JP7546458B2 - Information processing device, information processing method, and program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program.

Patent Document 1 discloses a navigation device that displays various facilities as landmarks on a road map.
[Prior Art Literature]
[Patent Documents]
[Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4293893

In a first aspect of the present invention, an information processing device is provided. The information processing device includes, for example, a specific information storage unit that stores feature location information indicating the location of one or more features arranged inside a work area where a user performs work, in association with feature specific information for the user to identify each of the one or more features. In the information processing device, the feature specific information includes, for example, at least one of appearance information indicating the characteristics of the appearance of the feature and name information indicating the name of the feature.

In a second aspect of the present invention, an information processing device is provided. The information processing device includes, for example, a destination acquisition unit that acquires destination position information indicating the position of the user's destination. The information processing device includes, for example, a first feature extraction unit that references information stored in a specific information storage device that stores feature position information indicating the respective positions of one or more features arranged inside a work site where the user performs work and feature specific information for the user to identify each of the one or more features in association with each other, and extracts one or more first features that are candidates for destination landmarks from among the one or more features based on the destination position indicated by the destination position information and the respective positions of the one or more features.

The information processing device may include a landmark determination unit that determines a landmark for the destination from among the one or more first features based on at least one of the color and size of the one or more first features. In the information processing device, the specific information storage unit may further store feature position information of each of the one or more features in association with information indicating at least one of the color and size of each of the one or more features.

In the above information processing device, the one or more features may include one or more agricultural products. As each of the one or more agricultural products grows, information indicating at least one of the color and size of each of the one or more agricultural products may be updated. In the above information processing device, the landmark determination unit may refer to the information stored in the specific information storage unit and determine whether or not at least a portion of the one or more agricultural products is located near at least one of (i) one or more first features and (ii) the destination. When it is determined that at least a portion of the one or more agricultural products is located near at least one of (i) one or more first features and (ii) the destination, the landmark determination unit may determine a landmark from among the first features having a color different from the color of at least some of the agricultural products.

The information processing device may include a viewpoint acquisition unit that acquires viewpoint information indicating the height of the user's viewpoint. The information processing device may include a user position acquisition unit that acquires user position information indicating the user's current position. In the information processing device, the landmark determination unit may determine whether or not each of the one or more first features is visible to the user based on (i) the size of each of the one or more first features, (ii) the height of the user's viewpoint indicated in the viewpoint information, and (iii) the user's current position indicated by the user position information. In the information processing device, the landmark determination unit may determine a landmark from among the first features determined to be visible to the user. The information processing device may include a guidance information generation unit that generates guidance information for guiding the user to at least one of the location of a destination and a route to the destination using the landmark.

In the above information processing device, the specific information storage unit may further store feature position information of each of the one or more features in association with feature type information indicating the type of each of the one or more features. In the above information processing device, the guidance information generation unit may refer to the information stored in the specific information storage unit and determine whether or not another feature of the same or similar type as the feature determined as the landmark is located near at least one of (i) the feature determined as the landmark and (ii) the destination. When it is determined that another feature is located near at least one of (i) the feature determined as the landmark and (ii) the destination, the guidance information generation unit may generate guidance information for guiding the user to the location of the destination using an ordinal number.

The information processing device may include a relay point acquisition unit that acquires relay point location information indicating the location of a relay point located on a route to the destination. The information processing device may include a second feature extraction unit that refers to the information stored in the specific information storage unit and extracts a second feature that serves as a landmark for the relay point from among the one or more features based on the location of the relay point indicated by the relay point location information and the respective locations of the one or more features.

In a third aspect of the present invention, an information processing method is provided. The information processing method includes, for example, (a) a destination acquisition step in which a computer acquires destination position information indicating the position of a destination of a user. The information processing method includes, for example, (b) a first feature extraction step in which the computer refers to information stored in a specific information storage device that stores feature position information indicating the respective positions of one or more features arranged inside a work site where a user performs work and feature specific information for a user to identify each of the one or more features in association with each other, and extracts one or more first features that are candidates for a landmark of the destination from among the one or more features based on the location of the destination indicated by the destination position information and the respective positions of the one or more features. In the information processing method, the feature specific information may include at least one of appearance information indicating the characteristics of the appearance of the feature and appellation information indicating the appellation of the feature.

In a fourth aspect of the present invention, a program is provided. The program may be a program for causing a computer to function as an information processing device according to the first or second aspect. The program may be a program for causing a computer to execute an information processing method according to the third aspect. A computer-readable medium storing the program may be provided. The computer-readable medium may be a non-transitory computer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium may be a computer-readable recording medium.

Note that the above summary of the invention does not list all of the necessary features of the present invention. Also, subcombinations of these features may also be inventions.

1 shows an example of a system configuration of a farm work support system 100. 2 shows an example of the internal configuration of the agricultural work robot 120. 2 shows an example of the internal configuration of the farm work management server 142. 2 shows an example of the internal configuration of the navigation server 144. 13 shows an example of data stored in a map information storage unit 432. 13 shows an example of data stored in the agricultural product information storage unit 434. 13 shows an example of data stored in the passage information storage unit 436. 13 shows an example of the internal configuration of a guidance data output unit 440. An example of the system configuration of a computer 3000 is shown in schematic form.

The present invention will be described below through embodiments of the invention, but the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Furthermore, not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention. In the drawings, the same reference numbers are used for the same or similar parts, and duplicate explanations may be omitted.

[Overview of the farm work support system 100]
1 shows an example of a system configuration of an agricultural work support system 100. In this embodiment, the agricultural work support system 100 includes, for example, one or more communication terminals 102, one or more imaging devices 114, one or more measuring devices 116, and one or more agricultural work robots 120. In this embodiment, the agricultural work support system 100 includes, for example, a agricultural work management server 142 and a navigation server 144. Each unit of the agricultural work robot 120 may transmit and receive information to and from each other via a communication network 10.

In this embodiment, one or more features are arranged inside the field 20. The features may be natural or man-made. The features may be movable property or real estate.

In this embodiment, the agricultural work support system 100 is described in detail using as an example a case in which agricultural produce 22 is cultivated in ridges 24 arranged inside a field 20 where a worker 40 performs agricultural work. Examples of agricultural produce 22 include grains, vegetables, fruits, tea, mushrooms, and mycelium. In this embodiment, a structure 30 used as a landmark is arranged near the ridges 24. The details of the structure 30 are not particularly limited. The structure 30 may be movable property or real estate.

In this embodiment, the agricultural produce 22 is cultivated by a worker 40. The worker 40 may be an individual, a corporation, or an organization. For example, the worker 40 produces the agricultural produce 22 using an agricultural robot 120. The worker 40 can use a communication terminal 102 to send and receive information to and from each part of the agricultural work support system 100 via the communication network 10.

In this embodiment, when the position of a specific feature arranged inside the field 20 is presented to the worker 40, the agricultural work support system 100 uses other features as landmarks to present the position of the specific feature to the worker 40. In this embodiment, the agricultural work support system 100 stores information indicating the name of at least some of the features arranged inside the field 20 when the features are used as landmarks.

The above names are determined so that the worker 40 can understand the meaning of the feature. For example, the names are specified by the worker 40. The agricultural work support system 100 may determine the name of the feature based on at least one of (i) the external appearance characteristics of the feature and (ii) the type or variety of the agricultural produce 22 cultivated in the feature. This allows the worker 40 to easily identify the feature specified by the agricultural work support system 100.

For example, if tomatoes are grown in multiple vinyl greenhouses arranged in the field 20, even if the agricultural work robot 120 notifies the worker 40 with a message saying "An abnormality has been detected in the tomato greenhouse," the worker 40 will not be able to understand in which greenhouse the tomatoes grown have been grown in which the abnormality has been detected. On the other hand, even if the agricultural work robot 120 notifies the worker 40 with a message saying "An abnormality has been detected in the tomato with agricultural product ID ABCDEF," the worker 40 will not be able to understand in which tomato the abnormality has been detected.

In response to this, according to this embodiment, for example, the agricultural work robot 120 notifies the worker 40 of a message such as "An abnormality has been detected in the agricultural produce 22 being grown in the ridge 24 at the back of the structure 30" or "An abnormality has been detected in the tomatoes being grown in the fifth ridge counting from the entrance of the third vinyl greenhouse from the left as viewed in the direction of travel." In this way, according to this embodiment, the position of the feature is semantically specified in the message. This makes it easy to identify the position of the feature specified in the message.

[Overview of each part related to the farm work support system 100]
In this embodiment, the communication network 10 may be a transmission path for wired communication, a transmission path for wireless communication, or a combination of a transmission path for wireless communication and a transmission path for wired communication. The communication network 10 may include a wireless packet communication network, the Internet, a P2P network, a dedicated line, a VPN, a power line communication line, etc.

The communication network 10 may include (i) a mobile communication network such as a mobile phone network, or (ii) a wireless communication network such as a wireless MAN (e.g., WiMAX (registered trademark)), a wireless LAN (e.g., WiFi (registered trademark)), Bluetooth (registered trademark), Zigbee (registered trademark), or NFC (Near Field Communication). Wireless LAN, Bluetooth (registered trademark), Zigbee (registered trademark), and NFC may be examples of short-range wireless communication.

In this embodiment, the communication terminal 102 transmits and receives information between each part of the agricultural work support system 100 via the communication network 10. Examples of the communication terminal 102 include a personal computer and a mobile terminal. Examples of the mobile terminal include a mobile phone, a smartphone, a PDA, a tablet, a notebook computer or laptop computer, and a wearable computer.

The communication terminal 102 may function as a user interface when, for example, a worker 40 or a consumer (which may be referred to as a worker 40, etc.) accesses the agricultural work support system 100. The communication terminal 102 may be used for user authentication processing by the agricultural work support system 100.

The communication terminal 102 may transmit and receive information to and from the agricultural robot 120 via the communication network 10. The communication terminal 102 may function as a user interface when the worker 40 operates the agricultural robot 120. The communication terminal 102 may be used for user authentication processing by the agricultural robot 120.

The communication terminal 102 includes, for example, a communication device, an input device, an output device, a self-position estimation device, and a gaze detection device. Examples of the input device include a keyboard, a pointing device, a voice input device (for example, a microphone), an image input device (for example, a camera), a voice recognition device, and an image recognition device. The image input device may capture still images or may capture moving images. The image input device may record images and sounds. Examples of the output device include a display, a projector, a speaker, an ultrasonic output device, a vibration output device, and a printer. Examples of the self-position estimation device include a GPS signal receiver, an acceleration sensor, an angular acceleration sensor, and a rotary encoder.

In this embodiment, the imaging device 114 is installed at an arbitrary position in the field 20. It is preferable that the imaging device 114 is disposed at a position where it can capture an image of the agricultural produce 22. The imaging device 114 captures, for example, at least one of (i) the voice of the worker 40 performing the work, and (ii) the state of the work by the worker 40. Examples of the state of the work by the worker 40 include (i) the appearance of the worker 40, (ii) the appearance of the field 20 or agricultural produce 22 to be worked on, and (iii) the appearance of birds, animals, pests, weeds, etc. to be worked on. Image data of the image captured by the imaging device 114 is transmitted to the agricultural work support system 100 via the communication network 10. As described above, the image data may be data in which an image with audio is recorded.

In this embodiment, the measuring device 116 is installed at any position in the field 20. The measuring device 116 is preferably placed near the agricultural produce 22. The measuring device 116 measures, for example, the state of the environment surrounding the agricultural produce 22. Examples of the state of the environment surrounding the agricultural produce 22 include (i) the moisture content of the medium near the cultivation position of the agricultural produce 22, (ii) the amount of pesticide components, fertilizer components, or trace elements contained in the medium, (iii) the temperature of the medium, and (iv) the air temperature, humidity, wind speed, illuminance, amount of sunlight, or amount of rain near the cultivation position of the agricultural produce 22. Measurement data indicating the measurement results of the measuring device 116 is transmitted to the agricultural work support system 100 via the communication network 10.

In this embodiment, the agricultural work robot 120 includes, for example, a base unit 130 and various units (sometimes called attachments) that are attached to the base unit 130 for use. For example, in this embodiment, the agricultural work robot 120 includes one or more mobile units 132, one or more input/output units 134, one or more sensor units 136, and one or more agricultural work units 138.

The agricultural work robot 120 can send and receive information to and from each part of the agricultural work support system 100 via the communication network 10. The agricultural work robot 120 has an autonomous movement function. For example, the agricultural work robot 120 moves by following the worker 40. Details of the agricultural work robot 120 will be described later.

In this embodiment, the farm work management server 142 manages farm work performed by one or more workers 40. The farm work management server 142 may manage farm work for each worker 40, for each field 20, or for each agricultural product 22. In one embodiment, the farm work management server 142 manages work plans. In another embodiment, the farm work support system 100 manages work history. For example, the farm work management server 142 manages work records, growth records, harvest records, and/or shipping records. Details of the farm work management server 142 will be described later.

In this embodiment, the navigation server 144 generates and outputs data indicating the position of a specific feature located within the field 20 using other features as landmarks. Details of the navigation server 144 will be described later.

[Specific configuration of each part of the farm work support system 100]
Each part of the agricultural work support system 100 may be realized by hardware, software, or hardware and software. At least a part of each part of the agricultural work support system 100 may be realized by a single server or multiple servers. At least a part of each part of the agricultural work support system 100 may be realized on a virtual machine or a cloud system. At least a part of each part of the agricultural work support system 100 may be realized by a personal computer or a mobile terminal. Examples of mobile terminals include mobile phones, smartphones, PDAs, tablets, notebook computers or laptop computers, and wearable computers. Each part of the agricultural work support system 100 may store information using a distributed ledger technology such as a blockchain or a distributed network.

When at least some of the components constituting the agricultural work support system 100 are realized by software, the components realized by the software may be realized by starting software or a program that defines the operation of the components in an information processing device of a general configuration. The information processing device of the general configuration described above may include (i) a data processing device having a processor such as a CPU or GPU, a ROM, a RAM, a communication interface, etc., (ii) input devices such as a keyboard, a pointing device, a touch panel, a camera, a voice input device, a gesture input device, various sensors, a GPS receiver, etc., (iii) output devices such as a display device, a voice output device, a vibration device, etc., and (iv) storage devices such as memory, HDD, SSD, etc. (including external storage devices).

In the information processing device of the above general configuration, the above data processing device or storage device may store the above software or program. The above software or program, when executed by a processor, causes the above information processing device to execute the operation defined by the software or program. The above software or program may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium. The above software or program may be a program for causing a computer to function as the agricultural work support system 100 or a part thereof. The above software or program may be a program for causing a computer to execute an information processing method in the agricultural work support system 100 or a part thereof.

The above information processing method may be a method executed using a computer. The above information processing method, for example, has a specific information storage step of storing feature position information indicating the position of each of one or more features arranged inside a work site where a user performs work, in association with feature specific information for the user to identify each of the one or more features. In the above information processing device, the feature specific information includes, for example, at least one of appearance information indicating the characteristics of the appearance of the feature and name information indicating the name of the feature.

The above information processing method may be, for example, a method executed by using a computer. The above information processing method includes, for example, (a) a destination acquisition step in which the computer acquires destination position information indicating the position of the user's destination. The above information processing method includes, for example, (b) a first feature extraction step in which the computer refers to information stored in the specific information storage device and extracts one or more first features that are candidates for destination landmarks from among the one or more features based on the location of the destination indicated by the destination position information and the respective positions of the one or more features. In the above information processing method, the specific information storage device stores, in association with each other, feature position information indicating the respective positions of one or more features arranged inside a work site where a user performs work, and feature specific information for the user to identify each of the one or more features. In the above information processing method, the feature specific information includes, for example, at least one of appearance information indicating the characteristics of the appearance of the feature and appellation information indicating the appellation of the feature.

The agricultural work support system 100 may be an example of an information processing device. The navigation server 144 may be an example of an information processing device. The field 20 may be an example of a work site. The agricultural product 22 may be an example of a feature, another feature, a landmark, a destination, or a stopover point. The ridge 24 may be an example of a feature, another feature, a landmark, a destination, or a stopover point. The structure 30 may be an example of a feature, another feature, a landmark, a destination, or a stopover point. The worker 40 may be an example of a user. The imaging device 114 may be an example of a feature, another feature, a landmark, a destination, or a stopover point. The measuring device 116 may be an example of a feature, another feature, a landmark, a destination, or a stopover point.

In this embodiment, an example of the agricultural work support system 100 is described using as an example a case in which the navigation server 144 generates guidance data, and the input/output unit 134 of the agricultural work robot 120 outputs the guidance data received from the navigation server 144 to the worker 40. However, the agricultural work support system 100 is not limited to this embodiment.

In another embodiment, some or all of the processing in the navigation server 144 is executed in the communication terminal 102. In this case, the communication terminal 102 may be an example of an information processing device.

In yet another embodiment, some or all of the processing in the navigation server 144 is executed in the agricultural robot 120. In this case, the agricultural robot 120 may be an example of an information processing device.

Figure 2 shows an example of a system configuration of the agricultural work robot 120. As described in relation to Figure 1, in this embodiment, the agricultural work robot 120 includes a base unit 130, a mobile unit 132, an input/output unit 134, a sensor unit 136, and an agricultural work unit 138.

As shown in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, the agricultural work robot 120 includes a control unit 220, a power supply unit 230, a vibration control unit 250, and a balance adjustment unit 280. The agricultural work robot 120 may include multiple control units 220. The agricultural work robot 120 may include multiple power supply units 230. The agricultural work robot 120 may include multiple vibration control units 250. The agricultural work robot 120 may include multiple balance adjustment units 280.

In this embodiment, the agricultural work robot 120 may be a work machine that performs any task. The agricultural work robot 120 performs, for example, various agricultural tasks, monitoring tasks, and the like. The agricultural work robot 120 may be fixed or mobile. The agricultural work robot 120 may have an autonomous driving function or an autonomous navigation function, and may be operated by remote control, or may be operated by a worker who gets on board the agricultural work robot 120. It is preferable that the agricultural work robot 120 is an unmanned work machine that has an autonomous driving function or an autonomous navigation function.

The agricultural robot 120 may be a small robot. For example, the volume of each agricultural robot 120 may be ² m3 or less, 1 ^m3 or less, 0.5 ^m3 or less, or 0.25 ^m3 or less. This allows the agricultural robot 120 to move freely within the field. In addition, the agricultural robot 120 can observe the agricultural produce 22 from angles that are difficult for humans to observe.

In this embodiment, the base unit 130 holds the mobile unit 132, the input/output unit 134, the sensor unit 136, the agricultural work unit 138, the control unit 220, the power supply unit 230, the vibration suppression unit 250, and the balance adjustment unit 280. In this embodiment, the base unit 130 detachably holds at least one of the mobile unit 132, the input/output unit 134, the sensor unit 136, the agricultural work unit 138, the vibration suppression unit 250, and the balance adjustment unit 280. This allows the agricultural work robot 120 to handle multiple different types of work.

In this embodiment, the base unit 130 has a control unit 220 and a power supply unit 230. The control unit 220 and the power supply unit 230 may be built into the base unit 130. At least one of the control unit 220 and the power supply unit 230 may be removably arranged on the base unit 130. In one embodiment, at least one of the control unit 220 and the power supply unit 230 is removably arranged inside the base unit 130. In another embodiment, at least one of the control unit 220 and the power supply unit 230 is removably arranged outside the base unit 130.

In this embodiment, the moving unit 132 moves the agricultural robot 120. The power source of the moving unit 132 may be electricity, an internal combustion engine, or a steam engine. For example, the moving unit 132 converts the electricity supplied from the power supply unit 230 into power to move the agricultural robot 120. In this embodiment, the moving unit 132 may have a built-in power source that generates power using the electricity supplied from the power supply unit 230. Examples of the power source include a motor and an actuator.

In one embodiment, the mobile unit 132 includes wheels for moving on land and a power source for driving the wheels. In another embodiment, the mobile unit 132 includes caterpillars for moving on land and a power source for driving the caterpillars. In yet another embodiment, the mobile unit 132 may include a screw for moving on or underwater and a power source for driving the screw. The mobile unit 132 may further include a buoyancy material for obtaining buoyancy. In yet another embodiment, the mobile unit 132 may include a propeller for moving in the air and a power source for driving the propeller. The mobile unit 132 may further include a balloon or air bag for floating in the air.

In this embodiment, the input/output unit 134 functions as an input/output interface for the agricultural work support system 100. The input/output unit 134 may include various input devices. Examples of the input device include a keyboard, a pointing device, a voice input device (e.g., a microphone), an image input device (e.g., a camera), a voice recognition device, and an image recognition device. The input/output unit 134 may include various output devices. Examples of the output device include a display, a projector, a speaker, an ultrasonic output device, a vibration output device, and a printer.

In this embodiment, the input/output unit 134 captures images of various subjects. For example, the input/output unit 134 captures images of at least one of (i) the worker 40, (ii) the farm work robot 120, (iii) the agricultural produce 22, and (iv) the surrounding environment of the agricultural produce 22. Examples of the surrounding environment of the agricultural produce 22 include the inside of a farm field or the periphery of the farm field. The input/output unit 134 may capture images of the soil where the agricultural produce 22 is growing as the surrounding environment of the agricultural produce 22.

In this embodiment, the input/output unit 134 captures at least one of still images and moving images. It is preferable that the input/output unit 134 can capture moving images. The input/output unit 134 may be a visible light camera or an infrared camera. The input/output unit 134 may have a manipulator and an imaging device attached to the tip of the manipulator. The manipulator can use power supplied from the power supply unit 230 to point the imaging device in any direction.

The image data captured by the input/output unit 134 may be stored in a storage device of the agricultural work robot 120, or may be transmitted to the agricultural work management server 142. The agricultural work robot 120 may analyze the image data captured by the input/output unit 134, and transmit the analysis results to at least one of the agricultural work management server 142 and the navigation server 144.

In this embodiment, the input/output unit 134 accepts input from the worker 40. There are no particular limitations on the manner in which the worker 40 inputs information. When the worker 40 is performing agricultural work, it is preferable that the information be input by voice input. The input/output unit 134 may transmit the information input by the worker 40 to at least one of the agricultural work management server 142 and the navigation server 144.

In this embodiment, the input/output unit 134 outputs a message to the worker 40. The input/output unit 134 may output a message from at least one of the farm work management server 142 and the navigation server 144 to the worker 40. The manner in which the message is output is not particularly limited. When the worker 40 is performing farm work, it is preferable that the message is output by voice.

In one embodiment, the input/output unit 134 is removably disposed outside the base unit 130. In another embodiment, the input/output unit 134 is disposed in another unit. For example, the input/output unit 134 is incorporated in the agricultural work unit 138. The input/output unit 134 may also be incorporated in the control unit 220.

The input/output unit 134 may be disposed in front of the base unit 130 in the direction of travel, or may be disposed behind the base unit 130 in the direction of travel. The input/output unit 134 may be disposed on the side of the agricultural work robot 120. The input/output unit 134 may be disposed on the upper surface of the base unit 130, or may be disposed on the lower surface of the base unit 130. The input/output unit 134 may have a light that emits illumination light. The light may be an example of an illumination unit.

In this embodiment, the sensor unit 136 measures various physical quantities. For example, the sensor unit 136 measures at least one of a physical quantity related to the worker 40, a physical quantity related to the farm work robot 120, a physical quantity related to the agricultural produce 22, and a physical quantity related to the surrounding environment of the agricultural produce 22. This makes it possible to obtain information about the growing environment of the agricultural produce 22.

Examples of physical quantities related to the agricultural produce 22 include the color, luster, shape, pattern, size, weight or mass, composition, content of specific components, hardness, elasticity, etc. of the agricultural produce 22. Examples of physical quantities related to the surrounding environment of the agricultural produce 22 include information about the soil, information about the atmosphere, and information about light intensity, etc. Examples of information about the soil include pH, temperature, moisture content, particle size distribution, hardness, as well as components contained in the soil, bacteria, and viruses. Examples of components contained in the soil include organic matter (carbon), nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium, sulfur, iron, manganese, boron, zinc, molybdenum, copper, and chlorine. Examples of information about the atmosphere include temperature, air pressure, humidity, carbon dioxide concentration, nitrogen concentration, oxygen concentration, wind direction, and wind volume, etc.

In one embodiment, the sensor unit 136 is removably disposed outside the base unit 130. In another embodiment, the sensor unit 136 is disposed in another unit. For example, the sensor unit 136 is incorporated into the agricultural work unit 138. The sensor unit 136 may also be incorporated into the control unit 220.

The measurement results of the sensor unit 136 may be stored in a storage device of the agricultural work robot 120, or may be transmitted to the agricultural work management server 142. The agricultural work robot 120 may analyze the measurement results of the sensor unit 136 and transmit the analysis results to the agricultural work management server 142.

In this embodiment, the agricultural work unit 138 may be an attachment for agricultural work. For example, an agricultural work unit 138 according to the application is attached to the base unit 130. This allows the agricultural work robot 120 to perform multiple different types of agricultural work.

In this embodiment, the agricultural work unit 138 may be a unit specialized for one or more agricultural works. Examples of the agricultural work unit 138 include a chemical spraying device for pest control, a fertilizer spraying device for spraying fertilizer, a gas spraying device for spraying gas, a ridge making device, a seedling dropping device, a seed sowing device, a tilling device, a manipulator having a jig for harvesting unnecessary branches and leaves, a manipulator having a jig for picking agricultural produce, a grass cutting device (e.g., a grass cutting device for abandoned fields), a watering device, a bird and animal scare device (e.g., a device that scares off birds and animals with sound and light), a thinning device, a flower picking device, a fruit picking device, and a bagging device (e.g., a bagging device for fruit trees).

In this embodiment, the agricultural work unit 138 is detachably held on the base unit 130. The agricultural work unit 138 may incorporate a power source that uses power supplied from the power supply unit 230 to generate power for driving the agricultural work unit 138. Examples of the power source include a motor and an actuator.

In this embodiment, the agricultural work unit 138 includes an information processing device that executes firmware 294 and controls the agricultural work unit 138. The information processing device may be a processor such as a CPU or a GPU. The information processing device may include (i) a data processing device having a processor such as a CPU or a GPU, a ROM, a RAM, a communication interface, etc., (ii) input devices such as a keyboard, a pointing device, a touch panel, a camera, a voice input device, a gesture input device, various sensors, a GPS receiver, etc., (iii) output devices such as a display device, a voice output device, a vibration device, etc., and (iv) storage devices such as memory, HDD, SSD, etc. (including external storage devices).

The latest version of firmware 294 is managed, for example, by the farm work management server 142. The farm work management server 142 transmits the latest version of firmware 294 to the farm work unit 138 or the control unit 220 in response to a request from, for example, the farm work unit 138 or the control unit 220. This allows the farm work unit 138 or the control unit 220 to update the firmware 294.

In this embodiment, the control unit 220 controls the agricultural robot 120. In one embodiment, the control unit 220 communicates with each unit and controls the operation of the unit depending on the type of the unit. The control unit 220 may also control the operation of one or more units depending on a combination of multiple units.

For example, the control unit 220 communicates with at least one of the mobile unit 132, the farm work unit 138, and the balance adjustment unit 280. The communication method may be wired communication or wireless communication. When the communication method between the control unit 220 and the other units is wired communication, the base unit 130 may have a communication path (sometimes called a bus) that transmits information between the control unit 220 and the other units. The above communication path may be an example of a communication section.

In another embodiment, the control unit 220 communicates with the farm work management server 142 and transmits information about the farm work robot 120 to the farm work management server 142. For example, the control unit 220 acquires position information of the farm work robot 120 and transmits the position information to the farm work management server 142. According to another example, the control unit 220 associates the position information of the farm work robot 120 with information acquired by the sensor unit 136 at the position indicated by the position information, and transmits the information to the farm work management server 142.

In this embodiment, the control unit 220 includes an information processing device that executes the control program 222 and controls the agricultural robot 120. The above information processing device may be a processor such as a CPU or a GPU. The above information processing device may include (i) a data processing device having a processor such as a CPU or a GPU, a ROM, a RAM, a communication interface, etc., (ii) input devices such as a keyboard, a pointing device, a touch panel, a camera, a voice input device, a gesture input device, various sensors, a GPS receiver, etc., (iii) output devices such as a display device, a voice output device, a vibration device, etc., and (iv) storage devices such as a memory, a HDD, an SSD, etc. (including external storage devices).

In this embodiment, the control program 222 may run on the OS 224. One or more control programs 222 may run on one or more OSs 224. The OS 224 controls the agricultural robot 120 via one or more drivers 226 for controlling various hardware included in the agricultural robot 120. For example, the OS 224 recognizes a specific unit (e.g., the mobile unit 132, the agricultural work unit 138, etc.) via a specific driver 226 and controls the operation of the unit. By updating at least one of the control program 222, the OS 224, and the driver 226, for example, the agricultural robot 120 can use a new unit or can use the unit more efficiently.

The latest versions of the control program 222, OS 224, and driver 226 are managed, for example, by the farm work management server 142. For example, in response to a request from the control unit 220, the farm work management server 142 transmits the latest versions of at least one of the control program 222, OS 224, and driver 226 to the control unit 220. This allows the control unit 220 to update at least one of the control program 222, OS 224, and driver 226.

The location information may be information indicating the location of the agricultural robot 120, and the content and acquisition method of the location information are not particularly limited. The control unit 220 may determine the location of the agricultural robot 120 by any self-location estimation method. The control unit 220 may receive a GPS signal and determine the location of the agricultural robot 120 based on the GPS signal. The control unit 220 may receive a beacon signal from a beacon transmitter installed around the farmland and determine the location of the agricultural robot 120 based on the beacon signal. The location of the agricultural robot 120 may be determined based on the radio wave intensity. The control unit 220 may analyze an image of the surroundings of the agricultural robot 120 captured by the input/output unit 134 and determine the location of the agricultural robot 120 from the angle formed by the agricultural robot 120 and multiple landmarks whose positions are known.

The control unit 220 may acquire information for controlling the agricultural robot 120 from the agricultural work management server 142. The information for controlling the agricultural robot 120 may be information related to the work that the agricultural robot 120 is about to perform. The information for controlling the agricultural robot 120 may be control data uploaded to the agricultural work management server 142 by a know-how provider. The information for controlling the agricultural robot 120 may be data showing the output results of the control data uploaded to the agricultural work management server 142 by a know-how provider. The control unit 220 may control the operation of a unit related to the information acquired from the agricultural work management server 142 based on the information.

In this embodiment, the power supply unit 230 supplies power to at least one of the moving unit 132, the agricultural work unit 138, and the balance adjustment unit 280 to drive the unit. The power supply unit 230 may also supply power to at least one of the vibration control unit 250, the input/output unit 134, and the sensor unit 136.

In this embodiment, the self-location estimation unit 240 acquires data used in the self-location estimation process by the control unit 220. The self-location estimation unit 240 includes, for example, at least one of a GPS signal receiver, an acceleration sensor, an angular acceleration sensor, and a rotary encoder. Outputs from the GPS signal receiver, the acceleration sensor, the angular acceleration sensor, the rotary encoder, etc. may be output to the control unit 220.

In this embodiment, the vibration suppression unit 250 controls vibration. For example, the vibration suppression unit 250 controls the vibration of at least one of the input/output unit 134, the sensor unit 136, and the agricultural work unit 138. The vibration suppression unit 250 may control vibration according to a command from the control unit 220. The vibration suppression unit 250 may have a power source that uses power supplied from the power supply unit 230 to generate power for driving the vibration suppression unit 250. Examples of the power source include a motor and an actuator.

In this embodiment, the balance adjustment unit 280 has a weight. The balance adjustment unit 280 is detachably held on the base unit 130. Depending on the weight of the unit attached to the base unit 130 and the position of its center of gravity, the weight balance of the agricultural robot 120 may become poor, causing the agricultural robot 120 to become unstable. Therefore, by attaching the balance adjustment unit 280 to an appropriate position on the base unit 130, the weight balance of the agricultural robot 120 can be adjusted.

The balance adjustment unit 280 may be a manipulator with a weight at its tip. The manipulator can change the position of the center of gravity of the agricultural robot 120 by changing the relative position between the weight and the base unit 130. The manipulator may be an example of a power source.

Figure 3 shows an example of the internal configuration of the farm work management server 142. In this embodiment, the farm work management server 142 includes an input reception unit 310, a screen generation unit 320, a work plan generation unit 330, and a storage unit 340. In this embodiment, the storage unit 340 includes a log data storage unit 352, a standard data storage unit 354, a work record storage unit 362, a growth record storage unit 364, a harvest record storage unit 366, a shipping record storage unit 368, a setting data storage unit 372, and an evaluation data storage unit 374.

In this embodiment, the input reception unit 310 receives input from the worker 40 or the like. The worker 40 inputs, for example, various information related to the field 20. The worker 40 may input information indicating the position and range of the field 20. The worker 40 inputs, for example, a work plan and work history for the agricultural produce 22. The worker 40 inputs, for example, know-how related to the cultivation of the agricultural produce 22. The worker 40 or the like inputs, for example, an evaluation of the agricultural produce 22. Examples of evaluation items for the agricultural produce 22 include quality, yield, and suitability for a specific use. Examples of the quality of the agricultural produce 22 include appearance, size, taste, and the content of a specific component. Examples of the above-mentioned uses include the type of animal that consumes the agricultural produce 22, the type of dish in which the agricultural produce 22 is used, and the type of processing of the agricultural produce 22.

For example, the input reception unit 310 receives input of instructions for the agricultural work management server 142. Examples of the above-mentioned instructions include registering settings, creating or updating a work plan, creating or updating a work history, and registering an evaluation. The input reception unit 310 outputs information indicating the content of the input instruction to the screen generation unit 320.

The input reception unit 310 also receives input of information to be registered in the database. Examples of the above information include information indicating the contents of various settings related to the agricultural work management server 142, information indicating the contents of the work plan, information indicating the contents of the work history, and information indicating the contents of the evaluation. The input reception unit 310 stores the input information in the storage unit 340.

In this embodiment, the screen generation unit 320 generates various screens. For example, the screen generation unit 320 acquires information indicating the content of the instruction received by the input reception unit 310 from the input reception unit 310. The screen generation unit 320 generates information (sometimes referred to as screen data) for presenting a screen corresponding to the content of the instruction to the person giving the instruction. The screen may be various input screens. The screen generation unit 320 transmits the generated screen data to the communication terminal 102 used by the person giving the instruction.

In this embodiment, the screen generation unit 320 may generate the above screen in cooperation with the navigation server 144. For example, the screen generation unit 320 cooperates with the navigation server 144 to generate a screen used for inputting at least one of a work record, a growth record, a harvest record, and a shipping record.

More specifically, the screen generation unit 320 may (i) transmit position information or identification information of a specific feature located inside the field 20 to the navigation server 144, and (ii) request the navigation server 144 to generate data in which the position of the specific feature is expressed using other features as landmarks. The screen generation unit 320 uses the data received from the navigation server 144 to generate a screen used for inputting at least one of a work record, a growth record, a harvest record, and a shipping record.

This allows the screen generation unit 320 to assist the worker 40 in creating a work record, a growing record, a harvest record, or a shipping record. The screen generation unit 320 can also generate a work record, a growing record, a harvest record, or a shipping record in which the position of a specific feature is represented using other features as landmarks. The screen generation unit 320 may store the generated work record, growing record, harvest record, or shipping record in the storage unit 340.

In this embodiment, the work plan generating unit 330 generates a work plan. The work plan generating unit 330 may generate a work plan for each worker 40, may generate a work plan for each field 20, or may generate a work plan for each agricultural product 22. The work plan generating unit 330 may store the generated work plan in the setting data storage unit 372.

The work plan may be information that associates information indicating a date and time with the content of the work to be performed at that date and time. The information indicating the date and time may be (i) information indicating the date, or (ii) information indicating the date and time.

The work plan may include basic information about the field 20 in which the work will be carried out. Examples of basic information about the field 20 include identification information for the field 20, information indicating the location and extent of the field 20, identification information for the worker 40 who will be working in the field 20, information indicating the crops being cultivated in the field 20, information indicating the characteristics of the soil in the field 20, and information indicating the weather characteristics in the field 20.

The cultivation work of the agricultural produce 22 includes one or more processes. Each of the one or more processes includes one or more work items. To perform each work item, the worker 40 performs one or more actions. The content of the work included in the work plan may be created at the process level, the work item level, or the action level.

Note that there may be a mixture of processes for which a work plan is created at the process level and processes for which a work plan is created at the work item level. There may also be a mixture of processes for which a work plan is created at the process level, processes for which a work plan is created at the work item level, and processes for which a work plan is created at the action level. For example, for a process for which the remaining time until the scheduled performance date and time is less than a predetermined value, a work plan is created at the work item level or the action level. On the other hand, for a process for which the remaining time until the scheduled performance date and time is greater than a predetermined value, a work plan is created at the process level.

The work plan generating unit 330 may manage the progress of the work. For example, the work plan generating unit 330 acquires information (sometimes referred to as a work history) from the agricultural robot 120 that associates information indicating a date and time with information indicating the content of the work performed by the agricultural robot 120 at that date and time. Also, for example, the work plan generating unit 330 acquires the work history of the worker 40 from the communication terminal 102 of the worker 40. The work plan generating unit 330 compares the work plan and the work history to calculate the progress of the work. This allows the work plan generating unit 330 to manage the progress of the work.

The work plan generating unit 330 may update the work plan. For example, the work plan generating unit 330 acquires information from the agricultural work robot 120, in which information indicating a date and time is associated with information indicating the status of the field 20 and the agricultural produce 22 at that date and time. For example, the work plan generating unit 330 acquires information from the communication terminal 102 of the worker 40, in which information indicating a date and time is associated with information indicating the status of the field 20 and the agricultural produce 22 at that date and time. For example, the work plan generating unit 330 updates the work plan based on at least one of (i) the status of the field 20, (ii) the status of the agricultural produce 22, and (iii) the progress of the work.

The work plan generating unit 330 may transmit instructions regarding the work of the worker 40 or messages regarding reports regarding the agricultural produce 22 to the communication terminal 102 used by the worker 40 or the agricultural work robot 120. For example, the work plan generating unit 330 may transmit the above message at least when it is time for the worker 40 to perform the work and when an abnormality is detected in the agricultural produce 22.

In this embodiment, the storage unit 340 stores various types of information. In one embodiment, the storage unit 340 stores information input by the worker 40 or the like to the agricultural work support system 100. In another embodiment, the storage unit 340 acquires various types of information from an external server that operates a platform or database related to agricultural data, and stores the information. Examples of agricultural data include weather data, soil data, map data, farmland data, material data, data for predicting the optimal time for work, and data for predicting growth.

In this embodiment, the log data storage unit 352 stores information (sometimes referred to as a work log) in which information indicating a time or period is associated with information indicating the work items performed by the worker 40 at the time or period for each of one or more workers 40. The work log may include at least one of (i) information indicating the location of the worker 40 at each time or period, (ii) information indicating the work items scheduled to be performed at each time or period in the work plan of the worker 40, and (iii) information indicating the status of the worker 40 at each time or period. Examples of the status of the worker 40 include working, taking a break, traveling, outside of work hours, and unable to work. The work log may include identification information of the worker 40 (sometimes referred to as a user ID) and identification information of the agricultural robot 120 (sometimes referred to as a robot ID).

The log data storage unit 352 may acquire information relating to the work plan of the worker 40 from the work plan generation unit 330. The log data storage unit 352 may acquire information indicating the position of the worker 40 from the communication terminal 102 used by the worker 40 or the agricultural work robot 120. The log data storage unit 352 may acquire information relating to the work performed by the worker 40 from the communication terminal 102 used by the worker 40 or the agricultural work robot 120.

For example, before starting work, worker 40 inputs identification information of the work that worker 40 is about to perform into communication terminal 102. While working, worker 40 may input identification information of the work that worker 40 is performing into communication terminal 102. After completing work, worker 40 may input identification information of the work performed by worker 40 into communication terminal 102. Examples of work identification information include a name, an abbreviation, and an identification symbol. Worker 40 may (i) input the work identification information by voice input, or (ii) input the work identification information using a keyboard, a pointing device, a touch device, or the like.

The agricultural work robot 120 performs work based on, for example, a work plan or instructions from the worker 40. The agricultural work robot 120 may perform work while generating a work log or a part of it. The agricultural work robot 120 may transmit the work log to the agricultural work management server 142 at any timing or at a predetermined timing.

In this embodiment, the log data storage unit 352 stores, for each of one or more workers 40, information indicating a time or period associated with information regarding the behavior of the worker 40 at that time or period (sometimes referred to as an action log). Examples of information regarding the behavior of the worker 40 include identification information for identifying the type of the behavior, information indicating the content of the behavior, and image data of the worker 40 performing the behavior.

The log data storage unit 352 may acquire information regarding the actions of the worker 40 from the communication terminal 102 used by the worker 40 or the agricultural work robot 120. For example, the worker 40 inputs identification information for identifying the type of the above action and information indicating the content of the above action into the communication terminal 102. The above input method and input timing are not particularly limited. In addition, the agricultural work robot 120 may perform work while generating an action log or a part of it. The agricultural work robot 120 may transmit the action log to the agricultural work management server 142 at any timing or at a predetermined timing.

In this embodiment, the standard data storage unit 354 stores information (sometimes referred to as standard data) indicating the contents of standard work specified for each cultivation item. The standard data includes information regarding standard processes, standard work items, standard actions, standard times when each process is performed, and standard times when each work item is performed. The standard times when each process is performed may be expressed as (i) a specific month, week, or day, (ii) a condition related to the weather environment, or (iii) a period of time after another process or work item is performed. Similarly, the standard times when each work item is performed may be expressed as (i) a specific month, week, or day, (ii) a condition related to the weather environment, or (iii) a period of time after another process or work item is performed.

The standard data storage unit 354 may store standard data for each region. This allows the work plan generation unit 330 to generate an appropriate work plan depending on the region in which the agricultural produce 22 is grown. The standard data storage unit 354 may store standard data for each worker 40. This allows the work plan generation unit 330 to generate a work plan that reflects the unique know-how of the worker 40. The standard data storage unit 354 may store standard data for each weather condition. This allows the work plan generation unit 330 to generate an appropriate work plan depending on the weather conditions of each year.

In one embodiment, the standard data is obtained from a server that operates a platform or database related to agricultural data. In another embodiment, the standard data is created based on the past work history of multiple workers 40 who cultivate the same type of agricultural produce 22. The standard data for each region is created based on the past work history of multiple workers 40 who cultivate the same type of agricultural produce 22 in the same region. The standard data for each worker 40 may be generated based on the past work history of each worker 40, or may be generated based on a work plan created by the worker 40.

In this embodiment, the work record storage unit 362 stores the work record of the worker 40. The work record of the worker 40 may be created based on information input by the worker 40 to the agricultural work support system 100 via the communication terminal 102, or may be created based on the work history of the agricultural work robot 120 used by the worker 40.

In this embodiment, the growth record storage unit 364 stores the growth record of the agricultural produce 22. The growth record of the agricultural produce 22 may be created based on information input by the worker 40 to the agricultural work support system 100 via the communication terminal 102, or may be created based on data of the agricultural produce 22 captured or measured by the agricultural work robot 120 used by the worker 40.

In this embodiment, the harvest record storage unit 366 stores the harvest record of the agricultural produce 22. The harvest record of the agricultural produce 22 may be created based on information input by the worker 40 to the agricultural work support system 100 via the communication terminal 102, or may be created based on data of the agricultural produce 22 captured or measured by the agricultural work robot 120 used by the worker 40.

In this embodiment, the shipping record storage unit 368 stores the shipping record of the agricultural produce 22. The shipping record of the agricultural produce 22 may be created based on information input by the worker 40 to the agricultural work support system 100 via the communication terminal 102, or may be created based on data of the agricultural produce 22 captured or measured by the agricultural work robot 120 used by the worker 40.

In this embodiment, the setting data storage unit 372 stores information on various settings (sometimes referred to as setting data). Examples of the setting data include the work plan created by the work plan generation unit 330, the unit price for calculating the production cost of the agricultural produce 22, and the predicted value of the selling price of the agricultural produce 22. Other examples of the setting data include information on the physical characteristics of each worker, information on the personality characteristics of each worker, information on the experience of each worker, and information on the farmland owned or worked by each worker. Examples of the physical characteristics of each worker include height and height of viewpoint. Examples of the personality characteristics of each worker include whether or not the worker is sensitive to changes in the environment, whether or not the worker is insensitive to changes in the environment, whether or not the worker is anxious, and whether or not the worker is optimistic. Examples of the information on the worker's experience include (i) a combination of the type of work and the number of years of experience in the work, (ii) the type of qualifications held by the worker, (iii) the type of awards won by the worker, and (iv) the time when the qualifications or awards were obtained. Examples of information about farmland include identification information for the farmland, identification information for the area in which the farmland is located, and the type or characteristics of the farmland's soil or medium.

In this embodiment, the evaluation data storage unit 374 stores information (sometimes referred to as evaluation data) indicating the content of the evaluation of the agricultural produce 22. The evaluation data may be created, for example, based on information input to the agricultural work support system 100 via the communication terminal 102 by a consumer who consumes the agricultural produce 22.

Figure 4 shows an example of the internal configuration of the navigation server 144. In this embodiment, the navigation server 144 includes a database management unit 420, a data storage unit 430, and a guidance data output unit 440. In this embodiment, the data storage unit 430 includes a map information storage unit 432, a produce information storage unit 434, and a path information storage unit 436.

The database management unit 420 manages the various databases stored in the data storage unit 430. Specifically, it creates and updates the databases.

In this embodiment, the database management unit 420 generates or updates map information by associating location information of a specific location with information indicating the name of a feature located at the specific location. The database management unit 420 stores the generated or updated map information in the map information storage unit 432. The location information may be information indicating the specific location with latitude and longitude, or may be information indicating the specific location with latitude, longitude, and altitude. For example, the location information may be information indicating the relative position between a reference position set in the field 20 and the specific location.

In one embodiment, the database management unit 420 uses data in which an image captured by a worker 40 or farm work robot 120 moving inside the farm field 20 is associated with location information indicating the location at which the image was captured, to associate the location information of a specific location with information indicating the name of a feature located at the specific location. The image may be a moving image or a still image.

For example, the database management unit 420 presents the image to the worker 40. When the worker 40 finds a feature in the image that he or she wishes to register in the map information storage unit 432, the worker 40 inputs the name of the feature reflected in the image. The name may be input by voice input or keyboard input. The database management unit 420 associates the location where the image was captured with the name input by the worker 40 and stores them in the map information storage unit 432.

At this time, the database management unit 420 may execute a process for identifying the feature reflected in the image. The database management unit 420 may also analyze the image and derive the relative position between the position where the image was captured and the feature reflected in the image. The database management unit 420 may derive the exact position of the feature reflected in the image based on the position where the image was captured and the derived relative position. The database management unit 420 may associate the position of the feature with the name input by the worker 40 and store it in the map information storage unit 432.

In another embodiment, the worker 40 moving inside the field 20 instructs the communication terminal 102 or the agricultural robot 120 to generate map information at a specific position inside the field 20. The worker 40 also inputs the name of the feature located at the specific position to the communication terminal 102 or the agricultural robot 120. The communication terminal 102 or the agricultural robot 120 associates the position where the instruction from the worker 40 was accepted with the name input by the worker 40, and transmits them to the navigation server 144. The database management unit 420 stores the above information acquired from the communication terminal 102 or the agricultural robot 120 in the map information storage unit 432.

The database management unit 420 may access the farm work management server 142 and update the information stored in the map information storage unit 432. For example, the database management unit 420 may access the work record storage unit 362 and register in the map information storage unit 432 any changes in the appearance of features associated with the implementation of farm work. The database management unit 420 may access the growth record storage unit 364 and register in the map information storage unit 432 any changes in the appearance of features associated with the growth of the agricultural produce 22. The database management unit 420 may access the harvest record storage unit 366 and delete information on the harvested agricultural produce 22 from the map information storage unit 432.

In this embodiment, the database management unit 420 accesses the farm work management server 142 and updates the information stored in the agricultural produce information storage unit 434. For example, the database management unit 420 accesses at least one of the work record storage unit 362 and the growth record storage unit 364 and updates the information stored in the agricultural produce information storage unit 434.

In this embodiment, the database management unit 420 derives the position of the passageway through which the worker 40 or the agricultural robot 120 can pass, for example, based on the movement history of the communication terminal 102 or the agricultural robot 120 inside the field 20. The database management unit 420 may analyze a map image of the field 20 to derive the position of the passageway through which the worker 40 or the agricultural robot 120 can pass. The database management unit 420 may request the worker 40 to enter the position of the passageway in the map image of the field 20. The database management unit 420 may derive the position of the passageway based on input from the worker 40. The database management unit 420 may update the information stored in the passageway information storage unit 436 based on the derived position of the passageway.

In this embodiment, the data storage unit 430 stores various types of data. The data storage unit 430 stores data generated or updated by the database management unit 420. In response to a request from the guidance data output unit 440, the data storage unit 430 extracts information that matches the conditions indicated by the request.

In this embodiment, the map information storage unit 432 stores feature location information indicating the location of each of one or more features arranged inside the field 20 in association with feature identification information for the worker 40 to identify each of the one or more features. The feature identification information may be the name of the feature. The name of the feature may be the name input by the worker 40, or may be a name determined based on at least one of (i) the external appearance characteristics of the feature and (ii) the type or variety of the agricultural product 22 cultivated in the feature. The map information storage unit 432 stores the above feature location information and feature identification information in association with each other for at least some of the features present inside the field 20. Details of the map information storage unit 432 will be described later.

In this embodiment, the agricultural product information storage unit 434 stores various information related to each of the one or more agricultural products 22 cultivated within the farm field 20. Details of the agricultural product information storage unit 434 will be described later.

In this embodiment, the passage information storage unit 436 stores passage network information that indicates the network structure of passages arranged inside the field 20. The passage network information includes, for example, node IDs for identifying each of the nodes assigned to each of multiple points on the passage, link IDs for identifying each of the links connecting two adjacent nodes, and information indicating the position of each node. Details of the passage information storage unit 436 will be described later.

The guidance data output unit 440 outputs information (sometimes referred to as guidance data) for guiding the operator 40 to at least one of (i) the position of features located within the field 20 and (ii) the route to the feature. Details of the guidance data output unit 440 will be described later.

The data storage unit 430 may be an example of a specific information storage unit or a specific information storage device. The map information storage unit 432 may be an example of a specific information storage unit or a specific information storage device. The guidance data output unit 440 may be an example of an information processing device.

In this embodiment, FIG. 5 shows an example of data stored in the map information storage unit 432. In this embodiment, the map information storage unit 432 stores a data table 500. In this embodiment, the data table 500 may store one or more records. Each of the one or more records corresponds to one or more features arranged inside the field 20. Each of the one or more records stores, in association with each other, for example, a management ID 512 of the feature, information 514 indicating the location of the feature, information 516 indicating the name of the feature, information 518 indicating the type of the feature, and information 520 indicating the external characteristics of the feature.

The management ID 512 may be identification information for uniquely identifying each of one or more features arranged within the field 20. The information 514 indicating the location of the feature may be (i) information indicating the location of the feature in terms of latitude and longitude, (ii) information indicating the location of the feature in terms of latitude, longitude and altitude, or (iii) information indicating the relative location of the feature relative to a reference location established in the field 20.

The information 516 indicating the name of the feature may be information indicating the name of the feature when it is used as a landmark. The name of the feature may include characteristics of the appearance of each feature.

In one embodiment, information 516 indicating the name of the feature includes information indicating the name of each feature specified by operator 40. In another embodiment, information 516 indicating the name of the feature is determined based on information 518 indicating the type of feature and information 520 indicating the external characteristics of the feature. For example, the name "red box" is generated based on the information "red" recorded in information 520 indicating the external characteristics of the feature and the information "box" recorded in information 518 indicating the type of feature.

The information 518 indicating the type of feature may be information for distinguishing the type of each feature. Examples of the above types include agricultural products, stocks, culture media, work areas, and landmarks. Other examples of the above types include general names, common names, and abbreviations.

Examples of information 520 indicating the external characteristics of a feature include information 522 indicating the color of the feature, information 524 indicating the pattern of the feature, information 526 indicating the shape of the feature, and information 528 indicating the size of the feature. Examples of the size of a feature include width, depth, and height.

If the feature is a plant or agricultural product, the information 520 indicating the external characteristics of the feature may be updated based on the information recorded in the work record storage unit 362 or the growth record storage unit 364. This causes the information 520 indicating the external characteristics of the feature to be updated as each of the one or more agricultural products 22 grows.

Information 514 indicating the location of the feature may be an example of feature position information. Information 516 indicating the name of the feature may be an example of feature identification information or name information. Information 518 indicating the type of feature may be an example of feature type information. Information 520 indicating the external characteristics of the feature may be an example of information indicating at least one of the color and size of each of one or more features. The name of the feature may be an example of information that allows the worker 40 to identify each feature. When the name of the feature includes information indicating the external characteristics of the feature, the information indicating the external characteristics of the feature may be an example of appearance information.

In this embodiment, FIG. 6 shows an example of data stored in the produce information storage unit 434. In this embodiment, the produce information storage unit 434 stores a data table 620, a data table 640, and a data table 660.

In this embodiment, the data table 620 may store one or more records. Each of the one or more records corresponds to one or more agricultural products 22 cultivated in the farm field 20. Each of the one or more records stores, for example, an agricultural product ID 622 of the agricultural product, an agricultural product management ID 624, a plant ID 626 of the plant on which the agricultural product is growing, and information 628 indicating the relative position of the agricultural product in the plant, in association with each other.

The agricultural product ID 622 may be identification information for uniquely identifying each of the one or more agricultural products 22 cultivated in the farm field 20. The management ID 624 may be the management ID 512 of each agricultural product stored in the data table 500. The plant ID 626 may be identification information for uniquely identifying each of the plants cultivated in the farm field 20. The plant ID 626 may be the plant ID 642 of each plant stored in the data table 640. The information 628 indicating the relative position of the agricultural product may be information indicating the relative positional relationship between the reference position of the plant and the position of each agricultural product growing on the plant.

In this embodiment, the data table 640 may store one or more records. Each of the one or more records corresponds to one or more plants cultivated in the farm field 20. Each of the one or more records stores, for example, a plant ID 642 of the plant, a management ID 644 of the plant, a medium ID 646 of the medium in which the plant is cultivated, and information 648 indicating the type or variety of the plant in association with each other.

The strain ID 642 may be identification information for uniquely identifying each strain cultivated in the field 20. The management ID 644 may be the management ID 512 of each strain stored in the data table 500. The medium ID 646 of the medium in which the strain is cultivated may be identification information for uniquely identifying each medium (e.g., a paddy field, a field, a ridge, etc.) arranged inside the field 20. The medium ID 646 may be the medium ID 662 of each medium stored in the data table 660.

In this embodiment, the data table 660 may store one or more records. Each of the one or more records corresponds to one or more culture media arranged inside the farm field 20. Each of the one or more records stores, for example, a culture medium ID 662 of the culture medium, a culture medium management ID 664, an area ID 666 of the area in which the culture medium is arranged, and information 668 indicating the type of agricultural product cultivated in the culture medium in association with each other.

The culture medium ID 662 may be identification information for uniquely identifying each culture medium arranged inside the field 20. The management ID 664 may be the management ID 512 of each culture medium stored in the data table 500. The area ID 666 may be identification information for uniquely identifying each of one or more work areas set inside the field 20. For example, when multiple ridges are formed inside a vinyl greenhouse, the farm work support system 100 can handle the multiple ridges as a single group arranged in the same work area by setting the vinyl greenhouse as the work area.

In this embodiment, FIG. 7 shows an example of data stored in the passage information storage unit 436. In this embodiment, the passage information storage unit 436 stores a data table 720 and a data table 740.

In this embodiment, the data table 720 may store multiple records. Each of the multiple records corresponds to each of multiple points (sometimes called nodes) on a path formed inside the farm field 20. Each of the multiple records stores, for example, a node ID 722 of the node and information 724 indicating the node's position in association with each other.

The node ID 722 may be identification information for uniquely identifying each of the multiple nodes. The information 724 indicating the node position may be (i) information indicating the node position in latitude and longitude, (ii) information indicating the node position in latitude, longitude and altitude, or (iii) information indicating the relative position of the node position relative to a reference position established in the field 20.

In this embodiment, the data table 740 may store one or more records. Each of the one or more records corresponds to a link connecting two adjacent nodes. Each of the one or more records stores, for example, a link ID 742, a node ID 744 of the start node, a node ID 746 of the end node, and a management ID 748 of a feature located around the link in association with each other.

The link ID 742 may be identification information for uniquely identifying each of one or more links. The node ID 744 of the start node may be the node ID of the node located at the start point of each link. The node ID 746 of the end node may be the node ID of the node located at the end point of each link. The management ID 748 of the features arranged around the link may be the management ID of one or more features arranged on or near each link. The management ID 748 may be the management ID 512 of each feature stored in the data table 500. Each record of the data table 740 may store the management ID 748 of the above feature in association with information indicating the distance from the start node.

In this embodiment, FIG. 8 shows an example of the internal configuration of the guidance data output unit 440. In this embodiment, the guidance data output unit 440 includes a viewpoint information acquisition unit 812 and a current position acquisition unit 814. In this embodiment, the guidance data output unit 440 includes a destination determination unit 822, a destination landmark extraction unit 824, a destination landmark determination unit 826, and a position guidance data output unit 828. In this embodiment, the guidance data output unit 440 includes a relay point determination unit 842, a relay landmark extraction unit 844, a relay landmark determination unit 846, and a route guidance data output unit 848.

In this embodiment, the viewpoint information acquisition unit 812 acquires information indicating the height of the viewpoint of the worker 40. For example, the viewpoint information acquisition unit 812 accesses the setting data storage unit 372 of the farm work management server 142 to acquire information indicating the height of the viewpoint of the worker 40.

In this embodiment, the current position acquisition unit 814 acquires information indicating the current position of the worker 40. For example, 814 accesses the log data storage unit 352 of the farm work management server 142 to acquire information indicating the current position of the worker 40.

In this embodiment, the destination determination unit 822 determines the destination of the worker 40. For example, the destination determination unit 822 acquires information indicating the location of the destination of the worker 40. The destination determination unit 822 determines the destination of the worker 40 based on the above information.

In one embodiment, the destination determination unit 822 receives a message from the work plan generation unit 330 regarding instructions for the worker 40's work or a report on the agricultural produce 22. In this case, the destination determination unit 822 determines the location where the work is performed or the location of the agricultural produce 22 as the destination of the worker 40.

In another embodiment, the destination determination unit 822 receives a request signal from the screen generation unit 320 requesting the generation of data in which the position of a specific feature located inside the field 20 is represented using other features as landmarks. In this case, the destination determination unit 822 determines the position of the specific feature as the destination of the worker 40.

In this embodiment, the destination landmark extraction unit 824 refers to information on one or more features stored in the data table 500, and extracts features that are candidates for the landmark of the destination of the worker 40 from among the one or more features stored in the data table 500 based on the location of the destination of the worker 40 determined by the destination determination unit 822 and the respective locations of the one or more features stored in the data table 500. The destination landmark extraction unit 824 may extract multiple features as candidates for the landmark. For example, the destination landmark extraction unit 824 extracts, from among the one or more features stored in the data table 500, a feature whose distance between the location of the feature and the location of the destination of the worker 40 is smaller than a predetermined value, as a feature that is a candidate for the landmark.

In this embodiment, the destination landmark determination unit 826 determines a feature that will serve as a landmark for the destination of the worker 40 from among one or more candidates extracted by the destination landmark extraction unit 824. For example, the destination landmark determination unit 826 determines the feature that will serve as the landmark from among one or more features extracted as the candidates based on at least one of the color and size of each of the one or more features extracted as the candidates.

In one embodiment, the destination landmark determination unit 826 determines the landmark feature based on the color of each of the one or more features extracted as the candidates. For example, the destination landmark determination unit 826 first refers to information about the one or more features stored in the data table 500 to determine whether or not at least a portion of one or more agricultural products 22 is located near at least one of (i) the one or more features extracted as the candidates and (ii) the destination of the worker 40. For example, the destination landmark determination unit 826 extracts one or more agricultural products 22 using information 518 indicating the type of feature in the data table 500 as a key. The destination landmark determination unit 826 performs the above determination based on information 514 indicating the position of each of the extracted one or more agricultural products 22.

Next, if it is determined that at least a portion of one or more agricultural products 22 is located near at least one of (i) the one or more features extracted as the above-mentioned candidates and (ii) the destination of the worker 40, the destination landmark determination unit 826 determines the above-mentioned landmark feature from among candidates whose color is different from the color of at least the part of the agricultural product 22. This allows the worker 40 to easily find the landmark.

If there is no candidate with a color different from the color of at least some of the agricultural products 22 among the one or more candidates extracted by the destination landmark extraction unit 824, then from among the one or more candidates extracted by the destination landmark extraction unit 824, (i) a candidate with a greater difference in color from the color of the above-mentioned agricultural products 22 than the others, or (ii) a candidate with a larger size than the other candidates, may be determined as the landmark feature described above. If there is no candidate with a color different from the color of at least some of the agricultural products 22 among the one or more candidates extracted by the destination landmark extraction unit 824, then the destination landmark determination unit 826 may output a signal indicating this to, for example, the intermediate point determination unit 842.

In another embodiment, the destination landmark determination unit 826 determines the landmark feature based on the size of each of the one or more features extracted as the candidates. For example, the destination landmark determination unit 826 first refers to information about the one or more features stored in the data table 500, and determines whether each of the one or more features extracted as the candidates can be seen by the worker 40 based on (i) the size of each of the one or more features, (ii) the height of the viewpoint of the worker 40, and (iii) the current position of the worker 40.

Next, if there are candidates that are determined to be visible to the worker 40, the destination landmark determination unit 826 determines the above-mentioned landmark feature from among the candidates that are determined to be visible to the worker 40. This allows the worker 40 to easily find the landmark. If there are no candidates that are determined to be visible to the worker 40, the destination landmark determination unit 826 may output a signal to that effect, for example, to the relay point determination unit 842.

In this embodiment, the location guidance data output unit 828 uses the landmarks to generate information (sometimes referred to as location guidance data) for guiding the user to the location of the destination. For example, the location guidance data output unit 828 refers to the information stored in the data table 500 to determine whether or not another feature of the same or similar type as the feature determined as the landmark is located near at least one of (i) the feature determined as the landmark and (ii) the destination. If it is determined that another feature is located near at least one of (i) the feature determined as the landmark and (ii) the destination, the location guidance data output unit 828 generates guidance information for guiding the user to the location of the destination using ordinal numbers.

In this embodiment, the relay point determination unit 842 determines relay points located on the route to the destination of the worker 40. For example, the relay point determination unit 842 determines the relay points when it receives a signal from the destination landmark determination unit 826 indicating that no landmark feature has been determined. For example, the destination landmark extraction unit 824 refers to the information stored in the path information storage unit 436 to search for a route from the current position of the worker 40 to the destination of the worker 40. The destination landmark extraction unit 824 refers to the path information storage unit 436 to obtain information indicating the positions of nodes on the route.

In this embodiment, the relay landmark extraction unit 844, for example, refers to the information stored in the data table 500 and extracts features that are candidates for the landmark of the relay point from among one or more features stored in the data table 500 based on the position of the relay point and the respective positions of the one or more features stored in the data table 500. The relay landmark extraction unit 844 may extract multiple candidates. For example, the relay landmark extraction unit 844 extracts, from among one or more features stored in the data table 500, a feature whose distance between the position of the feature and the position of the relay point is smaller than a predetermined value as a feature that is a candidate for the landmark.

In this embodiment, the relay landmark determination unit 846 determines a feature that will serve as a landmark for the relay point from among one or more candidates extracted by the relay landmark extraction unit 844. For example, the relay landmark determination unit 846 determines the above-mentioned landmark from among one or more features extracted as the above-mentioned candidates based on at least one of the color and size of each of the one or more features extracted as the above-mentioned candidates. A specific method for determining the above-mentioned landmark based on at least one of the color and size of each of the one or more features extracted as the above-mentioned candidates may be similar to the method described for the destination landmark determination unit 826.

In this embodiment, the route guidance data output unit 848 generates information (sometimes referred to as route guidance data) for guiding the worker 40 along the route to the destination using the various landmarks described above. This allows the navigation server 144 to guide the worker 40 to the destination even if the worker 40 cannot directly see the destination or a feature that serves as a landmark for the destination from the worker 40's current position.

The viewpoint information acquisition unit 812 may be an example of a viewpoint acquisition unit. The current position acquisition unit 814 may be an example of a user position acquisition unit. The destination determination unit 822 may be an example of a destination acquisition unit. The destination landmark extraction unit 824 may be an example of a first feature extraction unit. The destination landmark determination unit 826 may be an example of a landmark determination unit. The location guidance data output unit 828 may be an example of a guidance information generation unit. The intermediate point determination unit 842 may be an example of an intermediate point acquisition unit. The intermediate landmark extraction unit 844 may be an example of a second feature extraction unit. The intermediate landmark determination unit 846 may be an example of a landmark determination unit. The route guidance data output unit 848 may be an example of a guidance information generation unit.

The information indicating the height of the viewpoint of the worker 40 may be an example of viewpoint information. The information indicating the current position of the worker 40 may be an example of user position information. The information indicating the position of the destination of the worker 40 may be an example of destination position information. The data table 500 may be an example of information stored in the specific information storage unit.

Figure 9 shows an example of a computer 3000 in which aspects of the present invention may be embodied in whole or in part. At least a portion of the agricultural work support system 100 may be realized by the computer 3000. For example, at least a portion of the agricultural work management server 142 may be realized by the computer 3000. For example, at least a portion of the navigation server 144 may be realized by the computer 3000. At least a portion of the agricultural work robot 120 may be realized by the computer 3000. At least a portion of the communication terminal 102 may be realized by the computer 3000.

A program installed on the computer 3000 may cause the computer 3000 to function as or perform operations associated with an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention or one or more "parts" of the apparatus, and/or to perform a process or steps of the process according to an embodiment of the present invention. Such a program may be executed by the CPU 3012 to cause the computer 3000 to perform certain operations associated with some or all of the blocks of the flowcharts and block diagrams described herein.

The computer 3000 according to this embodiment includes a CPU 3012, a RAM 3014, a GPU 3016, and a display device 3018, which are interconnected by a host controller 3010. The computer 3000 also includes input/output units such as a communication interface 3022, a hard disk drive 3024, a DVD-ROM drive 3026, and an IC card drive, which are connected to the host controller 3010 via an input/output controller 3020. The computer also includes legacy input/output units such as a ROM 3030 and a keyboard 3042, which are connected to the input/output controller 3020 via an input/output chip 3040.

The CPU 3012 operates according to the programs stored in the ROM 3030 and the RAM 3014, thereby controlling each unit. The GPU 3016 acquires image data generated by the CPU 3012 into a frame buffer or the like provided in the RAM 3014 or into itself, and causes the image data to be displayed on the display device 3018.

The communication interface 3022 communicates with other electronic devices via a network. The hard disk drive 3024 stores programs and data used by the CPU 3012 in the computer 3000. The DVD-ROM drive 3026 reads programs or data from the DVD-ROM 3001 and provides the programs or data to the hard disk drive 3024 via the RAM 3014. The IC card drive reads programs and data from an IC card and/or writes programs and data to an IC card.

The ROM 3030 stores therein a boot program or the like that is executed by the computer 3000 upon activation, and/or a program that depends on the hardware of the computer 3000. The input/output chip 3040 may also connect various input/output units to the input/output controller 3020 via a parallel port, a serial port, a keyboard port, a mouse port, etc.

The programs are provided by a computer-readable storage medium such as a DVD-ROM 3001 or an IC card. The programs are read from the computer-readable storage medium, installed in the hard disk drive 3024, RAM 3014, or ROM 3030, which are also examples of computer-readable storage media, and executed by the CPU 3012. The information processing described in these programs is read by the computer 3000, and brings about cooperation between the programs and the various types of hardware resources described above. An apparatus or method may be constructed by realizing the operation or processing of information according to the use of the computer 3000.

For example, when communication is performed between computer 3000 and an external device, CPU 3012 may execute a communication program loaded into RAM 3014 and instruct communication interface 3022 to perform communication processing based on the processing described in the communication program. Under the control of CPU 3012, communication interface 3022 reads transmission data stored in a transmission buffer area provided in RAM 3014, hard disk drive 3024, DVD-ROM 3001, or a recording medium such as an IC card, and transmits the read transmission data to the network, or writes received data received from the network to a reception buffer area or the like provided on the recording medium.

The CPU 3012 may also cause all or a necessary portion of a file or database stored on an external recording medium such as the hard disk drive 3024, the DVD-ROM drive 3026 (DVD-ROM 3001), an IC card, etc. to be read into the RAM 3014, and perform various types of processing on the data on the RAM 3014. The CPU 3012 may then write back the processed data to the external recording medium.

Various types of information, such as various types of programs, data, tables, and databases, may be stored on the recording medium and may undergo information processing. The CPU 3012 may perform various types of processing on the data read from the RAM 3014, including various types of operations, information processing, conditional judgment, conditional branching, unconditional branching, information search/replacement, etc., as described throughout this disclosure and specified by the instruction sequence of the program, and writes back the results to the RAM 3014. The CPU 3012 may also search for information in a file, database, etc. in the recording medium. For example, when multiple entries each having an attribute value of a first attribute associated with an attribute value of a second attribute are stored in the recording medium, the CPU 3012 may search for an entry whose attribute value of the first attribute matches a specified condition from among the multiple entries, read the attribute value of the second attribute stored in the entry, and thereby obtain the attribute value of the second attribute associated with the first attribute that satisfies a predetermined condition.

The above-described program or software module may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium on the computer 3000 or in the vicinity of the computer 3000. In addition, a recording medium such as a hard disk or RAM provided in a server system connected to a dedicated communication network or the Internet can be used as a computer-readable storage medium, thereby providing the above-described program to the computer 3000 via the network.

Although the present invention has been described above using an embodiment, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiment. It is clear to those skilled in the art that various modifications or improvements can be made to the above embodiment. Furthermore, the details described for a specific embodiment can be applied to other embodiments to the extent that they are not technically inconsistent. It is clear from the claims that such modifications or improvements can also be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

The order of execution of each process, such as operations, procedures, steps, and stages, in the devices, systems, programs, and methods shown in the claims, specifications, and drawings is not specifically stated as "before" or "prior to," and it should be noted that the processes may be performed in any order, unless the output of a previous process is used in a later process. Even if the operational flow in the claims, specifications, and drawings is explained using "first," "next," etc. for convenience, it does not mean that it is necessary to perform the processes in this order.

10 Communication network, 20 Field, 22 Agricultural products, 24 Ridge, 30 Structure, 40 Worker, 100 Agricultural work support system, 102 Communication terminal, 114 Imaging device, 116 Measuring device, 120 Agricultural work robot, 130 Base unit, 132 Mobile unit, 134 Input/output unit, 136 Sensor unit, 138 Agricultural work unit, 142 Agricultural work management server, 144 Navigation server, 220 Control unit, 222 Control program, 224 OS, 226 Driver, 230 Power supply unit, 240 Self-position estimation unit, 250 Vibration control unit, 280 Balance adjustment unit, 294 Firmware, 310 Input reception unit, 320 Screen generation unit, 330 Work plan generation unit, 340 Storage unit, 352 Log data storage unit, 354 Standard data storage section, 362 Work record storage section, 364 Growth record storage section, 366 Harvest record storage section, 368 Shipping record storage section, 372 Setting data storage section, 374 Evaluation data storage section, 420 Database management section, 430 Data storage section, 432 Map information storage section, 434 Agricultural product information storage section, 436 Passage information storage section, 440 Guidance data output section, 500 Data table, 512 Management ID, 514 Information, 516 Information, 518 Information, 520 Information, 522 Information, 524 Information, 526 Information, 528 Information, 620 Data table, 622 Agricultural product ID, 624 Management ID, 626 Stock ID, 628 Information, 640 Data table, 642 Stock ID, 644 Management ID, 646 Culture medium ID, 648 Information, 660 Data table, 662 medium ID, 664 management ID, 666 area ID, 668 information, 720 data table, 722 node ID, 724 information, 740 data table, 742 link ID, 744 node ID, 746 node ID, 748 management ID, 812 viewpoint information acquisition unit, 814 current position acquisition unit, 822 destination determination unit, 824 destination landmark extraction unit, 826 destination landmark determination unit, 828 position guidance data output unit, 842 relay point determination unit, 844 relay landmark extraction unit, 846 relay landmark determination unit, 848 route guidance data output unit, 3000 computer, 3001 DVD-ROM, 3010 host controller, 3012 CPU, 3014 RAM, 3016 GPU, 3018 display device, 3020 input/output controller, 3022 Communication interface, 3024 hard disk drive, 3026 DVD-ROM drive, 3030 ROM, 3040 input/output chip, 3042 keyboard

Claims (13)

a specific information storage unit that stores feature position information indicating the position of each of one or more features arranged in a field where a user performs work, and feature specific information for the user to identify each of the one or more features, in association with each other;
the one or more features include one or more agricultural products;
The feature identification information includes information indicating at least one of a color, a pattern, a shape, and a size of the one or more features .
Information processing device. a destination acquisition unit that acquires destination location information indicating a location of a destination of a user;
a first feature extraction unit that refers to information stored in a specific information storage unit that stores feature position information indicating the position of each of one or more features arranged within the field where the user performs work and feature specification information for the user to specify each of the one or more features in association with each other, and extracts one or more first features that are candidates for a landmark of the destination from among the one or more features, based on the position of the destination indicated by the destination position information and the positions of each of the one or more features;
Equipped with
the one or more features include one or more agricultural products;
The feature identification information includes information indicating at least one of a color, a pattern, a shape, and a size of the one or more features.
Information processing device. the feature identification information includes information indicating at least one of a color and a size of the one or more features;
and a landmark determination unit that determines a landmark of the destination from among the one or more first features based on at least one of a color and a size of the one or more first features.
The information processing device according to claim 2 . a destination acquisition unit that acquires destination location information indicating a location of a destination of a user;
a first feature extraction unit that refers to information stored in a specific information storage unit that stores feature position information indicating the positions of one or more features arranged inside a work site where the user performs work and feature specification information for the user to specify each of the one or more features in association with each other, and extracts one or more first features that are candidates for landmarks of the destination from among the one or more features, based on the position of the destination indicated by the destination position information and the positions of each of the one or more features;
a landmark determination unit that determines a landmark of the destination from among the one or more first features based on at least one of a color and a size of the one or more first features;
Equipped with
the specific information storage unit further stores the feature position information of each of the one or more features in association with information indicating at least one of a color and a size of each of the one or more features;
the one or more features include one or more agricultural products;
As each of the one or more agricultural products grows, information indicative of at least one of a color and a size of each of the one or more agricultural products is updated.
Information processing device. The landmark determination unit is
With reference to the information stored in the specific information storage unit, it is determined whether or not at least a portion of the one or more agricultural products is located near at least one of (i) the one or more first features and (ii) the destination;
When it is determined that at least a portion of the one or more agricultural products is located near at least one of (i) the one or more first features and (ii) the destination, the landmark is determined from among first features having a color different from that of the at least a portion of the agricultural products.
The information processing device according to claim 4 . a viewpoint acquisition unit that acquires viewpoint information indicating a height of the user's viewpoint;
a user position acquisition unit that acquires user position information indicating a current position of the user;
Further equipped with
The landmark determination unit is
For each of the one or more first features, determine whether or not the user can see the feature based on (i) a size of each of the one or more first features, (ii) a height of a viewpoint of the user indicated in the viewpoint information, and (iii) a current position of the user indicated in the user position information;
determining the landmark from among a first feature determined to be visible to the user;
5. The information processing device according to claim 3 . a guidance information generating unit that generates guidance information for guiding the user to at least one of a location of the destination and a route to the destination, using the landmarks;
The information processing device according to any one of claims 3 to 6 . the specific information storage unit further stores the feature position information of each of the one or more features in association with feature type information indicating a type of each of the one or more features;
The guidance information generation unit
With reference to the information stored in the specific information storage unit, it is determined whether or not another feature of the same or similar type as the feature determined as the landmark is located in the vicinity of at least one of (i) the feature determined as the landmark and (ii) the destination;
generating the guidance information for guiding the user to the location of the destination using an ordinal number when it is determined that the other feature is located in the vicinity of at least one of (i) the feature determined as the landmark and (ii) the destination;
The information processing device according to claim 7 . a stopover acquisition unit that acquires stopover location information indicating a stopover location on the route to the destination;
a second feature extraction unit that refers to the information stored in the specific information storage unit, and extracts a second feature serving as a landmark for the relay point from among the one or more features, based on the position of the relay point indicated by the relay point position information and each position of the one or more features;
Further comprising:
The information processing device according to any one of claims 2 to 8 . A program for causing a computer to function as an information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 9. A step in which the computer stores feature position information indicating the positions of one or more features arranged in the field where the user performs work in association with feature identification information for the user to identify each of the one or more features.
Equipped with
the one or more features include one or more agricultural products;
The feature identification information includes information indicating at least one of a color, a pattern, a shape, and a size of the one or more features.
Information processing methods. (a) a destination acquisition step in which a computer acquires destination location information indicating a location of a destination of a user;
(b) the computer
With reference to information stored in a specific information storage device that stores feature position information indicating the positions of one or more features arranged within the field in which the user performs work, and feature specific information for the user to identify each of the one or more features, in association with each other,
a first feature extraction step of extracting one or more first features that are candidates for a landmark of the destination from among the one or more features based on the location of the destination indicated by the destination location information and the respective locations of the one or more features;
having
the one or more features include one or more agricultural products;
The feature identification information includes information indicating at least one of a color, a pattern, a shape, and a size of the one or more features.
Information processing methods. (a) a destination acquisition step in which a computer acquires destination location information indicating a location of a destination of a user;
(b) the computer
With reference to information stored in a specific information storage device that stores feature position information indicating the positions of one or more features arranged inside a work site where the user performs work, and feature specific information for the user to identify each of the one or more features, in association with each other,
a first feature extraction step of extracting one or more first features that are candidates for a landmark of the destination from among the one or more features based on the location of the destination indicated by the destination location information and the respective locations of the one or more features;
(c) a landmark determination step in which the computer determines a landmark of the destination from among the one or more first features based on at least one of a color and a size of the one or more first features;
having
the specific information storage device further stores the feature position information of each of the one or more features in association with information indicating at least one of a color and a size of each of the one or more features;
the one or more features include one or more agricultural products;
As each of the one or more agricultural products grows, information indicative of at least one of a color and a size of each of the one or more agricultural products is updated.
Information processing methods.