Proposal device, proposal method, and computer program

Abstract

Provided is a technology for accurately grasping a condition of a farm field at a low cost.　An acquisition unit of this proposal device acquires farm field condition information indicating a condition of a farm field related to cultivation of a crop at each of a plurality of points in the farm field to be investigated. A setting unit sets a plurality of areas in the farm field to be investigated, by using information on the distribution of the condition of the farm field obtained from the acquired farm field condition information. A selection unit selects, from among the set plurality of areas, an area that satisfies a previously given area selection requirement, as a sampling area to be investigated. An output unit outputs, as proposal information, information indicating the selected sampling area.

Description

Proposal device, proposal method, and computer program

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a proposal device, a proposal method, and a computer program related to field surveys.

[0002] Cultivators growing crops in the field, field managers, etc. (hereinafter also referred to as field-related persons) may actually visit the field to investigate the field conditions such as the growth status of the crops.

[0003] In Patent Document 1 (International Publication No. 2016 / 178268), matters such as checking the presence or absence of pests and diseases in the field are shown using a sensing robot placed at a position such as a road within the management target area.

[0004] International Publication No. 2016 / 178268

[0005] Due to reasons such as the large burden on field-related persons because the field is vast or time constraints, it may be difficult for field-related persons to actually inspect the entire field to investigate the overall field conditions. In such cases, for example, an area for investigating the field conditions is defined as a sampling area from within the field, the field conditions such as the growth status of the crops in the sampling area are investigated, and the overall field conditions are estimated from the results of this investigation. The determination of the sampling area is performed, for example, based on the intuition and experience of field-related persons. When the sampling area is determined based on intuition and experience in this way, it is difficult for field-related persons with little experience to determine an appropriate sampling area due to lack of experience. If the sampling area is not appropriate, there is a high probability that a situation will occur where the estimated result deviates from the actual overall field conditions when estimating the overall field conditions using the results of the investigation conducted in the sampling area. When such a situation occurs, a problem occurs in that inconveniences occur in processes such as estimating the crop yield and predicting the harvest time using information on the overall field conditions.

[0006] This disclosure was conceived to solve the problems described above. Specifically, the main objective of this disclosure is to provide a proposed device, method, and computer program that can accurately grasp the conditions of a field at a low cost.

[0007] To achieve the above objective, the proposed device in this disclosure, in one embodiment, includes: an acquisition unit that acquires field condition information representing the field conditions related to crop cultivation at multiple points in the field to be investigated; a setting unit that sets up multiple areas in the field to be investigated using information on the distribution of field conditions obtained from the acquired field condition information; a selection unit that selects from the set up multiple areas an area that satisfies pre-given area selection requirements as a sampling area to be investigated; and an output unit that outputs information representing the selected sampling area as proposed information.

[0008] Furthermore, in one aspect, the proposed method in this disclosure involves using a computer to acquire field condition information representing the field conditions related to crop cultivation at multiple points in the field to be surveyed, setting up multiple areas in the field to be surveyed using information on the distribution of field conditions obtained from the acquired field condition information, selecting areas that satisfy pre-defined area selection requirements from among the set up areas as sampling areas for the survey, and outputting information representing the selected sampling areas as proposed information.

[0009] Furthermore, in one aspect, the computer program in this disclosure causes the computer to perform the following processes: acquiring field condition information representing the field conditions related to crop cultivation at multiple points in the field to be surveyed; setting up multiple areas in the field to be surveyed using information on the distribution of field conditions obtained from the acquired field condition information; selecting from the set up multiple areas areas that satisfy pre-given area selection requirements as sampling areas to be surveyed; and outputting information representing the selected sampling areas as proposed information.

[0010] According to this disclosure, the field conditions can be accurately assessed at a low cost.

[0011] This figure illustrates an example of the configuration of the proposed device according to this disclosure. This figure visualizes an example of field condition information. This figure illustrates the configuration of the setting unit. This figure shows an example of the display of proposed information on a display device. This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the proposed device having the configuration shown in Figure 1. This figure illustrates another example of the configuration of the proposed device according to this disclosure. This figure illustrates the modification unit. This figure illustrates yet another example of the configuration of the proposed device according to this disclosure. This figure shows an example of a survey route. This figure illustrates yet another example of the configuration of the proposed device according to this disclosure. This figure shows an example of the display screen of a mobile terminal device that guides the survey executor. This figure illustrates an example of the output destination of proposed information. This figure illustrates yet another example of the configuration of the proposed device according to this disclosure. This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the proposed device having the configuration shown in Figure 13.

[0012] Embodiments in this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0013] <First Embodiment> The proposed device of the first embodiment in this disclosure is a computer device and has a function to propose a sampling area to be surveyed in the field to be surveyed. Here, the survey in the field is a survey to examine the cultivation status of crops grown in the field. In addition, the survey is not actually conducted on the entire field, but on a partial area selected as a sampling area from within the field to examine the cultivation status of crops (hereinafter, such a survey in a selected partial area will also be referred to as a sampling survey). The results of the sampling survey are used to estimate the cultivation status of crops in the entire field.

[0014] The term "crop cultivation status" here can encompass various aspects related to crop cultivation. Specific examples include crop growth, soil conditions and drainage, crop growth in relation to fertilizer application, and land elevation information. The specific content of the survey on crop cultivation status may be determined appropriately by field personnel and others according to the survey objectives, and is not limited here, therefore its explanation is omitted. The survey objectives refer to the uses of the survey results on crop cultivation status in the field. Examples include estimating crop yield, estimating harvest time, calculating fertilizer application amounts, determining the placement of sensors and cameras to acquire field conditions, and soil improvement. Furthermore, the methods used to survey crop cultivation status are methods appropriate to the content of the survey, and are not limited here, therefore their explanation is omitted.

[0015] In the description of the first embodiment, for the sake of clarity, the cultivation status of the crop will be referred to as the growth status of the crop. Specifically, the content to be investigated as part of the investigation of the cultivation status (growth status) of the crop will be the condition of the crop related to harvesting, such as the color and arrangement of the leaves, and the number and weight of the fruits, roots, and rhizomes to be harvested. Furthermore, the method for investigating the cultivation status of the crop will be for field personnel to actually observe the crop in the field or take pictures with a camera to examine the color of the leaves, the arrangement of the leaves, and the number of fruits (fruits) to be harvested. Furthermore, the results of the investigation of the cultivation status of the crop will be used in the process of estimating the crop yield and predicting the harvest time. In other words, the purpose of the investigation will be to obtain information on the cultivation status of the crop to be used in the process of estimating the crop yield and predicting the harvest time.

[0016] The proposed device 1 in the first embodiment is a server device and is connected to the information source 3 and terminal device 5 shown in Figure 1 via an information and communication network. The proposed device 1 is also connected to an input device 7 and, if necessary, to a database 4. The input device 7 is a device used by the operator of the proposed device 1 (hereinafter also referred to as the device operator) to input information into the proposed device 1, and is composed of a keyboard, mouse, etc. The database 4 is a storage device and stores, as necessary, information obtained from the information source 3, information entered by the input device 7, and data calculated by the proposed device 1.

[0017] Information source 3 is an information source that provides information to the proposed device 1. In the first embodiment, one of the information sources 3 is an information source that outputs satellite images of the field under investigation. Satellite images of the field refer to images of the field taken by an imaging device mounted on an artificial satellite. In the first embodiment, vegetation indices such as NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), RVI (Ratio Vegetation Index), and DVI (Difference Vegetation Index) are used as field condition information that represents the field conditions related to crop cultivation. These indices are numerical indicators that quantify the growth status of crops (vegetation conditions) from images of crops taken by utilizing the characteristics of light reflection of crops. For example, the formula for calculating NDVI is shown in equation (1) below. NDVI = (NIR - R) / (NIR + R) .....(1) In equation (1), NIR represents the reflectance in the near-infrared region obtained from the captured image, and R represents the reflectance in the visible red region obtained from the captured image. NDVI can be said to be an indicator of the growth status of crop leaves, and is expressed in the range of -1 to +1, with the closer the value is to 1, the more vigorously the leaves are growing.

[0018] In the first embodiment, since a vegetation index that utilizes the characteristics of light reflection of crops is used, the satellite image of the field output by one of the information sources 3 is a satellite image of the field that includes information on the wavelength of light used to calculate the vegetation index.

[0019] Terminal device 5 is a computer device operated by a user who is involved in the field (such as the manager of the field being surveyed or the grower of the crops). Terminal device 5 has communication capabilities and a display control function that controls the display device 8 to display information. The type of information device that can be terminal device 5 is not limited to any device that has communication and display control functions, but specific examples include personal computers, tablets, and smartphones. If terminal device 5 is a smartphone or tablet, the display device 8 is integrated with terminal device 5, but if terminal device 5 is a personal computer, the display device 8 may be external. Furthermore, the connection between terminal device 5 and proposal device 1 is performed by an application program (app) that gives terminal device 5 the functionality to cooperate with proposal device 1. Alternatively, the connection between terminal device 5 and proposal device 1 may be performed by a browser (software for viewing information on the internet). Whether the connection between terminal device 5 and proposal device 1 is performed by an app or a browser is set as appropriate by the system designer, etc., and is not limited here. Furthermore, in the example shown in Figure 1, one terminal device 5 is connected to the proposed device 1, but the proposed device 1 can be connected to multiple terminal devices 5.

[0020] The proposed device 1 is a computer device comprising an arithmetic unit 10 and a storage device 20. The storage device 20 has a storage medium for storing data and computer programs (hereinafter also referred to as programs) 22. There are multiple types of storage devices, and a computer device may be equipped with multiple types of storage devices. Here, the types and number of storage devices equipped in the proposed device 1 are not limited, and their explanation is omitted.

[0021] The computing device 10 is composed of processors such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), and can perform various functions based on the program 22 stored in the storage device 20 by reading and executing the program 22. In the first embodiment, the computing device 10 has an acquisition unit 11, a setting unit 12, a selection unit 13, and an output unit 14 as a functional unit for proposing sampling areas in a field, as shown in Figure 1.

[0022] The acquisition unit 11 acquires field condition information. Field condition information is information that represents the field conditions related to crop cultivation in the field being surveyed, and is information that associates location information representing the location of each of several points in the field being surveyed with information representing the field conditions at each point.

[0023] In the first embodiment, as described above, vegetation indices such as NDVI calculated from satellite images of the field are used as field condition information. That is, in the first embodiment, the acquisition unit 11 acquires satellite images of the field from the information source 3 and acquires field condition information by calculating vegetation indices from the acquired satellite images of the field. Figure 2 shows an example of an image in which information visualizing NDVI is superimposed on the field portion of a photographed image of the field. In Figure 2, the magnitude of NDVI is represented by the intensity of the color, with the color becoming darker as the vegetation index decreases. The satellite image is associated with location information that represents the location where it was taken. As a result, the acquisition unit 11 can generate field condition information in which location information representing the location photographed in the satellite image is associated with vegetation index information such as NDVI calculated using the satellite image.

[0024] The acquisition unit 11 may acquire only one type of field condition information, but in the first embodiment, the acquisition unit 11 acquires multiple different types of vegetation indices, such as NDVI and DVI. In other words, in the first embodiment, the acquisition unit 11 acquires multiple types of field condition information.

[0025] The timing at which the acquisition unit 11 executes the process of acquiring field condition information may be set appropriately by the system designer, etc., taking into consideration the timing at which the suggestion device 1 outputs information, but the following timing can be given as an example. For example, one timing at which the acquisition unit 11 executes the process is when a suggestion request for a sampling area is input to the suggestion device 1 by the device operator operating the input device 7, or by a field person operating the terminal device 5. If there are multiple fields to be surveyed, information identifying the field for which a sampling area suggestion is requested (for example, field identification information) is associated with the suggestion request.

[0026] Another example of the timing at which the acquisition unit 11 executes processing is when the timing of the sampling survey is predetermined based on the purpose of the survey, etc., and the timing is calculated according to a predetermined calculation method prior to the sampling survey. One example of such a calculation method is to calculate the timing at which the acquisition unit 11 executes processing by subtracting a set number of days (for example, 3 days) from the date representing the first day of the sampling survey period, and then determining the time on that date.

[0027] The setting unit 12 sets up multiple areas in the field to be surveyed using information on the distribution of field conditions (for example, information on the distribution of vegetation indicators as shown in Figure 2) obtained from the field condition information acquired by the acquisition unit 11. The method for setting up multiple areas in a field is not limited to any method that can set up multiple areas in a field using information on the distribution of field conditions, but a specific example is the clustering method (for example, the k-means method). Figure 3 shows an example of multiple areas Z1 to Z5 set up in a field using the clustering method. As shown in Figure 3, the multiple areas set up by the setting unit 12 do not necessarily have the same area and may have different areas from each other. When setting up areas using the clustering method, the number of areas to be set up is given in advance. The number of areas may be set appropriately by the system designer or equipment operator, taking into consideration the size of the field and the topography of the field and its surroundings. The timing at which the setting unit 12 starts processing can be, for example, when the field condition information is acquired by the acquisition unit 11.

[0028] The selection unit 13 selects an area from among multiple areas set by the setting unit 12 in the field to be surveyed that satisfies pre-defined area selection requirements as a sampling area. A sampling area is an area in the field where a sampling survey is conducted. Area selection requirements are the requirements for an area to be selected as a sampling area. For example, considering factors related to crop cultivation such as the size of the field, the type of crops grown in the field, the type of soil, and the topography, the requirements for an area suitable for a sampling survey are predetermined as area selection requirements by field personnel, equipment operators, etc. An area suitable for a sampling survey is an area from which useful information can be obtained to estimate the overall condition of the field using the survey results. For example, suppose five areas Z1 to Z5 using vegetation indicators are set in the field to be surveyed using a clustering method. Furthermore, areas Z1 to Z5 can be arranged from areas with low vegetation indicators (in other words, areas where crop growth is poor) to areas with high vegetation indicators (in other words, areas where crop growth is good) (that is, areas Z1 to Z5 are areas where the quality of the field conditions differs from one another). In such cases, for example, the requirement to select three areas such as the area with the highest vegetation indicator (the area with the best field conditions), the area with the lowest vegetation indicator (the area with the worst field conditions), and the area with an intermediate vegetation indicator (the area with an intermediate field condition) can be set as an area selection requirement.

[0029] In the first embodiment, the selection unit 13 further narrows down the locations within the selected sampling area to be used for the sampling survey and determines them as sampling points. For example, survey point requirements for determining sampling points are given in advance, and the selection unit 13 determines locations within the selected sampling area that satisfy the survey point requirements as sampling points. Regarding the survey point requirements, similar to the area selection requirements, the requirements for locations suitable for the sampling survey may be appropriately determined by the system designer or equipment operator, etc. For example, one requirement is that the sampling point should be a location corresponding to the average value or an index close to the average value of the vegetation index within the sampling area. The number of sampling points within the sampling area may be one or multiple, and is not limited to one, but is set appropriately according to the survey point requirements, etc. The timing at which the selection unit 13 starts processing may be, for example, the timing triggered by the area being set by the setting unit 12. Furthermore, the location information representing the location of the sampling area and sampling points may be, for example, location information from satellite images.

[0030] The output unit 14 outputs proposal information including information representing the locations of the sampling area and sampling points. For example, if the sampling area and sampling points are determined by the sequential processing of the acquisition unit 11, setting unit 12, and selection unit 13 in response to the receipt of a proposal request from the terminal device 5, the terminal device 5 that sent the proposal request can be cited as an example of an output destination for the proposal information. Upon receiving the proposal information, the terminal device 5 displays information representing the locations of the sampling area and sampling points in the field under investigation on the display device 8. Figure 4 shows an example of the display of the locations of the sampling area and sampling points on the display device 8. In the example in Figure 4, lines, marks, and characters representing the locations of the sampling areas Z1, Z3, Z5 and their sampling points P1, P3, P5 are superimposed on the captured image of the field. Furthermore, the display device 8 displays a description of the sampling areas Z1, Z3, Z5 in text. Note that the captured image of the field displayed on the display device 8 may also have information visualizing vegetation indices such as NDVI superimposed on it.

[0031] Another example of an output destination to which the output unit 14 outputs the proposal information is the display device 9 connected to the proposal device 1. When an operator of the device operates the input device 7 and inputs a proposal request to the proposal device 1, the acquisition unit 11, setting unit 12, and selection unit 13 sequentially process the request to determine the sampling area and sampling points. In this case, the output unit 14 outputs the proposal information, including information representing the location of the determined sampling area and sampling points, to the display device 9. In other words, in this case, the output unit 14 controls the display of the display device 9 to display information representing the location of the sampling area and sampling points on the display device 9, for example, as shown in Figure 4.

[0032] The proposed device 1 of the first embodiment is configured as described above. The information obtained by the processing of the acquisition unit 11, setting unit 12, and selection unit 13 described above is stored in the storage device 20 and database 4, associated with, for example, field identification information that identifies the field to be surveyed and time information that represents the time (time) of processing.

[0033] Next, an example of the operation related to the sampling area proposal process in the proposed device 1 of the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 5. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the control procedure for the sampling area proposal process in the proposed device 1. Figure 5 also shows the proposal method used in the computer that constitutes the proposed device 1.

[0034] For example, first, when the acquisition unit 11 detects that it is time to execute, such as by receiving a request for proposal, it acquires field condition information regarding the field to be surveyed (step 101). In the first embodiment, the acquisition unit 11 first acquires satellite images of the field to be surveyed from the information source 3. The information source 3 accumulates satellite images of the field to be surveyed that are taken periodically. Therefore, the acquisition unit 11 acquires, for example, the most recently taken satellite image from among the multiple satellite images of the field to be surveyed held by the information source 3. Then, the acquisition unit 11 calculates a vegetation index from the acquired satellite image and acquires field condition information that represents the field conditions using the vegetation index.

[0035] Subsequently, the setting unit 12 uses the information on the distribution of field conditions obtained by analyzing the field condition information acquired by the acquisition unit 11 to set up multiple areas in the field to be surveyed, for example, using a clustering method (step 102).

[0036] Subsequently, the selection unit 13 selects an area from among the set of multiple areas that satisfies the pre-defined area selection requirements as the sampling area (step 103). Furthermore, the selection unit 13 determines that points within the selected sampling area that satisfy the pre-defined survey point requirements are to be used as sampling points (step 104).

[0037] Then, the output unit 14 outputs information representing the selected sampling area and sampling locations as proposed information (step 105). The information output from the proposal device 1 is displayed at the output destination, for example, on a display device. For example, field personnel can use the proposed information (sampling area and sampling locations) displayed on the display device as a reference to conduct a sampling survey of the field in the survey area.

[0038] The proposed device 1 of the first embodiment determines the sampling area and sampling points for a sampling survey using field condition information, and outputs information representing the determined sampling area and sampling points as proposed information. By conducting a sampling survey at sampling points based on this proposed information, even inexperienced field personnel can conduct an appropriate sampling survey that allows them to grasp the overall condition of the field. In other words, the proposed device 1 of the first embodiment can output proposed information representing sampling areas and sampling points in those sampling areas, such as the area with the highest vegetation index, the area with the lowest vegetation index, and the area with an intermediate vegetation index, based on area selection requirements. By using this proposed information, even inexperienced field personnel can easily identify areas with good crop growth, intermediate areas, and areas with poor crop growth in the field under investigation. By selecting areas with different crop growth conditions from the field and conducting a sampling survey, it is expected that even inexperienced field personnel can grasp the overall crop growth condition of the field while suppressing an increase in labor and costs. In other words, even inexperienced field personnel can accurately grasp the field conditions at a low cost. Furthermore, by using the overall field conditions grasped in this way, the accuracy of estimations such as yield and prediction of harvest time can be improved. In the example above, the area selection requirements indicated were to select the area with the highest vegetation index, the area with the lowest vegetation index, and the area with an intermediate vegetation index as sampling areas. Alternatively, for example, suppose that the amount of fertilizer applied is determined based on the conditions of the area where crop growth is intermediate in the field. In such a case, the purpose of the survey is to investigate the conditions of the area where crop growth is intermediate in order to determine the amount of fertilizer applied, and for example, the area where crop growth is intermediate would be set as the sampling area. In other words, the area selection requirement would be to select the area with an intermediate vegetation index as the sampling area.Even in such cases, field personnel can obtain information on areas with intermediate crop growth suitable for sampling surveys without having to spend time and effort physically inspecting the entire field to find areas where crop growth is at an intermediate stage. In other words, the proposed device 1 allows for accurate understanding of field conditions at a low cost in order to determine fertilizer application rates. Thus, the area selection requirements are determined according to the purpose of the sampling survey and are not limited to the examples described in the first embodiment.

[0039] <Second Embodiment> A second embodiment of the present disclosure is described below. In the description of the second embodiment, elements with the same names as those used in the description of the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations of their common parts will be omitted.

[0040] The proposed device 1 of the second embodiment includes a modification unit 15 as shown in Figure 6, in addition to the configuration of the first embodiment. Specifically, in a field, there may be areas (sub-areas) where the field conditions (e.g., crop growth conditions) vary greatly. Such sub-areas are unsuitable for sampling surveys. Taking this into consideration, the modification unit 15 modifies the range of the area set by the setting unit 12 so that such sub-areas unsuitable for sampling surveys are not included in the sampling area.

[0041] For example, the modification unit 15 divides the field to be surveyed into multiple sub-regions (hereinafter also referred to as divided regions) according to a predetermined division method, as shown in Figure 7, for example. Then, for each divided region, the modification unit 15 calculates the variance of the field conditions (e.g., vegetation index) by statistically processing the field condition information (here, e.g., vegetation index) based on field condition information. Furthermore, for each divided region, the modification unit 15 determines whether the variance of the field conditions (e.g., vegetation index) is above a threshold. This threshold is a value used to determine whether there is a variance (variability) in the field conditions that makes it unsuitable for sampling surveys, and is determined using the results of experiments or simulations, or by field personnel or system designers, and provided to the proposed device 1.

[0042] Furthermore, when the change unit 15 does not detect a divided area in the field to be investigated where the variance of the field conditions (e.g., vegetation index) is greater than or equal to the threshold value, the process ends. However, when a divided area where the variance of the field conditions is greater than or equal to the threshold value is detected, the following further processing is executed. For example, the change unit 15 determines whether a divided area where the variance of the field conditions is greater than or equal to the threshold value (hereinafter also referred to as a large variance area) overlaps with the area set by the setting unit 12. And when there is an area that overlaps with the large variance area, the change unit 15 changes the range of the area so that the large variance area is excluded from the area and the area does not include the large variance area.

[0043] When there is an area whose range has been changed by the change unit 15 as described above, the selection unit 13 selects a sampling area from a plurality of areas including the changed area.

[0044] The configuration other than the above-described configuration in the proposal device 1 of the second embodiment is the same as that of the proposal device 1 of the first embodiment.

[0045] Since the proposal device 1 of the second embodiment includes the change unit 15 described above, the range of the area set by the setting unit 12 is changed so that an area with a large variation (dispersion) in the field conditions is not included. As a result, the sampling area included in the proposal information output by the proposal device 1 will not include an area with a large variation in the field conditions, so a more appropriate area for sampling survey will be proposed as the sampling area. Also, since the selection unit 13 determines a sampling point from such a sampling area, it is possible to prevent the sampling point from being determined in an area with a large variation in the field conditions. Thereby, the proposal device 1 can propose information on a sampling point for a better sampling survey.

[0046] In the above example, the change section 15 calculates the dispersion of the field conditions for each of the divided areas obtained by dividing the entire field. Instead of this, for example, the change section 15 may calculate the dispersion of the field conditions for the partial areas defined in the field to be surveyed by referring to the predetermined partial area requirements. Examples of the partial area requirements include, for example, a partial area that is a depression, a partial area with poor ventilation, a partial area with poor drainage, and the like.

[0047] <Third Embodiment> The third embodiment according to the present disclosure will be described below. In the description of the third embodiment, elements having the same name as the elements denoted by the reference numerals used in the descriptions of the first embodiment and the second embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the overlapping descriptions of the common parts are omitted.

[0048] In addition to the configuration of the first embodiment or the second embodiment, the proposed device 1 of the third embodiment is provided with a route calculation unit 16 as shown in FIG. 8. When a plurality of sampling points are determined by the selection unit 13, the route calculation unit 16 calculates a route that traverses these plurality of sampling points as an investigation route. For the calculation of this investigation route, not only the position information representing the positions of the plurality of sampling points but also information related to the moving speed and ease of movement of the investigator, such as the information on the terrain in the field and the information representing the places where the road passes in the field when a road is constructed in the field, may be used. Note that various methods have been proposed for calculating a route that traverses a plurality of points, and the method for calculating the route adopted here is not limited, and the description thereof is omitted.

[0049] When the route calculation unit 16 calculates a survey route, the output unit 14 outputs proposed information including information on the sampling area, sampling points, and survey route. At the destination of the output of the proposed information, for example, a display device displays information representing the sampling area, sampling points, and survey route included in the proposed information. Figure 9 shows an example of how proposed information is displayed on a display device, such as the display device 8 of the terminal device 5 or the display device 9 connected to the proposal device 1. In the example in Figure 9, information representing the sampling areas Z1, Z3, Z5, sampling points P1, P3, P5, and the survey route that visits sampling points P1, P3, P5 for the survey is superimposed on the image of the field in which the field is photographed.

[0050] Other than the configuration described above, the configuration of the proposed device 1 of the third embodiment is the same as that of the proposed device 1 of the first or second embodiment.

[0051] The proposed device 1 of the third embodiment can propose information on the sampling area and sampling points in the field to be surveyed, and if multiple sampling points are determined (calculated), it can also propose information on the survey route that goes around those multiple sampling points. This improves the functionality of the proposed device 1 of the third embodiment related to sampling surveys.

[0052] <Fourth Embodiment> A fourth embodiment of the present disclosure is described below. In the description of the fourth embodiment, elements with the same reference numerals as those used in the descriptions of the first to third embodiments will be given the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations of their common parts will be omitted.

[0053] The proposed device 1 of the fourth embodiment is equipped with a guide unit 17, as shown in Figure 10, in addition to the configuration of the proposed device 1 of the third embodiment. Furthermore, in the fourth embodiment, the proposed device 1 is connected to a mobile terminal device 6 via an information and communication network. The mobile terminal device 6 is a mobile terminal device carried by the survey implementer who conducts sampling surveys in the field under investigation. The mobile terminal device 6 has a communication function and a function to transmit location information. The mobile terminal device 6 acquires its own location information using, for example, GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System).

[0054] The guidance unit 17 starts processing, for example, by receiving a navigation start request from the mobile terminal device 6. In other words, the guidance unit 17 works in cooperation with the mobile terminal device 6 to guide the survey participant according to the survey route calculated by the route calculation unit 16 using the location information of the mobile terminal device 6. There are various methods for guiding a guided object using the location information of the guided object, including methods used in car navigation systems. Here, the method for guiding the survey participant is not limited, and its explanation is omitted. Figure 11 shows an example of the display screen of the display device provided in the mobile terminal device 6. This screen displays information that guides the survey participant (mobile terminal device 6) so that they can move according to the survey route, through the cooperation of the guidance unit 17 and the mobile terminal device 6 in the proposed device 1. In addition, voice guidance for the survey participant may be announced from the mobile terminal device 6.

[0055] The proposed device 1 of the fourth embodiment can guide the survey implementer to multiple sampling points (in other words, proposed sampling points) determined using field condition information, via the guidance unit 17. Therefore, the proposed device 1 can prevent the survey implementer from conducting a sampling survey at a location different from the proposed sampling points in the field under investigation. The proposed sampling points are appropriate sampling points for estimating the overall field conditions by using the results of the sampling survey conducted at those locations. By enabling the survey implementer to conduct a sampling survey at the proposed sampling points without making a mistake, the proposed device 1 can improve the accuracy of estimating the overall field conditions.

[0056] <Other Embodiments> This disclosure is not limited to the first to fourth embodiments and can take various forms. For example, in the first to fourth embodiments, the configuration of the proposed device 1 is described using an example where the field condition information is information using vegetation indicators such as NDVI calculated from satellite images. The field condition information is set appropriately according to the content of the sampling survey and the purpose of using the results of the sampling survey, and is not limited to information including vegetation indicators such as NDVI. For example, if the purpose of the field survey is to determine the amount of fertilizer to apply to the field, the following information is used as the field condition information. This field condition information is, for example, information that associates past data (actual data) from before the execution timing when the proposed device 1 performs processing related to the proposal of a sampling area, such as the amount of fertilizer applied, the location information of each of the multiple points in the field, and the quality of the crop yield at each of those points. Furthermore, if the purpose of the field survey is to investigate whether the amount of water supplied by irrigation is being controlled appropriately, the following information will be used as field condition information. This field condition information is, for example, information that associates the amount of water supplied by irrigation with the location information of multiple points in the field and information that indicates the superiority or inferiority of crop growth at each of those points. Furthermore, if the purpose of the field survey is related to the application of pesticides, the following information will be used as field condition information. This field condition information is, for example, information that associates the location information of multiple points in the field with information that indicates whether or not diseases have occurred in the past at each of those points. Here, "past" refers to a time before the execution timing of the proposed device 1.

[0057] Furthermore, in the first to fourth embodiments, the acquisition unit 11 acquires satellite images from a source 3 that can provide satellite images, and obtains field condition information by calculating vegetation indices such as NDVI from the satellite images. Alternatively, the acquisition unit 11 may acquire field condition information as follows. That is, as described above, since there are various types of field condition information, the acquisition unit 11 acquires field condition information from an acquisition source (for example, a database, which is the source 3, that stores the information to be used as field condition information) according to the type of field condition information to be adopted.

[0058] Furthermore, in the first to fourth embodiments, a clustering method was given as an example of a method by which the setting unit 12 sets up multiple areas, but the method for setting up multiple areas is not limited to the clustering method. For example, the setting unit 12 may set up multiple areas in a field using the distribution of field conditions, as follows: That is, representative data for multiple different areas determined by the device operator or the like using the distribution of field conditions is input to the suggestion device 1. These multiple representative data are, for example, data that have been determined to be representative for each division when the field conditions are roughly divided into a predetermined number based on priority. In addition, area setting rules for setting up areas in a field using the area representative data are predetermined by the system designer or the like and provided to the suggestion device 1. The setting unit 12 may set up multiple areas in a field using the area setting rules described above, the representative data for each of the multiple areas input by the device operator or the like, and the information on the distribution of field conditions obtained from the field condition information.

[0059] Furthermore, in the first to fourth embodiments, the selection unit 13 determines not only the sampling area but also the sampling points. Alternatively, the selection unit 13 may not have to determine the sampling points in the following cases. For example, depending on the size of the field, the area set by the setting unit 12 may not be large, in other words, the sampling area may not be large and it may be considered unnecessary to determine the sampling points within that sampling area. In such cases, for example, the operator of the device may set the processing content of the selection unit 13 to determine the sampling area but not the sampling points.

[0060] Furthermore, in the first to fourth embodiments, the output unit 14 is shown to output the proposed information to the display device 9 and the terminal device 5. However, the output unit 14 may also output information about the sampling area and the location of the sampling points to the following output destinations. For example, when an analysis device 2, as shown in Figure 12, which performs processing using the results of the sampling survey, is connected to the proposed device 1, the output unit 14 may output information about the sampling area and the location of the sampling points used by the analysis device 2. The analysis device 2, for example, estimates the overall condition of the field using the results of the sampling survey, and further performs predetermined processing such as estimating the crop yield, predicting the harvest time, calculating the amount of fertilizer to be applied, and controlling the water supply to the field by irrigation equipment using the estimation results.

[0061] Furthermore, if the same field manager is managing multiple fields, the proposed device 1 may perform the following processing. For example, among multiple fields managed by the same field manager, the importance of field surveys may differ for the field manager. In such cases, the number of areas selected as sampling areas by the selection unit 13 may be varied for each field, taking into consideration, for example, the importance of each field, such that a larger number of sampling areas is set for fields with a higher survey importance than for fields with a lower survey importance.

[0062] Furthermore, the proposed device in this disclosure may have a configuration as shown in Figure 13. The proposed device 50 in Figure 13 is, for example, a computer device and includes an acquisition unit 51, a setting unit 52, a selection unit 53, and an output unit 54 as functional units realized by executing a computer program. The acquisition unit 51 acquires field condition information representing the field conditions related to crop cultivation at each of several points in the field to be surveyed. The setting unit 52 sets up multiple areas in the field to be surveyed using information on the distribution of field conditions obtained from the acquired field condition information. The selection unit 53 selects from the set up multiple areas an area that satisfies pre-given area selection requirements as a sampling area to be surveyed. The output unit 54 outputs information representing the selected sampling area as proposed information.

[0063] Next, an example of the process related to the proposal of a sampling area in the proposal device 50 will be explained with reference to Figure 14. Figure 14 is a flowchart showing an example of the process related to the proposal of a sampling area in the proposal device 50. Figure 14 also shows the proposal method used in the computer that constitutes the proposal device 50.

[0064] For example, the acquisition unit 51 of the proposed device 50 acquires field condition information at a preset acquisition timing (step 201). Then, the setting unit 52 uses the information on the distribution of field conditions obtained from the acquired field condition information to set up multiple areas in the field to be surveyed (step 202). Then, the selection unit 53 selects from the set up multiple areas an area that satisfies the preset area selection requirements as the sampling area to be surveyed (step 203). After that, the output unit 54 outputs information representing the selected sampling area as proposed information (step 204).

[0065] The proposal device 50 is configured as described above. Specific examples of the acquisition unit 51, setting unit 52, selection unit 53, and output unit 54 in the proposal device 50 are the acquisition unit 11, setting unit 12, selection unit 13, and output unit 14 of the proposal device 1 described in the first to fourth embodiments. As described above, the proposal device 50 sets multiple areas in the field to be surveyed using field condition information, and outputs (proposes) areas that meet the area selection requirements from among these multiple areas as sampling areas. Therefore, the proposal device 50 can propose sampling areas that take into account the field conditions.

[0066] Furthermore, the proposed device 50 may also have the function of acquiring the results of a survey conducted in the proposed sampling area, estimating the overall field conditions using the acquired survey results, and then using the estimation results to perform predetermined calculation processes such as estimating crop yield, predicting harvest time, calculating fertilizer application amounts, and calculating the amount of water supplied to the field by irrigation equipment. In addition, the proposed device 50 may output, for example, the calculated estimated crop yield and information on the predicted harvest time to a management device (computer device) for field personnel. This management device may, for example, use the estimated crop yield and information on the predicted harvest time to perform processes such as making acceptance reservations for processing companies that process the harvested crops. Furthermore, the proposed device 50 may also output, for example, information on the amount of water supplied to the field to a control device for irrigation equipment. The control device for irrigation equipment may, for example, use the information received from the proposed device 50 to control the water supply of the irrigation equipment. In other words, the proposed device 50 can also be said to be a control device that controls irrigation equipment.

[0067] Some or all of the above embodiments may also be described as follows, but are not limited to the following: (Note 1) A proposal device comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires field condition information representing the field conditions related to crop cultivation at multiple points in the field to be surveyed; a setting unit that sets up multiple areas in the field to be surveyed using information on the distribution of field conditions obtained from the acquired field condition information; a selection unit that selects from the set up multiple areas an area that satisfies pre-given area selection requirements as a sampling area to be surveyed; and an output unit that outputs information representing the selected sampling area as proposal information. (Note 2) The proposal device according to Note 1, wherein the selection unit further determines points that satisfy pre-given survey point requirements in the selected sampling area as sampling points, and the output unit outputs proposal information including sampling points in addition to the sampling area. (Note 3) The proposed device according to Note 1, wherein the acquisition unit acquires multiple types of field condition information that are different from each other, and the setting unit sets multiple areas in the field to be surveyed using the acquired multiple types of field condition information. (Note 4) The proposed device according to Note 1, wherein the setting unit sets multiple areas using a clustering method. (Note 5) The proposed device according to Note 1, wherein the field condition information is statistically processed in each of a plurality of sub-regions set in advance separately from the areas set by the setting unit in the field to be surveyed to calculate the variance of the field conditions, and when a sub-region whose calculated variance value is greater than or equal to a threshold is detected as a large variance region, if the large variance region overlaps with an area set by the setting unit, the device further comprises a modification unit that changes the range of the area so that the large variance region is not included in the area by removing the large variance region from the area. (Note 6) The proposal device according to Note 2, further comprising a route calculation unit that calculates a route around multiple sampling points as a survey route when multiple sampling points are determined by the selection unit, wherein the output unit outputs proposal information including the sampling area, sampling points and survey route.(Note 7) The proposed device according to Note 6, further comprising a guidance unit that acquires location information transmitted from a mobile terminal device carried by the survey executor conducting the survey, and guides the survey executor according to the survey route calculated by the route calculation unit using the location information. (Note 8) A proposed method that uses a computer to acquire field condition information representing the field conditions related to crop cultivation at multiple points in the field to be surveyed, sets up multiple areas in the field to be surveyed using information on the distribution of field conditions obtained from the acquired field condition information, selects an area that satisfies pre-given area selection requirements from among the set up areas as a sampling area for the survey, and outputs information representing the selected sampling area as proposed information. (Note 9) The proposed method according to Note 8, further comprising a computer to determine points that satisfy pre-given survey point requirements in the selected sampling area as sampling points, and outputs proposed information including the sampling points in addition to the sampling area. (Note 10) The proposed method described in Note 8 further involves using a computer to acquire multiple types of field condition information that are different from each other, and using the acquired multiple types of field condition information to set up multiple areas in the field to be surveyed. (Note 11) The proposed method described in Note 8 uses a clustering method to set up multiple areas. (Note 12) The proposed method described in Note 8 further involves using a computer to statistically process information on the field conditions in each of several sub-regions that are set up separately from the area to be surveyed, thereby calculating the variance of the field conditions, and if a sub-region whose calculated variance value is above a threshold is detected as a large variance region, and if the large variance region overlaps with the area, the proposed method described in Note 8 removes the large variance region from the area and changes the area range so that the large variance region is not included in the area. (Note 13) The proposed method described in Note 8 further involves using a computer to calculate a route that goes around the multiple sampling points when multiple sampling points have been determined, and outputting proposed information including the sampling area, sampling points, and survey route.(Note 14) The proposed method described in Note 13, further comprising a computer acquiring location information transmitted from a mobile terminal device carried by the survey implementer, and guiding the survey implementer according to a survey route calculated using said location information. (Note 15) A computer program that causes the computer to perform the following: a process of acquiring field condition information representing the field conditions related to crop cultivation at multiple points in the field to be surveyed; a process of setting up multiple areas in the field to be surveyed using information on the distribution of field conditions obtained from the acquired field condition information; a process of selecting an area from among the set up areas that satisfies pre-given area selection requirements as a sampling area for the survey; and a process of outputting information representing the selected sampling area as proposed information. (Note 16) The computer program described in Note 15, further comprising a computer performing the following: a process of determining points that satisfy pre-given survey point requirements as sampling points in the selected sampling area; and a process of outputting proposed information including the sampling points in addition to the sampling area. (Note 17) A computer program as described in Note 15, which further causes the computer to perform the process of acquiring field condition information of multiple different types, and setting up multiple areas in the field to be surveyed using the acquired field condition information of multiple types. (Note 18) A computer program as described in Note 15, which uses a clustering method to set up multiple areas. (Note 19) A computer program as described in Note 15, which calculates the variance of field conditions by statistically processing field condition information in each of multiple sub-regions set in advance separately from the area to be set in the field to be surveyed, and when a sub-region whose calculated variance value is above a threshold is detected as a large variance region, if the large variance region overlaps with the area, which further causes the computer to perform the process of removing the large variance region from the area and changing the range of the area so that the large variance region is not included in the area.(Note 20) The computer program described in Note 15, which further causes the computer to perform the following processes: calculating a route that visits multiple sampling points as a survey route when multiple sampling points have been determined, and outputting proposed information including the sampling area, sampling points, and survey route. (Note 21) The computer program described in Note 20, which further causes the computer to perform the following processes: acquiring location information transmitted from a mobile terminal device carried by the survey executor, and guiding the survey executor according to the survey route calculated using said location information.

[0068] Although the present disclosure has been described above with reference to embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above. Various modifications to the structure and details of the present disclosure can be made as can be understood by those skilled in the art within the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, each embodiment can be combined with other embodiments as appropriate.

[0069] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2025-007518, filed on 20 January 2025, and incorporates all of its disclosures herein.

[0070] 1.50 Proposal device 11.51 Acquisition unit 12.52 Setting unit 13.53 Selection unit 14.54 Output unit 15 Modification unit 16 Route calculation unit 17 Guidance unit

Claims

1. A proposal device comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires field condition information representing the field conditions related to crop cultivation at multiple points in the field to be surveyed; a setting unit that sets up multiple areas in the field to be surveyed using information on the distribution of field conditions obtained from the acquired field condition information; a selection unit that selects from the set up multiple areas that satisfy pre-defined area selection requirements as sampling areas to be surveyed; and an output unit that outputs information representing the selected sampling areas as proposal information.

2. The proposal device according to claim 1, wherein the selection unit further determines locations in the selected sampling area that satisfy the pre-given survey location requirements as sampling locations, and the output unit outputs proposal information including the sampling locations in addition to the sampling area.

3. The proposed device according to claim 1, wherein the acquisition unit acquires multiple types of field condition information that are different from each other, and the setting unit sets multiple areas in the field to be surveyed using the acquired multiple types of field condition information.

4. The proposed device according to claim 1, wherein the setting unit sets up multiple areas using a clustering method.

5. The proposed device according to claim 1, further comprising a modification unit that calculates the variance of field conditions by statistically processing information on the field conditions in each of a plurality of pre-set sub-regions separate from the area set by the setting unit in the field to be surveyed, and when a sub-region whose calculated variance value is greater than or equal to a threshold is detected as a large variance region, and if the large variance region overlaps with the area set by the setting unit, the modification unit further comprises a modification unit that removes the large variance region from the area and modifies the range of the area so that the large variance region is not included in the area.

6. The proposal device according to claim 2, further comprising a route calculation unit that calculates a route around multiple sampling points as a survey route when multiple sampling points are determined by the selection unit, wherein the output unit outputs proposal information including a sampling area, sampling points and a survey route.

7. The proposed device according to claim 6, further comprising a guidance unit that acquires location information transmitted from a mobile terminal device carried by the survey executor, and guides the survey executor according to the survey route calculated by the route calculation unit using said location information.

8. A proposed method comprising: using a computer to acquire field condition information representing the field conditions related to crop cultivation at multiple points within the field to be surveyed; using the distribution information of field conditions obtained from the acquired field condition information to set up multiple areas within the field to be surveyed; selecting from the set up multiple areas an area that satisfies pre-defined area selection requirements as the sampling area for the survey; and outputting information representing the selected sampling area as proposed information.

9. The proposed method according to claim 8, further comprising: using a computer to determine, in the selected sampling area, locations that satisfy the pre-given survey location requirements as sampling locations, and outputting proposed information including the sampling locations in addition to the sampling area.

10. The proposed method according to claim 8, further comprising: obtaining multiple types of field condition information that are different from each other using a computer; and setting up multiple areas in the field to be surveyed using the obtained multiple types of field condition information.

11. The proposed method according to claim 8, wherein the method for setting up multiple areas is to use a clustering method.

12. The proposed method according to claim 8, further comprising: calculating the variance of field conditions by statistically processing information on field conditions in each of several pre-set sub-regions separate from the area set for the field to be surveyed using a computer; detecting a sub-region where the calculated variance value is greater than or equal to a threshold as a large variance region; and if the large variance region overlaps with the area, removing the large variance region from the area and changing the range of the area so that the large variance region is not included in the area.

13. The proposed method according to claim 8, further comprising, when multiple sampling points are determined by a computer, calculating a route that visits these multiple sampling points as a survey route, and outputting proposed information including the sampling area, sampling points, and survey route.

14. The proposed method according to claim 13, further comprising: obtaining location information transmitted from a mobile terminal device carried by the survey executor using a computer; and guiding the survey executor according to a survey route calculated using said location information.

15. A computer program that causes a computer to perform the following steps: acquire field condition information representing the field conditions related to crop cultivation at multiple points in the field to be surveyed; use the distribution information of field conditions obtained from the acquired field condition information to set up multiple areas in the field to be surveyed; select from the set up multiple areas an area that satisfies pre-defined area selection requirements as a sampling area for the survey; and output information representing the selected sampling area as proposed information.

16. The computer program according to claim 15, which causes the computer to further perform the following processes: determining locations that satisfy pre-given survey location requirements as sampling locations within the selected sampling area; and outputting proposed information including the sampling locations in addition to the sampling area.

17. The computer program according to claim 15, which causes the computer to further perform the following processes: acquiring information on multiple different types of field conditions, and using the acquired information on multiple types of field conditions to set up multiple areas in the field to be surveyed.

18. The computer program according to claim 15, wherein the method for setting up multiple areas is to use a clustering method.

19. A computer program according to claim 15, which calculates the variance of field conditions by statistically processing information on field conditions in each of several pre-defined sub-regions separate from the area set for the field to be surveyed, and when a sub-region whose calculated variance value is greater than or equal to a threshold is detected as a large variance region, and if the large variance region overlaps with the area, causes the computer to further execute a process to change the range of the area so that the large variance region is not included in the area, by removing the large variance region from the area.

20. The computer program according to claim 15, which causes the computer to further perform the following processes when multiple sampling points have been determined: calculating a route that visits multiple sampling points as a survey route, and outputting proposed information including a sampling area, sampling points, and a survey route.

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