JP7570563B2 - Route search system and route search method - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a route search system and a route search method for searching routes for people moving within a facility.

Systems have been developed that provide route guidance for users of facilities such as commercial facilities. For example, JP 2011-7696 A (Patent Document 1) discloses a route search system that displays the current position and destination on a map and determines the priority of each of multiple possible routes based on the degree of congestion within the facility.

JP 2011-7696 A

When walking, there is a risk of overtaking due to differences in walking speed between pedestrians, or collisions due to pedestrians stopping temporarily, and these factors make pedestrians feel stressed. The route search system disclosed in Patent Document 1 is capable of presenting recommended routes that avoid congested routes and shorten travel times, but does not take into consideration the need to present low-stress and safe routes as recommended routes.

The present disclosure has been made to solve such problems, and the purpose of the present disclosure is to provide a route search system and a route search method that can present recommended routes that are low-stress and safe to walk for people moving around within a facility.

A route search system according to the present disclosure is a system that searches for a route for a person moving within a facility. The route search system includes a control unit that executes a process for searching for a route for a person, and a memory unit that stores history information of multiple movement line data indicating the movement lines of people within the facility. The control unit acquires location information including a start point and an end point of the user's movement within the facility, and designation information including the user's walking speed designated by the user. The control unit determines multiple routes along which the user can move, based on the history information and the location information. The control unit determines a recommended route for the user from the multiple routes, based on the designation information. The control unit outputs the recommended route to a display unit that displays an image.

The route search method is a method for searching for a route for a person moving within a facility. The route search method includes a step of storing history information of multiple flow line data indicating the flow lines of people within the facility, a step of acquiring location information including a start point and an end point of the user's movement within the facility and designation information including the user's walking speed designated by the user, a step of determining multiple routes along which the user can move based on the history information and the location information, a step of determining a recommended route for the user from the multiple routes based on the designation information, and a step of outputting the recommended route to a display unit that displays an image.

According to the present disclosure, a route that is walkable with low stress can be presented as a recommended route for people moving around within a facility.

1 is an overall configuration diagram of a route search system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the route search system. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a search condition input screen displayed on a display of a terminal device. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining specified flow line data. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining an average walking speed. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a stop time etc. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining route classification. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a flow line calculation result. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining confirmation of different speed walking. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the average stop time for each route, etc. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining route characteristics and determination of a recommended route. 13 is a flowchart of a route determination process. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between stress items and routes. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a display example of a recommended route.

Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the same or corresponding parts in the drawings are designated by the same reference numerals and their description will not be repeated.

Figure 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a route search system 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The route search system 100 according to the present embodiment is a system that searches for a route for a person moving within a facility. Below, an example is described in which a route within a commercial facility (e.g., a shopping mall) is searched for.

As shown in Figure 1, the route search system 100 includes servers 10 and 20, a terminal device 30, multiple wireless communication devices 72, and multiple cameras 70. The servers 10, 20, and the terminal device 30 are configured to be able to communicate with each other via a communication network NW (typically, the Internet). Note that the route search system 100 may be configured with only the servers 10 and 20.

There are many people in the facility. The many people include users of the facility such as shoppers, employees of each store, cleaners, security guards, and facility managers. Mobile objects moving within the facility may also include mobile robots 40 other than people.

The mobile robot 40 is, for example, a cleaning robot that is an autonomous mobile vacuum cleaner, an autonomous mobile transport robot, an autonomous mobile guide robot that responds to inquiries from shoppers 4 and 5, etc. The mobile robot 40 is equipped with a battery and can move around the facility using the power stored in the battery.

The mobile robot 40 is equipped with a wireless communication device 42. The wireless communication device 42 transmits a signal for detecting the position of the mobile robot 40, for example, using a communication method conforming to the BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy, "Bluetooth" is a registered trademark) communication standard. Instead of the BLE communication standard, a communication method conforming to the UWB (Ultra Wide Band) communication standard or the like may be used. Alternatively, the wireless communication device 42 transmits an ID (Identification) for identifying the mobile robot 40, a signal indicating the operating state of the mobile robot 40, or the like to the server 20, using a communication method conforming to a wireless communication standard such as LTE (Long Term Evolution).

The shopping cart 60 used by the shopper 4 is equipped with a wireless communication device 62. Like the wireless communication device 42, the wireless communication device 62 transmits a signal for detecting the position of the shopping cart 60 using a communication method conforming to the BLE communication standard or the UWB communication standard or the like.

The multiple wireless communication devices 72 and the multiple cameras 70 are installed, for example, at an appropriate distance from each other on the ceiling 45 of the facility. The multiple wireless communication devices 72 receive signals emitted from the mobile robot 40 and the shopping cart 60 using a communication method that conforms to the same communication standard as the wireless communication device 42 of the mobile robot 40 and the wireless communication device 62 of the shopping cart 60, and detect the reception strength of the signals. The positions of the mobile robot 40 and the shopping cart 60 within the shopping mall can be measured from the reception strength at the wireless communication device 72. The wireless communication device 72 outputs the reception strength of the signals received from the mobile robot 40 and the shopping cart 60 to the server 20.

The camera 70 captures images of the facility and outputs the captured images (moving images) to the server 20. The captured images include images of people (shoppers, employees, etc.) present in the facility or the mobile robot 40. The wireless communication device 72 and the camera 70 may be installed on a wall.

The server 20 is assumed to be an indoor position information system or a surveillance camera system. The server 20 monitors moving bodies (people or objects) present within the facility. A plurality of wireless communication devices 72 and cameras 70 installed on the ceiling 45 are communicatively connected to the server 20. The server 20 may be a server that manages the mobile robot 40.

The server 20 receives from the wireless communication device 72 the reception strength of the signal received by the wireless communication device 72, and measures the positions of the mobile robot 40 and the shopping cart 60 within the facility from the reception strength at each wireless communication device 72. The server 20 also measures the position of people based on the captured images (moving images) from the camera 70. Furthermore, the server 20 generates flow line data based on the position information of the shopping cart 60 and the captured images (moving images) from the camera 70. The server 20 can transmit the flow line data to the server 10 via the communication network NW.

The server 10 has a function of generating and presenting a recommended route (recommended route, see FIG. 14 described later) within the facility to users of the facility. Here, the users of the facility include shoppers, facility managers, etc. As an example, the server 10 is installed in an operating company that operates the facility. The server 10 can be used by a manager entrusted with managing the facility by the operating company. The server 10 displays the generated recommended route (recommended route) to the user via the terminal device 30.

In this embodiment, the server 20 that monitors the facility and the server 10 that generates the recommended route are configured as separate entities, but this is not limited to this and the servers 10 and 20 may be configured as an integrated entity.

The terminal device 30 is communicatively connected to the server 10 via the communication network NW. The terminal device 30 is an information processing device having communication and display functions, and is typically a smartphone or tablet. The terminal device 30 can be used by shoppers 1 in the facility, the facility manager 3, employees of each store, etc. Note that the terminal device 30 is not limited to a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or tablet, and may be a PC (Personal Computer) installed in the facility, etc.

The terminal device 30 typically has a web browser. The terminal device 30 accesses the server 10 and displays screen data (WEB screen) on its own device. For example, a two-dimensional code displayed in a shopping center may be read by the camera of the terminal device 30, and the server 10 may be accessed from the terminal device 30 by accessing a URL identified from the two-dimensional code. Alternatively, dedicated application software may be downloaded, and the server 10 may be accessed from the terminal device 30 using this software.

In this embodiment, the terminal device 30 and the server 10 are configured as separate entities, but this is not limited thereto, and the terminal device 30 and the server 10 may be configured as an integrated entity.

Figure 2 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of the route search system 100. The route search system 100 comprises servers 10, 20, etc. The server group consisting of the servers 10, 20 comprises a memory unit that stores programs, data, etc. related to the route search system 100, and a control unit that executes programs related to the route search system 100. The control unit executes processes such as searching for a person's route. The memory unit stores historical information, etc. of multiple flow line data showing the movement lines of people within a facility.

The server group (servers 10, 20) includes, as a control unit, processor 11 of server 10 and processor 21 of server 20, which will be described below. The server group (servers 10, 20) also includes, as a storage unit, ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, and HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 14 of server 10, and ROM 22, RAM 23, and HDD 24 of server 20, which will be described below.

The main components of the server 10 are a processor 11 that executes a program, a ROM 12 that stores data in a non-volatile manner, a RAM 13 that stores data generated by the execution of the program by the processor 11 or data input via an input device in a volatile manner, a HDD 14 that stores data in a non-volatile manner, and a communication IF (Interface) 15. The components are connected to each other by a data bus 16.

The communication IF 15 is an interface for communication between the server 20 and the terminal device 30 and the server 10. The HDD 14 stores various data. The server 10 may include other non-volatile storage devices instead of or in addition to the HDD 14.

The server 20 includes as its main components a processor 21, a ROM 22, a RAM 23, a HDD 24, and a communication IF 25. The components are interconnected by a data bus 26. The communication IF 25 is an interface for communicating between the server 10, the mobile robot 40, the wireless communication device 72, and the camera 70. The HDD 24 stores information about the mobile robot 40, information about facilities, and position information about the mobile robot 40, people, and shopping carts 60. The HDD 24 also stores various databases for managing the mobile robot 40.

Note that Figure 2 shows an example configuration in which the necessary processing is provided by each of processors 11 and 21 executing a program, but some or all of the provided processing may be implemented using dedicated hardware circuits (e.g., an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array)).

The terminal device 30 includes, as its main components, a processor 31, a ROM 32, a RAM 33, an input unit 34, a display 35, and a communication IF 36. The components are mutually connected by a data bus 37. The input unit 34 accepts input from a user (e.g., a shopper 1, a facility manager 3, etc.). The display 35 outputs processing results from the processor 11, etc. A touch panel display integrating the input unit 34 and the display 35 may be adopted. The communication IF 36 is an interface for communicating with the server 10. The HDD 34 stores installed apps, etc.

The server 20 monitors the movements of people (shoppers, employees, etc.) within the facility. A plurality of wireless communication devices 72 and cameras 70 installed on the ceiling 45 are communicatively connected to the server 20. The plurality of wireless communication devices 72 and cameras 70 are installed at appropriate distances on the ceiling 45 and are used to detect the movements of shoppers 4, 5 within the facility. The wireless communication devices 72 and cameras 70 may also be installed on the walls.

Specifically, the shopping cart 60 used by the shopper is equipped with a wireless communication device 62. Like the wireless communication device 72, the wireless communication device 62 transmits a signal for detecting the position of the shopping cart 60 using a communication method conforming to the BLE communication standard or the UWB communication standard or the like.

The wireless communication device 72 receives signals emitted from the shopping cart 60 using a communication method that complies with the same communication standard as the wireless communication device 62 of the shopping cart 60 and detects the reception strength of the signals. The wireless communication device 72 outputs the reception strength of the signals received from the shopping cart 60 to the server 20. The camera 70 captures images of the facility and outputs the captured images (moving images) to the server 20. The captured images include images of shoppers 4 and 5 passing through the facility.

The server 20 receives from the wireless communication device 72 the reception strength of the signal received by the wireless communication device 72, and measures the position of the shopping cart 60 within the facility from the reception strength at each wireless communication device 72. The server 20 also measures the position of people from images captured by the multiple cameras 70 using known image analysis technology.

Based on these position measurement information, the server 20 generates flow line data indicating the flow line of people within the facility. These flow line data are stored in the HDD 24 as historical information. The server 20 can transmit the generated flow line data (historical information) to the server 10 via the communication network NW.

The server 20 also receives from the wireless communication devices 72 the reception strength of the signal received by the wireless communication devices 72, and measures the position of the mobile robot 40 within the facility from the reception strength at each wireless communication device 72. The server 20 then generates movement line data indicating the movement trajectory of the mobile robot 40 based on the position of the mobile robot 40. The movement line data of the mobile robot 40 is stored in the HDD 24 as history information.

In this embodiment, in addition to the person movement line data, the movement line data of the mobile robot 40 is also stored as history information in the HDD 24, and a recommended route is determined based on the history information. However, without being limited to this, only the person movement line data may be stored as history information in the HDD 24, and a recommended route may be determined based on the history information.

3 is a diagram showing an example of an input screen 50 for search conditions (also called "route search conditions") displayed on the display 35 of the terminal device 30. As shown in Fig. 3, the input screen 50 has a field 51 for selecting an area within the facility, a field 53 for selecting the target day of the week and time, and a field 54 for selecting a stress item.

The user selects an area in field 51 as a route search condition. When selecting the area, the user selects the target floor and area. For example, in a 10-story building, the user selects any floor between 1F (first floor) and 10F (tenth floor) and either the East or West area. In this example, the "3F-East" area is selected.

When an area is selected by the user, the terminal device 30 obtains a floor map from the server 10 and displays the floor map 52 of the selected area (a map image of the 3rd floor-east area). The user then sets a starting point (also referred to as the "start point of the journey") and a finishing point (also referred to as the "end point of the journey"). Specifically, a star is set on the floor map 52 as the starting point, and a flag is set as the finishing point.

In this embodiment, the information set during area selection is referred to as "location information." As described above, location information includes the user's movement start point (start point) and movement end point (finish point) within the facility.

The user selects the day of the week and time as route search conditions in field 53. For the day of the week, the user selects one of Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. For the time, the user selects one of the following: 10-11am, 11-12pm, 12-1pm, 1pm-2pm, 2-3pm, 3-4pm, 4-5pm, 5-6pm, 6-7pm, or 7-8pm. Here, let's assume that 10am-8pm are the business hours of this shopping center.

In this embodiment, a route that reduces walking stress for pedestrians and allows them to walk safely is searched for and displayed. In order to search for such a route, stress items are provided as route search conditions.

Pedestrians have their own reasons for wanting to walk quickly or slowly, and for wanting to stop or not stop. For example, when it comes to wanting to stop, people may stop for a long time in front of a store at a shopping center to look at the products on display (to window shop). In other cases, people may stop in front of a restroom to wait for a companion. People are also likely to stop at meeting spots. They may also stop in front of an elevator to wait for the elevator.

When it comes to walking speed, for example, people may move slowly if they are window shopping. They may also move faster if they want to arrive at a parking lot quickly to avoid paying higher parking fees, or if they want to go to the restroom quickly. Elderly people and people with children also tend to move slower. On the other hand, young people who move faster feel stressed when they travel on a slow route. Also, in emergencies, such as when someone becomes ill or injured, ambulances and police may want to move quickly.

When pedestrians walk at different speeds, they may overtake each other, which can lead to collisions. Also, for people who are walking in a hurry, other pedestrians who stop slowly to enjoy shopping can get in their way, causing them to lose time. In an attempt to make up for lost time, pedestrians will walk even faster, so stopping can also lead to dangerous walking.

In this way, people who want to walk slowly are dangerous if they are walking fast. For people who want to walk quickly, stopping to stop is an obstacle to their progress, so they want to avoid people who stop to stop. These are all sources of stress for pedestrians.

In field 54, the user selects a stress item as a route search condition. The user selects a stress item to find a route that is less likely to cause irritation or close calls so that the user can walk comfortably while traveling. Stress items consist of three items: "walking speed," "pause" (also referred to as "pause designation"), and "walking at a different speed" (also referred to as "different speed designation"). In this embodiment, the information set in the selection of a stress item is referred to as "designated information."

"Walking speed" is an item selected in order to walk at a speed that matches one's own walking speed. Walking speed includes a first walking speed and a second walking speed that is faster than the first walking speed. Specifically, for "walking speed", a walking speed is selected from "fastest", "slightly fast", "normal", "slightly slow", and "slowest". These indicate the walking speed in the order of fastest, slightly fast, normal, slightly slow, and slowest.

"Pause" (pause designation) is an option to select whether to avoid or tolerate pauses while moving. Pause designation includes "no pause designation," which avoids pauses while moving to avoid stress caused by pauses, and "pause designation," which allows pauses while moving.

Specifically, for "Pauses," select "-," "None" (no pauses specified), or "Yes" (pauses specified). If "None" is selected, a route that avoids pauses while traveling will be recommended. If "Yes" is selected, a route that allows the user to make pauses while traveling will be recommended. If "-" is selected, this item will not be taken into consideration when determining the recommended route.

"Walking at different speeds" (specify different speeds) is an option to select whether or not to avoid people walking at different speeds while moving. A person walking at a different speed is someone walking the same route who walks at a speed that does not match the user's walking speed (a speed that the user perceives as "fast" or "slow"). If the distribution of the average speed of the same route is not a normal distribution (for example, in the case of a binomial distribution), people walking at different speeds will walk the same route, and there is a risk of collisions due to overtaking (see Figure 9 below for details).

Different speed settings include "no different speed specified" to avoid people walking at speeds that do not match the user's walking speed. If you feel stressed by people walking at a different speed than you, such as getting annoyed by people walking slower than you, or being surprised when overtaken by someone walking faster than you, set "none" (no different speed specified). If "-" is selected, this item will not be taken into consideration when determining the recommended route.

In the example shown in Figure 3, the user feels that his/her walking speed is "slightly slow," does not care whether people stop or not, and feels stressed by people walking at a different speed than him/her. For this reason, the user selects "slightly slow" as "walking speed," "-" as "stops," and "none" as "different speed walking."

When the terminal device 30 receives user input of search conditions (area selection, day of the week and time selection, stress item selection) including location information and specified information, the terminal device 30 transmits a signal requesting the generation of a traffic flow map and also transmits the received search conditions to the server 10.

When server 10 receives the traffic flow map generation request signal and the search conditions, it requests the specified traffic flow data from server 20. Server 20 collects historical information of the traffic flow data corresponding to the specified area, day of the week, and time from the history data (referred to as "specified traffic flow data"; see Figure 4), and transmits it to server 10.

Thereafter, the server 10 determines multiple routes along which the user can travel based on the history information (designated traffic line data), location information, etc. Furthermore, the server 10 determines a recommended route for the user from the multiple routes based on search conditions including the designated information, etc.

Specifically, the server 10 calculates the average walking speed (see FIG. 5), calculates stop times, etc. (see FIG. 6), and classifies routes (see FIG. 7). Based on these results, the server 10 obtains flow line calculation results (see FIG. 8), and further calculates routes, average stop times, etc. (see FIG. 10). The server 10 also checks for walking at different speeds (see FIG. 9). Then, based on these calculation results, the server 10 obtains route characteristics and determines a recommended route (see FIG. 11 to FIG. 13).

Based on the above calculation results, the server 10 generates a display screen including a recommended route. The terminal device 30 receives the generated display screen from the server 10 and displays it on the display 35 (see FIG. 14). The flow after the calculation of the average walking speed will be specifically explained below with reference to FIG. 4 to FIG. 14.

Figure 4 is a diagram for explaining the specified flow line data. In the example of Figure 3, the user selects the 3F-East area, and further sets the start point and finish point as shown on the floor map 52.

In this case, server 10 obtains from server 20 the history of flow line data corresponding to the start point and finish point set in the 3F East area as designated flow line data. Each piece of flow line data is assigned a flow line number. In other words, the designated flow line data is flow line data collected in the 3F East area, and the start point and finish point in the flow line data correspond to those shown on the floor map 52.

As shown in Figure 4, in this example, the specified flow line data is multiple flow line data including the flow line data of flow line numbers "23456" and "53432." The flow line data is data composed of multiple pieces of time and coordinate information in the area where it was collected.

For example, in the "3F-East" area, the flow line number "23456" indicates that the position of a person at time 1 "13:13:32" is at coordinate 1 (X, Y) = (124, 23), and the position of a moving object at time 2 "13:13:33" is at coordinate 2 (X, Y) = (125, 23). The time "13:13:32" indicates that the time is 13:13 minutes and 32 seconds.

The coordinates (X, Y) are data that specify a floor position in the "3F-East" area by the position on the X and Y axes. This indicates that the person moved "1" (125-124) along the X axis in the one second from "13:13:32" to "13:13:33". In this example, moving one step along the X axis means moving 1 meter eastward, and moving one step along the Y axis means moving 1 meter northward.

Similarly, flow line number "53432" indicates that in the "3F-East" area, the position of a person at time 1 "13:42:16" is at coordinate 1 (X,Y) = (75,354), and the position of a person at time 2 "13:42:17" is at coordinate 2 (X,Y) = (76,358). In this case, it indicates that the moving object moved "1" in the X-axis direction and "4" in the Y-axis direction in one second.

Figure 5 is a diagram for explaining the average walking speed. The server 10 calculates the average walking speed for each flow line of the specified flow line data shown in Figure 4. As described above, for flow line number "23456", it is calculated that time 2 - time 1 = 1 second, coordinate 2 - coordinate 1 = (1,0) = movement 1 m eastward. In addition, it is calculated that the average speed from time 1 to 2 = physical distance 1 m ÷ time 1 second = 1 m/second.

The server 10 repeats the above process for the number of times in the data to determine the speed at each time. For example, the calculations may be as follows: time 1-2: 1 m/sec, time 2-3: 1 m/sec, time 3-4: 1.2 m/sec, etc. The server 10 then calculates the average speed (average walking speed) of the entire flow line 23456 based on the speeds calculated at each time. As shown in Figure 5, the average walking speed of flow line number "23456" is calculated to be "1.05 m/sec." Furthermore, the average walking speed of flow line number "53432" is calculated to be "1.20 m/sec."

Figure 6 is a diagram for explaining stop times, etc. The server 10 calculates the stop times, etc. of each flow line of the specified flow line data. In the specified flow line data, if the coordinates do not change even when the time advances, that time is considered to be stopped.

For example, for traffic line number "23456," if there is no change in coordinates between the times "13:13:45" and "13:13:47," the stop time for stop period 1 "13:13:45" to "13:13:47" is set to 2 seconds. Also, if there is no change in coordinates between the times "13:13:56" and "13:13:59," the stop time for stop period 2 "13:13:56" to "13:13:59" is calculated to be 3 seconds.

Then, as shown in FIG. 6, the server 10 calculates that for traffic line number "23456," the total stop time = 5 seconds (2 seconds + 3 seconds), the maximum stop time = 3 seconds (stop in stop period 2), the minimum stop time = 2 seconds (stop in stop period 1), and the number of stops = 2.

Similarly, the server 10 calculates that for traffic line number "53432", the total stop time = 1 second, the maximum stop time = 1 second, the minimum stop time = 1 second, and the number of stops = 1 time.

Next, the server 10 classifies the routes based on the coordinates of each traffic line. Figure 7 is a diagram for explaining route classification. Screen 91 in Figure 7 shows a schematic plan view of the floors in the facility as seen from the ceiling. As shown in Figure 7, the facility has multiple entrances and exits, multiple stores, a store warehouse, a shopper passageway for shoppers to pass through, an employee passageway for employees to pass through, a machine room, a break room, a restroom (toilet), and elevators EV1 and EV2.

The movement trajectories (also called "traffic lines") A0 and B0 shown in Figure 7 indicate the movement trajectory (traffic line) of a person or shopping cart 60, and represent the way in which a person or shopping cart 60 moves through passageways and between entrances/exits, elevators, and facilities such as stores.

Here, movement trajectory A0 indicates the movement trajectory of flow line number "23456". Movement trajectory B0 indicates the movement trajectory of flow line number "53432". In other words, in the specified flow line data shown in Figure 4, movement trajectory A0 is the movement trajectory created by plotting each coordinate of flow line number "23456" on the floor map. Movement trajectory B0 is the movement trajectory created by plotting each coordinate of flow line number "53432" on the floor map.

The server 10 classifies the movement trajectory into multiple routes. Here, for multiple stores arranged in a circle in the center of the screen, a route that goes counterclockwise is classified as "route A" and a route that goes clockwise is classified as "route B." In this example, the server 10 classifies the movement trajectory A0 as route A and the movement trajectory B0 as route B.

Figure 8 is a diagram for explaining the flow line calculation results. The server 10 compiles the calculation results of "average walking speed," "stop time, etc.", and "route classification" shown in Figures 5 to 7 as the flow line calculation results.

As shown in Figure 8, for traffic line number "23456," the server 10 sets the route as route A, average speed (average walking speed) = 1.05 m/sec, total stop time = 5 seconds, maximum stop time = 3 seconds, minimum stop time = 2 seconds, and number of stops = 2 times.

Similarly, for traffic line number "53432", the server 10 sets the route as route B, average speed (average walking speed) = 1.20 m/sec, total stop time = 1 second, maximum stop time = 1 second, minimum stop time = 1 second, and number of stops = 1 time.

Next, we will explain the different speed walking check performed by the server 10. Figure 9 is a diagram for explaining the different speed walking check.

The server 10 checks the distribution of speeds of the traffic lines belonging to each route based on the average walking speed of the traffic lines and the route classification, and calculates the standard deviation for each route. This makes it possible to grasp the variation in walking speeds within the same route.

As mentioned above, the average speed (also referred to as "average speed of the flow line") for the flow line with flow line number "23456" belonging to route A is 1.05 m/sec. The average speeds for the other flow lines are 1.2, 1.02, 0.98, 1.15, 1.02, 1.04, and 0.99 m/sec, respectively. The server 10 calculates the standard deviation of route A from this data. The calculated standard deviation of route A is 0.078.

As mentioned above, the average speed (average speed of the flow line) of the flow line number "53432" belonging to route B is 1.2 m/sec. The average speeds of the flow lines of the other flows are 1.15, 1.23, 1.23, 1.31, 1.22, 1.21, and 1 m/sec, respectively. The server 10 calculates the standard deviation of route B from this data. The calculated standard deviation of route B is 0.090.

When the data set of average traffic line speeds for each route is plotted, it can be classified into distributions with attributes as shown in Figure 9. For example, it can be classified into a normal distribution with one peak and a small standard deviation, and a normal distribution with one peak and a large standard deviation.

In the former case, it is shown that many people walk at a similar speed. In this case, collisions and overtaking between pedestrians are less likely to occur. On the other hand, in the latter case, it is shown that although many people walk at a similar speed, there is variation in their walking speed. In this case, collisions and overtaking between pedestrians are more likely to occur than in the former case.

It is also classified as a bimodal distribution, which has two peaks, or a multimodal distribution, which has three or more peaks. In the case of a bimodal or multimodal distribution, there are two (bimodal distribution) or three or more (multimodal distribution) groups of people walking at different speeds on the same route, increasing the possibility of collisions or overtaking. If the distribution corresponds to a "bimodal distribution" or a "multimodal distribution", the server 10 may determine that there is "walking at different speeds".

For example, if no different speeds are specified ("none") in the "walking at different speeds" stress item, the recommended route may be determined by excluding routes whose distribution corresponds to a "bimodal distribution" or a "multimodal distribution."

Figure 10 is a diagram for explaining the average stop time for each route, etc. Server 10 calculates the average stop time for each route, etc. from the traffic line calculation results shown in Figure 8.

Specifically, in the traffic line calculation results of FIG. 8, data belonging to route A is extracted, and the average of these "average speeds" is calculated as the "average speed" of route A, the average of these "total stop times" is calculated as the "average stop time" of route A (simply referred to as "stop time" in FIG. 10), and the average of these "number of stops" is calculated as the "average number of stops" of route A (simply referred to as "number of stops" in FIG. 10). The same is true for route B.

As a result, as shown in Figure 10, the server 10 calculates that the average speed for "route A" is 1.05 m/sec, the stop time is 10 seconds, and the number of stops is 3. The server 10 also calculates that the average speed for "route B" is 1.40 m/sec, the stop time is 1 second, and the number of stops is 1.

Figure 11 is a diagram for explaining route characteristics and the determination of a recommended route. The server 10 creates data on route characteristics from data such as the average stop time for each route shown in Figure 10 and the data on different speed walking confirmation shown in Figure 9.

Specifically, as shown in Figure 11, the server 10 sets the average speed, stop time, number of stops, and standard deviation for each route as route characteristic data. For "Route A", the average speed = 1.05 m/sec, stop time = 10 sec, number of stops = 3, and standard deviation = 0.078. For "Route B", the average speed = 1.40 m/sec, stop time = 1 sec, number of stops = 1, and standard deviation = 0.090.

Here, in the example of Figure 3, when selecting stress items, "slightly slow" is selected for the item "walking speed" (walking speed specification), no selection is made for the item "pause" (pause specification), and "none" is selected for the item "different speed walking" (different speed walking specification).

The multiple routes classified by the server 10 have various characteristics. For example, the average value of the average walking speed of the traffic line data belonging to route B1 is greater than the average value of the average walking speed of the traffic line data belonging to route A1. Also, the rate at which people stop temporarily in the traffic line data belonging to route B2 is greater than the rate at which people stop temporarily in the traffic line data belonging to route A2. The standard deviation of the average walking speed of the traffic line data belonging to route B3 is greater than the standard deviation of the average walking speed of the traffic line data belonging to route A3.

Given routes A1-A3 and B1-B3 with the above characteristics, when a first walking speed (e.g., "slightly slow") is specified in the "walking speed" stress item, route A1, which has the smaller average walking speed, is more likely to be selected as the recommended route between routes A1 and B1. When a second walking speed greater than the first walking speed (e.g., "slightly fast," which is a walking speed greater than "slightly slow") is specified, route B1, which has the larger average walking speed, is more likely to be selected as the recommended route between routes A1 and B1.

When no pause is specified ("None") in the "Pause" stress item, route A2, which has a smaller rate of pauses, is more likely to be selected as the recommended route between routes A2 and B2 than when no pause is specified. When a pause is specified ("Yes"), route B2, which has a larger rate of pauses, is more likely to be selected as the recommended route between routes A2 and B2 than when no pause is specified.

When no different speeds are specified ("none") in the "walking at different speeds" stress item, the probability that route A3, which has the smaller standard deviation of the average walking speed, will be selected as the recommended route is higher than when no different speeds are specified.

In addition, in the stress item "Walking at different speeds," a different speed designation ("Yes") may be specified to allow people to walk at speeds that do not match the user's walking speed. In this case, when a different speed designation is specified, the probability that route B3, which has a larger standard deviation of the average walking speed between routes A3 and B3, will be determined as the recommended route is higher than when a different speed designation is not specified.

Note that routes A1, A2, and A3 may be the same route or may be different routes. Routes B1, B2, and B3 may be the same route or may be different routes.

The recommended route may be determined, for example, as follows: First, the evaluation value V of each route is calculated using the formula "V = V1 + V2 + V3". Then, the route with the smallest evaluation value V is determined as the recommended route.

Here, V1 is an evaluation value determined according to the walking speed designation and the average speed, and one of the values P11, P12, P13, ... P1N is selected. The magnitude relationship between each value is P11<P12<P13< ... <P1N.

V2 is an evaluation value that is determined based on the pause specification and the stop time, and one of the values P22, P22, P23, ... P2N is selected. The magnitude relationship between each value is P21<P22<P23< ... <P2N. Note that V2 may be determined based on the pause specification and the number of stops.

V3 is an evaluation value determined according to the variable speed walking specification and the standard deviation, and one of the values P31, P32, P33, ... P3N is selected. The magnitude relationship between each value is P31<P32<P33< ... <P3N.

Below, the calculation of the evaluation value V of each route and the recommended route that is determined will be explained using a flowchart of the route determination process. Figure 12 is a flowchart of the route determination process.

The series of processes shown in this flowchart are executed by the server 10. Each step is realized by software processing by the processor 11 of the server 10, but may also be realized by hardware such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration) placed within the server 10.

When the route determination process starts, the server 10 determines an evaluation value V1 according to the walking speed designation and the average speed in step (hereinafter simply referred to as "S") 1. For example, it is assumed that walking speeds corresponding to the walking speed designations "fastest," "slightly fast," "normal," "slightly slow," and "slowest" are each predefined.

Then, for the route whose average speed is closest to the walking speed that corresponds to the specified walking speed, V1 = P11 is set, for the route whose average speed is next closest, V1 = P12 is set, and so on in order of closestness, with P13, P14, etc. being set.

In this example, the walking speed corresponding to the walking speed designation "slightly slow" is 1.00. Therefore, V1 = P11 is set for route A (1.05), which has the closest average speed to 1.00, and V1 = P12 (> P11) is set for route B (1.40), which has the next closest average speed.

In S2, the server 10 determines an evaluation value V2 according to the pause designation and the stop time. For example, if a pause designation of "-" is selected, an evaluation value V2 = 0 is set. If a pause designation of "no" is selected, V2 = P21, P22, P23 ... are assigned to routes in order of shortest stop time. If a pause designation of "yes" is selected, V2 = P21, P22, P23 ... are assigned to routes in order of longest stop time. In this example, a walking speed designation of "-" is selected, so V2 = 0 is set for both routes A and B.

Note that in S2, the server 10 may determine the evaluation value V2 according to the pause designation and the number of stops. For example, if a pause designation of "-" is selected, the evaluation value V2 is set to 0. If a pause designation of "no" is selected, V2=P21, P22, P23... is assigned to the routes with the fewest number of stops. If a pause designation of "yes" is selected, V2=P21, P22, P23... is assigned to the routes with the most number of stops.

In S3, the server 10 determines an evaluation value V3 according to the different speed walking designation and the standard deviation. For example, if the different speed walking designation "-" is selected, the evaluation value V3 is set to 0. If the different speed walking designation "none" is selected, V3 = P31, P32, P33... is assigned to the routes in order of smallest standard deviation.

In this example, since the walking speed setting "None" is selected, V3 = P31 is set for route A (0.078), which has the smallest standard deviation, and V3 = P32 (> P31) is set for route B (0.090), which has the next smallest standard deviation.

In addition, when the walking speed designation "None" is selected, the recommended route may be determined by excluding routes whose average speed distribution corresponds to the multimodal or bimodal distribution shown in Figure 9.

In S4, the server 10 calculates the evaluation value V from the formula V = V1 + V2 + V3. In this example, in route A, V = P11 + P31 (= P11 + 0 + P31). In route B, V = P12 + P32 (= P12 + 0 + P32).

In S5, the server 10 determines the route with the smallest evaluation value V as the recommended route and ends the route determination process. In this example, the evaluation value V (= P11 + P31) of route A is smaller than the evaluation value V (= P12 + P32) of route B (because P11 < P12, P31 < P32). Therefore, the server 10 determines route A as the recommended route.

Figure 13 is a diagram to explain the relationship between stress items and routes. As mentioned above, the stress items include "walking speed," "stopping," and "walking at different speeds."

In the above example, route A has a slower average speed than route B, so it can be said to be a route for people who want to walk slowly. People who want to walk slowly will feel stressed if they travel a route with a high average speed. For example, if you select "slightly slow" or "slowest" as your "walking speed," it is preferable to select route A over route B.

Route A is more likely to have temporary stops than route B because its average speed is smaller. For this reason, if you want to avoid temporary stops, it is more desirable to choose route B rather than route A.

Route A has a smaller standard deviation than route B, so it can be said to be safer with less chance of walking at different speeds. Therefore, if you want to avoid walking at different speeds, it is preferable to choose route A rather than route B.

For users who select "fastest" or "slightly fast" for "walking speed" in the stress item selection, a route with a high average walking speed is preferentially selected. In that case, if the priority is to reach the goal quickly, a route with fewer stops, even if there are many different speeds of walking, may be preferentially selected.

For users who select "slowest" or "slightly slow" for "walking speed" in the stress item selection, a route with a low average walking speed is preferentially selected. In that case, if safe walking is a priority, a route with many temporary stops but with few different speeds may be preferentially selected.

Figure 14 is a diagram showing an example of a recommended route display. The server 10 generates a display screen including a recommended route (recommended route) based on the data calculated above. The terminal device 30 displays the generated display screen as a search result.

As described above, in selecting stress items, the user selects "slightly slow" for "walking speed," "-" for "pause," and "none" for "different speed walking." As a result, the server 10 selects "Route A," which has a slow walking speed and little different speed walking. As shown in FIG. 14, the terminal device 30 displays "Route A" as a "recommended route," as shown on screen 92.

The movement trajectory A4 is the recommended route, route A. The start point ST and the finish point GL indicate the start point and the finish point set on the input screen of Figure 3.

The screen 92 may display the specified movement line data shown in Fig. 4. For example, movement trajectories A1 to A3 are shown as route A, and movement trajectories B1 to B3 are shown as route B. Note that the movement lines (movement trajectories) may be displayed in different colors depending on the average movement speed.

In this way, in this embodiment, as a method for searching for indoor travel routes, a route that takes into account the stress of pedestrians while moving is searched for and displayed. Specifically, data (standard deviation) on average speed, temporary stops, and walking at different speeds is stored for each route, and based on this, the optimal route is searched for taking into account walking speed, whether or not there are temporary stops during movement, and whether or not there are pedestrians walking at different speeds. In this way, a route that is low-stress and safe to walk can be presented as a recommended route for people moving around the facility.

[Notes and Effects]
The above-described embodiment is a specific example of the following supplementary notes.

(Appendix 1)
A route search system for searching for a route for a person moving within a facility, comprising:
A control unit that executes a process of searching for a route of the person;
a storage unit that stores history information of a plurality of flow line data indicating the flow lines of the people within the facility,
The control unit is
acquiring location information including a movement start point and a movement end point of the user within the facility, and designation information including a walking speed of the user designated by the user;
determining a plurality of routes that the user can travel based on the history information and the location information;
determining a recommended route for the user from the plurality of routes based on the specified information;
A route search system that outputs the recommended route to a display unit that displays an image.

In this way, it is possible to determine a recommended route suited to the user's walking speed. This reduces the risk of overtaking or collisions between pedestrians with different walking speeds, thereby reducing stress, and allows the system to present a low-stress, safe route as a recommended route for people moving around the facility.

(Appendix 2)
The walking speed includes a first walking speed and a second walking speed that is greater than the first walking speed,
The control unit calculates an average walking speed for each of the plurality of pieces of flow line data;
the plurality of paths include a first path and a second path,
an average value of an average walking speed of the flow line data belonging to the second route is greater than an average value of an average walking speed of the flow line data belonging to the first route;
When the first walking speed is designated, the first route is determined more frequently than the first route and the second route;
2. The route search system according to claim 1, wherein, when the second walking speed is specified, the second route is more likely to be determined between the first route and the second route.

In this way, if the user's walking speed is slow, a route with a slow average walking speed can be determined as the recommended route, and if the user's walking speed is fast, a route with a fast average walking speed can be determined as the recommended route, making it possible to determine a recommended route that is suitable for the user's walking speed.

(Appendix 3)
the designation information includes a pause designation designated by the user,
The pause specification includes a no-pause specification that avoids a pause during movement,
the plurality of paths include a third path and a fourth path,
a rate at which the person makes a stop in the flow line data belonging to the fourth route is greater than a rate at which the person makes a stop in the flow line data belonging to the third route,
The route search system described in Appendix 1 or Appendix 2, wherein when the no stop is specified, the probability that the third route is determined between the third route and the fourth route is higher than when the no stop is specified.

In this way, if a user wants to avoid temporary stops, a route that is less likely to cause temporary stops can be determined as the recommended route, so that a route that avoids the dangers and stress caused by temporary stops can be determined as the recommended route.

(Appendix 4)
The temporary stop designation includes a temporary stop designation that allows a temporary stop during movement,
The route search system described in Appendix 3, wherein when the stop sign is specified, the fourth route is determined more frequently than when the stop sign is not specified.

In this way, if the user is tolerant of stopping, a route that is more likely to have stopping stops will be determined as the recommended route; if the user wants to walk leisurely while stopping, a route with many similar pedestrians can be determined as the recommended route.

(Appendix 5)
The designation information includes a different speed designation designated by the user,
The different speed designation includes no different speed designation in order to avoid the person walking at a speed that does not match the walking speed of the user,
The control unit calculates an average walking speed for each of the plurality of pieces of flow line data;
the plurality of paths include a fifth path and a sixth path,
a standard deviation of an average walking speed of the flow line data belonging to the sixth route is greater than a standard deviation of an average walking speed of the flow line data belonging to the fifth route;
A route search system described in any one of Appendix 1 to Appendix 4, wherein when the no-specification-of-different-speed is specified, the probability that the fifth route will be determined between the fifth route and the sixth route is higher than when the no-specification-of-different-speed is specified.

In this way, if you want to avoid people walking at a speed that does not match the user's walking speed, you can recommend a route that avoids routes with a mixture of pedestrians walking at different speeds (with a large standard deviation). This makes it possible to avoid the danger and stress caused by people walking at different speeds.

(Appendix 6)
A route search method for searching for a route for a person moving within a facility, comprising:
storing history information of a plurality of flow line data indicating the flow lines of the people within the facility;
acquiring location information including a movement start point and a movement end point of the user within the facility, and designation information including a walking speed of the user designated by the user;
determining a plurality of routes that the user can travel based on the history information and the point information;
determining a recommended route for the user from the plurality of routes based on the specified information;
and outputting the recommended route to a display unit that displays an image.

In this way, it is possible to present recommended routes that are low-stress and safe for people moving around the facility.

The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The technical scope of the present disclosure is indicated by the claims, not by the description of the embodiments above, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

1, 4, 5 Shopper, 3 Facility manager, 10, 20 Server, 11, 21, 31 Processor, 15, 25, 36 Communication IF, 16, 26, 37 Data bus, 22, 32 ROM, 23, 33 RAM, 30 Terminal device, 34 Input section, 35 Display, 40 Mobile robot, 42, 62, 72 Wireless communication device, 45 Ceiling, 50, 51, 53, 54 Column, 52 Floor map, 60 Shopping cart, 70 Camera, 91, 92 Screen, 100 Route search system, NW Communication network.

Claims (6)

A route search system for searching for a route for a person moving within a facility, comprising:
A control unit that executes a process of searching for a route of the person;
a storage unit that stores history information of a plurality of flow line data indicating the flow lines of the people within the facility,
The control unit is
acquiring location information including a movement start point and a movement end point of the user within the facility, and designation information including a walking speed of the user designated by the user;
determining a plurality of routes that the user can travel based on the history information and the location information;
determining a recommended route for the user from the plurality of routes based on the specified information;
A route search system that outputs the recommended route to a display unit that displays an image. The walking speed includes a first walking speed and a second walking speed that is greater than the first walking speed,
The control unit calculates an average walking speed for each of the plurality of pieces of flow line data;
the plurality of paths include a first path and a second path,
an average value of an average walking speed of the flow line data belonging to the second route is greater than an average value of an average walking speed of the flow line data belonging to the first route;
When the first walking speed is designated, the first route is determined more frequently than the first route and the second route;
2 . The route search system according to claim 1 , wherein, when the second walking speed is specified, the second route is more likely to be determined between the first route and the second route. the designation information includes a pause designation designated by the user,
The pause specification includes a no-pause specification that avoids a pause during movement,
the plurality of paths include a third path and a fourth path,
a rate at which the person makes a stop in the flow line data belonging to the fourth route is greater than a rate at which the person makes a stop in the flow line data belonging to the third route,
3. The route search system according to claim 1, wherein when the no-stop-designation is specified, the probability that the third route is determined is higher between the third route and the fourth route than when the no-stop-designation is not specified. The temporary stop designation includes a temporary stop designation that allows a temporary stop during movement,
The route search system according to claim 3, wherein when the stop sign is specified, the fourth route is determined more frequently than when the stop sign is not specified. The designation information includes a different speed designation designated by the user,
The different speed designation includes no different speed designation in order to avoid the person walking at a speed that does not match the walking speed of the user,
The control unit calculates an average walking speed for each of the plurality of pieces of flow line data;
the plurality of paths include a fifth path and a sixth path,
a standard deviation of an average walking speed of the flow line data belonging to the sixth route is greater than a standard deviation of an average walking speed of the flow line data belonging to the fifth route;
The route search system according to claim 1, wherein when the no-specification-of-different-speed is specified , the probability that the fifth route is determined between the fifth route and the sixth route is higher than when the no-specification-of-different-speed is specified. A route search method for searching for a route for a person moving within a facility, comprising:
storing history information of a plurality of flow line data indicating the flow lines of the people within the facility;
acquiring location information including a movement start point and a movement end point of the user within the facility, and designation information including a walking speed of the user designated by the user;
determining a plurality of routes that the user can travel based on the history information and the point information;
determining a recommended route for the user from the plurality of routes based on the specified information;
and outputting the recommended route to a display unit that displays an image.

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