JP7093423B2 - Installation candidate position display device, installation candidate position display system, installation candidate position display method, and program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an installation candidate position display device, an installation candidate position display system, an installation candidate position display method, and a program.

Currently, there is known a technique in which a plurality of sensors are arranged in a warehouse that manages goods, and the plurality of sensors transmit measurement data to a data collection device by multi-hop communication. Radio waves used for multi-hop communication are attenuated or interfere with, for example, in the vicinity of a structure containing metal. Therefore, it is desirable to arrange a plurality of sensors in the warehouse in consideration of radio wave attenuation, interference, and the like.

Currently, various techniques have been proposed in response to such demands. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a sensor terminal placement support method that measures the received electric field strength between sensors and the communication success rate and proposes the placement of sensors according to the measurement results.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2010-405701

However, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, the user needs to measure the received electric field strength and the communication success rate after arranging a plurality of sensors in advance, and rearrange the plurality of sensors according to the measurement result. be. That is, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, it is not possible to propose the placement of the sensor before the placement of the sensor, which imposes a heavy burden on the user. Therefore, there is a demand for a technique for proposing an appropriate installation position of a sensor that transmits measurement data by multi-hop communication without imposing a heavy burden on the user.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and is an installation candidate position display device and an installation candidate that proposes an appropriate installation position of a sensor that transmits measurement data by multi-hop communication without imposing a heavy burden on the user. It is an object of the present invention to provide a position display system, an installation candidate position display method, and a program.

In order to achieve the above object, the installation candidate position display device according to the present invention is
It is an installation candidate position display device that displays information indicating the installation candidate position in the building of the sensor that transmits measurement data to the data collection device by multi-hop communication.
The installation candidate position display means is provided, which is arranged in the building and displays information indicating a larger number of the installation candidate positions as the distance from the obstacle that attenuates the radio waves used for the multi-hop communication is shorter .

In the present invention, the closer the distance to the obstacle that attenuates the radio waves used for multi-hop communication, the larger the number of information indicating the installation candidate positions is displayed. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to propose an appropriate installation position of a sensor that transmits measurement data by multi-hop communication without imposing a heavy burden on the user.

Configuration diagram of the article management system to which the installation candidate position display system according to the first embodiment of the present invention is applied. Configuration diagram of the installation candidate position display device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Functional configuration diagram of the installation candidate position display device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Diagram showing installable location information Diagram showing structure position information Figure showing article position information Diagram showing installation candidate location information A diagram showing how the space in the warehouse is divided Diagram showing block division information A flowchart showing an installation candidate position display process executed by the installation candidate position display device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. A diagram showing a screen that presents installation candidate location information in two dimensions. A diagram showing a screen that presents installation candidate location information in three dimensions. A diagram showing how blocks are divided into different sizes for each space. Configuration diagram of the installation candidate position display system according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Functional configuration diagram of the installation candidate position display system according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

(Embodiment 1)
First, with reference to FIG. 1, the configuration of the article management system 2000 to which the installation candidate position display system 1000 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is applied will be described. The article management system 2000 is a system for managing articles stored in the warehouse 500. Specifically, the article management system 2000 executes warehousing management of articles, warehousing management of articles, temperature control of articles, and the like.

The article management system 2000 includes a plurality of sensors 200, a data collection device 310, a warehousing / delivery management terminal 320, and a warehousing / delivery management server 330. The data collection device 310, the warehousing / delivery management terminal 320, and the warehousing / delivery management server 330 are connected to each other via the communication network 700. FIG. 1 shows an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis. The Z axis is a coordinate axis parallel to the vertical direction. The X-axis is a coordinate axis orthogonal to the Z-axis. The Y-axis is a coordinate axis orthogonal to the X-axis and the Z-axis.

The plurality of sensors 200 are sensors that measure the temperature inside the warehouse 500 and transmit measurement data indicating the measured temperature to the data acquisition device 310 by multi-hop communication. The plurality of sensors 200 have a measurement function for measuring the temperature of the installation location and a transmission function for transmitting the measurement data to another sensor 200 or the data acquisition device 310 by multi-hop communication. The plurality of sensors 200 automatically determine a route for transmitting measurement data to the data acquisition device 310 based on the number of hops, the strength of the received radio wave, and the like in multi-hop communication.

Specifically, the plurality of sensors 200 determine the route so that the number of hops, which is the number of sensors 200 passing through, is as small as possible. Further, the plurality of sensors 200 determine the route so that the strength of the radio wave received by the sensor 200 in the route is as strong as possible. However, if the distance between the plurality of sensors 200 is too long, there is a possibility that there is no path capable of transmitting the measurement data to the data acquisition device 310. Further, even if the distance between the plurality of sensors 200 is not so long, if there is an obstacle that causes radio interference near the sensor 200, there is no path capable of transmitting the measurement data to the data acquisition device 310. there is a possibility.

Therefore, in order to increase the reliability of multi-hop communication, it is preferable to provide redundancy in the arrangement of the plurality of sensors 200 and increase the arrangement density of the plurality of sensors 200. On the other hand, if the arrangement density of the plurality of sensors 200 is increased too much, the number of sensors 200 that do not contribute much to multi-hop communication or temperature measurement increases, and the installation cost of the sensors 200 increases. Therefore, it is desirable that the plurality of sensors 200 are arranged at an appropriate density in consideration of the influence of obstacles. In the present embodiment, the distribution of the plurality of sensors 200 is determined from the viewpoint of appropriately executing multi-hop communication, and from the viewpoint of appropriately setting the place where the temperature is measured for appropriate temperature control. It shall not be considered.

The data acquisition device 310 collects measurement data transmitted by multi-hop communication from a plurality of sensors 200. The data acquisition device 310 includes, for example, a processor, a hard disk, two communication interfaces, and the like. One communication interface is a communication interface for receiving measurement data from the sensor 200. The other communication interface is, for example, a NIC (Network Interface Card) for connecting to the communication network 700.

The warehousing / delivery management terminal 320 is a terminal for managing warehousing / delivery information regarding the warehousing of goods into the warehouse 500 and the warehousing of goods from the warehouse 500. For example, the warehousing / delivery management terminal 320 accepts an operation for managing warehousing / delivery information from a user, and sends / receives warehousing / delivery information to / from the warehousing / delivery management server 330. The warehousing / delivery information includes, for example, information indicating the position where the article is placed. The warehousing / delivery management terminal 320 includes, for example, a processor, a flash memory, a touch screen, a communication interface, and the like. This communication interface is, for example, a NIC.

The warehousing / delivery management server 330 is a server that manages warehousing / delivery information. The warehousing / delivery management server 330, for example, transmits warehousing / delivery information to the warehousing / delivery management terminal 320, and receives warehousing / delivery information from the warehousing / delivery management terminal 320. The warehousing / delivery management server 330 includes, for example, a processor, a hard disk, a communication interface, and the like. This communication interface is, for example, a NIC.

Warehouse 500 is a low temperature warehouse for storing goods at a low temperature. The warehouse 500 includes a structure having excellent heat insulating properties. The structure is, for example, a wall, a pillar, a floor, a ceiling, or the like, and is basically an object provided in a warehouse. Structures often contain large amounts of metal. Then, the metal significantly attenuates radio waves by blocking, reflecting, and the like. Therefore, the structure has a high possibility of causing radio interference by significantly attenuating the radio waves used for multi-hop communication. Hereinafter, the structure is appropriately referred to as an obstacle or a first obstacle.

Further, the warehouse 500 includes a shelf for storing articles. Shelf does not often contain large amounts of metal. Therefore, the shelves do not attenuate the radio waves used for multi-hop communication so much, and are unlikely to cause radio interference. Therefore, in this embodiment, the shelves are not treated as obstacles. On the other hand, the articles stored on the shelves in the low temperature warehouse often contain a large amount of water. Moisture, though not as much as metal, attenuates radio waves by blocking, reflecting, and the like. Therefore, the article is likely to attenuate the radio waves used for multi-hop communication and cause radio interference. Hereinafter, the article is appropriately referred to as an obstacle or a second obstacle. The stored article is, for example, fish and shellfish that are stored frozen.

The moisture contained in the article has a higher transmittance of radio waves and a smaller attenuation rate of radio waves than the metal contained in the structure. In addition, the ratio of water contained in the article to the article is often smaller than the ratio of metal contained in the structure to the structure. Also, unlike structures, articles can be moved. Therefore, it is considered that the article has a smaller influence on the radio wave in terms of the properties of the material to be included, the ratio of the material to be included, and the probability of existence than the structure. As described above, the first obstacle significantly attenuates the radio wave as compared with the second obstacle, and therefore tends to cause radio wave interference.

The communication network 700 is a wide area network constructed outside the warehouse 500, and is, for example, the Internet. The communication network 700 interconnects the installation candidate position display device 100, the data collection device 310, the warehousing / delivery management terminal 320, and the warehousing / delivery management server 330.

Next, the installation candidate position display system 1000 according to this embodiment will be described. The installation candidate position display system 1000 is a system that displays the installation candidate position in the warehouse 500 of the sensor 200 that transmits measurement data to the data acquisition device 310 by multi-hop communication. The installation candidate position is a candidate for the installation position of the sensor 200 in the warehouse 500, and is a candidate for the installation position of the sensor 200 for realizing stable multi-hop communication with appropriate redundancy. That is, the installation candidate position display system 1000 is a system that proposes to the user a candidate for the installation position of the sensor 200 for realizing stable multi-hop communication with appropriate redundancy. In the present embodiment, the installation candidate position display system 1000 includes an installation candidate position display device 100, which is one device. Hereinafter, the installation candidate position display device 100 will be mainly described.

The installation candidate position display device 100 is a device that displays the above-mentioned installation candidate position. Hereinafter, the configuration of the installation candidate position display device 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the installation candidate position display device 100 physically includes a processor 11, a flash memory 12, a touch screen 13, and a communication interface 14. The processor 11 controls the overall operation of the installation candidate position display device 100. The processor 11 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) having a built-in ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), RTC (Real Time Clock), and the like. The CPU operates according to, for example, a basic program stored in the ROM, and uses the RAM as a work area.

The flash memory 12 is a non-volatile memory that stores various types of information. The flash memory 12 stores, for example, a program executed by the processor 11. The touch screen 13 detects an operation performed by the user and supplies a signal indicating the detection result to the processor 11. Further, the touch screen 13 displays information under the control of the processor 11. The communication interface 14 is a communication interface for connecting the installation candidate position display device 100 to the communication network 700. The communication interface 14 is, for example, a NIC.

Next, the function of the installation candidate position display device 100 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the installation candidate position display device 100 functionally includes an installable position storage unit 101, an installable position reception unit 102, a structure position storage unit 104, and an article position storage unit 105. An installation candidate position selection unit 108 including an obstacle position storage unit 103, a structure position reception unit 106, an article position reception unit 107, a number determination unit 112, and a position selection unit 113, and an installation candidate position display unit 109. The space division unit 110 and the division information storage unit 111 are provided.

The installable position storage means corresponds to, for example, the installable position storage unit 101. The obstacle position storage means corresponds to, for example, the obstacle position storage unit 103. The installation candidate position selection means corresponds to, for example, the installation candidate position selection unit 108. The installation candidate position display means corresponds to, for example, the installation candidate position display unit 109. The space dividing means corresponds to, for example, the space dividing unit 110. The number determination means corresponds to, for example, the number determination unit 112. The position selection means corresponds to, for example, the position selection unit 113.

The installable position storage unit 101 stores the installable position information indicating the installable position in the warehouse 500 of the sensor 200 that transmits measurement data to the data acquisition device 310 by multi-hop communication. The installable position is a position where the sensor 200 can be attached. The installable position is, for example, a position where the sensor 200 can be attached on a shelf installed in the warehouse 500. In multi-hop communication, for example, when there is no obstacle, communication of about 20 m per hop is possible. Therefore, it is considered unnecessary to set the installable position very finely. In the present embodiment, the installable position is managed in units of 1 m in a Cartesian coordinate system including an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis.

The installable position information may be any type of information as long as it is information indicating the installable position. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the installable position is determined by the record provided with the installable position ID, the X coordinate [m], the Y coordinate [m], and the Z coordinate [m]. Information to show. One record shows the coordinates of one installable position. The installable position is, for example, about several hundred to tens of thousands. The function of the installable position storage unit 101 is realized by, for example, the function of the flash memory.

The installable position receiving unit 102 receives the installable position information stored in the installable position storage unit 101. The format of the installable position information received by the installable position reception unit 102 does not have to be the format of the installable position information stored in the installable position storage unit 101. In this case, when the installable position information is stored in the installable position storage unit 101, the format is appropriately converted. The function of the installable position receiving unit 102 is realized by, for example, the function of the touch screen 13 or the function of the communication interface 14.

The obstacle position storage unit 103 stores obstacle position information indicating a position in the warehouse 500 of an obstacle that attenuates radio waves used for multi-hop communication. The obstacle position information includes structure position information indicating the position of the obstacle structure in the warehouse 500 and article position information indicating the position of the obstacle article in the warehouse 500. The obstacle position storage unit 103 includes a structure position storage unit 104 that stores structure position information and an article position storage unit 105 that stores article position information.

The structure position information may be any form of information as long as it is information indicating the position of the structure. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the structure position information is the position of the structure by the record including the structure position ID, the X coordinate [m], the Y coordinate [m], and the Z coordinate [m]. This is information indicating. One record shows the coordinates of one cubic lattice containing the structure when the space in the warehouse 500 is divided into cubic lattices at 1 m intervals. These coordinates may be coordinates indicating the center position of the cubic lattice, or may be coordinates of any one of the eight vertices provided in the cubic lattice. In the present embodiment, since the structure position information indicates the position of the structure by such a record, a plurality of records may be provided for one structure.

The article position information may be in any format as long as it is information indicating the position of the article. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the article position information is information indicating the position of the article by a record including the article position ID, the X coordinate [m], the Y coordinate [m], and the Z coordinate [m]. Is. One record shows the coordinates of one cubic lattice containing articles when the space in the warehouse 500 is divided into cubic lattices at 1 m intervals. These coordinates may be coordinates indicating the center position of the cubic lattice, or may be coordinates of any one of the eight vertices provided in the cubic lattice. In the present embodiment, since the article position information indicates the position of the structure by such a record, a plurality of records may be provided for one article. The function of the obstacle position storage unit 103, the function of the structure position storage unit 104, and the function of the article position storage unit 105 are realized by, for example, the function of the flash memory.

The structure position receiving unit 106 receives the structure position information stored in the structure position storage unit 104. The format of the structure position information received by the structure position receiving unit 106 does not have to be the format of the structure position information stored in the structure position storage unit 104. In this case, when the structure position information is stored in the structure position storage unit 104, the format is appropriately converted. The function of the structure position receiving unit 106 is realized by, for example, the function of the touch screen 13 or the function of the communication interface 14.

The article position receiving unit 107 receives the article position information stored in the article position storage unit 105. The format of the article position information received by the article position receiving unit 107 does not have to be the format of the article position information stored in the article position storage unit 105. For example, the article position receiving unit 107 may receive the warehousing / delivery information as the article position information from the warehousing / delivery management terminal 320 or the warehousing / delivery management server 330. In this case, when the article position information is stored in the article position storage unit 105, the format is appropriately converted. The function of the article position receiving unit 107 is realized by, for example, the function of the touch screen 13 or the function of the communication interface 14.

Based on the obstacle position information, the installation candidate position selection unit 108 selects a larger number of installable positions from the installable positions indicated by the installable position information as the installation candidate positions of the sensor 200 as it is closer to the obstacle. do. The installation candidate position is a candidate for a position suitable for installing the sensor 200. As described above, the closer to the obstacle, the more likely it is that radio interference will occur, and the more likely it is that multi-hop communication will be hindered. Therefore, the installation candidate position selection unit 108 selects the installation candidate position from the installable positions so that a larger number of sensors 200 are arranged in the area closer to the obstacle.

In other words, the installation candidate position selection unit 108 can be installed so that the density of the sensor 200 arranged in the area near the obstacle becomes high and the density of the sensor 200 arranged in the area far from the obstacle becomes low. Select the installation candidate position from. Even in an area close to an obstacle and where radio wave interference is likely to occur, if the density of the sensor 200 is high, it is considered that there is a high possibility that multi-hop communication will be established. The reason for this is that if the density of the sensors 200 is high, the intervals between the sensors 200 are short, so that the attenuation of the radio wave strength is small, and there is a high possibility that the sensors 200 are present on a path where radio interference is unlikely to occur.

The installation candidate position selection unit 108 generates and stores the installation candidate position information indicating the installation candidate position. The installation candidate position information may be in any format as long as it is information indicating the installation candidate position. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the installation candidate position information is the installation candidate position by the record including the installation candidate position ID, the installable position ID, the X coordinate [m], the Y coordinate [m], and the Z coordinate [m]. May be shown. The installation candidate position is managed in units of 1 m in an orthogonal coordinate system including, for example, an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis, similarly to the installable position. The number of candidate installation positions is, for example, tens to thousands. The function of the installation candidate position selection unit 108 is realized by, for example, the function of the processor 11.

The installation candidate position display unit 109 displays information indicating the installation candidate position selected by the installation candidate position selection unit 108. The method by which the installation candidate position display unit 109 displays the information indicating the installation candidate position can be appropriately adjusted. For example, the installation candidate position display unit 109 clearly indicates the installation candidate position on a two-dimensional or three-dimensional layout drawing showing the inside of the warehouse 500. Alternatively, the installation candidate position display unit 109 may clearly indicate a group of records in which one record indicates the position of the shelf corresponding to one installation candidate position.

The space division unit 110 divides the space in the warehouse 500 into a plurality of blocks. For example, the space division unit 110 logically divides the space in the warehouse 500 into cubic grid-like blocks at intervals of 5 m. FIG. 8 shows how the space in the warehouse 500 is divided into a plurality of blocks. For ease of understanding, FIG. 8 shows a plan view of the inside of the warehouse 500 from the positive direction of the Z axis. FIG. 8 shows how the space in the warehouse 500 is divided into five blocks in the X-axis direction and divided into three blocks in the Y-axis direction.

Further, in FIG. 8, in the warehouse 500, the structure 50, the shelves 70A for storing the articles 60A and the articles 60B, the shelves 70B, the shelves 70C, the shelves 70D, and the shelves 70E for storing the articles 60C are shown. Shows how they are placed. The structure 50 is an obstacle, for example, a wall. The article 60A, the article 60B, and the article 60C are obstacles, for example, frozen fish and shellfish. Hereinafter, the article 60A, the article 60B, and the article 60C are collectively referred to as an article 60, as appropriate. The shelves 70A, the shelves 70B, the shelves 70C, the shelves 70D, and the shelves 70E are shelves for storing the articles 60, and are not obstacles. Hereinafter, the shelves 70A, the shelves 70B, the shelves 70C, the shelves 70D, and the shelves 70E are collectively referred to as the shelves 70.

In the example shown in FIG. 8, the structure 50 overlaps the block A, the block B, the block C, the block D, and the block E. Therefore, the block A, the block B, the block C, the block D, and the block E are blocks in which the radio wave is likely to be greatly attenuated. Therefore, it is preferable that a very large number of installation candidate positions are assigned to the block A, the block B, the block C, the block D, and the block E.

Further, the article 60A and the article 60B overlap the block F, and the article 60C overlaps the block J. Therefore, the block D, the block E, and the block J are blocks in which the radio wave is likely to be attenuated to some extent. Therefore, it is preferable that a certain number of installation candidate positions are assigned to the block D, the block E, and the block J. On the other hand, the block G, the block H, the block I, the block K, the block L, the block M, the block N, and the block O are blocks in which the radio wave is unlikely to be attenuated. Therefore, it is preferable that a relatively small number of installation candidate positions are assigned to the block G, the block H, the block I, the block K, the block L, the block M, the block N, and the block O.

The size of the block after division can be adjusted as appropriate. For example, in the case where one sensor 200 is arranged in each of the blocks after division, the space division unit 110 divides the blocks so that multi-hop communication by the plurality of sensors 200 can be normally realized when there is no obstacle. It is preferable to determine the size of the later block. If the size of the block after division is too large, the variation in the arrangement of the installation candidate positions becomes large, so that it becomes difficult to establish multi-hop communication, or it is considered that the number of required sensors 200 increases. On the other hand, if the size of the block after division is too small, it is considered that the number of required sensors 200 will increase on the premise that at least one sensor 200 is arranged for one block. The function of the space division unit 110 is realized by, for example, the function of the processor 11.

The division information storage unit 111 stores block division information indicating the configuration of the block obtained by the space division by the space division unit 110. The block division information may be any form of information as long as it is information indicating the structure of the block. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the block division information shows the block configuration by a record having an installable position ID, an X coordinate [m], a Y coordinate [m], a Z coordinate [m], and a block name. May be good. The block division information is information indicating the block to which the configurable position belongs. The function of the divided information storage unit 111 is realized by, for example, the function of the flash memory 12.

When the first distance is smaller than the first threshold value, the number determination unit 112 determines the first number as the number of candidates. The first distance is the distance from the representative position of the first block among the plurality of blocks to the first obstacle among the obstacles. The first block is a block for which the number of candidates is determined among the plurality of blocks. The representative position is a position that represents the block. Therefore, the representative position of the first block is a position representing the first block. How the representative position is defined can be adjusted as appropriate. The first obstacle is, for example, the structure 50. The first threshold value is a threshold value for discriminating the first distance, and is 3 m in the present embodiment. The number of candidates is the number of installation candidate positions selected from the first block. The first number is a relatively large number, and in the present embodiment, it is three.

As described above, when the first block is relatively close to the structure 50, the number determination unit 112 selects a relatively large number of installation candidate positions from the first block. In the present embodiment, the position of the structure 50, which is the first obstacle, is managed by the coordinates in units of 1 m based on the structure position information. Therefore, the distance from the representative position of the first block to the first obstacle is the position of the first block among the positions of the structure 50 managed by the coordinates in units of 1 m from the representative position of the first block. It means the distance to the position of the structure 50 closest to the representative position.

On the other hand, when the first distance is equal to or greater than the first threshold value, the number determination unit 112 determines the number of candidates smaller than the first number. As described above, when the first block is relatively far from the structure 50, the number determination unit 112 selects a relatively small number of installation candidate positions from the first block. The function of the number determination unit 112 is realized by, for example, the function of the processor 11.

The position selection unit 113 selects the installable position of the number of candidate numbers determined by the number determination unit 112 from the installable positions included in the first block as the installation candidate position. The method in which the position selection unit 113 selects the installable positions for the number of candidates from the installable positions can be appropriately adjusted. For example, the position selection unit 113 may randomly select as many installable positions as the number of candidate positions from the installable positions based on the random numbers generated by the random number generator. The function of the position selection unit 113 is realized by, for example, the function of the processor 11.

Here, when the first distance is equal to or greater than the first threshold value and the second distance is smaller than the second threshold value, the number determination unit 112 has a second number of candidates less than the first number. Can be determined. The second distance is the distance from the representative position of the first block to the second obstacle. The second obstacle is an obstacle having a smaller amount of radio wave attenuation than the first obstacle. The second obstacle is, for example, article 60. The second number is a medium number, which is two in this embodiment. The second threshold value is a threshold value for discriminating the second distance, and is 5 m in the present embodiment.

As described above, the number determination unit 112 has a medium number of installation candidates from the first block when the first block is relatively far from the structure 50 and the first block is relatively close to the article 60. Select a position. In the present embodiment, the position of the article 60, which is the second obstacle, is managed by the coordinates in units of 1 m based on the article position information. Therefore, the distance from the representative position of the first block to the second obstacle is the representative of the first block among the positions of the articles 60 managed by the coordinates in 1 m units from the representative position of the first block. It means the distance to the position of the article 60 closest to the position.

On the other hand, when the first distance is equal to or greater than the first threshold value and the second distance is equal to or greater than the second threshold value, the number determination unit 112 selects a third number as the number of candidates, which is smaller than the second number. decide. The third number is a relatively small number, and in the present embodiment, it is one. As described above, when the first block is relatively far from the structure 50 and the first block is relatively far from the article 60, the number determination unit 112 determines a small number of installation candidate positions from the first block. select. As described above, the number determination unit 112 determines the number of candidates with more emphasis on the presence of the first obstacle than the second obstacle.

Here, the representative position of the first block may be the position where the distance to the obstacle is the smallest among the installable positions included in the first block. According to this configuration, for a block having an installable position with a relatively short distance to an obstacle, that is, a block having a high risk that an installable position with a relatively short distance to an obstacle is selected as an installation candidate position. , It can be expected that a relatively large number of candidate installation positions will be assigned. As described above, the distance from a certain position to the obstacle means the distance from this position to the position of the nearest obstacle among the positions of the obstacles managed by the coordinates in 1 m units. be.

Next, the installation candidate position display process executed by the installation candidate position display device 100 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The installation candidate position display method executed by the installation candidate position display device 100 is realized by executing the installation candidate position display process. The installation candidate position display device 100 starts executing the installation candidate position display process in response to receiving a start instruction from the user, for example, via the touch screen 13. Prior to the execution of the installation candidate position display process, it is assumed that the flash memory 12 stores the installable position information, the structure position information, and the article position information.

First, the processor 11 divides the space in the warehouse 500 into a plurality of blocks (step S101). For example, the processor 11 divides the space in the warehouse 500 into cubic blocks having a side of 5 m by dividing the space in the warehouse 500 at intervals of 5 m in each of the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction. When the processor 11 completes the process of step S101, the processor 11 selects one block from the plurality of blocks obtained by the division (step S102). The order of selection may be any order.

When the processor 11 completes the process of step S102, the processor 11 calculates D1, which is the first distance, with the selected block as the first block (step S103). For example, the processor 11 has a structure position and installation for all combinations of all structure positions indicated by the structure position information and all installable positions contained in the selected block indicated by the block division information. Find the distance to the possible position. Then, the processor 11 obtains the smallest distance among the obtained distances as the first distance.

When the processor 11 completes the process of step S103, the processor 11 calculates D2, which is the second distance (step S104). For example, the processor 11 determines the article position and the installable position for all combinations of all the article positions indicated by the article position information and all the installable positions included in the selected block indicated by the block division information. Find the distance. Then, the processor 11 obtains the minimum distance among the obtained distances as the second distance.

When the process of step S104 is completed, the processor 11 determines whether or not D1 is smaller than the first threshold value, Th1 (step S105). The first threshold is, for example, 3 m. When the processor 11 determines that D1 is smaller than Th1 (step S105: YES), the processor 11 determines the number of candidates to be allocated to the first block as the first number (step S106). The first number is, for example, three.

When the processor 11 determines that D1 is not smaller than Th1 (step S105: NO), the processor 11 determines whether D2 is smaller than the second threshold value, Th2 (step S107). The second threshold is, for example, 5 m. When the processor 11 determines that D2 is smaller than Th2 (step S107: YES), the processor 11 determines the number of candidates to be allocated to the first block as the second number (step S108). The second number is, for example, two. When the processor 11 determines that D2 is not smaller than Th2 (step S107: NO), the processor 11 determines the number of candidates to be allocated to the first block to be the third number (step S109). The third number is, for example, one.

When the processor 11 completes the processing of step S106, step S108, or step S109, the processor 11 selects installation candidate positions corresponding to the number of candidates (step S110). For example, the processor 11 randomly selects installation candidate positions for the number of candidates from the configurable positions included in the first block.

When the processor 11 completes the process of step S110, the processor 11 determines whether or not there is an unselected block (step S111). When the processor 11 determines that there is an unselected block (step S111: YES), the processor 11 returns the process to step S102 and selects the unselected block.

When the processor 11 determines that there is no unselected block (step S111: NO), the processor 11 displays information indicating the installation candidate position (step S112). For example, the processor 11 controls the touch screen 13 to display the screen 800 shown in FIG. 11 or the screen 810 shown in FIG.

The screen 800 is a screen that presents the installation candidate positions in two dimensions. The screen 800 is a screen that presents installation candidate positions in the layout drawing in the warehouse 500 when the inside of the warehouse 500 is viewed in a plan view from the positive direction of the Z axis. The installation candidate position is clearly indicated on the screen 800 by the icon 201 representing the sensor 200. On the screen 800, the icon 201 corresponding to the installation candidate position is displayed regardless of the coordinates of the installation candidate position in the Z-axis direction. The processor 11 can adjust the range in the warehouse 500 displayed on the screen 800 according to the operation on the touch screen 13, for example.

Further, on the screen 800, an icon 71A representing the shelf 70A, an icon 71B representing the shelf 70B, an icon 71C representing the shelf 70C, an icon 71D representing the shelf 70D, and an icon 71E representing the shelf 70E are displayed. The icon 201 is superimposed and displayed. Hereinafter, the icons 71A, the icon 71B, the icon 71C, the icon 71D, and the icon 71E are collectively referred to as the icon 71. In this way, the position where the sensor 200 should be installed is presented by the positional relationship between the icon 71 representing the shelf 70 and the icon 201 representing the installation candidate position.

The screen 810 is a screen that presents the installation candidate positions in three dimensions. The screen 810 is a screen that presents the installation candidate positions in the layout drawing in the warehouse 500 when the state inside the warehouse 500 is viewed three-dimensionally from a certain viewpoint. Also on the screen 810, the installation candidate position is clearly indicated by the icon 201 representing the sensor 200. On the screen 810, the coordinates of the installation candidate position in the Z-axis direction are also specified. The position of the structure 50 is also presented on the screen 810 by the icon 51 representing the structure 50. The processor 11 can adjust the viewpoint and adjust the range in the warehouse 500 displayed on the screen 810 according to the operation on the touch screen 13, for example. When the processor 11 completes the process of step S112, the processor 11 completes the installation candidate position display process.

In this embodiment, the closer the distance to the obstacle, the larger the number of candidate installation positions are displayed. Specifically, the installation candidate positions are displayed at a higher density in the area where the wireless communication environment is bad than in the area where the wireless communication environment is good. That is, it is possible to propose an appropriate candidate for the position of the sensor 200 according to the wireless communication environment as the initial value of the position of the sensor 200. According to the present embodiment, it is possible to propose an appropriate installation position of the sensor 200 that transmits measurement data by multi-hop communication without imposing a heavy burden on the user.

Further, in the present embodiment, the space in the warehouse 500 is divided into cubic blocks having the same size, and at least one installation candidate position is assigned to the divided blocks. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to suppress the generation of a region where the density of the installation candidate positions is too low.

Further, in the present embodiment, when determining the number of installation candidate positions to be assigned to one block, the distance to the structure 50 is more important than the distance to the article 60. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it can be expected to propose an appropriate installation candidate position in consideration of the good radio wave environment.

(Modification 1 of Embodiment 1)
In the first embodiment, the representative position of the first block may be the position where the sum of the squares of the distances from the installable positions included in the first block is the minimum. According to such a configuration, even if the installable positions included in the first block are biased, an appropriate number of installation candidate positions can be assigned to the first block.

(Modification 2 of Embodiment 1)
In the first embodiment, the representative position of the first block may be the position of the center of the first block. According to such a configuration, an appropriate number of installation candidate positions can be assigned to the first block with a small amount of calculation.

(Modification 3 of Embodiment 1)
In the first embodiment, when the number of candidates is one, the position selection unit 113 determines the installable position in which the distance to the center of the first block is the smallest among the installable positions included in the first block. You may choose. According to such a configuration, it is possible to make it difficult to generate a region where the interval between the installation candidate positions is long.

Further, in the first embodiment, when the number of candidates is a plurality, the position selection unit 113 is a combination in which the sum of the squares of the distances between the installable positions is the maximum among the installable positions included in the first block. You may select the included installable position. In this case, the position selection unit 113 selects a combination of installable positions for the number of candidates from the installable positions included in the first block, and squares the distance between the installable positions included in the selected combination. The process of calculating the sum of the above is executed for all the selectable combinations. Then, the position selection unit 113 selects the installable position included in the combination in which the sum of the squares of the distances between the installable positions is the maximum. According to such a configuration, it is possible to make it difficult to generate a region where the interval between the installation candidate positions is long.

(Modified Example 4 of Embodiment 1)
In the first embodiment, the space division unit 110 divides the first space in the warehouse 500 into a plurality of large blocks having the first size, and sets the space in the warehouse 500 as the first space. May divide a different second space into a plurality of small blocks having a second size smaller than the first size. For example, as shown in FIG. 13, the space division unit 110 divides the space 90 indicating the first space into a large block 91 which is a cube having a side of 5 m, and divides the space 92 indicating the second space into a space 92 having a side of 5. It may be divided into small blocks 93 which are cubes of / 3 m.

The first space is a space in which the sensor 200 does not need to be installed at a high density. The first space is, for example, a space far from the entrance of the warehouse 500 and has a small temperature change. The second space is a space in which it is preferable to install the sensor 200 at a higher density than in the first space. The second space is, for example, a space close to the entrance of the warehouse 500 and has a large temperature change.

In this case, the number determination unit 112 determines the number of candidates by using each of the plurality of large blocks and the plurality of small blocks as a plurality of blocks in the first embodiment. That is, the number determination unit 112 is, for example, when the third distance, which is the distance from the representative position of the first large block to the first obstacle among the plurality of large blocks, is smaller than the third threshold value. The fourth number is determined as the number of candidates, which is the number of installation candidate positions to be selected from one large block. On the other hand, when the third distance is equal to or greater than the third threshold value, the number determination unit 112 determines the number of candidates smaller than the fourth number.

Further, the number determination unit 112 is, for example, when the fourth distance, which is the distance from the representative position of the first small block to the first obstacle among the plurality of small blocks, is smaller than the fourth threshold value. The fifth number is determined as the number of candidates, which is the number of installation candidate positions to be selected from the small blocks of 1. On the other hand, when the fourth distance is equal to or greater than the fourth threshold value, the number determination unit 112 determines the number of candidates smaller than the fifth number.

According to such a configuration, it is possible to propose an appropriate installation candidate position according to the interval at which the measurement data should be measured and the radio wave environment.

(Embodiment 2)
In the first embodiment, an example in which the installation candidate position display system 1000 includes the installation candidate position display device 100, which is one device, has been described. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 14, the installation candidate position display system 1100 includes a server 120 and a display device 130, and the server 120 and the display device 130 cooperate with each other to display the installation candidate position display device 100. An example of realizing the functions provided by the above will be described. The description of the same configuration or function as that of the first embodiment will be omitted or simplified.

The server 120 and the display device 130 physically include, for example, a processor 11, a flash memory 12, a touch screen 13, and a communication interface 14. The server 120 includes a function other than the display function for displaying the installation candidate position among the functions included in the installation candidate position display device 100, and a communication function for communicating with the display device 130. The display device 130 includes a display function among the functions of the installation candidate position display device 100 and a communication function for communicating with the server 120.

As shown in FIG. 15, the server 120 functionally includes an installable position storage unit 101, an installable position reception unit 102, a structure position storage unit 104, and an article position storage unit 105. A storage candidate position selection unit 108 including a storage unit 103, a structure position reception unit 106, an article position reception unit 107, a number determination unit 112, and a position selection unit 113, a space division unit 110, and a division information storage unit. It includes 111 and a communication unit 114. The display device 130 functionally includes an installation candidate position display unit 109 and a communication unit 131.

The communication unit 114 communicates with the display device 130 via the communication network 700. The communication unit 114 receives the installation candidate position information indicating the installation candidate position selected by the installation candidate position selection unit 108 from the installation candidate position selection unit 108, and displays the installation candidate position information via the communication network 700. Send to. The function of the communication unit 114 is realized by, for example, a function having the same configuration as that of the communication interface 14.

The communication unit 131 communicates with the server 120 via the communication network 700. The communication unit 131 transmits the installation candidate position information received from the server 120 via the communication network 700 to the installation candidate position display unit 109. The function of the communication unit 131 is realized by, for example, a function having the same configuration as that of the communication interface 14.

The installation candidate position display unit 109 displays the installation candidate position based on the installation candidate position information received from the communication unit 131. For example, the installation candidate position display unit 109 presents the installation candidate position in a two-dimensional display on the screen 800 as shown in FIG. 11, or displays the installation candidate position in a three-dimensional display on the screen 810 as shown in FIG. Present it. The function of the installation candidate position display unit 109 is realized by, for example, a function having the same configuration as that of the touch screen 13.

Also in this embodiment, the closer the distance to the obstacle, the larger the number of candidate installation positions are displayed. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to propose an appropriate installation position of the sensor 200 that transmits measurement data by multi-hop communication.

(Modification example)
Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, various modifications and applications are possible in carrying out the present invention.

In the present invention, which part of the configuration, function, and operation described in the above embodiment is adopted is arbitrary. Further, in the present invention, in addition to the above-mentioned configurations, functions, and operations, further configurations, functions, and operations may be adopted. Further, the configurations, functions, and operations described in the above embodiments can be freely combined.

In the first embodiment, an example in which the installation candidate position display system 1000 includes the installation candidate position display device 100, which is one device, has been described. In the second embodiment, the installation candidate position display system 1100 includes a server 120 and a display device 130, and the server 120 and the display device 130 cooperate with each other to realize the functions of the installation candidate position display device 100. Explained. The configuration of the installation candidate position display system according to the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, some of the functions of the installation candidate position display device 100 may be realized on the cloud. That is, the server according to the present invention may be one or more servers provided in such a cloud.

In the first embodiment, the first distance, which is the distance from the representative position of the first block to the first obstacle, and the second distance, which is the distance from the representative position of the first block to the second obstacle. An example in which the number of candidates to be allocated to the first block is determined in consideration of the distance has been described. The number of candidates may be determined by considering only one of the first distance and the second distance. Alternatively, the obstacles are classified into three or more types of obstacles according to the strength of the influence on the radio wave environment, and the distance from the representative position of the first block to each of the three or more types of obstacles is taken into consideration. , The number of candidates may be determined. In this case, it is preferable to classify the obstacles according to the amount of metal contained in the obstacles and the amount of water contained in the obstacles.

In the first embodiment, there is one threshold value for discriminating each of the first distance and the second distance, and an example of classifying each of the first distance and the second distance into two stages will be described. did. The threshold value for discriminating each of the first distance and the second distance is two or more, and each of the first distance and the second distance may be classified into three or more stages.

In the first embodiment, an example in which the position of the structure 50 is managed in units of 1 m by the structure position information and the position of the article 60 is managed in units of 1 m by the article position information has been described. The method for managing the position of the structure 50 or the position of the article 60 is not limited to this example. For example, the position of the structure 50 may be controlled by the center position of the structure 50, the shape of the structure 50, and the size of the structure 50. Similarly, the position of the article 60 may be controlled by the center position of the article 60, the shape of the article 60, and the size of the article 60.

In the first embodiment, an example in which the sensor 200 is a temperature sensor for measuring the ambient temperature has been described. As the sensor 200, various sensors that transmit measurement data by multi-hop communication can be adopted. For example, the sensor 200 may be a humidity sensor that measures the ambient humidity, an odor sensor that measures the odor, or a sensor that measures the amount of mold, dust, dust, germs, and the like.

In the first embodiment, an example in which the installation candidate position display device 100 executes the installation candidate position display process according to the instruction by the user has been described. For example, the installation candidate position display device 100 periodically acquires warehousing / delivery information from the warehousing / delivery management terminal 320 or the warehousing / delivery management server 330, and determines that the arrangement of the articles 60 has changed based on the warehousing / delivery information. Occasionally, the installation candidate position display process may be executed. According to such a configuration, an appropriate installation candidate position is displayed as the arrangement of the article 60 is changed.

By applying an operation program that defines the operation of the installation candidate position display device 100 according to the present invention to an existing personal computer or information terminal device, the personal computer or the like can function as the installation candidate position display device 100 according to the present invention. It is also possible. The distribution method of such a program is arbitrary, and is stored and distributed in a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read-Only Memory), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), or a memory card. It may be distributed via a communication network such as the Internet.

The present invention allows for various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the invention. Further, the above-described embodiment is for explaining the present invention, and does not limit the scope of the present invention. That is, the scope of the invention is indicated by the claims, not by embodiments. And various modifications made within the scope of the claims and within the equivalent meaning of the invention are considered to be within the scope of the present invention.

The present invention is applicable to a system including a plurality of sensors for transmitting measurement data using multi-hop communication.

11 Processor, 12 Flash Memory, 13 Touch Screen, 14 Communication Interface, 50 Structures, 51, 71, 71A, 71B, 71C, 71D, 71E, 201 Icon, 60, 60A, 60B, 60C Articles, 70, 70A, 70B , 70C, 70D, 70E Shelf, 90,92 Space, 91 Large block, 93 Small block, 100 Installation candidate position display device, 101 Installable position storage unit, 102 Installable position reception unit, 103 Obstacle position storage unit, 104 Structure position storage unit, 105 article position storage unit, 106 structure position reception unit, 107 article position reception unit, 108 installation candidate position selection unit, 109 installation candidate position display unit, 110 space division unit, 111 division information storage unit, 112 Quantity determination unit, 113 position selection unit, 114, 131 communication unit, 120 server, 130 display device, 200 sensor, 310 data collection device, 320 warehousing / delivery management terminal, 330 warehousing / delivery management server, 500 warehouse, 700 communication network, 800,810 screens, 1000,1100 installation candidate position display system, 2000 article management system

Claims (13)

It is an installation candidate position display device that displays information indicating the installation candidate position in the building of the sensor that transmits measurement data to the data collection device by multi-hop communication.
The installation candidate position display means is provided, which is arranged in the building and displays information indicating a larger number of the installation candidate positions as the distance from the obstacle that attenuates the radio waves used for the multi-hop communication is shorter.
Installation candidate position display device. An installable position storage means for storing installable position information indicating an installable position in the building of the sensor, and an installable position storage means.
An obstacle position storage means for storing obstacle position information indicating the position of the obstacle in the building , and
Installation candidates that select a larger number of the installable positions as the installation candidate positions from the installable positions indicated by the installable position information based on the obstacle position information, as the closer to the obstacle, the larger the number of the installable positions. Further equipped with position selection means,
The installation candidate position display means displays information indicating the installation candidate position selected by the installation candidate position selection means.
The installation candidate position display device according to claim 1 . Further provided with a space dividing means for dividing the space inside the building into a plurality of blocks,
The installation candidate position selection means is
When the first distance, which is the distance from the representative position of the first block among the plurality of blocks to the first obstacle among the obstacles, is smaller than the first threshold value, the first block is selected. The first number is determined as the number of candidates, which is the number of the installation candidate positions, and when the first distance is equal to or greater than the first threshold value, the number of candidates is smaller than the first number. The number determination means to be determined and
A position selecting means for selecting the installable position of the candidate number determined by the number determining means from the installable position included in the first block is provided.
The installation candidate position display device according to claim 2 . In the number determination means, the first distance is equal to or greater than the first threshold value, and the amount of attenuation of the radio wave is smaller than that of the first obstacle among the obstacles from the representative position of the first block. When the second distance, which is the distance to the second obstacle, is smaller than the second threshold value, a second number smaller than the first number is determined as the number of candidates, and the first distance is When the number is equal to or greater than the first threshold value and the second distance is equal to or greater than the second threshold value, a third number smaller than the second number is determined as the number of candidates.
The installation candidate position display device according to claim 3 . The representative position of the first block is the position where the distance to the obstacle is the smallest among the installable positions included in the first block.
The installation candidate position display device according to claim 3 or 4 . The representative position of the first block is the position where the sum of the squares of the distances from the installable position included in the first block is the minimum.
The installation candidate position display device according to claim 3 or 4 . The representative position of the first block is the position of the center of the first block.
The installation candidate position display device according to claim 3 or 4 . When the number of candidates is one, the position selection means selects the installable position in which the distance to the center of the first block is the smallest among the installable positions included in the first block. select,
The installation candidate position display device according to any one of claims 3 to 7 . When the number of candidates is a plurality, the position selection means is included in the combination of the installable positions included in the first block in which the sum of the squares of the distances between the installable positions is the maximum. Select the installable position,
The installation candidate position display device according to any one of claims 3 to 8 . The space dividing means divides the first space in the building into a plurality of large blocks having the first size, and the space in the building is different from the first space. The space is divided into a plurality of small blocks having a second size smaller than the first size.
The number determination means determines the number of candidates by using each of the plurality of large blocks and the plurality of small blocks as the plurality of blocks.
The installation candidate position display device according to any one of claims 3 to 9 . An installation candidate position display system including a server and a display device connected to the server via a communication network.
The server
Close to the obstacle from the installable position in the building of the sensor that transmits measurement data to the data acquisition device by the multi-hop communication based on the position in the building of the obstacle that attenuates the radio waves used for multi-hop communication. The installation candidate position selection means for selecting a large number of the installable positions as the installation candidate positions of the sensor is provided.
The display device is
The installation candidate position display means for displaying information indicating the installation candidate position selected by the installation candidate position selection means is provided.
Installation candidate position display system. It is an installation candidate position display method that displays information indicating the installation candidate position in the building of the sensor that transmits measurement data to the data collection device by multi-hop communication.
The closer the distance to the obstacle that is arranged in the building and attenuates the radio waves used for the multi-hop communication, the larger the number of information indicating the installation candidate positions is displayed.
Installation candidate position display method. Computer,
Close to the obstacle from the installable position in the building of the sensor that transmits measurement data to the data acquisition device by the multi-hop communication based on the position in the building of the obstacle that attenuates the radio waves used for multi-hop communication. Installation candidate position selection means for selecting a large number of the installable positions as installation candidate positions of the sensor,
It functions as an installation candidate position display means for displaying information indicating the installation candidate position selected by the installation candidate position selection means.
program.

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