JP7669254B2 - Information processing device, information processing method, and information processing program - Google Patents

Description

This application relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, and an information processing program.

Conventionally, terminal devices equipped with position measurement means for measuring the current location, such as a GPS (Global Positioning System) sensor, have become widespread, and services have been developed that provide such terminal devices with map information on which the location information of the device itself is plotted.

In addition, a technology that uses location information is known that accurately estimates the number of pedestrians in a target area by determining the movement state of a user using a terminal device.

Patent No. 5922638

However, existing technology has room for improvement in understanding users' movement direction trends.

The present application has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and an information processing program that can provide high-quality information for understanding the user's tendency to move in the direction of travel.

The information processing device according to the present application has an acquisition unit, a setting unit, a specification unit, a generation unit, and a provision unit. The acquisition unit acquires terminal information including location information of each user. The setting unit sets a plurality of virtual areas that divide an area on a map. The specification unit specifies a movement route of a target user based on the terminal information. The generation unit generates content including an object indicating a tendency of the movement direction of the target user based on the movement route. The provision unit provides visualization information in which the content is superimposed on a map in association with the virtual area.

According to one aspect of the embodiment, it is possible to provide high-quality information for understanding the user's travel direction trends.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of information processing according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating another example of visualization information according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the information processing apparatus according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of terminal information according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of user information according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an information processing procedure by the information processing device according to the embodiment. FIG. 7 is a hardware configuration diagram showing an example of a computer that realizes the functions of the information processing device according to the embodiment.

Below, the information processing device, information processing method, and information processing program according to the present application will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the information processing device, information processing method, and information processing program according to the present application are not limited to the embodiments described below. Furthermore, the embodiments described below can be appropriately combined as long as they do not cause inconsistencies in the processing content. Furthermore, the same parts in the embodiments described below will be given the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted.

[1. Overview of information processing]
An example of information processing according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of information processing according to an embodiment. Note that Fig. 1 describes, as an example of information processing according to an embodiment, a process in which an information processing device 100 generates content including an object indicating a tendency of a moving direction of a target user and provides visualized information in which the generated content is superimposed on a map.

In the example shown in FIG. 1, the information processing system SYS has a user terminal 10, an operator terminal 20, and an information processing device 100. The user terminal 10, the operator terminal 20, and the information processing device 100 are connected to a network N (for example, see FIG. 3) by wire or wirelessly. The user terminal 10, the operator terminal 20, and the information processing device 100 can communicate with each other via the network N. Note that the example shown in FIG. 1 is not particularly limited, and the information processing system SYS may include more user terminals 10, operator terminals 20, and information processing devices 100 than those shown in FIG. 1. The information processing system SYS may also include a server device that provides various services.

The user terminal 10 shown in FIG. 1 is an information processing terminal used by each user U1 who is a user of various services provided by the information processing device 100. Although not shown in FIG. 1, each user U1 uses at least one user terminal 10. A typical example of the user terminal 10 is a smartphone, but it may also be realized by a tablet terminal, a notebook PC (Personal Computer), a desktop PC, a mobile phone, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), etc.

The user terminal 10 also has a communication unit for connecting to the network N via a wireless communication network such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G (4th Generation), or 5G (5th Generation: 5th generation mobile communication system), or a short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or a wireless LAN (Local Area Network). A user U1 operates the user terminal 10 having the communication unit to access the information processing device 100 and use various services provided by the information processing device 100.

The user terminal 10 can also display information for utilizing various services provided by the information processing device 100 using a web browser or an application. At this time, when the user terminal 10 receives control information for realizing information display processing using a web browser, an application, or the like from the information processing device 100, the user terminal 10 realizes the display processing according to the received control information.

The user terminal 10 can also obtain location information, which is information indicating the location of the user terminal 10, by using, for example, GPS (Global Positioning System). The user U1 provides the information processing device 100 with terminal information including location information through the use of various services. The terminal information provided by the user U1 to the information processing device 100 may include, in addition to location information, sensor information for estimating the movement state of the user U1, such as an acceleration sensor, a magnetic sensor, or a gyro sensor. In the following description, the user terminal 10 may be referred to as the user U1. In other words, the user U1 can be read as the user terminal 10.

The operator terminal 20 shown in FIG. 1 is an information processing terminal used by each operator U2 who uses the visualization information provided by the information processing device 100. Typical examples of the operator terminal 20 include a notebook PC (Personal Computer) and a desktop PC, but it may also be realized by a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a mobile phone, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), etc.

The operator terminal 20 also has a communication unit for connecting to the network N via short-range wireless communication such as a wireless LAN (Local Area Network). The operator U2 operates the operator terminal 20 having the communication unit to access the information processing device 100 and use the visualization information provided by the information processing device 100.

The information processing device 100 shown in FIG. 1 is an information processing device that provides various services to a user U1. The information processing device 100 is typically a server device, but may be realized by a mainframe, a workstation, or the like. When the information processing device 100 is realized by a server device, it may be realized by a single server, or may be realized by a cloud system in which multiple server devices and multiple storage devices operate in cooperation with each other. The information processing device 100 may function as a distribution device that distributes control information to a user terminal 10 used by a service user. Here, the control information is described in, for example, a script language such as JavaScript (registered trademark) or a style sheet language such as CSS (Cascading Style Sheets). The application itself distributed from the information processing device 100 may be considered as control information.

The various services provided by the information processing device 100 may include API (Application Programming Interface) services corresponding to various applications and various online services. The various online services may include Internet connection, search services, SNS (Social Networking Service), electronic commerce services, electronic payment services, online games, online banking services, online trading services, hotel reservation services, ticket reservation services, video distribution services, music distribution services, news distribution services, map information services, route search services, route guidance services, line information services, operation information services, and weather information services.

As one of the online services, the information processing device 100 uses terminal information collected from each user U1 who is a service user to generate content including an object indicating the tendency of the service user's direction of movement, and provides visualized information in which the generated content is superimposed on a map to an operator U2. Below, the information processing according to the embodiment will be specifically described along with the flow assumed when this information processing is carried out.

As shown in FIG. 1, the information processing device 100 collects terminal information including location information from each user U1, who is a service user, through the provision of various services (step S1). The information processing device 100 can collect, as the terminal information, not only location information but also sensor information such as an acceleration sensor, a magnetic sensor, and a gyro sensor for estimating the movement state of the user U1.

Next, the information processing device 100 sets, on the planar map MP, a plurality of virtual areas Aa that divide the area on the map MP (step S2). For example, in FIG. 1, the plurality of virtual areas Aa set on the map MP are shown as mesh areas that are surrounded on all sides by a predetermined distance. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the size of each virtual area Aa is the same, but each may be a different size. For example, the information processing device 100 can accept a setting of a division unit when dividing the virtual area Aa from the operator U2. The operator U2 can arbitrarily change the size of the virtual area Aa according to the desired granularity when visualizing the information of the target user.

Next, the information processing device 100 identifies the movement route of the target user based on the terminal information of the target user (step S3). For example, the information processing device 100 can accept from the operator U2 a setting of a user attribute for specifying a target user to be targeted when identifying a movement route. The information processing device 100 then acquires terminal information that matches the user attribute accepted from the operator U2, and uses the acquired terminal information to identify the movement route of the target user.

Specifically, the information processing device 100 matches the history of location information acquired as terminal information with the virtual area Aa. Then, the information processing device 100 identifies the movement route of the target user by identifying how the target user moved between adjacent virtual areas Aa. The information processing device 100 can identify the movement direction and movement speed together with the movement route of the target user. For example, the information processing device 100 can identify the movement direction of the target user based on the positional relationship between the virtual areas Aa through which the target user moved. Also, for example, the information processing device 100 can identify the movement speed of the target user based on the history of location information and the distance between the virtual areas Aa.

Next, the information processing device 100 generates content C1 including an object indicating the tendency of the target user's movement direction by aggregating information regarding the target user's movement route (step S4).

For example, the information processing device 100 generates content C1 including an image of an arrow (an example of an "object") indicating the direction of movement of the target user between virtual areas Aa. In other words, this arrow image is information indicating the flow of people corresponding to the target user.

Furthermore, the information processing device 100 can also generate content C1 including an image of an arrow when point A (an example of a "reference point") specified by the operator U2 as the starting point for deploying the content C1 on the map MP is set as the movement start point. For example, the information processing device 100 identifies a movement route of a target user moving through a virtual area Aa on the map MP with point A as the movement start point, and generates content C1 including an image of an arrow indicating the tendency of the movement direction of the target user based on the identified movement route. As will be described in detail later, the information processing device 100 can also generate content C2 (for example, see FIG. 2) including an image of an arrow when point A is set as the movement end point.

Furthermore, the information processing device 100 can generate content C1 in which the display mode of the arrow image, such as the display color, transparency, line type, etc., is changed according to the number of target users whose travel routes overlap. For example, the information processing device 100 can change the display mode so that the color of the arrow image is redder and the thickness of the arrow image is thicker for a travel route used by a greater number of target users, and change the display mode so that the color of the arrow image is bluer and the thickness of the arrow image is thinner for a travel route used by a smaller number of target users.

Furthermore, the information processing device 100 can also generate content C1 in which the display mode of the arrow image, such as the display color, transparency, and line type, is changed according to the number of steps from the above-mentioned point A. Specifically, the information processing device 100 can generate content C1 in which the display mode is changed so that the transparency of the arrow image increases as the number of steps increases. The above-mentioned number of steps corresponds to the number of virtual areas Aa to which the target user has moved from the virtual area Aa including point A. For example, the number of steps to another virtual area Aa adjacent to the virtual area Aa including point A is counted as "1".

Then, when there is a request from the operator U2, the information processing device 100 provides visualization information G1 in which the content C1 is superimposed on the map MP in association with the virtual area Aa (step S5). For example, when requesting the provision of the visualization information G1, the information processing device 100 can specify display conditions for displaying the visualization information G1.

In the example shown in FIG. 1, a visualization information display window W1 including multiple display conditions J1 to J5 and visualization information G1 is displayed on the display 21 of the operator terminal 20.

In the display condition J1, information indicating the user attributes specified by the operator U2 as the target user is displayed. In FIG. 1, "walking" is shown as an example of a user attribute specified by the operator U2.

In addition, the display condition J2 displays information indicating the starting point specified on the map MP by the operator U2. In FIG. 1, "Point A" is shown as an example of the starting point specified by the operator U2.

In addition, the display condition J3 displays information indicating the starting point type that indicates the type of starting point specified by the operator U2. In FIG. 1, "FROM" is shown as an example of a starting point type specified by the operator U2. "FROM" refers to the starting point type selected when displaying visualization information G1 in which content C1 including an image of an arrow indicating the tendency of the target user's movement direction when point A is used as the movement start point is superimposed on a map MP.

In addition, the display condition J4 displays information indicating the time unit specified by the operator U2. In FIG. 1, "minutes" is shown as an example of a time unit specified by the operator U2. When the time unit is "minutes", this means that visualization information G1 is provided in which content C1 including an image of an arrow indicating the trend of the target user's movement direction on a minute-by-minute basis is superimposed on the map MP. Although not shown in FIG. 1, the information processing device 100 can be configured to accept from the operator U2 a designation of seconds, hours, days, and the like as well as minutes as a time unit corresponding to the display condition J4.

In addition, the display condition J5 displays information indicating the number of steps specified by the operator U2. In FIG. 1, "2" is shown as an example of the number of steps specified by the operator U2.

The visualized information G1 shown in FIG. 1 is displayed in the visualized information display window W1 according to the above-mentioned display conditions J1 to J5. The visualized information G1 shown in FIG. 1 has content C1 superimposed thereon, including an image of an arrow when the starting point A is set as the movement start point, with the corresponding arrow image correctly positioned for each of the virtual areas Aa set on the map MP. For example, by referring to the visualized information G1 shown in FIG. 1, the operator U2 can intuitively grasp the tendency of the movement direction of a target user whose means of transportation is walking, with point A on the map MP as the movement start point.

In addition, by changing the starting point type, the information processing device 100 can, for example, specify the movement route of the target user moving through the virtual area Aa on the map MP with point A as the movement end point, and generate content C2 indicating the tendency of the movement direction of the target user based on the specified movement route. Below, other examples of starting point types that can be specified by the operator U2 will be described with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing another example of visualization information according to the embodiment.

As described above, the display condition J3 shown in FIG. 1 shows "FROM" as an example of a starting point type specified by the operator U2, but the information processing device 100 is configured to be able to accept the specification of starting point types other than "FROM" from the operator U2.

For example, the display condition J3 shown in FIG. 2 shows "TO" as an example of the starting point type specified by the operator U2. "TO" means the starting point type selected when displaying visualization information G2 in which content C2 including an image of an arrow showing the tendency of the target user's moving direction when point A is the moving end point is superimposed on the map MP. In the visualization information G2 shown in FIG. 2, content C2 including an image of an arrow when the starting point A is the moving end point is superimposed with the corresponding arrow image correctly positioned for each of the virtual areas Aa set on the map MP. For example, by referring to the visualization information G2 shown in FIG. 2, the operator U2 can intuitively grasp the tendency of the moving direction of the target user whose moving means is walking, with point A on the map MP as the moving end point (destination point). Note that the information processing device 100 can also change the display mode of content C2 according to the number of target users whose moving routes overlap and the number of steps from point A, as with content C1.

As described above, the information processing device 100 according to the embodiment generates content C1 (or content C2) including an image of an arrow indicating the tendency of the target user's movement direction, and provides visualization information G1 (or visualization information G2) in which the generated content C1 (or content C2) is superimposed on the map MP. This allows the information processing device 100 to provide high-quality information that enables the operator U2 to grasp the tendency of the target user's movement direction.

2. Configuration of information processing device
The information processing device 100 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the information processing device according to the embodiment. As shown in Fig. 3, the information processing device 100 has a communication unit 110, a storage unit 120, and a control unit 130.

(Regarding communication unit 110)
The communication unit 110 is realized by, for example, a network interface card (NIC) or the like. The communication unit 110 is connected to a network N by wire or wirelessly. The information processing device 100 transmits and receives information between the user terminal 10 and the operator terminal 20 via the network N.

(Regarding the storage unit 120)
The storage unit 120 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory element such as a random access memory (RAM) or a flash memory, or a storage device such as a hard disk or an optical disk. The storage unit 120 has a terminal information storage unit 121, a user information storage unit 122, and a map information storage unit 123.

(Terminal information storage unit 121)
The terminal information storage unit 121 stores terminal information collected from the user terminal 10. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the terminal information according to the embodiment. Note that Fig. 4 shows an example of the terminal information according to the embodiment, and may include information other than that shown in Fig. 4.

As shown in FIG. 4, the terminal information stored in the terminal information storage unit 121 has multiple items such as a "data ID" item, a "user ID" item, a "collection date and time" item, a "location information" item, and a "sensor information" item. These items in the terminal information are associated with each other.

In the "Data ID" field, identification information (data ID) for identifying the terminal information collected from the user terminal 10 is stored. The identification information (data ID) stored in the "Data ID" field may be read as information for identifying the user terminal 10. In the description of the embodiment, identification information such as that shown in FIG. 4 may be used as a reference symbol for use in the description. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 4, the terminal information identified by the data ID: "Data #01" may be written as terminal information #01.

The "User ID" field stores identification information (user ID) for identifying the service user who is the source of the terminal information. The identification information (user ID) stored in the "User ID" field may be interpreted as information that identifies the user terminal 10. The identification information (user ID) stored in the "User ID" field may be identification information that is assigned by the information processing device 100 when the user U1 of the user terminal 10 uses various services.

The "Collection Date and Time" field stores information indicating the date and time when the terminal information was collected from the user terminal 10. For example, the collection of the terminal information may be performed at predetermined time intervals that are defined in advance, or may be performed in conjunction with the timing of the user U1's use of the service.

The "Location Information" field stores location information indicating the location of the user terminal 10. The location information stored in the "Location Information" field may be actual measured values such as longitude and latitude acquired by the user terminal 10, or may be information indicating the location of a network device such as a wireless access point with which the user terminal 10 performed a specified communication when accessing a wireless LAN. The location information stored in the "Location Information" field is used to identify the travel route of the target user.

The "sensor information" item stores sensor information detected by various sensors mounted on the user terminal 10. The sensor information stored in the "sensor information" item may be, for example, actual measured values such as acceleration and angular velocity detected on the user terminal 10, or may be normalized values of the actual measured values. The sensor information stored in the "sensor information" item is used, for example, to estimate the means of transportation of the target user.

(User information storage unit 122)
The user information storage unit 122 stores user information related to the user U1 who is the source of the terminal information. The user information stored in the user information storage unit 122 is expected to be used as a designated value of a user attribute when setting a target user. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of user information according to an embodiment. Note that Fig. 5 shows an example of user information according to an embodiment, and may include information other than that shown in Fig. 5.

As shown in FIG. 5, the user information stored in the user information storage unit 122 has multiple items such as a "personal information" item, a "user ID" item, a "search history" item, a "browsing history" item, a "purchase history" item, and a "posting history" item. These items in the user information are associated with each other.

The "personal information" field stores information indicating demographic attributes (so-called "demographic attributes") such as name, sex, age, occupation, address, and family structure. The "personal information" field may also store information indicating psychological attributes (so-called "psychographic attributes") such as user U1's values, lifestyle, personality, interests, and preferences.

The "search history" field stores information indicating a search history, which is a history of search queries entered by user U1. The "access history" field stores information indicating an access history, which is a history of content accessed by user U1. The "purchase history" field stores information indicating a purchase history, which is a history of purchases made by user U1. The "posting history" field stores information indicating a posting history, which is a history of posts made by user U1.

(Map information storage unit 123)
The map information storage unit 123 stores map information used when generating visualization information. The map information stored in the map information storage unit 123 includes topographical data. The topographical data corresponds to data indicating topography including information on topography, roads, buildings, and the like for displaying as a so-called map.

(Regarding the control unit 130)
The control unit 130 is realized by a central processing unit (CPU), a micro processing unit (MPU), or the like executing various programs stored in a storage device inside the information processing device 100 using a RAM as a working area. The control unit 130 is also realized by an integrated circuit such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a field programmable gate array (FPGA).

As shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 130 has an acquisition unit 131, a setting unit 132, an identification unit 133, a generation unit 134, and a provision unit 135, and realizes or executes the functions and actions of the information processing described below. Note that the internal configuration of the control unit 130 is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG. 3, and may be other configurations as long as they perform the information processing described below. Also, the connection relationship between each processing unit of the control unit 130 is not limited to the connection relationship shown in FIG. 3, and may be other connection relationships.

(Acquisition unit 131)
The acquisition unit 131 acquires terminal information including location information of the user U1 from the user terminal 10. For example, the acquisition unit 131 collects terminal information transmitted from the user terminal 10 used by each user U1 who is a service user of various services provided by the information processing device 100. Then, the acquisition unit 131 stores the collected terminal information in the terminal information storage unit 121 in association with identification information (user ID) for identifying the user U1.

(Setting Unit 132)
The setting unit 132 sets a plurality of virtual areas that divide an area on a map. For example, the setting unit 132 executes setting of a virtual area in response to a request for providing visualization information from an operator U2. The virtual area can be set according to a division unit that is set in advance as a default value by an administrator of the information processing device 100. Note that the setting unit 132 can change the division unit when dividing the virtual area in response to a request from the operator U2 who uses the operator terminal 20. In this case, the setting unit 132 sets a plurality of virtual areas in response to the request from the operator U2.

(Identification unit 133)
The identification unit 133 identifies the movement route of the target user based on the terminal information collected from the user terminal 10. For example, the identification unit 133 accepts from the operator U2 a setting of a user attribute for designating a target user to be targeted when identifying a movement route. In this case, the identification unit 133 transmits a predetermined setting window to the operator terminal 20 through the communication unit 110, and accepts the setting of the user attribute from the operator U2 through this setting window.

The identification unit 133 acquires terminal information that matches the user attribute set by the operator U2 from the terminal information storage unit 121. For example, when the user attribute set by the operator U2 is transportation mode = "walking", the identification unit 133 narrows down the target users who are estimated to use "walking" as their transportation mode based on the sensor information. In this case, the identification unit 133 narrows down the target users based on, for example, information indicating the correspondence between the sensor information and the transportation mode. Also, for example, when the user attribute set by the operator U2 is "30s, male", the identification unit 133 refers to the user information to narrow down the target users who correspond to "30s, male".

Then, the identification unit 133 acquires location information associated with the narrowed-down target user, and uses the acquired location information to identify the movement route of the target user. Specifically, the identification unit 133 matches the history of the acquired location information with the multiple virtual areas set by the setting unit 132. Then, the identification unit 133 determines which area among the multiple virtual areas each of the positions associated with the target user corresponds to in chronological order, and identifies how the target user moved between adjacent virtual areas, thereby identifying the movement route of the target user. In addition, the identification unit 133 can identify the movement direction and movement speed together with the movement route of the target user. For example, the identification unit 133 can identify the movement direction of the target user based on the positional relationship between the virtual areas to which the target user moved. In addition, for example, the identification unit 133 can identify the movement speed of the target user based on the history of location information and the distance between the virtual areas. The identification unit 133 executes identification of movement routes for all target users, and transfers the results to the generation unit 134.

(Generation unit 134)
The generating unit 134 generates content including an object indicating a tendency of the moving direction of the target user, based on the moving route of the target user identified by the identifying unit 133. For example, the generating unit 134 can generate content in which the display mode, such as the display color, transparency, or line type, of the object indicating the tendency of the moving direction of the target user (for example, an "arrow image") is changed according to the number of target users whose moving routes overlap.

The generation unit 134 can also generate content in which the display mode of an object indicating the tendency of the target user's moving direction, such as its display color, transparency, and line type, is changed according to the number of steps from a reference point (e.g., "point A" shown in FIG. 1) designated by the operator U2 as a starting point for deploying the content on a map. Specifically, the generation unit 134 can generate content in which the display mode is changed so that the transparency of the object increases as the number of steps increases. The above-mentioned number of steps corresponds to the number of virtual areas to which the target user has moved from the virtual area including the reference point. For example, the number of steps to another virtual area Aa adjacent to the virtual area Aa including point A is "1".

In addition, the generation unit 134 can generate content including an object indicating the tendency of the target user's movement direction when the reference point is the movement start point, and content including an object indicating the tendency of the target user's movement direction when the reference point is the movement end point.

The generation unit 134 may generate content in which the display mode of an object is changed based on the moving speed or moving time when the target user moves to an adjacent virtual area as a tendency of the moving direction of the target user. Note that, when there are moving paths for the target user in the exact opposite moving direction, the generation unit 134 may cancel out these moving paths and then determine the display mode of the object indicating the tendency of the moving direction. The generation unit 134 passes the generated content to the provision unit 135.

(Providing Unit 135)
The providing unit 135 transmits visualization information, in which the content generated by the generating unit 134 is superimposed on the map in association with the virtual area set on the map by the setting unit 132, to the operator terminal 20 via the communication unit 110, and provides the visualization information to the operator U2. For example, the providing unit 135 can provide the visualization information as content that can be displayed on the display 21 by the operator U2 operating the operator terminal 20 using a web browser, an application, or the like.

3. Processing Procedure
The procedure of information processing executed by the information processing device 100 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing the information processing procedure by the information processing device according to the embodiment. The processing procedure shown in Fig. 6 is executed by the control unit 130 of the information processing device 100. The processing procedure shown in Fig. 6 is repeatedly executed while the information processing device 100 is in operation.

6, the setting unit 132 sets a plurality of virtual areas that divide an area on a map (step S101). For example, the setting unit 132 executes the setting of the virtual areas in response to a request for providing visualization information from the operator U2.

Next, the identification unit 133 identifies the movement route of the target user based on the location information of the target user (step S102).

Next, the generation unit 134 generates content including an object indicating the tendency of the target user's movement direction based on the movement route of the target user identified in step S102 (step S103).

Then, the providing unit 135 provides the operator U2 with visualization information in which the content generated in step S103 is superimposed on the map in association with the virtual area set in step S101 (step S104), and ends the processing procedure shown in FIG. 6.

[4. Modifications]
The information processing device 100 according to the embodiment described above may be implemented in various different forms other than the embodiment described above. Therefore, other embodiments of the information processing device 100 will be described below.

(4-1. Providing information by time period)
In the above embodiment, the information processing device 100 may generate content including an object indicating a trend of a moving direction for each time period, and provide visualized information in which the generated content is superimposed on a map to the operator U2. In this case, the information processing device 100 may receive a setting of a time period for which the operator U2 desires to be provided with the visualized information.

(4-2. Providing information in conjunction with user operations)
In the above embodiment, the information processing device 100 may provide the operator U2 with visualization information (for example, visualization information G1 shown in FIG. 1 or visualization information G2 shown in FIG. 2) in which an animation is displayed of a state in which a content indicating a tendency of a moving direction of a target user (for example, content C1 shown in FIG. 1 or content C2 shown in FIG. 2) is expanded on a map MP (for example, see FIG. 1). The information processing device 100 may accept a designation of a starting point for expanding the above-mentioned content on the map MP, for example, by an operation input by the operator U2 to the display 21 displaying the map MP. In this case, the information processing device 100 specifies an operation input position of the operator U2 on the display 21 in conjunction with the operation input of the operator U2, determines a point on the map MP corresponding to the specified position, and automatically extracts it as a starting point. Then, the information processing device 100 provides the operator U2 with visualization information (for example, visualization information G1 shown in FIG. 1 or visualization information G2 shown in FIG. 2) in which an animation is displayed of a state in which the above-mentioned content is expanded on the map MP based on the automatically extracted starting point.

5. Hardware Configuration
The information processing device 100 according to the embodiment is realized, for example, by a computer 1000 having a configuration as shown in Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is a hardware configuration diagram showing an example of a computer that realizes the functions of the information processing device according to the embodiment.

The computer 1000 has a CPU 1100, a RAM 1200, a ROM 1300, a HDD 1400, a communication interface (I/F) 1500, an input/output interface (I/F) 1600, and a media interface (I/F) 1700.

The CPU 1100 operates based on a program stored in the ROM 1300 or the HDD 1400, and controls each component. The ROM 1300 stores a boot program executed by the CPU 1100 when the computer 1000 is started, and programs that depend on the hardware of the computer 1000, etc.

HDD 1400 stores programs executed by CPU 1100 and data used by such programs. Communication interface 1500 receives data from other devices via communication network 50 and sends it to CPU 1100, and transmits data generated by CPU 1100 to other devices via communication network 50.

The CPU 1100 controls output devices such as a display and a printer, and input devices such as a keyboard and a mouse, via the input/output interface 1600. The CPU 1100 acquires data from the input devices via the input/output interface 1600. The CPU 1100 also outputs the data it generates to the output devices via the input/output interface 1600.

The media interface 1700 reads a program or data stored in the recording medium 1800 and provides it to the CPU 1100 via the RAM 1200. The CPU 1100 loads the program from the recording medium 1800 onto the RAM 1200 via the media interface 1700 and executes the loaded program. The recording medium 1800 is, for example, an optical recording medium such as a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) or a PD (Phase change rewritable Disc), a magneto-optical recording medium such as an MO (Magneto-Optical disk), a tape medium, a magnetic recording medium, or a semiconductor memory.

For example, when the computer 1000 functions as the information processing device 100 according to the embodiment, the CPU 1100 of the computer 1000 executes a program loaded onto the RAM 1200 to realize the functions of the control unit 130. In addition, the data in the storage unit 120 is stored in the HDD 1400. The CPU 1100 of the computer 1000 reads and executes these programs from the recording medium 1800, but as another example, the CPU 1100 may obtain these programs from another device via the communication network 50.

[6. Other]
Of the processes described in the above embodiments, all or part of the processes described as being performed automatically can be performed manually, or all or part of the processes described as being performed manually can be performed automatically by a known method. In addition, the information including the process procedures, specific names, various data and parameters shown in the above documents and drawings can be changed arbitrarily unless otherwise specified.

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

Furthermore, the above-mentioned embodiments can be combined as appropriate to the extent that they do not cause any contradictions in the processing content.

[7. Effects]
The information processing device 100 according to the embodiment includes an acquisition unit 131, a setting unit 132, an identification unit 133, a generation unit 134, and a provision unit 135. The acquisition unit 131 acquires terminal information including location information of each user. The setting unit 132 sets a virtual area that divides an area on a map into multiple areas. The identification unit 133 identifies a movement route of the target user based on the location information. The generation unit 134 generates content including an object indicating a tendency of the movement direction of the target user based on the movement route. The provision unit provides visualization information in which the content is superimposed on the map in association with the virtual area.

As a result, the information processing device 100 according to the embodiment can provide high-quality information for understanding the movement direction trends of the target user.

In addition, in the information processing device 100, the setting unit 132 accepts a setting of the division unit when dividing the virtual area Aa from the operator U2. This enables the information processing device 100 to provide visualization information at the granularity desired by the operator U2.

In addition, in the information processing device 100, the identification unit 133 identifies a movement route from a virtual area Aa to another virtual area Aa adjacent to the virtual area Aa. This allows the information processing device 100 to aggregate the movement direction tendencies of the target user for each virtual area Aa and provide them to the operator U2.

In addition, in the information processing device 100, the generation unit 134 generates content in which the display mode of the object is changed according to the number of target users whose movement routes overlap. This allows the information processing device 100 to intuitively grasp the flow of people among the target users.

In addition, in the information processing device 100, the generation unit 134 generates content in which the display mode of an object is changed according to the number of steps from a starting point (reference point) specified on the map MP. For example, the generation unit 134 generates content in which the display mode is changed so that the transparency of the display color of the object increases as the number of steps increases. This allows the information processing device 100 to support the operator U2 in intuitively grasping the sense of distance between the starting point (reference point) and the flow of people.

In addition, in the information processing device 100, the identification unit 133 identifies a movement route based on the terminal information of a target user having a specified attribute. This allows the information processing device 100 to provide, for example, information regarding the flow of people of a target user having a specified attribute to the operator U2.

In addition, in the information processing device 100, the generation unit 134 generates content C1 including objects when the origin (reference point) is set as the movement start point, and content C2 including objects when the origin (reference point) is set as the movement end point (destination point). This allows the information processing device 100 to provide the operator U2 with information on various people flows according to the origin (reference point) specified by the operator U2.

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

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

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 User terminal 20 Operator terminal 100 Information processing device 110 Communication unit 120 Storage unit 121 Terminal information storage unit 122 User information storage unit 123 Map information storage unit 130 Control unit 131 Acquisition unit 132 Setting unit 133 Identification unit 134 Generation unit 135 Provision unit

Claims (9)

an acquisition unit that acquires, as terminal information, a set of location information of each user and information indicating a date and time when the location information was collected;
A setting unit that sets a plurality of virtual areas that divide an area on a map;
an identification unit that identifies a movement route of a target user by matching a history of the location information, which is a combination of the location information acquired as the terminal information and information indicating the date and time, with the plurality of virtual areas;
A generation unit that generates content including an image of an arrow indicating a moving direction of the target user between the virtual areas as an object indicating a tendency of the moving direction of the target user based on the moving route;
a providing unit that provides visualized information in which the content is associated with the virtual area and superimposed on a map,
The acquisition unit is
further acquiring, as the terminal information, sensor information corresponding to the location information and the information indicating the date and time;
The identification unit is
an information processing device that , when it receives a designation of a user's means of transportation as a condition for narrowing down the target users , narrows down the target users whose means of transportation specified as the condition matches based on an estimation result of the means of transportation based on the sensor information , and identifies the movement route of the target users by matching the history of the location information of the narrowed down target users with the multiple virtual areas. The setting unit is
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising: a setting for a division unit when dividing the virtual area is accepted from an operator. The identification unit is
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising: a step of: identifying a movement route from the virtual area to another virtual area adjacent to the virtual area; The generation unit is
The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the content includes the object when a reference point specified on the map is set as a start point of movement, and the content includes the object when the reference point is set as an end point of movement. The generation unit is
The information processing apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising: generating the content in which a display mode of the object is changed according to the number of the target users who share the same movement route. The generation unit is
The information processing device according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the content is generated in which the display mode of the object is changed according to a number of steps corresponding to the number of virtual areas to which the target user has moved from the virtual area including a reference point specified on the map. The generation unit is
The information processing apparatus according to claim 6 , further comprising: generating the content in which a display mode is changed so that the transparency of the display color of the object increases as the number of steps increases. 1. A computer-implemented information processing method, comprising:
an acquisition step of acquiring, as terminal information, a set of location information of each user and information indicating a date and time when the location information was collected;
A setting step of setting a plurality of virtual areas that divide an area on a map;
a step of identifying a moving route of a target user by matching a history of the location information, which is a combination of the location information acquired as the terminal information and information indicating the date and time, with the plurality of virtual areas;
a generation step of generating content including an image of an arrow indicating a moving direction of the target user between the virtual areas as an object indicating a tendency of the moving direction of the target user based on the moving route;
providing visualization information in which the content is associated with the virtual area and superimposed on a map;
The obtaining step includes:
further acquiring, as the terminal information, sensor information corresponding to the location information and the information indicating the date and time;
The identifying step includes:
an information processing method comprising: when receiving a designation of a user's means of transportation as a condition for narrowing down the target users , narrowing down the target users whose means of transportation specified as the condition matches based on an estimation result of the means of transportation based on the sensor information , and matching the location information history of the narrowed down target users with the multiple virtual areas to identify the movement route of the target users. On the computer,
an acquisition step of acquiring, as terminal information, a set of location information of each user and information indicating a date and time when the location information was collected;
A setup procedure for setting up multiple virtual regions that divide an area on the map;
an identification step of identifying a moving route of a target user by matching a history of the location information, which is a combination of the location information and information indicating the date and time acquired as the terminal information, with the plurality of virtual areas;
a generation step of generating content including an image of an arrow indicating a moving direction of the target user between the virtual areas as an object indicating a tendency of the moving direction of the target user based on the moving route;
a provision step of providing visualized information in which the content is associated with the virtual area and superimposed on a map;
The acquisition step includes:
further acquiring, as the terminal information, sensor information corresponding to the location information and the information indicating the date and time;
The identification step includes:
an information processing program characterized by: when a user's means of transportation is accepted as a condition for narrowing down the target users , the program narrows down the target users whose means of transportation specified as the condition matches based on an estimation result of the means of transportation based on the sensor information , and identifies the movement route of the target users by matching the history of the location information of the narrowed down target users with the multiple virtual areas.

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