Route formulation device, route formulation method, and recording medium

Abstract

One purpose of the present disclosure is to provide a route formulation device, etc. capable of assisting efficient inspection of road equipment. A route formulation device according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises: an acquisition means for acquiring situation information, which is related to the situation in the surrounding of road equipment present in management areas; a calculation means for calculating an inspection priority for each management area on the basis of the situation information; a determination means for determining, for each management area in accordance with the inspection priority, a coverage rate indicating a percentage of the management area to be patrolled; a generation means for generating, on the basis of the coverage rate, a route for patrolling a plurality of the management areas; and an output means for outputting information indicating the generated route.

Description

Route planning device, route planning method, and recording medium

[0001] This disclosure relates to a route planning device, a route planning method, and a recording medium.

[0002] To prevent accidents such as damage, collapse, and fires to utility poles and other equipment, inspections are sometimes conducted by patrolling the facilities. Technologies exist to support such inspections.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a management system for creating inspection plans for inspection targets within multiple management areas. Specifically, Patent Document 1 describes predicting the inspection priority for each piece of equipment to be inspected, using the predicted inspection priority to determine the optimal combination of inspection intervals and individual inspection groups for each inspection area, and outputting this combination as an inspection plan.

[0004] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2013-025346

[0005] Road infrastructure such as utility poles can be numerous and spread over a wide area. When inspecting such road infrastructure, inspecting each location individually could lead to an increase in the amount of work required.

[0006] Patent Document 1 describes using a predicted inspection priority for each piece of equipment to be inspected. However, if only equipment with a high inspection priority is inspected, the time and other costs required for each piece of road equipment, which is spread over a wide area and is numerous, may increase. In other words, the inspection may become inefficient.

[0007] One of the purposes of this disclosure is to address the above-mentioned issues and to provide a route planning device, etc., that can support the efficient inspection of road facilities.

[0008] A route planning device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: an acquisition means for acquiring situation information, which is information relating to the surrounding conditions of road facilities in a management area; a calculation means for calculating inspection priorities for each management area based on the situation information; a determination means for determining a coverage rate, which indicates the proportion of the management area that should be patrolled, according to the inspection priorities for each management area; a generation means for generating a route that patrols a plurality of management areas based on the coverage rate; and an output means for outputting information indicating the generated route.

[0009] A route planning method according to one aspect of this disclosure acquires situation information, which is information related to the surrounding conditions of road facilities in a management area; calculates inspection priority for each management area based on the situation information; determines a coverage rate for each management area, which indicates the proportion of the management area that should be patrolled, according to the inspection priority; generates a route that patrols multiple management areas based on the coverage rate; and outputs information indicating the generated route.

[0010] A computer-readable recording medium according to one aspect of this disclosure stores a program that causes a computer to perform the following steps: a process of acquiring situation information, which is information relating to the surrounding conditions of road facilities in a management area; a process of calculating inspection priorities for each management area based on the situation information; a process of determining a coverage rate, which indicates the proportion of the management area that should be patrolled, for each management area according to the inspection priorities; a process of generating a route for patrolling a plurality of management areas based on the coverage rate; and a process of outputting information indicating the generated route.

[0011] According to this disclosure, it is possible to support the efficient inspection of road infrastructure.

[0012] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of a configuration including the route planning device of this disclosure. This is a first block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the route planning device of this disclosure. This is a first flowchart explaining an example of the operation of the route planning device of this disclosure. This is a schematic diagram showing an example of a configuration including the route planning device of this disclosure. This is a second block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the route planning device of this disclosure. This is an example of the coverage rate determination table of this disclosure. This is a second flowchart explaining an example of the operation of the route planning device of this disclosure. This is a first diagram showing an example of the output information of this disclosure. This is a second diagram showing an example of the output information of this disclosure. This is a third diagram showing an example of the output information of this disclosure. This is a fourth diagram showing an example of the output information of this disclosure. This is a fifth diagram showing an example of the output information of this disclosure. This is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the computer device constituting the route planning device of this disclosure.

[0013] Embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0014] <First Embodiment> An overview of the route planning device of the first embodiment will be described.

[0015] In this disclosure, the route planning device can be applied in situations where road facilities are inspected in multiple areas where multiple road facilities exist. Here, facilities installed around a road are referred to as road facilities. Road facilities are, for example, utility poles. Road facilities may also include power lines. However, road facilities are not limited to these examples and may also include, for example, signs, billboards, signals, and information boards. The area where road facilities exist is divided into areas. Such areas are also referred to as management areas. That is, road facilities exist in management areas, and there may be multiple management areas. For example, a management area may be a sub-area within a region where road facilities exist, which is under the jurisdiction of the road facility manager.

[0016] For example, an administrator may patrol multiple road facilities within their jurisdiction for inspection. In this case, the administrator may travel by vehicle or other mobile vehicle. As an example, the route planning device in this disclosure may be a device capable of presenting a patrol route within the area of ​​jurisdiction to the administrator in such a situation.

[0017] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a configuration including a route planning device. In the example in Figure 1, the route planning device 100 may be connected to the terminal device 200 via a wireless or wired network for communication. The route planning device 100 may also be able to communicate with other devices not shown. The route planning device 100 is, for example, a server device, but is not limited to this example. The route planning device 100 may be implemented as a cloud server. Furthermore, the route planning device 100 may be constructed from multiple devices.

[0018] The terminal device 200 is a device with an input / output interface that is operated by a person. The terminal device 200 may be a device operated by the manager of road facilities. For example, the terminal device 200 may be a personal computer, a smartphone, or a tablet terminal, but is not limited to these examples. The terminal device 200 may also be an in-vehicle device such as a car navigation system mounted on a mobile vehicle. The terminal device 200 may be a device that can input information to the route planning device 100 or output information output from the route planning device 100.

[0019] The route planning device 100 and the terminal device 200 may be an integrated device. For example, the route planning device 100 may be a device implemented in the terminal device 200.

[0020] Next, an example of the functional configuration of the route planning device 100 will be described.

[0021] Figure 2 is a first block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the route planning device 100. The route planning device 100 comprises an acquisition unit 110, a calculation unit 120, a determination unit 130, a generation unit 140, and an output unit 150.

[0022] The acquisition unit 110 acquires status information of road facilities located in the management area. The status information is information related to the surrounding conditions of the road facilities. An example of status information is tree information. Tree information is information about the relationship between road facilities and trees near them. When road facilities and trees are in contact, the risk of damage, collapse, and fire of the road facilities increases. Tree information can also be said to be information related to the risk of contact between road facilities and trees. Tree information is not limited to this example.

[0023] Another example of situational information is positional relationship information. Positional relationship information is information about the positional relationship between road facilities and other structures. For example, utility poles can be said to be elements that make up the power transmission network. In this case, utility poles that are closer to the power source are likely to be more important. Positional relationship information may include information indicating where road facilities are located within the power transmission network. Also, if an accident occurs with road facilities, it may affect facilities in the vicinity of the road facilities. In this case, the more important the surrounding facilities are, the more important the road facilities can be said to be. Positional relationship information may include information about the presence or absence of important facilities near the road facilities. Positional relationship information is not limited to these examples.

[0024] Another example of situational information is inquiry information. Inquiry information is information about the status of road facilities reported by a designated person. For example, inquiry information may be information indicating the content of an inquiry about road facilities made by a third party other than the road facility manager.

[0025] Such situational information may be stored in one or more databases beforehand. For example, the situational information may be stored in association with information that identifies road facilities. The acquisition unit 110 may acquire situational information regarding road facilities present in the management area from each of the multiple databases.

[0026] In this way, the acquisition unit 110 acquires situational information, which is information related to the surrounding conditions of road facilities present in the management area. The acquisition unit 110 is an example of an acquisition means.

[0027] The calculation unit 120 calculates the inspection priority for each management area. The inspection priority is an indicator of the necessity of inspection for the management area. The inspection priority may be shown numerically or in multiple stages. For example, a higher inspection priority may indicate a greater need for inspection of the road facilities. The calculation unit 120 calculates the inspection priority based on the status information. Specifically, the calculation unit 120 calculates the inspection priority for a management area using the status information of the road facilities present in that management area.

[0028] The calculation unit 120 may calculate the inspection priority by inputting the status information into a calculation model for calculating the inspection priority. In this case, the calculation model may be a calculation formula that uses the values ​​of each evaluation item to calculate a value indicating the inspection priority, with each piece of information included in the status information being an evaluation item. Alternatively, the calculation model may be a model that outputs the inspection priority depending on whether the information included in the status information satisfies predetermined conditions. In this case, the inspection priority may be determined for each condition that the information included in the status information satisfies. Note that the method for calculating the inspection priority is not limited to this example. The calculation unit 120 may consider the value output by the calculation model as the inspection priority.

[0029] In this way, the calculation unit 120 calculates the inspection priority for each management area based on the situation information. The calculation unit 120 is an example of a calculation means.

[0030] The decision unit 130 determines the proportion of each management area to be patrolled according to the inspection priority. Here, the proportion to be patrolled within a management area is also called the coverage rate. The coverage rate may be the proportion of road facilities to be patrolled among the road facilities present in the management area. Alternatively, the coverage rate may be the ratio of the distance to be patrolled to the total distance of roads within the management area. The coverage rate is not limited to these examples. The coverage rate may also be information indicating the proportion of the area to be patrolled within the management area.

[0031] The coverage rate may be determined in accordance with the inspection priority. For example, there is a coverage rate setting table in which inspection priority values are associated with coverage rates. The determining unit 130 may refer to the coverage rate setting table and determine the coverage rate corresponding to the calculated inspection priority as the coverage rate for the management area for which the inspection priority is calculated. The method of determining the coverage rate is not limited to this example.

[0032] As described above, the determining unit 130 determines, for each management area in accordance with the inspection priority, a coverage rate indicating the proportion of the management area that should be patrolled. The determining unit 130 is an example of a determining means.

[0033] The generating unit 140 generates a route for patrolling through management areas based on the coverage rate. Specifically, the generating unit 140 generates a route that satisfies the coverage rate for the management areas. For example, assume that a coverage rate of 80% is determined for one management area. In this case, the generating unit 140 generates a route having a coverage rate of 80% or more for said one management area.

[0034] The generating unit 140 also generates a route that patrols a plurality of management areas. That is, the generating unit 140 generates a route spanning a plurality of management areas so as to satisfy the coverage rate of each management area.

[0035] As described above, the generating unit 140 generates a route for patrolling a plurality of management areas based on the coverage rate. The generating unit 140 is an example of a generating means.

[0036] The output unit 150 outputs the generated route. For example, the output unit 150 outputs the generated route to the terminal device 200. Accordingly, information including the generated route may be displayed on the terminal device 200.

[0037] As described above, the output unit 150 outputs information indicating the generated route. The output unit 150 is an example of an output means.

[0038] Next, an example of the operation of the route planning apparatus 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a first flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the route planning apparatus 100. In the present disclosure, each step in a flowchart is expressed using a number assigned to each step, such as "S1".

[0039] The acquiring unit 110 acquires situation information, which is information related to the surrounding situation of road facilities existing in a management area (S1).

[0040] The calculating unit 120 calculates an inspection priority for each management area based on the situation information (S2).

[0041] The determining unit 130 determines, for each management area according to the inspection priority, a coverage rate indicating a proportion of the management area that should be patrolled (S3).

[0042] The generating unit 140 generates a route that patrols a plurality of management areas based on the coverage rate (S4).

[0043] The output unit 150 outputs information indicating the generated route (S5).

[0044] As described above, the route planning apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment acquires situation information that is information related to the surrounding situation of road facilities existing in a management area. Further, the route planning apparatus 100 calculates an inspection priority for each management area based on the situation information, and determines, for each management area according to the inspection priority, a coverage rate indicating a proportion of the management area that should be patrolled. Then, the route planning apparatus 100 generates a route that patrols a plurality of management areas based on the coverage rate, and outputs information indicating the generated route.

[0045] Accordingly, the route planning apparatus 100 can present a route spanning a plurality of management areas in which an appropriate inspection amount for each management area is defined. In other words, the route planning apparatus 100 can prompt a user such as a road facility manager to perform an inspection with an appropriate inspection amount for a plurality of management areas. That is, the route planning apparatus 100 can support efficient inspection of road facilities.

[0046] <Second Embodiment> Next, a route planning device according to a second embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment, further examples relating to the route planning device 100 described in the first embodiment will be described. Note that some explanations that overlap with the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0047] In this embodiment, an example is described in which the road infrastructure is a utility pole. However, the road infrastructure is not limited to this example. Furthermore, in this embodiment, an example is described in which the route generated by the route planning device is a route taken when an administrator patrols using a mobile vehicle. An example of a mobile vehicle is an automobile. Note that the generated route and mobile vehicle are not limited to this example. For example, the route planning device may generate a route for when an administrator patrols on foot.

[0048] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a configuration including a route planning device 100. In the example in Figure 4, the route planning device 100 is communicated with a terminal device 200 and a server device 300.

[0049] Server device 300 is a device that manages status information. Server device 300 may function as a database server. There may be multiple server devices 300. If there are multiple server devices 300, each server device 300 may manage different status information.

[0050] Figure 5 is a second block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the route planning device 100. As shown in Figure 5, the route planning device 100 includes an acquisition unit 110, a calculation unit 120, a determination unit 130, a generation unit 140, and an output unit 150. The route planning device 100 also includes a reception unit 160. Furthermore, the route planning device 100 includes a storage device 190. Multiple storage devices 190 may be provided. The storage device 190 may be an external device capable of communicating with the route planning device 100.

[0051] The reception unit 160 accepts information input. The reception unit 160 is an example of a reception means. Specifically, the reception unit 160 accepts input from the user. For example, the user inputs various information using the input device of the terminal device 200. The terminal device 200 transmits the input information to the route planning device 100. The reception unit 160 accepts the information input by the user by acquiring the information transmitted from the terminal device 200.

[0052] For example, the reception unit 160 accepts input of a specified range from the user. The specified range is the area to be inspected. The specified range may also be specified on a management area basis. For example, the reception unit 160 may accept input of the management area under the jurisdiction of the road equipment management organization to which the user belongs as the specified range. The route planning device 100 generates a route for the management area within the input specified range. In other words, the specified range can also be said to be the range for which a route is generated.

[0053] Furthermore, for example, the reception unit 160 receives input of a starting point from the user. The starting point is information that will be the starting point of the generated route. The starting point may be within a specified range or outside a specified range. The starting point may also be a location where the mobile vehicle used for patrolling is waiting.

[0054] Furthermore, the reception unit 160 may accept input of additional information from the user. For example, the reception unit 160 may accept input such as the date and time the inspection will be performed, the duration of the inspection, the number of people performing the inspection, and the number of mobile units to be used. The date and time the inspection will be performed, the duration of the inspection, the number of people performing the inspection, and the number of mobile units to be used are examples of constraint information, which will be described later.

[0055] The acquisition unit 110 acquires status information. Specifically, the acquisition unit 110 may acquire status information based on information received by the reception unit 160. For example, the acquisition unit 110 may acquire status information for road facilities within a designated management area. In this case, the acquisition unit 110 may acquire information defined for each road facility as status information, or it may acquire information related to road facilities as status information.

[0056] One example of information defined for each road facility is information based on images that should capture the road facility. Road facilities may be monitored by taking photographs. For example, a vehicle equipped with a camera may travel along the road around the road facility and take photographs. In this case, the road facility will be captured in the images. Alternatively, it is possible to identify images that should capture the road facility based on the location information of the shooting point, the location information of the road facility, and the field of view. The administrator monitors the status of the road facility using such images. When such monitoring is performed, images that capture the road facility are stored in advance. The acquisition unit 110 may acquire information based on the stored images as status information.

[0057] One example of information based on captured images is the amount of trees surrounding road facilities. The amount of trees may be the proportion of trees visible in the captured image. More specifically, the amount of trees may be the proportion of the area occupied by trees in an image where road facilities should be visible. The greater the amount of trees in an image where road facilities should be visible, the higher the risk of accidents caused by trees occurring at those road facilities.

[0058] Another example of information based on captured images is the risk of trees contacting road infrastructure. Hereafter, the risk of trees contacting road infrastructure will also be simply referred to as "contact risk." Contact risk indicates the possibility of trees contacting road infrastructure. Contact risk may be information determined based on the road infrastructure area and the tree area in the captured image. The road infrastructure area is a portion of the captured image that includes the road infrastructure. The tree area is a portion of the captured image that includes the tree. Contact risk may be information determined according to the proportion of the tree area within the road infrastructure area. For example, the larger the proportion of the tree area within the road infrastructure area, the higher the contact risk. Therefore, a higher contact risk indicates a higher probability that the road infrastructure is in contact with a tree. In other words, a higher contact risk indicates a higher risk of an accident caused by a tree affecting the road infrastructure.

[0059] The information based on the captured images is not limited to these examples. For example, the information based on the captured images may be the distance between road infrastructure and tree trunks. In this case, the distance between road infrastructure and tree trunks may be the distance between the area of ​​road infrastructure and the area of ​​tree trunks in the captured image. The closer the distance between road infrastructure and tree trunks, the higher the risk of accidents caused by trees affecting road infrastructure.

[0060] Furthermore, the information based on the captured images may be the tree species. In this case, the tree species may be determined based on a learning model that has learned the relationship between captured images of trees and the tree species. Different tree species have different growth rates. For example, bamboo and vines grow faster than other types of trees. Fast-growing trees have a faster rate of impact on road infrastructure. In other words, road infrastructure located near fast-growing tree species has a high risk of accidents caused by trees. Also, vines can grow into gaps in components such as transformers on utility poles, causing accidents. Therefore, road infrastructure located near vines or other tree species has a high risk of accidents caused by trees.

[0061] Tree density, contact risk, distance between road facilities and tree trunks, and tree species are examples of tree information. Such tree information is stored in the server device 300 in association with road facility identification information. The acquisition unit 110 may acquire tree information associated with road facility identification information in a designated management area from the server device 300. In addition, each of the tree density, contact risk, distance between road facilities and tree trunks, and tree species may also include information on the date and time when each was determined. In this case, time-series information for each piece of information may also be stored. For example, historical information on contact risk determined for a given road facility may be stored in the server device 300. Furthermore, historical information on tree density determined for a given road facility may also be stored in the server device 300. Historical information on tree density corresponds to an example of information on tree growth rate. Note that tree information is not limited to these examples. Tree information may include the number of road facilities in the management area where the tree density is above a threshold, the number of road facilities where the contact risk is above a threshold, and the number of road facilities where the distance to the tree trunk is below a threshold. Furthermore, the tree information may include information indicating the vegetation in the entire or a portion of the management area.

[0062] Furthermore, the acquisition unit 110 acquires information regarding the positional relationship between road facilities and other structures within the designated management area. For example, the acquisition unit 110 acquires information about facilities surrounding road facilities. Facilities surrounding road facilities are also simply referred to as surrounding facilities. Information about surrounding facilities is stored in the server device 300 in advance, associated with the road facilities. This example is not limited to this; information about surrounding facilities may also be information extracted from map information. The more important the surrounding facilities are to a road facility, the more important the road facility itself can be said to be. Suppose the road facility is a utility pole. Research facilities, medical facilities, etc., can suffer significant damage if the power supply is cut off. Therefore, for example, if research facilities, medical facilities, etc. exist around a road facility, that road facility can be said to be more important than other road facilities.

[0063] Furthermore, the acquisition unit 110 acquires location information of road equipment within the power transmission network. Location information within the power transmission network indicates where the road equipment is located within the power transmission network. The closer the road equipment is to the power source or to the core part of the power transmission network, the more important it is. The location information within the power transmission network is stored in the server device 300 in advance, associated with the road equipment.

[0064] Information on surrounding facilities of road infrastructure and location information within the power grid are examples of location-related information. Such location-related information is stored in the server device 300 in association with the identification information of the road infrastructure. The acquisition unit 110 may acquire location-related information associated with the identification information of road infrastructure within a designated management area from the server device 300. Location-related information is not limited to these examples.

[0065] Furthermore, the acquisition unit 110 acquires inquiry information. When an abnormality occurs in road facilities, citizens or others may report that an abnormality has occurred. The inquiry information may include information indicating the content of such reports. The inquiry information is stored in the server device 300 in association with the identification information of the road facilities. The acquisition unit 110 may acquire inquiry information associated with the identification information of road facilities in the designated management area from the server device 300. The inquiry information is not limited to these examples.

[0066] The information acquired by the acquisition unit 110, such as tree information, positional information, and inquiry information, may be distributed and stored across multiple server devices 300. Alternatively, this information acquired by the acquisition unit 110 may also be stored in the storage device 190.

[0067] Furthermore, the acquisition unit 110 may acquire additional information. For example, the acquisition unit 110 may acquire disaster information within a specified range. The disaster information is information related to disasters. One example of disaster information is information indicating damage when a disaster occurs. For example, the disaster information may include information on seismic intensity and magnitude when an earthquake occurs, or may include information on damage status when floods, ground cracks, liquefaction, landslides and the like occur. Furthermore, one example of disaster information is prediction information of damage status caused by a disaster. For example, the disaster information may include information on hazard maps assuming the occurrence of earthquakes, floods and the like.

[0068] Furthermore, the acquisition unit 110 may acquire information indicating inspection histories of road facilities. The information indicating inspection histories includes information indicating dates and times of inspections performed on road facilities in the past. For example, a management area that has a larger number of road facilities for which the period without inspection is equal to or longer than a threshold needs to be inspected with higher priority.

[0069] The calculation unit 120 calculates an inspection priority for each management area based on situation information. Specifically, the calculation unit 120 inputs situation information corresponding to one management area into a calculation model. The calculation model is a model that outputs an inspection priority according to situation information. One example of the calculation model is a linear model. For example, the calculation model can be expressed as the following Math 1.

[0070] [Math 1] P = w １ a １ + w ２ a ２ + ... + w ｎ a ｎ

[0071] Here, n is a natural number. P indicates the inspection priority. w ｎ indicates a weight. a ｎ indicates an element based on the situation information. The element based on the situation information is information quantified for one type of information included in the situation information. For example, if a １ is an element indicating contact risk, then a １Values ​​corresponding to the level of contact risk are entered. In this case, information that is determined for each road facility, such as contact risk and tree density, may be treated as input elements for the model either as information for each road facility or as information that has been processed from the information for each road facility. For example, the information that has been processed from the information for each road facility may be the number or percentage of road facilities in the management area where the contact risk is above a threshold, or it may be the mean, median, and mode of contact risk for road facilities in the management area. The weights may differ for each element.

[0072] The calculation unit 120 calculates a value P, which indicates the inspection priority, for each management area using a calculation model. Then, the calculation unit 120 sets an inspection priority for each management area based on the calculated P. Specifically, the calculation unit 120 may set the calculated P as the inspection priority. Alternatively, the calculation unit 120 may set a level corresponding to the calculated P as the inspection priority for the management area. For example, suppose P is represented by a number from 0 to 100. In this case, the inspection priority may be set as follows: if P is from 0 to 25, inspection priority D; if from 26 to 50, inspection priority C; if from 51 to 75, inspection priority B; and if from 76 to 100, inspection priority A. Note that the method of expressing the inspection priority is not limited to these examples.

[0073] Furthermore, the calculation model is not limited to the example described above. For example, the calculation model may be one that calculates inspection priority depending on whether the elements included in the situation information meet predetermined conditions. For example, a threshold or condition may be set for each piece of information included in the situation information. The calculation model may be one that calculates inspection priority depending on the number of pieces of information that are above (or below) the threshold or that meet the conditions. Hereafter, being above (or below) the threshold or meeting the conditions will be referred to as "meeting predetermined conditions." For example, suppose the inspection priority is shown in four stages from A to D. If the number of pieces of information that meet the predetermined conditions is less than 3, the inspection priority may be D; if it is 3 or more but less than 5, the inspection priority may be C; if it is 5 or more but less than 7, the inspection priority may be B; and if it is 7 or more, the inspection priority may be A.

[0074] The method for calculating inspection priority is not limited to this example. Specifically, weights may be assigned to the information included in the situation information. In this case, the calculation unit 120 may calculate the inspection priority based on a score corresponding to the number of pieces of information that satisfy predetermined conditions. For example, suppose that the number of road facilities with a contact risk above a threshold is assigned a weight of 2, and the number of road facilities with surrounding facilities of high importance is assigned a weight of 1. In this case, if the number of road facilities with a contact risk above a threshold satisfies the predetermined conditions, the score is 2. Also, if the number of road facilities with surrounding facilities of high importance satisfies the predetermined conditions, the score is 1. The calculation unit 120 may calculate the inspection priority according to the sum of the scores calculated in this way.

[0075] Furthermore, for specific information included in the situation information, if predetermined conditions are met, a higher inspection priority may be calculated regardless of the content of other information. For example, if the number of road facilities with a contact risk above a threshold meets predetermined conditions, the calculation unit 120 may calculate an inspection priority of A, regardless of whether other information meets predetermined conditions. Also, for example, if there is at least one inquiry based on the inquiry information, the calculation unit 120 may set the inspection priority of the management area including the road facility that is the subject of the inquiry to A.

[0076] The calculation model described above is merely an example. The calculation model may utilize all of the situational information, or it may utilize only some of it. Furthermore, the method for calculating and expressing inspection priority is not limited to the example described above.

[0077] The determination unit 130 determines the coverage rate for each management area according to the inspection priority. The coverage rate indicates the proportion of the management area that should be patrolled. The determination unit 130 may determine the coverage rate based on a coverage rate setting table. Figure 6 is an example of a coverage rate determination table. As shown in Figure 6, the coverage rate determination table is information that associates inspection priority with coverage rate. Here, the coverage rate may be set to a different value depending on the level of inspection. In the example in Figure 6, the coverage rates for simple inspection, normal inspection, and detailed inspection are associated with the inspection priority. For example, for inspection priority A, the coverage rates associated are 60% for simple inspection, 80% for normal inspection, and 90% for detailed inspection. In this way, the criteria for determining the coverage rate may be set according to the level of inspection.

[0078] For example, suppose the inspection level is set to normal inspection. In this case, the determination unit 130 identifies the coverage rate for normal inspection that corresponds to the inspection priority calculated for each management area within the specified range, based on the coverage rate determination table. The determination unit 130 then determines the identified coverage rate as the coverage rate for each management area. In this way, the determination unit 130 may determine the coverage rate for each management area according to the required inspection level and inspection priority. The information indicating the inspection level may be information set by the user. In this case, the information indicating the inspection level may be obtained from the terminal device 200 or may be stored in advance in the storage device 190. In this way, the determination unit 130 may change the criteria for determining the coverage rate according to the inspection priority based on the input inspection level.

[0079] The generation unit 140 generates a route that patrols multiple management areas. Specifically, the generation unit 140 generates a route that satisfies the determined coverage rate for each of the multiple management areas within the specified range. In this case, the generation unit 140 may use the starting point information received by the reception unit 160. That is, the generation unit 140 may generate a route that starts from the received starting point.

[0080] For example, suppose there are two management areas within a specified range. In this case, suppose the coverage rate of the first management area is 80%, and the coverage rate of the second management area is 50%. In this case, the generation unit 140 generates a route that covers at least 80% of the first management area and at least 50% of the second management area.

[0081] Furthermore, the generation unit 140 may use constraint information when generating a route. Constraint information is information that indicates the constraints on route generation. An example of constraint information is information received by the reception unit 160, such as the date and time the inspection will be performed, the time required for the inspection, the number of people performing the inspection, and the number of mobile vehicles to be used. For example, suppose that of two management areas within a specified range, the coverage rate of the first management area is 80%, and the coverage rate of the second management area is 50%. And suppose the constraint information includes information indicating that the time required for the inspection is 6 hours. In this case, the generation unit 140 will generate a route that covers 80% or more of the first management area and 50% or more of the second management area within 6 hours. The constraint information may include two or more constraint conditions. That is, the generation unit 140 may generate a route using multiple constraint conditions. The algorithm for the route generation process may be a known pathfinding algorithm. Also, for example, the generation unit 140 may perform the route generation process using an optimization problem algorithm.

[0082] The output unit 150 outputs various information to the terminal device 200. The output unit 150 outputs information indicating the generated route. At this time, the output unit 150 may output information superimposed on a map with the generated route. Alternatively, the output unit 150 may output information indicating the generated route, showing the starting point and the points where right or left turns occur in sequence.

[0083] Furthermore, the output unit 150 may output an interface for receiving user input. For example, the output unit 150 may display an interface on the terminal device 200 that accepts input of a specified range, starting point, and constraint information. The output unit 150 may output further information, although these are not limited to these examples. Specific examples will be described later.

[0084] Next, an example of the operation of the route planning device 100 will be explained using Figure 7. Figure 7 is a second flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the route planning device 100. In this example, the route planning device 100 acquires information input from the user via the terminal device 200 and performs various processing. In this example, the information output by the route planning device 100 is displayed on the terminal device 200.

[0085] The reception unit 160 accepts input of various types of information (S101). For example, the reception unit 160 accepts input from the user within a specified range. At this time, the output unit 150 outputs an interface on which information can be input to the terminal device 200. The interface is then displayed on the terminal device 200. The information output to the terminal device 200 by the output unit 150 is also called output information.

[0086] Figure 8 is the first diagram showing an example of output information. In this example, an interface is shown that allows selection of 12 management areas. In this example, management areas 1 to 3 are selected. Furthermore, a map showing the selected management areas 1 to 3 is displayed. Thus, the output unit 150 may output map information showing the management areas input as a specified range. The output unit 150 may also highlight the range on the map that shows the selected management areas. In the example in Figure 8, the ground ranges showing each of management areas 1 to 3 are hatched.

[0087] In this example, the user is asked to select a management area as input for the specified range, but the method of inputting the specified range is not limited to this example. For example, the user may be asked to operate a map and indicate the area on the map that will be the specified range. In this case, the reception unit 160 may accept input for the specified range by receiving the user's operation to specify the area on the map.

[0088] Furthermore, in the processing of S101, the reception unit 160 may accept input of information indicating the starting point and constraint information. At this time, the output unit 150 outputs an interface on which information can be input to the terminal device 200. Figure 9 is a second diagram showing an example of output information. Figure 9 may be an example of a display screen that transitions to after a specified range has been entered in the example of Figure 8. In the example of Figure 9, an interface on which information indicating the starting point and constraint information can be input is shown. For example, "Business Office A" is entered as the starting point. At this time, the location indicating Business Office A is shown on the map. In this way, the output unit 150 may superimpose the input information indicating the starting point onto the map. In addition, the date and time of inspection, the required time, and the number of vehicles are entered as constraint information. In the example of Figure 9, when the "Start" button is selected, the route planning device 100 may proceed with processing. Note that the interface on which information can be input is not limited to the examples of Figures 8 and 9. For example, in the processing of S101, the reception unit 160 may accept input of information indicating the level of inspection.

[0089] The acquisition unit 110 acquires status information corresponding to the specified range (S102). Specifically, it acquires status information related to road facilities in the management area of ​​the specified range input in the processing of S101 from the server device 300, etc.

[0090] The calculation unit 120 calculates the inspection priority for each management area (S103). For example, the calculation unit 120 calculates the inspection priority for each management area using the status information related to the road facilities within the management area and the calculation model.

[0091] The determination unit 130 determines the coverage rate for each management area (S104). For example, the determination unit 130 uses a coverage rate determination table to determine the coverage rate corresponding to the inspection priority calculated for the management area as the coverage rate for that management area.

[0092] The generation unit 140 generates a route (S105). For example, the generation unit 140 generates a route that patrols multiple management areas within a specified range, based on the coverage rate and constraint information.

[0093] The output unit 150 outputs information indicating the route (S106). For example, the output unit 150 may output information with the generated route superimposed on a map. Figure 10 is a third figure showing an example of the output information. In the example in Figure 10, an arrow indicating the route starting from starting point A is superimposed on the map. In this example, the input constraint information and the inspection priority of each management area are also shown. Thus, the output unit 150 may output the calculated inspection priority for each management area within the specified range.

[0094] Please note that this example of operation is merely one example. The operation of the route planning device 100 is not limited to the example described above.

[0095] As described above, the route planning device 100 of the second embodiment acquires situation information, which is information related to the surrounding conditions of road facilities present in the management area. The route planning device 100 also calculates the inspection priority for each management area based on the situation information, and determines the coverage rate for each management area, which indicates the proportion of the management area that should be patrolled, according to the inspection priority. Then, the route planning device 100 generates a route that patrols multiple management areas based on the coverage rate, and outputs information indicating the generated route.

[0096] As a result, the route planning device 100 can present a route that spans multiple management areas, with appropriate inspection quantities determined for each management area. In other words, the route planning device 100 can encourage users, such as road facility managers, to perform inspections with appropriate quantities for multiple management areas. That is, the route planning device 100 can support the efficient inspection of road facilities.

[0097] Furthermore, the status information may include at least one of the following: tree information, which is information regarding the relationship between road facilities within the management area and trees near the road facilities; positional relationship information, which is information regarding the positional relationship between road facilities within the management area and other structures; and inquiry information, which is information regarding the reported status of road facilities within the management area.

[0098] Based on tree information, positional information, and inquiry information, the level of risk of accidents that may occur around road facilities can be estimated. In other words, the route planning device 100 can calculate inspection priorities based on the risk of accidents that may occur around road facilities.

[0099] Furthermore, the status information may include information indicating the inspection history of road facilities. This allows the route planning device 100 to calculate a higher inspection priority for management areas that include road facilities that have not been inspected for a certain period of time.

[0100] Furthermore, the route planning device 100 accepts constraint information as input. In this case, the constraint information may be information indicating constraint conditions relating to at least one of the inspection date and time, required date and time, and the number of mobile objects that can be patrolled. Based on the constraint information, the route planning device 100 can generate a route that satisfies the constraint conditions. In this way, the route planning device 100 can generate a route that takes into account the user's requests.

[0101] Furthermore, the route planning device 100 may accept input of inspection levels. The route planning device 100 may then change the criteria for determining coverage rates according to inspection priority based on the input inspection levels. For example, the route planning device 100 may change the coverage rate according to inspection priority depending on whether the inspection level is a simple inspection or a regular inspection. This allows the route planning device 100 to generate routes that better reflect the user's requirements.

[0102] (Modification 1) The route planning device 100 may generate a route that patrols predetermined locations within the management area.

[0103] For example, the route planning device 100 may generate a route that visits locations specified by the user. In this case, the reception unit 160 receives input from the user regarding the locations to be visited. Specifically, in the processing of S101, the reception unit 160 may receive input regarding the locations to be visited when it receives input regarding constraint information. That is, the reception unit 160 may receive input regarding the locations to be visited as constraint information.

[0104] Figure 11 is a fourth figure showing an example of output information. Figure 11 may be an example of a display screen that transitions to after a specified range is entered in the example of Figure 8. In the example of Figure 11, an interface is shown in which starting point information and constraint information can be entered. In particular, in this example, the input field for constraint information is labeled "Specified Location". The Specified Location indicates the locations to be visited, which are entered by the user. For example, the user enters the Specified Location by selecting a desired location on the map. The reception unit 160 accepts the input of the Specified Location as input of locations to be visited.

[0105] The generation unit 140 uses constraint information when generating a route. If the constraint information includes locations that should be visited, the generation unit 140 generates a route that visits those locations.

[0106] Thus, the constraint information may include constraints relating to at least one of the following: the date and time of inspection, the locations to be inspected, the required date and time, and the number of mobile objects that can be inspected. This allows the route planning device 100 to generate a route that better meets the user's needs.

[0107] Furthermore, as an example of generating a route to patrol specific locations, the route planning device 100 may generate a route to patrol the road facilities to be inspected, which have been determined based on the situation information.

[0108] In this case, the calculation unit 120 calculates the equipment priority for each road facility within the management area. The equipment priority indicates the priority of each road facility within the management area that should be inspected. The calculation unit 120 calculates the equipment priority using the status information. At this time, the calculation unit 120 may calculate the equipment priority using a calculation model that outputs the equipment priority according to the status information, similar to the inspection priority. For example, the calculation unit 120 may calculate the equipment priority using a linear model like that shown in Equation 2.

[0109] [Math 2] Q = x １ b １ +x ２ b ２ +...+x ｎ b ｎ

[0110] Q indicates equipment priority. x ｎ b indicates the weight. ｎ b indicates elements based on situational information. ｎ This is information that is determined for each type of road equipment within the context of the situation.

[0111] Alternatively, the calculation model may be one that calculates equipment priority based on whether the elements included in the situation information meet predetermined conditions. For example, a threshold or condition may be set for each piece of information included in the situation information. The calculation model may be one that calculates equipment priority based on the number of pieces of information that are greater than (or less than) the threshold or that meet the conditions. Furthermore, the pieces of information included in the situation information may be weighted. In this case, the calculation unit 120 may calculate equipment priority based on a score corresponding to the number of pieces of information that meet predetermined conditions.

[0112] Furthermore, for specific information included in the situation information, if predetermined conditions are met, the equipment priority may be calculated to be higher regardless of the content of other information. For example, if the contact risk is above a threshold, the calculation unit 120 may calculate a higher equipment priority regardless of whether other information meets predetermined conditions. Also, for example, if there is at least one inquiry based on the inquiry information, the calculation unit 120 may calculate a higher equipment priority for the road equipment that is the subject of the inquiry. Moreover, for example, the calculation unit 120 may calculate a higher equipment priority for road equipment that has not been inspected for a certain period of time based on information indicating the inspection history.

[0113] Thus, the calculation unit 120 may calculate equipment priority based on the situation information, indicating the priority of each road facility within the management area that should be inspected.

[0114] The decision unit 130 determines which road facilities to inspect based on their priority. For example, the decision unit 130 may determine which road facilities to inspect are those whose priority is equal to or greater than a threshold. Alternatively, the decision unit 130 may determine which road facilities to inspect are those with the highest priority. An upper limit may be set on the number of road facilities to be inspected. That is, the decision unit 130 may determine which road facilities to inspect within a range that does not exceed the upper limit.

[0115] Thus, the decision unit 130 may determine which road facilities within the management area should be inspected based on the priority of the facilities.

[0116] The generation unit 140 generates a route for inspecting road facilities to be inspected. Specifically, the generation unit 140 may generate a route for inspecting road facilities to be inspected in each of the multiple management areas within the designated range, satisfying the determined coverage rate and constraint conditions.

[0117] Thus, the route planning device 100 may calculate equipment priority based on the situation information, indicating the priority of each road facility within the management area that should be inspected. The route planning device 100 may also determine which road facilities within the management area should be inspected based on the equipment priority. The route planning device 100 may then generate a route that visits the determined road facilities to be inspected.

[0118] This helps to reduce the likelihood of overlooking road infrastructure that is at high risk of accidents during inspections.

[0119] Further information may be used to calculate the equipment priority. For example, the acquisition unit 110 acquires weather information in the management area indicated within the specified range. The weather information may be weather information at the time of inspection, or weather information for a certain period leading up to the time of inspection.

[0120] The calculation unit 120 may also use weather information to calculate equipment priority. For example, after snowfall, snow may accumulate on and around road facilities. Excessive snow accumulation can cause road facilities and trees to collapse, potentially leading to accidents. Therefore, road facilities installed in areas where heavy snowfall is predicted should be inspected. Accordingly, the calculation unit 120 may calculate a higher equipment priority for road facilities installed in areas where the amount of snowfall is above a threshold, or where the predicted amount of snowfall is above a threshold.

[0121] Furthermore, for example, lightning strikes can damage road infrastructure and trees. Therefore, road infrastructure installed in locations where lightning has struck or where lightning is likely to occur should be inspected. Accordingly, the calculation unit 120 may calculate a higher priority for road infrastructure installed in locations where lightning has struck, road infrastructure with a lightning rod nearby, road infrastructure installed at high elevations, and road infrastructure with trees at high elevations or nearby trees that are taller than a predetermined value.

[0122] Thus, the route planning device 100 may acquire weather information in the management area. Then, based on the situation information and the weather information, the route planning device 100 may calculate the priority of each road facility within the management area.

[0123] (Modification 2) Multiple calculation models for inspection priority may exist. For example, the route planning device 100 may use different calculation models depending on the situation. Specifically, the route planning device 100 may use different calculation models depending on the purpose of the inspection.

[0124] In this case, the reception unit 160 accepts input of information indicating the purpose of the inspection. Examples of inspection purposes include periodic inspections and emergency inspections. An example of an emergency inspection is an inspection to confirm the extent of damage after a disaster.

[0125] The calculation unit 120 calculates the inspection priority using a calculation model that outputs the inspection priority according to the situation information. At this time, the calculation unit 120 uses a calculation model that corresponds to the purpose of the inspection. For example, in periodic inspections, a calculation model that gives a large weight to tree information may be used. In emergency inspections, a calculation model that gives a large weight to positional relationship information may be used. Here, calculation models corresponding to each inspection purpose may be set in advance. In this case, the calculation unit 120 may select a calculation model from among the multiple calculation models that corresponds to the input inspection purpose. Then, the calculation unit 120 may calculate the inspection priority using the selected calculation model. Alternatively, the calculation unit 120 may set the calculation model according to the purpose of the inspection. Specifically, the calculation unit 120 may change the weights of the calculation model according to the input inspection purpose.

[0126] Thus, the route planning device 100 may accept input of information indicating the purpose of the inspection. The route planning device 100 may then calculate the inspection priority using different calculation models depending on the purpose of the inspection. This allows the route planning device 100 to generate an appropriate route according to the purpose of the inspection.

[0127] (Variation 3) The route planning device 100 may output further information. For example, the route planning device 100 may output the information used to calculate the inspection priority.

[0128] For example, the output unit 150 outputs the content of the status information used to calculate the inspection priority for each management area within the specified range. Figure 12 is the fifth figure showing an example of the output information. In the example in Figure 12, the inspection priorities for management areas 1 to 3 within the specified range are shown. The content of the status information for management area 1 is also shown. Specifically, it is shown that there are X road facilities with a "high" contact risk in management area 1, and that there are Y inquiries.

[0129] In the example shown in Figure 12, the cursor is superimposed over the area of ​​management area 1 on the map. The cursor is operated by the user. In this way, the output unit 150 may output the content of the status information for the management area selected by the user's operation.

[0130] At this time, the output unit 150 may output situational information that forms the basis for calculating the inspection priority. For example, the output unit 150 identifies information from the situational information that satisfies predetermined conditions and whose weight in the calculation model is equal to or greater than a threshold as the situational information that forms the basis for calculating the inspection priority. The output unit 150 may then output the identified situational information.

[0131] In this way, the route planning device 100 may output information for each management area that indicates the inspection priority and the content of the status information used to calculate the inspection priority. This allows the route planning device 100 to provide the user with information that influenced the calculation of the inspection priority.

[0132] <Examples of Hardware Configuration of Route Planning Device> The hardware constituting the route planning device of the first and second embodiments described above will now be explained. Figure 13 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the computer device constituting the route planning device in each embodiment. The computer device 90 realizes the route planning device and route planning method described in each embodiment and each modified example. For example, the route planning device etc. described in each embodiment and each modified example may have the hardware configuration shown in Figure 13.

[0133] As shown in Figure 13, the computer device 90 includes a processor 91, RAM (Random Access Memory) 92, ROM (Read Only Memory) 93, storage device 94, input / output interface 95, bus 96, and drive device 97. Note that the route planning device and the like may be implemented by multiple electrical circuits.

[0134] The storage device 94 stores the program (computer program) 98. The processor 91 executes the program 98 of the route planning device using the RAM 92. Specifically, for example, the program 98 includes a program that causes the computer to execute the processes shown in Figures 3 and 7. The functions of each component of the route planning device are realized in response to the processor 91 executing the program 98. The program 98 may also be stored in the ROM 93. Alternatively, the program 98 may be recorded on the recording medium 80 and read using the drive device 97, or it may be transmitted to the computer device 90 from an external device (not shown) via a network (not shown).

[0135] The input / output interface 95 exchanges data with peripheral devices (keyboard, mouse, display device, etc.) 99. The input / output interface 95 functions as a means of acquiring or outputting data. The bus 96 connects each component.

[0136] Furthermore, there are various variations in how route planning devices can be implemented. For example, each component included in a route planning device can be implemented as a dedicated device. Also, each route planning device can be implemented based on a combination of multiple devices.

[0137] The processing method for recording a program to realize each configuration in the function of each embodiment on a recording medium, reading the program recorded on the recording medium as code, and executing it on a computer is also included in the scope of each embodiment. In other words, a computer-readable recording medium is also included in the scope of each embodiment. Furthermore, the recording medium on which the above-mentioned program is recorded, and the program itself, are also included in each embodiment.

[0138] The recording medium in question is, but is not limited to, a floppy disk, hard disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, CD (Compact Disc)-ROM, magnetic tape, non-volatile memory card, or ROM. Furthermore, the programs recorded on the recording medium are not limited to programs that perform processing independently, but also include programs that operate on the OS (Operating System) in cooperation with other software and the functions of expansion boards to perform processing, and these are also included in the scope of each embodiment.

[0139] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Various modifications to the structure and details of the present invention can be made within the scope of the present invention as can be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0140] Furthermore, the above embodiments and variations can be combined as appropriate.

[0141] Some or all of the above embodiments may also be described as follows, but are not limited to these.

[0142] <Note> [Note 1] A route planning device comprising: an acquisition means for acquiring situation information which is information relating to the surrounding conditions of road facilities present in a management area; a calculation means for calculating inspection priorities for each management area based on the situation information; a determination means for determining a coverage rate which indicates the proportion of the management area that should be patrolled according to the inspection priorities for each management area; a generation means for generating a route that patrols a plurality of management areas based on the coverage rate; and an output means for outputting information indicating the generated route.

[0143] [Note 2] The route planning device according to Note 1, wherein the status information includes at least one of the following: tree information, which is information relating to the relationship between road facilities and trees near the road facilities within the management area; positional relationship information, which is information relating to the positional relationship between road facilities and other structures within the management area; and inquiry information, which is information relating to the reported state of road facilities within the management area.

[0144] [Appendix 3] A route planning device according to Appendix 1 or 2, comprising a receiving means for receiving input of constraint information, wherein the constraint information includes constraint conditions relating to at least one of the following: inspection date and time, locations to be patrolled, required date and time, and the number of mobile bodies that can be patrolled, and the generating means generates the route that satisfies the constraint conditions.

[0145] [Note 4] The route planning device according to any one of Notes 1 to 3, wherein the calculation means calculates equipment priority indicating the priority of each road facility to be inspected within the management area based on the status information, the determination means determines which road facilities within the management area should be inspected based on the equipment priority, and the generation means generates the route that tours the determined road facilities to be inspected.

[0146] [Note 5] A route planning device according to any one of Notes 1 to 4, comprising a receiving means for receiving input of information indicating the purpose of inspection, wherein the calculation means calculates the inspection priority using a calculation model that outputs the inspection priority according to the status information, and the calculation means calculates the inspection priority using a different calculation model according to the purpose of inspection.

[0147] [Note 6] The coverage rate is the proportion of road facilities that should be patrolled among the road facilities present in the management area, as described in any one of Notes 1 to 5, for the route planning device.

[0148] [Note 7] The route planning device according to any one of Notes 1 to 5, wherein the coverage rate indicates the ratio of the distance to be patrolled to the total distance of roads within the management area.

[0149] [Note 8] The route planning device described in Note 2, wherein the tree information includes at least one of the following: the amount of trees around the road equipment, the risk of contact between trees and the road equipment, the distance between the road equipment and the tree trunks, and the species of trees present around the road equipment.

[0150] [Note 9] The route planning device described in Note 2, wherein the positional relationship information includes at least one of the following: information indicating facilities surrounding the road equipment and positional information of the road equipment in the power transmission network.

[0151] [Note 10] The aforementioned inquiry information is information relating to a notification indicating that an abnormality has occurred in the road facilities, as described in Note 2 for the route planning device.

[0152] [Note 11] The route planning device according to any one of Notes 1 to 10, wherein the output means outputs information indicating the inspection priority and the content of the status information used to calculate the inspection priority for each management area.

[0153] [Note 12] The route planning device described in any one of Notes 1 to 11, wherein the status information includes information indicating the inspection history of the road equipment.

[0154] [Appendix 13] A route planning device according to any one of Appendix 1 to 12, comprising a receiving means for receiving input of inspection levels, wherein the determination means changes the criteria for determining the coverage rate according to the inspection priority based on the input inspection levels.

[0155] [Note 14] The route planning device described in Note 4, wherein the acquisition means acquires weather information in the management area, and the calculation means calculates the priority of each road facility within the management area based on the situation information and the weather information.

[0156] [Note 15] A route planning method that acquires situation information relating to the surrounding conditions of road facilities in a management area, calculates inspection priority for each management area based on the situation information, determines a coverage rate indicating the proportion of the management area that should be patrolled according to the inspection priority for each management area, generates a route that patrols multiple management areas based on the coverage rate, and outputs information indicating the generated route.

[0157] [Note 16] A computer-readable recording medium that stores a program that causes a computer to execute the following: a process of acquiring situation information which is information relating to the surrounding conditions of road facilities present in a management area; a process of calculating inspection priority for each management area based on the situation information; a process of determining a coverage rate which indicates the proportion of the management area that should be patrolled, according to the inspection priority for each management area; a process of generating a route for patrolling multiple management areas based on the coverage rate; and a process of outputting information indicating the generated route.

[0158] Furthermore, some or all of the configurations described in Appendices 2 to 14, which are dependent on Appendice 1 above, may also be dependent on Appendices 15 and 16 in the same way as Appendices 2 to 14. Moreover, within the scope that does not depart from each of the embodiments described above, some or all of the configurations described as appendices may also be dependent on various hardware, software, various recording means for recording software, or systems.

[0159] 100 Route planning device 110 Acquisition unit 120 Calculation unit 130 Determination unit 140 Generation unit 150 Output unit 160 Reception unit 190 Storage device 200 Terminal device 300 Server device

Claims

1. A route planning device comprising: an acquisition means for acquiring situation information, which is information related to the surrounding conditions of road facilities present in a management area; a calculation means for calculating inspection priorities for each management area based on the situation information; a determination means for determining a coverage rate, which indicates the proportion of the management area that should be patrolled, according to the inspection priorities for each management area; a generation means for generating a route that patrols a plurality of management areas based on the coverage rate; and an output means for outputting information indicating the generated route.

2. The route planning device according to claim 1, wherein the status information includes at least one of: tree information, which is information relating to the relationship between road facilities within the management area and trees near the road facilities; positional relationship information, which is information relating to the positional relationship between road facilities within the management area and other structures; and inquiry information, which is information relating to the reported state of road facilities within the management area.

3. A route planning device according to claim 1 or 2, comprising a receiving means for receiving input of constraint information, wherein the constraint information includes constraint conditions relating to at least one of the following: inspection date and time, locations to be patrolled, required date and time, and the number of mobile bodies that can be patrolled, and the generating means generates the route that satisfies the constraint conditions.

4. The route planning device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the calculation means calculates equipment priority indicating the priority of each road facility to be inspected within the management area based on the status information, the determination means determines which road facilities within the management area should be inspected based on the equipment priority, and the generation means generates the route that tours the determined road facilities to be inspected.

5. A route planning device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising a receiving means for receiving input of information indicating the purpose of inspection, wherein the calculation means calculates the inspection priority using a calculation model that outputs the inspection priority according to the status information, and the calculation means calculates the inspection priority using a different calculation model according to the purpose of inspection.

6. The route planning device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the coverage rate indicates the proportion of road facilities that should be patrolled among the road facilities present in the management area.

7. The route planning device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the coverage rate represents the ratio of the distance to be patrolled to the total distance of roads within the management area.

8. The route planning device according to claim 2, wherein the tree information includes at least one of the number of trees around the road facility, the risk of contact between trees and the road facility, the distance between the road facility and the tree trunks, and the species of trees present around the road facility.

9. The route planning device according to claim 2, wherein the positional relationship information includes at least one of information indicating facilities surrounding the road equipment and positional information of the road equipment in the power transmission network.

10. The route planning device according to claim 2, wherein the inquiry information is information relating to a notification indicating that an abnormality has occurred in the road facilities.

11. The route planning device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the output means outputs information for each management area indicating the inspection priority and the content of the status information used to calculate the inspection priority.

12. The route planning device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the status information includes information indicating the inspection history of the road equipment.

13. A route planning device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, comprising a receiving means for receiving input of inspection levels, wherein the determination means changes the criteria for determining the coverage rate according to the inspection priority based on the input inspection levels.

14. The route planning device according to claim 4, wherein the acquisition means acquires weather information in the management area, and the calculation means calculates the priority of each road facility in the management area based on the situation information and the weather information.

15. A route planning method that acquires situation information relating to the surrounding conditions of road facilities in a management area, calculates inspection priorities for each management area based on the situation information, determines a coverage rate indicating the proportion of the management area that should be patrolled according to the inspection priorities for each management area, generates a route that patrols multiple management areas based on the coverage rate, and outputs information indicating the generated route.

16. A computer-readable recording medium that stores a program that causes a computer to execute the following: a process for acquiring situation information, which is information related to the surrounding conditions of road facilities present in a management area; a process for calculating inspection priorities for each management area based on the situation information; a process for determining a coverage rate, which indicates the proportion of the management area that should be patrolled, for each management area according to the inspection priorities; a process for generating a route for patrolling multiple management areas based on the coverage rate; and a process for outputting information indicating the generated route.

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