JP7638715B2 - Apparatus and method for confirming the presence or absence of an object - Google Patents

Description

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act Published in the proceedings of the 27th Joint Symposium on Railway Technology and Policy (J-RAIL2020) on December 10, 2020

The present invention relates to an item presence confirmation device, an item presence confirmation system, and an item presence confirmation method.

A mobile information terminal has been disclosed that aims to prevent people from forgetting things, and that notifies the user that an item that is usually carried is missing by notifying the user in a manner that identifies the belongings associated with the beacon ID that could not be obtained if the beacon ID corresponding to the status information in the belongings list could not be obtained (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2017-49668 A

The mobile information terminal disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 can be provided with a function to notify the user that the normally carried items are not present, based on whether or not a beacon ID corresponding to the status information in the carried items list has been acquired, as well as a function to check, for example, the number of items to be carried and whether any items have been left behind. However, when using these functions, the user must operate the device to switch to a mode corresponding to the desired function, which is time-consuming.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above problems, and aims to make it easier to switch detection modes when detecting the presence or absence of an item.

In order to solve the above problems, the object presence confirmation device of the present invention comprises:
A communication means for communicating with a predetermined wireless tag;
a detection means for detecting the presence or absence of an article to which a wireless tag is attached according to a result of communication with the wireless tag by the communication means;
a detection mode switching means for switching a detection mode when the detection means detects the presence or absence of the object according to a predetermined condition;
Equipped with
The detection mode switching means switches the detection mode in accordance with the ratio of wireless tags that are communicatively connected by the communication means to a predetermined number of the wireless tags registered in advance .

According to this configuration, by switching the detection mode according to a predetermined condition, the user can be saved from the trouble of switching the detection mode, and thus the switching of the detection mode can be simplified. Also, according to this configuration, the detection mode can be switched after judging the situation at that time according to the ratio of the wireless tags that are connected for communication by the communication means out of the predetermined number of the wireless tags registered in advance, so that the detection mode can be appropriately switched.

Here, it is preferable that the detection mode switching means is configured to change at least one of the detection range in which the presence or absence of the item can be detected, the response time related to the detection of the presence or absence of the item, and the notification conditions when reporting the detection status of the presence or absence of the item, by switching the detection mode.
According to this configuration, by switching the detection mode, the presence or absence of an item can be detected in a detection manner suitable for each mode, and the detection status of the presence or absence of an item can be notified under notification conditions suitable for each mode.

In addition, it is preferable that the detection mode switching means is configured to switch the detection mode based on position information and acceleration information of the own device.
According to this configuration, by taking into consideration the proportion of wireless tags that are communicatively connected via the communication means out of a predetermined number of wireless tags registered in advance, as well as the position information and acceleration information of the device itself, the situation at that time can be more appropriately judged, and detection modes can be switched more appropriately.

In addition, it is preferable that the detection mode switching means is further configured to switch the detection mode based on a user operation.
According to this configuration, the detection mode can be switched manually, improving the usability of the article presence confirmation device.

In addition, it is preferable to configure the device so as to include a notification means for notifying the timing of switching the detection mode based on a preset railway construction schedule and progress.
According to this configuration, the timing for switching the detection mode is notified based on a preset schedule and progress of railway construction work, thereby supporting the above-mentioned manual detection mode switching operation.

In addition, preferably, a notification means is provided for notifying a detection status of the presence or absence of the article,
The notification means includes:
It is preferable that the detection status of the presence or absence of the article is notified according to a notification condition set according to the detection mode.

In order to solve the above problems, the object presence confirmation system of the present invention comprises:
A wireless tag attached to an article;
An article presence confirmation device having the above-mentioned configuration;
The present invention is characterized by the following.

This item presence confirmation system allows the item presence confirmation device to switch detection modes in response to specified conditions, eliminating the need for the user to switch detection modes, making it easier to switch detection modes.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a method for checking the presence or absence of an object, comprising:
1. A method for confirming the presence or absence of an article by an article presence confirmation device having a communication means for communicating with a predetermined wireless tag, comprising:
a detection step of detecting the presence or absence of an article to which a wireless tag is attached according to a result of communication with the wireless tag;
a detection mode switching step of switching a detection mode when detecting the presence or absence of the article by the detection step according to a predetermined condition;
Including,
The detection mode switching step is characterized by switching the detection mode in accordance with a ratio of wireless tags that are communicatively connected by the communication means to a predetermined number of the wireless tags registered in advance .

According to this item presence confirmation method, the item presence confirmation device switches the detection mode in accordance with a predetermined condition, which eliminates the user's need to switch the detection mode, making it possible to simplify the switching of the detection mode. Also, according to this item presence confirmation method, the detection mode can be switched after determining the situation at that time in accordance with the ratio of wireless tags that are connected for communication by the communication means out of the predetermined number of wireless tags registered in advance, so that the detection mode can be appropriately switched.

The present invention makes it easy to switch detection modes when detecting the presence or absence of an item.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an item presence confirmation system according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the mobile terminal. (a) is an example of a monitored item setting screen that is displayed on the display of a mobile device immediately after launching an anti-loss app, and (b) is an example of a monitored item setting screen that is displayed on the display of a mobile device when a voltage tester, a spotlight, and a generator are each designated as monitored items in railway construction work. 10 is a flowchart showing a control procedure of a detection mode control process. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a mode setting table. (a) is an example of a monitoring list display screen displayed on the display unit of a mobile terminal when only the wireless tag attached to the voltage tester is detected by the mobile terminal, and (b) is an example of a monitoring list display screen displayed on the display unit of the mobile terminal immediately after the number confirmation mode is set. (a) is an example of a monitoring list display screen that is displayed on the display unit of a mobile device immediately after quantity confirmation in quantity confirmation mode is completed, and (b) is a figure showing the state in which an alert screen is superimposed on the monitoring list display screen shown in (a). FIG. 13 is an image diagram showing confirmation of the number of monitored items in the number confirmation mode. (a) is an example of a monitoring list display screen that is displayed on the display unit of a mobile device immediately after the in-work mode is set, and (b) is an example of a monitoring list display screen that is displayed on the display unit of a mobile device when a voltage tester is left behind while the in-work mode is set. 9(b) is an example of a map display screen that is displayed on the display unit of a mobile device when the map button on the monitoring list display screen shown in FIG. 9(b) is operated. FIG. 9(a) is a diagram showing a state in which an alert screen is superimposed on the monitoring list display screen shown in FIG. 9(b), and FIG. 13A and 13B are conceptual diagrams illustrating a state in which it is confirmed whether or not a monitored article has been left behind in the working mode. (a) is an example of a monitoring list display screen displayed on the display unit of a mobile device immediately after the trace confirmation mode is set, and (b) is an example of a monitoring list display screen displayed on the display unit of a mobile device when a wireless tag attached to a spotlight is detected while the trace confirmation mode is set. 13A and 13B are conceptual diagrams illustrating a case in which it is confirmed whether or not a monitored article has been left behind in the trace confirmation mode.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the scope of the invention is not limited to the illustrated examples.

<Configuration of the item presence confirmation system>
First, the configuration of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. In addition to railway construction, road construction, construction work, civil engineering work, and other clerical work such as inventorying items are also envisioned as possible embodiments. Below, confirmation of the presence or absence of items used in railway construction will be described as an example.

In railway construction, for example, if tools or other items are left behind on the tracks, which is the work area, there is a risk of being hit by a train, which is extremely dangerous. On the other hand, railway construction is carried out at night, so visibility is low, and work hours are limited to the time between the last train running and the first train running, so there is no time to check whether items used in railway construction are present, making it easy for the items to get lost. Therefore, in railway construction, it is desirable to be able to check whether items are present efficiently and accurately.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an article presence confirmation system 100 according to the present embodiment.
1, the item presence confirmation system 100 includes a mobile terminal 10 as an item presence confirmation device, and a wireless tag 20 attached to an item G used in railway construction (e.g., a floodlight, a voltage detector, a generator, a wheelbarrow, and other tools). The number of wireless tags 20 is not particularly limited.

<Configuration of mobile terminal 10>
The mobile terminal 10 is a device that detects the presence or absence of an article G to which a wireless tag 20 is attached, based on the result of communication with the wireless tag 20. The mobile terminal 10 is, for example, a smartphone, a tablet PC (Personal Computer), or the like.

Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the mobile terminal 10. As shown in Fig. 2, the mobile terminal 10 includes a control unit 11, a memory unit 12, an operation unit 13, a display unit 14, a communication unit 15, a timer unit 16, a sensor unit 17, a short-range wireless communication unit 18, etc.

The control unit (detection means, detection mode switching means, notification means) 11 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that executes various programs stored in the memory unit 12 to perform predetermined calculations and control each unit, and a memory that serves as a work area when the programs are executed (both not shown). The control unit 11 executes various processes in cooperation with the programs stored in the memory unit 12.

The storage unit 12 is composed of a non-volatile semiconductor memory, etc. The storage unit 12 stores system programs and application programs (e.g., a misplacement prevention app) executed by the control unit 11, data required to execute these programs, etc.

The operation unit 13 has various function keys, accepts input of each key being pressed by the user, and outputs the operation information to the control unit 11. The operation unit 13 also has a touch panel or the like in which transparent electrodes are arranged in a grid pattern so as to cover the surface of the display unit 14, detects the position pressed by a finger, a touch pen, or the like, and outputs the position information to the control unit 11 as operation information.

The display unit 14 is configured with an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or the like, and displays various information on the screen in accordance with display control signals from the control unit 11.

The communication unit 15 wirelessly connects to a communication network and communicates with external devices connected to the communication network.

The timekeeping unit 16 is composed of an RTC (Real Time Clock) and the like, and acquires the current date and time and outputs it to the control unit 11.

The sensor unit 17 includes a motion sensor capable of detecting the movement of the mobile terminal 10, such as a three-axis acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, and a geomagnetic sensor, as well as a GPS receiver capable of acquiring the position information of the mobile terminal 10, and outputs the measurement results to the control unit 11.

The movement information of the mobile terminal 10 successively detected by the sensor unit 17 and the location information of the mobile terminal 10 successively measured by the sensor unit 17 are output to the control unit 11 and then stored in the memory unit 12.

The short-range wireless communication unit 18 performs short-range wireless communication with the wireless tag 20 by using the Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy (BLE) communication method, and receives beacon information transmitted from the wireless tag 20 .
When beacon information is received by the short-range wireless communication unit (communication means) 18, the location information of the mobile terminal 10 measured by the sensor unit 17 on the date and time when the beacon information was received is associated with the beacon ID contained in the beacon information and stored in the memory unit 12.

<Configuration of Wireless Tag 20>
The wireless tag 20 transmits beacon information including a preset beacon ID at predetermined time intervals using the BLE communication method. The wireless tag 20 is, for example, a small device that can be driven by a button battery, and is attached to an item (tool, etc.) G used in railway construction work. The beacon ID is identification information for identifying the wireless tag 20. Therefore, in this embodiment, the beacon ID transmitted by the wireless tag 20 makes it possible to identify the item (tool, etc.) G to which the wireless tag 20 is attached.

In the present embodiment, the item presence confirmation system 100 performs a communication setting process called pairing in advance between each of the 50 wireless tags 20 and the mobile terminal 10, so that the device information and authentication key data are exchanged by wireless signals. Furthermore, a registration process is performed in advance to link each of the wireless tags 20 with the item name (e.g., voltage detector, grounding device, floodlight, generator, unicycle, etc.). As a result, even if the communication setting process is not performed every time, for example, if the mobile terminal 10 and the wireless tag 20 move away from the range where radio waves cannot reach, the communication connection based on the Bluetooth standard is terminated, but if the mobile terminal 10 approaches the range where radio waves can reach, the communication connection based on the Bluetooth standard is automatically established, and the item (tool, etc.) G to which the wireless tag 20 is attached can be identified by the beacon ID transmitted by the wireless tag 20.

<<Operation of the item presence confirmation system 100>>
Next, the operation of the article presence confirmation system 100 will be described with reference to FIGS.

<Monitoring target item setting process>
First, the monitoring target object setting process for setting objects to be used in railway construction as monitoring targets will be described with reference to FIG.

When the user has the items (e.g., voltage detector, floodlight, generator) to be used in railway construction ready to hand, and launches the anti-loss app on the mobile terminal 10, a screen for setting items to be monitored is displayed on the display unit 14.

FIG. 3A shows an example of a monitored item setting screen 31 displayed on the display unit 14 of the mobile terminal 10 immediately after the misplacement prevention app is launched.
As shown in FIG. 3(a), the upper section of the monitored item setting screen 31 displays the following information: "Number of registered items,""Number of registered items detected,""Number of registered items not detected,""Number of monitored items," and "Number of connections."
Here, the "number of registrations" refers to the number of wireless tags 20 that have been paired in advance and registered to link them to item names.
The "number of registered detected wireless tags" indicates the number of wireless tags 20 that are currently detected by the mobile terminal 10, i.e., the number of wireless tags 20 that are currently connected to the mobile terminal 10 via the Bluetooth standard, out of the registered number of wireless tags 20.
The "number of registered but undetected wireless tags 20" indicates the number of wireless tags 20 out of the registered number that are currently undetected by the mobile terminal 10, i.e., the number of wireless tags 20 that do not have a communication connection with the mobile terminal 10 according to the Bluetooth standard.
The "monitoring number" indicates the number of wireless tags 20 that are set as monitoring targets.
The "number of connections" indicates the number of wireless tags 20 currently being detected by the mobile terminal 10 out of the wireless tags 20 set as the above-mentioned monitoring targets.

A registration list display area 31A in the middle of the monitored item setting screen 31 displays a list of the names of the items G that are associated with each of the 50 wireless tags 20 and registered.
In addition, to the left of each name displayed in the list, the status - either "undetected,""detected," or "connected" - is displayed with a symbol corresponding to each status (for example, "-" for undetected, "○" for detected, and "●" for connected).
Furthermore, to the right of the names in the list that are in the "detection" state (e.g., voltage detector, floodlight, generator), a connection button 311 is provided. The connection button 311 is a button for setting the item G with the name associated with the connection button 311 as a monitoring target. When the connection button 311 is operated, the corresponding connection button 311 is switched to a delete button 321 (see FIG. 3B) to be described later.

At the bottom of the monitored object setting screen 31, a connect all button 312, a delete all button 313, and a map button 314 are provided.
The all connection button 312 is a button for collectively operating all the connection buttons 311 displayed in the above-mentioned registration list display area 31 A. That is, in the example of Fig. 3(a), operating the all connection button 312 collectively operates the connection buttons 311 respectively associated with the voltage detector, the floodlight, and the generator.
The delete all button 313 is a button for operating delete buttons 321 (see FIG. 3B), which will be described later, all at once.
The map button 314 is a button for displaying on the display unit 14 a screen showing, for example, the location information of the mobile terminal 10 and the location information of an item G that is in either the “detected” or “connected” state as a map.

A switching button 315 is provided in the title bar at the top of the monitored item setting screen 31 .
The switching button 315 is a button for switching the screen displayed on the display unit 14 to a monitoring list display screen, which will be described later. When the switching button 315 is operated while the monitoring list display screen is displayed on the display unit 14, the screen is switched to a monitored item setting screen.

FIG. 3(b) is an example of a monitored item setting screen 32 that is displayed on the display unit 14 of the mobile terminal 10 when a voltage detector, a floodlight, and a generator are each set as monitored items in railway construction work.
3(b), in the upper part of the monitored object setting screen 32, the voltage detector, the floodlight, and the generator have each been set as a monitored object for railway construction, and therefore the "monitoring number" information is displayed as "3." Also, at this time, the wireless tags 20 attached to the voltage detector, the floodlight, and the generator are connected to the mobile terminal 10 via Bluetooth standard communication, and therefore the "connection number" information is displayed as "3."

In addition, in the registration list display area 31A in the middle of the monitored item setting screen 32, a symbol "●" indicating a "connected" state is displayed to the left of each of the voltage detector, floodlight, and generator, and a delete button 321 is provided to the right. The delete button 321 is a button for removing the item G with the name associated with the delete button 321 from the monitored items. When the delete button 321 is operated, the corresponding delete button 321 switches to a connect button 311 (see FIG. 3(a)).

<Detection mode control process>
Next, the detection mode control process will be described with reference to Figures 4 to 13. The detection mode control process is a process that is executed when the display on the display unit 14 is switched to the monitoring list display screen.
In the following, an example will be described in which the switching button 315 is operated while the monitored object setting screen 32 (see FIG. 3B) is displayed on the display unit 14, and the display on the display unit 14 is switched to the monitoring list display screen. That is, an example will be described in which the display on the display unit 14 is switched to the monitoring list display screen in a state in which three objects G, a voltage detector, a spotlight, and a generator, have been set as monitored objects in the above-mentioned monitored object setting process.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a control procedure of the detection mode control process.
As shown in Figure 4, when the detection mode control process is started, first, the control unit 11 of the mobile terminal 10 determines whether the detection rate of the wireless tags 20 attached to the items G set as the monitoring targets is 60% or more (step S1).

In step S1, if it is determined that the detection rate of the wireless tag 20 attached to the item G set as the monitoring target is not 60% or more (step S1; NO), the control unit 11 advances the process to step S4. For example, if only the wireless tag 20 attached to the voltage detector is detected by the mobile terminal 10 out of the three items G, namely the voltage detector, the spotlight, and the generator, the detection rate of the wireless tag 20 is 33%, and is therefore determined to be not 60% or more.

Figure 6 (a) is an example of a monitoring list display screen 41 that is displayed on the display unit 14 of the mobile terminal 10 when the mobile terminal 10 detects only the wireless tag 20 attached to the voltage detector out of three items G: a voltage detector, a spotlight, and a generator.
As shown in FIG. 6A, the upper part of the monitoring list display screen 41 displays a message indicating that the detection mode is being switched (for example, text information indicating that the mode is being switched).
A monitoring list display area 41A in the middle of the monitoring list display screen 41 displays a list of names of items G set as monitoring targets (for example, voltage detector, floodlight, generator).
In addition, to the left of each name displayed in the list, the status of either "undetected" or "detected" is displayed with a symbol corresponding to the status (for example, "-" for undetected and "o" for detected), and a delete button 321 is provided to the right.

In addition, in step S1, if it is determined that the detection rate of the wireless tags 20 attached to the items G set as the monitoring targets is 60% or more (step S1; YES), the control unit 11 determines whether the mobile terminal 10 is outside the work area of the railway construction and whether the average acceleration of the mobile terminal 10 during a certain period of time (e.g., one minute) is less than a threshold value based on the movement information and position information of the mobile terminal 10 stored in the memory unit 12 (step S2). Here, for the work area of the railway construction, the position information related to the work area is registered in advance in the memory unit 12 before the detection mode control process is started. In addition, the threshold value is not particularly limited as long as it is a numerical value that can determine whether the user (e.g., a person in charge) carrying the mobile terminal 10 is stationary or moving.

In step S2, if it is not determined that the mobile terminal 10 is outside the railway construction work area and the average acceleration of the mobile terminal 10 during the nearest fixed time period is less than the threshold value (step S2; NO), the control unit 11 proceeds to step S4.
On the other hand, in step S2, if it is determined that the mobile terminal 10 is outside the work area of the railway construction and the average acceleration of the mobile terminal 10 over a certain period of time is less than the threshold value (step S2; YES), the control unit 11 sets the detection mode to the number confirmation mode (step S3).

Here, the number confirmation mode is a mode used when confirming the number of all items G used in the railway construction work outside (e.g., access points, etc.) the work area (e.g., inside the tracks, etc.) before and after the railway construction work. In other words, it is a mode to confirm whether all items G are present before the railway construction work, and whether all items G are present and not lost after the work. As shown in the mode setting table in FIG. 5, when the number confirmation mode is set, the control unit 11 sets the detection distance of the wireless tag 20 by the short-range wireless communication unit 18 to 5 m, the undetected judgment time (response time) of the wireless tag 20 to 15 seconds, and the notification condition to "detect all wireless tags 20 (wireless tags 20 to be monitored)". Note that the detection distance and undetected judgment time may be changed as appropriate in each mode. For example, in the number confirmation mode, the detection distance and undetected judgment time may be changed as appropriate depending on the environment in which the number confirmation is performed, and the detection distance and undetected judgment time are not particularly limited.

FIG. 6B is an example of a monitoring list display screen 42 that is displayed on the display unit 14 of the mobile terminal 10 immediately after the number confirmation mode is set.
As shown in FIG. 6(b), the upper section of the monitoring list display screen 42 indicates that the number confirmation mode has been set (for example, the text information <number confirmation mode>), and also displays the information "monitoring number,""counted," and "not counted."
Here, "counted" indicates the number of wireless tags 20 that are connected for communication with the mobile terminal 10 according to the Bluetooth standard, out of the wireless tags 20 that have been set as monitoring targets.
"Not counted" indicates the number of wireless tags 20 that are not connected to the mobile terminal 10 for communication according to the Bluetooth standard, among the wireless tags 20 that have been set as monitoring targets.

A monitoring list display area 42A in the middle of the monitoring list display screen 42 displays a list of names of items G set as monitoring targets (for example, voltage detector, floodlight, generator).
In addition, to the left of each name displayed in the list, the status, either "Not counted" or "Counted", is displayed with a symbol corresponding to the status (for example, "△" for not counted and "▲" for counted), and a delete button 321 is provided to the right.

FIG. 7A is an example of a monitoring list display screen 43 that is displayed on the display unit 14 of the mobile terminal 10 immediately after the number confirmation in the number confirmation mode is completed.
For example, as shown in Figure 8, after each item G, i.e., a voltage detector, a spotlight, and a generator, which have been set as monitoring targets at an entry point (outside the work area) into the railway tracks (inside the work area) that are the subject of railway construction work, is collected, when the wireless tag 20 attached to the item G is detected by the mobile terminal 10, as shown in Figure 7 (a) in the upper section of the monitoring list display screen 43, the "counted" information is displayed as "3" and the "not counted" information is displayed as "0".
In addition, in the monitoring list display area 43A in the middle of the monitoring list display screen 43, a symbol "▲" indicating the "counted" status is displayed to the left of each name of the voltage detector, the floodlight, and the generator.

Continuing, FIG. 7B is a diagram showing a state in which an alert screen AL1 is superimposed on the monitoring list display screen 43 shown in FIG. 7A.
When the wireless tags 20 attached to the items G of the voltage detector, the floodlight, and the generator set as the monitoring targets are detected by the mobile terminal 10, i.e., when the notification conditions in the number confirmation mode (see Fig. 5) are satisfied, the monitoring list display screen 43 (see Fig. 7(a)) is displayed on the display unit 14, and then, as shown in Fig. 7(b), an alert screen AL1 is displayed on this monitoring list display screen 43. This alert screen AL1 displays a message that all of the wireless tags 20 to be monitored have been detected (for example, text information such as "All items to be monitored have been collected").

Returning to the explanation of the detection mode control process, the control unit 11 determines whether the detection rate of the wireless tags 20 attached to the items G set as the monitoring targets is 100% (step S4).

In step S4, if it is determined that the detection rate of the wireless tags 20 attached to the items G set as the monitoring targets is not 100% (step S4; NO), the control unit 11 advances the processing to step S7.
On the other hand, in step S4, if it is determined that the detection rate of the wireless tags 20 attached to the items G set as the monitored objects is 100% (step 4; YES), the control unit 11 determines, based on the movement information and position information of the mobile terminal 10 stored in the memory unit 12, whether the mobile terminal 10 is within a work area for railway construction and whether the average acceleration of the mobile terminal 10 over a fixed period of time (e.g., one minute) is equal to or greater than a threshold value (step S5).

In step S5, if it is not determined that the mobile terminal 10 is within a work area for railway construction and the average acceleration of the mobile terminal 10 over the nearest fixed period of time is greater than or equal to the threshold value (step S5; NO), the control unit 11 proceeds to step S7.
On the other hand, in step S5, if it is determined that the mobile terminal 10 is within a work area for railway construction and the average acceleration of the mobile terminal 10 over a certain period of time is greater than or equal to a threshold value (step S5; YES), the control unit 11 sets the detection mode to the work in progress mode (step S6).

Here, the in-work mode is a mode used when checking whether any items G used in railway construction have been left behind in the work area of the railway construction (e.g., inside the tracks, etc.). As shown in the mode setting table in Figure 5, when the in-work mode is set, the control unit 11 sets the detection distance of the wireless tag 20 by the short-range wireless communication unit 18 to 15 m, the undetected determination time (response time) of the wireless tag 20 to 5 seconds, and the notification condition to "at least one wireless tag 20 (wireless tag 20 to be monitored) is lost."

FIG. 9A shows an example of a monitoring list display screen 44 that is displayed on the display unit 14 of the mobile terminal 10 immediately after the working mode is set.
As shown in FIG. 9(a), the upper section of the monitoring list display screen 44 indicates that the working mode is set (for example, the text information <working mode>), and also displays the information on "monitoring number,""connectionnumber," and "lost number."
Here, the "number of lost tags" refers to the number of wireless tags 20 whose communication connection with the mobile terminal 10 based on the Bluetooth standard has been cut off because the mobile terminal 10 and the wireless tag 20 have moved beyond the range where radio waves can reach.

A monitoring list display area 44A in the middle of the monitoring list display screen 44 displays a list of names of items G set as monitoring targets (for example, voltage detector, floodlight, generator).
In addition, to the left of each name displayed in the list, the status, either "Lost" or "Connected", is displayed with a symbol corresponding to the status (for example, "X" for Lost and "●" for Connected), and a delete button 321 is provided to the right.

FIG. 9B is an example of a monitoring list display screen 45 that is displayed on the display unit 14 of the mobile terminal 10 when the voltage detector is left behind while the working mode is set.
For example, as shown in FIG. 11(a), after work is performed at a certain work location on the tracks (work area) that is the subject of railway construction work using items G, namely a voltage detector, a spotlight, and a generator, which are set as monitored targets, when moving to another work location as shown in FIG. 11(b), the spotlight and generator are moved together with the mobile terminal 10, but the voltage detector is left at the previous work location, and if the voltage detector is left behind, as shown in FIG. 9(b), the upper section of the monitoring list display screen 45 will display the "number of connections" information as "2" and the "number lost" information as "1".
In addition, in the monitoring list display area 45A in the middle of the monitoring list display screen 45, a symbol "x" indicating a "lost" state is displayed to the left of the name of the voltage detector, and the distance in kilometers when the voltage detector was lost (e.g., "74k800m") is displayed to the right. Here, the distance in kilometers when the voltage detector was lost can be derived based on the position information of the wireless tag 20 attached to the voltage detector last stored in the memory unit 12 and railroad GIS (Geographic Information System) information acquired from an external server via the communication unit 15.

Continuing, FIG. 10(a) is a diagram showing a state in which an alert screen AL2 is superimposed on the monitoring list display screen 45 shown in FIG. 9(b).
When a voltage detector set as a monitoring target is left behind, i.e., when a wireless tag 20 attached to the voltage detector is lost, a monitoring list display screen 45 (see FIG. 9(b)) is displayed on the display unit 14, and then, as shown in FIG. 10(a), an alert screen AL2 is displayed on the monitoring list display screen 45. On this alert screen AL2, a message is displayed indicating that at least one of the wireless tags 20 to be monitored has been lost (e.g., text information such as "voltage detector lost").

Continuing, FIG. 10(b) is an example of a map display screen 46 that is displayed on the display unit 14 of the mobile terminal 10 when the map button on the monitoring list display screen 45 shown in FIG. 9(b) is operated.
As shown in FIG. 10(b), the upper section of the map display screen 46, like the monitoring list display screen 45, displays a message indicating that the in-work mode has been set (for example, text information "in-work mode"), and also displays the information on "number of monitored devices,""number of connections," and "number of lost devices."
In addition, the map display area 46A in the middle of the map display screen 46 displays a map showing the distance (e.g., “74 km, 800 m”) to the left-behind voltage detector (#00001) and the location information of the mobile terminal (own terminal) 10.
A back button 461 is provided at the bottom of the map display screen 46. When this back button 461 is operated, the screen transitions to the above-mentioned monitoring list display screen 45 (see FIG. 9B).

Returning to the explanation of the detection mode control process, the control unit 11 determines whether the detection rate of the wireless tags 20 attached to the items G set as the monitoring targets is 10% or less (step S7).

In step S7, if it is determined that the detection rate of the wireless tags 20 attached to the items G set as the monitored objects is not less than 10% (step S7; NO), the control unit 11 advances the processing to step S10.
On the other hand, in step S7, if it is determined that the detection rate of the wireless tags 20 attached to the items G set as the monitored objects is 10% or less (step 7; YES), the control unit 11 determines, based on the movement information and position information of the mobile terminal 10 stored in the memory unit 12, whether the mobile terminal 10 is within a work area for railway construction and whether the average acceleration of the mobile terminal 10 over a fixed period of time (e.g., one minute) is above a threshold value (step S8).

In step S8, if it is not determined that the mobile terminal 10 is within a work area for railway construction and the average acceleration of the mobile terminal 10 over the nearest fixed period of time is greater than or equal to the threshold value (step S8; NO), the control unit 11 proceeds to step S10.
On the other hand, in step S8, if it is determined that the mobile terminal 10 is within a work area for railway construction and the average acceleration of the mobile terminal 10 over a certain period of time is greater than or equal to a threshold value (step S8; YES), the control unit 11 sets the detection mode to a trace confirmation mode (step S9).

Here, the trace confirmation mode is a mode used when, after all work in a railway construction work area (e.g., inside the tracks, etc.) is completed and the items G are removed outside the work area, a person in charge, etc., patrols the work area to check whether the monitored items G have been left behind in the work area, even though all the items G should have been removed outside the work area. As shown in the mode setting table in FIG. 5, when the trace confirmation mode is set, the control unit 11 sets the detection distance of the wireless tag 20 by the short-range wireless communication unit 18 to 15 m, the undetected determination time (response time) of the wireless tag 20 to 5 seconds, and the notification condition to "detect at least one wireless tag 20 (the monitored wireless tag 20)". The detection distance and undetected determination time may be changed as appropriate in each mode. For example, in the trace confirmation mode, the detection distance and undetected determination time may be changed as appropriate depending on the environment in which the trace confirmation is performed, and the detection distance and undetected determination time are not particularly limited.

FIG. 12A shows an example of a watch list display screen 47 that is displayed on the display unit 14 of the mobile terminal 10 immediately after the trace confirmation mode is set.
As shown in FIG. 12(a), the upper section of the monitoring list display screen 47 indicates that the trace confirmation mode has been set (for example, the text information <trace confirmation mode>), and also displays the information on the "number of monitoring" and "number of detections."
A list of the names of the articles G to which the wireless tags 20 detected by the mobile terminal 10 are attached is displayed in a monitoring list display area 47A in the middle of the monitoring list display screen 47.

Next, Figure 12 (b) is an example of a monitoring list display screen 48 that is displayed on the display unit 14 of the mobile terminal 10 when a wireless tag 20 attached to a spotlight is detected while the trace confirmation mode is set.
For example, after all work in a railway construction work area (e.g., within the tracks, etc.) has been completed, when a person in charge or the like patrols the work area carrying a mobile terminal 10 as shown in FIG. 13(a), if a wireless tag 20 attached to a spotlight is detected by the mobile terminal 10 as shown in FIG. 13(b), the "number of detections" information will be displayed as "1" in the upper section of the surveillance list display screen 48 as shown in FIG. 12(b).
Furthermore, in a monitoring list display area 48A in the middle of the monitoring list display screen 48, the name of the article G to which the wireless tag 20 detected by the mobile terminal 10 is attached (e.g., a spotlight) is displayed, and a symbol "◯" indicating a "detected" state is displayed to the left of the name. Furthermore, an alert screen AL3 is displayed on this monitoring list display screen 48. This alert screen AL3 displays a message that at least one of the wireless tags 20 to be monitored has been detected (e.g., text information "projector detected").

Returning to the explanation of the detection mode control process, the control unit 11 determines whether or not the switch button 315 has been operated when the monitoring count is "0" (step S10).

In step S10, when it is determined that the switching button 315 has been operated with the monitoring count at "0" (step S10; YES), the control unit 11 ends the detection mode control process.
On the other hand, in step S10, if it is determined that the monitoring count is "0" and the switching button 315 has not been operated (step S10; NO), the control unit 11 returns the process to step S1 and repeats the subsequent processes.

As described above, the mobile terminal 10 of this embodiment communicates with the wireless tag 20 via the short-range wireless communication unit 18, and the control unit 11 detects the presence or absence of an item G to which the wireless tag 20 is attached depending on the result of communication with the wireless tag 20 by the short-range wireless communication unit 18, and switches the detection mode for detecting the presence or absence of the item G depending on specified conditions.
Therefore, according to the mobile terminal 10 of this embodiment, by switching the detection mode according to specified conditions, the user can be spared the trouble of switching the detection mode, thereby making it easier to switch the detection mode.
As a result, in railway construction work, work time is limited to the time between the last train running and the first train running, and it is not possible to spend time checking for the presence or absence of items G to be used in railway construction work. Therefore, as in this embodiment, by appropriately switching the detection mode according to the work situation, for example, before work, the number confirmation mode, during work, and after work, the trace confirmation mode or number confirmation mode, it becomes possible to efficiently and accurately check for the presence or absence of items G in a manner suitable for each work situation.

In addition, by switching the detection mode, the mobile terminal 10 of this embodiment changes at least one of the detection distance (detection range) at which the presence or absence of an item G can be detected, the undetected determination time (response time) related to the detection of the presence or absence of an item G, and the notification conditions when reporting the detection status of the presence or absence of an item G.
Therefore, according to the mobile terminal 10 of this embodiment, by switching the detection mode, it is possible to detect the presence or absence of an item G in a detection manner suitable for each mode, and to report the detection status of the presence or absence of an item G under reporting conditions suitable for each mode.

In addition, the mobile terminal 10 of this embodiment switches the detection mode depending on the proportion of wireless tags 20 that are communicatively connected via the short-range wireless communication unit 18 out of a predetermined number of wireless tags 20 that have been preset as targets of monitoring.
Therefore, according to the mobile terminal 10 of this embodiment, the detection mode can be switched after judging the situation at that time depending on the proportion of wireless tags 20 that are communicatively connected via the short-range wireless communication unit 18 out of a predetermined number of wireless tags 20 that have been preset as monitoring targets, so that the detection mode can be switched appropriately.

Furthermore, the mobile terminal 10 of the present embodiment switches the detection mode based on the position information and acceleration information of the mobile terminal 10 .
Therefore, according to the mobile terminal 10 of this embodiment, by taking into consideration the proportion of wireless tags 20 that are communicatively connected via the short-range wireless communication unit 18 out of a predetermined number of wireless tags 20 that have been preset as monitoring targets, as well as the position information and acceleration information of the mobile terminal 10, the situation at that time can be more appropriately judged, and detection modes can be switched more appropriately.

In addition, when the detection mode of the mobile terminal 10 of this embodiment is switched to the quantity confirmation mode, the notification condition is that the presence of all of the items G that have been pre-set as monitored targets has been detected, and the mobile terminal 10 notifies the user that the presence of all of the items G has been detected.
Therefore, according to the mobile terminal 10 of this embodiment, in the quantity confirmation mode, the notification condition is that the presence of all items G that have been pre-set as monitored targets has been detected, and a notification is given that the presence of all of the items G has been detected, making it possible to easily and smoothly confirm the quantity.

In addition, when the detection mode of the mobile terminal 10 of this embodiment is switched to the work in progress mode, the notification condition is that any one of the items G that have been pre-set as monitored targets has been detected as having been left behind, and the mobile terminal 10 notifies the user that the item has been detected as having been left behind.
Therefore, according to the mobile terminal 10 of this embodiment, in the work-in-progress mode, the notification condition is that any one of the items G that have been pre-set as monitored targets has been detected as having been left behind (absent), and a notification is issued to notify the user that such an item has been detected as having been left behind, making it possible to easily and smoothly check whether any items G have been left behind during railway construction work.
This makes it possible to efficiently and accurately check the presence or absence of item G even in situations where visibility is reduced, such as when railway construction work is carried out at night, thereby preventing the loss of item G.
As a result, it is possible to prevent accidents such as leaving an item G on the tracks, which is a work area, and being hit by a train.

In addition, when the detection mode of the mobile terminal 10 of this embodiment is switched to the trace confirmation mode, the notification condition is that the presence of any one of the items G that have been pre-set as monitored targets has been detected, and the mobile terminal 10 notifies the user that the presence of the item has been detected.
Therefore, according to the mobile terminal 10 of this embodiment, in the trace confirmation mode, the detection of the presence of any one of the items G that have been pre-set as monitored targets is set as the notification condition, and the fact that the presence has been detected is notified, making it possible to perform trace confirmation simply and smoothly.
This makes it possible to efficiently and accurately check the presence or absence of item G even in situations where visibility is reduced, such as when railway construction work is carried out at night, thereby preventing the loss of item G.
As a result, it is possible to prevent accidents such as leaving an item G on the tracks, which is a work area, and being hit by a train.

Although the present invention has been specifically described above based on the embodiment, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and can be modified without departing from the gist of the present invention.
For example, in the above embodiment, in the detection mode control process, the detection mode is switched based on the detection rate of the wireless tags 20 set as the monitoring targets, as well as the position information and acceleration information of the mobile terminal 10. However, for example, the detection mode may be switched based only on the position information and acceleration information of the mobile terminal 10.

In addition, in the above embodiment, in the detection mode control process, the detection mode is switched based on the detection rate of the wireless tag 20 set as the monitoring target and the position information and acceleration information of the mobile terminal 10, but the detection rate of the wireless tag 20 in steps S1, S4, and S7 can be changed as appropriate.

In the above embodiment, in the detection mode control process, the detection mode may also be switched based on a user operation.
In such a case, it is preferable to notify the timing of switching the detection mode based on a preset schedule and progress of the railway construction work.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the detection mode control process may switch the detection mode based on a preset railway construction schedule. Specifically, the start time of the pre-work count confirmation, the start time of the railway construction work, the start time of the trace confirmation, and the start time of the post-work count confirmation may be registered in advance in the memory unit 12, and when these start times arrive, the detection mode may be switched to the corresponding detection mode.

In the above embodiment, in the count confirmation mode, the alert screen AL1 is displayed on the display unit 14 when all the wireless tags 20 set as the monitoring targets are detected, but in addition to displaying the alert screen AL1, for example, a sound may be output to inform the user that all the wireless tags 20 set as the monitoring targets have been detected, or an alert sound may be output to indicate that the count confirmation has been completed. Also, the completion of the count confirmation may be notified by using a vibration function provided in the mobile terminal 10.
Also, in the working mode and the trace confirmation mode, similarly to the number confirmation mode described above, the notification manner may be varied.

In addition, in the above embodiment, for example, the mobile terminal 10 may be linked to an external server or the like, and work information (e.g., work location (distance in kilometers), work type, weather, time period, worker name, name of left-behind item, etc.) when an item G is left behind during railway construction work may be constantly fed back from the mobile terminal 10 to the external server, and the external server may analyze situations in which items G are likely to be left behind.

In such a system configuration, the mobile terminal 10 may acquire situation information (e.g., weather conditions (rainy days, etc.) that are likely to cause misplacement, work location, work type, worker name, and item name) that indicates a situation in which the item G is likely to be left behind, analyzed by the external server, and display it on the display unit 14, thereby making it possible to call attention to the misplacement of the item G and to grasp the actual situation of the item G being left behind. In addition, based on the schedule of the railway construction work to be carried out and the above-mentioned situation information, it may be determined whether the railway construction work corresponds to a situation in which the item G is likely to be left behind, and if it is determined that the railway construction work corresponds to a situation in which the item G is likely to be left behind, the mobile terminal 10 may change (remotely control) the transmission strength and/or transmission frequency of the radio waves transmitted from the wireless tag 20 attached to the item G to a setting suitable for the situation. In addition, the determination of whether the railway construction work to be carried out corresponds to a situation in which the item G is likely to be left behind may be performed by the mobile terminal 10 or the above-mentioned external server.
In addition, if it is determined that the planned railway construction work falls under a situation where item G is likely to be left behind, the mobile terminal 10 may be able to change at least one of the detection range in each detection mode for detecting the presence or absence of item G, the response time for detecting the presence or absence of item G, and the notification conditions for reporting the detection status of the presence or absence of item G to a mode appropriate to the situation.
Furthermore, if there are particular characteristics (properties) in the situation in which an item G is likely to be left behind, the mobile terminal 10 may take those characteristics into account and link the schedule of railway construction work to be carried out, the time information acquired by the timing unit 16, and the location information acquired by the sensor unit 17, so as to appropriately dynamically switch not only the parameters of each detection mode (detection range, response time, notification conditions) but also the detection method for the presence or absence of an item G (such as an arithmetic formula).

In addition, in the above embodiment, railway construction was used as an example of a scenario in which the item presence confirmation device, item presence confirmation system, and item presence confirmation method of the present invention can be used, for example, in road construction, construction work, civil engineering work, and other clerical work such as inventorying items in addition to these construction projects.

100 Item presence confirmation system 10 Mobile terminal (item presence confirmation device)
11 Control unit (detection means, detection mode switching means, notification means)
12 Memory unit 13 Operation unit 14 Display unit 15 Communication unit 16 Timekeeping unit 17 Sensor unit 18 Short-range wireless communication unit (communication means)
20 Radio tag G Item

Claims (8)

A communication means for communicating with a predetermined wireless tag;
a detection means for detecting the presence or absence of an article to which a wireless tag is attached according to a result of communication with the wireless tag by the communication means;
a detection mode switching means for switching a detection mode when the detection means detects the presence or absence of the object according to a predetermined condition;
Equipped with
An item presence confirmation device characterized in that the detection mode switching means switches the detection mode depending on the proportion of wireless tags that are communicatively connected to the communication means out of a predetermined number of wireless tags registered in advance . the detection mode switching means changes at least one of a detection range in which the presence or absence of the article can be detected, a response time related to the detection of the presence or absence of the article, and a notification condition for notifying the detection status of the presence or absence of the article by switching the detection mode.
2. The article presence confirmation device according to claim 1. The detection mode switching means switches the detection mode based on position information and acceleration information of the own device.
3. The article presence confirmation device according to claim 1 or 2 . The detection mode switching means further switches the detection mode based on a user operation.
4. The article presence confirmation device according to claim 1, a notification means for notifying the timing of switching the detection mode based on a preset railway construction schedule and progress,
5. The article presence confirmation device according to claim 4 . a notification means for notifying a detection status of the presence or absence of the article,
The notification means includes:
notifying the detection status of the presence or absence of the article according to a notification condition set according to the detection mode;
6. The article presence confirmation device according to claim 1 , A wireless tag attached to an article;
An article presence confirmation device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 ,
An article presence confirmation system comprising: 1. A method for confirming the presence or absence of an article by an article presence confirmation device having a communication means for communicating with a predetermined wireless tag, comprising:
a detection step of detecting the presence or absence of an article to which a wireless tag is attached according to a result of communication with the wireless tag;
a detection mode switching step of switching a detection mode when detecting the presence or absence of the article by the detection step according to a predetermined condition;
Including,
The method for checking the presence or absence of an item, characterized in that the detection mode switching step switches the detection mode depending on the proportion of wireless tags that are communicatively connected via the communication means out of a predetermined number of wireless tags registered in advance .

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