JP7687598B2 - Section extraction device, section extraction method, and program - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a segment extraction device, a segment extraction method, and a program.

In recent years, in the supply chain field, the importance of sharing ownership transfer history among stakeholders has been recognized in order to ensure traceability in the event of a defect in any item such as a product or merchandise (hereinafter collectively referred to as "product"). Ownership transfer history is, for example, a record of what moved, when, and from where to where on a product-by-product basis (in other words, a record of when each product moved from which owner to which owner).

For example, as one example of conventional technology, Patent Document 1 describes the realization of a resource traceability system using a blockchain consisting of multiple nodes.

In addition, efforts to install Internet of Things (IoT) sensors in transport vehicles, warehouses, etc. and monitor information measured by these IoT sensors (hereinafter referred to as environmental information) for purposes such as analyzing malfunctions, reducing costs, and improving operational efficiency are becoming more widespread. For example, with momentum for decarbonization growing internationally in recent years, there has been growing interest in efforts to visualize environmental information such as CO2 emissions measured by IoT sensors.

For this reason, it is expected that in the future, by linking the occupant transfer history of each product with environmental information measured by IoT sensors, it will be possible to visualize detailed environmental information for each product in the product supply chain.

JP 2021-131620 A

However, because there is a large amount of occupant transfer history for each product, if environmental information were simply associated with that occupant transfer history, the amount of data would become enormous. For this reason, when detailed environmental information for each product is visualized, the visualization results can be complicated, and as a result, for example, it may take a long time to analyze when a defect occurs.

This disclosure has been made in consideration of the above points, and aims to provide technology that can efficiently match occupant transfer history with environmental information.

The section extraction device according to one aspect of the present disclosure has a segment extraction unit configured to extract a segment representing a section delimited by a change in the total amount of items simultaneously occupied by an occupant, as a section to which environmental information of the item is associated, based on occupancy transfer history data representing the transfer history of the occupant of the item in the supply chain.

A technology is provided that can efficiently match occupant transfer history with environmental information.

FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining an example of an occupant transfer history. FIG. 11 is a diagram (part 1) for explaining an example of a processing flow relating to environmental information of a quantity information type. FIG. 2 is a diagram (part 2) for explaining an example of the flow of processing related to environmental information of a quantity information type. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a visualization result of quantity information type environmental information. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a segmentation determination threshold. 11 is a diagram for explaining an example of a processing flow relating to environmental information of a point information type. FIG. FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a hardware configuration of an environmental information management device according to a first embodiment. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of an environmental information management device according to a first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a processing flow of the environmental information management device in the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a segment extraction process in the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of an occupied section extraction process in the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of an environmental information management device according to a second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a processing flow of an environmental information management device in a second embodiment.

One embodiment of the present invention is described below.

<Occupant transfer history>
The occupant transfer history is a record of when each product was transferred from one occupant to another for each product. By recording the occupant transfer history, traceability regarding the logistics of products (hereinafter simply referred to as logistics traceability) is ensured.

An occupant is a natural person or legal entity that temporarily or non-temporarily controls or manages goods (objects) or services (intangibles), or the space or other object under their control or management. In the following explanation, as an example, an occupant is the space that temporarily or non-temporarily controls or manages goods.

Specific examples of occupants include transport vehicles such as trucks that can transport goods using loading platforms, trains that can transport goods, warehouses and factories that can store goods, and stores that sell goods. Note that one truck, one train, one warehouse, one store, etc. may include multiple occupants. For example, if there are multiple rooms in a warehouse, each of the rooms may be one occupant, or two or more specified rooms may be one occupant. Similarly, if there are multiple floors in a warehouse, each of the floors may be one occupant, or two or more specified floors may be one occupant. The same applies to cases where a transport vehicle has multiple loading platforms or a train is made up of multiple cars.

Hereinafter, data showing occupant transfer history will be referred to as "occupant transfer history record", and data in table format consisting of occupant transfer history records will be referred to as "occupant transfer history table". An occupant transfer history record indicates when a certain product was transferred from which occupant to which occupant. An occupant transfer history record is expressed in the following data format, for example.

(Product individual ID, relocation date and time, relocation source ID, relocation destination ID, product quantity)
Here, the individual product ID is an identifier (e.g., a manufacturing unique number, etc.) that uniquely identifies a product in the product supply chain. The transfer date and time is the date and time when the transfer of the product (however, this also includes cases where the product is originally acquired through production/manufacturing, etc., and cases where the product is transferred through sale, disposal, exhaustion, etc.) occurs. The transfer source ID is an identifier that uniquely identifies the occupant of the transfer source. The transfer destination ID is an identifier that uniquely identifies the occupant of the transfer destination. The product quantity is information that indicates the size, amount, weight, volume, number, etc. of the product. In addition, when the product is originally acquired through production/manufacturing, etc., a certain predetermined identifier that indicates that the product has been originally acquired is set in the transfer source ID. On the other hand, when the product is transferred through sale, etc., a certain predetermined identifier that indicates that the product has been transferred is set in the transfer destination ID. Hereinafter, the primary key (principal key) in the occupant transfer history table is (individual product ID, transfer date and time).

As an example, FIG. 1 shows an occupant transfer history record realized by a non-fungible token (e.g., ERC721 token, etc.) of blockchain (Ethereum (registered trademark)). In the example shown in FIG. 1, a certain product (individual product ID: item1) is manufactured in a factory (occupant ID: 0x111), and an occupant transfer history record (individual product ID, transfer date and time, transfer source ID, transfer destination ID, product quantity) = (item1, 2022/1/1 12:00, 0x0, 0x111, 1) is generated and recorded in the blockchain distributed ledger (hereinafter also abbreviated as BC). Note that in the example shown in FIG. 1, the identifier (address) indicating that the product was originally acquired is set to 0x0 (an invalid address).

In the example shown in Figure 1, an occupant transfer then occurs in track 1 (occupant ID: 0x222), and an occupant transfer history record (individual product ID, transfer date and time, source ID, destination ID, product quantity) = (item1, 2022/1/2 15:30, 0x111, 0x222, 1) is recorded in the BC. Similarly, an occupant transfer then occurs in the warehouse (occupant ID: 0x333), and an occupant transfer history record (individual product ID, transfer date and time, source ID, destination ID, product quantity) = (item1, 2022/1/2 18:00, 0x222, 0x333, 1) is recorded in the BC. Similarly, an occupant transfer occurs in track 2 (occupant ID: 0x444), and an occupant transfer history record (individual product ID, transfer date and time, transfer source ID, transfer destination ID, product quantity) = (item1, 2022/1/3 13:00, 0x333, 0x444, 1) is recorded in the BC. Similarly, an occupant transfer occurs in store (occupant ID: 0x555), and an occupant transfer history record (individual product ID, transfer date and time, transfer source ID, transfer destination ID, product quantity) = (item1, 2022/1/4 9:00, 0x444, 0x555, 1) is recorded in the BC. Finally, the product (individual product ID: item1) is sold at the store (occupant ID: 0x555), and the occupant transfer history record (individual product ID, transfer date and time, transfer source ID, transfer destination ID, product quantity) = (item1, 2022/1/4 16:00, 0x555, 0x0, 1) is recorded in the BC. Note that in the example shown in Figure 1, the identifier (address) indicating that the product has been sold is set to 0x0 (invalid address).

In this way, the occupant transfer history record ensures traceability (logistics traceability) in a series of logistics supply chains from production/manufacturing to distribution and sales of goods. In the example shown in FIG. 1, a system for ensuring logistics traceability (logistics traceability system) is realized by blockchain, but this is just one example. In addition to blockchain, for example, if occupant transfer history can be stored on a product-by-product basis, logistics traceability may be ensured by a central management type database system. The logistics traceability system to which this embodiment can be applied is not limited to a specific logistics traceability system, and can be applied to any logistics traceability system as long as it has a mechanism for managing occupant transfer history records after identifying the managed object by ID, barcode, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag, etc.

<Environmental information>
The environmental information is information measured by an IoT sensor installed in a certain space (including a space controlled or managed temporarily or non-temporarily by an occupant). In this embodiment, it is assumed that some environmental information is measured by an IoT sensor in a space controlled or managed by at least some occupants in a logistics supply chain.

Specific examples of environmental information include GPS (Global Positioning System) information (i.e., location information determined using radio waves received by a GPS receiver), temperature, humidity, electricity usage, fuel usage, and CO2 emissions.

Environmental information can be classified into point information type and quantity information type. Examples of point information type environmental information include GPS information, temperature, humidity, etc. On the other hand, examples of quantity information type environmental information include electricity usage, fuel usage, CO2 emissions, etc.

With point information type environmental information, even if multiple products are present within the measurement space of the IoT sensor, the environmental information for each product will be the same (including cases where it can be considered to be the same). Furthermore, with point information type environmental information, each point that exists in a time series has a strong meaning, and environmental information is not added or divided. On the other hand, with quantity information type environmental information, when multiple products are present within the measurement space of the IoT sensor, it is expected that environmental information for each product will be obtained by taking into account the total quantity and attributes of the products. Specifically, for example, it is expected that the amount of power consumption, fuel consumption, CO2 emissions, etc. for each product will be obtained by apportionment calculations that take into account the total quantity and attributes of the products.

In addition, by associating occupant transfer history with environmental information, it is expected that detailed environmental information for each product in the logistics supply chain (i.e., environmental information for each product per occupant) can be visualized. However, since a large amount of occupant transfer history exists for each product, simply associating occupant transfer history with environmental information poses the issue that the amount of data becomes enormous.

Furthermore, when performing apportionment calculations on quantity-type environmental information, there is also the issue that simple apportionment calculations can result in inaccurate environmental information for each product. For example, consider CO2 emissions as environmental information, and assume that a truck departs from a warehouse and delivers goods to multiple locations. In this case, if the CO2 emissions during the delivery route are simply apportioned by the total amount of goods, the CO2 emissions of goods unloaded earlier will be calculated to be higher than they actually are, while the CO2 emissions of goods unloaded later will be calculated to be lower than they actually are.

In the following, we will explain a method (proposed method) that introduces intervals called "segments" to solve the two problems mentioned above, and uses the segments to efficiently match occupant relocation history with environmental information, while also making it possible to calculate more accurate environmental information on a per-item basis for quantity-type environmental information.

If more accurate environmental information on a per-product basis could be calculated for quantitative environmental information, it would be possible to more accurately calculate, for example, the CO2 emissions related to Scope 3 Categories 4 and 9 (transportation and distribution) in the logistics supply chain as stipulated in the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol.

<Outline of proposed method>
Regarding environmental information of quantity information type: It is assumed that an occupant relocation history table consisting of occupant relocation history records for a certain period (e.g., a specified period up to the current date and time) is given. In addition, it is assumed that, for the environmental information of quantity information type, an integrated value of the environmental information in time series for each occupant is obtained. Hereinafter, as an example, it is assumed that the environmental information of quantity information type is CO2 emission amount, and an integrated value of the CO2 emission in time series for each occupant (hereinafter, also referred to as integrated CO2 emission amount) is obtained.

At this time, the proposed method executes the following steps (1-1) to (1-6).

(1-1) Segment Extraction A segment is extracted for each occupant based on the transfer date and time of the occupant transfer history record stored in the occupant transfer history table. A segment is a section that is separated by changes in the total amount of goods occupied by an occupant at the same time. A segment is a section associated with an occupant. Here, the total amount of goods refers to the sum of the amounts of goods occupied by an occupant associated with that segment at the same time. This total amount of goods is used to apportion environmental information of the quantity information type. The amount of goods to be determined as size, amount, weight, volume, number, etc. is determined by, for example, the attributes and properties of the goods. A specific method for segment extraction will be described later.

(1-2) Extraction of Occupied Section Based on the transfer source ID and transfer destination ID of the occupant transfer history record stored in the occupant transfer history table, the occupied section for each product is extracted. An occupied section is a section that is delimited by a change in the occupant who occupies a product. An occupied section is a section that is associated with a product. A specific method for extracting an occupied section will be described later.

(1-3) Calculation of CO2 Emissions per Segment The CO2 emission amount per segment is calculated. For example, the start date and time of the segment is defined as the "segment start date and time" and the end date and time is defined as the "segment end date and time", and for each segment, the accumulated CO2 emission amount at the date and time closest to the segment end date and time (hereinafter referred to as the first accumulated CO2 emission amount) and the accumulated CO2 emission amount at the date and time closest to the segment start date and time (hereinafter referred to as the second accumulated CO2 emission amount) are obtained. Then, the value obtained by subtracting the second accumulated CO2 emission amount from the first accumulated CO2 emission amount is calculated as the CO2 emission amount per segment. However, this calculation method is one example, and the calculation method of the CO2 emission amount per segment is not limited to this.

(1-4) Calculation of CO2 emissions per product per segment For example, for each segment, calculate CO2 emissions per product per segment for each product in the segment using the formula CO2 emissions per product per segment = CO2 emissions per segment x product quantity / (total quantity of products occupied by an occupant simultaneously in the segment).

(1-5) Calculation of product-based CO2 emissions per occupied section For example, the sum of product-based CO2 emissions per segment of segments that are the same as the occupant of the occupied section and that are included between the segment with the closest segment start date and time before the start date and time of the occupied section and the segment with the closest segment end date and time after the end date and time of the occupied section is calculated as the product-based CO2 emissions per occupied section for the occupied section.

(1-6) Visualization The amount of CO2 emission per product per occupied section and the amount of CO2 emission per product per segment are visualized (for example, displayed on a display, etc.).

A specific example of calculating CO2 emissions per segment and product-unit CO2 emissions per occupied section will be described with reference to Figures 2 and 3. For example, as shown in Figure 2, assume that the transportation route of truck 1 (occupant) on a certain day was as follows.

・At 12:00, products A and B are loaded at warehouse A,
At 13:00, products C and D are loaded at warehouse B.
At 14:00, products B, C, and D are unloaded at store C.
- Product A is unloaded at store d at 15:00.

Furthermore, the quantity (weight) of products A and B is 5 kg, and the quantity (weight) of products C and D is 3 kg.

In this case, as shown in Figure 3, the segments for truck 1 are "Segment 1" from 12:00 to 13:00, "Segment 2" from 13:00 to 14:00, and "Segment 3" from 14:00 to 15:00. In addition, the occupancy section for product A on truck 1 is 12:00 to 15:00, the occupancy section for product B on truck 1 is 12:00 to 14:00, the occupancy section for product C on truck 1 is 13:00 to 14:00, and the occupancy section for product D on truck 1 is 13:00 to 14:00.

As shown in Figure 2, the results of calculating the CO2 emissions for each segment are as follows:

Segment CO2 emissions for segment 1: 100
Segment CO2 emissions for segment 2: 100
Segment CO2 emissions for segment 3: 100
In the above case, the CO2 emission amount per product per segment for each product in each segment of truck 1 is calculated as follows.

CO2 emissions per product per segment for product A in segment 1: 100 x 5/10
CO2 emissions per product per segment for product B in segment 1: 100 x 5/10
CO2 emissions per product per segment for product A in segment 2: 100 x 5/16
CO2 emissions per product per segment for product B in segment 2: 100 x 5/16
CO2 emissions per product per segment for product C in segment 2: 100 x 3/16
CO2 emissions per product per segment for product D in segment 2: 100 x 3/16
CO2 emissions per product per segment for product A in segment 3: 100 x 5/5
Therefore, the CO2 emission amount per product per occupied section is calculated as follows.

CO2 emissions per product for each occupied section of product A in the occupied section of truck 1: 100 x 5/10 + 100 x 5/16 + 100 x 5/5 ≒ 181
CO2 emissions per product unit for the occupied section of product B in the occupied section of truck 1: 100 x 5/10 + 100 x 5/16 ≒ 81
CO2 emissions per product unit for the occupied section of product C in the occupied section of truck 1: 100 x 3/16 ≒ 19
CO2 emissions per product unit for product D in the occupied section of truck 1: 100 x 3/16 ≒ 19
This allows for the amount of CO2 emissions per product per segment and per product per occupancy section to be obtained. These can then be visualized and used for purposes such as analysis when a defect occurs, cost reduction, and business efficiency improvement.

In addition, at this time, the CO2 emissions of each product are associated with the occupancy section or segment, making it possible to significantly reduce the amount of data compared to simply associating CO2 emissions with occupant transfer history. This makes it possible to perform processes such as analysis at the time of malfunction on a segment-by-segment basis, which is expected to result in a significant reduction in processing time.

In addition, the CO2 emissions for each product are calculated on a segment basis, and then these are added up to calculate the CO2 emissions for each occupancy section, making it possible to calculate more accurate CO2 emissions compared to simple apportionment calculations.

Here, an example of the result of visualizing the product-unit CO2 emissions for each segment and the product-unit CO2 emissions for each occupied section is shown in FIG. 4. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the product-unit CO2 emissions for each occupied section (CO2 emissions (kg-CO2)) of a certain product (individual product ID: item1) for each occupied section and related information (individual product ID, occupant, occupied section start date and time, occupied section end date and time, total, etc.) are visualized on the display field 1000. In addition, in the example shown in FIG. 4, the product-unit CO2 emissions for each segment (CO2 emissions per product (kg-CO2)) of a certain product in a certain segment and related information (individual product ID, weight, occupant, segment start date and time, segment end date and time, segment CO2 emissions (kg-CO2), total amount of products simultaneously occupied (kg), total, etc.) are visualized on the display field 1100. Note that the display field 1100 may be displayed, for example, by a user selecting a desired segment on the display field 1000.

Regarding point information type environmental information, it is assumed that an occupant relocation history table consisting of occupant relocation history records for a certain period (e.g., a specified period up to the current date and time) is provided. In addition, it is assumed that, for point information type environmental information, chronological environmental information for each occupant is obtained. In the following, as an example, it is assumed that point information type environmental information is GPS information, and chronological GPS information for each occupant is obtained.

At this time, the proposed method executes the following steps (2-1) to (2-3).

(2-1) Segment Extraction This is the same as (1-1) above. That is, segments for each occupant are extracted based on the transfer date and time of the occupant transfer history record stored in the occupant transfer history table. However, since the point information type does not require apportioning the environmental information by the total amount of products, the amount of products can be, for example, the number of products. The specific method of segment extraction will be described later.

Regarding the segmentation judgment threshold For example, even if multiple products are simultaneously stored in a warehouse or removed from a warehouse, the transfer dates and times in the occupant transfer history record for these multiple products are not necessarily completely the same. This is because, for example, the transfer dates and times in the occupant transfer history record may be updated in the order in which the products are unloaded from a truck. Also, for example, when the occupant transfer history record is realized by a non-fungible token of a blockchain, transactions for updating the occupant transfer history record are not necessarily recorded in the same block.

For this reason, if segments were divided strictly based on changes in the total amount of goods, the segments would become too small and may not be meaningful. Therefore, for transfers involving the same occupant, a threshold is set so that even if the transfer dates and times are different, if the difference between them is less than a certain amount, they will be considered as one segment (hereinafter, this threshold will be referred to as the "segmentation determination threshold"). This prevents the segments from becoming too small. The segmentation determination threshold is preset to an appropriate value.

For example, as shown in FIG. 5, assume that products A to D (each with a quantity of 1 kg) are transferred in sequence from truck 1 to a certain occupant (e.g., a warehouse, a store, etc.) at approximately the same time. In this case, if the segments are divided strictly according to the change in the total quantity of products, as shown in the upper diagram of FIG. 5, segment 1 (total quantity of products: 1 kg), segment 2 (total quantity of products: 2 kg), segment 3 (total quantity of products: 3 kg), and segment 4 (total quantity of products: 4 kg) will be obtained in that order. However, these are very small segments, and the amount of processing will be enormous, so they are not meaningful segments. For this reason, as shown in the lower diagram of FIG. 5, even if the total quantity of products occupied at the same time changes, they will be considered to be in the same segment if the difference in the transfer date and time is less than the segmentation judgment threshold. As a result, for example, if the segmentation judgment threshold is 3 minutes, products A to C transferred at approximately the same time can be treated as products occupied by the occupant at the same time in segment 1 (total quantity of products: 3 kg) as shown in the lower diagram of FIG. 5.

(2-2) Associating GPS information with each segment Each segment is associated with GPS information. For example, for each segment, GPS information present between the segment start date and time and the segment end date and time may be obtained, and the obtained GPS information may be associated with the segment.

(2-3) Visualization For each segment, the GPS information associated with that segment is visualized (for example, displayed on a display or the like).

A specific example of associating GPS information with each segment will be described with reference to FIG. 6. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, assume that the transportation route of truck 1 (occupant) on a certain day was as follows.

・200 items are loaded at warehouse A at 12:00.
・At 13:00, 200 items are loaded into warehouse B.
- At 14:00, unload 300 items at store C,
- Unload 100 items at store D at 15:00.

In this case, the segments for track 1 will be "Segment 1" from 12:00 to 13:00, "Segment 2" from 13:00 to 14:00, and "Segment 3" from 14:00 to 15:00.

For this reason, segment 1 is associated with GPS information between 12:00 and 13:00. Similarly, segment 2 is associated with GPS information between 13:00 and 14:00. Similarly, segment 3 is associated with GPS information between 14:00 and 15:00.

This allows for the association of each segment with GPS information. This allows for visualization of the information and can be used for purposes such as analysis when a malfunction occurs, cost reduction, and business efficiency.

In addition, at this time, because the GPS information is associated with the segment, the amount of data can be significantly reduced compared to when GPS information is simply associated with the occupant relocation history. This makes it possible to perform processing such as analysis and diagnosis at the time of malfunction on a segment-by-segment basis, which is expected to result in a significant reduction in processing time.

Specific examples of visualization results of GPS information associated with segments will be omitted, but for example, it is sufficient to visualize the GPS information associated with each segment (or visualize only one or more representative pieces of GPS information among those pieces of GPS information).

[Example 1]
Example 1 of this embodiment will be described below. In Example 1, it is assumed that the environmental information is CO2 emission amount, and the environmental information management device 10 that executes the above processes (1-1) to (1-6) will be described. However, the environmental information being CO2 emission amount is just one example, and Example 1 described below can be similarly applied to environmental information of a quantity information type other than CO2 emission amount (for example, power consumption amount, fuel consumption amount, etc.).

<Example of Hardware Configuration of Environmental Information Management Device 10 in First Embodiment>
An example of the hardware configuration of the environmental information management device 10 in the first embodiment is shown in Fig. 7. As shown in Fig. 7, the environmental information management device 10 in the first embodiment is realized by the hardware configuration of a general computer or computer system, and includes, for example, an input device 101, a display device 102, an external I/F 103, a communication I/F 104, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 105, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 106, an auxiliary storage device 107, and a processor 108. In addition, each of these pieces of hardware is connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via a bus 109.

The input device 101 is, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, a physical button, etc. The display device 102 is, for example, a display, a display panel, etc. Note that the environmental information management device 10 does not have to have at least one of the input device 101 and the display device 102, for example.

The external I/F 103 is an interface with an external device such as a recording medium 103a. The environmental information management device 10 can read and write data from and to the recording medium 103a via the external I/F 103. Examples of the recording medium 103a include a flexible disk, a CD (Compact Disc), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), a SD memory card (Secure Digital memory card), and a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory card.

The communication I/F 104 is an interface for connecting the environmental information management device 10 to a communication network or the like. The RAM 105 is a volatile semiconductor memory (storage device) that temporarily stores programs and data. The ROM 106 is a non-volatile semiconductor memory (storage device) that can store programs and data even when the power is turned off. The auxiliary storage device 107 is a storage device (storage device) such as a hard disk drive (HDD), solid state drive (SSD), flash memory, etc. The processor 108 is an arithmetic device such as a central processing unit (CPU).

The environmental information management device 10 in Example 1 has the hardware configuration shown in FIG. 7, and is therefore capable of implementing various processes described below. Note that the hardware configuration shown in FIG. 7 is merely an example, and the hardware configuration of the environmental information management device 10 is not limited to this. For example, the environmental information management device 10 may have multiple auxiliary storage devices 107 or multiple processors 108, may not have some of the hardware shown in the figure, or may have various hardware other than the hardware shown in the figure.

<Example of functional configuration of the environmental information management device 10 in the first embodiment>
FIG. 8 shows a functional configuration example of the environmental information management device 10 in the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8, the environmental information management device 10 in the first embodiment has a segment extraction unit 201, an occupied section extraction unit 202, a segment-by-segment CO2 emission calculation unit 203, a segment-by-product CO2 emission calculation unit 204, an occupied section-by-product CO2 emission calculation unit 205, and a visualization unit 206. Each of these units is realized, for example, by a process in which one or more programs installed in the environmental information management device 10 are executed by the processor 108 or the like. In addition, the environmental information management device 10 in the first embodiment has an occupant transfer history storage unit 301, an accumulated CO2 emission storage unit 302, a segment-by-segment CO2 emission storage unit 303, and an occupied section-by-product CO2 emission storage unit 304. Each of these units is realized, for example, by a storage device such as the auxiliary storage device 107.

The segment extraction unit 201 executes the process of (1-1) above. That is, the segment extraction unit 201 extracts segments for each occupant based on the transfer date and time of the occupant transfer history record stored in the occupant transfer history table.

The occupied section extraction unit 202 executes the process of (1-2) above. That is, the occupied section extraction unit 202 extracts the occupied section for each product based on the transfer source ID and transfer destination ID of the occupant transfer history record stored in the occupant transfer history table.

The segment-specific CO2 emission calculation unit 203 executes the above process (1-3). That is, the segment-specific CO2 emission calculation unit 203 calculates the CO2 emission amount for each segment. This can also be said to correspond to each segment with the CO2 emission amount for that segment.

The segment-by-segment product-unit CO2 emission calculation unit 204 executes the process (1-4) above. That is, the segment-by-segment product-unit CO2 emission calculation unit 204 calculates the segment-by-segment product-unit CO2 emission.

The product-unit CO2 emission amount calculation unit 205 for each occupied section executes the process (1-5) above. That is, the product-unit CO2 emission amount calculation unit 205 for each occupied section calculates the product-unit CO2 emission amount for each occupied section.

The visualization unit 206 executes the above process (1-6). That is, the visualization unit 206 visualizes the CO2 emissions per product per occupied section, the CO2 emissions per product per segment, etc.

The occupant transfer history storage unit 301 stores an occupant transfer history table that is composed of given occupant transfer history records (for example, occupant transfer history records for the period from T-ΔT to T, where T is the current date and time and ΔT is a certain predetermined time span). These occupant transfer history records are provided, for example, from a logistics traceability system.

The cumulative CO2 emission storage unit 302 stores the cumulative CO2 emission amount for each occupant (e.g., the cumulative CO2 emission amount for each occupant in the period from T-ΔT to T). The cumulative CO2 emission amount for each occupant is provided, for example, from an IoT infrastructure system that manages IoT sensors installed in spaces that each occupant temporarily or non-temporarily controls and manages.

However, for example, the time series of CO2 emissions for each occupant may be provided from an IoT-based system or the like. In this case, the accumulated CO2 emissions for each occupant are calculated, for example, by an accumulated CO2 emissions calculation unit (not shown) provided in the environmental information management device 10.

The segment-by-segment CO2 emission storage unit 303 stores the segments extracted by the segment extraction unit 201, the segment-by-segment CO2 emission amount calculated by the segment-by-segment CO2 emission calculation unit 203, etc. Hereinafter, data representing the segment-by-segment CO2 emission amount will be referred to as the "segment-by-segment CO2 emission record", and data in a table format consisting of the segment-by-segment CO2 emission record will be referred to as the "segment-by-segment CO2 emission table". The segment-by-segment CO2 emission record represents the CO2 emission amount of an occupant in a segment and the total amount of products occupied by the occupant at the same time in the segment. The segment-by-segment CO2 emission record is expressed, for example, in the following data format.

(Occupant ID, segment start date and time, segment end date and time, segment CO2 emissions, segment total product amount)
Here, the occupant ID is an identifier that uniquely identifies the occupant. The segment start date and time is the start date and time of the segment. The segment end date and time is the end date and time of the segment. The segment CO2 emissions are the CO2 emissions in the segment (i.e., the CO2 emissions per segment for that segment). The segment total product amount is the total amount of products that the occupant occupies simultaneously in the segment. Hereinafter, the primary key in the segment CO2 emissions table is assumed to be (occupant ID, segment start date and time).

The product-unit CO2 emission amount per occupied section storage unit 304 stores the occupied section extracted by the occupied section extraction unit 202, the product-unit CO2 emission amount per occupied section calculated by the product-unit CO2 emission amount per occupied section calculation unit 205, etc. Hereinafter, data representing the product-unit CO2 emission amount per occupied section will be referred to as the "product-unit CO2 emission amount per occupied section record", and data in table format consisting of the product-unit CO2 emission amount per occupied section record will be referred to as the "product-unit CO2 emission amount per occupied section table". The product-unit CO2 emission amount per occupied section record represents the CO2 emission amount of a certain product in a certain occupied section and the product quantity of that product. The product-unit CO2 emission amount per occupied section record is expressed in the following data format, for example.

(Product individual ID, occupant ID, occupied section start date and time, occupied section end date and time, product unit CO2 emission amount, product quantity)
Here, the individual product ID is an identifier (e.g., a manufacturing specific number) that uniquely identifies a product within the product supply chain. The occupant ID is an identifier that uniquely identifies an occupant. The occupied section start date and time is the start date and time of the occupied section. The occupied section end date and time is the end date and time of the occupied section. The product-unit CO2 emission is the CO2 emission amount of the product in the occupied section (i.e., the product-unit CO2 emission amount per occupied section for the relevant product in that occupied section). The product quantity is information that represents the size, quantity, weight, volume, number, etc. of the product. Hereinafter, the primary key in the product-unit CO2 emission amount per occupied section table is assumed to be (individual product ID, occupant ID, occupied section start date and time).

<Example of process flow of the environmental information management device 10 in the first embodiment>
An example of a process flow of the environmental information management device 10 in the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Steps S101 to S106 in Fig. 9 are repeatedly executed at intervals of a certain predetermined time period, for example.

The segment extraction unit 201 extracts segments for each occupant based on the transfer date and time of the occupant transfer history record stored in the occupant transfer history table (step S101). This extracts a segment in a data format, for example, (occupant ID, segment start date and time, segment end date and time, segment product total amount). In the following, the segment is extracted as a segment-by-segment CO2 emission record (occupant ID, segment start date and time, segment end date and time, segment CO2 emission amount, segment product total amount) in which the segment CO2 emission amount is not set. The processing of this step will be described in detail later.

Next, the occupied section extraction unit 202 extracts the occupied section for each product based on the transfer source ID and transfer destination ID of the occupant transfer history record stored in the occupant transfer history table (step S102). As a result, for example, an occupied section in the data format of (individual product ID, occupant ID, occupied section start date and time, occupied section end date and time, product quantity) is extracted. In the following, the occupied section is extracted as a product unit CO2 emission record for each occupied section (individual product ID, occupant ID, occupied section start date and time, occupied section end date and time, product unit CO2 emission amount, product quantity) in which the product unit CO2 emission amount is not set. The details of the processing of this step will be described later.

The following steps S103 to S105 are executed, for example, for the segments and occupied sections newly extracted in steps S101 to S102 above.

Next, the segment CO2 emission calculation unit 203 calculates the CO2 emission amount for each segment (step S103). That is, for each segment of each occupant, the segment CO2 emission calculation unit 203 obtains the accumulated CO2 emission amount of the occupant at the date and time closest to the segment end date and time (first accumulated CO2 emission amount) and the accumulated CO2 emission amount of the occupant at the date and time closest to the segment start date and time (second accumulated CO2 emission amount). Then, the segment CO2 emission calculation unit 203 calculates the value obtained by subtracting the second accumulated CO2 emission amount from the first accumulated CO2 emission amount as the segment CO2 emission amount of the segment CO2 emission amount record. This results in a segment CO2 emission amount record (occupant ID, segment start date and time, segment end date and time, segment CO2 emission amount, segment product total amount). It can also be said that this corresponds to each segment with the CO2 emission amount of the segment (i.e., segment CO2 emission amount).

Next, the segment-by-product CO2 emission calculation unit 204 calculates the segment-by-product CO2 emission (step S104). That is, for example, for each product occupied by an occupant in each segment, the segment-by-product CO2 emission calculation unit 204 calculates the segment-by-product CO2 emission by using the following formula: segment-by-product CO2 emission = (segment CO2 emission included in segment-by-segment CO2 emission record) x (product amount of the product) / (total segment product amount included in segment-by-segment CO2 emission record).

Next, the occupied section product unit CO2 emission calculation unit 205 calculates the product unit CO2 emission for each occupied section (step S105). That is, the occupied section product unit CO2 emission calculation unit 205 calculates, for example, the sum of the product unit CO2 emission for each segment of segments that have the same occupant ID as the occupant ID of the occupied section and are included between the segment with the closest segment start date and time before the occupied section start date and time and the segment with the closest segment end date and time after the occupied section end date and time, as the product unit CO2 emission for each occupied section of the occupied section. This results in a product unit CO2 emission record for each occupied section (individual product ID, occupant ID, occupied section start date and time, occupied section end date and time, product unit CO2 emission, product amount).

Then, the visualization unit 206 visualizes (for example, displays on a display, etc.) the CO2 emissions per product per occupied section and the CO2 emissions per product per segment (step S106). That is, the visualization unit 206 displays, for example, at least one of the display field 1000 and the display field 1100 as shown in FIG. 4 on the display device 102.

<Example of Segment Extraction Processing in Example 1>
The segment extraction process by the segment extraction unit 201 can be performed as follows.

A list of occupant IDs without duplicates is obtained by using the transfer destination ID of the occupant transfer history record stored in the occupant transfer history table as the occupant ID. Next, the segment extraction unit 201 obtains, in order of transfer date and time, occupant transfer history records in which the occupant ID is the transfer source ID or transfer destination ID for each occupant ID included in the obtained list. The following processing is performed on the occupant transfer history records in order of transfer date and time.

The most recent segment end date and time and the total amount of products at that time are obtained from the most recent processing result (when this process is first started, if there is no recent result, the date and time are appropriately initialized to a sufficiently old date and time, and the total amount of products is 0, etc.). At this time, the next segment to be generated is
・The start date and time is the end date and time of the most recent segment ・The end date and time is the transfer date and time of the record being processed sequentially ・The total product quantity is the product quantity that has increased (if the occupant is the transfer destination) or decreased (if the occupant is the transfer source) the product quantity of the record being processed sequentially (if there are multiple records with the same date and time, the increase/decrease process is repeated for all applicable records)
This can be done as follows.

However, with this implementation method, if multiple occupant transfer history records exist within a few seconds or minutes, there is a high possibility that small segments with relatively short time intervals will occur in response to the multiple occupant transfer history records. More appropriate processing methods can also be considered to avoid the occurrence of such small segments.

One way to avoid this is to round the record's date and time to an appropriate level before processing. For example, if there are records with "12:00:00" and "12:00:15", if you process them by rounding down to the seconds, these two records will be considered to have the same date and time, and segments of less than one minute will not occur.

Another method to avoid this is to set a segmentation threshold and connect occupant change histories below this threshold as a single segment. An example of segment extraction processing using this method is described in detail below.

An example of the segment extraction process in step S101 of FIG. 9 will be described with reference to FIG. 10.

The segment extraction unit 201 obtains a list of occupant IDs without duplicates by using the transfer destination ID of the occupant transfer history record stored in the occupant transfer history table as the occupant ID (step S201).

Next, the segment extraction unit 201 repeats steps S211 to S214 for each occupant ID included in the list acquired in step S201 above (step S202). Below, steps S211 to S214 for a certain occupant ID are described.

The segment extraction unit 201 acquires occupant transfer history records in which the occupant ID is the transfer source ID or transfer destination ID in order of transfer date and time (step S211). However, at this time, the segment extraction unit 201 acquires occupant transfer history records that include a transfer date and time that is later than the maximum value of the segment start date and time of the per-segment CO2 emission records stored in the per-segment CO2 emission table. This is to start segment extraction from where it left off when the segment extraction process was last executed. Note that the maximum date and time refers to the most recent date and time.

The segment extraction unit 201 sets initial values for the tentative segment start date/time, tentative segment end date/time, and tentative segment product total amount (step S212). For example, the segment extraction unit 201 sets initial values for the tentative segment start date/time, tentative segment end date/time, and tentative segment product total amount as follows. Note that the tentative segment start date/time, tentative segment end date/time, and tentative segment product total amount are all temporary variables used for segment extraction.

Provisional segment start date and time: Set the maximum value of the segment start date and time of the segment CO2 emission records that contain the occupant ID among the segment CO2 emission records stored in the segment CO2 emission table. However, if there is no segment CO2 emission record that contains the occupant ID, set NULL (empty value).

Temporary segment end date and time: Set to NULL.

Provisional segment product total amount: Set the segment product total amount of the segment CO2 emission record with the maximum segment start date and time among the segment CO2 emission records that include the occupant ID. However, if there is no segment CO2 emission record that includes the occupant ID, set it to 0.

The segment extraction unit 201 repeats steps S221 to S223 for the occupant transfer history records in the order in which they were acquired in step S211 above (step S213). Steps S221 to S223 for a certain occupant transfer history record are described below.

If the provisional segment start date and time is NULL, the segment extraction unit 201 sets the transfer date and time of the occupant transfer history record to the provisional segment start date and time (step S221). Note that if the provisional segment start date and time is not NULL, this step is not executed.

The segment extraction unit 201 determines the segment depending on whether the difference between the transfer date and time of the occupant transfer history record and the tentative segment end date and time is less than the segmentation determination threshold (step S222). Specifically, the segment extraction unit 201 executes the following (3-1) or (3-2).

(3-1) If the provisional segment end date and time is NULL, or if the difference between the transfer date and time of the occupant transfer history record and the provisional segment end date and time is less than the segmentation determination threshold, the segment extraction unit 201 executes (3-1-1) to (3-1-2).

(3-1-1) The segment extraction unit 201 sets the transfer date and time of the occupant transfer history record to the provisional segment end date and time.

(3-1-2) If the occupant transfer history record is the last record for the occupant ID in step S213 above, the segment extraction unit 201 executes the following (3-1-2-1) to (3-1-2-3). On the other hand, if the occupant transfer history record is not the last record for the occupant ID in step S213 above, the segment extraction unit 201 proceeds to step S223.

(3-1-2-1) The segment extraction unit 201 increases or decreases the provisional segment product total quantity depending on whether the occupant ID matches the transfer source ID of the occupant transfer history record. That is, if the occupant ID matches the transfer source ID, the segment extraction unit 201 subtracts the product quantity of the occupant transfer history record from the provisional segment product total quantity. On the other hand, if the occupant ID does not match the transfer source ID (in other words, if the occupant ID matches the transfer destination ID of the occupant transfer history record), the segment extraction unit 201 adds the product quantity of the occupant transfer history record to the provisional segment product total quantity.

(3-1-2-2) The segment extraction unit 201 determines the segment for the occupant ID using the current tentative segment start date and time, tentative segment end date and time, and tentative segment product total amount. That is, the segment extraction unit 201 determines the segment for the occupant ID (occupant ID, segment start date and time, segment end date and time, segment product total amount) using the current tentative segment start date and time as the segment start date and time, the current tentative segment end date and time as the segment end date and time, and the current tentative segment product total amount as the segment product total amount.

(3-1-2-3) The segment extraction unit 201 stores the segment information determined in (3-1-2-2) above in the segment CO2 emission table as a segment CO2 emission record. That is, the segment extraction unit 201 stores the segment information determined in (3-1-2-2) above (occupant ID, segment start date and time, segment end date and time, and segment product total amount) in the segment CO2 emission table as a segment CO2 emission record. At this time, if a segment CO2 emission record with a matching primary key already exists in the segment CO2 emission table, the segment extraction unit 201 updates the existing segment CO2 emission record, and if not, inserts the segment CO2 emission record into the segment CO2 emission table. The segment extraction unit 201 then proceeds to step S214.

(3-2) Cases other than the above (3-1) In this case, the segment extraction unit 201 executes the following (3-2-1) to (3-2-4).

(3-2-1) The segment extraction unit 201 sets the transfer date and time of the occupant transfer history record to the provisional segment end date and time.

(3-2-2) The segment extraction unit 201 determines the segment for the occupant ID using the current tentative segment start date and time, tentative segment end date and time, and tentative segment product total amount. That is, the segment extraction unit 201 determines the segment for the occupant ID (occupant ID, segment start date and time, segment end date and time, segment product total amount) using the current tentative segment start date and time as the segment start date and time, the current tentative segment end date and time as the segment end date and time, and the current tentative segment product total amount as the segment product total amount.

(3-2-3) The segment extraction unit 201 stores the segment information determined in (3-2-2) above in the per-segment CO2 emission table as a per-segment CO2 emission record. That is, the segment extraction unit 201 stores the segment information determined in (3-2-2) above (occupant ID, segment start date and time, segment end date and time, and total segment product amount) in the per-segment CO2 emission table as a per-segment CO2 emission record. At this time, if a per-segment CO2 emission record with a matching primary key already exists in the per-segment CO2 emission table, the segment extraction unit 201 updates the existing per-segment CO2 emission record, and if not, inserts the per-segment CO2 emission record into the per-segment CO2 emission table.

(3-2-4) The segment extraction unit 201 sets the tentative segment end date and time to the tentative segment start date and time.

The segment extraction unit 201 increases or decreases the provisional segment product total quantity depending on whether the occupant ID matches the transfer source ID of the occupant transfer history record (step S223). That is, if the occupant ID matches the transfer source ID, the segment extraction unit 201 subtracts the product quantity of the occupant transfer history record from the provisional segment product total quantity. On the other hand, if the occupant ID does not match the transfer source ID (in other words, if the occupant ID matches the transfer destination ID of the occupant transfer history record), the segment extraction unit 201 adds the product quantity of the occupant transfer history record to the provisional segment product total quantity.

After step S223 is executed, if there is a next occupant transfer history record related to the occupant ID, the process returns to step S221, and steps S221 to S222 are repeated for the next occupant transfer history record. On the other hand, if there is no next occupant transfer history record related to the occupant ID, step S214 is executed.

The segment extraction unit 201 sets values for the tentative segment start date and time and the tentative segment end date and time, and determines the final segment in this segment extraction process (step S214). Specifically, the segment extraction unit 201 executes the following steps (4-1) to (4-3).

(4-1) The segment extraction unit 201 sets the provisional segment start date and time and the provisional segment end date and time as follows:

Temporary segment start date and time: Set the current temporary segment end date and time.

Temporary segment end date and time: Set the date and time after the current temporary segment end date and time, for example, the system date and time when the current segment extraction process was executed.

(4-2) The segment extraction unit 201 determines the final segment for the occupant ID in the current segment extraction process using the current tentative segment start date and time, tentative segment end date and time, and tentative segment product total amount. That is, the segment extraction unit 201 determines the final segment (occupant ID, segment start date and time, segment end date and time, segment product total amount) for the occupant ID in the current segment extraction process using the current tentative segment start date and time as the segment start date and time, the current tentative segment end date and time as the segment end date and time, and the current tentative segment product total amount as the segment product total amount.

(4-3) The segment extraction unit 201 stores the information on the final segment determined in (4-2) above in the CO2 emission table for each segment as a CO2 emission record for each segment. That is, the segment extraction unit 201 stores the information on the final segment determined in (4-2) above (occupant ID, segment start date and time, segment end date and time, and total amount of segment products) in the CO2 emission table for each segment as a CO2 emission record for each segment.

If the next occupant ID is present in the list obtained in step S201, the process returns to step S211, and steps S211 to S214 are repeated for the next occupant ID. On the other hand, if the next occupant ID is not present in the list obtained in step S201, the segment extraction process ends.

In the above segment extraction process, the transfer date and time of the occupant transfer history record is set as the segment start date and time, but for example, the transfer date and time of the occupant transfer history record immediately following the occupant transfer history record in question may be set as the segment start date and time, or the date and time between the transfer date and time of the occupant transfer history record in question and the transfer date and time of the occupant transfer history record related to the occupant transfer history record in question may be set as the segment start date and time. In this case, the date and time set as the segment end date and time may be changed as appropriate depending on the segment start date and time, and part of the processing of the segment extraction process may be changed as appropriate.

<Example of Occupied Section Extraction Processing in Example 1>
An example of the occupied section extraction process in step S102 in FIG. 9 will be described with reference to FIG.

The occupied section extraction unit 202 obtains a list of individual product IDs without duplicates from the occupant transfer history records stored in the occupant transfer history table (step S301).

Next, the occupied section extraction unit 202 repeats steps S311 to S313 and step S314 or step S315 for each individual product ID included in the list acquired in step S301 (step S302). Below, steps S311 to S313 and step S314 or step S315 for a certain individual product ID will be described.

The occupied section extraction unit 202 acquires occupant transfer history records including the individual product ID in order of transfer date and time (step S311). However, at this time, the occupied section extraction unit 202 acquires occupant transfer history records including a transfer date and time that is later than the maximum value of the occupied section start date and time of the product unit CO2 emission records for each occupied section stored in the product unit CO2 emission table for each occupied section. Note that if there is no product unit CO2 emission record for each occupied section stored in the product unit CO2 emission table for each occupied section, the occupied section extraction unit 202 acquires all occupant transfer history records including the individual product ID in order of transfer date and time.

The occupied section extraction unit 202 sets initial values for the temporary occupied section start date and time and the temporary occupant ID (step S312). For example, the occupied section extraction unit 202 sets initial values for the temporary occupied section start date and time and the temporary occupant ID as follows. Note that the temporary occupied section start date and time and the temporary occupant ID are both temporary variables used for extracting the occupied section.

Temporary occupied section start date and time: Set the transfer date and time of the occupant transfer history record first obtained in step S311 above.

Temporary occupant ID: Set the destination ID of the occupant transfer history record first obtained in step S311 above.

The occupied section extraction unit 202 determines whether there are two or more occupant transfer history records obtained in step S311 above (step S313).

If there are not two or more occupant transfer history records acquired in step S311 above (i.e., if there is only one occupant transfer history record acquired in step S311 above), the occupied section extraction unit 202 determines the occupied section (step S314). That is, the occupied section extraction unit 202 executes the following steps (5-1) to (5-2).

(5-1) The occupied section extraction unit 202 determines the occupied section of the individual product ID using the temporary occupied section start date and time and the temporary occupant ID. That is, the occupied section extraction unit 202 determines the occupied section of the individual product ID (individual product ID, occupant ID, occupied section start date and time, occupied section end date and time, product quantity) using the current temporary occupant ID as the occupant ID, the current temporary occupant section start date and time as the occupied section start date and time, and NULL as the occupied section end date and time. However, the product quantity of the occupied section is set to the product quantity included in the occupant transfer history record.

(5-2) The occupied section extraction unit 202 stores the information on the occupied section determined in (5-1) above in the occupied section product unit CO2 emission record in the occupied section product unit CO2 emission record table. That is, the occupied section extraction unit 202 stores the information on the occupied section determined in (5-1) above (product ID, occupant ID, occupied section start date and time, occupied section end date and time, and product quantity) in the occupied section product unit CO2 emission record table as a per-occupied section product unit CO2 emission record. At this time, if a per-occupied section product unit CO2 emission record with a matching primary key already exists in the occupied section product unit CO2 emission record table, the occupied section extraction unit 202 updates the existing per-occupied section product unit CO2 emission record, and if not, inserts the per-occupied section product unit CO2 emission record into the occupied section product unit CO2 emission record table.

However, if the occupant ID included in the occupied section is an identifier indicating that the product has been originally acquired (produced, manufactured, etc.), or is an identifier indicating that the transfer (transfer of occupant) of the product has been completed through sale, disposal, exhaustion, etc., then the above (5-2) will not be executed. For example, in the example shown in Figure 1, if the occupant ID is "0x0", it is assumed that the production, manufacture, etc. of the product, or the transfer (transfer of occupant) of the product has been completed, and the above (5-2) will not be executed.

On the other hand, if there are two or more occupant transfer history records obtained in step S311 above, the occupied section extraction unit 202 repeats step S321 starting from the second occupant transfer history record (step S321). Step S321 for a certain occupant transfer history record is described below.

Depending on whether the temporary occupant ID matches the relocation source ID of the occupant relocation history record, the occupied section extraction unit 202 determines whether the occupied section is determined or returns an error (step S321). That is, the occupied section extraction unit 202 executes the following (6-1) or (6-2).

(6-1) When the temporary occupant ID matches the transfer source ID of the occupant transfer history record, the occupied section extraction unit 202 executes the following (6-1-1) to (6-1-3).

(6-1-1) The occupied section extraction unit 202 determines the occupied section of the individual product ID using the temporary occupied section start date and time and the temporary occupant ID. That is, the occupied section extraction unit 202 determines the occupied section of the individual product ID (individual product ID, occupant ID, occupied section start date and time, occupied section end date and time, product quantity) using the current temporary occupant ID as the occupant ID, the current temporary occupant section start date and time as the occupied section start date and time, and the transfer date and time of the occupant transfer history record as the occupied section end date and time. However, the product quantity of the occupied section is set to the product quantity included in the occupant transfer history record.

(6-1-2) The occupied section extraction unit 202 stores the information on the occupied section determined in (6-1-1) above in the occupied section product unit CO2 emission record in the occupied section product unit CO2 emission record table. That is, the occupied section extraction unit 202 stores the information on the occupied section determined in (6-1-1) above (product ID, occupant ID, occupied section start date and time, occupied section end date and time, and product quantity) in the occupied section product unit CO2 emission record in the occupied section product unit CO2 emission record table. At this time, if a product unit CO2 emission record for each occupied section with a matching primary key already exists in the occupied section product unit CO2 emission record table, the occupied section extraction unit 202 updates the existing product unit CO2 emission record for each occupied section, and if not, inserts the product unit CO2 emission record for each occupied section into the occupied section product unit CO2 emission record table.

However, if the occupant ID included in the occupied section is an identifier indicating that the product has been originally acquired (produced, manufactured, etc.), or is an identifier indicating that the transfer (transfer of occupant) of the product has been completed through sale, disposal, exhaustion, etc., then the above (6-1-2) will not be executed. For example, in the example shown in Figure 1, if the occupant ID is "0x0", it is assumed that the production, manufacture, etc. of the product, or the transfer (transfer of occupant) of the product has been completed, and the above (6-1-2) will not be executed.

(6-1-3) The occupied section extraction unit 202 sets the temporary occupied section start date and time and the temporary occupant ID as follows:

Temporary occupied section start date and time: Set the transfer date and time of the occupant transfer history record.

Temporary occupant ID: Set the relocation destination ID of the occupant relocation history record.

(6-2) If the temporary occupant ID does not match the transfer source ID of the occupant transfer history record, the occupied section extraction unit 202 outputs an error as an exception and ends the occupied section extraction process.

[Example 2]
Example 2 of this embodiment will be described below. In Example 2, it is assumed that the environmental information is GPS information, and the environmental information management device 10 that executes the above processes (2-1) to (2-3) will be described. However, the environmental information being GPS information is just one example, and Example 2 described below can be similarly applied to environmental information of point information type other than GPS information (for example, temperature, humidity, etc.).

<Example of Hardware Configuration of Environmental Information Management Device 10 in Example 2>
The hardware configuration of the environmental information managing device 10 in the second embodiment may be the same as that of the environmental information managing device 10 in the first embodiment. Therefore, in the following, it is assumed that the hardware configuration of the environmental information managing device 10 in the second embodiment is the same as that in the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted.

<Example of functional configuration of the environmental information management device 10 in the second embodiment>
An example of a functional configuration of the environmental information management device 10 in the second embodiment is shown in Fig. 12. As shown in Fig. 12, the environmental information management device 10 in the second embodiment has a segment extraction unit 201, a segment-by-segment GPS information association unit 207, and a visualization unit 206. Each of these units is realized, for example, by a process in which one or more programs installed in the environmental information management device 10 are executed by the processor 108 or the like. Furthermore, the environmental information management device 10 in the second embodiment has an occupant transfer history storage unit 301, a GPS information storage unit 305, and a segment-by-segment GPS information storage unit 306. Each of these units is realized, for example, by a storage device such as the auxiliary storage device 107.

The segment extraction unit 201 executes the process of (2-1) above. That is, the segment extraction unit 201 extracts segments for each occupant based on the transfer date and time of the occupant transfer history record stored in the occupant transfer history table. However, since the point information type does not require apportioning the environmental information by the total amount of goods, when extracting segments, no process is required to obtain the information required for apportionment.

The segment-specific GPS information matching unit 207 executes the process of (2-2) above. That is, for example, for each segment, the segment-specific GPS information matching unit 207 acquires GPS information that exists between the segment start date and time and the segment end date and time, and associates the acquired GPS information with the segment.

The visualization unit 206 executes the process of (2-3) above. That is, the visualization unit 206 visualizes, for each segment, the GPS information associated with that segment.

The occupant transfer history storage unit 301 stores an occupant transfer history table that is composed of given occupant transfer history records (for example, occupant transfer history records for the period from T-ΔT to T, where T is the current date and time and ΔT is a certain predetermined time span). These occupant transfer history records are provided, for example, from a logistics traceability system.

The GPS information storage unit 305 stores time-series GPS information for each occupant (e.g., time-series GPS information for each occupant in the period from T-ΔT to T). The time-series GPS information for each occupant is provided, for example, from an IoT-based system that manages IoT sensors (e.g., on-board GPS receivers for trucks, etc.) installed in the space that each occupant controls or manages temporarily or non-temporarily.

The per-segment GPS information storage unit 306 stores the segments extracted by the segment extraction unit 201 and per-segment GPS information, which is information in which segments and GPS information are associated by the per-segment GPS information association unit 207. Hereinafter, data representing per-segment GPS information will be referred to as a "per-segment GPS information record", and data in a table format consisting of per-segment GPS information records will be referred to as a "per-segment GPS information table". A per-segment GPS information record represents time-series GPS information associated with a certain segment of a certain occupant. A per-segment GPS information record is expressed, for example, in the following data format.

(Occupant ID, segment start date and time, segment end date and time, segment GPS information)
Here, the occupant ID is an identifier that uniquely identifies an occupant. The segment start date and time is the start date and time of a segment. The segment end date and time is the end date and time of a segment. The segment GPS information is chronological GPS information associated with a segment. Hereinafter, the primary key in the segment GPS information table is assumed to be (occupant ID, segment start date and time).

<Example of process flow of the environmental information management device 10 in the second embodiment>
An example of a process flow of the environmental information managing device 10 in the second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 13. Steps S401 to S403 in Fig. 13 are repeatedly executed at intervals of a certain predetermined time.

The segment extraction unit 201 extracts segments for each occupant based on the transfer date and time of the occupant transfer history record stored in the occupant transfer history table (step S401). As a result, for example, a segment in a data format of (occupant ID, segment start date and time, segment end date and time) is extracted. In the following, it is assumed that the segments are extracted as segment-specific GPS information records in which segment GPS information is not set. Details of the processing of this step will be described later.

The following step S402 is executed, for example, with respect to the segment newly extracted in step S401 above.

The segment GPS information matching unit 207 acquires GPS information that exists between the segment start date and time and the segment end date and time for each segment, and associates the acquired GPS information with the segment as segment GPS information (step S402). This results in a segment GPS information record (occupant ID, segment start date and time, segment end date and time, segment GPS information).

Then, the visualization unit 206 visualizes (e.g., displays on a display, etc.) the GPS information associated with each segment (step S403). Note that the visualization unit 206 may visualize, for example, the GPS information, etc. associated with the segment specified by the user, or may visualize the GPS information, etc. associated with each segment of the occupant specified by the user.

<Example of Segment Extraction Processing in the Second Embodiment>
In the segment extraction process in step S401 in Fig. 13, a process for obtaining information necessary for apportioning the environmental information is not required. Specifically, the segment extraction process in the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the following (a) and (b) are not required.

(a) "Provisional Segment Product Total Volume" and "Segment Product Total Volume"
(b) Processing of step S223 Other than the above (a) and (b), if the "CO2 emission record per segment" is read as the "GPS information record per segment," the "CO2 emission table per segment" is read as the "GPS information table per segment," and the "CO2 emission amount" is read as the "GPS information information," the processing is the same as in Example 1.

<Summary>
As described above, the environmental information management device 10 according to the present embodiment introduces sections called segments that are divided by changes in the total amount of products simultaneously occupied by an occupant, and manages environmental information obtained in the logistics supply chain of the products or values calculated from the environmental information for each of these segments. As a result, the environmental information management device 10 according to the present embodiment can efficiently associate the occupant transfer history and the environmental information in the logistics supply chain. Therefore, whether the environmental information is of the quantity information type or the point information type, it is possible to significantly reduce the amount of data when associating the occupant transfer history and the environmental information for the purpose of, for example, analysis when a defect occurs, cost reduction, business efficiency, etc. Furthermore, when the environmental information is of the quantity information type, it is possible to calculate more accurate environmental information when calculating the environmental information for each product, compared to a simple apportionment calculation.

The present invention is not limited to the specifically disclosed embodiments above, and various modifications, changes, and combinations with known technologies are possible without departing from the scope of the claims.

10 Environmental information management device 101 Input device 102 Display device 103 External I/F
103a Recording medium 104 Communication I/F
105 RAM
106 ROM
107 Auxiliary storage device 108 Processor 109 Bus 201 Segment extraction unit 202 Occupied section extraction unit 203 Per-segment CO2 emission calculation unit 204 Per-segment product CO2 emission calculation unit 205 Per-occupied section product CO2 emission calculation unit 206 Visualization unit 207 Per-segment GPS information association unit 301 Occupant transfer history storage unit 302 Accumulated CO2 emission storage unit 303 Per-segment CO2 emission storage unit 304 Per-occupied section product CO2 emission storage unit 305 GPS information storage unit 306 Per-segment GPS information storage unit

Claims (5)

a segment extraction unit configured to extract a segment representing a section delimited by a change in the total amount of the object simultaneously occupied by the occupant as a section to which environmental information of the object is associated, based on possession transfer data constituted by a possession transfer history record that represents a transfer history of an object occupant in a supply chain and is realized by a non-fungible token of a blockchain, the possession transfer history record including at least a transfer date and time of the object, a transfer source identification information indicating an identification information of the object's transfer source, and a transfer destination identification information indicating an identification information of the object's destination;
having
The segment extraction unit
a section extraction device configured to initialize a start date and time of the segment and an end date and time of the segment for each of the relocation destination identification information, acquire an occupancy transfer history record in order of transfer date and time that includes identification information identical to the relocation destination identification information as a relocation source identification information or a relocation destination identification information, and update the end date and time with the transfer date and time included in the acquired occupancy transfer history record until a specified condition is satisfied, thereby extracting the section from the start date and time to the end date and time as the segment corresponding to the relocation destination identification information . The segment extraction unit
Set NULL or a maximum value of the start date and time of the segment corresponding to the transfer destination identification information as an initial value of the start date and time,
Set NULL as the initial value of the end date and time,
The section extraction device according to claim 1 , wherein, when the start date and time is NULL, the start date and time is updated with a transfer date and time included in a first acquired occupancy transfer history record. 3 . The section extraction device according to claim 1 , wherein the condition indicates that a difference between a transfer date and time included in the acquired occupancy transfer history record and the end date and time is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value. a segment extraction step of extracting a segment representing a section delimited by a change in the total amount of items simultaneously occupied by the occupant as a section to which environmental information of the item is associated, based on possession transfer data constituted by a possession transfer history record that represents a transfer history of an occupant of an object in a supply chain and is realized by a non-fungible token of a blockchain, the possession transfer history record including at least a transfer date and time of the object, a transfer source identification information indicating an identification information of a transfer source of the object, and a transfer destination identification information indicating an identification information of a transfer destination of the object ;
The computer executes
The segment extraction procedure includes:
A section extraction method, comprising: initializing a start date and time of the segment and an end date and time of the segment for each of the transfer destination identification information; acquiring an occupancy transfer history record in which identification information identical to the transfer destination identification information is included as a transfer source identification information or a transfer destination identification information in order of transfer date and time; and updating the end date and time with the transfer date and time included in the acquired occupancy transfer history record until a specified condition is satisfied, thereby extracting the section from the start date and time to the end date and time as the segment corresponding to the transfer destination identification information . a segment extraction step of extracting a segment representing a section delimited by a change in the total amount of items simultaneously occupied by the occupant as a section to which environmental information of the item is associated, based on possession transfer data constituted by a possession transfer history record that represents a transfer history of an occupant of an object in a supply chain and is realized by a non-fungible token of a blockchain, the possession transfer history record including at least a transfer date and time of the object, a transfer source identification information indicating an identification information of a transfer source of the object, and a transfer destination identification information indicating an identification information of a transfer destination of the object ;
Run the following on your computer :
A program that initializes the start date and time of the segment and the end date and time of the segment for each of the transfer destination identification information, acquires occupancy transfer history records in order of transfer date and time that contain identification information identical to the transfer destination identification information as the transfer source identification information or the transfer destination identification information, and updates the end date and time with the transfer date and time contained in the acquired occupancy transfer history record until a specified condition is satisfied, thereby extracting the section from the start date and time to the end date and time as the segment corresponding to the transfer destination identification information .

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