JP7508959B2 - Information processing device, information processing method, and control program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an information processing device.

Patent Document 1 discloses a production management system that uses a camera to recognize the number of workers and identify the workers. In this production management system, when a work delay occurs, a backup worker who notices the delay rushes to the scene, but if the backup worker has a low level of skill, the work delay will not be resolved so an alert is issued and a more skilled worker is dispatched. On the other hand, if a more skilled worker is present, no alert is issued. In other words, the production management system issues an alert when a work delay occurs depending on the number of workers and their level of skill.

JP 2019-125013 A

However, while the above-mentioned conventional technology can issue a warning as the number of workers increases, it cannot issue a warning if the workers include experienced workers and there is a continued delay in the work. In other words, it can be said that a warning can be issued depending on the number of workers and their level of experience, but not during periods of delay in the work.

The degree of proximity between multiple workers is useful as an indicator for preventing infection or for considering process improvements. The degree of proximity between multiple workers needs to take into account both the closeness of the distance between the workers and the length of time. The above-mentioned conventional technology is unable to appropriately determine the degree of proximity between multiple workers.

One aspect of the present invention provides an information processing device that can appropriately determine the degree of proximity between multiple workers.

An information processing device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a position acquisition unit that acquires the positions of multiple workers at each time, a distance calculation unit that calculates the distances between the positions of the multiple workers at each time, and a determination unit that determines whether a weighted period in which the weighting increases as the distance decreases is equal to or greater than a threshold value.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to determine the length of the period taking into account the closeness of the distance between workers. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately determine the degree of proximity between multiple workers. For example, a user or an information processing device can use this determination result to determine whether there are any close contacts or to consider process improvements.

The information processing device may include a period calculation unit that calculates a period during which the distance is less than a first distance and a period during which the distance is less than a second distance that is longer than the first distance, and the determination unit may be configured to determine that the weighted period is equal to or greater than the threshold value if the state during which the distance is less than the first distance is longer than the first period, and to determine that the weighted period is equal to or greater than the threshold value if the state during which the distance is less than the second distance is longer than a second period that is longer than the first period.

With the above configuration, the length of the period can be determined in stages, taking into account the closeness of the distance between workers.

In the information processing device, the period calculation unit may be configured to calculate the period as a cumulative time if the state in which the distance is less than a predetermined value occurs intermittently in calculating the period.

In the information processing device, the period calculation unit may be configured to calculate the period as the duration during which the distance remains less than a predetermined value.

The above configuration allows for appropriate judgment when the length of continuous duration is meaningful.

The information processing device may further include an integral calculation unit that calculates an integral value obtained by integrating an index that increases as the distance becomes shorter over time as the weighted period, and the determination unit may be configured to determine whether the integral value is equal to or greater than the threshold value.

With the above configuration, the length of the period can be determined continuously, taking into account the closeness of the distance between workers.

The information processing device may further include a storage unit that stores the distance and the period corresponding to the distance in association with each other.

With the above configuration, users can check later whether they have had close contact with anyone.

The information processing device may further include a memory unit that stores the number of the plurality of workers in a specific area, the identification code of the worker, and the distance of other workers relative to the worker for each time period.

With the above configuration, the user can later check whether there are any close contacts and identify the target worker.

The information processing device may further include a storage unit that stores the number of the plurality of workers in a specific area and an image including the plurality of workers for each time period.

With the above configuration, the user can later check whether there are any close contacts and identify the target worker.

The information processing device may further include a display control unit that displays the relationship between the distance and the period corresponding to the distance.

With the above configuration, the user can visually recognize when an abnormality occurs, such as when the distance between workers is too close or there are too many workers.

The information processing device may be configured to include a statistical analysis unit that obtains statistical values of the distance for each time, and a process determination unit that determines whether a local process change or a global process change is required based on the statistical values.

The above configuration allows the process change policy to be determined based on statistical values.

In the information processing device, the distance calculation unit may be configured to use the closest distance among the three or more workers as the distance when there are three or more workers in a specific area.

The above configuration allows the occurrence of a dense situation somewhere in a specific area to be reflected in the judgment.

An information processing method according to one aspect of the present invention includes a position acquisition step of acquiring the positions of multiple workers at each time, a distance calculation step of calculating the distances between the positions of the multiple workers at each time, and a determination step of determining whether a weighted period in which the weighting increases as the distance decreases is equal to or greater than a threshold value.

The information processing device according to each aspect of the present invention may be realized by a computer. In this case, the control program of the information processing device that causes the computer to operate as each unit (software element) of the information processing device to realize the information processing device, and the computer-readable recording medium on which it is recorded, also fall within the scope of the present invention.

According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to appropriately determine the degree of proximity between multiple workers.

1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a main part of an information system according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an image captured by a camera of the information system. 1 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of an information system according to an embodiment. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a main part of an information system according to an embodiment; 1 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of an information system according to an embodiment. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a main part of a management system according to an embodiment; 13 is an example of an input log. 13 is an example of a change in the number of workers over time. 13 is an example of a change in distance between workers over time. 1 is a flowchart showing a process for determining whether or not a process improvement is necessary according to an embodiment. 13 is an example histogram of proximity periods between workers against distance between workers for a given worker, as derived by the statistical analysis unit. 1 is an example histogram of inter-worker proximity periods versus inter-worker distances for a given worker that guides a process improvement methodology.

[Embodiment 1]
Hereinafter, an embodiment according to one aspect of the present invention (hereinafter, also referred to as "the present embodiment") will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference characters and the description thereof will not be repeated.

§1. Application Example Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an image captured by a camera of the information system. As shown in Fig. 2, the information system determines whether or not a worker Pe is present at the work site WS, and if it determines that the worker Pe is present at the work site WS, it identifies the ID of the worker Pe. The information system also identifies the position of the worker Pe.

When there are multiple workers Pe at the work site WS, the information system recognizes each as an individual worker Pe, such as Pe(1) and Pe(2). The information system then uses the positions of the workers Pe to calculate the distance between the workers and the period of proximity between the workers (the period during which other workers Pe are within a specified distance), and identifies and notifies close contacts according to specified conditions. A close contact is a worker Pe who is determined to have been within a specified distance of another worker Pe for a specified period of time.

To prevent infection, it is necessary to create a work environment that limits contact between workers. To prevent infection, it is necessary to maintain a certain distance between workers, and, even if workers do get close to each other, to limit contact to a short period of time. In other words, it is necessary to take into account both the closeness of the distance between workers and the length of time.

§2. Configuration Example Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of the main parts of an information system 100 according to the first embodiment. The information system 100 includes an information processing device 1, a camera 20, an external device 41, a keyboard 42, and a display 43. The information system 100 captures an image with the camera 20, recognizes a worker Pe, and notifies the information processing device 1. The information processing device 1 then makes a determination based on predetermined conditions including the position of the worker Pe, and issues a warning to the external device 41.

The camera 20 includes an image acquisition unit 21 and a position detection unit 22. Here, a configuration in which the camera 20 includes the position detection unit 22 is described, but this is not limited thereto, and the position detection unit 22 may be included in the information processing device 1.

The image acquisition unit 21 acquires an image of the work site WS by imaging, and transmits the image to the position detection unit 22. As an imaging method, for example, an image is captured vertically downward from above the work site WS so that the work site WS (specific area) is captured, but the imaging method is not limited to this. FIG. 2 is an example of an image captured by the camera 20. The captured image may be stored in a storage unit (not shown) of the camera 20, or may be transmitted to the information processing device 1 and stored therein.

The position detection unit 22 detects the position of the worker Pe in the image based on the received image. The position detection unit 22 also identifies the ID (identification code) of the worker Pe. When multiple workers Pe exist in the image (work site WS), the position detection unit 22 identifies the position and ID of each worker Pe. The position detection unit 22 transmits the position of each worker Pe and the ID of each worker Pe to the information processing device 1. Any method may be used to identify the ID of the worker Pe, but for example, the worker Pe may wear a hat with an ID printed on it, and the position detection unit 22 may recognize the ID. In addition to the worker Pe who works at the work site WS all the time, a temporary worker Pe who works at the work site WS for maintenance or the like may wear a hat without an ID printed on it. In this way, a worker Pe whose ID cannot be recognized also works at the work site WS, but even if the ID of the worker Pe cannot be identified, the position detection unit 22 detects the position of the worker Pe.

The information processing device 1 includes a control unit 10, a memory unit 31, an input unit 32, and an output control unit 33. The control unit 10 has a function of controlling each unit of the information processing device 1, and includes a position acquisition unit 11, a distance calculation unit 12, a period calculation unit 13, a determination unit 14, and a notification unit 15.

The memory unit 31 stores data and programs used by each part of the information processing device 1. Data used by each part includes the ID of the worker Pe, the distance between the workers, and the period of proximity between the workers, and may also include captured images of the work site WS.

The position acquisition unit 11 receives the positions of the multiple workers Pe at each time and the IDs of the multiple workers Pe from the camera 20. The position acquisition unit 11 transmits information linking the positions of the multiple workers Pe at each time and the IDs of the multiple workers Pe to the distance calculation unit 12 and also stores the information in the memory unit 31. The device that transmits the positions of the workers Pe and the IDs of the workers Pe to the position acquisition unit 11 is not limited to the camera 20, but may be any indoor positioning device, for example, a device that performs indoor positioning using UWB (Ultra Wide Band) or Quuppa (registered trademark). An advantage of these indoor positioning technologies is that, unlike ID recognition using image processing, no erroneous ID recognition occurs.

The distance calculation unit 12 calculates the distance between the workers based on the information on the positions of the multiple workers Pe acquired from the position acquisition unit 11. At this time, the distance calculation unit 12 calculates the distance including the workers Pe whose IDs cannot be recognized. Thereafter, the distance calculation unit 12 stores the calculated distance between the workers in the memory unit 31. If the IDs are recognized, the distance calculation unit 12 stores the IDs of the two target workers, the distance between the workers, and the time in association with each other in the memory unit 31. Note that when there are three or more workers, the distance calculation unit 12 calculates the distance between each worker individually (worker Pe(1)-Pe(2), worker Pe(1)-Pe(3), worker Pe(2)-Pe(3), ...).

The period calculation unit 13 calculates the period of proximity between the workers based on information on the change in distance between the workers over time (time series data) stored in the memory unit 31. The period of proximity between the workers is the period during which the distance between the two workers Pe was within a predetermined distance range. The period of proximity between the workers is counted up separately for each distance range. For example, in the first embodiment, a case is considered in which the period of proximity is counted up in four ranges: (first range) less than 0.5 m, (second range) less than 1 m, (third range) less than 1.5 m, and (fourth range) less than 2 m. The first to fourth ranges have the same lower limit of 0 m and different upper limits. The period calculation unit 13 transmits multiple proximity periods corresponding to multiple distance ranges to the determination unit 14, and also stores them in the memory unit 31. In addition, when there are three or more workers, the period calculation unit 13 calculates the proximity period individually for each of the workers (between workers Pe(1) and Pe(2), between workers Pe(1) and Pe(3), between workers Pe(2) and Pe(3), ...).

In addition, when the distance between the workers is changing and the distance between the workers changes intermittently between within the first range and outside the first range, the period calculation unit 13 may determine the cumulative time during which the distance between the workers was in the first range as the proximity period of the first range. The period calculation unit 13 may determine the cumulative time during which the distance between the workers was in the second range as the proximity period of the second range.

For example, the period calculation unit 13 may determine the longest continuous time during which the distance between the workers remains within the first range as the proximity period of the first range.

The determination unit 14 determines whether the workers Pe are close contacts based on the distance range between the workers and the period of proximity between the workers. The predetermined distance range and the predetermined period used to determine close contact are set in multiple stages. The determination unit 14 transmits the determination result to the notification unit 15. The determination result includes the occurrence of close contact and the IDs of the multiple workers Pe who are close contacts.

The notification unit 15 notifies the external device 41 of a warning based on the input judgment result. The external device 41 may include any device that performs production management, such as a production management server, in addition to alarm devices such as buzzers, signal towers, or rotating lights. Furthermore, if the ID of the worker Pe cannot be identified, the notification unit 15 may notify the worker Pe to prompt the worker to input the ID into a terminal that the worker Pe can operate (for example, a terminal at the work site WS).

The input unit 32 can input operations of an external input device such as a keyboard 42 or a touch panel, and link the ID to a worker Pe whose ID could not be identified. The input unit 32 accepts input of the ID of a worker Pe whose ID could not be identified at a work site WS from the external input device. The input unit 32 stores the input ID in the memory unit 31 as the ID of a worker Pe whose ID could not be identified at a work site WS. The external input device is not limited to the keyboard 42, and may be any external input device such as a pointing device or a touch panel.

The output control unit 33 (display control unit) controls the display of various information on the display 43. The output control unit 33 can also output the information stored in the storage unit 31 as log data to any storage medium. The user can also determine whether they have been in close contact with someone based on the log data stored in the storage medium.

§3. Operation Example Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the information system 100 according to the first embodiment.

In S11, the camera 20 captures an image of the work site WS by the image acquisition unit 21. The image acquisition unit 21 may also store the captured image of the work site WS in a storage unit of the camera 20 (not shown) or in a storage unit 31 of the information processing device 1. The image capture interval is a predetermined value, and may be, for example, an interval of one minute.

In S12, the camera 20 detects the position of the worker Pe from the image of the work site WS using the position detection unit 22, and identifies the ID of the worker Pe. The position detection unit 22 transmits the position of the worker Pe for each time and the ID of the worker Pe to the position acquisition unit 11. The position acquisition unit 11 acquires the position of the worker Pe for each time and the ID of the worker Pe from the position detection unit 22.

In S13, the control unit 10 of the information processing device 1 determines whether there is a worker Pe whose ID cannot be identified. If there is a worker Pe whose ID cannot be identified (Yes in S13), the process transitions to S14. In S14, the notification unit 15 issues a warning to the worker Pe whose ID cannot be identified using the external device 41 (e.g., a buzzer or a terminal at the work site WS) and prompts the worker Pe to register his/her ID using the keyboard 42. If the ID of the worker Pe is input, the input unit 32 stores the ID of the worker Pe in the memory unit 31. Here, even if the ID of the worker Pe is not input, the information processing device 1 continues processing and transitions to S15.

In S15, the distance calculation unit 12 calculates the distance between each of the workers Pe from the positions of the workers Pe at each time and the IDs of the workers Pe. The calculated distance between the workers is stored in the memory unit 31 in association with the time and the IDs of the workers Pe.

In S16, the period calculation unit 13 refers to the memory unit 31 and counts up (adds up) the period of proximity between the workers for each distance between the workers. At this time, for example, if the distance between the workers is 0.8 m, the period of proximity between the workers in the three corresponding ranges of less than 1 m (second range), less than 1.5 m (third range), and less than 2 m (fourth range) are counted up. In other words, there may be multiple ranges of the period of proximity between the workers to be counted up.

In S17, the determination unit 14 determines whether the condition that the distance between the workers is (1) less than 0.5 m (first distance) and the period of proximity between the workers is 5 minutes (first period) or more is met. If the condition is met (Yes in S17), the process transitions to S21, and if the condition is not met (No in S17), the process transitions to S18.

In S18, the determination unit 14 determines whether the condition that the distance between the workers (2) is less than 1 m (second distance) and the period of proximity between the workers is 15 minutes (second period) or more is met. If the condition is met (Yes in S18), the process transitions to S21. If the condition is not met (No in S18), the process transitions to S19.

In S19, the determination unit 14 determines whether the condition that the distance between the workers is less than (3) 1.5 m (third distance) and the period of proximity between the workers is 30 minutes (third period) or more is met. If the condition is met (Yes in S19), the process transitions to S21, and if the condition is not met (No in S19), the process transitions to S20.

In S20, the determination unit 14 determines whether the condition that the distance between the workers is less than (4) 2 m (fourth distance) and the period of proximity between the workers is 60 minutes (fourth period) or more is met. If the condition is met (Yes in S20), the process transitions to S21, and if the condition is not met (No in S20), the process returns to S11 and loops.

The judgment conditions in S17 to S20 may be the distance between any of the workers and the period of proximity between any of the workers, and the number of stages to be judged (four stages in FIG. 3) may be set arbitrarily. However, the shorter the distance between the workers, the greater the influence they have on each other. Therefore, assuming that the first distance is less than the second distance, the threshold (first period) for judging the period of proximity between workers that is less than the first distance is smaller than the threshold (second period) for judging the period of proximity between workers that is less than the second distance.

In S21, the determination unit 14 determines that workers Pe whose relationship between distance and period of proximity meets any one of the conditions are close contacts.

In S22, the notification unit 15 notifies the external device 41 that there is at least one close contact. The external device 41 (e.g., a buzzer or display device) notifies the worker Pe that there is a close contact.

If the captured image contains three or more workers Pe, the information processing device 1 performs processes S15 to S22 between each worker (each pair of workers).

§4. Function and Effect The information processing device 1 can acquire the positions of multiple workers Pe and calculate the distance between the workers and the period of proximity between the workers. The information processing device 1 can determine close contacts using the distance between the workers and the period of proximity between the workers as indicators.

When making the determination, if the distance between the workers is less than a close first distance, they are determined to be close contacts based on contact for a period of at least a first period, which is a short period of time. Also, if the distance between the workers is less than a second distance that is longer than the first distance, they are determined to be close contacts based on contact for a period of at least a second period, which is longer than the first period. In this way, the information processing device 1 can determine the distance between workers and the period of proximity between workers in multiple stages and determine close contacts. Therefore, even if the distance between workers is far, a worker Pe who has been in the same space for a longer period of time can be identified as a close contact. This makes it possible to determine the presence or absence of close contacts based on an appropriate period of proximity depending on the distance between the workers.

It can also be said that the determination unit 14 determines whether or not a weighted period weighted with a weight according to the distance between the workers (the shorter the distance, the larger the weight) exceeds a threshold value. For example, the determination unit 14 weights a period of proximity between workers whose distance between them is (1) less than 0.5 m (first distance) with a weight of 1. The determination unit 14 weights a period of proximity between workers whose distance between them is (2) less than 1 m (second distance) with a weight of 1/3. The determination unit 14 weights a period of proximity between workers whose distance between them is (3) less than 1.5 m (third distance) with a weight of 1/6. The determination unit 14 weights a period of proximity between workers whose distance between them is (4) less than 2 m (fourth distance) with a weight of 1/12. The determination unit 14 determines whether or not the weighted period obtained exceeds 5 (minutes). Processing in this manner can also obtain results similar to those of S17 to S20.

In addition, when calculating the period of proximity between workers, the information processing device 1 may calculate the period of proximity between workers as the longest continuous time if the distance between the workers is continuous within the same range. Alternatively, the information processing device 1 may calculate the period of proximity between workers as the cumulative time if the distance between the workers is intermittent. This makes it possible to identify all people who may have been close contacts.

Furthermore, the information processing device 1 includes a storage unit 31 and an output control unit 33, and can store the ID of the worker Pe, the distance between the workers, and the period of proximity between the workers as a log. The log can be analyzed by the method shown in embodiment 3, allowing the log to be used in various ways.

[Modification 1]
In the first embodiment, the camera 20 is provided with the position detection unit 22, but the position detection unit 22 may be provided in the information processing device 1. In this case, the position detection unit 22 calculates the position based on the image acquired by the image acquisition unit 21. When identifying the ID of the worker Pe, the position detection unit 22 may identify the ID of the worker Pe from information about the worker Pe (e.g., features such as face/appearance) stored in the storage unit 31, rather than identifying the ID from the hat worn by the worker Pe. In this case, there is an advantage that the ID of the worker Pe can be identified even if the worker Pe does not have a hat with an ID, as long as the information about the worker Pe is stored (or can be acquired by communication).

[Modification 2]
In the first embodiment, the information processing device 1 is provided with the storage unit 31, but this is not limited to this case. For example, the information system 100 may include a management server (not shown), and the management server may manage information to be stored by the multiple information processing devices 1. In this case, the information of the multiple information processing devices 1 can be integrated and managed. Therefore, it becomes possible to determine close contacts for work sites WS that cannot be managed by a single information processing device 1.

[Modification 3]
The notification unit 15 may send a notification to the manager of the worker Pe through the production management server. The notification may be by email. Even if the worker Pe notices the notification from the external device 41 (e.g., a buzzer) at the work site WS, if there is a work process in which the distance between workers is small, the worker Pe cannot respond by himself. Therefore, the manager of the worker Pe may be encouraged to improve the process to prevent close contacts.

[Embodiment 2]
Other embodiments of the present invention will be described below. For ease of explanation, the same reference numerals are given to members having the same functions as those described in the above embodiment, and the description thereof will not be repeated.

§1. Application Example In the first embodiment, close contacts are identified by comparing the distance between workers and the period of close contact between workers with several levels of indices. Therefore, in the method of the first embodiment, the comparison work is complicated because it spans several levels, and a level is not assigned to indicate the degree of close contact.

Therefore, in the second embodiment, the distance between workers and the period of proximity between workers are combined and replaced with another index, so that one index can be judged with one threshold level. In addition, since there is only one index, it becomes possible to assign a level to close contacts, and in the event of an outbreak of an infectious disease, it becomes easy to prioritize and test workers Pe who are close contacts.

§2. Configuration Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of the main parts of an information system 100s according to embodiment 2. The information system 100s differs from the information system 100 in that the information processing device 1 is replaced with an information processing device 1s. The information processing device 1s differs from the information processing device 1 in that the control unit 10 is replaced with a control unit 10s. Unlike the control unit 10, the control unit 10s does not include a period calculation unit 13, but further includes an integral calculation unit 16s, and includes a determination unit 14s instead of the determination unit 14.

The integral calculation unit 16s communicates with the memory unit 31 and acquires the distance between the workers for each time. The integral calculation unit 16s calculates a proximity index from the distance between the workers. The proximity index is an index (a function of distance) that increases as the distance between the workers decreases. For example, the proximity index may be the reciprocal of the distance, or a value obtained by subtracting the distance from a predetermined value. The predetermined value may be the maximum distance between the workers within the range that can be captured by the camera. The integral calculation unit 16s calculates an integral value obtained by integrating the proximity index over time. This integral value is an index that represents the degree of proximity between the workers. This integral value corresponds to a weighted period in which weighting is performed with a weight that increases as the distance decreases.

The determination unit 14s does not determine close contacts based on the distance between workers and the period of proximity between the workers, but instead determines close contacts based on the above integral value.

§3. Operation Example Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the information system 100s according to embodiment 2. The operation of the information system 100s differs from that of the information system 100 in that the operation of the determination unit (S16 to S19) is replaced by S30 to S31.

In S30, the integral calculation unit 16s calculates an integral value by integrating the proximity index over time between each worker.

In S31, the determination unit 14s determines whether the integral value is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value. If the integral value is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold value (Yes in S31), the process transitions to S21. If the integral value is less than the predetermined threshold value (No in S31), the process returns to S11 and loops. That is, in the second embodiment, unlike the first embodiment, a determination can be made with a single index (integral value) without distinguishing between cases based on the distance between the workers and the period of proximity between the workers.

In addition, in S22, the notification unit 15 may notify the external device 41 of an index corresponding to the integral value (degree of proximity) between the workers. The external device 41 may present (display) the index to the user.

If the captured image includes three or more workers Pe, the information processing device 1s performs processes S15 to S31 between each worker (each pair of workers).

§4. Effects and Effects The information processing device 1s can use an integral value of the distance between workers and the period of proximity between the workers as an index, and when the integral value exceeds a predetermined threshold, it can determine that the worker is a close contact.

In addition to simply determining whether someone was in close contact with another person, the integrated value can be used to determine the extent of close contact. Therefore, for example, if there are many close contacts, it is possible to prioritize testing for infected people.

[Embodiment 3]
§1. Application Example The information system 100 in the first embodiment can determine whether there is a close contact and notify the worker Pe and the external device 41. When there is a close contact, the process itself at the work site WS may be densely packed, and the workers Pe may be arranged in a way that makes it easy for them to be crowded together. Here, a method for determining whether or not process improvement is necessary is shown. When workers Pe are unnecessarily crowded together, not only are close contacts more likely to occur, but workers Pe may also get in the way of other workers Pe while working, which is one of the factors that causes poor workability.

§2. Configuration Example Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the configuration of the main parts of a management system 101 according to the third embodiment. The management system 101 includes an information processing device 2 and a display 43. The management system 101 is a system that analyzes logs acquired by the information processing device 1 of the above-mentioned embodiment and supports process improvement, and the information processing device 2 is a part that actually analyzes the logs. The information processing device 2 may include the information processing device 1.

The information processing device 2 includes a control unit 50, a memory unit 31, and an output control unit 34. The control unit 50 includes a log input unit 51, a log determination unit 52, a statistical analysis unit 53, and a process determination unit 54.

The log input unit 51 reads the log generated by the information processing device 1 from the information processing device 1, converts it into data that can be used in the memory unit 31, and stores it. The input to the log input unit 51 is not limited to a log file, and the log may be obtained from the information processing device 1 via communication. The log input by the log input unit 51 can be displayed on the display 43 by the output control unit 34.

Figure 7 is an example of an input log. As shown in Figure 7, the log contains the time, the number of people at the work site WS, the distance (m) between each worker (A-B, A-C, B-C), and the ID of worker Pe ("Worker" A, B, C), all associated with each other. In addition, links to captured images associated with each time, or the names of captured image files may also be saved.

The log determination unit 52 determines whether or not process improvement is necessary at the work site WS based on the data stored in the memory unit 31. When making the determination, the distance between the workers and the period of proximity between the workers recorded in the log are used. The log determination unit 52 outputs whether or not process improvement is necessary to the statistical analysis unit 53.

The statistical analysis unit 53 performs statistical analysis on the distance between workers and the period of proximity between workers based on the data stored in the memory unit 31. The statistical analysis unit 53 can analyze a histogram of the period of proximity between workers based on the distance between workers for a certain worker Pe, the change in the distance between workers over time, and the number of workers Pe at the work site WS. In addition, the results of the statistical analysis of the log can be displayed on the display 43 by the output control unit 34.

The process determination unit 54 determines a policy for process improvement of the work site WS based on the results of the statistical analysis of the log. The process determination unit 54 outputs the determined policy to the output control unit 34.

The output control unit 34 causes the display 43 to display the information input from each unit. It also obtains from the memory unit 31 the change over time in the number of workers Pe and the change over time in the distance between the workers, and causes these to be displayed. The output control unit 34 causes the display 43 to display the determined policy.

Figure 8 is an example of the change over time in the number of workers Pe at the work site WS. Figure 9 is an example of the change over time in the distance between workers. The graph in Figure 9 shows the closest distance when there are three or more workers. In the graphs showing the change over time shown in Figure 8 or Figure 9, the user can select a point on the graph to display on the display 43 the situation (captured image) at the work site WS at that time. The output control unit 34 causes the display 43 to display the captured image at the corresponding time in response to the user's selection. This makes it possible to visually confirm, for example, the timing when the number of workers Pe increases or decreases, or the situation at the point when the distance between workers suddenly changes (for example, becomes shorter).

§3. Example of operation Fig. 10 is a flow chart for determining whether or not a process improvement is necessary. In addition to determining whether or not a process improvement is necessary on-time, the information processing device 2 may determine whether or not a process improvement is necessary later using log data. Here, the information processing device 2 determines whether or not a process improvement is necessary using log data, and presents a policy on how to improve the process.

(Determining the need for process improvement)
In S41, the log input unit 51 reads the log created by the information processing device 1 into the information processing device 2. The information processing device 1 is not limited to the information processing device described in the first or second embodiment, and may be a management server or a general-purpose computer provided in the outline from the information processing device.

In S42, the log determination unit 52 determines whether the condition that the distance between the workers is (1) less than 0.5 m (first distance) and the period of proximity between the workers is 5 minutes (first period) or more is met. If the condition is met (Yes in S42), the process transitions to S44, and if the condition is not met (No in S42), the process transitions to S43.

In S43, the log determination unit 52 determines whether the condition that the distance between the workers (2) is less than 1 m (second distance) and the period of proximity between the workers is 15 minutes (second period) or more is met. If the condition is met (Yes in S43), the process transitions to S44. If the condition is not met (No in S43), the process transitions to S45.

Here, the log determination unit 52 performs the determination in two stages in S42 and S43, but the determination is not limited to two stages and may be performed in any number of stages greater than or equal to one. Also, the distance range and period are examples and may be different from those in the first embodiment.

In S44, the log determination unit 52 determines that the work site WS of the log data requires process improvement. In this case, the process proceeds to S46. In contrast, in S45, the log determination unit 52 determines that the work site WS of the log data does not require process improvement, and ends the process.

(Decision-making on process improvement)
In S46, the statistical analysis unit 53 performs statistical analysis based on the distance between the workers and the period of proximity between the workers stored in the storage unit 31. FIG. 11 is an example of a histogram of the period of proximity between the workers versus the distance between the workers for a certain worker Pe, derived by the statistical analysis unit 53. For example, the bin for distance 1 (m) represents the cumulative period of proximity between the workers in a section where the distance between the workers is 0.5 m or more and less than 1 m. The statistical analysis unit 53 also calculates statistical information such as maximum, minimum, average, mode, or median for the distance between the workers and the period of proximity between the workers. The statistical analysis unit 53 outputs the statistically processed information (for example, the histogram and statistical information) to the process judgment unit 54.

In S47, the process judgment unit 54 judges whether the mode or median of the histogram is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. The predetermined threshold may be greater than the distance (1 m) used to judge the presence or absence of a close contact. The predetermined threshold may be set to, for example, about twice the distance (2 m), but is not limited to this. If the condition is met (Yes in S47), the process transitions to S48. If the condition is not met (No in S47), the process transitions to S49.

Figure 12 is an example of a histogram of the period of proximity between workers against the distance between workers for a certain worker Pe, which leads to a process improvement method. Figure 12 includes histogram 61 and histogram 62. The histogram of the distance between workers and the period of proximity between workers is a histogram with several peaks.

When there are two or more peaks (histogram 62 in FIG. 12), it means that the distance between the workers is not almost constant in the work process, and there is a process in which the distance between the workers is reduced. For example, when loading and unloading materials in a different location, the worker Pe may work at a different work site from his/her own work site, and therefore the distance between the workers and other workers Pe may be reduced. In terms of statistics, the mode is in the middle of one of the peaks, but the median is not necessarily in the middle of one of the multiple peaks. By comparing this median with a threshold value, it is possible to determine whether there are multiple peaks. If the difference between the mode and the median is large and either one is smaller than a predetermined threshold value, it indicates that there are multiple peaks, and one of the multiple peaks has a small distance between the workers, and it is highly likely that the workers Pe are crowded together. Since the workers Pe are crowded together in a form of multiple peaks, it is clear that the workers Pe are likely to be crowded together in a specific part of the process. Therefore, it has been determined that this process needs to be improved locally.

In contrast, when there is one peak (histogram 61 in FIG. 12), it can be seen that the distance between workers in the work process is almost constant. Also, in terms of statistics, the most frequent value is located almost halfway up the peak. By comparing this most frequent value with a threshold value, the overall position of the peak can be grasped. Because there is one peak, if there is a situation in which close contacts may occur, it can be said that there is a high possibility that close contacts will occur throughout the entire process. Therefore, it can be said that it is necessary to extend the distance between workers throughout the entire process.

In S48, the process determination unit 54 determines that there is a process at the work site WS that is likely to result in close contact, and determines that local process improvement (process change) is necessary.

In S49, the process determination unit 54 determines that close contacts are likely to occur in all processes at the work site WS, and determines that an overall expansion of the work site WS (process change) is necessary. The output control unit 34 displays the determination result (process improvement policy) on the display 43.

§4. Effects The information processing device 2 can determine the necessity of process improvement at the work site WS and determine a policy for process improvement by performing statistical analysis based on the log. In addition, the results of the statistical analysis can be displayed on the display 43 via the output control unit 34.

If a work site is simply expanded just because a close contact has occurred, the expanded work site will increase walking time, leading to a decrease in the efficiency of the worker Pe. Therefore, adjustments are required to ensure an appropriate distance between workers so that close contact does not occur with the worker Pe, while also ensuring the efficiency of the worker Pe. With the information processing device 2, it is possible to propose local process improvements or overall expansion as necessary.

In addition, in S47, the process judgment unit 54 may use only one of the statistical values, the median or the mode, for judgment, or may use the other statistical value for judgment.

[Software implementation example]
The control blocks of the information processing device 1 (particularly the position acquisition unit 11, the distance calculation unit 12, the period calculation unit 13, the judgment units 14, 14s, the notification unit 15, the integral calculation unit 16s, the input unit 32, the output control unit 33, the log input unit 51, the log judgment unit 52, the statistical analysis unit 53, the process judgment unit 54, and the position detection unit 22) may be realized by a logic circuit (hardware) formed in an integrated circuit (IC chip) or the like, or may be realized by software.

In the latter case, the information processing device 1 includes a computer that executes the instructions of a program, which is software that realizes each function. This computer includes, for example, one or more processors, and a computer-readable recording medium that stores the program. The object of the present invention is achieved by the processor reading the program from the recording medium and executing it in the computer. The processor can be, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The recording medium can be a "non-transient tangible medium," such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), tape, disk, card, semiconductor memory, programmable logic circuit, etc. The computer can also include a RAM (Random Access Memory) that expands the program. The program can be supplied to the computer via any transmission medium (such as a communication network or broadcast waves) that can transmit the program. One aspect of the present invention can also be realized in the form of a data signal embedded in a carrier wave, in which the program is embodied by electronic transmission.

[Additional Notes]
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1, 1s, 2 Information processing device 10, 10s, 50 Control unit 11 Position acquisition unit 12 Distance calculation unit 13 Period calculation unit 14, 14s Determination unit 15 Notification unit 16s Integration calculation unit 20 Camera 21 Image acquisition unit 22 Position detection unit 31 Storage unit 32 Input unit 33, 34 Output control unit (display control unit)
41 External device 42 Keyboard (input device)
43 Display (display device)
51 Log input unit 52 Log judgment unit 53 Statistical analysis unit 54 Process judgment unit

Claims (16)

a position acquisition unit that acquires identification codes and positions at each time of the plurality of workers identified based on a captured image in which the plurality of workers are photographed ;
a distance calculation unit that calculates distances between the positions of the plurality of workers at each time;
and a determination unit that determines whether a weighted period, in which a weight that increases as the distance decreases, is equal to or greater than a threshold value. a period calculation unit that calculates a period during which the distance is less than a first distance and a period during which the distance is less than a second distance that is longer than the first distance,
2. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines that the weighted period is greater than or equal to the threshold value when the state in which the distance is less than a first distance is longer than a first period, and determines that the weighted period is greater than or equal to the threshold value when the state in which the distance is less than a second distance is longer than a second period that is longer than the first period. The information processing device according to claim 2, wherein the period calculation unit calculates the period as a cumulative time when the state in which the distance is less than a predetermined value occurs intermittently in the calculation of the period. The information processing device according to claim 2, wherein the period calculation unit calculates the period as the duration during which the distance continues to be less than a predetermined value. The information processing device further includes an integral calculation unit that calculates, as the weighted period, an integral value obtained by integrating an index that increases as the distance decreases, over time;
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the determination unit determines whether or not the integral value is equal to or greater than the threshold value. The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a storage unit that stores the distance and the period corresponding to the distance in association with each other. The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a storage unit that stores the number of the plurality of workers in a specific area, the identification code of the worker, and the distance of other workers relative to the worker for each time. The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a storage unit that stores the number of the plurality of workers in a specific area and an image including the plurality of workers for each time. At least one of the plurality of workers is wearing a hat on which the identification code is printed,
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the position acquisition unit acquires an identification code of the worker wearing the hat, the identification code being detected based on a captured image in which the hat appears. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a notification unit that issues a warning to prompt input of the identification code when the identification code of at least any one of the plurality of workers cannot be identified. A storage unit is further provided for storing information indicating a facial or external appearance feature of at least any one of the plurality of workers,
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein an identification code of the worker is specified from the information and the captured image. The information processing device according to claim 1 , further comprising a display control unit that displays a relationship between the distance and a period corresponding to the distance. A statistical analysis unit that obtains a statistical value of the distance for each time period;
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a process determination unit that determines whether a local process change or a global process change is required based on the statistical value. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein when three or more workers are present in a specific area, the distance calculation unit uses the closest distance among the three or more workers as the distance. An information processing method executed by an information processing device,
a position acquisition step of acquiring identification codes and positions at each time of the plurality of workers, the identification codes and positions at each time of the plurality of workers being identified based on a captured image in which the plurality of workers are photographed;
a distance calculation step of calculating distances between the positions of the plurality of workers at each time;
and determining whether or not a weighted period, in which a weight that increases as the distance decreases, is equal to or greater than a threshold value. A control program for causing a computer to function as the information processing device according to claim 1, the control program causing a computer to function as the position acquisition unit, the distance calculation unit, and the determination unit.

Images