Schedule management application and information processing device

Abstract

The present invention limits the range and time of position information in consideration of the privacies of participants who can be identified by a supervisor of an event or the like.　An application causes a computer to function as: an event registration means for registering the name, time, and place of an event, participants of the event, and a supervisor who supervises the participants; a position information acquisition means for acquiring pieces of position information about the participants of the event; a display time setting means (407) for setting a position information display time indicating a limited time during which pieces of position information about the participants of the event can be displayed as an image on a display unit; a display range setting means (409) for setting a position information display range indicating a limited range in which pieces of position information about the participants of the event can be displayed as an image on the display unit; and a display control means (500) for causing the display unit to display, as an image, information indicating the positions of the participants present in the limited range set by the display range setting means by using the pieces of position information about the participants acquired by the position information acquisition means in the limited time set by the display time setting means.

Description

Schedule management application, and information processing device Cross-reference to related applications

[0001] This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-168911 filed on September 27, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The technology disclosed in this application relates to a schedule management application and an information processing device on which the schedule management application is installed.

[0003] As a schedule management application according to the prior art, a schedule management application that combines a schedule management function and a GPS function is known (Non-Patent Document 1). Also, applications (Non-Patent Documents 2 and 3) for searching the position of a child or the like using GPS are known.

[0004] https: / / www.docomo.ne.jp / service / imadoco / parent_usage.htmlhttps: / / www.softbank.jp / mobile / service / mimamorigps / https: / / apps.apple.com / jp / app / ハローファミリー-地図-位置-gps-予定-todo / id1669661485

[0005] In Non-Patent Documents 1 to 3 described above, it was not possible to set area restrictions or time restrictions for searching the position of a child or the like. For example, since the applications disclosed in Non-Patent Documents 1 to 3 assume that a parent checks the position of a child, it is necessary to always check where the child is at the desired timing when the parent wants to check the position of the child. Therefore, in Non-Patent Documents 1 to 3, it was not possible to set area restrictions or time restrictions for checking the position of a child.

[0006] However, if an event supervisor wants to confirm the location of participants, they only need to confirm whether the participants are gathered at the event venue and its surroundings during the time the event is held and before and after. For example, if a soccer match is scheduled, the soccer team's manager and coaches only need to confirm whether the team members are gathered at the match venue (field) and its surroundings during the time the match is held and before and after. If the manager and coaches were able to confirm the members' locations at times other than the time the match is held and before and after, or at the match venue and its surroundings, it could infringe on the members' privacy. Therefore, it is necessary to set restrictions on the location and time that event supervisors can confirm the location of participants.

[0007] Therefore, the technology disclosed in this application aims to provide a schedule management application and an information processing device that set limits on the range and time of location information that can be viewed by event supervisors, etc., while taking into consideration the privacy of participants.

[0008] A schedule management application according to one aspect of this disclosure is a schedule management application capable of registering information for multiple events, wherein the computer functions as an event registration means for registering the name of the event, the location of the event, the participants of the event, and the supervisor who supervises the participants; a location information acquisition means for acquiring location information of the event participants' smartphones (hereinafter referred to as "smartphones"); a display range setting means for setting a location information display range that indicates a limited range in which the location information of the event participants' smartphones can be displayed as an image on the display unit; and a display control means for displaying information indicating the location of the participants' smartphones within the limited range set by the display range setting means as an image on the display unit, using the location information of the participants' smartphones acquired by the location information acquisition means. In a schedule management application according to one aspect of this disclosure, the computer may also function as a display time setting means for setting a location information display time that indicates a limited time in which the location information of the event participants' smartphones can be displayed as an image on the display unit, and the event registration means may further register the event duration. In this case, the display control means, within the limited time set by the display time setting means, uses the participant's location information acquired by the location information acquisition means to display information indicating the location of participants within the limited range set by the display range setting means as an image on the display unit.

[0009] Furthermore, an information processing device according to one aspect of this disclosure is an information processing device that executes a schedule management application capable of registering information for multiple events, and comprises: event registration means for registering the name of the event, the location of the event, the participants of the event, and the supervisor who supervises the participants; location information acquisition means for acquiring location information of the event participants' smartphones; display range setting means for setting a location information display range that indicates a limited range in which the location information of the event participants' smartphones can be displayed as an image on the display unit; and display control means for displaying information on the display unit as an image indicating the location of the participants' smartphones that are located within the limited range set by the display range setting means, using the location information of the participants' smartphones acquired by the location information acquisition means. An information processing device according to one aspect of this disclosure may also comprise: display time setting means for setting a location information display time that indicates a limited time in which the location information of the event participants' smartphones can be displayed as an image on the display unit, and the event registration means may further register the event time. In this case, the display control means uses the location information of the participants acquired by the location information acquisition means to display information on the display unit as an image indicating the location of the participants that are located within the limited range set by the display range setting means, within the limited time set by the display time setting means.

[0010] The technology disclosed in this application makes it possible to provide a schedule management application and an information processing device that can restrict the location and time of participants' smartphones, which can be viewed by supervisors of events, etc.

[0011] This is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a smartphone or other computer on which a schedule management application is installed. This is a functional block diagram showing the functions of a smartphone or other computer on which a schedule management application is installed. This is a diagram showing the data used by the schedule management application. This is a diagram showing a screen to explain the user registration function of the schedule management application. This is a diagram showing a screen to explain the event registration function of the schedule management application. This is a diagram showing a screen to explain the event registration function of the schedule management application. This is a diagram showing the GPS map screen of a supervisor's smartphone to explain the function of the schedule management application to check the location of participants' smartphones before the start of an event. This is a diagram showing the screen of a supervisor's smartphone to explain the function of the schedule management application to notify participants of their departure. This is a diagram showing the GPS map screen of a supervisor's smartphone to explain the function of the schedule management application to display the arrival of participants' smartphones at the meeting place. This is a diagram showing the screens of a supervisor's smartphone and a guardian's smartphone to explain the function of the schedule management application to notify the supervisor's smartphone of the arrival of participants' smartphones at the meeting place. This is a diagram showing the GPS map screen of a guardian's smartphone to explain the function of the schedule management application to check the location of participants' smartphones before the start of an event. This is a diagram showing the screen of a participant's smartphone to explain the function of the schedule management application to notify the supervisor's smartphone of the participant's arrival at the meeting place. This diagram shows the supervisor's smartphone screen to illustrate the feature of the schedule management application that notifies the supervisor of participants who have not yet arrived just before the start of an event. This diagram shows the supervisor's smartphone's GPS map screen to illustrate the feature of the schedule management application that displays the photos and names of the assembled participants. This diagram shows the supervisor's smartphone screen to illustrate the feature of the schedule management application that displays the photos and names of the assembled participants.This diagram shows the schedule details screen on a supervisor's smartphone to explain the function of the schedule management application to display the photos and names of participants attending an event. This diagram shows the screen on a supervisor's smartphone to explain the function of the schedule management application to display the photos and names of participants attending an event. This diagram shows the screen on a supervisor's smartphone to explain the function of the schedule management application to send messages to participants' smartphones by specifying them using the GPS map screen. This diagram shows the screen on a supervisor's smartphone to explain the function of the schedule management application to send messages to participants' smartphones by specifying them using the GPS map screen. This diagram shows the screen on a supervisor's smartphone to explain the function of the schedule management application to send messages to participants' smartphones by specifying them using the schedule details screen. This diagram shows the screen on a supervisor's smartphone to explain the function of the schedule management application to send messages to participants' smartphones by specifying them using the schedule details screen. This diagram shows the screen on a participant's smartphone to explain the function of the schedule management application to display an encouragement screen just before the start of an event. This diagram shows the screen on a supervisor's smartphone to explain the function of the schedule management application to display videos etc. according to the results of the event from the schedule details screen. This diagram shows the screen on a participant's smartphone to explain the function of the schedule management application to display videos etc. according to the results of the event. This diagram shows the screen of a supervisor's smartphone to explain the function of displaying effects and other elements based on the event results of the schedule management application from the schedule details screen. This diagram shows the GPS map screen of a participant's smartphone to explain the function of displaying effects and other elements based on the event results of the schedule management application. This diagram shows the screen of a participant's smartphone to explain the function of communicating from the participant's smartphone to the parent's smartphone in the schedule management application. This diagram shows the message input screen of a supervisor's smartphone to explain the function of sending messages from the supervisor's smartphone to the parent's smartphone in the schedule management application.This diagram shows the message display screen on a parent's smartphone to explain the schedule management application's function for sending messages from the supervisor's smartphone to the parent's smartphone. This diagram shows the screen of the supervisor's smartphone to explain the schedule management application's function for notifying the supervisor's smartphone when a participant returns home after an event. This diagram shows the screen of the supervisor's smartphone to explain the schedule management application's function for notifying the supervisor's smartphone when a participant has not returned home after an event. This diagram shows the screen of the parent's smartphone to explain the schedule management application's function for notifying the parent of a participant who has not returned home after an event. This diagram shows the GPS map screen on a parent's smartphone to explain the schedule management application's function for notifying the status of a participant's return home after an event. This diagram shows the screen of the supervisor's smartphone to explain the function for setting the display time and acquisition time of location information in the schedule management application. This is a flowchart showing the processes executed by the schedule management application. This is an information processing flowchart explaining the operation of the supervisor's, participant's, and parent's smartphones 101. This diagram shows the smartphone screen to explain the schedule management application's function for displaying graphs.

[0012] Various embodiments will be described below with reference to the attached drawings. Note that common components in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals. Also, please note that components shown in one drawing may be omitted in another for the sake of clarity. Furthermore, please be aware that the attached drawings are not necessarily drawn to an exact scale.

[0013] 1. Overview of the Schedule Management Application The schedule management application 100 (hereinafter referred to as the "management app") according to one embodiment is, broadly speaking, software that allows users to manage their daily life and work schedules on a smartphone (hereinafter referred to as "smartphone"), personal computer, tablet, smartwatch, etc., in relation to the theme of participants gathering at an event. This allows users to record and manage various schedules such as children's school events, family travel itineraries, school classes, and part-time job shifts in the management app 100. A wide range of users, including company employees, housewives / househusbands, and students, can use the management app 100. The management app 100 according to one embodiment is equipped with many convenient functions such as GPS functionality, schedule color coding, widget functionality, and photo saving. The management app 100 according to one embodiment allows users to manage their schedules on a monthly, weekly, or daily basis according to their personal lifestyle and business situation. In short, the management app 100 is an application that takes privacy into consideration by setting restrictions on the range and time of location information, and displays the location information of participants' smartphones as an image on a map using GPS, making it easy to confirm arrival at the destination.

[0014] 2-1. Smartphone Hardware Configuration The hardware configuration of a smartphone 101 on which the management application 100 according to one embodiment is installed will be described. Note that the hardware on which the management application 100 according to one embodiment is installed is not limited to a smartphone, but may be an information processing device such as a personal computer, tablet, or smartwatch.

[0015] As shown in Figure 1A, the smartphone 101 broadly comprises a display unit 102, a camera 103, a speaker 104, a microphone 105, a USB connection terminal 106, various sensors 107, a GPS module 108, a communication module 109, and a controller 110.

[0016] The controller 110 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 111, RAM (Random Access Memory) 112, a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) 113, storage 114, and an I / O interface 115, among other components.

[0017] The CPU 111 functions as the brain of the smartphone 101, executing the OS (Operating System) and applications, and performing data processing. The RAM 112 is the main memory and is used for temporary data storage. The GPU 113 is responsible for image and video processing. The storage 114 stores various data such as user data, the OS, and applications.

[0018] The smartphone 101 downloads and installs the management app 100 from an app management site (for example, Google Play Store or App Store) via the network. The storage 114 stores the downloaded management app 100 and other various apps. The storage 114 also stores various data such as the data 120 necessary for the execution of the management app 100.

[0019] The I / O interface 115 connects the controller 110 to its peripheral devices (display unit 102, camera 103, speaker 104, microphone 105, USB connection terminal 106, various sensors 107, GPS module 108, and communication module 109) in a way that enables communication between them.

[0020] The display unit 102 is a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display, and displays various screens, which will be described later. The camera 103 captures still images and videos. The speaker 104 converts electrical signals into physical sound. The microphone 105 converts physical sound into electrical signals. The USB connection terminal 106 functions as a charging terminal for the smartphone 101, or as an input terminal for inputting information into the smartphone 101, or as an output terminal for outputting information from the smartphone 101. The various sensors 107 include an accelerometer and a gyroscope. The GPS module 108 receives signals from artificial satellites and outputs location information indicating the current location of the smartphone 101. The communication module 109 is an electronic component that integrates a controller and software to control the communication function. The communication module 109 is connected to a LAN (Local Area Network) or mobile communication system for communication and communicates with external devices.

[0021] 2-2. Functional Block Diagram of a Smartphone - A functional block diagram of a smartphone 101 on which the management application 100 according to one embodiment is installed will be described.

[0022] As shown in Figure 1B, the smartphone 101 includes an event registration means 150, a location information acquisition means 151, a display time setting means 152, a display range setting means 153, a message sending means 154, a display control means 155, a non-arrival notification means 156, a user information registration means 157, and a return / non-return notification means 158. Each of these means is realized by the CPU 111 of the smartphone 101 executing a management application 100.

[0023] The event registration means 150 registers the name of the event, the event duration (including start and end times), the event location, the participants, and the supervisors who oversee the participants (see 401-409 in Figures 4A and 4B).

[0024] The location information acquisition means 151 acquires location information (GPS data) of participants in the event.

[0025] The display time setting means 152 sets a location information display time, which indicates the time during which the location information (GPS data) of event participants can be displayed on the display unit 102.

[0026] The display range setting means 153 sets a location information display range that indicates the range in which the location information (GPS data) of event participants can be displayed on the display unit 102.

[0027] The message sending means 154 sends a message to the supervisor's information processing terminal (e.g., a smartphone) or the guardian's information processing terminal (e.g., a smartphone) associated with the participant when the location indicated by the participant's location information (GPS data) obtained by the location information acquisition means 151 enters a predetermined range that includes the event venue.

[0028] The display control means 155 causes the display unit 102 to display various information. For example, at a time set by the display time setting means 152, the display control means 155 uses the location information (GPS data) of the participants acquired by the location information acquisition means 151 to display information on the display unit 102 indicating the location of participants within the range set by the display range setting means 153.

[0029] The non-arrival notification means 156 notifies the supervisor's information processing terminal (e.g., smartphone) or the guardian's information processing terminal (e.g., smartphone) linked to the participant that the participant has not arrived if the location indicated by the participant's location information (GPS data) acquired by the location information acquisition means 151 is not within a predetermined range including the event venue, at a predetermined time before the event is scheduled to begin.

[0030] The user information registration means 157 registers return location information indicating the participant's return location (for example, home address) (see 304 in Figure 3).

[0031] The return / non-return notification means 158 notifies the supervisor's information processing terminal (e.g., smartphone) of the participant's return when the location information (GPS data) of the participant acquired by the location information acquisition means 151 enters a predetermined range that includes the location indicated by the return location information after the event has ended. The return / non-return notification means 158 also notifies the supervisor's information processing terminal (e.g., smartphone) or the information processing terminal (e.g., smartphone) of the guardian associated with the participant that the participant has not returned when the location information of the participant acquired by the location information acquisition means 151 does not enter a predetermined range that includes the location indicated by the return location information after the event has ended.

[0032] 3. Data 120 used by the management application 100 Figure 2 is a diagram showing the data used by the management application 100. The data 120 used by the management application 100 includes multiple event detail data 200 showing the details of events registered in the management application 100, and multiple user detail data 201 showing the details of users who host an event (hereinafter referred to as supervisors), users who participate in an event (hereinafter referred to as participants), and users corresponding to the parents of participants (hereinafter referred to as guardians).

[0033] 3-1. Event Details Data 200 The event details data 200 includes event name data, event date and time data, event location data, supervisor data, participant data, guardian data, location information display time data, location information acquisition time data, location information display range data, message data, etc.

[0034] The event name data is data indicating the name of the event registered in the management application 100. The event date and time data is data indicating the time (start time, end time) when the event is held. The event date and time data may only include the time the event is held, or it may include the start time when the event begins and the end time when the event ends. The event location data is data indicating the location where the event is held (this location may be called the meeting place). For example, the event location data may be coordinate data including latitude and longitude on a map.

[0035] Supervisor data is data indicating the supervisor in charge of the event. Supervisor data may also be data indicating the registrant who registered the event in the management application 100, or data indicating the person in charge of the event. For example, if the event is a soccer match, supervisor data will be data indicating the manager or coach of the team participating in the soccer match. Data indicating the supervisor may be, for example, the supervisor's name or nickname. Participant data is data indicating the participants in the event. For example, if the event is a soccer match, participant data will be data indicating the players of the teams participating in the soccer match. Data indicating the participants may be, for example, the participant's name or nickname. Guardian data is data indicating the guardian of the participants in the event. For example, if the event is a soccer match, guardian data will be data indicating the guardian of the players of the teams participating in the soccer match. Data indicating the guardian may be, for example, the guardian's name or nickname.

[0036] Location information display time data indicates the time period during which the supervisor's app can acquire and display the location information (GPS data) of the participants' smartphones. The supervisor's app can acquire and display the location information of the participants' smartphones during the time period indicated by the location information display time data. For example, if the event is a soccer match and the location information display time data is set to 8:00-9:00, the supervisor's app can acquire the location information of the smartphones of the participants taking part in the soccer match from 8:00-9:00 and display the locations of the participants' smartphones on a GPS map on the display of the supervisor's smartphone 101.

[0037] As a method for specifying location information display time data, you can specify a time range (for example, "8:00" to "9:00") or a time associated with the start or end time of an event (for example, "1 hour" "before" the event start time).

[0038] Location acquisition time data indicates the time period during which the supervisor's app can acquire the location information (GPS data) of participants' smartphones. The supervisor's app can acquire the location information of participants' smartphones during the time period indicated by the location acquisition time data. For example, if the event is a soccer match and the location acquisition time data is set to 7:00 to 13:00, the supervisor's app can acquire the location information of participants' smartphones participating in the soccer match from 7:00 to 13:00.

[0039] This location information acquisition time data is used to notify supervisors' and guardians' smartphones when a participant leaves home and / or returns home. Therefore, the location information of the participant's smartphone acquired at the time indicated by this location information acquisition time data is not displayed on the map. The display of the supervisor's or guardian's smartphone 101 shows information indicating that the participant has left home and / or returned home.

[0040] Location information display range data indicates the range (area) in which the supervisor's app can acquire and display the location information (GPS data) of participants' smartphones. The supervisor's app can only display the location based on the location information of participants' smartphones within the range indicated by the location information display range data. For example, if the event is a soccer match, and the location information display range data is set to include the area (for example, a radius of 500m centered on the location) where the soccer match is held, the supervisor's app can display the location of participants' smartphones on the map only within that area. The supervisor's app cannot display the location of participants' smartphones on the map outside of that area. Therefore, the supervisor's app cannot determine the location of participants' smartphones on the map outside of that area, but it can determine that they are not located within that area. As a result, private information such as detailed location information of participants' smartphones outside of that area is not disclosed to the supervisor's app.

[0041] As a method for specifying the location information display range data, one may specify a range of locations (for example, a radius of 500m starting from the event venue), or the supervisor may specify the range on a map using handwritten or pre-prepared shapes such as circles or rectangles.

[0042] Message data includes still images, videos, music, and text messages that are registered in advance by the supervisor and / or guardian. For example, if the event is a soccer match, the message data may include encouraging messages sent by the supervisor or guardian to participants before the match, congratulatory messages sent to participants who win the match, and / or encouraging messages sent to participants who lose the match.

[0043] 3-2. User Details Data User details data 201 includes username data, telephone number data, email data, home location data, attribute data, etc.

[0044] The username data is data indicating the name of a supervisor, participant, or guardian. The phone number data is data indicating the phone number of a supervisor, participant, or guardian. The email data is data indicating the email address of a supervisor, participant, or guardian.

[0045] The home location data is data indicating the location of the participant's home. For example, the home location data can be coordinate data including, for example, latitude and longitude on a map.

[0046] The attribute data is data indicating the attribute of a user, and the attribute of the user indicates either a supervisor, a participant, or a guardian. When the attribute of the user is a supervisor, the user (supervisor) can use the management application 100 to acquire the location information of the participant's smartphone and display the current location of the participant's smartphone on the management application 100. Also, when the attribute of the user is a participant, the user (participant) can use the management application 100 to transmit the location information of the participant's smartphone to the management applications 100 of the supervisor and the guardian. Further, when the attribute of the user is a guardian, the user (guardian) can use the management application 100 to acquire the location information of the participant's smartphone associated with the guardian's smartphone and display the current location of the participant's smartphone on the management application 100.

[0047] The supervisor can use the management application 100 to acquire the location information of all of the participants' smartphones and display the current locations of all of the participants' smartphones on the management application 100. On the other hand, the guardian can use the management application 100 to acquire only the location information of the participant's smartphone associated with the guardian's smartphone and display only the current location of the participant's smartphone on the management application 100, and can technically protect the privacy of the user. Therefore, the guardian cannot display the current location of the participant's smartphone not associated with the guardian's smartphone on the management application 100. Thus, private information, which is the detailed location information of the participant's smartphone, is not disclosed to the smartphones of other guardians.

[0048] Furthermore, the supervisor may use the management app 100 to acquire the location information of all participants' smartphones only during the time period specified by the supervisor. This eliminates the need to constantly acquire location information in the background, saving processing resources on the smartphone 101 on which the management app 100 is installed and enabling secure information processing. Alternatively, the supervisor may use the management app 100 to acquire information only within a time period and location range specified by the supervisor. This improves the memory efficiency of the smartphone 101 on which the management app 100 is installed, saves battery consumption, and reduces communication costs.

[0049] 4. Various Functions of the Management Application 100 Next, the various functions of the management application 100 according to one embodiment will be described.

[0050] 4-1. The user registration function management application 100 has a user registration function for registering information such as event organizers, event participants, and other relevant information.

[0051] As shown in Figure 3, the management application 100 displays a user registration screen 300 on the smartphone 101 screen for registering user details. The user registration screen 300 has a username field 301 for entering the user's username, a phone number field 302 for entering the user's phone number, an email field 303 for entering the user's email address, a home address field 304 for entering the user's home address, an attribute field 305 for entering the user's attribute (supervisor / participant / guardian), and a guardian field 306 for registering the user's guardian. Note that the guardian field 306 may become available for registration only if participant is selected in the attribute field 305.

[0052] When a user enters information in each field on the user registration screen 300 and presses the registration button (not shown), the information entered in each field may be stored as user detail data 201. The user registration function may also have a function to automatically delete the user detail data 201 after a certain period of time in order to ensure anonymity. The data retention period can also be set as appropriate by the user when setting up an event, etc. The same applies to the event registration function. 4-2. Event Registration Function As shown in Figures 4A and 4B, the management application 100 displays an event registration screen 400 for registering event details on the screen of the smartphone 101. The event registration screen 400 includes an event name field 401 for entering the event name, a start time field 402 for entering the start time of the event, an end time field 403 for entering the end time of the event, a location field 404 for entering the location of the event, a participant field 405 for registering participants of the event, a supervisor field 406 for registering supervisors of the event, a display time field 407 for specifying the time during which the location information of the event participants' smartphones can be displayed, an acquisition time field 408 for specifying the time during which the location information of the event participants' smartphones can be acquired, and a display range field 409 for specifying the range within which the location information of the event participants' smartphones can be displayed.

[0053] When a user enters information in each field on the event registration screen 400 and then presses the registration button (not shown), the information entered in each field may be stored as event detail data 200.

[0054] 4-3. Function to confirm the location of participants before the start of the event As shown in Figure 5, the supervisor's smartphone 101 displays a GPS map screen 500 showing the locations of one or more participants' smartphones. The management application 100 displays a GPS map image 504 on the GPS map screen 500 based on GPS map information acquired by the API (Application Programming Interface) used by the management application 100, and limits the display to a predetermined time before the start of the event (for example, 1 hour), and to an area including the ground designated as the venue (meeting place) (for example, an area with a radius of 500m centered on the ground, or an area with a radius of 300m, which is also variable), and displays markers 501 to 503 indicating the locations of participants' smartphones superimposed on the GPS map image 504. In the example shown in Figure 5, the GPS map screen 500 displays markers 501 to 503 indicating the locations of participants A to C, superimposed on the GPS map image 504, but limited to the hour before the start of the soccer match and within a 500m radius of the soccer field designated as the venue (meeting place). Furthermore, the soccer team manager or coach, who has been designated as the supervisor, can intuitively understand the situation of each participant (A to C) by referring to Figure 5.

[0055] Therefore, the manager or coach of a soccer team, who is designated as the supervisor, can check the location of participants' smartphones in the area including the soccer field from a predetermined time before the start of the soccer match (for example, 60 minutes (minimum) before, 120 minutes (maximum), etc., which can be set).

[0056] 4-4. Function to notify participants of departure As shown in Figure 6, the supervisor's smartphone 101 displays a schedule details screen 600, etc., indicating that one or more participants have departed for the event venue. This schedule details screen 600 is a screen that displays the details of the event and includes the event name, the event time, and information on the participants (or prospective participants) of the event. The schedule details screen 600 also includes the departure persons 601 of the participants who have departed for the event venue. The management app 100 on the supervisor's smartphone 101 obtains the location information of the participant's smartphone from the management app 100 on the participant's smartphone 101 and determines whether the participant has left home based on this location information. The management app 100 on the participant's smartphone 101 may also determine whether the participant has left home based on the calculated location information and notify the management app 100 on the supervisor's smartphone 101 of the result of that determination.

[0057] The schedule details screen 600 may be displayed on the supervisor's smartphone 101 only, or it may be displayed on one or more smartphones 101 selected from the supervisor, participants, and guardians.

[0058] When the management app 100 determines from the location information of a participant's smartphone that the participant has moved a predetermined distance (for example, 50m (lower limit) or 150m (upper limit)) from their home, it displays the participant who has departed for the event venue, namely the departed participant 601, on the event details screen 600. In Figure 6, participants A, B, and C are shown as departed participants (departed participants 601) for the event venue. Alternatively, if a participant presses a departure button (not shown) to notify that they have left home, they may be displayed as a participant who has departed for the event venue.

[0059] Furthermore, the schedule details screen 600 displays a GPS button 602 for displaying the map screen 500. This GPS button 602 is displayed on the schedule details screen 600 of the supervisor's smartphone or the guardian's smartphone. The GPS button 602 may or may not be displayed on the schedule details screen 600 of the participant's smartphone. When the supervisor presses the GPS button 602, the map screen 500 described above is displayed. On the other hand, when a guardian presses the GPS button 602, a map screen showing the current location of only the participant's smartphone (for example, the guardian's child) associated with that guardian's smartphone is displayed.

[0060] Although the GPS button 602 was displayed on the schedule details screen 600, the screen on which the GPS button 602 is displayed is not limited to the schedule details screen 600, as long as it is a screen of the management application 100.

[0061] Furthermore, participants who have departed for the event venue may be displayed on the schedule details screen 600, on the map screen 500, or on the message screen described later.

[0062] 4-5. Function to display participants' arrival at the meeting place As shown in Figure 7, the supervisor's smartphone 101 displays a GPS map screen 700 indicating that the participant has arrived at the event venue (arrived within a radius of, for example, 100m (lower limit) or 300m (upper limit) of the venue (meeting place)). When the GPS button 602 in Figure 6 is tapped, the GPS map screen 700 in Figure 7 is displayed. Figure 7 can display the participants' locations from a predetermined time (for example, 8:00) before the event start time (for example, 9:00), which is (for example, 1 hour). Therefore, by checking the GPS map screen 700 in Figure 7, it is possible to determine the locations of participants from a predetermined time before the event start time. The GPS map screen 700 displays the names 702 of participants who have arrived at the venue and their current location marks 701 in a predetermined manner (for example, when they enter a predetermined range, the color of the mark displaying the participant's location changes from blue to orange).

[0063] The management app 100 on the supervisor's smartphone 101 determines whether the participant has arrived at the event venue based on the location information notified from the participant's smartphone 101's management app 100. If it determines that the participant has arrived, it displays the participant's name 702 and current location marker 701 superimposed on a map in a predetermined manner.

[0064] The GPS map screen 700 is displayed on the supervisor's and guardian's smartphones 101.

[0065] The GPS map screen 700 is the most important diagram in this app, as it displays location information with limitations on range and time.

[0066] 4-6. Function to notify supervisor of participant's arrival at meeting place As shown in Figure 8, the supervisor's smartphone 101 displays a schedule details screen 800A indicating that the participant's smartphone has arrived at the event venue (meeting place) (e.g., within a radius of 100m (lower limit) or 300m (upper limit) of the venue (meeting place)). When the screen shown in Figure 6 is displayed and the participant arrives at the event venue (meeting place) (e.g., within a radius of 100m or 200m of the venue (meeting place)), the schedule details screen 800A shown in Figure 8 is displayed. In Figure 8, when the participant arrives at the event venue, a "arrival" notification is sent to the supervisor. The screen transition from Figure 7 to Figure 8 is performed by tapping the back mark (not shown) displayed on the screen. This schedule details screen 800A displays a message button 801 containing the beginning or summary of the message sent from the participant's smartphone 101 upon arrival at the venue. The message displayed on this event details screen 800A may be a message sent by a participant upon arrival at the venue, or it may be a message automatically sent when the participant's smartphone confirms their arrival at the venue.

[0067] The supervisor's smartphone 101 management app 100 determines whether the participant's smartphone has arrived at the event venue based on the location information notified from the participant's smartphone 101 management app 100. If it determines that the participant has arrived, it notifies the supervisor of the participant's smartphone's arrival via message. This message notification may be a push notification. Alternatively, the arrival of the participant's smartphone may be notified via voice.

[0068] The schedule details screen 800A is displayed on the supervisor's smartphone 101.

[0069] On the supervisor's smartphone, the message field 801 of the schedule details screen 800A displays a message informing the supervisor that the participant's smartphone has arrived. Alternatively, a message field (message button) 801 may be displayed on the schedule details screen 800A, and tapping this message button 801 may cause the screen to change to a screen displaying the details of the message sent by the participant (for example, the full text of the message) (this screen may be called the message screen). Furthermore, the schedule details screen 800A may be provided with a function to reply to received messages.

[0070] 4-7. Function to notify the guardian's smartphone of the participant's smartphone's arrival at the meeting place. The guardian's smartphone 101 will display a schedule details screen 800B indicating that the participant's smartphone, which is associated with the guardian's smartphone, has arrived at the event venue (meeting place) (arriving within, for example, a radius of 100m (lower limit) or 300m (upper limit) of the venue (meeting place)). This schedule details screen 800B will display a message button 801 containing the beginning or summary of a message sent from the participant's smartphone 101 that has arrived at the venue. The message displayed on this schedule details screen 800B may be a message sent by the participant who has arrived at the venue, or it may be a message that is automatically sent when the participant's smartphone arrives at the venue.

[0071] The parent's smartphone 101 management app 100 determines whether the participant has arrived at the event venue based on the location information notified from the participant's smartphone 101 management app 100. If it determines that the participant has arrived, it notifies the parent via message that the participant's smartphone has arrived. This message notification may be a push notification. Alternatively, the parent may notify the parent of the participant's smartphone arrival via voice.

[0072] The schedule details screen 800B is displayed on the parent's smartphone 101.

[0073] On the parent's smartphone, the message field (message button) 801 of the event details screen 800B displays a message informing the parent that the participant's smartphone has arrived. Alternatively, the message field (message button) 801 may be displayed on the event details screen 800B, and tapping the message button 801 may cause the screen to change to a screen displaying the details of the message sent by the participant (for example, the full text of the message). The event details screen 800B may also be provided with a function to reply to received messages.

[0074] The message button 801 mentioned above may be displayed on the schedule details screen 800A or 800B, or on any other screen.

[0075] Furthermore, the beginning and summary of the message mentioned above are not limited to those that inform of arrival; for example, they could simply say "Arrival Notice."

[0076] 4-8. Function to confirm the location of participants' smartphones before the start of the event As shown in Figure 9, the parent's smartphone 101 displays a GPS map screen 900 showing the location of the participant's smartphone associated with the parent's smartphone. The management app 100 displays the current location of the participant's smartphone superimposed on the GPS map image 902 on the GPS map screen 900, for example, limited to one hour before the start of the event and / or limited to a radius of 500m around the ground designated as the venue. On this GPS map screen 900, a mark 901 indicating the current location of participant A's (for example, the parent's child) smartphone, associated with the parent's smartphone, is displayed superimposed on the GPS map image 902, limited to one hour before the start of the soccer match and limited to a radius of 500m around the soccer field designated as the venue.

[0077] Therefore, parents can check the current location of the participant's smartphone, which is linked to their smartphone, within a designated area including the soccer field, starting from 60 minutes (minimum) before the start of the soccer match (or 90 or 120 minutes (maximum)).

[0078] Furthermore, the GPS map screen 900, which allows parents to check the current location of participants' smartphones linked to their own smartphones, does not require the time or range restrictions mentioned above.

[0079] 4-9. Message notification function from supervisor's smartphone upon participant's arrival at the meeting place As shown in Figure 10, when a participant arrives at the venue, their smartphone 101 displays messages sent from the supervisor's smartphone or the parent's smartphone. The management app 100 displays a message 1001 sent from the supervisor's smartphone (for example, "Welcome, good job! Let's do our best today.") on the event details screen 1000 of the participant's smartphone upon arrival at the meeting place. The management app 100 may also display a message sent from the parent's smartphone associated with the participant's smartphone (for example, "Welcome, good job! Do your best today.") on the event details screen 1000 of the participant's smartphone upon arrival at the meeting place.

[0080] The message displayed on this event details screen 1000 may be a message sent from the supervisor's or parent's smartphone, or it may be a message automatically sent to the participant's smartphone upon arrival at the event location.

[0081] The screen on which the above message is displayed may be either the event details screen or the GPS map screen.

[0082] 4-10. Function to notify supervisors of participants who have not yet arrived just before the start of the event. As shown in Figure 11, if a participant has not gathered within a predetermined area including the event's meeting place a predetermined time before the event's start time (for example, 15 minutes before), that participant will be displayed as a non-arrival on the supervisor's smartphone 101. The management app 100 acquires the location information of the participants' smartphones a predetermined time before the event's start time, identifies participants who have not gathered within the predetermined area including the event's meeting place, and displays those participants as non-arrivals on the event details screen 1100. In the example in Figure 11, participants E and G are displayed as non-arrivals 1101 on the event details screen.

[0083] The screen displaying the aforementioned unarrived person 1101 may be either the message screen described later or the GPS map screen.

[0084] 4-11. Displaying the detailed screen of a participant's smartphone from the GPS map screen. As shown in Figure 12A, the supervisor's smartphone 101 displays the names of participants who have arrived at the event's meeting place. The management app 100 can select a mark 1201 (or name) indicating the current location of a participant's smartphone displayed on the GPS map screen 1200, and then display a participant details screen 1210 showing the details of the participant's data associated with the selected mark 1201. As shown in Figure 12B, this participant details screen 1210 displays the participant's photo and name associated with the selected mark 1201. In addition to the participant's photo and name, this participant details screen 1210 may also display profile information such as age, gender, grade level, team affiliation, and school affiliation.

[0085] 4-12. Function to display the detailed screen of a participant's smartphone participating in the event As shown in Figures 13A and 13B, the supervisor's smartphone 101 displays the detailed data of the participant participating in the event. When the management app 100 selects a participant's name or icon etc. 1301 displayed on the event schedule details screen 1300, it can display a participant details screen 1310 that shows the detailed data of the participant associated with the selected name or icon etc. 1301. This participant details screen 1310 displays the participant's photo and name associated with the selected name or icon etc. 1301. In addition to the participant's photo and name, this participant details screen 1310 may also display profile information such as age, gender, grade, team affiliation, and school affiliation.

[0086] 4-13. Function to send a message from the supervisor's smartphone to a participant's smartphone via the GPS map screen. As shown in Figures 14A and 14B, the supervisor's smartphone 101 may display a message sending screen 1410 for sending a message to a participant. When the management application 100 selects a mark 1401 indicating the current location of a participant's smartphone displayed on the GPS map screen 1400, it may display a message sending screen 1410 for sending a message to the recipient associated with the selected mark 1401.

[0087] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 15A and 15B, when the management application 100 selects a participant's name or icon, etc. 1501 displayed on the event schedule details screen 1500, it may display a message sending screen 1510 for sending a message to the recipient associated with the selected name or icon, etc. 1501.

[0088] 4-14. Function Diagram 16 shows how to display an motivational screen immediately before the start of an event. As shown in the diagram, a pre-set video may be displayed on the participant's smartphone 101 a predetermined time before the start of the event. The supervisor pre-sets the video on the management app 100. When the management app 100 determines that it is a predetermined time before the start of the event, it delivers the video pre-set by the supervisor to the participant's management app 100. For example, the participant can view a motivational video 1601 (which may also be a motivational still image, motivational message (text), or motivational message (audio)) from, for example, the supervisor's smartphone or the guardian's smartphone on the video function screen 1600 of the management app 100.

[0089] 4-15. Function to display videos etc. according to the event results As shown in Figure 17A, the supervisor's smartphone 101 may have a function to send videos etc. according to the event results to the participants' smartphones. The supervisor's management app 100 may display buttons 1701 and 1702 indicating the event results on the event schedule details screen 1700. For example, if the event is a win-loss event such as soccer, the management app 100 may display a win button 1701 and a loss button 1702 on the event schedule details screen 1700. When the supervisor selects the win button 1701 or the loss button 1702, as shown in Figure 17B, a message 1711, video 1712, and / or music 1713 corresponding to a win are output to the participant's smartphone message screen 1710, or a message 1711, video 1712, and / or music 1713 corresponding to a loss are output.

[0090] 4-16. Function to display effects etc. according to the result of the event on the GPS map screen As shown in Figure 18A, the supervisor's smartphone 101 may have a function to send effects etc. according to the result of the event to the participant's smartphone on the GPS map screen. The supervisor's management app 100 may display buttons 1801 and 1802 indicating the result of the event on the event schedule details screen 1800. For example, if the event is a game with a winner and loser, such as soccer, the management app 100 may display a button 1801 indicating a win and a button 1802 indicating a loss on the event schedule details screen 1800. When the supervisor selects the win button 1801 or the loss button 1802, as shown in Figure 18B, an effect 1811 corresponding to a win (e.g., a star, cracker, doll, etc.) or an effect corresponding to a loss (not shown) (e.g., tears, sweat, etc.) is output to the participant's smartphone's GPS map screen 1810. These effects may change color, flash, or the mark 1812 may change.

[0091] 4-17. Communication Function from Participant's Smartphone to Parent's Smartphone As shown in Figure 19, the participant's smartphone 101 has a communication function that allows the participant to contact the parent's smartphone by phone or other means. The participant management app 100 has a communication screen 1900 that allows the participant to make phone calls, send messages, and send videos to the parent's smartphone associated with the participant's smartphone. This makes it possible for participants to report details of the event, the results of the event, etc., to their parents.

[0092] 4-18. Message sending function from supervisor's smartphone to parents' smartphones As shown in Figure 20A, the supervisor's smartphone 101 has a sending function that allows it to send messages to all parents' smartphones at once. The supervisor's management application 100 has a function that allows it to send a message to all parents' smartphones of one or more participants in an event at once by entering a message in the message input field 2001 of the sending screen 2000. This makes it possible for the supervisor's smartphone to send event details, event results, etc., to all parents' smartphones at once. As a result, as shown in Figure 20B, the message 2011 sent from the supervisor's smartphone is displayed on the receiving screen 2010 of the parents' smartphones 101.

[0093] 4-19. Function to notify supervisor of participants' return home after the event As shown in Figure 21, the supervisor's smartphone 101 has a function to notify the supervisor of participants' return home after the event. The management app 100 determines whether the participant has arrived home from the participant's smartphone location information, and if it determines that the participant has arrived home, it sets the participant's status to "Returned Home". The supervisor's management app 100 then retrieves the status of the participants who participated in the event and displays the participants whose status is "Returned Home" as "Returned Participants 2101" on the event schedule details screen 2100. When a participant's status becomes "Returned Home", the supervisor's management app 100 may be notified by push notification with sound.

[0094] Furthermore, the management app 100 on the participant's smartphone 101 may determine whether the participant has arrived home based on the participant's smartphone location information, and if it determines that the participant has arrived home, it may notify the supervisor's smartphone 101 management app 100 of the participant's status as "Arrived Home".

[0095] The screen on which the aforementioned person who has returned home (2101) is displayed may be a message screen or a GPS map screen.

[0096] When the management app 100 determines from the location information of a participant's smartphone that the participant has entered a predetermined distance from their home (for example, 50m (lower limit) or 150m (upper limit)), it displays "Returned Home 2101" on the event schedule details screen 2100, indicating that the participant has returned home from the event venue. In Figure 21, participants A, B, C, D, and E are shown as having returned home (Returned Home 2101). Alternatively, participants may be displayed as having returned home if they press a "Return Home" button (not shown) to notify that they have arrived home.

[0097] 4-20. Function to notify supervisor of participants not returning home after the event As shown in Figure 22, the supervisor's smartphone 101 has a function to notify of participants not returning home after the event. The management app 100 determines whether a participant has arrived home based on the location information of the participant's smartphone when a predetermined time has elapsed from the end of the event. If it determines that the participant has not arrived home, it sets the participant's status to "Not returned home". The supervisor's management app 100 then obtains the status of the smartphones of the participants who participated in the event and displays the participant whose status is "Not returned home" as "Not returned home 2201" on the event schedule details screen 2200. When the status of a participant's smartphone changes from "Not returned home" to "Returned home", the supervisor's management app 100 may be notified by push notification with sound.

[0098] Furthermore, the management app 100 on the participant's smartphone 101 may determine whether the participant has arrived home based on the participant's smartphone location information. If it determines that the participant has not arrived home, it may notify the supervisor's smartphone 101 management app 100 of the participant's smartphone status as "not yet arrived home."

[0099] The screen displaying the aforementioned individuals who have not returned home may be either a message screen or a GPS map screen.

[0100] If the management app 100 determines from the location information of a participant's smartphone that the participant is not within a predetermined distance from their home (for example, 50m (lower limit) or 150m (upper limit)), it displays "Missing Participant 2201" on the event schedule details screen 2200, indicating that the participant has not returned home from the event venue. In this Figure 22, participants J and L are shown as participants who have not arrived home (Missing Participant 2201).

[0101] 4-21. Function to notify parents of participants who have not returned home after the event As shown in Figure 23, the parent's smartphone 101 has a function to notify parents of participants who have not returned home after the event has ended. The management app 100 determines whether a participant has arrived home from the location information of the participant's smartphone associated with the parent's smartphone when a predetermined time has elapsed from the end of the event. If it determines that the participant has not arrived home, it sets the participant's status to "Not returned home". The parent's management app 100 then retrieves the status of the participant's smartphone associated with the parent's smartphone and displays the participant whose status is "Not returned home" as "Not returned home 2301" on the event schedule details screen 2300. When a participant's status changes from "Not returned home" to "Returned home", the supervisor's management app 100 may be notified by push notification with sound. In the parent's schedule management app, only the return home information of the participant's smartphone associated with the parent's smartphone (for example, the parent's child) is displayed, and the return home information of participants' smartphones not associated with the parent's smartphone is not displayed.

[0102] Furthermore, the management app 100 for the participant's smartphone 101 may determine whether the participant has arrived home based on the participant's smartphone location information. If it determines that the participant has not arrived home, it may notify the parent's smartphone 101 management app 100 of the participant's smartphone status as "not yet returned home."

[0103] The screen displaying the participant's non-returnee status on the participant's smartphone, which is linked to the parent's smartphone as described above, may be either a message screen or a GPS map screen.

[0104] If the management app 100 determines from the location information of the participant's smartphone that the participant's smartphone is not within a predetermined distance from their home (for example, 50m (lower limit) or 150m (upper limit)), it displays "Missing Person 2301" on the event schedule details screen 2300, indicating that the participant has not returned home from the event venue. In this figure 23, participant L is shown as a participant who has not returned home (Missing Person 2301).

[0105] 4-22. Function to notify participants of their return home status on the GPS map screen after the event As shown in Figure 24, the parent's smartphone 101 has a return home status notification function that notifies the return home status of only the participants associated with the parent's smartphone after the event. The management app 100 periodically acquires location information only for the smartphones of participants associated with the parent's smartphone (e.g., the parent's children) for a predetermined time (e.g., 60 minutes (lower limit), 90 minutes, 120 minutes (upper limit), etc.) from the end of the event, and can display the current location 2401 of the participant's smartphone superimposed on the GPS map information 2402 on the return home status GPS map screen 2400. The parent of the participant can check the return home status of the participant on the management app 100 after the event.

[0106] 4-23. Function to set the display and acquisition time of location information As shown in Figure 25, the supervisor's smartphone 101 has a function to set the time during which the current location of the participant's smartphone can be displayed on the GPS map screen. The schedule details screen 2500 of the supervisor's smartphone 101 displays a display time field 2501 that specifies the time during which the location information of the event participant's smartphone can be displayed. Using the management app 100, the supervisor can display the current location of the participant's smartphone on the GPS map screen at the set time (8:00-9:00 in the "Location Information Display Time" in the figure). For example, the set time may be set by default to a time a predetermined time before the start time of the event. Furthermore, the set time may or may not be updatable by the supervisor.

[0107] Furthermore, the supervisor's smartphone 101 has a function to set the time period during which it can acquire location information from participants' smartphones. The schedule details screen 2500 of the supervisor's smartphone 101 displays an acquisition time field 2502 that specifies the time period during which it can acquire location information from event participants' smartphones. The supervisor can use the management app 100 to acquire the location information from participants' smartphones during the set time (7:00-13:00 in the "Location Information Acquisition Time" section of the diagram). For example, the set time may be a predetermined time added before and after the time the event is held. Also, the supervisor may or may not be able to update the set time.

[0108] 5. Various Functions of the Schedule Management App The schedule management app makes the computer (controller 110) of the smartphone 101 function as various means.

[0109] A schedule management application (management application 100) according to one embodiment, which is capable of registering information for multiple events, causes a computer (controller 110) to function as: an event registration means for registering the name of the event, the location of the event, the participants in the event, and the supervisor who supervises the participants; a location information acquisition means for acquiring location information from the smartphones of the event participants; a display range setting means for setting a location information display range that indicates a limited range in which the location information from the smartphones of the event participants can be displayed on the display unit; and a display control means for using the location information from the smartphones of the participants acquired by the location information acquisition means to display on the display unit information indicating the location of the smartphones of the participants that are within the limited range set by the display range setting means.

[0110] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the schedule management application, the above-described computer (controller 110) functions as a display time setting means for setting a location information display time that indicates a limited time during which the location information of event participants can be displayed as an image on the display unit; the event registration means registers the time of the event; and the display control means, within the limited time set by the display time setting means, uses the location information of the participants acquired by the location information acquisition means to display information indicating the location of the participants within the limited range set by the display range setting means as an image on the display unit.

[0111] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the schedule management application, the computer (controller 110) described above functions as a message sending means that sends a message to the supervisor's information processing terminal or the parent's information processing terminal linked to the participant's information processing terminal when the location indicated by the location information of the participant's information processing terminal acquired by the location information acquisition means enters a predetermined range including the event venue.

[0112] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the schedule management application, the computer (controller 110) described above functions as a non-arrival notification means that, if the location information of the participant's information processing terminal acquired by the location information acquisition means is not within a predetermined range including the event venue, a predetermined time before the event is scheduled to begin, it notifies the supervisor's information processing terminal or the guardian's information processing terminal linked to the participant's information processing terminal that the participant has not yet arrived.

[0113] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the schedule management application, the above-described computer (controller 110) is configured to function as a user information registration means for registering return location information indicating the return location of the participant's information processing terminal (for example, the location of their home), and as a return notification means for notifying the supervisor's information processing terminal of the return of the participant's information processing terminal when the location indicated by the location information acquisition means for the participant's information processing terminal, acquired by the location information acquisition means, enters a predetermined range including the location indicated by the return location information, after the end of the event.

[0114] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the schedule management application, the above-described computer (controller 110) functions as a user information registration means for registering return location information indicating the return location of the participant's information processing terminal (for example, the location of their home), and as a non-return notification means for notifying the supervisor's information processing terminal or the guardian's information processing terminal linked to the participant's information processing terminal that the participant's information processing terminal has not returned if, after the end of the event, the location indicated by the location information acquisition means of the participant's information processing terminal is not within a predetermined range including the location indicated by the return location information.

[0115] Furthermore, an information processing device (smartphone 101) according to one embodiment is an information processing device that executes a schedule management application (management application 100) capable of registering information on multiple events, and comprises: event registration means for registering the name of the event, the location of the event, the participants in the event, and the supervisor who supervises the participants; location information acquisition means for acquiring location information of the information processing devices of the participants in the event; display range setting means for setting a location information display range that indicates a limited range in which the location information of the information processing devices of the participants in the event can be displayed on the display unit; and display control means for causing the display unit to display information indicating the location of the information processing devices of the participants that are located within the limited range set by the display range setting means, using the location information of the information processing devices of the participants acquired by the location information acquisition means.

[0116] Furthermore, an information processing device (smartphone 101) according to one embodiment includes a display time setting means for setting a location information display time that indicates a limited time during which the location information of event participants can be displayed as an image on the display unit; the event registration means registers the time the event will be held; and the display control means, within the limited time set by the display time setting means, uses the location information of the participants acquired by the location information acquisition means to display information indicating the location of the participants within the limited range set by the display range setting means as an image on the display unit.

[0117] Through the functions described above, the schedule management app can improve the response speed of the computer by causing the computer (controller 110) of the smartphone 101 to function as described above and displaying various information when predetermined conditions are met.

[0118] Furthermore, by filtering users based on predetermined conditions, the schedule management app can improve the computer's memory efficiency and reduce the load on the computer's display processing. Additionally, by restricting access from smartphones 101 outside of specified ranges and times, the schedule management app can reduce the amount of data transmitted to the computer, thereby reducing battery consumption.

[0119] (Other Embodiments) The Disclosure can also be realized by performing the following process: supplying software (programs) that realize the functions of the embodiments described above to a system or device via a network or various storage media, and having the computer (or CPU or MPU, etc.) of the system or device read and execute the program. The storage media is a storage medium that can be read by a computer and may be a non-temporary storage medium. The Disclosure may also be applied to a system consisting of multiple devices or to a device consisting of a single device. The Disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications (including organic combinations of each embodiment) are possible based on the spirit of the Disclosure, and these are not excluded from the scope of the Disclosure. That is, configurations that combine each of the embodiments described above and their modified forms are all included in the Disclosure.

[0120] For example, in the embodiment described above, an event related to a soccer match was explained, but the events managed by the management app 100 are not limited to events related to soccer matches. For example, the event may be an event related to school events (e.g., sports day, music concert, cultural festival, school trip, etc.) or a private event (e.g., part-time job schedule, trip with friends, etc.). In other words, the management app 100 is also intended for use and management of school events, part-time job shifts, etc., and while it may have names and roles such as event, home, supervisor, message, and going home, it does not necessarily limit the names and roles.

[0121] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, an example was explained in which the "home location data" of the participant's information processing device is used to determine whether the participant has left home or arrived home in an event related to a soccer match. However, if an event is envisioned where the participant returns to a location other than "home," data from a location other than "home" (return location data) may be used. In this case, the management application 100 may use the "return location data" to determine whether the participant has left the return location or arrived at the return location.

[0122] Furthermore, while the above-described embodiment uses a soccer match as an example, the event could be anything from a "university or high school club," a "company meeting," or a "meetup of friends." If the event is a "university or high school club," the "supervisor" in the above-described embodiment would be the "leader," "club representative," or "manager," and the "participants" would be "university or high school students." In this case, the "guardian" linked to the participant's information processing device does not need to be registered. Also, if the event is a "company meeting," the "supervisor" in the above-described embodiment would be the "meeting organizer," and the "participants" would be "employees." In this case, the "guardian" linked to the participant's information processing device does not need to be registered. Also, if the event is a "meetup of friends," the "supervisor" in the above-described embodiment would be the "event data inputter," and the "participants" would be "friends." In this case, the "guardian" linked to the participant's information processing device does not need to be registered.

[0123] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, an example was explained in which the management application 100 (or the smartphone 101 on which the management application 100 is installed) has both the display time setting means 152 and the display range setting means 153 functions. However, the management application 100 may have only one of the functions of either the display time setting means 152 or the display range setting means 153.

[0124] 6. Operation Explanation of the Schedule Management App (Flowchart) The schedule management app displays various screens on the display unit 102 of the smartphone 101 according to user operations and location information of the participant's information processing device. The processes executed by the management app 100 will be explained below with reference to the flowchart in Figure 26.

[0125] First, we will explain the operation of the management application 100, which is executed by the controller 110 of the supervisor's smartphone 101.

[0126] (S100: Launching the management app) The supervisor taps the icon for the management app 100 displayed on the home screen of the smartphone 101. The controller 110 detects the tap on the icon for the management app 100 and launches the management app 100.

[0127] (S101: Display of event list screen) The controller 110 displays a list of events registered in the management application 100 on the display unit 102. This event list screen (Figures 4A and 4B) may display events in a calendar format, or it may display registered events in chronological order. The event list screen may also display events for one or more years, one or more months, one or more weeks, or one or more days.

[0128] (S102: Selecting an event) The supervisor taps an event displayed on the event list screen (Figures 4A and 4B) to select the desired event.

[0129] (S103: Display of schedule details screen 600) The controller 110 displays the schedule details screen 600 (see Figure 6), which shows detailed information about the selected event, on the display unit 102.

[0130] (S104: Operation of GPS button) The supervisor taps the GPS button 602 displayed on the schedule details screen 600 (Figure 6).

[0131] (S105: Display of map screen) The controller 110 detects a tap on the GPS button 602 and displays the GPS map screen 700 (see Figure 7) on the display unit 102. This allows the administrator to check the location information of the participants' information processing devices on the GPS map screen 700 (Figure 7) before the start time of the event (for example, 60 minutes (lower limit), 90 minutes, or 120 minutes (upper limit) before).

[0132] (S106: Notification of arrival of participant's information processing device) When the controller 110 determines that a participant's information processing device has arrived at the event venue (meeting place) (arriving within a radius of 100m (lower limit) or 300m (upper limit) of the venue (meeting place), it displays the schedule details screen 800A (see Figure 8) on the display unit 102. This schedule details screen 800A displays a message button 801 that includes the beginning of the message sent from the participant's smartphone 101 upon arrival at the venue (for example, "I have arrived") or a summary of the message.

[0133] (S107: Sending a message) The supervisor can see the message related to S106 (Figure 8) and send a message to the participant (for example, "Welcome, good job. Let's do our best today.").

[0134] (S108: Display of participants who have not yet arrived) The controller 110 also displays an event details screen 1100 (see Figure 11) showing the information processing devices of participants who have not yet arrived if the participant information processing devices have not gathered within a predetermined range including the event's meeting place (for example, a radius of 1 km, 2 km, etc., centered on the meeting place) a predetermined time before the start of the event (for example, 15 minutes before).

[0135] Next, we will explain the operation of the management application 100, which is executed by the controller 110 of the participant's smartphone 101.

[0136] (S110: Receiving a message) When a message is sent from the supervisor's management app 100, the controller 110 on the participant's smartphone 101 receives the message.

[0137] (S111: Display of message) The controller 110 then displays the message (for example, "Arrived, well done. Let's do our best today.") on the event details screen 1000 (see Figure 10).

[0138] 7. Explanation of the operation of the supervisor's, participant's, and guardian's smartphone 101 (information processing flowchart) The information processing performed by the supervisor's, participant's, and guardian's smartphone 101, on which the management application 100 is installed, is explained by referring to the information processing flowchart in Figure 27. Each step in Figure 27 is performed by the controller 110 of the smartphone 101 running the management application 100.

[0139] [Explanation of the operation of the supervisor's smartphone 101] (S200: Receiving and registering user data) The supervisor's smartphone 101 displays a user registration screen 300 (Figure 3) for registering user details. The supervisor then enters various information about the user, such as the user's name, into the user registration screen 300. The supervisor's smartphone 101 receives the entered information about the user. The supervisor's smartphone 101 then registers the received information about the user.

[0140] (S201: Input and registration of event data) The supervisor's smartphone 101 displays the event registration screen 400 (Figures 4A and 4B) for registering the details of the event. The supervisor then inputs various information related to the event, such as the event name, into the event registration screen 400. The supervisor's smartphone 101 receives the input information related to the event. The supervisor's smartphone 101 then registers the received information related to the event.

[0141] (S202: Receiving departure information indicating that a participant has left their home and displaying the departed participant) The supervisor's smartphone 101 receives departure information from the participant's smartphone 101 indicating that the participant has left their home. The supervisor's smartphone 101 then displays a schedule details screen 600 (Figure 6) including the departed participant 601 who has departed for the event venue.

[0142] (S203: Determination of participant's arrival) The supervisor's smartphone 101 determines whether or not the event participant has arrived at the event venue. For example, based on the location information (GPS information) received from the participant's smartphone 101, the supervisor's smartphone 101 determines whether or not the event participant has arrived at the event venue (arrived within a radius of, for example, 100m (lower limit) or 300m (upper limit) of the venue (meeting place)) and displays the location of the participant's smartphone on the GPS map screen 700 (Figure 7).

[0143] (S204: Receiving participant's location information (GPS information) and displaying the GPS map screen) When the supervisor presses the GPS button 602 on the schedule details screen 600 (Figure 6), the supervisor's smartphone 101 receives the operation related to the pressing of the GPS button 602 and receives the location information (GPS information) of the participant's smartphone 101. Then, based on the received location information (GPS information) of the participant's smartphone 101, the GPS map screen 700 (Figure 7) is displayed.

[0144] (S205: Display of a message indicating the participant's arrival) The supervisor's smartphone 101 displays a schedule details screen 800A (Figure 8) indicating that the participant's smartphone has arrived at the event venue (meeting place) (for example, within a radius of 100m (lower limit) or 300m (upper limit) of the venue (meeting place)). This schedule details screen 800A displays a message button 801 containing the beginning or summary of the message sent from the participant's smartphone 101 upon arrival at the venue.

[0145] (S206: Sending a message to participants) The supervisor's smartphone 101 uses its message notification function to send a message to the participant's smartphone 101 (for example, "Welcome, great job! Let's do our best today.").

[0146] (S207: Display of data related to arriving participants) If the determination in S203 determines that an event participant has arrived at the event venue (S204: Yes), the supervisor's smartphone 101 displays a GPS map screen 1200 (Figure 12A) containing data related to the arriving participants.

[0147] (S208: Detection of operation on the mark related to an arriving participant) The supervisor's smartphone 101 detects when the user selects the mark 1201 (which may also be a name) indicating the current location of the participant (participant's smartphone 101) displayed on the GPS map screen 1200 (Figure 12A).

[0148] (S209: Participant details screen display) When the supervisor's smartphone 101 detects the user operation described above, it displays a participant details screen 1210 (Figure 12B) that shows the details of the participant's data associated with the selected mark 1201.

[0149] (S210: Display of data related to participants who have not arrived) On the other hand, if the determination in S204 determines that a participant has not arrived at the event venue (S204: No), the supervisor's smartphone 101 displays the event details screen 1000 (Figure 11), which includes data related to the participants who have not arrived.

[0150] [Explanation of the operation of the participant's smartphone 101] (S300: Input and registration of user data) The participant's smartphone 101 displays the user registration screen 300 (Figure 3) for registering user details. The participant then inputs various user-related information, such as the user's name, into the user registration screen 300. The participant's smartphone 101 receives the inputted user-related information. The participant's smartphone 101 then registers the received user-related information.

[0151] (S301: Input and registration of event data) The participant's smartphone 101 displays the event registration screen 400 (Figures 4A and 4B) for registering the details of the event. The participant then inputs various information related to the event, such as the event name, into the event registration screen 400. The participant's smartphone 101 receives the input information related to the event. The participant's smartphone 101 then registers the received information related to the event.

[0152] Furthermore, only supervisors or guardians can receive and register event data for S301; participants are not required to receive or register event data.

[0153] (S302: Transmission of departure information indicating departure) The participant's smartphone 101 transmits departure information to the supervisor's smartphone 101 (Figure 6) indicating that the participant has departed for the event venue, using the function described above to notify the participant of their departure. This departure information may also be transmitted to the guardian's smartphone 101. This prevents a decrease in information accuracy due to user errors or delays, and allows for objective and immediate transmission of departure information to the supervisor's or guardian's smartphone 101.

[0154] (S303: Receiving a request for location data (GPS data) and sending location data) The participant's smartphone 101 receives a request for location data (GPS data) from the supervisor's smartphone 101 and, in response to the request, sends the location data (GPS data) to the supervisor's smartphone 101. The above-mentioned request from the supervisor's smartphone 101 is sent to the participant's smartphone 101, for example, when the supervisor presses the GPS button 602 on the schedule details screen 600.

[0155] (S304: Display of messages indicating the arrival of other participants) The participant's smartphone 101 may, in the same manner as S204 to S210 of the supervisor's smartphone 101, display data relating to other arriving participants, detect operations on marks relating to other arriving participants, display details of other participants, display messages indicating the arrival of other participants, send messages to other participants, or display data relating to participants who have not yet arrived.

[0156] (S305: Message received from supervisor's smartphone) The participant's smartphone 101 receives the message sent from the supervisor's smartphone 101 in S209 described above. The participant's smartphone 101 then displays the received message (for example, "Arrived, good job. Let's do our best today.") on the display unit (Figure 10).

[0157] (S306: Display of schedule details screen) The participant's smartphone 101 then displays the schedule details screen 1000, which is shown before the received message is displayed.

[0158] [Explanation of the operation of the parent's smartphone 101] (S400: Input and registration of user data) The parent's smartphone 101 displays a user registration screen 300 (Figure 3) for registering user details. The parent then enters various information about the user, such as the user's name, into the user registration screen 300. The parent's smartphone 101 receives the entered information about the user. The parent's smartphone 101 then registers the received information about the user.

[0159] (S401: Input and registration of event data) The parent's smartphone 101 displays the event registration screen 400 (Figures 4A and 4B) for registering the details of the event. The parent then inputs various information related to the event, such as the event name, into the event registration screen 400. The parent's smartphone 101 receives the input information related to the event. The parent's smartphone 101 then registers the received information related to the event.

[0160] Furthermore, only supervisors or participants can receive and register event data for S401; parents are not required to receive or register event data.

[0161] (S402: Display of messages, etc., indicating the arrival of participants (parent's child)) The parent's smartphone 101 may, similar to S304 of the participant's smartphone 101, display data relating to the arriving participant (parent's child), detect operations on the mark relating to the arriving participant (parent's child), display details of the participant (parent's child), display a message indicating the arrival of the participant (parent's child), send a message to the participant (parent's child), or display data relating to participants (parent's child) who have not yet arrived. The management application 100 can demonstrate the reliability of the process by displaying marks and messages on the parent's smartphone 101.

[0162] (S403: Display of schedule details screen) The parent's smartphone 101 then displays the schedule details screen 1000 that was displayed before S402.

[0163] In another embodiment, the function for indicating the arrival of participants at the meeting place may display graphs or diagrams instead of or in addition to maps. The display control means 155 may, for example, display graphs, illustrations, three-dimensional objects, etc., on the display unit 102 instead of or in addition to maps.

[0164] Furthermore, the display control means 155 may, for example, cause the display unit 102 to display a graph on the display unit 102 that shows the distance the participant is traveling to their destination, either in place of or in addition to the map.

[0165] Figure 28 is a diagram showing a smartphone screen illustrating the function of displaying graphs in a schedule management application. As shown in Figure 28, the supervisor's smartphone 101 may display a screen 2800 showing a graph of the distance participants have to travel to their destination.

[0166] The management application 100 may, for example, obtain the current location of each participant (A to F) at the time the location information was obtained, and the distance to reach the goal (destination) point 2802, based on the location information of each participant (A to F) obtained by the API (Application Programming Interface) used by the management application 100.

[0167] The management application 100 may also generate a graph 2803 that associates the distance to the goal (destination) point 2802 with the ranking of each participant (A to F) based on their current location and the distance to the goal point 2802. The management application 100 may also display a graph on the display unit 102 showing how close (progress) each participant (A to F) has come to the goal point 2802 from the starting point 2801.

[0168] Furthermore, the management application 100 may dynamically generate graphs based on the location information of each participant (A to F) acquired. The management application 100 may also fix the starting point 2801 to a predetermined value (e.g., 1000m), or it may vary it based on the current location of each participant (A to F). This allows each participant's supervisor to check Figure 28 to confirm whether each participant is heading towards the destination without any problems.

[0169] The management application 100 may display graph 2803 on the graph display screen 2800, but only for a predetermined time before the start of the event (for example, 1 hour), and limited to an area including the ground designated as the venue (meeting place) (for example, an area with a radius of 500m or 300m centered on the ground, which is also variable). The management application 100 may display graph 2803 such that the graph lengthens as each participant's (A to F) current position approaches the goal (destination) point 2802. In this case, the length of the graph indicates that the longer the graph, the closer the participant is to the goal. Alternatively, the management application 100 may display graph 2803 such that the graph shortens as each participant's (A to F) current position approaches the goal (destination) point 2802. In this case, the length of the graph indicates that the shorter the graph, the closer the participant is to the goal.

[0170] Therefore, the manager or coach of the soccer team, who is set as the supervisor, can check the screen 2800, which visualizes the locations of the participants' smartphones in the area including the soccer field, starting from a predetermined time before the start of the soccer match (for example, 60 minutes (lower limit), 120 minutes (upper limit), etc., which can be set), and understand the correspondence between the distance to the goal (destination) point 2802 for each participant (A to F) and the ranking of each participant (A to F) based on the distance to the goal point 2802. Furthermore, the manager or coach of the soccer team, who is set as the supervisor, can check the screen 2800 to understand the situation of each participant (A to F) in an intuitive interface.

[0171] Furthermore, the display range setting means may set the location information display range according to information regarding the distance from the meeting place. For example, the display range setting means may set the location information display range according to the distance from the meeting place (for example, a radius of 500 m starting from the event venue). Information regarding the distance from the meeting place may be obtained from an information processing device operated by the user.

[0172] Users may set information regarding the distance from the meeting place by specifying an area on a map displayed on the information processing device, or by specifying an area using pre-prepared shapes such as circles or rectangles.

[0173] The display time setting means 152 may set the location information display time based on the meeting time. The display time setting means 152 may also set the location information display time by specifying a time range (for example, "8:00" to "9:00"). Alternatively, the display time setting means 152 may also set the location information display time by specifying a time associated with the start time or end time of the event (for example, "1 hour" "before" the event start time).

[0174] Furthermore, the management application 100 can appropriately restrict the information displayed on the user's terminal device by setting limits on the range and time of location information that can be viewed by event supervisors, thereby improving the processing speed of displaying information on the user's terminal device. The management application 100 may also have a geofencing function that restricts the geographical display range. This can reduce the amount of information used by the terminal, such as memory, battery, and communication costs, by suppressing the acquisition of information from users outside the event venue. In addition, by combining the geofencing function and the time limit function, the management application 100 can minimize the amount of information acquired from users, suppress data transfer volume and energy consumption of the user's terminal device, and achieve targeted and efficient data processing.

[0175] Furthermore, the management application 100 can conserve memory and other resources in the user's terminal device by limiting the information displayed as images on the user's terminal device's display. It can also reduce the amount of data communicated between the management application 100 and the user's terminal device.

[0176] Furthermore, the management app 100 can at least consider the privacy of participants by restricting the range and time of location information, thereby improving confidentiality (range and time of location information) by considering user privacy.

[0177] Furthermore, the management application 100 may be linked with an external device that operates the AI ​​agent. The AI ​​agent may obtain information such as the name of the event from the smartphones 101 of participants, supervisors, etc., and the AI ​​agent may perform a process to register the name of the event, the venue of the event, the participants in the event, and the supervisors who supervise the participants. Alternatively, the AI ​​agent may send the obtained information such as the name of the event to the management application 100, and the management application 100 may obtain information such as the name of the event from the smartphones 101 of participants, supervisors, etc., and the AI ​​agent may perform a process to register the name of the event, the venue of the event, the participants in the event, and the supervisors who supervise the participants.

[0178] Furthermore, the management application 100 may also API-link with an application or service that manages club activities, etc., to obtain the event name, event location, event date, event participants, and supervisors who oversee the participants. In this case, the management application 100 may obtain information such as the event name from the smartphones 101 of participants and supervisors, obtain the location information of each participant on the day of the event, and execute the above-described process. The management application 100 can also be applied to evacuation guidance during disasters and safety management.

[0179] The smartphone 101 on which the management application 100 is installed is not limited to the hardware configuration described above. For example, the terminal device on which the management application 100 is installed may be a terminal device that does not have a screen and is operated by voice (e.g., the user's voice). The terminal device may also be a voice-operated terminal device equipped with AI. Even if the terminal device does not have a screen, the user can operate the terminal device by voice (e.g., send a message, have the message content read aloud). In addition, the terminal device on which the management application 100 is installed may have a projection function that projects information onto the user's palm or the like, instead of having a display.

[0180] <Note 1> An information processing method performed by an information processing device including a processor and memory, wherein the processor: obtains the name of an event stored in the memory, the location of the event, the participants in the event, the time of the event, and the supervisor who supervises the participants; obtains location information of the participants from an information processing terminal used by the participants in the event; sets a location information display range on the display unit of the information processing device, indicating a limited range in which the location information of the event participants can be displayed as an image; sets a location information display time on the display unit, indicating a limited time in which the location information of the event participants can be displayed as an image; and displays information indicating the location of the participants based on the location information of the event participants that are located within the location information display range as an image on the display unit during the time indicated by the location information display time.

[0181] <Note 2> A non-temporary storage medium on which a program is recorded to cause a processor included in the information processing device to: acquire the name of an event stored in the memory included in the information processing device, the location of the event, the participants in the event, the time of the event, and the supervisor who supervises the participants; acquire location information of the participants from an information processing terminal used by the participants in the event; set a location information display range on the display unit of the information processing device to indicate a limited range in which the location information of the event participants can be displayed as an image; set a location information display time on the display unit to indicate a limited time in which the location information of the event participants can be displayed as an image; and, during the time indicated by the location information display time, display on the display unit an image of information indicating the location of the participants based on the location information of the event participants that are within the location information display range.

Claims

1. An information processing method comprising: a computer registering the name of an event, the location of the event, the participants of the event, and the supervisor who supervises the participants; acquiring location information of the participants of the event; setting a location information display range that indicates a limited range in which the location information of the participants of the event can be displayed as an image on the display unit; and using the location information of the participants acquired by acquiring the location information, displaying information on the display unit as an image indicating the location of the participants within the limited range set by setting the location information display range; further, the computer setting a location information display time that indicates a limited time in which the location information of the participants of the event can be displayed as an image on the display unit; the registration registers the event duration; and the display displays information on the display unit as an image indicating the location of the participants within the limited range set by setting the location information display range, using the location information of the participants acquired by acquiring the location information, within the limited time set by setting the location information display time.

2. The information processing method according to claim 1, further comprising the computer sending a message to the supervisor's information processing terminal or the guardian's information processing terminal associated with the participant when the location indicated by the participant's location information obtained by acquiring the location information enters a limited predetermined range including the venue where the event is held.

3. The information processing method according to claim 1, further comprising the computer notifying the supervisor's information processing terminal or the guardian's information processing terminal linked to the participant that the participant has not arrived if the location indicated by the location information of the participant obtained by acquiring the location information a limited predetermined time before the start of the event is not within a limited predetermined range including the venue of the event.

4. The information processing method according to claim 1, further comprising: the computer registering return location information indicating the location where the participant has returned; and, after the end of the event, when the location indicated by the participant's location information obtained by acquiring the location information enters a limited predetermined range including the location indicated by the return location information, notifying the supervisor's information processing terminal of the participant's return.

5. The information processing method according to claim 1, further comprising: the computer registering return location information indicating the location where the participant has returned; and, after the end of the event, if the location indicated by the participant's location information obtained by acquiring the location information is not within a limited predetermined range including the location indicated by the return location information, notifying the supervisor's information processing terminal or the guardian's information processing terminal linked to the participant that the participant has not returned.

6. Information processing device comprising: event registration means for registering the name of an event, the location of the event, the participants of the event, and the supervisors who supervise the participants; location information acquisition means for acquiring location information of the participants of the event; display range setting means for setting a location information display range that indicates a limited range in which the location information of the participants of the event can be displayed as an image on a display unit; display control means for displaying information indicating the location of the participants in the limited range set by the display range setting means as an image on a display unit, using the location information of the participants acquired by the location information acquisition means; and display time setting means for setting a location information display time that indicates a limited time in which the location information of the participants of the event can be displayed as an image on a display unit, wherein the event registration means registers the time of the event, and the display control means, within the limited time set by the display time setting means, uses the location information of the participants acquired by the location information acquisition means to display information indicating the location of the participants in the limited range set by the display range setting means as an image on a display unit.

Images