JP2014055846A - Route guide system, route guide server and route guide method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a route guide system for performing route guide to a target commodity in a store.SOLUTION: The route guide system includes: a management server for managing a user position and an article position; and a route guide server for guiding a route from the user position to the article position. The route guide server includes: article information acquisition means for acquiring multiple pieces of information on articles targeted by a user; position information acquisition means for acquiring the user position and article positions of multiple articles acquired by the article information acquisition means, from the management server; and route search means for searching a route with the user position as a departure point and all of the multiple article positions as via points. The route search means determines an order of the via points so that the route is to be the shortest.

Description

  The present invention relates to a route guidance system, a route guidance server, and a route guidance method.

  Conventionally, when shopping at large stores such as shopping malls and home centers, the sales floor space is large and the number of products handled is very diverse. For this reason, the user may need a lot of labor until he finds the target product by looking at the sales floor guide or by asking the store clerk about the target product store. Also, when there are multiple target products, it may take the same route over and over again, so it may take a lot of time and travel to get all the products. .

  In Patent Document 1, self-location in a store is detected, and a route guidance is provided in the store based on a pre-set guidance route corresponding to the detected self-location and the display position of a product or a product group desired by the customer. A cart 12 or the like for performing the above is disclosed.

  However, the user does not always move according to the guidance route. For example, while moving, there is a case where a product that attracts other interests is found and the product sales place is detoured. Further, for example, there is a case where a rest space is found and a stop is taken while the user is moving. In this case, when the user finishes viewing the product or finishes the break, the user needs to return to the original guidance route and move again. For this reason, the guide route according to the invention described in Patent Document 1 is not necessarily an optimum guide route.

  In order to provide route guidance at a store, it is necessary to acquire location information of users and products. However, indoor facilities such as stores have a problem that accurate positioning using GPS or the like is difficult.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a route guidance system or the like that performs route guidance to a target product in a store.

  In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, a route guidance system according to the present invention includes a management server that manages positions of users and articles, and a route guidance server that guides routes from user positions to article positions. In the guidance system, the route guidance server includes a plurality of article information acquisition means for acquiring a plurality of pieces of article information intended for a user, and a plurality of pieces of information acquired from the management server by the user position and the article information acquisition means. Position information acquisition means for acquiring the article position of the article, and route search means for searching for a route having the user position as a departure point and a plurality of all the article positions as transit points, the route search means Determines the order of the waypoints where the route becomes the shortest.

  In addition, what applied the arbitrary combination of the component of this invention, expression, or a component to a method, an apparatus, a system, a computer program, a recording medium, etc. is effective as an aspect of this invention.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the route guidance system etc. which perform route guidance to the target goods in a shop can be provided.

The figure showing the positional infomation management system in one Embodiment of this invention. The figure showing the network which comprises the positional infomation management system in one Embodiment of this invention. The hardware block diagram of the communication apparatus in one Embodiment of this invention. The hardware block diagram of the radio | wireless terminal in one Embodiment of this invention. The hardware block diagram of the management apparatus in one Embodiment of this invention. The hardware block diagram of the management server in one Embodiment of this invention. The functional block diagram of the communication apparatus in one Embodiment of this invention. The functional block diagram of the radio | wireless terminal in one Embodiment of this invention. The functional block diagram of the management apparatus in one Embodiment of this invention. The functional block diagram of the management server in one Embodiment of this invention. The figure showing the example of the information which the communication apparatus in one Embodiment of this invention hold | maintains. The figure showing the example of the information which the radio | wireless terminal in one Embodiment of this invention hold | maintains. The figure showing the example of the format of the positional information which the radio | wireless terminal in one Embodiment of this invention transmits. The figure showing the example of the information which the management server in one Embodiment of this invention hold | maintains. The figure showing the operation | movement sequence of the positional infomation management system in one Embodiment of this invention. The figure showing the example of the search screen of the management server in one Embodiment of this invention. The figure showing the example of the search result screen of the management server in one Embodiment of this invention. The figure showing the route guidance system 2 in one Embodiment of this invention. The figure showing an example of the display shelf in one Embodiment of this invention. The figure showing the example of the information which the management server 160 in one Embodiment of this invention hold | maintains. The functional block diagram of the route guidance server 110 in one Embodiment of this invention. The figure showing an example of the store map 115a in one Embodiment of this invention. The figure showing an example of goods list 115b in one embodiment of the present invention. The figure showing an example of the shopping list | wrist 115c in one Embodiment of this invention. The figure showing an example of user position information 115d in one embodiment of the present invention. The figure showing an example of the example of a screen of the portable terminal 170 in one Embodiment of this invention (the 1). The figure showing an example of the example of a screen of the portable terminal 170 in the embodiment of the present invention (the 2). The figure showing an example of the example of a screen of portable terminal 170 in one embodiment of the invention (the 3). The figure showing an example of the example of a screen of portable terminal 170 in the 1 embodiment of the present invention (the 4). The figure showing an example of the example of a screen of the portable terminal 170 in the one embodiment of the present invention (the 5). The figure showing an example of the example of a screen of portable terminal 170 in the 1 embodiment of the present invention (the 6). The flowchart figure explaining the route guidance process (the 1) of the route guidance server 110 in one Embodiment of this invention. The figure explaining the route search in one Embodiment of this invention. The flowchart figure explaining the route guidance process (the 2) of the route guidance server 110 in one Embodiment of this invention. The figure showing an example of shopping list 115c and user position information 115d in one embodiment of the present invention. The figure explaining the route search in one Embodiment of this invention.

[Location information management system]
First, the route guidance system according to the present embodiment will first describe a location information management system for managing the location of a user (customer) or a product.

(system)
FIG. 1A shows a location information management system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1A includes communication apparatuses 100, 102, 104, and 106, wireless terminals 120, 122, and 124, a management apparatus 140, a management server 160, and a network 180 and a network 190 that include the communication apparatus, the wireless terminal, and the management apparatus. . Here, the network 180 is a wireless network managed by the management device 140. FIG. 1B shows the communication devices 100, 102, 104, and 106, the wireless terminals 120, 122, and 124, and the management device 140 that constitute the wireless network in FIG. 1A.

  The communication devices 100, 102, 104, and 106 are fixed to, for example, a ceiling of a room, and position information (hereinafter referred to as “position information”) such as history information, the number of floors of a building, and a building number related to the fixed position. This is transmitted wirelessly continuously or intermittently. Each communication device has an independent casing and operates by being supplied with power from a previously installed power source, or is incorporated in a lighting fixture such as an LED fluorescent tube and operates with power supplied from the lighting fixture. Each of the communication devices 100, 102, 104, and 106 transmits position information held by each of the communication devices 100, 102, 104, and 106 to a predetermined range using a radio signal. The predetermined range is determined by the signal strength of the radio signal used. The communication device is arranged so as to cover an area that is a position management target, and is configured so that the respective areas do not overlap. Or even if it is a case where it overlaps, in the side which receives a positional information, it is comprised so that any one communication apparatus can be determined based on the intensity | strength of a received radio wave. In the example of FIG. 1A, a conical dotted line shown below each communication device represents a predetermined range. As a communication method for transmitting position information, for example, a ground complementary signal (Indoor Messaging System; IMES) can be used.

  The wireless terminals 120, 122, and 124 can receive wireless signals transmitted by the nearest communication device among the communication devices 100, 102, 104, and 106. In the example of FIG. 1A, each wireless terminal is attached to a rectangular parallelepiped managed object that is a target whose position is to be managed. The wireless terminals 120, 122, and 124 are terminals that can transmit radio waves themselves, such as active tags. Hereinafter, the wireless terminal 120 will be described.

  The wireless terminal 120 is within a range in which a wireless signal from the communication device 100 can be received, and receives position information of the communication device 100. The position information of the communication device 100 is received using, for example, IMES. The wireless terminal 120 transmits information including its own identification information such as a network address to the communication apparatus 100 together with the received position information. The transmission is performed through a network 180 by short-range wireless communication such as IEEE802.15.4 and ZigBee (registered trademark). In this case, IEEE802.15.4 abbreviated address or IEEE extended (MAC) address can be used as identification information of the wireless terminal 120. The identification information and position information transmitted to the communication device 100 are then transmitted to the management device 140 via the adjacent communication device 102. The transmission / reception operation in the wireless terminal 120 is performed at a timing determined in advance in the wireless terminal 120 or at a timing when a change in acceleration by the acceleration sensor included in the wireless terminal 120 is detected.

  The management device 140 connects the network 180 and the network 190 to each other, and bridges data transmitted from the network 180 side to the network 190. The management device 140 is installed, for example, for each floor of a building or for each room partitioned by walls. When the network 180 is a PAN (Personal Area Network) based on IEEE802.15.4 and ZigBee (registered trademark) and the network 190 is a LAN based on the IEEE802.3 standard, the communication system is converted between them. If the identification information of the wireless terminal 120 is represented by an IEEE 802.15.4 abbreviated address, it is converted into an IEEE extended address based on the information at the time of PAN configuration and transmitted to the management server 160.

  The management server 160 records the identification information and position information received via the management apparatus 140 together with the reception date and time, and manages the position of the communication apparatus. In the management server 160, management objects related to wireless terminals are recorded in advance. Therefore, the location of the management target can be searched using these pieces of information.

  The network 180 connects the respective communication devices 100, 102, 104, 106, the wireless terminals 120, 122, 124, and the management device 140, for example, a PAN configured by IEEE802.15.4 and ZigBee (registered trademark) standards. It is. When the PAN is configured with IEEE802.15.4 and ZigBee (registered trademark) standards, the wireless terminal, the communication device, and the management device each have an end device function, a router function, and a coordinator function defined by the ZigBee (registered trademark) standard. . Each communication device and wireless terminal enters the management of the management device at the time of activation, forms a PAN, and determines the minimum path to the management device.

  The network 190 is a network that connects the management apparatus 140 and the management server 160, and is, for example, a LAN defined by the IEEE 802.3 standard.

  As described above, in the location information management system 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the wireless terminal can transmit the identification information and the location information to the management server using power that can be communicated with the nearest communication device. it can. In addition, it is not necessary to install a new infrastructure for installing the communication device, and the introduction cost can be reduced.

  Note that the location information of the communication device may be provided through the network 180. This eliminates the need for transmission means for transmitting position information such as IMES.

  Further, the wireless terminal may transmit the identification information and the position information to the management apparatus 140 when the management apparatus is present in the vicinity of the communication apparatus that transmitted the position information. Thereby, identification information and position information can be transmitted to the management server by the shortest path.

  Further, the management server function may be integrated into the management server. This eliminates the need for a separate management device.

  The wireless terminal may be a wireless terminal having a function equivalent to an active tag, such as a smartphone, PDA, PC, or smart meter. As a result, it is possible to manage the position information of the existing wireless terminal without attaching a tag.

  Further, in addition to the above-described position information, information for specifying a finer position, such as information representing a section in the room, may be included. As a result, finer location management is possible.

  The location management target may be a person. Thereby, the location of a person can be managed by the system 1.

  The network 180 may be configured using short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth LE, ANT, Z-Wave, and the like. This makes it possible to manage position information of various wireless terminals.

  The network 190 may include a plurality of types of networks such as the Internet. This makes it possible to manage the location information of the wireless terminal regardless of the physical location between the network 180 and the management server 160.

(Hardware configuration example)
Next, the hardware configuration of the communication device 100, the wireless terminal 120, the management device 140, and the management server 160 included in the location information management system 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D.

  FIG. 2A shows a hardware configuration of the communication apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The communication device 100 includes a CPU 200, a RAM 202, a ROM 204, a position signal transmission unit 208, a wireless communication unit 212, and a bus 214.

  The CPU 200 executes a program that controls the operation of the communication device 100. The RAM 202 constitutes a work area of the CPU 200 and the like. The ROM 204 stores position information of the communication device 100 in addition to the program executed by the CPU 200. The position signal transmission unit 208 is an apparatus including an antenna that transmits a positioning signal representing position information of the communication apparatus 100 and transmits a positioning signal such as IMES. The wireless communication unit 212 is a device that includes an antenna capable of transmitting and receiving radio waves conforming to the IEEE802.15.4 standard, for example. A bus 214 electrically connects the above devices.

  With the above configuration, the communication apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention transmits position information to the wireless terminal 120, receives identification information and position information from the wireless terminal 120, and transmits these information via the management apparatus. Can be sent to the management server.

  As described above, when the position information is transmitted by wireless communication, the position signal transmission control unit 206 and the position signal transmission unit 208 are not necessary.

  FIG. 2B shows a hardware configuration of the wireless terminal 120 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The wireless terminal 120 includes a CPU 220, a RAM 222, a ROM 224, a position signal reception unit 228, a wireless communication unit 232, an acceleration detection unit 236, and a bus 238.

  The CPU 220 executes a program that controls the operation of the wireless terminal 120. The RAM 222 constitutes a work area of the CPU 220 and the like. The ROM 224 stores identification information of the wireless terminal 120 and position information received from the communication device 100 in addition to the program executed by the CPU 220. The position signal receiving unit 228 is a device including an antenna that receives a positioning signal representing position information and receives a positioning signal such as IMES. The wireless communication unit 232 is a device that includes an antenna capable of transmitting and receiving radio waves conforming to, for example, IEEE 802.15.4 standard. The acceleration detection unit 236 detects a change in acceleration and is, for example, an acceleration sensor or a motion sensor using inertial force or magnetism. A bus 238 electrically connects the above devices.

  With the above configuration, the wireless terminal 120 according to an embodiment of the present invention can receive location information from the communication device 100 and transmit its own identification information to the communication device 100 together with the location information. In particular, identification information and position information can be efficiently transmitted by performing a transmission or reception operation at a timing when the wireless terminal is moved.

  In addition, when the wireless terminal 120 is an information terminal such as a smartphone or a PC, the wireless terminal 120 includes an input device such as a touch panel, a dial key, a keyboard, and a mouse and a corresponding input control unit that accepts input from the user. Also good. Furthermore, a display device such as a screen and a corresponding display control unit may be provided.

  In addition, when the wireless terminal 120 includes a GPS antenna and a corresponding control unit, it is possible to receive a positioning signal by IMES using the antenna, and it is possible to correspond to the position information management system 1 only by software modification.

  Further, the acceleration detection control unit 234 and the acceleration detection unit 236 are arbitrary components. When the acceleration detection control unit 234 and the acceleration detection unit 236 are not provided, the transmission or reception operation of the wireless terminal 120 is performed at a predetermined interval or time.

  Further, as described above, when the position information is received by wireless communication, the position signal reception control unit 226 and the position signal reception unit 228 are not necessary.

  FIG. 2C shows the hardware configuration of the management apparatus 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The management device 140 includes a CPU 240, a RAM 242, a ROM 244, a wireless communication device 248, a wired communication device 252, and a bus 254.

  The CPU 240 executes a program that controls the operation of the management apparatus 140. The RAM 242 constitutes a work area of the CPU 240 and the like. The ROM 244 stores programs executed by the CPU 240 and data used by the programs. The wireless communication device 248 is a device including an antenna capable of transmitting and receiving radio waves conforming to IEEE802.15.4 standard, for example. The wired communication device 252 is a device having a network interface that conforms to, for example, the IEEE 802.3 standard. A bus 254 electrically connects the above devices.

  With the above configuration, the management apparatus 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention can convert a signal from the network 180 including the communication apparatus 100 and the wireless terminal 120 into a network 190 including the management server 160. When the network 180 configuring the PAN is ZigBee (registered trademark), it can have a coordinator function for managing devices participating in the PAN.

  FIG. 2D shows the hardware configuration of the management server 160 in one embodiment of the present invention. The management server 160 includes a CPU 260, a RAM 262, a ROM 264, an HDD 266, a communication unit 270, a display unit 274, an input unit 278, and a bus 280.

  The CPU 260 executes a program that controls the operation of the management server 160. The RAM 262 constitutes a work area for the CPU 260 and the like. The ROM 264 stores a program executed by the CPU 260 and data used by the program. The HDD 266 stores information for managing the position of the wireless terminal 120 used in the position information management system 1. The communication unit 270 is a device having a network interface that conforms to, for example, the IEEE 802.3 standard. The display unit 274 includes a display such as a liquid crystal display or a CRT display. The input unit 278 includes, for example, a keyboard and a mouse that accept input from the user. A bus 280 electrically connects the above devices.

  With the above configuration, the management server 160 in one embodiment of the present invention can manage the location of the wireless terminal 120 and search for the location of the wireless terminal 120.

  The HDD 266 may be any storage device including a tape drive, or may be a storage area accessible via a network.

  In addition, the management server 160 may include a wireless communication control unit and a wireless communication device included in the management device 140 described above, and may perform processing instead of the management device 140. Thereby, it is not necessary to provide the management device 140 separately.

(function)
FIG. 3A shows a functional block diagram of the communication apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The communication apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a storage unit 300, a communication unit 304, and a control unit 312.

  The storage unit 300 stores the position information 302 of the communication device 100. An example of a table for storing the position information 302 is shown in FIG. FIG. 4 includes items of floor number, latitude, longitude, and building number. The floor number represents the floor number of the building where the communication device 100 is installed. The latitude and longitude represent the latitude and longitude of the position where the communication device 100 is located. The building number represents the building number of the building where the communication device 100 is installed. In the example of FIG. 4, the communication device 100 is located on the 16th floor of a building C of a certain building, and is located at a point where the latitude is 35.459555 and the longitude is 139.3387110.

  The communication unit 304 includes a position information transmission unit 306, a terminal information reception unit 308, and a terminal information transmission unit 310.

  The position information transmitting unit 306 wirelessly transmits the position information 302 including information such as the history information, the number of floors of the building, and the building number continuously or intermittently to the wireless terminal 120 within a predetermined range. The position information 302 is transmitted using, for example, a format defined in IMES.

  The terminal information receiving unit 308 receives identification information and position information transmitted from the wireless terminal 120.

  The terminal information transmission unit 310 transmits the identification information and position information transmitted from the wireless terminal 120 to the management server 160 via the management device 140. When the network 180 is made using the ZigBee (registered trademark) standard, the transmission is performed using routing information held by the communication apparatus 100.

  The control unit 312 controls the operation of the communication device 100. When the communication apparatus 100 configures a PAN using the wireless terminal 120 and the management apparatus 140 and ZigBee (registered trademark), the communication apparatus 100 is controlled to provide a router function.

  With the above configuration, the communication apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention holds the position information 302, transmits the position information 302 to the wireless terminal 120, receives the identification information and the position information of the wireless terminal 120, and The identification information can be transmitted to the management server through the management device 140.

  Note that the position information 302 may include additional information such as the name of the building where the communication apparatus 100 is installed and information indicating a section in the room. As a result, finer location management is possible.

  FIG. 3B shows a functional block diagram of the wireless terminal 120 in an embodiment of the present invention. The wireless terminal 120 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a storage unit 320, a communication unit 326, an acceleration detection unit 332, and a control unit 334.

  The storage unit 320 includes identification information 322 and position information 324. The identification information 322 includes information such as the network address of the wireless terminal 120 that can identify the wireless terminal 120 on the location information management system 1. For example, when the network 180 is based on the IEEE 802.15.4 and ZigBee (registered trademark) standards, an IEEE 802.15.4 abbreviated address or an IEEE extended (MAC) address can be used. The position information 324 is the position information 302 transmitted from the communication apparatus 100. An example of a table for storing the position information 324 is shown in FIG. The configuration is the same as in FIG.

  The communication unit 326 includes a position information receiving unit 328 and an identification information transmitting unit 330.

  The position information receiving unit 328 receives the position information 302 transmitted from the communication device 100. The received position information 302 is held in the storage unit 320 of the wireless terminal 120.

  The identification information transmitting unit 330 transmits the position information 324 together with the identification information 322 of the wireless terminal 120 to the communication device 100. The position information 322 is transmitted to the wireless terminal 120 in a format as shown in FIG. 6, for example. In the format of FIG. 5, the floor, latitude, longitude, and building number fields are represented by 9 bits, 21 bits, 21 bits, and 8 bits, respectively, and the corresponding fields of the message received according to the IMES standard are connected. . The representation format of each field conforms to the IMES standard. Actually, in addition to this format, a header and checksum information defined by the communication method are added and transmitted. As a communication method, for example, IEEE802.15.4 and ZigBee (registered trademark) standards are used.

  The acceleration detection unit 332 detects a change in acceleration of the wireless terminal 120. The change in acceleration is detected, for example, when the wireless terminal 120 starts moving, when the movement stops, or when a tilt is detected. The detected change in acceleration is used to determine the timing of the transmission or reception operation of the wireless terminal 120. The acceleration detection means 332 is an arbitrary component.

  The control unit 334 controls the reception timing of the position information by the position information reception unit 238 and the transmission timing of the identification information 322 and the position information 324 by the identification information transmission unit 330. The transmission / reception timing is determined based on the detection of a change in acceleration by the acceleration detection means 332. Alternatively, it may be determined based on an interval or time preset in the wireless terminal 120. Also, transmission and reception timings may be determined independently of each other. Further, when the wireless terminal 120 forms a PAN with ZigBee (registered trademark) together with the communication device 100 and the management device 140, the control unit 334 controls the wireless terminal 120 to provide an endpoint function.

  With the configuration described above, the wireless terminal 120 according to an embodiment of the present invention can efficiently receive location information from a communication device and efficiently transmit the location information together with the location information to an identification information communication device.

  When the wireless terminal 120 is an information terminal such as a smartphone or a PC, an input unit that receives an input from the user or a display unit that presents information to the user may be provided. As a result, it is possible to present identification information or position information to the user and to input or modify identification information or position information from the user.

  FIG. 3C is a functional block diagram of the management apparatus 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The management apparatus 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a communication unit 340, a conversion unit 346, and a control unit 348.

  The communication unit 340 includes a reception unit 342 and a transmission unit 344. The receiving unit 342 receives data transmitted from a communication device or a wireless terminal belonging to the network 180. The transmission unit 344 transmits the data converted by the management apparatus 140 to the management server 160 belonging to the network 190. The network 180 is a PAN based on IEEE802.15.4 and ZigBee (registered trademark) standards, for example. The network 190 is a LAN based on the IEEE802.3 standard, for example.

  The converting unit 346 converts the data received by the receiving unit 342 from the network 180 into a format compatible with the network 190. The converted data is transmitted to the management server 160 via the network 190 by the transmission unit 344. Here, when the identification information of the wireless terminal 120 included in the data is represented by an IEEE 802.15.4 abbreviated address, it is converted into an IEEE extended address based on the information at the time of PAN configuration.

  The control unit 348 controls the operation of the management device 140. When the management device 140 configures a PAN according to the ZigBee (registered trademark) standard together with the communication device 100 and the wireless terminal 120, the management device 140 is controlled to provide a coordinator function.

  With the above configuration, the management apparatus 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention can bridge communication between the network 180 to which the communication apparatus 100 and the wireless terminal 120 belong and the network 190 to which the management server belongs.

  FIG. 3D shows a functional block diagram of the management server 160 in one embodiment of the present invention. The management server 160 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a communication unit 360, a storage unit 366, an input unit 370, a display unit 372, and a control unit 374.

  The communication unit 360 includes a reception unit 362 and a transmission unit 364. The receiving unit 362 receives the identification information and the position information transmitted from the wireless terminal through the management device 140. The received identification information and position information are stored in the storage means 366. When the transmission unit 364 is requested to provide location information to an external server or the like, the transmission unit 364 transmits the location information to the external server or the like.

  The storage unit 366 has location management information 368. The location management information 368 is information obtained by adding management information such as a reception time to the identification information and location information received from the wireless terminal 120. An example of a table storing the information is shown in FIG. FIG. 7 includes items of identification information, device name, owned department, latitude, longitude, floor number, building, and reception date and time. The identification information is information such as an IEEE extended address of the wireless terminal 120 that has transmitted the identification information. The latitude, longitude, number of floors, and building correspond to the positional information received together with the identification information. The reception date and time is the date and time when the management server 160 received the information. The device name is the name of the management target to which the wireless terminal 120 that transmitted the information is attached or the device name of the wireless terminal 120. The owned department is a department name that owns the wireless terminal 120 that has transmitted the information. Information on the device name and the owned department is associated with identification information by the management server 160 in advance.

  The input unit 370 accepts an input from the user so that the user searches for position information.

  The display unit 372 displays on the screen a GUI related to a search screen for the user to search for position information. An example of the search screen is shown in FIG. 9A. In the “location search system” shown in FIG. 9A, based on the information stored in the storage unit 366, the department and device name related to the wireless terminal are displayed in a list on the screen. When the user selects a check box of a device to be searched through the input unit 370, a check mark is added. When all the devices to be searched are checked and the “Execute Search” button is selected, the search is executed and the screen is switched to a result display screen. In the example of FIG. 9A, an example is shown in which the user performs a search for a device called “UCS P3000” owned by “Sales Section 1”. FIG. 9B is an example of the search result screen. When the “execute search” button is selected, the display unit 372 displays a floor plan of “A building 4th floor” where “UCS P3000” is located based on the data stored in the storage unit 366, the device name, Displays the reception date and time.

  The control unit 374 controls the operation of the management server.

  With the above configuration, the management server 160 according to an embodiment of the present invention can manage the location of the wireless terminal and search for the location. In particular, information representing the position of the wireless terminal itself can be directly received and managed, and the amount of calculation for searching for the position can be reduced.

  The management server 160 has the same functions as the conversion unit 346, the control unit 348, and the reception unit 342 included in the management device 160, and may have the same functions as the management device 160. This eliminates the need to provide the management device 160 individually.

  Further, the location management information 368 stored by the management server 160 includes the date and time when the wireless terminal transmits the information together with the information shown in FIG. Information including time taken for arrival of information or electric field strength may be stored. Thereby, position information can be managed under more detailed conditions.

  In addition, the management server 160 may record past location information of the wireless terminal. Thereby, the movement of the wireless terminal can be tracked.

(Operation sequence)
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an operation sequence of the location information management system 1 in the embodiment of the present invention in the configuration of FIG. In FIG. 8, when a change in acceleration is detected, the communication apparatus 100 that receives position information and transmits identification information, the wireless terminal 120 that transmits position information to a region to which the communication apparatus 100 belongs, PAN (IEEE802.15.4 and An example of a management apparatus 140 that bridges ZigBee (registered trademark) and a LAN (IEEE802.3) and a management server 160 will be described. It is assumed that the PAN among the communication device 100, the wireless terminal 120, and the management device 140 has already been established.

  In step S800, the communication apparatus 100 transmits the position information continuously or intermittently using IMES or the like.

  In step S802, the wireless terminal 120 detects a change in acceleration.

  In step S804, the wireless terminal 120 receives the position information transmitted from the communication device 100.

  In step S806, the wireless terminal 120 stores the received position information.

  In step S808, the wireless terminal 120 transmits identification information and position information to the communication apparatus 100.

  In step S810, the communication apparatus 100 transmits the identification information and the position information received from the wireless terminal 120 to the management apparatus through the minimum path.

  In step S812, the management apparatus 140 converts the data transmitted from the network 180 including the identification information and the position information received from the communication apparatus 100 into a format compatible with the network 190.

  In step S <b> 814, the management apparatus 140 transmits the identification information and position information converted into a format compatible with the network 190 to the management server 160.

  In step S816, the management server 160 registers the identification information and the position information received from the management device together with information on the wireless terminal corresponding to the identification information.

  Through the above procedure, the location information management system 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention efficiently transmits the identification information and the location information to the nearest communication device by the radio terminal, thereby reducing the power consumption of the radio terminal. Can be suppressed.

  As described above, the management server 160 may execute the functions of the management apparatus 140 in an integrated manner. In this case, it is not necessary to install a separate management device 140.

If the wireless terminal does not include the acceleration detection unit 332, step S802 is not executed, and the reception of the position information in step S804 can be performed at a predetermined time or at a predetermined interval. The subsequent processing is the same as steps S806 to S816.
[Route guidance system]
Next, the route guidance system according to this embodiment will be described.

(system)
FIG. 10 shows the route guidance system 2 in one embodiment of the present invention. The route guidance system 2 according to the present embodiment is applied in a store as shown in the figure. A communication device 100 for transmitting position information is stretched and installed on the ceiling in the store. Also, in FIG. 10, a route guidance server 110, a wireless LAN access point 150, and a portable terminal 170 are added as compared with the location information management system 1 of FIG.

  The route guidance server 110 is a server that guides the user's mobile terminal 170 to the position of a product (referred to as a target product) that is a purchase purpose of the user in the store. When one or more target products are input from the mobile terminal 170, the route guidance server 110 provides information on the location of the target product in the store. In addition, a route from the current position where the mobile terminal 170 is located to the position of the target product is searched and information is provided. Details of this point will be described later.

  A wireless LAN access point (referred to as wireless AP) 150 is a wireless repeater for realizing a wireless LAN in a store. The mobile terminal 170 of the user performs communication related to the route guidance with the route guidance server 110 via the wireless AP 150.

  The mobile terminal 170 is a mobile information terminal possessed by a user (customer) such as a mobile phone, a smartphone, or a PDA. The portable terminal 170 has a wireless LAN function, and performs communication related to route guidance with the route guidance server 110 via the wireless AP 150. Further, as described above, the wireless terminal 120 (including the above-described wireless terminals 122 and 124) is not an active tag itself, but has a function equivalent to that of an active tag such as a mobile terminal, a smartphone, a PDA, a PC, or a smart meter. It may be a wireless terminal. Therefore, in the present embodiment, a user portable terminal 170 having the function of the wireless terminal 120 is used.

  For this reason, the above-described position information management system 1 (management server 160) can grasp and manage the current position of the mobile terminal 170 having the function of the wireless terminal 120. Also, the route guidance server 110 grasps and manages the current position of the mobile terminal 170 by inquiring the management server 160 about the current position of the mobile terminal 170.

  FIG. 11 shows an example of a display shelf in one embodiment of the present invention. The display shelf is a product shelf for displaying products.

  In FIG. 11A, two wireless terminals, a wireless terminal 120-1 and a wireless terminal 120-2, are installed on the display shelf A. In the present embodiment, at least one or more wireless terminals 120 are installed for each display shelf. On the other hand, on the route guidance server 110 side, the wireless terminal 120 is managed in association with the product (name) displayed on the display shelf.

  The above-described position information management system 1 (management server 160) grasps and manages the current position of the display shelf on which the wireless terminal is installed. Here, since the location of the product is equal to the location of the wireless terminal installed on the display shelf, the location of the product can be grasped and managed from the location of the display shelf.

  Then, the route guidance server 110 can grasp and manage the current position of the product one by one by inquiring the current position of the product displayed on the display shelf to the management server 160.

  On the other hand, in FIG. 11B, each wireless terminal 120 is installed (added) for each product on the display shelf A. On the route guidance server 110 side, the wireless terminal 120 is managed in association with the product (name). That is, since the location of the product is equal to the location of the wireless terminal installed in the product, the location of the product can be grasped and managed from the location of the wireless terminal.

  Note that (a) has the advantage that the number of wireless terminals can be reduced and the cost can be reduced compared to (b) where wireless terminals are installed for each product because wireless terminals are installed on the display shelf. On the other hand, in (b), since the wireless terminal is directly installed on the product, it does not matter whether it is displayed on the display shelf. For example, even when displayed on another display shelf or store corner, there is an advantage that the position of the product can be grasped and managed. In the present embodiment, the description will proceed under the assumption of (a).

  FIG. 12 shows an example of information held by the management server 160 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As described above, the management server 160 is a server that acquires and manages position information of wireless terminals. Therefore, in this embodiment, compared with FIG. 7, as the position management information 368 of FIG. 11, (a) position information of the display shelf in which the wireless terminal is installed, and (b) the mobile terminal 170 having the function of the wireless terminal The current position information of is managed.

  The “identification information” in (a) is identification information of the wireless terminal installed on the display shelf. The “identification information” in (b) is identification information of the wireless terminal included in the mobile terminal 170. Further, “identification information”, “display shelf”, or “user ID” is known information managed in advance on the management server 160 side. Then, the values of “position information” (“floor”, “latitude”, “longitude”, “building”) and “reception date and time” are sequentially updated, so that the position information of the wireless terminal is grasped. That is, the latest “position information” and “reception date” values are managed at the current time point.

(function)
FIG. 13 is a functional block diagram of the route guidance server 110 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The route guidance server 110 according to the present embodiment includes product information acquisition means 111, position information acquisition means 112, route search means 113, communication means 114, storage means 115, and control means 116.

  The product information acquisition unit 111 acquires information on a target product that is a purchase purpose of the user in response to an input from the mobile terminal 170. The product information acquisition unit 111 creates a shopping list and puts the acquired target product in the shopping list.

  The position information acquisition unit 112 acquires, from the management server 160, the user's position information (position information of the portable terminal 170) and the position information of the product in the shopping list (position information of the display shelf of the product). To do.

  The route search means 113 searches for a route that uses the position of the user as the departure point and goes through the position of the product. In addition, since the order of passing points does not matter in the searched route, the route searching unit 113 searches for the shortest route in the end without any restriction on the order passing through the way points. That is, there is no restriction that the purchase order of products must be a predetermined order. Therefore, the route order of transit points is made variable, and the shortest route is searched each time.

  The communication unit 114 performs communication related to route guidance with the mobile terminal 170.

  The storage unit 115 stores an in-store map 115a, a product list 115b, a shopping list 115c, and user position information 115d. The in-store map 115a and the product list 115b are known information and are stored in advance by an administrator or the like. The shopping list 115c and the user position information 115d are created each time a route is searched. These information will be described later with specific examples.

  The control means 116 controls the entire route guidance server 110.

  Here, the hardware configuration of the route guidance server 110 will be mentioned. The route guidance server 110 is a server device, and specifically has a hardware configuration similar to that of the management server 160 (for example, FIG. 2D). That is, the behavior management server 170 includes a CPU, RAM, ROM, HDD, communication control unit, communication unit, display control unit, display unit, input control unit, input unit, and bus.

(Example of in-store map 115a)
FIG. 14 shows an example of the in-store map 115a according to the embodiment of the present invention. The in-store map 115a is a layout map in the store. It is stored in advance by an administrator or the like.

(Example of product list 115b)
FIG. 15 shows an example of the product list 115b according to the embodiment of the present invention. The product list 115b is a list of products handled in the store. It is stored in advance by an administrator or the like. Specifically, the product list 115b includes items of “product ID”, “product name”, “display shelf”, and “stock remaining”.

  “Product ID” is an identifier uniquely assigned to each product. “Product name” is a product name for each product.

  “Display shelf” is an identifier of a display shelf on which the product is displayed. Whenever there is a change in the display of the product, it is updated to the display shelf after the change. For example, in the illustrated example, it can be seen that “orange juice” is displayed on the display shelf: C-1.

  “Inventory remaining” indicates whether the product is in stock. When “None” is indicated, the product is out of stock, and there is no product on the display shelf. “Inventory remaining” is updated according to the presence or absence of inventory, for example, by a store manager.

(Example of shopping list 115c)
FIG. 16 shows an example of the shopping list 115c in the embodiment of the present invention. The shopping list 115c is a list of target products created in response to a selection input from the mobile terminal 170 from among the products in the product list 115b. It is created each time a route is searched. Specifically, the shopping list 115c includes “product ID”, “product name”, “display shelf”, “position information” (“floor”, “latitude”, “longitude”, “building”), “shopped flag” Is included.

  “Product ID” is the product ID of the target product. “Product name” is the product name of the target product. The “display shelf” is a display shelf on which target products are displayed. Information on “product ID”, “product name”, and “display shelf” is acquired from the product list 115b and input.

  “Position information” is position information including “floor”, “latitude”, “longitude”, and “building”, and indicates the position of the display shelf on which the target product is displayed, that is, the position of the target product. (For example, FIG. 11A). By inquiring of the management server 160 about the position information of the “display shelf” using the “display shelf” as a key, the position information of the “display shelf”, that is, the position of the target product displayed on the “display shelf” Information can be acquired. FIG. 16B shows a shopping list 115c when the position information of the target product is acquired.

  The “shopped flag” is a flag indicating whether or not shopping has been completed for a product in the shopping list. When the “shopped flag” is 1, it indicates that the shopping has been completed. Items that have been purchased are excluded from the waypoints to be routed when searching for routes.

(Example of user position information 115d)
FIG. 17 shows an example of the user position information 115d according to the embodiment of the present invention. The user position information 115d is current position information of the mobile terminal 170 of the user (customer). It is created each time a route is searched. Specifically, the user position information 115d includes items of “user ID” and “position information” (“floor”, “latitude”, “longitude”, and “building”).

  “User ID” is an identifier of a user (customer). The “user ID” is registered in advance by the user when using the route guidance system 2 provided by the store.

  “Position information” is position information including “number of floors”, “latitude”, “longitude”, and “building”, and indicates the current position of the user. The current location information of the user can be acquired by inquiring of the management server 160 about the location information of the user using the “user ID” as a key. FIG. 17B shows user position information 115d when the current position information of the user is acquired.

[Usage example]
Next, a specific user usage example of the route guidance system 2 according to the present embodiment will be described.

  (1) The user first operates the mobile terminal 170 to access the route guidance server 110. The portable terminal 170 can access the route guidance server 110 via the wireless AP 150 from, for example, the store or near the store using a wireless LAN.

  FIG. 18 illustrates an example of a screen example (part 1) of the mobile terminal 170 according to the embodiment of the present invention. A screen 1800 is a “product navigation system” screen displayed on the mobile terminal 170 when the route guidance server 110 is accessed. The user inputs a pre-registered “user ID”.

  (2) When the login is successful, the screen transitions to a screen 1800 in FIG.

  FIG. 19 illustrates an example of a screen example (part 2) of the mobile terminal 170 according to the embodiment of the present invention. A screen 1800 is a “product navigation system” screen displayed on the mobile terminal 170 after logging in to the route guidance server 110.

  When shopping at a store, a user needs to register (add) a product he / she wants to buy in a shopping list. Therefore, “Add Product” 1801 is pressed on the screen 1800.

  (3) When “add product” 1801 is pressed, a small screen 1802 is displayed by communication with the route guidance server 110. The small screen 1802 displays a list of products handled at the store. In the “selection column” 1804, a product category to be displayed can be designated. For example, when “beverage” is selected, products classified in the beverage category are displayed in the product list. The user selects a product to be purchased (checked) from the product list and presses “add product” 1803.

  (4) When “Add Product” 1803 is pressed, the screen transitions to a screen 1800 in FIG.

  FIG. 20 illustrates an example of a screen example (part 3) of the mobile terminal 170 according to the embodiment of the present invention. In the screen 1800, “shampoo”, “rinse”, “beef”, and “orange juice” are registered (added) to the shopping list as products to be purchased. In the screen 1800, an in-store map is displayed. This is obtained from the route guidance server 110 together with the shopping list.

  The user confirms (checks in) the products in the shopping list on the screen 1800 and presses “product route search” 1805 on the screen 1800. In addition, a user shall be located in a shop (for example, entrance / exit vicinity).

  (5) When “product route search” 1805 is pressed, the screen transitions to a screen 1800 in FIG. 21 through communication with the route guidance server 110.

  FIG. 21 illustrates an example of a screen example (part 4) of the mobile terminal 170 according to the embodiment of the present invention. In the screen 1800, the in-store map displays the current position of the user (human figure), the position of the product, the shortest route passing through the positions of all the products (display shelf), and the traveling direction display. While viewing the screen 1800, the user can purchase products efficiently according to the guidance in the in-store map.

  (6a) The user first moves to the position of “orange juice” according to the guidance in the in-store map. The route guidance server 110 manages the current location of the user (portable terminal 170) in real time, and the screen 1800 is updated to the latest state as the user moves.

  FIG. 22 shows an example of a screen example (No. 5) of the mobile terminal 170 according to the embodiment of the present invention. Since the user has now moved to the position of “orange juice”, the display of “orange juice” in the shopping list changes to a purchased state. Subsequently, route guidance from the position of “orange juice” to the position of “beef” is displayed.

  (6b) On the other hand, the user may not always move according to the guidance in the in-store map. That is, the current position of the user may deviate from the guided route by a certain distance or more.

  FIG. 23 illustrates an example of a screen example (No. 6) of the mobile terminal 170 according to the embodiment of the present invention. As the user moves, the screen 1800 is also updated to the latest state. That is, in the in-store map, according to the current position of the user, the position of the product, the shortest route passing through the positions of all the products, the traveling direction display, and the like are again searched and displayed. Therefore, if the user follows the guidance in the in-store map, the product can be efficiently purchased from any position in the store according to the position at that time.

  Note that in the normal case, the purchase order of the items on the shopping list is not limited. Eventually, it is only necessary to be able to obtain all products. Therefore, although the purchase order of the product at the beginning (FIG. 21) and at the time of re-searching (FIG. 23) has been changed, the shortest route (shortest order) searched based on the current position of the user is guided. It is a result. If it is necessary to purchase the original order, for example, “orange juice” first, at the time of re-searching (FIG. 21), the user moves an unnecessary distance until all products are obtained. I have to do it.

(Operation)
Next, the operation of the route guidance server 110 according to this embodiment will be described.

  FIG. 24 is a flowchart for explaining route guidance processing (part 1) of the route guidance server 110 according to the embodiment of the present invention. As a premise, as described above, the location information of the mobile terminal 170 and all the products in the store is managed by the location information management system 1 (management server 160) (for example, FIG. 12). This will be described in detail below.

  S1: The user's mobile terminal 170 accesses the route guidance server 110 and makes a login request. The login request is implemented by inputting a pre-registered “user ID” from the “product navigation system” screen (for example, FIG. 18).

  Note that the purpose of the login request is to identify the location information of the mobile terminal 170 by specifying the identification information of the wireless terminal of the mobile terminal 170 that the user has rather than the aspect of authenticating whether or not the user is an authorized user. It is in the place to get.

  S2: When the control means 116 of the route guidance server 110 receives the login request including the “user ID” via the communication means 114 to the route guidance server 110, the control means 116 executes a login process. Here, it may be confirmed whether or not it matches the pre-registered “user ID”. Upon confirming that it matches the pre-registered “user ID”, the management server 160 confirms that the location information of the mobile terminal 170 owned by the user is grasped and managed.

  S3: The mobile terminal 170 makes a product list and in-store map acquisition request to the route guidance server 110. Specifically, for example, when the user presses “add product” 1801 in the screen 1800, the product list 115b and the in-store map acquisition request are executed (for example, FIG. 19).

  S4: The control means 116 of the route guidance server 110 acquires the product list 115b and the in-store map 115a from the storage means 115 (for example, FIGS. 10, 14, and 15). The product list 115b and the in-store map 115a are transmitted to the mobile terminal 170.

  S5: The portable terminal 170 inputs the target product to the route guidance server 110. Specifically, when the user selects a product to be purchased from the product list (checks in) and presses “Add Product” 1803, the target product is input (for example, FIG. 19). Here, the target products are “orange juice”, “beef”, “shampoo”, and “rinse”.

  S6: When the target product is input from the portable terminal 170, the product information acquisition unit 111 of the route guidance server 110 creates a shopping list 115c and puts the acquired target product into the shopping list 115c (for example, FIG. )). The merchandise information acquisition unit 111 stores the shopping list 115 c in the storage unit 115 and transmits the shopping list 115 c to the portable terminal 170.

  In the shopping list 115c of FIG. 16A, information on “orange juice”, “beef”, “shampoo”, and “rinse” is acquired and input as target products from the product list 115b.

  S7: The mobile terminal 170 issues a route search instruction to the route guidance server 110. Specifically, the user confirms a product in the shopping list on the screen 1800, and presses “Search Product Route” 1805 on the screen 1800 (for example, FIG. 20). Thereby, a route search instruction is input.

  S8: Upon receiving the route search instruction, the route search means 113 of the route guidance server 110 executes an acquisition request for the location information of the product in the user and the shopping list 115c to the management server 160.

  First, for example, in S2, since the user's “user ID” is acquired, the management server 160 is inquired of the “location information” of the user's mobile terminal 170 using the “user ID” as a key. Can be obtained (for example, FIG. 17B).

  Also, for example, based on the shopping list 115c in FIG. 16A, the “location information” of each product is given to the management server 160 using the “display shelf” on which each product in the shopping list is displayed as a key. An inquiry can be obtained (for example, FIG. 16B).

  S9: In response to the inquiry from the route guidance server 110, the control unit 374 of the management server 160 searches for “location information” of the user's mobile terminal 170 using “user ID” as a key. Further, “position information” of each product is searched using “display shelf” as a key. The searched “location information” is transmitted to the route guidance server 110.

  Here, FIG. 12 will be referred to again. Since the management server 160 is a server that acquires and manages the position information of the wireless terminal, (a) the position information of the display shelf in which the wireless terminal is installed, and (b) the mobile terminal 170 having the function of the wireless terminal. Current location information is managed.

  For example, if “user ID”: 001, the control means 374 can search for “floor”: 1, “latitude”: 35.459552, “longitude”: 139.387108, and “building”: A as the “location information”. The “position information” is “position information” of the portable terminal 170 owned by the user with “user ID”: 001.

  For example, in the case of “display shelf”: C-1 which is a display shelf of “orange juice”, the control means 374 has “floor”: 1, “latitude”: 35.459553, “longitude” as its “position information”. : 139.387111, “building”: A can be searched. The “position information” is “position information” of a display shelf on which “orange juice” is displayed.

  S10: When the location information acquisition unit 112 of the route guidance server 110 acquires the user location information (location information of the mobile terminal 170) from the management server 160, the location information acquisition unit 112 creates the user location information 115d and stores it in the storage unit 115. (For example, FIG. 17B). In addition, when the position information acquisition unit 112 acquires the position information of the product in the shopping list 115c (position information of the display shelf of the product) from the management server 160, the “position information” in the shopping list 115c is obtained. Update (for example, FIG. 16B).

  S11: Next, the route search means 113 of the route guidance server 110 executes route search processing. The route search process will be described below.

  FIG. 25 is a diagram illustrating route search according to an embodiment of the present invention. The in-store map shows a traffic route (dotted line) 2500, a departure point 2501, and waypoints 2502-2505.

  First, the route search unit 113 acquires the store map 115a, the shopping list 115c, and the user position information 115d from the storage unit 115. Then, on the in-store map 115a, the “location information” of each product in the shopping list 115c and the “location information” of the user in the user location information 115d are plotted. The user's “location information” is the starting point. In addition, the location information of each product is routed.

  The route search means 113 searches for the shortest route including all waypoints from the departure point. Here, the number of via points corresponding to the number of products is four points, via points 2502 to 2505. The route search means 113 searches the shortest route as the shortest route through all the four waypoints.

  In the route to be searched, the order of passing vias does not matter, and the route searching means 113 searches for the shortest route in the end without any restriction on the order of passing via the way points. That is, there is no restriction that the purchase order of products must be a predetermined order. Therefore, the route order of transit points is made variable, and the shortest route is searched each time.

  In accordance with the in-store map, a passable route (dotted line) 2500 is defined in advance. The route search means 113 searches for a route on the premise that the route 2500 travels. For example, if there is a traffic path 2500 that is temporarily inaccessible due to the convenience of the store, for example, the store side administrator or the like prescribes the traffic path 2500 that is not allowed to pass. In this case, the route search means 113 searches for a route on the premise that the passage 2500 cannot pass.

  The route search means 113 transmits information such as the current position of the user, the position of the product, the shortest route passing through the positions of all the products (display shelf), and the traveling direction display as a route search result together with the in-store map 115a. The portable terminal 170 receives this and displays a route search result (for example, FIG. 21).

  FIG. 26 is a flowchart for explaining route guidance processing (part 2) of the route guidance server 110 according to the embodiment of the present invention. The route guidance server 110 acquires the current position of the user (mobile terminal 170) at predetermined time intervals, and executes processing for updating the search route result each time. This point will be described in detail below.

  S21: The route search means 113 of the route guidance server 110 transmits the route search result to the mobile terminal 170, and then again sends the location information of the items in the user and the shopping list 115c to the management server 160 every predetermined time. Execute the acquisition request. The predetermined time is preferably as short as possible from the viewpoint of improving real-time performance. However, on the management server 160 side, it is necessary that the time interval is equal to or greater than the frequency at which the location information of the wireless terminal is updated.

  S22: In response to the inquiry from the route guidance server 110, the control unit 374 of the management server 160 searches for “location information” of the user's mobile terminal 170 and “location information” of each product. The searched “location information” is transmitted to the route guidance server 110.

  S23: When the location information acquisition unit 112 of the route guidance server 110 acquires the location information of the user (location information of the portable terminal 170) from the management server 160, the location information acquisition unit 112 in the shopping list 115c of the storage unit 115 is based on the acquired location information. "Position information" and "Position information" of the user position information 115d are updated.

  FIG. 27 shows an example of the shopping list 115c and the user position information 115d according to the embodiment of the present invention. Referring to the shopping list 115c and the user position information 115d, the “position information” of the user position information 115d and the “position information” of the display shelf of “orange juice” are the same. For this reason, it can be seen that the user's mobile terminal 170 has moved to the position of the “orange juice” display shelf (for example, FIG. 22).

  In the shopping list 115c, the “shopped flag” of “orange juice” is “1”. As described above, the “shopped flag” is a flag indicating whether or not the shopping in the shopping list has been completed. 1 indicates that shopping has been completed.

  If the position information acquisition unit 112 determines that the “position information” of the user position information 115d and the “position information” of the display shelf of each product are the same, the “shopped flag” of the display shelf of the product is displayed. Update from “0” to “1”. The reason is that if the “position information” of the user position information 115d is the same as the “position information” of the display shelf of the product, the user is located at the position of the product, that is, picks up the product. This is because it can be determined that the product has been purchased (a state in which the product has been purchased).

  When the “shopped flag” is 1, it indicates that the product has been purchased, and is therefore treated as not existing as a product in the shopping list. In other words, the purchased products are excluded from the waypoints to be routed during the route search.

  S24: Next, the route search means 113 of the route guidance server 110 executes route search processing.

  FIG. 28 is a diagram illustrating route search according to an embodiment of the present invention. The route search means 113 acquires the in-store map 115a, the shopping list 115c, and the user position information 115d from the storage means 115. Then, on the in-store map 115a, the “location information” of each product in the shopping list 115c and the “location information” of the user in the user location information 115d are plotted. The user's “location information” is the starting point. In addition, the location information of each product is routed.

  The route search means 113 searches for the shortest route including all waypoints from the departure point. Here, the number of via points corresponding to the number of products is three via points 2502 to 2504 excluding the display shelf of “orange juice” that has been purchased. The route search means 113 searches the shortest route as the shortest route through all the three waypoints.

  As described above, the position of the product once determined to be purchased is excluded from the waypoints, and the remaining route is searched.

  The route search means 113 again, as the route search result, together with the in-store map 115a, information such as the current position of the user, the position of the product, the shortest route passing through the positions of all remaining products (display shelf), and the display of the traveling direction. Send. The portable terminal 170 receives this and displays a route search result (for example, FIG. 22).

(Supplement)
As described above, in S21, the route search unit 113 of the route guidance server 110 executes the acquisition request of the position information of the product in the user and the shopping list 115c to the management server 160 again every time the predetermined time elapses. . The route search unit 113 obtains the current position of the user in real time, and when the current position of the user deviates from the guided route by a certain distance or more, the route search unit 113 re-searches the route from the position (for example, FIG. 23).

  Reference is again made to FIG. As shown in the figure, when the current position of the user deviates from the guided route by a certain distance or more, the route is searched again, and the in-store map reappears according to the current position of the user. A shortest route passing through the position of the product, a traveling direction display, and the like are displayed. Therefore, if the user follows the guidance in the in-store map, the product can be efficiently purchased from any position in the store according to the position at that time.

  The route re-search process is as described in S23. The route search means 113 acquires the in-store map 115a, the shopping list 115c, and the user position information 115d from the storage means 115. Then, on the in-store map 115a, the “location information” of each product in the shopping list 115c and the “location information” of the user in the user location information 115d are plotted. The user's “location information” is the starting point. In addition, the location information of each product is routed.

  The route search means 113 searches the shortest route including all via points from the departure point, and searches the shortest route as the shortest route. In addition, since the purchase order of the items in the shopping list is unquestioned, the route search means 113 does not limit the order of the waypoints where the items are located, and the shortest route through all waypoints according to the current position of the user. Search for a route.

  For example, the initial (FIG. 21) and the time of re-search (FIG. 23) are compared. In the initial case (FIG. 21), a route in which the purchase order of the products is “orange juice”, “beef”, “shampoo”, “rinse” is searched based on the current position of the user. On the other hand, in the case of re-searching (FIG. 23), a route with the product purchase order set to “rinse”, “shampoo”, “beef”, and “orange juice” is re-searched based on the current position of the user. Yes. If the current location of the user at the time of re-searching is the starting point, rather than “orange juice”, “beef”, “shampoo”, “rinse”, “rinse”, “shampoo”, “beef”, “orange juice” This is because the route to be used is the shortest route.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide a route guidance system or the like that performs route guidance to a target product in a store.

  Note that the present invention is not limited to such specific embodiments, and various modifications and changes can be made within the scope of the gist of the present invention described in the claims. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the mobile terminal 170 owned by the user (customer) is used. However, for example, a terminal equivalent to the portable terminal 170 can be installed in a shopping cart. In this case, although it is necessary for the user to shop with the cart, the shop side terminal can be used, so a wide range of users including the user who does not have the portable terminal 170 can use it.

100, 102, 104, 106 Communication device 110 Route guidance server 120, 122, 124 Wireless terminal 140 Management device 150 Wireless LAN access point 160 Management server 170 Portable terminal 180 Network 190 Network

JP 2009-059288 A

Claims (6)

A route guidance system including a management server that manages the positions of a user and an article, and a route guidance server that guides a route from the user position to the article position,
The route guidance server
Article information obtaining means for obtaining a plurality of pieces of article information as a user's purpose;
Position information acquisition means for acquiring the user position and the article positions of a plurality of articles acquired by the article information acquisition means from the management server;
Route search means for searching for a route having the user position as a departure point and a plurality of all the article positions as transit points;
The route search means determines a route order of the waypoints where the route is shortest;
A route guidance system characterized by The location information acquisition means acquires the user location at regular intervals,
The route search means, every time the user position is acquired, re-searches the shortest route through all the article positions, using the acquired user position as a starting point,
The route guidance system according to claim 1. The route guidance server
If the user position and the article position match, excluding the article position from the waypoint;
The route guidance system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by. The route guidance system includes:
A user wireless terminal associated with the user, and an article wireless terminal associated with the article,
The management server manages the user position and the article position by managing position information of the user radio terminal and the article radio terminal;
The route guidance system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein A route guidance server for guiding a route from a user position to an article position,
Article information obtaining means for obtaining a plurality of pieces of article information as a user's purpose;
Position information acquisition means for acquiring the user position and the article positions of a plurality of articles acquired by the article information acquisition means from the management server;
Route search means for searching for a route having the user position as a departure point and a plurality of all the article positions as transit points;
The route search means determines a route order of the waypoints where the route is shortest;
A route guidance server characterized by A route guidance method in a route guidance system including a management server that manages positions of a user and an article, and a route guidance server that guides a route from the user position to the article position,
An article information acquisition procedure for acquiring a plurality of pieces of article information as a user's purpose;
A position information acquisition method for acquiring the user position and the article positions of a plurality of articles acquired by the article information acquisition unit from the management server;
A route searcher method for searching for a route having the user position as a departure point and a plurality of all the article positions as transit points;
The route search procedure determines a route order of the waypoints where the route is shortest;
A route guidance method characterized by

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