acquisition device 200. Referring to FIG. 3, the acquisition device 200 includes an operation log acquisition unit 210 and an output unit 220. For example, the acquisition device 200 includes a calculation device such as a central processing unit (CPU) and a storage device. The acquisition device 200 can realize each of the above-mentioned processing units by, for example, causing the calculation device to execute a program stored in the storage device. Note that, instead of the CPU described above, the calculation device may include a graphic processing unit (GPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), a micro processing unit (MPU), a floating point number processing unit (FPU), a physics processing unit (PPU), a tensor processing unit (TPU), a quantum processor, a microcontroller, or a combination thereof.

[0020] The operation log acquisition unit 210 acquires an operation log when moving the tracking target object by using a GPS sensor or the like. For example, the operation log acquisition unit 210 acquires an operation log when the tracking target object starts moving and when the movement ends. In other words, the operation log acquisition unit 210 acquires start time information when the tracking target object starts moving and acquires end time information when the tracking target object stops moving. In addition to the timings exemplified above, the operation log acquisition unit 210 may acquire an operation log at timings other than those exemplified above.

[0021] FIG. 4 shows an example of an operation log acquired by the operation log acquisition unit 210. Referring to FIG. 4, the operation log acquisition unit 210 can acquire, as the operation log, date and time information and location information when the movement of the tracking target starts and ends. That is, the operation log acquisition unit 210 acquires date and time information and location information as start information and acquires date and time information and location information as end information. Here, the date and time information is a type of identification information for identifying the timing of the movement of the tracking target. For example, the date and time information indicates the date and time when the movement of the tracking target starts and ends. Furthermore, the location information is information indicating the latitude, longitude, height, etc. when the movement of the tracking target starts and ends. Note that the information indicating the height may be information indicating the height of the forks of a forklift, for example.

[0022] For example, the operation log acquisition unit 210 acquires the operation log described above. Note that the operation log acquisition unit 210 may acquire only part of the above-described information, such as not acquiring date and time information or information indicating height. Furthermore, the operation log acquisition unit 210 may acquire, as identification information, time information indicating the time or counter information corresponding to the number of movements, instead of or in addition to date and time information. Furthermore, the operation log acquisition unit 210 may acquire predetermined information such as identification information of the acquisition device 200. For example, the operation log acquisition unit 210 may acquire information indicating the tracked object, such as a tray number, by reading image data acquired using a sensor such as an imaging device.

[0023] The output unit 220 outputs the operation log acquired by the operation log acquisition unit 210 to the tracking device 300 or the like. For example, the output unit 220 can output the operation log to the tracking device 300 via a network or the like by using wireless communication or the like. The output unit 220 may perform the above output at any timing. Note that the output unit 220 may also output the operation log to the tracking device 300 via any recording medium or the like.

[0024] The tracking device 300 is an information processing device that generates tracking data according to multiple operation logs by combining operation logs collected from each acquisition device 200 included in the tracking system 100. Fig. 5 shows an example of the configuration of the tracking device 300. Referring to Fig. 5, the tracking device 300 has, as main components, for example, an operation input unit 310, a screen display unit 320, a communication interface unit 330, a storage unit 340, and an arithmetic processing unit 350.

[0025] 5 illustrates an example in which the functions of the tracking device 300 are realized using one information processing device. However, at least some of the functions of the tracking device 300 may be realized using multiple information processing devices, for example, on the cloud. Furthermore, the tracking device 300 may not include some of the components exemplified above, such as not having the operation input unit 310 or the screen display unit 320, or may have a configuration other than those exemplified above.

[0026] The operation input unit 310 is made up of operation input devices such as a keyboard, a mouse, etc. The operation input unit 310 detects operations by an operator operating the tracking device 300 and outputs the operations to the calculation processing unit 350.

[0027] The screen display unit 320 is composed of a screen display device such as a liquid crystal display, an organic electroluminescence (EL) display, etc. The screen display unit 320 can display various information stored in the storage unit 340 on the screen in response to instructions from the arithmetic processing unit 350.

[0028] The communication interface unit 330 is composed of a data communication circuit, etc. The communication interface unit 330 can perform data communication with the acquisition device 200 and other external devices connected via a communication line.

[0029] The storage unit 340 is a storage device such as a hard disk or memory. The storage unit 340 stores processing information and programs 343 required for various processes in the arithmetic processing unit 350. The programs 343 are read into the arithmetic processing unit 350 and executed to realize various processing units. The programs 343 are read in advance from an external device or recording medium via a data input / output function such as the communication interface unit 330, and are stored in the storage unit 340. Examples of main information stored in the storage unit 340 include collection information 341 and tracking information 342.

[0030] The collected information 341 includes operation logs collected from each acquisition device 200. For example, the collected information 341 includes a plurality of operation logs each including start time information and end time information as illustrated in Fig. 4. The collected information 341 is updated as the operation log collection unit 351 collects operation logs from each acquisition device 200.

[0031] The tracking information 342 includes tracking data that indicates the movement process of the tracking target, etc. For example, the tracking information 342 includes multiple pieces of tracking data, each of which includes multiple pieces of date and time information, location information, etc. The tracking information 342 is updated as the splicing unit 352 splices multiple operation logs, etc., to generate tracking data.

[0032] The arithmetic processing unit 350 has an arithmetic device such as a CPU and its peripheral circuits. The arithmetic processing unit 350 reads and executes a program 343 from the storage unit 340, thereby causing the above hardware and the program 343 to work together to realize various processing units. Main processing units realized by the arithmetic processing unit 350 include, for example, an operation log collection unit 351, a splicing unit 352, a result storage unit 353, and an output unit 354. Note that the arithmetic processing unit 350 may have the above-mentioned GPU or the like instead of the above-mentioned CPU.

[0033] The operation log collection unit 351 collects operation logs from each acquisition device 200 included in the tracking system 100. For example, the operation log collection unit 351 collects operation logs from acquisition devices 200 connected via wired or wireless communication. The operation log collection unit 351 can also collect operation logs via any recording medium. The operation log collection unit 351 may collect operation logs by using some of the methods exemplified above or by combining the methods. The operation log collection unit 351 also stores the collected operation logs in the storage unit 340 as collected information 341.

[0034] The splicing unit 352 is a generating unit that generates tracking data by splicing together operation logs included in the collected information 341. For example, the splicing unit 352 references location information included in end information in one operation log (e.g., a first operation log) and location information included in start information in another operation log (e.g., a second operation log). Then, the splicing unit 352 splices together the operation logs according to the reference result.

[0035] For example, the splicing unit 352 arbitrarily extracts a first operation log from among the multiple operation logs included in the collected information 341. Then, if location information included in the end information in the extracted first operation log matches location information included in the start information in a second operation log, which is a different operation log from the first operation log, the splicing unit 352 splices the first operation log and the second operation log together. For example, if the location information includes information indicating latitude, longitude, and altitude, the splicing unit 352 may determine that the location information matches if the latitude, longitude, and altitude match. Furthermore, the splicing unit 352 can generate tracking data according to the multiple operation logs included in the collected information 341 by repeating the splicing process. The splicing unit 352 may be configured to splice together the location information if it is completely identical, or if the difference in the location information is within a predetermined range and it can be determined that the location information is similar.

[0036] 6, for example, the location information included in the end information in operation log A matches the location information included in the start information in operation log B. Therefore, the splicing unit 352 splices together operation log A and operation log B in accordance with the result of the above check to generate tracking data.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 7 , there may be multiple pieces of start time information whose location information matches the location information included in the end time information. In this case, the splicing unit 352 can identify the operation logs to be spliced ​​based on date and time information, which is the identification information. For example, among the operation logs containing start time information whose location information matches the location information included in the end time information, the splicing unit 352 identifies the operation log containing start time information with date and time information that is closest to the date and time indicated by the end time information as the operation log to be spliced. In the example shown in FIG. 7 , the target date and time information of operation log B is closer to that of operation log A than that of operation log C. Therefore, the splicing unit 352 can identify that operation log A and operation log B should be spliced ​​together and generate tracking data by splicing the operation logs A and B. In this way, when there are multiple operation logs that may be spliced ​​together, the splicing unit 352 can identify the operation logs to be spliced ​​based on the date and time information, which is the identification information. As will be described later in a second embodiment, the splicing unit 352 may be configured to splice a plurality of operation logs together for a certain operation log when a predetermined condition is met.

[0038] For example, as described above, the splicing unit 352 splices together multiple operation logs. Note that the splicing unit 352 may also splice together already generated tracking data and operation logs. For example, the splicing unit 352 can splice together the tracking data and operation logs when the last position information in the tracking data matches the position information included in the start information in the operation log. The splicing unit 352 may also splice together the tracking data and operation logs when the first position information in the tracking data matches the position information included in the end information in the operation log.

[0039] The result storage unit 353 stores the tracing data generated by the splicing unit 352 in the memory unit 340 as tracing information 342. The result storage unit 353 may use blockchain technology or the like to store the tracing data as tracing information 342. For example, the result storage unit 353 can link the history of the operation logs spliced ​​by the splicing unit 352 and store the tracing data as tracing information 342 so that the history is recorded in a distributed manner by multiple nodes.

[0040] The output unit 354 outputs the tracking data and the like included in the tracking information 342 to an external device. For example, the output unit 354 can display the tracking data and the like on the screen display unit 320 or transmit the tracking data and the like to an external device via the communication interface unit 330. The output unit 354 may be configured to be able to output the collected information 341 and the like together with the tracking information 342.

[0041] The above is an example of the configuration of the tracking device 300. Next, an example of the operation of the tracking device 300 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0042] Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the tracking device 300. Referring to Fig. 8, the operation log collection unit 351 collects operation logs from each acquisition device 200 included in the tracking system 100 (step S101). In addition, the operation log collection unit 351 stores the collected operation logs in the storage unit 340 as collected information 341.

[0043] The splicing unit 352 generates tracking data by splicing together operation logs included in the collected information 341 (step S102). For example, the splicing unit 352 references location information included in end information in one operation log and location information included in start information in another operation log. Then, the splicing unit 352 splices together the operation logs based on the reference result.

[0044] The result storage unit 353 stores the tracing data generated by the splicing unit 352 in the memory unit 340 as tracing information 342 (step S103). The result storage unit 353 may store the tracing data as tracing information 342 by utilizing blockchain technology or the like.

[0045] The above is an example of the operation of the tracking device 300. The tracking device 300 may be configured to be able to output the tracking data included in the tracking information 342 to an external device.

[0046] As described above, the tracking device 300 has the operation log collection unit 351 and the splicing unit 352. With this configuration, the splicing unit 352 can generate tracking data by splicing together the operation logs included in the collected information 341. As a result, it is possible to track the movement process of an object to be tracked without attaching a label or the like to the object to be tracked.

[0047] For example, if the tracking object is wood such as logs, attaching a label to each piece is extremely time-consuming, and in addition, external storage can cause the labels to deteriorate due to sun exposure, wind, and rain. Furthermore, wood is often stored in layers, making it difficult to read labels even if they are attached. Furthermore, if the tracking object is a steel plate or the like, it may be difficult to attach a label to each piece because it is covered in oil or stored in layers. According to the method described in the present disclosure, tracking objects can be made trackable without attaching labels to each individual object. Therefore, even if a tracking object has the above-mentioned circumstances, its movement process can be tracked without any problems.

[0048] Furthermore, the tracking system 100 described in the present disclosure can store the generated tracking data by utilizing blockchain technology. By using technology such as blockchain, for example, even if there are multiple stakeholders in the tracking system 100, it is possible to prevent fraud such as tampering and make the data traceable.

[0049] Second Embodiment Next, as a second embodiment, a tracking system 400 which is a modified example of the tracking system 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 9 and Fig. 10. Fig. 9 is a diagram for explaining an overview of the tracking system 400 which is a modified example of the tracking system 100. Fig. 10 is a diagram for explaining an example of an operation log which can be acquired in a processing device included in the tracking system 400.

[0050] In a second embodiment of the present disclosure, a tracking system 400 will be described, which is a system having a configuration that enables tracking of processing processes and the like in addition to the configuration of the tracking system 100. As shown in FIG. 9 , the tracking system 400 includes, in addition to a moving object, an acquisition device 200, which is a processing device that performs a predetermined processing process on the tracking target. Like the acquisition device 200 of each moving object, the acquisition device 200 of the processing device acquires an operation log corresponding to the state before processing and the state after processing when performing processing on the tracking target. Thereafter, the tracking system 400, like the tracking system 100, can combine the operation logs acquired by each moving object and the operation logs acquired by each processing device to generate tracking data that indicates not only the movement process but also the processing process, thereby making the tracking possible.

[0051] In the present disclosure, a processing device refers to a device that performs a predetermined processing process on a tracked object. For example, the processing device may process a tracked object, such as a log, into a board or lumber. The processing device may be configured to perform any processing process, such as combining, dividing, or processing a tracked object, such as wood or steel plate, into any shape. The operation log acquired by the acquisition device 200 of the processing device may include information similar to that of the operation log described in the first embodiment. For example, the operation log may include date and time information, position information such as latitude and longitude, and height information when processing of the tracked object begins and ends. The operation log may also include information other than the above examples, such as information indicating that processing has been performed and information indicating the number of times processing has been performed.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 10 , the processing device may perform processing on multiple tracking objects. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 10 , the processing device performs processing on the tracking objects, Log A, Log B, and Log C. When performing processing on multiple tracking objects in this manner, the start information included in the operation log acquired by the acquisition device 200 may include multiple pieces of location information. In other words, the acquisition device 200 can acquire an operation log including start information corresponding to the target to be processed. It is also possible that multiple tracking objects to be processed are grouped together in the same location. In this case, the start information may include information indicating that processing using multiple tracking objects has been performed or information indicating the number of processing operations performed together. Furthermore, the acquisition device 200 can acquire an operation log corresponding to the unit by which the processing device performs processing, such as by lot. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 10 , the acquisition device 200 can acquire an operation log corresponding to lumber lot 1 and an operation log corresponding to plate lot 1. In this way, the acquisition device 200 may acquire multiple operation logs in which the start time information is the same but the end time information differs for each lot.

[0053] For example, even when the tracking system 100 described in the first embodiment includes a processing device, as in the tracking system 400 described above, the tracking device 300 can generate tracking data by stitching together the operation logs acquired by each acquisition device 200. In this case, for example, if the start information includes information indicating that processing using multiple tracked objects was performed or information indicating the number of processing operations performed collectively, the stitching unit 352 may stitch together multiple operation logs having end information that matches or is similar to the position information included in the start information with the operation log having the start information. In other words, the stitching unit 352 may stitch together multiple operation logs into one operation log when the operation logs include the predetermined information described above.

[0054] Note that processing by a processing device or the like may cause the tracking target to become smaller or lighter, making it unsuitable for movement by a moving object. For example, if the tracking target becomes unsuitable for movement by such a moving object, the tracking system 400 may be configured to track the tracking target according to image data acquired by the imaging device 500 or the like. For example, the tracking system 400 can track the tracking target by tracing the tracking target according to the image data acquired by the imaging device 500. Tracing of the tracking target may be achieved using any technology. The tracking system 400 may be configured to perform tracking using general labels in addition to tracking using image data. For example, as described above, the tracking system 400 may be configured to switch the tracking method from tracking using the operation log acquired by the acquisition device 200 to tracking using another method depending on the size, lightness, number of processing times, and other arbitrary conditions. Note that the tracking system 100 described in the first embodiment may also be configured to be able to switch the tracking method according to arbitrary conditions.

[0055] [Third Embodiment] Next, a tracking device 600, which is a second tracking device in the present disclosure, will be described with reference to Fig. 11 to Fig. 13. Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the tracking device 600. Fig. 12 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the tracking device 600. Fig. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the tracking device 600.

[0056] In a second embodiment of the present disclosure, a tracking device 600 will be described, which is an information processing device that generates tracking data according to an operation log acquired by an acquisition device attached to a moving body that moves a tracking target. Fig. 11 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the tracking device 600. Referring to Fig. 11, the tracking device 600 has, as an example, the following hardware configuration: - CPU (Central Processing Unit) 601 (arithmetic unit) - ROM (Read Only Memory) 602 (storage device) - RAM (Random Access Memory) 603 (storage device) - Programs 604 loaded into RAM 603 - Storage device 605 that stores the programs 604 - Drive device 606 that reads and writes data from and to a storage medium 610 external to the information processing device - Communication interface 607 that connects to a communication network 611 external to the information processing device - Input / output interface 608 that inputs and outputs data - Bus 609 that connects the various components.

[0057] 12 by the CPU 601 acquiring and executing the program group 604. The program group 604 is stored in advance in the storage device 605 or the ROM 602, for example, and is loaded into the RAM 603 or the like by the CPU 601 for execution as needed. The program group 604 may be supplied to the CPU 601 via the communication network 611, or may be stored in advance in the recording medium 610, with the drive device 606 reading out the program and supplying it to the CPU 601.

[0058] 11 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the tracking device 600. The hardware configuration of the tracking device 600 is not limited to the above-described case. For example, the tracking device 600 may be configured with only a part of the above-described configuration, such as not including the drive device 606. Furthermore, the CPU 601 may be a GPU or the like exemplified in the first embodiment.

[0059] The collection unit 621 collects, from an acquisition device, an operation log that can be acquired by using an acquisition device attached to a moving body that moves a tracking target, which is a target of tracking, when the moving body moves the tracking target. For example, the collection unit 621 can collect, from acquisition devices attached to multiple moving bodies, operation logs that include position information that is information according to the position when the tracking target is moved. The collection unit 621 may collect the operation logs using any method.

[0060] In addition, the collection unit 621 may acquire operation logs from an acquisition device attached to a moving body, and may also acquire operation logs from an acquisition device attached to a processing device that performs a predetermined processing process on the tracked object.

[0061] The generating unit 622 generates tracking data indicating the movement process of the tracking target according to the operation logs collected by the collecting unit 621. For example, the generating unit 622 can generate tracking data from a plurality of operation logs by connecting the operation logs collected by the collecting unit 621 according to the position information included in the operation logs.

[0062] The above is an example of the configuration of the tracking device 600. Next, an example of the operation of the tracking device 600 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0063] Fig. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the tracking device 600. Referring to Fig. 13, the collection unit 621 collects, from an acquisition device attached to a moving body that moves a tracking target object, which is a target of tracking, when the moving body moves the tracking target object (step S201). Note that the collection unit 621 may acquire the operation log from the acquisition device attached to the moving body, as well as from an acquisition device attached to a processing device that performs a predetermined processing process on the tracking target object.

[0064] The generating unit 622 generates tracking data indicating the movement process of the tracking target according to the operation logs collected by the collecting unit 621 (step S202). For example, the generating unit 622 can generate tracking data from a plurality of operation logs by connecting the operation logs collected by the collecting unit 621 according to the position information included in the operation logs.

[0065] The above is an example of the operation of the tracking device 600.

[0066] As described above, the tracking device 600 includes a collection unit 621 and a generation unit 622. With this configuration, the generation unit 622 can generate tracking data by combining the operation logs collected by the collection unit 621. As a result, it is possible to track a tracking object without attaching a label or the like to the tracking object.

[0067] The tracking device 600 described above can be realized by incorporating a predetermined program into an information processing device such as the tracking device 600. Specifically, a program according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is a program that causes an information processing device such as the tracking device 600 to perform a process of collecting, from an acquisition device, an operation log that can be acquired using an acquisition device attached to a moving body that moves a tracking target, which is a target of tracking, when the moving body moves the tracking target, and generating tracking data that indicates the movement process of the tracking target according to the collected operation logs, and when collecting the operation logs, collects operation logs including position information that is information according to the position when the tracking target is moved from acquisition devices attached to multiple moving bodies, and when generating the tracking data, connects the operation logs according to the position information included in the collected operation logs, thereby generating tracking data from the multiple operation logs.

[0068] Furthermore, a tracking method executed by an information processing device such as the tracking device 600 described above is a method in which the information processing device such as the tracking device 600 collects, from an acquisition device, operation logs that can be acquired using an acquisition device attached to a moving body when the moving body moves the tracked object, which is the object to be tracked, and generates tracking data that shows the movement process of the tracked object according to the collected operation logs; when collecting the operation logs, operation logs including location information that is information according to the location when the tracked object is moved are collected from acquisition devices attached to multiple moving bodies; and when generating the tracking data, the operation logs are connected together according to the location information included in the collected operation logs, thereby generating tracking data from the multiple operation logs.

[0069] Any program having the above-described configuration, or a computer-readable recording medium having the program recorded thereon, or a tracking method, etc., can achieve the same functions and effects as the above-described tracking device 600, and therefore can achieve the above-described objective of the present disclosure.

[0070] <Supplementary Notes> Part or all of the above-described embodiments can also be described as follows: The tracking device and other components of the present disclosure will be outlined below. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the following configuration.

[0071] (Supplementary Note 1) A tracking device comprising: a collection unit that collects, from an acquisition device, an operation log that can be acquired using an acquisition device attached to a moving body when the moving body moves a tracking object that is the subject of tracking; and a generation unit that generates tracking data that shows a movement process of the tracking object according to the operation logs collected by the collection unit, wherein the collection unit collects the operation logs, each including location information that is information according to a location when the tracking object is moved, from the acquisition devices attached to a plurality of the moving bodies, and the generation unit generates the tracking data from the plurality of operation logs by connecting the operation logs together according to the location information included in the operation logs collected by the collection unit. (Supplementary Note 2) The tracking device according to Supplementary Note 1, wherein the collection unit collects from the acquisition device the operation logs including at least the position information when the tracking object started moving and the position information when the movement ended, and the generation unit generates the tracking data from a plurality of the operation logs by piecing together the operation logs in accordance with a result of referring to the position information when the tracking object started moving and the position information when the movement ended, which are included in the operation logs. (Supplementary Note 3) The tracking device according to Supplementary Note 2, wherein the generation unit pieces together the first operation log and the second operation log when the position information when the movement ended, which is included in a first operation log, and the position information when the movement started, which is included in a second operation log, are identical or similar. (Supplementary Note 4) The tracking device according to Supplementary Note 2 or Supplementary Note 3, wherein the position information includes information indicating height, and the generation unit generates the tracking data from a plurality of the operation logs by piecing together the operation logs in accordance with a result of referring to the position information including the information indicating height. (Supplementary Note 5) The collecting unit collects the operation logs from the acquiring device, each including identification information for identifying a timing at which the tracked object moved; and the generating unit, when there are a plurality of operation logs that may be targets for joining together, identifies the operation logs to be joined together according to the identification information, and joins together the identified operation logs. The tracking device described in any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 4.(Supplementary Note 6) The tracking device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 5, wherein the generation unit generates the tracking data including a plurality of pieces of location information by piecing together the operation logs, and the generation unit piecing together the operation logs according to the location information included in the operation logs collected by the collection unit, and piecing together the operation logs and the tracking data according to the location information included in the tracking data. (Supplementary Note 7) The tracking device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 6, further comprising a storage unit that stores the generated tracking data in a distributed manner in a plurality of devices using blockchain technology. (Supplementary Note 8) A tracking method in which an information processing device collects, from an acquisition device attached to a moving body that moves a tracking object, which is a target of tracking, an operation log that can be acquired using the acquisition device when the moving body moves the tracking object, generates tracking data that shows the movement process of the tracking object according to the collected operation logs, collects, when collecting the operation logs, the operation logs including position information that is information according to the position when the tracking object is moved, from the acquisition devices attached to a plurality of the moving bodies, and generates the tracking data from the plurality of operation logs by connecting the operation logs according to the position information included in the collected operation logs. (Supplementary Note 9) A program that causes an information processing device to perform the following process: collect operation logs that can be acquired using an acquisition device attached to a moving body when the moving body moves a tracking object that is the target of tracking, from the acquisition device; generate tracking data that shows the movement process of the tracking object according to the collected operation logs; when collecting the operation logs, collect the operation logs including location information that is information according to the location when the tracking object is moved from the acquisition devices attached to multiple moving bodies; and when generating the tracking data, generate the tracking data from the multiple operation logs by connecting the operation logs according to the location information included in the collected operation logs.(Supplementary Note 10) A tracking system including a tracking device having: an acquisition device attached to a moving body that moves a tracking object that is a target of tracking, and acquiring an operation log including position information that is information according to a position of the tracking object when the moving body to which the acquisition device is attached moves the tracking object; a collection unit that collects the operation logs acquired by the acquisition device from a plurality of the acquisition devices; and a generation unit that generates tracking data that shows a movement process of the tracking object from the plurality of operation logs by connecting the operation logs collected by the collection unit according to the position information included in the operation logs. (Supplementary Note 11) A tracking device comprising: a collection unit that collects, from an acquisition device, an operation log that can be acquired using an acquisition device attached to a moving body when the moving body moves a tracking object that is a target of tracking, and collects the operation logs from the acquisition device attached to a processing device that performs a predetermined processing process on the tracking object; and a generation unit that generates tracking data that shows a movement process or a processing process of the tracking object according to the operation logs collected by the collection unit, wherein the collection unit collects the operation logs including position information that is information according to a position when the tracking object is moved or when processing is performed on the tracking object from the acquisition devices attached to a plurality of the moving bodies or the processing devices, and the generation unit generates the tracking data from the plurality of operation logs by connecting the operation logs according to the position information included in the operation logs collected by the collection unit. (Supplementary Note 12) The tracking device according to Supplementary Note 11, wherein the collection unit collects from the acquisition device the operation logs including at least the position information at the time when movement or processing of the tracking target started and the position information at the time when the movement ended, and the generation unit generates the tracking data from a plurality of the operation logs by connecting the operation logs in accordance with a result of referring to the position information at the time when movement or processing of the tracking target started and the position information at the time when the movement or processing ended, which are included in the operation logs. (Supplementary Note 13) The tracking device according to Supplementary Note 12, wherein the generation unit connects a plurality of the operation logs for one of the operation logs when predetermined information is included in the operation logs.(Supplementary Note 14) The tracking device according to Supplementary Note 13, wherein the collection unit collects, from the acquisition device, the operation logs including information indicating that processing using a plurality of the tracking objects has been performed, and the generation unit, when the operation logs include information indicating that processing using a plurality of the tracking objects has been performed, joins the plurality of operation logs into one operation log. (Supplementary Note 15) The tracking device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 11 to 14, wherein the collection unit collects the operation logs for each production lot from the acquisition device attached to the processing device. (Supplementary Note 16) The tracking device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 11 to 15, wherein the collection unit collects, from the acquisition device, the operation logs including identification information for identifying the timing at which the tracking object was moved or processed, and when there are a plurality of operation logs that may be the target of joining, the generation unit identifies the operation logs to be the target of joining in accordance with the identification information and joins the identified operation logs together. (Supplementary Note 17) The tracking device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 11 to 16, comprising a storage unit that stores the generated tracking data in a distributed manner in a plurality of devices using blockchain technology. (Supplementary Note 18) A tracking method comprising an information processing device: collecting, from a moving body that moves a tracking object that is a target of tracking, an operation log that can be acquired using an acquisition device attached to the moving body when the moving body moves the tracking object, and collecting the operation log from the acquisition device attached to a processing device that performs a predetermined processing on the tracking object; generating tracking data that indicates a movement process or a processing process of the tracking object according to the collected operation logs; collecting, when collecting the operation logs, the operation logs including position information that is information according to a position when the tracking object is moved or when processing the tracking object from the plurality of acquisition devices attached to the moving bodies or the processing devices; and when generating the tracking data, generating the tracking data from the plurality of operation logs by connecting the operation logs according to the position information included in the collected operation logs.(Supplementary Note 19) A program that causes an information processing device to perform the following processing: collect, from an acquisition device attached to a moving body that moves a tracking object, which is a target of tracking, an operation log that can be acquired using the acquisition device when the moving body moves the tracking object, and collect the operation logs from the acquisition device attached to a processing device that performs a predetermined processing process on the tracking object; and generate tracking data that shows the movement process or processing process of the tracking object according to the collected operation logs; when collecting the operation logs, collect the operation logs including position information that is information according to the position when the tracking object is moved or when processing is performed on the tracking object from the acquisition devices attached to multiple moving bodies or processing devices; and when generating the tracking data, generate the tracking data from the multiple operation logs by connecting the operation logs according to the position information included in the collected operation logs. (Supplementary Note 20) A tracking system including: an acquisition device attached to a moving body that moves a tracking object that is a target of tracking, and acquiring an operation log including position information that is information according to a position of the tracking object when the moving body to which it is attached moves the tracking object; the acquisition device attached to a processing device that performs a predetermined processing process on the tracking object; a collection unit that collects the operation logs acquired by the acquisition devices from a plurality of the acquisition devices; and a generation unit that generates tracking data that shows a movement process of the tracking object from the plurality of operation logs by connecting the operation logs according to the position information included in the operation logs collected by the collection unit.

[0072] Note that some or all of the configurations described in Supplementary Notes 2 to 7 that are subordinate to the tracking device described as Supplementary Note 1 may also be subordinate in a similar subordinate relationship to the tracking method described in Supplementary Note 8, the program described in Supplementary Note 9, the tracking system described in Supplementary Note 10, the tracking devices described in Supplementary Notes 11 to 17, the tracking method described in Supplementary Note 18, the program described in Supplementary Note 19, and the tracking system described in Supplementary Note 20. Furthermore, not limited to Supplementary Notes 8 to 20, some or all of the configurations described as Supplements may also be subordinate to various hardware, software, various recording means for recording software, or systems within the scope of the above-described embodiments.

[0073] The programs described in the above embodiments and appendices may be stored in a storage device or a computer-readable recording medium, such as a portable medium such as a flexible disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, or a semiconductor memory.

[0074] Although the present disclosure has been described above with reference to the above-described 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.

[0075] The present invention claims the benefit of priority based on patent application No. 2024-064262 filed in Japan on April 11, 2024, and all contents described in the patent application are incorporated herein by reference.

[0076] 100 Tracking system 200 Acquisition device 210 Operation log acquisition unit 220 Output unit 300 Tracking device 310 Operation input unit 320 Screen display unit 330 Communication interface unit 340 Storage unit 341 Collected information 342 Tracking information 343 Program 350 Arithmetic processing unit 351 Operation log collection unit 352 Joining unit 353 Result storage unit 400 Tracking system 500 Imaging device 600 Tracking device 601 CPU 602 ROM 603 RAM 604 Program group 605 Storage device 606 Drive device 607 Communication interface 608 Input / output interface 609 Bus 610 Recording medium 611 Communication network 621 Collection unit 622 Generation unit

Claims

1. A tracking device comprising: a collection unit that collects operation logs that can be acquired using an acquisition device attached to a moving body when the moving body moves a tracking object that is the target of tracking, from the acquisition device, and that collects the operation logs from the acquisition device attached to a processing device that performs a predetermined processing process on the tracking object; and a generation unit that generates tracking data that shows the movement process or processing process of the tracking object according to the operation logs collected by the collection unit, wherein the collection unit collects the operation logs, including location information that is information according to the position when the tracking object is moved or when processing is performed on the tracking object, from the acquisition devices attached to multiple moving bodies or multiple processing devices, and the generation unit generates the tracking data from the multiple operation logs by connecting the operation logs according to the location information included in the operation logs collected by the collection unit.

2. The tracking device according to claim 1, wherein the collection unit collects from the acquisition device the operation logs including at least the position information at the time when movement or processing of the tracked object started and the position information at the time when the movement ended, and the generation unit generates the tracking data from a plurality of the operation logs by connecting the operation logs in accordance with a result of referring to the position information at the time when movement or processing of the tracked object started and the position information at the time when the movement or processing ended, which are included in the operation logs.

3. The tracking device according to claim 2, wherein the generating unit combines a plurality of operation logs into one operation log when the operation logs contain predetermined information.

4. The tracking device according to claim 3, wherein the collection unit collects the operation logs from the acquisition device, the operation logs including information indicating that processing has been performed using a plurality of the tracking objects, and the generation unit combines the plurality of operation logs into one operation log when the operation logs include information indicating that processing has been performed using a plurality of the tracking objects.

5. The tracking device according to claim 1, wherein the collection unit collects the operation log for each production lot from the acquisition device attached to the processing device.

6. The tracking device described in claim 1, wherein the collection unit collects the operation logs from the acquisition device, the operation logs including identification information for identifying the timing at which the tracked object was moved or modified, and the generation unit, when there are multiple operation logs that may be the subject of joining, identifies the operation logs to be joined according to the identification information and joins the identified operation logs together.

7. The tracking device according to claim 1, further comprising a storage unit that stores the generated tracking data in a distributed manner across multiple devices using blockchain technology.

8. A tracking method in which an information processing device collects operation logs that can be acquired using an acquisition device attached to a moving body that moves a tracking object, which is the target of tracking, from the acquisition device when the moving body moves the tracking object, and collects the operation logs from the acquisition device attached to a processing device that performs a predetermined processing process on the tracking object, generates tracking data that shows the movement process or processing process of the tracking object according to the collected operation logs, collects operation logs that include location information that is information according to the position when the tracking object is moved or when processing is performed on the tracking object from multiple moving bodies or multiple acquisition devices attached to the processing devices when collecting the operation logs, and generates the tracking data from multiple operation logs by connecting the operation logs according to the location information included in the collected operation logs.

9. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program that causes an information processing device to perform the following processing: collect operation logs that can be obtained using an acquisition device attached to a moving body that moves a tracking object, which is the target of tracking, when the moving body moves the tracking object, from the acquisition device; collect the operation logs from the acquisition device attached to a processing device that performs a predetermined processing process on the tracking object; and generate tracking data that shows the movement process or processing process of the tracking object according to the collected operation logs; when collecting the operation logs, collect the operation logs including location information that is information according to the position when the tracking object is moved or when processing is performed on the tracking object from the acquisition devices attached to multiple moving bodies or processing devices; and when generating the tracking data, generate the tracking data from multiple operation logs by connecting the operation logs according to the location information included in the collected operation logs.

10. A tracking system including a tracking device that is attached to a moving body that moves a tracking target that is the subject of tracking, and that acquires an operation log including location information that is information according to the location of the tracking target when the moving body to which it is attached moves the tracking target; the acquisition device that is attached to a processing device that performs a predetermined processing process on the tracking target; a collection unit that collects the operation logs acquired by the acquisition devices from a plurality of the acquisition devices; and a generation unit that generates tracking data that shows the movement process of the tracking target from the plurality of operation logs by connecting the operation logs according to the location information included in the operation logs collected by the collection unit.

Images