JP7515249B2 - Estimation device, estimation method, and estimation program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an estimation device, an estimation method, and an estimation program.

Conventionally, technology has been proposed that estimates a user's location based on the strength of propagation transmitted and received from various devices. One example of such technology is a technology that, when radio waves transmitted from multiple beacons are received from a terminal, estimates the user's location based on the radio wave strength of each received radio wave.

JP 2019-082363 A

However, the above-mentioned technology does not make it easy to estimate congestion levels.

For example, while the conventional technology described above can estimate the location of users, when estimating congestion within a certain area, the location of each user must be estimated individually, which is time-consuming.

This application was made in light of the above, and aims to easily estimate congestion of users.

The estimation device according to the present application is characterized by having an acquisition unit that acquires intensity information indicating the intensity of radio waves when a radio wave transmitted from a specified transmitting device is received by a specified receiving device, and an estimation unit that estimates the degree of congestion in an area in which the transmitting device and the receiving device are installed based on the intensity indicated by the intensity information.

According to one aspect of the embodiment, it is possible to easily estimate the congestion of users.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a process executed by an information providing device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a variation of a process for measuring congestion by the information providing device according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an information providing device according to an embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of information registered in the reference strength database according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a flow of a process executed by the information providing device according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration.

Below, the estimation device, estimation method, and estimation program according to the present application will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the estimation device, estimation method, and estimation program according to the present application are not limited to these embodiments. Furthermore, the embodiments can be appropriately combined as long as the processing contents are not contradictory. Furthermore, the same parts in the following embodiments are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

[1. Information provision device]
First, an example of a process executed by an information providing device 10, which is an example of an estimation device, will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a process executed by an information providing device according to an embodiment. In Fig. 1, an example of a process executed by the information providing device 10 to estimate a congestion degree in a predetermined area A1, A2 will be described.

Note that the areas A1 and A2 (hereinafter sometimes collectively referred to as "area A") described below can be any area. For example, area A may be a variety of facilities such as a restaurant, gym, workplace, etc., or a specific room within a facility. Area A may also be an area consisting of multiple rooms. Area A may also be an area where a user is located on a moving object such as a bus or train. Area A may also be an area not only indoors such as a room, but also outdoors such as a station, park, event venue, etc.

1-1. Overview of the information providing device
The information providing device 10 is an information processing device capable of communicating with various devices via a predetermined network N such as the Internet (see, for example, FIG. 3). For example, the information providing device 10 can communicate with transmitting devices T1 and T2 (hereinafter, sometimes collectively referred to as "transmitting devices T") and receiving devices R1 and R2 (hereinafter, sometimes collectively referred to as "receiving devices R") described below, and terminal devices 101 and 102 (see, for example, FIG. 2. Hereinafter, sometimes collectively referred to as "terminal devices 100") used by users. For example, the information providing device 10 is realized by a server device, a cloud system, or the like. Note that the information providing device 10 may be capable of communicating with any number of transmitting devices T, receiving devices R, and terminal devices 100 via the network N.

The transmitting device T is a device having a function of transmitting a predetermined radio wave, for example, a transponder placed at a predetermined position in the area A. For example, the transmitting device T transmits ultra-wideband (UWB) radio waves at a predetermined time interval (for example, at one-second intervals). More specifically, the transmitting device T transmits radio waves in a predetermined band having a frequency higher than 500 megahertz or 1.5 gigahertz at a predetermined time interval. Also, for example, the transmitting device T transmits radio waves with a predetermined radio wave intensity of about -90 decibels. The transmitting device T may transmit the predetermined radio wave according to an instruction from the information providing device 10.

The receiving device R is a receiving device that receives radio waves transmitted by the transmitting device T, and is, for example, a specified terminal device having a receiving antenna. For example, when the receiving device R receives radio waves of a frequency that is set in advance as the radio waves transmitted by the transmitting device T, it measures the radio wave intensity of the received radio waves. The receiving device T then generates intensity information indicating the measured radio wave intensity, and transmits the generated intensity information and intensity information indicating the date and time when the radio waves were received to the information providing device 10.

In the example shown in FIG. 1, transmitting device T1 and receiving device R1 are placed at a predetermined position in area A1, and transmitting device T2 and receiving device T2 are placed at a predetermined position in area A2. Here, the frequency of the radio waves emitted by transmitting device T1 and transmitting device T2 may be the same frequency or different frequencies. For example, when area A1 and area A2 are adjacent to each other, or when receiving device R1 is placed in a position where it can receive radio waves from transmitting devices T1 and T2, the frequencies of the radio waves emitted by transmitting devices T1 and T2 may be set to be different.

[1-2. Overview of estimation process]
Here, when the degree of congestion of users in area A is estimated, for example, it is possible to notify users visiting area A of the degree of congestion in advance. As a result, users visiting area A can change their destination to a facility that is less crowded, change the timing of their visit, or adjust the timing of their train status. However, when estimating the degree of congestion of facility R using a technology for identifying (estimating) the current location of each user, it is necessary to identify the locations of all users and count the number of users located in facility R based on the identification results, which is time-consuming. In addition, since not all users necessarily have a terminal device required to identify their current location, there is a risk of the estimation accuracy decreasing.

The information providing device 10 therefore executes the following estimation process. First, the information providing device 10 acquires intensity information indicating the intensity of radio waves when a radio wave transmitted from a specific transmitting device T is received by a specific receiving device R. Then, the information providing device 10 estimates the degree of congestion in the area in which the transmitting device T and the receiving device R are installed based on the intensity indicated by the intensity information.

For example, radio waves used in conventional wireless communications such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) have the property of penetrating human bodies and walls. On the other hand, radio waves in UWB have the property of being easily attenuated by human bodies and walls. Therefore, the information providing device 10 estimates the degree of congestion of users in the area based on the attenuation of the radio wave strength indicated by the strength information. For example, the information providing device 10 may estimate a higher degree of congestion the weaker the strength indicated by the strength information. Furthermore, the information providing device 10 may estimate the degree of attenuation of radio waves emitted by the transmitting device T due to objects located in the area based on the strength indicated by the strength information, and estimate the degree of congestion based on the estimated degree.

For example, when there are no users in area A1 and transmitting device T1 transmits radio waves of -90 decibels, information providing device 10 holds the strength of the radio waves received by receiving device R1 (e.g., -50 decibels) as the reference strength. In such a case, it is estimated that the strength of the radio waves received by receiving device R1 decreases as the number of users present in area A1 increases. Therefore, information providing device 10 estimates the degree of congestion in area A1 according to the extent to which the strength of the radio waves received by receiving device R1 has decreased from the reference strength. For example, the information providing device 10 may infer that no users are present or that the area is not congested if the radio wave strength indicated by the intensity information received from the receiving device R1 is between -50 decibels and -40 decibels, that the area is moderately congested if the radio wave strength indicated by the intensity information received from the receiving device R1 is between -40 decibels and -20 decibels, and that the degree of congestion is high if the radio wave strength indicated by the intensity information received from the receiving device R1 is between -20 decibels and -10 decibels.

In addition, the information providing device 10 may use a predetermined equation to calculate a numerical value indicating the degree of congestion from the value of the radio wave intensity. For example, if the radio wave intensity indicated by the intensity information received from the receiving device R1 is -50 decibels, the information providing device 10 may calculate a congestion degree of "0" (a numerical value indicating no congestion at all), if the radio wave intensity indicated by the intensity information received from the receiving device R1 is -30 decibels, the information providing device 10 may calculate a congestion degree of "50" (a numerical value indicating moderate congestion), and if the radio wave intensity indicated by the intensity information received from the receiving device R1 is 0 decibels, the information providing device 10 may calculate a congestion degree of "100" (a numerical value indicating very high congestion).

In this way, the information providing device 10 identifies the degree of radio wave attenuation based on the intensity information in a specified area, and estimates the congestion in the specified area based on the identified specific attenuation. As a result of this processing, the information providing device 10 can estimate the congestion in an area from the radio wave intensity measured by a single device without measuring the position of each user, and can therefore easily and accurately estimate the degree of congestion.

1-3. An example of the estimation process
An example of the estimation process executed by the information providing device 10 will be described below with reference to FIG. 1. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 1, the distance between the transmitting terminal T1 and the receiving device R1 installed in the area A1, and the distance between the transmitting terminal T2 and the receiving device R2 installed in the area A2 are each assumed to be 5 meters. In addition, in the example shown in FIG. 1, it is assumed that seven users U1 to U7 are located in the area A1, and two users U8 and U9 are located in the area A2. It is also assumed that the areas A1 and A2 are of the same size. In the following description, the users U1 to U9 may be collectively referred to as user U.

First, transmitting device T1 installed in area A1 outputs UWB radio waves at a predetermined time interval (step S1). In such a case, when receiving device R1 receives the radio waves transmitted by transmitting device T1, it measures the radio wave strength of the received radio waves (step S2). Also, transmitting device T2 installed in area A2 outputs UWB radio waves at a predetermined time interval (step S3). In such a case, when receiving device R2 receives the radio waves transmitted by transmitting device T2, it measures the radio wave strength of the received radio waves (step S4).

In such a case, the information providing device 10 acquires intensity information indicating the radio wave intensity received by each receiving device R (step S6). Then, the information providing device 10 estimates the degree of congestion in each area A based on the intensity indicated by each piece of radio wave information (step S7).

Here, there are more users U in area A1 than in area A2. As a result, there is a high possibility that many users U are located on the path from transmitting device T1 to receiving device R1, and it is considered that the radio waves are more likely to be attenuated in area A1 than in area A2. For this reason, for example, receiving device R1 will receive radio waves with a weaker strength than when user U is not located in area A1. In other words, receiving device R1 will receive a propagation with the same strength as when the radio waves have propagated a distance of 10 meters, which is longer than the 5 meters between transmitting terminal T1 and receiving device R1.

On the other hand, there are not many users U in area A1. As a result, the possibility that user U is located on the path from transmitting device T2 to receiving device R2 is low, and it is considered that radio waves are less likely to be attenuated in area A2 than in area A1. For this reason, for example, receiving device R2 will receive radio waves with a stronger intensity than in area A1. In other words, receiving device R2 is longer than the 5 meters between transmitting terminal T2 and receiving device R2, but will receive radio waves with a stronger intensity than the radio waves received by receiving device R1, for example, propagation with the same intensity as when propagating a distance of 6 meters.

Therefore, for example, the information providing device 10 stores the radio wave strength when the signal has propagated a distance of 5 meters as the reference strength for area A1 and area A2. If the reception strength is the radio wave strength when the signal has propagated a distance of 5 meters, the information providing device 10 estimates that area A is not congested, and if the reception strength is weaker than the radio wave strength when the signal has propagated a distance of 6 meters, the information providing device 10 estimates that the degree of congestion in area A is medium, and if the reception strength is weaker than the radio wave strength when the signal has propagated a distance of 10 meters, for example, the information providing device 10 estimates that the degree of congestion in area A is high. As a more specific example, the information providing device 10 estimates that the degree of congestion in area A1 is high, and that the degree of congestion in area A2 is low.

Then, the information providing device 10 notifies the user OP, who is to be notified, of the estimated congestion degree (step S8). As a result, the user OP can decide to head to the less crowded area A2 because the area A1 is congested.

[1-4. About radio waves]
In the above example, the information providing device 10 sets the same radio wave intensity as the reference intensity for each of the areas A1 and A2, but the embodiment is not limited to this.

For example, when area A1 is larger than area A2, or when the distance between transmitting device T1 and receiving device R1 is larger than the distance between transmitting device T2 and receiving device T2, the reference strength for area A1 may be set to a strength lower than the reference strength for area A2. In addition, when the distance between transmitting device T1 and receiving device R1 is approximately the same as the distance between transmitting device T2 and receiving device T2, but area A1 is larger than area A2, the information providing device 10 may set the reference strength for area A1 to a strength lower than the reference strength for area A2. In addition, the information providing device 10 may set the reference strength taking into account the degree of radio wave attenuation according to the wall material in each area A, the shape of area A, etc.

In addition, the information providing device 10 may use radio waves of different frequencies in area A1 and area A2. For example, the transmitting device T1 and the receiving device R1 may transmit and receive radio waves of a first frequency, and the transmitting device T2 and the receiving device R2 may transmit and receive radio waves of a second frequency. Here, taking into consideration that the degree of attenuation of radio waves changes depending on the frequency, the information providing device 10 may set a reference strength according to the frequency of the radio waves used in each of areas A1 and A2.

[1-5. Radio field strength used for estimation]
Furthermore, the information providing device 10 may estimate the degree of congestion in the area A based on one piece of intensity information, or may estimate the degree of congestion in the area A based on multiple pieces of intensity information. For example, the information providing device 10 may set the reference intensity based on the average value of the radio wave intensity of the radio waves received by the receiving device R1 over a one-minute period, and may estimate the degree of congestion based on such an average value. Furthermore, the information providing device 10 may install multiple receiving devices R in the area A1, and estimate the degree of congestion based on the average value of the radio wave intensity of the radio waves received by each receiving device R.

In addition, the information providing device 10 may estimate the degree of congestion according to the distribution, rather than the average value of the received radio wave strength. For example, the information providing device 10 obtains a distribution of radio wave strength as a reference distribution from multiple radio wave strengths measured when there are no users in area A. Then, the information providing device 10 may estimate the degree of congestion based on a comparison result between the distribution of radio wave strength at the time of estimation and the reference distribution. For example, the information providing device 10 may estimate that there is a user in area A when the radio wave strength at the peak of the distribution is weaker than the radio wave strength at the peak of the reference distribution. Furthermore, the information providing device 10 may estimate that the greater the difference between the peaks, the higher the degree of congestion.

[1-6. About the standards]
Here, the information providing device 10 may adopt a reference strength or a reference distribution based on the radio wave strength received in an arbitrary state. For example, the information providing device 10 may hold the radio wave strength acquired when a standard number of users are present or the average value thereof as the reference strength. Then, when the measured radio wave strength is weaker than the reference strength, the information providing device 10 may estimate that the area is more congested than the standard, and when the measured radio wave strength is stronger than the reference strength, the information providing device 10 may estimate that the area is less congested than the standard. Also, for example, the information providing device 10 may hold the distribution of the radio wave strength acquired when a standard number of users are present as the reference distribution. Then, the information providing device 10 may estimate whether the area is more congested than the standard based on the result of comparing the distribution of the measured radio wave strength with the reference distribution.

[1-7. About transmitting device and receiving device]
In the above description, the information providing device 10 estimates the congestion degree by using the transmitting device T and the receiving device R installed in the facility. However, the embodiment is not limited to this.

In recent years, the function of transmitting or receiving UWB radio waves has been added to the terminal devices used by users U, such as smart devices. The information providing device 10 may estimate the degree of congestion by using such terminal devices as a transmitting device T or a receiving device R.

For example, the information providing device 10 acquires the radio wave intensity when the receiving device R1 receives UWB radio waves transmitted by the terminal device 101 owned by the user U1 in the area A1. The information providing device 10 may then estimate the degree of congestion in the area A1 based on, for example, the average value or distribution of the received radio wave intensity.

For example, the information providing device 10 acquires the radio wave intensity when the terminal device 101 owned by the user U1 transmits radio waves transmitted by the transmitting device T1 in the area A1. Then, the information providing device 10 may estimate the degree of congestion in the area A1 based on, for example, the average value or distribution of the received radio wave intensity.

In addition, the information providing device 10 may acquire intensity information indicating the intensity of radio waves transmitted by a first terminal device operating as a transmitting device T used by a first user located in area A, and received by a second terminal device operating as a receiving device R used by a second user located in area A.

For example, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a variation of the process in which an information providing device according to an embodiment measures congestion. In the example shown in FIG. 2, multiple users U1 to U7 are located in area A3. Furthermore, users U1 and U2 own terminal devices 101 and 102, respectively.

Here, the terminal device 100 is a smart device such as a smartphone or tablet, and is a mobile terminal device that can communicate with any server device via a wireless communication network such as 3G (Generation) or LTE (Long Term Evolution). The terminal device 100 also has a screen such as a liquid crystal display with touch panel functionality, and accepts various operations on displayed data such as content, such as tapping, sliding, scrolling, etc., performed by a user's finger or a stylus.

The terminal device 100 also has an antenna for transmitting UWB radio waves at a predetermined strength, and an antenna for receiving UWB radio waves. The terminal device 100 also has a function for measuring the radio wave strength of the received radio waves.

In the case shown in FIG. 2, the terminal device 102 outputs UWB radio waves at a predetermined time interval, similar to the transmitting device T (step S1). Meanwhile, the terminal device 101 continuously measures the radio wave intensity of the radio waves transmitted by the terminal device 102 (step S2). Then, the terminal device 101 transmits intensity information indicating each measured radio wave intensity to the information providing device 10 (step S3).

Here, user U1 using terminal device 101 and user U2 using terminal device 102 move freely within area A3. For this reason, it is considered that the radio wave strength of the radio waves received by terminal device 101 changes each time. Therefore, information providing device 10 estimates the degree of congestion based on the results of comparing the intensity distribution indicated by the intensity information with a reference distribution (step S4).

For example, the information providing device 10 acquires radio wave intensity measured by a terminal device 100 located in area A3 at a predetermined timing (for example, when area A3 is at a standard level of congestion). To give a more specific example, the information providing device 10 uses the degree of congestion in area A3 at a predetermined timing as a reference, and acquires the radio wave intensity when a terminal device 100 of a user U located in area A3 receives radio waves transmitted from another terminal device 100 at the reference level of congestion. The information providing device 10 then uses the distribution of the acquired radio wave intensity as the reference intensity. Note that, when a transmitting device T is installed in area A3, the information providing device 10 may use the distribution of radio wave intensity when a terminal device 100 of a user U located in area A3 receives radio waves transmitted from the transmitting device T as the reference intensity. Furthermore, when a receiving device R is installed in area A3, the information providing device 10 may use the distribution of radio wave strength when the receiving device R receives radio waves transmitted from the terminal device 100 of a user U located in area A3 as the reference strength.

The information providing device 10 then compares the distribution of radio wave strength acquired at the time of estimation with the reference distribution, and if the distribution of radio wave strength acquired at the time of estimation is weaker than the reference distribution, it estimates that area A3 is more congested than at the reference time. Furthermore, if the distribution of radio wave strength acquired at the time of estimation is weaker than the reference distribution, the information providing device 10 estimates that area A3 is less congested (empty) than at the reference time.

The information providing device 10 may estimate the degree of congestion based on the shift amount PSH of the peak in the distribution. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 2, the peak of the distribution at the time of estimation, shown by the solid line, has shifted to a lower radio wave intensity than the peak of the reference distribution, shown by the dotted line. In such a case, the information providing device 10 may estimate how much more congested it is compared to the reference time, based on the shift amount PSH. For example, the information providing device 10 may estimate the degree of congestion based on a predetermined equation that outputs a linear or nonlinear value with respect to the shift amount PSH as the degree of congestion, and that outputs a higher value of the degree of congestion the weaker the radio wave intensity at which the peak of the distribution at the time of estimation is located is compared to the radio wave intensity at which the peak of the reference distribution is located.

Then, the information providing device 10 notifies the user OP of the estimated congestion degree (step S5). As a result of this processing, the information providing device 10 can easily and accurately estimate the congestion degree of the area A3.

[1-8. Processing that takes into account the reference distance]
Here, when the terminal device 100 is freely movable, it is considered that the radio wave strength changes significantly. Therefore, the terminal device 100 may set a reference distance (or a reference strength) from the measured radio wave strength, and estimate the congestion degree from the set reference distance (or the reference strength).

For example, the information providing device 10 identifies the strongest radio wave strength among the radio wave strengths measured by the terminal device 100 at the time of generating the reference as the reference-time reference strength. Next, the information providing device 10 identifies the strongest radio wave strength among the radio wave strengths measured by the terminal device 100 at the time of estimation as the measurement-time reference strength. Then, if the estimation-time reference strength is stronger than the reference-time reference strength, the information providing device 10 may estimate that area A is less crowded than at the reference time, and if the estimation-time reference strength is weaker than the reference-time reference strength, the information providing device 10 may estimate that area A is more crowded than at the reference time.

Furthermore, for example, the information providing device 10 estimates the distance between the terminal devices 100 as the reference time distance from the reference time reference strength, and estimates the distance between the terminal devices 100 as the estimated time distance from the estimated time reference strength. Then, the information providing device 10 may estimate that area A is more congested than at the reference time if the estimated time distance is longer than the reference time distance, and may estimate that area A is less crowded than at the reference time if the estimated time distance is shorter than the reference time distance.

In addition, the information providing device 10 may use the strongest strength of radio waves received by the receiving device R in the area A as a reference, and estimate the specific congestion level based on the results of comparing the reference strength with other strengths. For example, the information providing device 10 may identify the strongest strength of radio waves received by the receiving device R or the terminal device 100 in facility A as the reference strength. The information providing device 10 may then generate a distribution of the strength of radio waves received by the receiving device R or the terminal device 100 in facility A, and estimate that the narrower the difference between the peak in the generated distribution and the reference strength, the more congested the area is.

[1-9. Processing that takes distance into account]
Here, the information providing device 10 may acquire the distance between each of the terminal devices 100, and estimate the congestion degree based on the acquired distance and radio wave intensity. For example, the information providing device 10 acquires from the terminal device 101 strength information indicating the strength of the radio wave received by the terminal device 101, and acquires location information indicating the location measured by the terminal device 101 using a positioning system such as GPS (Global Positioning System). In addition, the information providing device 10 acquires location information indicating the location of the terminal device 102 when it transmitted the radio wave.

Then, the information providing device 10 calculates the distance between the terminal device 101 and the terminal device 102 based on each piece of position information. The information providing device 10 also estimates the distance between the terminal device 101 and the terminal device 102 from the strength indicated by the strength information. For example, the information providing device 10 estimates the distance from the radio wave strength, assuming that there is no user between the terminal device 101 and the terminal device 102. Note that various known techniques and equations can be used to estimate such distance.

The information providing device 10 may then estimate that area A is congested if the distance estimated from the radio wave intensity is longer than the distance identified from the location information. The information providing device 10 may also estimate that the greater the difference between the distances, the higher the degree of congestion in area A. The information providing device 10 may also estimate the distances from the multiple pieces of intensity information and identify the distribution of the distances. The information providing device 10 may then estimate the degree of congestion according to the distribution of the distances.

[1-10. Estimation using terminal position]
In the above example, the information providing device 10 estimated the congestion degree of the area A based on the distribution of the strength of radio waves transmitted and received between the terminal devices 100. Here, the information providing device 10 may estimate the congestion degree based on the distance between the transmitting device T (or the terminal device 100 operating as the transmitting device T) and the receiving device R (or the terminal device 100 operating as the receiving device R) using various positioning methods.

For example, the information providing device 10 acquires the distance between the transmitting device T (or the terminal device 100 operating as the transmitting device T) and the receiving device R (or the terminal device 100 operating as the receiving device R). To give a more specific example, the information providing device 10 identifies, based on a positioning system such as GPS, position information indicating the positions of the transmitting device T (or the terminal device 100 operating as the transmitting device T) and the receiving device R (or the terminal device 100 operating as the receiving device R) from the transmitting/receiving device TR (or the terminal device 100), and calculates the distance between the identified positions as the transmitting/receiving distance.

In another example, the information providing device 10 uses a communication method such as BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) that is not easily affected by congestion due to radio wave attenuation to cause communication between the transmitting/receiving device TR and the terminal device 100, and acquires the radio wave intensity during communication. Then, based on the acquired radio wave intensity, the information providing device 10 calculates the distance between the transmitting/receiving device TR and the terminal device 100 as the transmission/reception distance.

Next, the information providing device 10 acquires intensity information indicating the radio wave intensity when the transmitting/receiving device TR and the terminal device 100 communicate by UWB, and calculates the distance between the transmitting/receiving device TR and the terminal device 100 as a comparison distance based on the acquired intensity information. Here, the more users there are in area A, the more easily the radio wave intensity during communication by UWB is attenuated. As a result, the higher the degree of congestion, the larger the value of the comparison distance becomes compared to the transmitting/receiving distance.

Therefore, the information providing device 10 may estimate the degree of congestion in area A based on the result of comparing the transmission/reception distance with the comparison distance. For example, the information providing device 10 may estimate a higher degree of congestion the greater the value obtained by subtracting the transmission/reception distance from the comparison distance. As a result of such processing, the information providing device 10 can appropriately estimate the degree of congestion in area A.

[1-11. Others]
When three or more terminal devices 100 exist in the area A3, the information providing device 10 may designate one terminal device 100 as a transmitting device T and another terminal device 100 as a receiving device R, or may designate multiple terminal devices 100 as transmitting devices T and another terminal device 100 as a receiving device R. The information providing device 10 may designate the terminal device 100 as a transmitting device T and a receiving device R. For example, the information providing device 10 causes each terminal device 100 to transmit radio waves of different frequencies and to measure the strength of the radio waves received by each terminal device 100 for each frequency. The information providing device 10 may estimate the degree of congestion in the area A3 based on the strength of the radio waves measured by each terminal device 100 for each frequency.

The information providing device 10 may also estimate the degree of congestion using various models, such as a neural network or a support vector machine, that have learned the relationship between radio wave strength and the degree of congestion. For example, the information providing device 10 acquires, as learning data, a pair of the degree of congestion in area A and the radio wave strength acquired at that degree of congestion. In such a case, the information providing device 10 trains the model so that it outputs the degree of congestion when radio wave strength is input to the model. Then, the information providing device 10 may input the degree of congestion acquired at the time of estimation to the model, and use the degree of congestion output by the model as the estimation result.

The information providing device 10 may also use a set of radio wave intensities measured by multiple terminal devices 100 and receiving device R as a learning model, and input multiple radio wave intensities acquired during estimation into the model. The information providing device 10 may also estimate the degree of congestion by using a distribution of radio wave intensities measured in advance as learning data, and inputting the distribution of radio wave intensities acquired during estimation into the model.

The information providing device 10 may also take into account the transmission strength, which is the strength of radio waves transmitted by the terminal device 100 and the transmitting device T. For example, the information providing device 10 may determine the difference between the transmission strength and the reception strength at the time of estimation as a reference strength difference, and calculate the difference between the transmission strength and the reception strength at the time of estimation as an estimated strength difference. Then, when the estimated strength difference is greater than the reference strength difference, the information providing device 10 may estimate that area A is congested.

In addition, the information providing device 10 may improve the accuracy of the congestion degree by combining the various methods described above. For example, the information providing device 10 may estimate the congestion degree individually using any of the methods described above, and estimate the congestion degree based on a comparison of the estimation results.

2. Configuration of the information providing device
An example of the functional configuration of the information providing device 10 will be described below. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the information providing device according to the embodiment. As shown in Fig. 2, the information providing device 10 has a communication unit 20, a storage unit 30, and a control unit 40.

The communication unit 20 is realized, for example, by a NIC (Network Interface Card) or the like. The communication unit 20 is connected to the network N by wire or wirelessly, and transmits and receives information between the terminal device 100, the transmitting device T, and the receiving device R (hereinafter, sometimes collectively referred to as the "transmitting/receiving device TR").

The storage unit 30 is realized, for example, by a semiconductor memory element such as a random access memory (RAM) or a flash memory, or a storage device such as a hard disk or an optical disk. The storage unit 30 also stores a reference intensity database 31.

In the reference intensity database 31, for each area A, the radio wave intensity measured when the degree of congestion in area A is in a predetermined state, i.e., the reference intensity and its distribution, that is, the reference distribution, are registered. For example, FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of information registered in the reference intensity database according to the embodiment.

For example, in the example shown in FIG. 4, the reference intensity database 31 registers information such as "area ID (identifier)", "area information", "transmission intensity", "reference intensity", and "reference distribution". The "area ID" is an identifier for identifying an area. The "area information" is various information related to an area, such as the location, size, and name of the area identified by the "area ID". The "transmission intensity" is information indicating the intensity of radio waves transmitted by a transmitting device T installed in the associated area. The "reference intensity" is the average value of the intensity of radio waves received by a receiving device R installed in the associated area at the reference time. The "reference distribution" is information indicating the distribution of the intensity of radio waves received by a receiving device R installed in the associated area at the reference time.

In the example shown in FIG. 4, conceptual values such as "area information #1" and "distribution information #1" are listed, but in reality, various data related to the area and numerical values indicating the distribution will be registered. In addition to the information shown in FIG. 4, various information related to each area may be registered in the reference intensity database 31.

Returning to FIG. 3, the explanation will be continued. The control unit 40 is a controller, and is realized, for example, by a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or MPU (Micro Processing Unit) executing various programs stored in a storage device inside the information providing device 10 using a RAM or the like as a working area. The control unit 40 is also a controller, and may be realized, for example, by an integrated circuit such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

As shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 40 has a collection unit 41, a registration unit 42, an acquisition unit 43, an estimation unit 44, and a notification unit 45.

The collection unit 41 collects the reference intensity and the reference distribution. For example, the collection unit 41 causes a transmission device T installed in area A to output radio waves of a predetermined intensity, and acquires the intensity of the radio waves received by the receiving device R. The collection unit 41 may also cause a transmission device T installed in area A to output radio waves of a predetermined intensity multiple times, and acquire the average value of the intensity of the radio waves received by the receiving device R.

The collection unit 41 may, for example, use various positioning systems to identify the terminal devices 100 located in area A. The collection unit 41 may then acquire the radio wave intensity of the radio waves received by the identified terminal device 100 from the transmitting device T, or may acquire the radio wave intensity of the radio waves received by the receiving device R from the identified terminal device 100. The collection unit 41 may also acquire the radio wave intensity of the radio waves output by a first terminal device 100 located in area A and received by a second terminal device 100 located in area A. The collection unit 41 may also generate distribution information indicating the distribution of the radio wave intensity.

The registration unit 42 registers the reference intensity and the reference distribution in the storage unit 30. For example, the registration unit 42 sets the intensity of the radio waves acquired by the collection unit 41 or its average value as the reference intensity, and registers the distribution information generated by the collection unit 41 in the reference intensity database 31 as information indicating the reference distribution.

The acquisition unit 43 acquires intensity information indicating the intensity of radio waves when a radio wave transmitted from a specific transmitting device T is received by a specific receiving device R. More specifically, the estimation unit 44 estimates the degree to which the radio waves transmitted from the transmitting device T have been attenuated by objects such as people present in the area based on the intensity indicated by the intensity information, and estimates the degree of congestion based on the estimated degree. For example, when the acquisition unit 43 receives a designation of a facility R to be estimated from a terminal device (not shown) used by the user OP, it causes the transmitting device T of the accepted facility R to transmit radio waves. Then, the acquisition unit 43 acquires intensity information indicating the intensity of the radio waves received by the receiving device R.

The acquisition unit 43 may acquire intensity information indicating the intensity of radio waves transmitted by a terminal device 100 operating as a transmitting device T used by a user U located in area A when the radio waves are received by a receiving device R installed in area A. For example, the acquisition unit 43 may acquire location information from each terminal device 100 and identify the terminal device 100 located in area A. Then, the acquisition unit 43 may cause the identified terminal device 100 to transmit radio waves of a predetermined frequency at a predetermined intensity, and acquire intensity information indicating the intensity of the radio waves received by the receiving device R in area A.

The acquisition unit 43 may also acquire strength information indicating the strength of radio waves received by a terminal device 100 operating as a receiving device R used by a user U located in area A. For example, the acquisition unit 43 may acquire location information from each terminal device 100 and identify a terminal device 100 located in area A. The acquisition unit 43 may then cause a transmitting device T in area A to transmit radio waves of a predetermined frequency at a predetermined strength, and acquire strength information indicating the strength of radio waves received by the terminal device 100 from the identified terminal device 100.

The acquisition unit 43 may also acquire strength information indicating the strength of radio waves transmitted by a first terminal device 100 operating as a transmitting device T used by a first user located in area A and received by a second terminal device 100 operating as a receiving device R used by a second user located in the area. For example, the acquisition unit 43 may use the location information to identify multiple terminal devices 100 located in area A. Then, the acquisition unit 43 may cause some or all of the identified terminal devices 100 to transmit radio waves of a predetermined frequency, and acquire strength information indicating the strength of the radio waves received by each terminal device 100 from each terminal device 100.

The acquisition unit 43 may acquire multiple pieces of intensity information indicating the intensity of each radio wave periodically received by the receiving device R and the terminal device 100. The acquisition unit 43 may further acquire distance information indicating the distance between the transmitting device T and the receiving device R.

The estimation unit 44 estimates the degree of congestion in the area in which the transmitting device T and the receiving device R are installed based on the intensity indicated by the intensity information. For example, the estimation unit 44 estimates a higher degree of congestion as the intensity indicated by the intensity information becomes weaker.

For example, the estimation unit 44 acquires the reference intensity for the area A to be estimated from the reference intensity database 31. Then, the estimation unit 44 compares the intensity or its average value indicated by the intensity information acquired by the acquisition unit 43 with the reference intensity, and if the intensity or its average value indicated by the intensity information acquired by the acquisition unit 43 is lower than the reference intensity, it estimates that the area A is more congested than the reference intensity.

The estimation unit 44 may calculate a numerical value indicating the degree of congestion according to the difference between the reference intensity and the acquired intensity. For example, the estimation unit 44 may estimate that the weaker the acquired intensity is compared to the reference intensity, the more crowded the area is. The estimation unit 44 may also calculate a numerical value indicating the degree of congestion in area A from the intensity or average value indicated by the intensity information acquired by the acquisition unit 43, for example, using various equations set for each area. The parameters of such equations may be set based on the reference intensity.

The estimation unit 44 may also estimate the degree of congestion based on the distribution of intensities. For example, the estimation unit 44 may generate a distribution of intensities acquired by the acquisition unit 43, and estimate the degree of congestion from a comparison result between the generated distribution and a reference distribution. For example, the estimation unit 44 may estimate that area A is congested when the intensity at which a peak exists in the acquired intensity distribution is lower than the intensity at which a peak exists in the reference distribution.

The estimation unit 44 may also use the strongest intensity of the radio waves received by the receiving device R in the area A as a reference and estimate the specific congestion level based on the results of comparing the reference intensity with other intensities. For example, the estimation unit 44 may identify the strongest intensity of the acquired radio wave intensities as a reference intensity, and estimate that the narrower the difference between the peak in the distribution of the acquired radio waves and the reference intensity, the more congested the area is.

The estimation unit 44 may also estimate the congestion degree based on the intensity indicated by the intensity information and the distance from the transmitting device T or the terminal device 100 serving as the transmitting device T to the receiving device R or the terminal device 100 serving as the receiving device R. For example, the estimation unit 44 may estimate a higher congestion degree as the distance indicated by the distance information becomes longer.

For example, the estimation unit 44 determines the distance from the terminal device 100 serving as the transmitting device T to the terminal device 100 serving as the receiving device R based on the location information acquired from each terminal device 100. Next, the estimation unit 44 calculates, as a reference strength, the strength of the radio waves received when the radio waves propagate the determined distance, assuming that no obstacles exist. The estimation unit 44 may then estimate the degree of congestion based on the difference between the calculated reference strength and the actually measured strength.

The notification unit 45 notifies the user OP of the estimation result. For example, the notification unit 45 outputs various contents including numerical values, text, etc. indicating the degree of congestion estimated by the estimation unit 44 for the area A specified by the user OP to the terminal device used by the user OP.

3. Example of process flow executed by information providing device
Next, a flow of processing executed by the information providing device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow of processing executed by the information providing device according to the embodiment.

First, the information providing device 10 acquires the radio wave strength of the UWB signal received by the receiving device R (step S101). Next, the information providing device 10 compares the acquired radio wave strength with a reference strength corresponding to a reference congestion degree (step S102). Then, the information providing device 10 estimates the congestion degree based on the comparison result (step S103), notifies the estimation result (step S104), and ends the process.

4. Modifications
The above describes an example of the process performed by the information providing device 10. However, the embodiment is not limited to this. Below, variations of the process performed by the information providing device 10 will be described.

[4-1. Standard strength and standard distribution]
The information providing device 10 may not manage the reference intensity database 31 by itself. Moreover, the information providing device 10 may estimate the reference intensity and the reference distribution from, for example, the presence or absence of an obstacle in the area, the material of the wall, the size of the area A, the distance from the transmitting device T to the receiving device R, the frequency of the radio waves used for processing, and the like, without generating the reference intensity and the reference distribution from actual measured values. Moreover, the information providing device 10 may not hold the reference intensity database 31 when estimating the congestion degree only from the intensity of the radio waves acquired at the time of estimation using various equations, etc.

[4-2. Other]
In addition, among the processes described in the above embodiments, all or part of the processes described as being performed automatically can be performed manually, and conversely, all or part of the processes described as being performed manually can be performed automatically by a known method. In addition, the information including the processing procedures, specific names, various data and parameters shown in the above documents and drawings can be changed arbitrarily unless otherwise specified. For example, the various information shown in each drawing is not limited to the illustrated information.

In addition, each component of each device shown in the figure is a functional concept, and does not necessarily have to be physically configured as shown in the figure. In other words, the specific form of distribution and integration of each device is not limited to that shown in the figure, and all or part of them can be functionally or physically distributed and integrated in any unit depending on various loads, usage conditions, etc.

Furthermore, the above-mentioned embodiments can be combined as appropriate to the extent that the processing content is not contradictory.

[4-3. Program]
The information providing device 10 according to the embodiment described above is realized by a computer 1000 having a configuration as shown in Fig. 6, for example. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration. The computer 1000 is connected to an output device 1010 and an input device 1020, and has a configuration in which a calculation device 1030, a primary storage device 1040, a secondary storage device 1050, an output IF (Interface) 1060, an input IF 1070, and a network IF 1080 are connected by a bus 1090.

The arithmetic device 1030 operates based on programs stored in the primary storage device 1040 and the secondary storage device 1050, programs read from the input device 1020, and the like, and executes various processes. The primary storage device 1040 is a memory device, such as a RAM, that primarily stores data used by the arithmetic device 1030 for various calculations. The secondary storage device 1050 is a storage device in which data used by the arithmetic device 1030 for various calculations and various databases are registered, and is realized by a ROM (Read Only Memory), a HDD (Hard Disk Drive), a flash memory, or the like.

The output IF 1060 is an interface for transmitting information to be output to an output device 1010 such as a monitor or printer, which outputs various types of information, and is realized, for example, by a connector conforming to a standard such as USB (Universal Serial Bus), DVI (Digital Visual Interface), or HDMI (registered trademark) (High Definition Multimedia Interface). The input IF 1070 is an interface for receiving information from various input devices 1020 such as a mouse, keyboard, scanner, etc., and is realized, for example, by a USB.

The input device 1020 may be a device that reads information from, for example, an optical recording medium such as a CD (Compact Disc), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), or a PD (Phase change rewritable Disk), a magneto-optical recording medium such as an MO (Magneto-Optical disk), a tape medium, a magnetic recording medium, or a semiconductor memory. The input device 1020 may also be an external storage medium such as a USB memory.

The network IF 1080 receives data from other devices via the network N and sends it to the computing device 1030, and also transmits data generated by the computing device 1030 to other devices via the network N.

The arithmetic unit 1030 controls the output device 1010 and the input device 1020 via the output IF 1060 and the input IF 1070. For example, the arithmetic unit 1030 loads a program from the input device 1020 or the secondary storage device 1050 onto the primary storage device 1040 and executes the loaded program.

For example, when the computer 1000 functions as the information providing device 10, the arithmetic unit 1030 of the computer 1000 realizes the functions of the control unit 40 by executing a program loaded onto the primary storage device 1040.

5. Effects
As described above, the information providing device 10 acquires intensity information indicating the intensity of radio waves when a radio wave transmitted from a specific transmitting device T is received by a specific receiving device R. Then, the information providing device 10 estimates the degree of congestion in the area A in which the transmitting device T and the receiving device R are installed based on the intensity indicated by the intensity information. As a result of such processing, the information providing device 10 can estimate the degree of congestion in the area A without identifying users located in the area A, and can easily estimate the degree of congestion with high accuracy. Furthermore, since the information providing device 10 can estimate the degree of congestion without identifying the location of each user, the privacy of each user can be protected.

In addition, the information providing device 10 estimates a higher degree of congestion as the intensity indicated by the intensity information becomes weaker. For example, when the intensity indicated by the intensity information is weaker than a threshold value corresponding to area A, the information providing device 10 estimates that area A is congested. As a result of such processing, the information providing device 10 can appropriately estimate the degree of congestion in area A.

The information providing device 10 also acquires intensity information indicating the intensity of radio waves transmitted by a transmitting device T located at a predetermined position in the area A when the receiving device R located at a predetermined position in the area A receives the radio waves transmitted by a terminal device 100 used by a user located in the area A and operating as a transmitting device T, and may acquire intensity information indicating the intensity of radio waves received by a receiving device R installed in the area A. The information providing device 10 also acquires intensity information indicating the intensity of radio waves received by a terminal device 100 used by a user located in the area A and operating as a receiving device R. The information providing device 10 also acquires intensity information indicating the intensity of radio waves received by a terminal device 100 used by a first user located in the area A and operating as a transmitting device T, and a second terminal device 100 used by a second user located in the area A and operating as a receiving device R. In this way, the information providing device 10 can estimate the degree of congestion in area A even if a transmitting device T, a receiving device R, or both are not installed in area A.

In addition, the information providing device 10 may acquire multiple pieces of intensity information and estimate the degree of congestion based on the distribution of intensities indicated by each piece of intensity information. As a result of such processing, the information providing device 10 can improve the estimation accuracy.

In addition, the information providing device 10 uses the strongest strength of the radio waves received by the receiving device R in the area A as a standard, and estimates the degree of congestion based on the results of comparing the standard strength with other strengths. As a result, the information providing device 10 can estimate the degree of congestion in the area A without measuring the standard strength for the area A in advance.

In addition, the information providing device 10 acquires intensity information indicating the intensity of radio waves used in ultra-wideband wireless communication. In this way, the information providing device 10 estimates the degree of congestion in area A using radio waves that are easily attenuated, thereby improving the estimation accuracy.

In addition, the information providing device 10 further acquires distance information indicating the distance between the transmitting device T and the receiving device R, and estimates the degree of congestion based on the intensity indicated by the intensity information and the distance indicated by the distance information. Therefore, the information providing device 10 can estimate the degree of congestion in area A without measuring the reference intensity for area A in advance.

In addition, the information providing device 10 estimates the degree to which the radio waves emitted by the transmitting device T have been attenuated by objects in the area A based on the intensity indicated by the intensity information, and estimates the degree of congestion based on the estimated degree. Therefore, the information providing device 10 can estimate the degree of congestion in the area A.

Although several embodiments of the present application have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, these are merely examples, and the present invention can be embodied in other forms that incorporate various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, including the forms described in the disclosure section of the invention.

In addition, the above-mentioned "part (section, module, unit)" can be read as "means" or "circuit". For example, the attached part can be read as a specific means or a specific circuit.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Information providing device 20 Communication unit 30 Storage unit 31 Reference intensity database 40 Control unit 41 Collection unit 42 Registration unit 43 Acquisition unit 44 Estimation unit 45 Notification unit 100 to 102 Terminal devices T, T1, T2 Transmission device R, R1, R2 Reception device TR Transmission/reception device U, U1 to U9 Users

Claims (12)

an acquisition unit that acquires intensity information indicating an intensity of radio waves used in ultra-wideband wireless communication, the radio waves being transmitted by a predetermined transmitting device and having a predetermined intensity, when received by a predetermined receiving device; and an estimation unit that estimates a congestion degree in an area where the transmitting device and the receiving device are installed based on an attenuation state of the intensity indicated by the intensity information with respect to the predetermined intensity ,
The acquisition unit is a terminal device used by a user located in the area, and acquires strength information indicating a strength of radio waves transmitted by the terminal device operating as the transmitting device when the radio waves are received by a receiving device installed in the area.
An estimation device comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires intensity information indicating the intensity of radio waves when the radio waves used for ultra-wideband wireless communication are received by a predetermined receiving device and have a predetermined intensity transmitted by a predetermined transmitting device;
an estimation unit that estimates a congestion degree in an area where the transmitting device and the receiving device are installed based on an attenuation state of the intensity indicated by the intensity information with respect to the predetermined intensity;
having
The estimation device, characterized in that the acquisition unit is a terminal device used by a user located in the area and acquires strength information indicating the strength of radio waves received by the terminal device operating as the receiving device. an acquisition unit that acquires intensity information indicating the intensity of radio waves when the radio waves used for ultra-wideband wireless communication are received by a predetermined receiving device and have a predetermined intensity transmitted by a predetermined transmitting device;
an estimation unit that estimates a congestion degree in an area where the transmitting device and the receiving device are installed based on an attenuation state of the intensity indicated by the intensity information with respect to the predetermined intensity;
having
The estimation device is characterized in that the acquisition unit acquires strength information indicating the strength of radio waves transmitted by a first terminal device operating as the transmitting device, which is a terminal device used by a first user located in the area, and received by a second terminal device operating as the receiving device, which is a terminal device used by a second user located in the area. The acquisition unit acquires a plurality of pieces of intensity information,
The estimation device according to claim 1 , wherein the estimation unit estimates the congestion degree based on a distribution of intensities indicated by each piece of intensity information. The estimation device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the estimation unit uses the strongest strength of radio waves received by a receiving device in the area as a reference and estimates the degree of congestion based on a comparison result between the reference strength and other strengths. The acquisition unit further acquires distance information indicating a distance between the transmitting device and the receiving device,
The estimation device according to claim 1 , wherein the estimation unit estimates the congestion degree based on an intensity indicated by the intensity information and a distance indicated by the distance information. An acquisition method executed by an acquisition device, comprising:
The method includes: acquiring intensity information indicating the intensity of radio waves, the radio waves being of a predetermined intensity transmitted by a predetermined transmitting device and used for ultra-wideband wireless communication, received by a predetermined receiving device; and estimating the degree of congestion in an area where the transmitting device and the receiving device are installed based on the degree of attenuation of the intensity indicated by the intensity information with respect to the predetermined intensity,
The acquiring step acquires strength information indicating the strength of radio waves transmitted by a terminal device used by a user in the area and operating as the transmitting device when the radio waves are received by a receiving device installed in the area.
The estimation method according to claim 1, An estimation program for causing a computer to execute an acquisition step of acquiring intensity information indicating an intensity of radio waves used in ultra-wideband wireless communication, the radio waves being transmitted by a predetermined transmitting device and having a predetermined intensity, when received by a predetermined receiving device; and an estimation step of estimating a congestion degree in an area where the transmitting device and the receiving device are installed , based on an attenuation state of the intensity indicated by the intensity information with respect to the predetermined intensity, the estimation step comprising:
The acquisition step includes acquiring strength information indicating a strength of radio waves transmitted by a terminal device used by a user in the area and operating as the transmitting device when the radio waves are received by a receiving device installed in the area.
The present invention relates to an estimation program . An acquisition method executed by an acquisition device, comprising:
an acquiring step of acquiring intensity information indicating the intensity of radio waves when the radio waves used for ultra-wideband wireless communication are received by a predetermined receiving device, the radio waves having a predetermined intensity transmitted by a predetermined transmitting device;
an estimation step of estimating a congestion degree in an area where the transmitting device and the receiving device are installed based on an attenuation state of the intensity indicated by the intensity information with respect to the predetermined intensity;
Including,
The acquiring step acquires strength information indicating the strength of a radio wave received by a terminal device operated as the receiving device, the terminal device being used by a user located in the area.
The estimation method according to claim 1, an acquisition step of acquiring intensity information indicating the intensity of radio waves when the radio waves, which are radio waves of a predetermined intensity transmitted by a predetermined transmitting device and used for ultra-wideband wireless communication, are received by a predetermined receiving device;
an estimation step of estimating a congestion degree in an area where the transmitting device and the receiving device are installed based on an attenuation state of the intensity indicated by the intensity information with respect to the predetermined intensity;
An estimation program for causing a computer to execute the above,
The acquisition step includes acquiring strength information indicating the strength of a radio wave received by a terminal device operated as the receiving device, the terminal device being used by a user located in the area.
The present invention relates to an estimation program. An acquisition method executed by an acquisition device, comprising:
an acquiring step of acquiring intensity information indicating the intensity of radio waves when the radio waves used for ultra-wideband wireless communication are received by a predetermined receiving device, the radio waves having a predetermined intensity transmitted by a predetermined transmitting device;
an estimation step of estimating a congestion degree in an area where the transmitting device and the receiving device are installed based on an attenuation state of the intensity indicated by the intensity information with respect to the predetermined intensity;
Including,
The acquiring step acquires strength information indicating the strength of radio waves transmitted by a first terminal device operating as the transmitting device used by a first user located in the area and received by a second terminal device operating as the receiving device used by a second user located in the area.
The estimation method according to claim 1, an acquisition step of acquiring intensity information indicating the intensity of radio waves when the radio waves, which are radio waves of a predetermined intensity transmitted by a predetermined transmitting device and used for ultra-wideband wireless communication, are received by a predetermined receiving device;
an estimation step of estimating a congestion degree in an area where the transmitting device and the receiving device are installed based on an attenuation state of the intensity indicated by the intensity information with respect to the predetermined intensity;
An estimation program for causing a computer to execute the above,
The acquisition step includes acquiring strength information indicating the strength of radio waves transmitted by a first terminal device operating as the transmitting device used by a first user located in the area and received by a second terminal device operating as the receiving device used by a second user located in the area.
A prediction program characterized by

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