JP7770937B2 - Generating device and generating method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a generation device and a generation method.

Initiatives are underway to prevent disasters and accidents by collecting and sharing information on near misses experienced by workers at construction sites, factories, and other workplaces, as well as by people requiring care living in nursing homes. A near miss is, for example, an incident that does not result in a serious disaster or accident, but which could have led to one. When a danger occurs, there are often many near misses lurking before it occurs, and collecting and analyzing near miss cases can be useful in preventing danger.

In recent years, attempts have been made to attach sensors to the bodies of subjects, such as workers or people requiring care, and monitor the subject's condition based on the sensor measurements.

For example, technologies related to managing a person's condition using sensor measurements are known (e.g., Patent Document 1 and Non-Patent Document 1).

JP 2013-80304 A

Yoshimitsu Shinagawa et al., "Detection of Human Walking and Falling Using an Acceleration Sensor," Kawasaki Journal of Medical Welfare, 1999, Vol. 9, No. 2, 243-250

However, for example, information about near misses is sometimes reported verbally, or the information is compiled into a list and shared. It is also sometimes shared by placing a marker such as a ribbon at the scene of the near miss. However, this type of information sharing can sometimes result in insufficient information being disseminated.

The object of this invention is to effectively provide near miss information.

A generation device of one embodiment of the present invention includes a generation unit that generates map information by registering the position indicated in the status information acquisition position information when the status of the subject is determined to be abnormal on a map of the location of the subject, based on a near-miss database that includes, in correspondence with each other, identification information for identifying a subject, status information regarding the status of the subject, status information acquisition time information indicating the time when the status information was acquired , status information acquisition position information indicating the position where the status information was acquired, an image taken of the status information acquisition position, and environmental information including at least the time of day, season, and weather when the near-miss occurred.The generation unit classifies the records of the near-miss database in accordance with predetermined conditions for the environmental information, and generates the map information by registering the position indicated in the status information acquisition position information on the map based on the results of the classification, and varies the generation mode of the map information depending on the environmental information.

It can effectively provide near miss information.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a generation system according to an embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of acquired information acquired by an acquisition device. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of photographing information acquired by a photographing device. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a near-miss database according to the embodiment. 10 is a diagram illustrating map information including information of a near-miss database according to an embodiment. FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operational flow of a process for generating near-miss map information according to an embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of map information including information of the near-miss database according to the embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operational flow of a notification process according to the embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of map information including information of the near-miss database according to the embodiment. FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a computer for implementing a generating device according to an embodiment.

Several embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that corresponding elements in multiple drawings will be designated by the same reference numerals.

In the embodiment described below, a near miss has occurred (the subject's condition is abnormal) based on the measurement values of a sensor attached to a subject, such as a worker performing work at a workplace or a person requiring care living in a nursing home. When the subject's condition is determined to be abnormal, the sensor's measurement value, acquisition time, and acquisition location are acquired. Furthermore, images (still images or video) captured by a fixed surveillance camera, unmanned vehicle, or a camera worn by the user installed near the sensor measurement value acquisition location are included in the near miss database. This allows the subject and the administrator managing the subject's activities to confirm the subject's condition when a near miss occurs from the images. Therefore, the situation when the subject's condition becomes abnormal (when, where, who, what was doing, why, what happened, etc.) can be understood from the sensor's measurement value, acquisition time, and acquisition location. In other words, a near miss database can be automatically generated that can understand the subject's condition, including when a near miss occurs.

In this embodiment, the generated near-miss database is used to map the locations where near-misses have occurred. This allows the person in question to easily understand the location of the near-miss. It is also possible to alert the person in question if they approach a location marked on the map where a near-miss has occurred. The embodiment is described in more detail below.

Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of a generation system 1 according to an embodiment. The generation system 1 shown in Figure 1 includes an acquisition device 2, one or more image capture devices 3, and a generation device 4. The generation device 4 may acquire information from the acquisition device 2 and the image capture device 3 via wireless communication, wired communication, or a network such as the Internet, or may acquire information from the acquisition device 2 and the image capture device 3 via a recording medium such as a memory card. Note that in the example of Figure 1, the generation system 1 is composed of the acquisition device 2, the image capture device 3, and the generation device 4, but the embodiment is not limited to this. For example, the acquisition device 2, the image capture device 3, and the generation device 4 may be integrated into a single device.

The acquisition device 2 is attached to the subject's body and includes a status information acquisition unit 21, a time information acquisition unit 22, a location information acquisition unit 23, a memory unit 24, and a control unit 25. The status information acquisition unit 21 may be configured to include the time information acquisition unit 22 and the location information acquisition unit 23. The acquisition device 2 may be held by the subject in the form of an activity meter, smart watch, smartphone, mobile terminal, or the like. The acquisition device 2 may also be implanted in the subject's body.

The status information acquisition unit 21 includes an acceleration sensor, tilt sensor, heart rate monitor, blood pressure monitor, electrodermal activity sensor, sole pressure sensor, and air pressure sensor, and acquires status information regarding the subject's status, such as the subject's movements, position, posture, and vital data.

For example, if the acquisition device 2 is attached to the subject's central region (such as the waist), the status information acquisition unit 21 may be configured with an acceleration sensor or tilt sensor. When the status information acquisition unit 21 is configured with an acceleration sensor or tilt sensor, it can measure the acceleration and tilt angle near the center of the subject's body, thereby enabling measurement of the subject's movements while minimizing the effects of movements of local body parts such as the arms and legs. Alternatively, when the acquisition device 2 is attached to the subject's palm, finger, or arm, the status information acquisition unit 21 may be configured with a heart rate monitor, blood pressure monitor, electrodermal activity sensor, or the like. When the status information acquisition unit 21 is configured with a heart rate monitor, blood pressure monitor, electrodermal activity sensor, or the like, if the subject's condition becomes abnormal, the subject's heart rate will rise sharply or the subject will break out into a cold sweat (psychological sweating). Therefore, by detecting a sharp increase in the measurement values of the heart rate monitor, blood pressure monitor, or electrodermal activity sensor, it is possible to determine that the subject's condition has become abnormal. Alternatively, when the acquisition device 2 is attached to the sole of the subject's foot, the status information acquisition unit 21 may be configured with a pressure sensor. In this way, when the condition information acquisition unit 21 is configured using a pressure sensor, if the subject's condition becomes abnormal, the pressure distribution and center of gravity movement on the soles of the subject's feet will change compared to normal, and by detecting changes in the measurement values of the pressure sensor, it can be determined that the subject's condition has become abnormal.

The time information acquisition unit 22 is a radio-controlled clock or a GPS (Global Positioning System), and acquires status information acquisition time information indicating the time (date and time) when the status information was acquired by the status information acquisition unit 21.

The location information acquisition unit 23 is a GPS or an indoor location information acquisition terminal, and acquires the location information of the acquisition device 2 at the time when the status information acquisition unit 21 acquires the status information. Note that if the time information acquisition unit 22 and the location information acquisition unit 23 are configured using a GPS, the time information acquisition unit 22 and the location information acquisition unit 23 may be combined into one unit.

The storage unit 24 is a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), or a memory card, and stores information acquired by the acquisition device 2 (identification information, status information, status information acquisition time information, and status information acquisition location information).

The control unit 25 is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a programmable device (such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) or PLD (Programmable Logic Device)), and controls the operation of the status information acquisition unit 21, the time information acquisition unit 22, the position information acquisition unit 23, and the memory unit 24. The control unit 25 also associates identification information that identifies the subject, the status information acquired by the status information acquisition unit 21, the status information acquisition time information acquired by the time information acquisition unit 22, and the status information acquisition position information acquired by the position information acquisition unit 23, and stores them in the memory unit 24. The information stored in the memory unit 24 is transmitted to the generation device 4 via wireless communication, wired communication, or a network. Alternatively, the information stored in the memory unit 24 is provided to the generation device 4 via a memory card.

The photographing device 3 also includes a photographing unit 31, a time information acquisition unit 32, a location information acquisition unit 33, a memory unit 34, and a control unit 35.

The imaging unit 31 may be a fixed surveillance camera installed at a work site or nursing home, a camera equipped on an unmanned mobile vehicle such as a drone or robot, or a camera attached to a helmet worn by the subject, and captures images (still images or video). This camera may be, for example, a 360-degree camera or a 3D scanner. When capturing still images, the imaging unit 31 captures images at set intervals, for example. The set interval is preferably set appropriately taking into account the ease of searching for images. Furthermore, if the imaging unit 31 is a fixed surveillance camera or an unmanned mobile camera, the imaging unit 31 is capable of capturing images of the subject and their surroundings. Furthermore, if the imaging unit 31 is a camera attached to the subject's body, such as a 360-degree camera, the imaging unit 31 is capable of capturing images of the subject's surroundings.

The time information acquisition unit 32 is a radio clock or GPS, and acquires shooting time information indicating the time (date and time) when an image was captured by the imaging unit 31.

The location information acquisition unit 33 is a GPS or an indoor location information acquisition terminal, and acquires shooting location information indicating the location of the shooting device 3 when the image was captured by the shooting unit 31. Note that if the time information acquisition unit 32 and the location information acquisition unit 33 are configured using a GPS, the time information acquisition unit 32 and the location information acquisition unit 33 may be combined into one unit.

The storage unit 34 is a RAM, ROM, or memory card, and stores information acquired by the image capture device 3 (images, capture time information, and capture location information).

The control unit 35 is configured with a CPU or a programmable device, and controls the operation of the photographing unit 31, time information acquisition unit 32, position information acquisition unit 33, and storage unit 34. The control unit 35 also associates the image photographed by the photographing unit 31 with the photographing time information acquired by the time information acquisition unit 32 and the photographing position information acquired by the position information acquisition unit 33, and stores them in the storage unit 34. The information stored in the storage unit 34 is transmitted to the generation device 4 via wireless communication, wired communication, or a network. Alternatively, the information stored in the storage unit 34 is provided to the generation device 4 via a memory card.

The generation device 4 is composed of a computer such as a personal computer (PC), mobile PC, tablet terminal, smartphone, mobile phone, or server computer on a network.

The generation device 4 also includes a determination unit 41, a generation unit 42, and a storage unit 43, and generates a near-miss database using the information acquired by the acquisition device 2 and the information acquired by the imaging device 3.

The determination unit 41 detects a sudden change in the status information acquired by the acquisition device 2 as a near miss. For example, if the determination unit 41 determines that the acceleration measured by the acceleration sensor serving as the status information acquisition unit 21 falls within an acceleration range corresponding to a "stationary state" for a certain period of time, the determination unit 41 determines that the subject's status is "stationary." Next, after identifying the "stationary state" as the subject's status, the determination unit 41 determines that the acceleration measured by the acceleration sensor falls within an acceleration range corresponding to a "walking state" for a certain period of time, and then determines that the subject's status has changed from "stationary state" to "walking state." On the other hand, if the determination unit 41 determines that the acceleration measured by the acceleration sensor does not fall within any of the pre-prepared acceleration ranges after identifying the "stationary state" as the subject's status, the determination unit 41 determines that the subject's status is abnormal, i.e., that a near miss has occurred.

The range for judging the acceleration range can be set to thresholds such as minimum and maximum values. For example, the acceleration range corresponding to a "stationary state" is the range from the minimum to maximum of multiple accelerations measured continuously for a certain period by the acceleration sensor when the subject is stationary. Similarly, the acceleration range corresponding to a "walking state" is the range from the minimum to maximum of multiple accelerations measured continuously for a certain period by the acceleration sensor when the subject is walking. The minimum and maximum values of the acceleration range may be fixed values, may be changed depending on the subject, or may be changed depending on the amount of change per unit time in the acceleration sensor's measurement value.

Note that, when the status information acquisition unit 21 of the acquisition device 2 is configured with multiple sensors, the determination unit 41 may be configured to determine whether the subject's status is abnormal using the measurement values measured by each of the multiple sensors. Alternatively, when the status information acquisition unit 21 of the acquisition device 2 is configured with multiple sensors, the determination unit 41 may be configured to identify the subject's status and then determine whether the subject's status has become abnormal from the identified status. For example, the determination unit 41 may be configured to use measurement values measured by an acceleration sensor and measurement values measured by a barometric pressure sensor to identify that the subject is descending stairs, and then determine whether the subject's status has become abnormal from the status of descending stairs.

Furthermore, when the status information acquisition unit 21 of the acquisition device 2 is configured as an imaging device such as a camera, the determination unit 41 may be configured to determine whether the subject's status is abnormal using images (still images or moving images) captured by the imaging device. Alternatively, when the status information acquisition unit 21 of the acquisition device 2 is configured as an imaging device, the determination unit 41 may be configured to use images captured by the imaging device to identify the subject's status and then determine whether the subject's status has changed from the identified status to an abnormal status. For example, the determination unit 41 may be configured to analyze moving images and track the subject in the moving images to identify that the subject is walking, and then determine whether the subject's status has changed from a walking status to an abnormal status.

Furthermore, when the status information acquisition unit 21 of the acquisition device 2 is configured with a sensor such as an acceleration sensor and an imaging device such as a camera, the determination unit 41 may be configured to determine whether the subject's condition is abnormal using both the sensor measurement values and the image from the imaging device. Alternatively, when the status information acquisition unit 21 of the acquisition device 2 is configured with a sensor and an imaging device, the determination unit 41 may be configured to identify the subject's condition using both the sensor measurement values and the image from the imaging device, and then determine whether the subject's condition has become abnormal from the identified condition. For example, the determination unit 41 may be configured to confirm the identified subject's condition when the subject's condition identified using the sensor measurement values and the subject's condition identified using the image from the imaging device match. Furthermore, the determination unit 41 may be configured to determine that the subject's condition has become abnormal from the identified condition using the sensor measurement values, and to confirm that the subject's condition is abnormal when it is determined that the subject's condition has become abnormal from the identified condition using the image from the imaging device.

When the determination unit 41 determines that the subject's condition is abnormal, the generation unit 42 generates a near-miss database by associating identification information for identifying the subject, status information acquisition time information indicating the acquisition time of the status information used when the subject's condition was determined to be abnormal, status information acquisition position information indicating the acquisition position of the status information used when the subject's condition was determined to be abnormal, and an image captured of the acquisition position of the status information used when the subject's condition was determined to be abnormal.

In addition, when the generation system 1 is configured to include multiple image capture devices 3, the generation unit 42 may be configured to generate a near-miss database by associating identification information, status information acquisition time information, status information acquisition location information, and images captured by each of the multiple image capture devices 3.

The storage unit 43 is RAM or ROM, and stores information acquired by the acquisition device 2 (identification information, status information, status information acquisition time information, status information acquisition location information), information acquired by the imaging device 3 (image information, imaging time information, imaging location information), and the near-miss database generated by the generation unit 42.

Figure 2 shows an example of acquired information 200 acquired by acquisition device 2.

The acquired information 200 shown in FIG. 2 is information stored in the memory unit 24 of the acquisition device 2 or the memory unit 43 of the generation device 4. The acquired information 200 also has a field F11 in which identification information is stored, a field F12 in which status information is stored, a field F13 in which status information acquisition time information is stored, and a field F14 in which status information acquisition location information is stored. In other words, the acquired information 200 is information in which identification information, status information, status information acquisition time information, and status information acquisition location information are associated with one another. In the example of FIG. 2, "ID1" is stored in field F11 of each of records R11 to R20 of the acquired information 200, and "Latitude: 35 degrees 41 minutes 29 seconds, Longitude: 139 degrees 44 minutes 16 seconds" is stored in field F14 of each of records R11 to R20. Furthermore, "1.1[G]" is stored in field F12 of record R11 of the acquired information 200, and "January 15, 2021, 9:30:31" is stored in field F13 of record R11.

Figure 3 shows an example of the shooting information 300 acquired by the shooting device 3.

The shooting information 300 shown in FIG. 3 is information stored in the storage unit 34 of the shooting device 3 and the storage unit 43 of the generation device 4. The shooting information 300 also has a field F21 in which an image is stored, a field F22 in which shooting time information is stored, and a field F23 in which shooting location information is stored. In other words, the shooting information 300 is information in which image information, shooting time information, and shooting location information are associated with one another. In the example of FIG. 3, "Image1" is stored in field F21 of record R21 of the shooting information 300, and "January 15, 2021, 9:30:31" is stored in field F22 of record R21. Furthermore, "Latitude: 35 degrees 41 minutes 29 seconds, Longitude: 139 degrees 44 minutes 16 seconds" is stored in field F23 of record R21 of the shooting information 300.

Figure 4 shows an example of a near-miss database 400.

The near-miss database 400 shown in Figure 4 is information stored in the memory unit 43 of the generation device 4. The near-miss database 400 also has a field F31 in which identification information is stored, a field F32 in which status information is stored, a field F33 in which status information acquisition time information is stored, a field F34 in which status information acquisition location information is stored, and a field F35 in which image information is stored. In other words, the near-miss database 400 is information in which identification information, status information, status information acquisition time information, status information acquisition location information, and image information are associated with one another. In the example of FIG. 4, "ID1" is stored in field F31 of record R31 of information D3, "2.9 [G]" is stored in field F32 of record R31, "January 15, 2021, 9:30:38" is stored in field F33 of record R31, "Latitude: 35 degrees 41 minutes 29 seconds, Longitude: 139 degrees 44 minutes 16 seconds" is stored in field F34 of record R31, and "Image8" is stored in field F35 of record R31.

Here, assume that the acquired information 200 shown in Figure 2 and the shooting information 300 shown in Figure 3 are stored in the memory unit 43 of the generation device 4, and that the minimum value of the acceleration range for identifying the subject as walking is 0.6 [G], the maximum value is 1.2 [G], and the fixed time is 5 [seconds].

First, when the determination unit 41 of the generating device 4 determines that the state information (1.1 G, 1.0 G, 0.9 G, 0.8 G, 0.6 G) stored in field F12 of records R11 to R15 for a certain period of time (5 seconds) among records R11 to R20 in the acquired information 200 is within the acceleration range (0.6 G to 1.2 G), it identifies the subject's state as "walking state." Next, when the determination unit 41 determines that the state information (2.9 G) stored in field F12 of record R18 among the state information stored in field F12 of records R16 to R20 for the next certain period of time (5 seconds) among records R11 to R20 in the acquired information 200 is outside the predetermined range (0.6 G to 1.2 G), it determines that the subject's state has changed from "walking state" to abnormal. That is, the determination unit 41 determines that a near miss occurred while the subject was walking. Note that the generation unit 42 may be configured to include the content determined by the determination unit 41 (that a near miss occurred while the subject was walking) in the near miss database.

Next, the generation unit 42 of the generation device 4 searches the imaging information 300 for record R28 corresponding to the imaging time information and imaging location information that match the status information acquisition time information and status information acquisition location information of record R18 in the acquisition information 200. This makes it possible to extract the image (Image8) stored in field F21 of record R28 in the imaging information 300 as the image captured at or near the status information acquisition location used when determining that the subject's condition was abnormal. Note that an image captured at or near the status information acquisition location is, for example, an image captured with a camera attached to the subject. Alternatively, an image captured at or near the status information acquisition location is, for example, an image captured with a camera located within a predetermined shooting distance from the status information acquisition location. In another example, an image captured at or near the status information acquisition location is an image captured with a camera at the status information acquisition location.

The generation unit 42 then associates the image (Image8) stored in field F21 of record R28 of the imaging information 300 with record R18 of the acquired information 200, thereby generating a near-miss database 400 consisting of record R31. This allows the subject or a manager managing the subject's activities to confirm the information stored in fields F31 to F34 of record R31 in the near-miss database 400 to determine when ("Latitude: 35°41'29", Longitude: 139°44'16"), where ("January 15, 2021, 9:30:35" to "January 15, 2021, 9:30:40"), and who ("ID1") occurred. Furthermore, by confirming the image stored in field F35 of record R31, they can determine what the subject was doing, why, and what happened (for example, that the subject tripped over materials scattered on the floor while walking). The photography device 3 may be configured to record a record in the photography information 300 only when a near miss occurs. By recording only when a near miss occurs, the storage capacity can be reduced. Also, the amount of data sent to the generation device 4 can be reduced. The photography information 300 may be configured to be sent all at once at a set time.

The generation unit 42 may be configured to generate the near-miss database 400 using records R16 through R20 before and after record R18, including record R18 in the acquired information 200 when the subject's condition became abnormal, and the images (Image 6 through Image 10) of records R26 through R30 in the photographed information 300 that match the times and locations of records R16 through R20. The generation unit 42 may also be configured to generate near-miss databases for multiple subjects. The generation unit 42 may also be configured to analyze and statistically process the circumstances when the subject became abnormal based on the near-miss database, and to extract the cause of the subject's abnormality from the analysis and statistical processing. This allows the subject or manager to understand the circumstances before and after the subject's abnormality by checking each image in the near-miss database 400. Therefore, by checking the near-miss database 400, the subject or manager can not only recognize when, where, and who became abnormal (when a near-miss occurred), but can also analyze and statistically process the situation when the abnormality occurred to extract the cause of the abnormality.

In the embodiment, the generation unit 42 then registers, for example, the information from the near-miss database 400 generated as described above into the map information 500.

Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating map information 500 containing information from the near-miss database 400 according to an embodiment. The map information 500 is, for example, a floor plan of a work site where workers and other personnel work, as well as drawing data such as BIM (Building Information Modeling) data. In the example of Figure 5, the map information 500 includes registered coordinate positions 501 that correspond to positions on the map and coordinates in real space. The coordinate positions 501 may include, for example, the installation positions of the camera device 3 and beacon receiver. For example, by measuring and recording the installation positions of the camera device 3 and beacon receiver in the image and their position coordinates in real space in advance, the installation positions in the image can be associated with their position coordinates in real space. For example, the position coordinates of the installation position where the camera device 3 is installed can be obtained from the photography information 300. By using multiple such coordinate positions 501 (e.g., three or more points), it is possible to associate other positions in the image with coordinates in real space.

In the example of FIG. 5, the location 502 of the near miss is registered in the map information 500. The generation unit 42, for example, acquires information on the location of the near miss from the status information acquisition location information in the near miss database 400. The generation unit 42 may then register the location of the near miss in the map information 500. For example, the generation unit 42 registers the location 502 of the near miss at a position corresponding to the position coordinates of the location of the near miss, based on the coordinate position 501 included in the map information 500.

Accordingly, according to the embodiment, map information 500 can be easily generated to indicate the locations of near misses within a work site. Furthermore, map information 500 makes it easy to share information about areas within a work site that require attention. Map information 500 allows the locations of multiple near misses to be confirmed, which can be useful for understanding near miss trends and improving the work site environment. Note that map information 500 may also include other information related to near misses, such as the person involved, the time of occurrence, and the details of the near miss.

Furthermore, the map information 500 may be used, for example, to alert people working on-site about near misses. For example, when a person approaches a near miss occurrence location 502 registered on the map information 500, an alert notification may be issued using sound, vibration, email, or the like to alert the person. This can prevent the person from causing a near miss.

Next, the process for generating near-miss map information 500 according to the embodiment will be described. Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the operational flow of the process for generating near-miss map information 500 according to the embodiment. For example, the generation device 4 may start the operational flow of Figure 6 when an instruction to execute the process for generating map information 500 is input.

In S601, the determination unit 41 of the generation device 4 determines whether the subject has entered a predetermined location, such as a work site or a care facility. If it is determined that the subject has not entered (No in S601), the flow repeats the processing of S601. On the other hand, if it is determined that the subject has entered (Yes in S601), the flow proceeds to S602.

In S602, the determination unit 41 of the generation device 4 sends a status information acquisition start instruction to the acquisition device 2 and an image acquisition start instruction to the imaging device 3. For example, the generation device 4 determines that the subject has entered the work site or nursing facility using an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) receiver, magnetic reader, infrared sensor, or facial recognition device installed near the entrance to the work site or nursing facility. Alternatively, the generation device 4 determines that the subject has entered the work site or nursing facility by detecting that the subject has pressed a measurement start button installed near the entrance to the work site or nursing facility or on a device worn by the subject. Note that, for example, upon receiving the status information acquisition start instruction, the acquisition device 2 starts collecting the subject's status information and registers a record in the acquisition information 200. Furthermore, for example, upon receiving the image acquisition start instruction, the imaging device 3 starts capturing images and registers a record in the imaging information 300.

In S603, the determination unit 41 of the generation device 4 determines whether the subject has left a predetermined location such as a work site or a nursing home. For example, if the subject has not left a predetermined location such as a work site or a nursing home (No in S603), the flow repeats the processing of S603. On the other hand, if it is determined that the subject has left (Yes in S603), the flow proceeds to S604. For example, the determination unit 41 determines that the subject has left the work site or nursing home using an RFID receiver, magnetic reader, infrared sensor, or facial recognition device installed near the exit of the work site or nursing home. Alternatively, the determination unit 41 determines that the subject has left the work site or nursing home by detecting that the subject has pressed a measurement end button installed near the exit of the work site or nursing home or provided on a device worn by the subject.

In S604, the determination unit 41 sends a status information acquisition end instruction to the acquisition device 2 and an image acquisition end instruction to the imaging device 3. For example, upon receiving the status information acquisition end instruction, the acquisition device 2 sends the generation device 4 acquisition information 200 that registers records of the collected status information. For example, upon receiving the image acquisition end instruction, the imaging device 3 sends the generation device 4 imaging information 300 that includes records registering the captured images.

In S605, the determination unit 41 determines whether or not information about the subject has been received. If information about the subject has not been received (S605: No), the flow repeats the processing of S605. On the other hand, if information about the subject has been received (S605: Yes), the flow proceeds to S606. For example, when the determination unit 41 receives acquired information 200 from the acquisition device 2 and photographed information 300 from the photographing device 3, it determines Yes in S605.

In S606, the judgment unit 41 judges whether there is an abnormality in the subject's condition. For example, if the received information does not include status information that determines that the subject's condition is abnormal, the judgment unit 41 judges No in S606, and this operation flow ends without creating a near-miss database. On the other hand, if the received information includes status information that determines that the subject's condition is abnormal, the judgment unit 41 judges Yes in S606, and the flow proceeds to S607.

In S607, the generation unit 42 generates a near-miss database 400 using the status information determined to be abnormal, information related to that status information (identification information, status information acquisition time information, and status information acquisition location information), and images taken at or near the acquisition location of that status information, and stores the database in the storage unit 43.

In S608, the generation unit 42 generates map information 500 by registering information on the location where the near miss occurred (e.g., the location indicated in the status information acquisition location information) in a map based on the information in the generated near miss database 400, and stores the map information in the memory unit 43, after which this operation flow ends.

In this way, the generation system 1 of the embodiment is configured to generate a near-miss database that includes not only the status information used when the subject's condition is determined to be abnormal, but also images taken at the location where that status information was obtained. This allows subjects and managers to automatically generate a near-miss database that allows them to understand the subject's situation at the time of a near-miss by checking the near-miss database. Furthermore, according to the embodiment, the near-miss database can be used to generate map information 500 in which the locations where near-misses occurred are registered. This makes it easier for subjects and managers to take measures to prevent near-misses from occurring. For example, map information 500 makes it easy to share information about areas within a work site that require attention. Furthermore, because the locations where multiple near-misses occurred can be confirmed on map information 500, it can be useful for understanding near-miss trends and improving the work site environment.

A near-miss database can also be collected for multiple subjects. By collecting near-miss information from multiple subjects, a near-miss database can be created. Note that the embodiment can also be applied to multiple work sites.

The generation unit 42 may also classify the records registered in the near-miss database 400 based on predetermined conditions and generate map information 500 based on the classification results. For example, the generation unit 42 may analyze and statistically process the records in the near-miss database 400 based on the location, situation, time, etc., of the occurrence, and classify the near-miss events that have occurred into categories such as tripping and slipping. Then, in S607, the generation unit 42 may register the records in the near-miss database 400, including classification information containing the classification results. In this case, in S608, the generation unit 42 may, for example, display the map information 500 in different formats for each classification.

Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating map information 500 in which the locations of near misses are registered in different display formats for each classification. In the example of Figure 7, the locations of near misses are shown as occurrence locations 502 where tripping occurred, represented by an "x", and occurrence locations 502 where slipping occurred, represented by a "o". By displaying events in this way according to their classification, it becomes easier to understand the details of the near misses. Note that the display may be distinguished not only by shape, but also by other methods such as color or size.

Classification may also be performed based on other conditions, such as the time of day when the near miss occurred, the season, and environmental information indicating other circumstances, such as weather. For example, the generation unit 42 extracts records from the near miss database 400 for time periods such as 10:00-12:00, 1:00-3:00, and 3:00-5:00, based on the status information acquisition time information from the near miss database 400. The generation unit 42 may then generate map information 500 for each time period, including the locations 502 of near misses that occurred during that time period. This makes it easy to understand situations, such as when near misses occur frequently during times when fatigue sets in, such as 3:00-5:00. Alternatively, by classifying and displaying near misses by season, it becomes easy to understand situations, such as when near misses occur frequently during the hot summer months. Furthermore, by classifying and displaying near misses according to the weather, it is possible to differentiate the display, such as including near misses that occur more frequently on rainy days in the map information 500 on rainy days, but not including them on sunny days. Therefore, according to this embodiment, near miss information can be registered and provided in the map information 500 at times when near misses are likely to occur.

Note that weather information can be collected from websites provided by the Japan Meteorological Agency, for example. For example, when generating the near-miss database 400 in S607, the generation unit 42 may obtain the weather information for the local area corresponding to the map information 500 at the date and time corresponding to the status information acquisition time information of the record in the near-miss database 400 from a website provided by the Japan Meteorological Agency, and register it in the near-miss database 400.

Furthermore, according to the embodiment, it is possible to alert a target person when they approach the near-miss occurrence location 502 marked on the map information 500.

Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of the operational flow of the notification process according to the embodiment. For example, when an instruction to execute the near-miss notification process is input, the generation device 4 starts the operational flow shown in Figure 8.

In S801, the determination unit 41 of the generation device 4 determines whether the subject has entered a predetermined location, such as a work site or a care facility. If it is determined that the subject has not entered (No in S801), the flow repeats the processing of S801. On the other hand, if it is determined that the subject has entered (Yes in S801), the flow proceeds to S802. Note that the processing of S801 may be executed in the same manner as S601, for example.

In S802, the determination unit 41 acquires the subject's status information from the acquisition device 2. Note that the status information includes, for example, the subject's location information acquired by GPS.

In S803, the determination unit 41 determines whether the subject is at the location where the near miss occurred. For example, the determination unit 41 determines that the subject's current location acquired in S802 is the location where the near miss occurred if it approaches the near miss location 502 in the near miss database 400 while satisfying a predetermined condition. One example of approaching the location while satisfying a predetermined condition is when the subject enters a position within a predetermined distance from the near miss location 502. In another example, a beacon receiver may be installed at the near miss location 502, and the receiver notifies the generation device 4 when it receives a beacon from a beacon transmitter held by the subject at a predetermined strength or greater. In this case, the determination unit 41 of the generation device 4 determines that the subject has approached the near miss location 502 while satisfying a predetermined condition, for example, when it receives a notification indicating that a beacon has been received at a predetermined strength or greater. This allows the determination unit 41 to determine that the subject is at the location where the near miss occurred.

If the subject is not at the location where the near miss occurred in S803 (NO in S803), the flow proceeds to S805. On the other hand, if the subject is at the location where the near miss occurred in S803 (YES in S803), the flow proceeds to S804.

In S804, the determination unit 41 issues a warning notification, and the flow proceeds to S805. For example, the determination unit 41 issues a warning notification to a terminal such as the acquisition device 2 carried by the subject. When the terminal carried by the subject receives the warning notification, it outputs a notification by sound, vibration, or the like. This allows the subject to know that they are in a location where a near miss has occurred, and they can take care to prevent a near miss from occurring. This makes it possible to reduce the occurrence of near misses.

In S805, the determination unit 41 determines whether the subject has left a predetermined location such as a work site or a nursing home. For example, if the subject has not left a predetermined location such as a work site or a nursing home (No in S805), the flow returns to S802. On the other hand, if it is determined that the subject has left (Yes in S805), this operation flow ends. For example, the determination unit 41 determines that the subject has left a work site or a nursing home using an RFID receiver, magnetic reader, infrared sensor, or facial recognition installed near the exit of the work site or nursing home. Alternatively, the determination unit 41 determines that the subject has left a work site or a nursing home by detecting that the subject has pressed a measurement end button installed near the exit of the work site or nursing home or provided on a device worn by the subject.

As described above, according to the embodiment, a warning can be issued when a target person is in a location where a near miss has occurred, based on information from the near miss database 400 or map information 500. This makes it possible to prevent near misses from occurring.

In the above embodiment, an example is described in which in S803, distance, radio wave intensity, etc. are used to determine whether the subject is in a location where a near miss occurred, but the embodiment is not limited to this. In another embodiment, the determination unit 41 may also determine whether the subject is in a location where a near miss occurred based on information from the map information 500.

For example, if the map information 500 is provided as BIM data, it can be used because it contains information such as the structure of the building. In this case, for example, the determination unit 41 may determine whether the subject is in an area corresponding to the location where the near miss occurred.

Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating map information 500 that includes information on an area 901 corresponding to the location where a near miss occurred. For example, the map information 500 in Figure 9 includes area information 901 that indicates an area within room C.

Here, for example, suppose a subject approaches within a predetermined distance from occurrence location 502 in Room C. In this case, the subject could be in Room A or Room C. On the other hand, because the near miss occurred in Room C, no matter how close the subject is to occurrence location 502 in Room C, the possibility of the near miss occurring may be low if the subject is in Room A. Therefore, in the embodiment, the determination unit 41 determines in S803 that the subject is in the location where the near miss occurred, for example, if the subject is within a predetermined distance from occurrence location 502 of the near miss and within an area corresponding to occurrence location 502. For example, the determination unit 41 determines in S803 that the subject is in the location where the near miss occurred if the subject is within a predetermined distance from occurrence location 502 of the near miss and within an area indicated by area information 901 of Room C to which occurrence location 502 of the near miss belongs.

This allows the target person to be alerted to the near miss with greater accuracy. The determination of whether or not the target person is in the area corresponding to the occurrence location 502 may be made, for example, based on whether or not the target person is in the same room (interior). Furthermore, the map information 500 may include area information indicating the areas of other rooms, similar to the area information 901 corresponding to room C, for example.

Figure 10 shows an example of a computer that can be used to implement the generation device 4.

The computer 1000 shown in FIG. 10 includes a processor 1001, memory 1002, storage device 1003, reading device 1004, communication interface 1005, and input/output interface 1006. The processor 1001, memory 1002, storage device 1003, reading device 1004, communication interface 1005, and input/output interface 1006 are connected to each other via a bus 1007.

The processor 1001 is configured as a single processor, multiple processors, or multiple cores. The processor 1001 also provides some or all of the functions of the determination unit 41 and the generation unit 42 by reading a program stored in the storage device 1003 and using the memory 1002 to execute a program that describes the procedures of the flowcharts shown in Figures 6 and 8.

Memory 1002 may be semiconductor memory or the like, and may include RAM and ROM areas.

The storage device 1003 is a semiconductor memory such as a hard disk or flash memory, or an external storage device.

The reading device 1004 accesses the removable storage medium 1009 in accordance with instructions from the processor 1001. The removable storage medium 1009 can be realized by a semiconductor device, a medium that inputs and outputs information magnetically, or a medium that inputs and outputs information optically. An example of a semiconductor device is a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory. An example of a medium that inputs and outputs information magnetically is a magnetic disk. An example of a medium that inputs and outputs information optically is a CD (Compact Disc)-ROM, a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), or a Blu-ray Disc (Blu-ray is a registered trademark).

The above-mentioned storage unit 43 includes, for example, a memory 1002, a storage device 1003, and a removable storage medium 1009. For example, the storage device 1003 stores acquired information 200, photographic information 300, a near-miss database 400, and map information 500.

The communication interface 1005 communicates with other devices according to instructions from the processor 1001. For example, the generation device 4 collects information from the acquisition device 2 and the imaging device 3 via the communication interface 1005.

The input/output interface 1006 is, for example, an interface between an input device and an output device. An input device is a device such as a keyboard, mouse, or touch panel that accepts instructions from a subject or administrator. An output device is a display device such as a monitor, or an audio device such as a speaker.

Each program according to the embodiment is provided to the generating device 4 in the following form, for example.
(1) It is pre-installed in the storage device 1003.
(2) Provided by a removable storage medium 1009.
(3) Provided from a server such as a program server.

Note that the hardware configuration of the computer 1000 for realizing the generation device 4 described with reference to FIG. 10 is an example, and embodiments are not limited to this. For example, part of the above-described configuration may be deleted, or new configuration may be added. Furthermore, in another embodiment, for example, some or all of the functions of the above-described generation device 4 may be implemented as hardware using an FPGA, SoC (System-on-a-Chip), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), PLD, or the like.

A number of embodiments have been described above. However, the embodiments are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and should be understood to include various modifications and alternative forms of the above-described embodiments. For example, it will be understood that the various embodiments can be realized by modifying the components without departing from the spirit and scope of the embodiments. It will also be understood that various embodiments can be implemented by appropriately combining multiple components disclosed in the above-described embodiments. Furthermore, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various embodiments can be implemented by deleting some components from all of the components shown in the embodiments, or by adding some components to the components shown in the embodiments.

1: Generation system 2: Acquisition device 3: Photography device 4: Generation device 21: Status information acquisition unit 22: Time information acquisition unit 23: Position information acquisition unit 24: Memory unit 25: Control unit 31: Photography unit 32: Time information acquisition unit 33: Position information acquisition unit 34: Memory unit 35: Control unit 41: Determination unit 42: Generation unit 43: Memory unit 200: Acquired information 300: Image information 400: Near miss database 500: Map information 501: Coordinate position 502: Occurrence position 900: Computer 901: Processor 902: Memory 903: Storage device 904: Reading device 905: Communication interface 906: Input/output interface 907: Bus 909: Removable storage medium

Claims (5)

Identification information for identifying the subject;
status information regarding the subject's status;
status information acquisition time information indicating the time when the status information was acquired;
status information acquisition location information indicating a location where the status information was acquired;
an image capturing a position where the status information is acquired;
Environmental information including at least the time period, season, and weather of the near miss occurrence;
a generating unit that generates map information by registering the position indicated in the state information acquisition position information when the state of the subject is determined to be abnormal in a map of the location of the subject, based on a near-miss database including the above-mentioned in association with each other,
The generation unit classifies records of the near-miss database according to predetermined conditions for the environmental information, and generates the map information by registering the position indicated in the state information acquisition position information in the map based on the result of the classification, and varies the generation mode of the map information depending on the environmental information.
generator. The environmental information includes first environmental information in which a first near miss is likely to occur and a second near miss is unlikely to occur, and second environmental information in which the second near miss is likely to occur and the first near miss is unlikely to occur,
The generation unit, under the first environmental information, includes the first near-miss in the map information and does not include the second near-miss in the map information, and under the second environmental information, includes the second near-miss in the map information and does not include the first near-miss in the map information;
The generating device of claim 1 . The device further includes a determination unit that outputs a notification indicating a warning when the position of the subject notified from the acquisition device approaches the position indicated in the status information acquisition position information while satisfying a predetermined condition.
3. The generating device according to claim 1 or 2. the determination unit outputs a notification indicating a warning when the position of the subject notified from the acquisition device is within a predetermined distance from the position indicated in the status information acquisition position information and the subject is in the same room on the map.
The generating device of claim 3 . A generating method executed by a generating device, the generating device comprising:
Identification information for identifying the subject;
status information regarding the subject's status;
status information acquisition time information indicating the time when the status information was acquired;
status information acquisition location information indicating a location where the status information was acquired;
an image capturing the acquisition position of the status information;
Environmental information including at least the time period, season, and weather of the near miss occurrence;
Based on a near-miss database including the above-mentioned items in association with each other, the position indicated in the state information acquisition position information when it is determined that the state of the subject is abnormal is registered in a map of the location of the subject, thereby generating map information ;
Classifying the records of the near-miss database in accordance with predetermined conditions for the environmental information, and generating the map information by registering the positions indicated in the state information acquisition position information in the map based on the results of the classification, and varying the generation mode of the map information depending on the environmental information.
Generation method.