WO2024161573A1 - Server device, server device control method, and storage medium - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a server device that enables staff and the like of a predetermined facility to easily learn about the existence of a subject whose whereabouts are unknown. The server device is provided with a storage means, a detection means, an attendance control means, and a control means. The storage means stores the status of each of a plurality of subjects who belong to a predetermined facility and whose whereabouts need to be confirmed. The detection means detects, by means of biometric authentication using biometric information, a first subject who has attended the predetermined facility, and sets the status of the detected first subject to as being in attendance. The attendance control means sets the status of a second subject whose absence has been notified to the predetermined facility to as being absent. If, at a predetermined timing, there is a third subject whose status has not been changed from an initial value to as being in attendance or being absent, the control means notifies concerned personnel of the prescribed facility of the existence of the third subject.

Description

Server device, server device control method and storage medium

The present invention relates to a server device, a control method for a server device, and a storage medium.

When a child enters or leaves a designated facility, technology exists that notifies the child's guardian of the time of entry or exit.

For example, Patent Document 1 describes an information distribution system that uses face image recognition to notify guardians (parents) of their children's return home and outings without the parents or children having to be aware of the time or need for contact.

JP 2006-107187 A

　Staff at kindergartens, daycare centers, and other facilities that look after young children are required to be aware of the whereabouts of the children at all times. If children whose whereabouts (attendance or absence at kindergarten, etc.) are uncertain are left unattended, there is a risk of unexpected accidents occurring. For this reason, if there are children whose attendance or absence has not been confirmed, staff at the kindergarten, etc. must be aware of this fact.

The above problem cannot be solved by applying the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1. Patent Document 1 merely discloses a technology for notifying parents of their child's situation.

The main objective of the present invention is to provide a server device, a control method for a server device, and a storage medium that will help staff at a designated facility easily become aware of the presence of a person whose whereabouts are unknown.

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, a server device is provided that includes a storage means for storing the status of each of a plurality of subjects who belong to a specified facility and whose location needs to be confirmed, a detection means for detecting a first subject who is present at the specified facility by biometric authentication using biometric information and setting the status of the detected first subject to "present," an attendance control means for setting the status of a second subject whose absence has been notified to the specified facility to "absent," and a control means for, if there is a third subject whose status does not change from the initial value to "present" or "absent" at a specified timing, notifying relevant persons at the specified facility of the presence of the third subject.

In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, a method for controlling a server device is provided, which stores the status of each of a number of subjects who belong to a specified facility and whose location needs to be confirmed, detects a first subject who is present at the specified facility by biometric authentication using biometric information, sets the status of the detected first subject to "present," sets the status of a second subject whose absence has been notified to the specified facility to "absent," and, if there is a third subject whose status does not change from the initial value to "present" or "absent" at a specified timing, notifies relevant persons at the specified facility of the presence of the third subject.

In accordance with a third aspect of the present invention, a computer-readable storage medium is provided that stores a program for causing a computer mounted on a server device to execute the following processes: storing the status of each of multiple subjects who belong to a specified facility and whose location needs to be confirmed; detecting a first subject who is present at the specified facility by biometric authentication using biometric information and setting the status of the detected first subject to "present"; setting the status of a second subject whose absence has been notified to the specified facility to "absent"; and, if there is a third subject whose status does not change from the initial value to "present" or "absent" at a specified timing, notifying relevant persons at the specified facility of the presence of the third subject.

In accordance with each aspect of the present invention, a server device, a control method for a server device, and a storage medium are provided that contribute to enabling staff at a specific facility to easily ascertain the presence of a subject whose whereabouts are unknown. Note that the effects of the present invention are not limited to the above. The present invention may achieve other effects instead of or in addition to the effects.

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an overview of an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining an outline of the operation of one embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of an information processing system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration in a kindergarten according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the information processing system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the information processing system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the information processing system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the information processing system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the information processing system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the information processing system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a processing configuration of a server device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display of the parent terminal according to the first embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a child management database according to the first embodiment. FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the child detection unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 15 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of the operation of the information processing system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a server device according to the present disclosure. FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of an information processing system according to a modification of the present disclosure.

First, an overview of one embodiment will be described. Note that the reference numbers in the drawings are added to each element for convenience as an example to aid understanding, and the description of this overview is not intended to be limiting in any way. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the blocks shown in each drawing represent a functional configuration, not a hardware configuration. The connection lines between blocks in each drawing include both bidirectional and unidirectional. Unidirectional arrows are used to diagrammatically indicate the flow of the main signal (data), and do not exclude bidirectionality. Note that in this specification and drawings, elements that can be described in the same way may be given the same reference numbers to avoid duplicated explanations.

The server device 100 according to one embodiment includes a storage unit 101, a detection unit 102, an attendance control unit 103, and a control unit 104 (see FIG. 1). The storage unit 101 stores the status of each of a plurality of subjects who belong to a specific facility and whose whereabouts need to be confirmed (step S1 in FIG. 2). The detection unit 102 detects a first subject who attends the specific facility by biometric authentication using biometric information, and sets the status of the detected first subject to "present" (step S2). The attendance control unit 103 sets the status of a second subject whose absence has been notified to the specific facility to "absent" (step S3). If there is a third subject whose status does not change from the initial value to "present" or "absent" at a specific timing, the control unit 104 notifies relevant persons at the specific facility of the presence of the third subject (step S4).

The server device 100 manages the status (condition) of individuals whose whereabouts are to be confirmed (e.g., children at a kindergarten or nursery school) through biometric authentication and notifications from guardians. If there is a child whose presence at the school has not been confirmed through biometric authentication and who has not been notified of their absence, the server device 100 notifies kindergarten staff (those involved in the designated facility) of this fact. This notification allows staff at the designated facility to easily learn that there is an individual (child) whose whereabouts are unknown.

Specific embodiments are described in more detail below with reference to the drawings.

[First embodiment]
The first embodiment will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

The information processing system according to the first embodiment checks the location of children who belong to a specific facility such as a kindergarten or nursery school and whose whereabouts need to be confirmed. In the first embodiment, kindergarten children who belong to a kindergarten are set as the subjects of whereabouts confirmation, and an explanation will be given.

[System Configuration]
Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of the information processing system according to the first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 3, the information processing system includes a server device 10, at least one camera device 20 installed in the kindergarten, and a shuttle bus 30.

The server device 10 manages the names of the kindergarten children, their attendance status, etc. The server device 10 may be installed in the kindergarten building or on a network (cloud).

Camera devices 20 are installed in various locations inside and outside the kindergarten. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, camera devices 20 are installed in the kindergarten's entrance hall, corridors, nursery rooms, etc.

For example, camera device 20-1 is installed so that it can capture images of kindergarten children and staff entering through the front door. Camera device 20-2 is installed so that it can capture images of kindergarten children walking down the hallway. Camera devices 20-3, 20-4, and 20-5 are each installed so that they can capture images of the inside of the nursery room.

The shuttle bus 30 shown in FIG. 3 is used to transport kindergarten children and the like. Although not shown in FIG. 3 and other figures, a camera device 20 is also installed inside the shuttle bus 30. The camera device 20 installed inside the shuttle bus 30 is installed so that it can capture images of at least the users (kindergarten children, staff, etc.) who board the shuttle bus 30.

As shown in FIG. 4, an office terminal 40 is installed in the office. Staff members can operate the office terminal 40 to access the server device 10 and obtain information about the kindergarten children and their guardians.

In addition, each staff member has a staff terminal 41. Staff members can operate the staff terminal 41 to access the server device 10 and obtain information about the kindergarten children, etc.

The devices shown in FIG. 3 (server device 10, camera device 20, etc.) are connected by wired or wireless communication means and are configured to be able to communicate with each other.

The configuration of the information processing system shown in FIG. 3 is an example and is not intended to be limiting. For example, multiple server devices 10 may be included in the system. Furthermore, the camera device 20 may be installed not only inside a building, but also outdoors in a playground, etc.

[Outline of operation]
Next, an outline of the operation of the information processing system according to the first embodiment will be described.

<Child registration>
Parents of kindergarten children register information about their children in the system. For example, the parents operate a parent terminal 42 that they own to access the server device 10 (see FIG. 5). The parents register information about the parents (e.g., name, address, telephone number, email address, etc.) and the child's information (e.g., name, date of birth, etc.) in the server device 10.

Furthermore, the guardian registers the biological information of the child (kindergartener) in the server device 10.

Examples of a child's biometric information include data (features) calculated from physical characteristics unique to an individual, such as the face, fingerprints, voiceprints, veins, retina, and iris patterns. Alternatively, the biometric information may be image data such as a face image or fingerprint image. The biometric information may be anything that includes information on an individual's physical characteristics. In the first embodiment, the biometric information is a person's face image or features generated from a face image.

The server device 10 stores the acquired information in a child management database. The server device 10 uses the child management database to manage the information (e.g., name) and status of the kindergarteners to which it belongs. The initial status is "unconfirmed." Details of the child management database will be provided later.

<Identification of the children>
Kindergarteners go to kindergarten on foot or by shuttle bus 30.

As described above, the camera device 20 is installed inside the shuttle bus 30. The camera device 20 is installed so that it can photograph kindergarten children and others who board the shuttle bus 30. The camera device 20 inside the shuttle bus 30 periodically or at a specified timing transmits image data obtained by photographing the boarding gate and a camera ID to the server device 10 (see FIG. 6).

The camera ID is an ID for identifying each camera device 20. The camera ID may be the MAC (Media Access Control) address or IP (Internet Protocol) address of the camera device 20.

The camera ID is shared between the server device 10 and the camera device 20 by any method. For example, the system administrator determines the camera ID and sets the determined camera ID in the server device 10 and the camera device 20.

The server device 10 extracts face images from the image data and identifies the kindergarten children who boarded the shuttle bus 30 through biometric authentication. The server device 10 sets the status of the identified kindergarten children to "boarding the bus" and stores it in the child management database.

Kindergarteners who get off the bus or who walk to the kindergarten are photographed by camera device 20-1 installed in the entrance hall. Camera device 20-1 periodically or at a specified time transmits image data obtained by photographing the kindergarten entrance and the camera ID to server device 10 (see Figure 7).

In this case, the server device 10 also identifies the kindergartener who has attended the school through biometric authentication. The server device 10 sets the status of the kindergartener who has attended the school to "attended (or attended school)" and stores this in the child management database. The status of the kindergartener who gets off the shuttle bus 30 and enters the school changes from "boarding the bus" to "attending."

Similar to camera device 20-1, camera devices 20-2 to 20-5 installed outside the entrance hall also transmit image data to server device 10 periodically or at specified times. Server device 10 identifies kindergarteners captured in the image data using biometric authentication. Server device 10 sets the status of the identified kindergarteners to "attended" and stores the status in the child management database. Note that the status of kindergarteners who board the shuttle bus 30 and are not photographed by camera devices 20 within the kindergarten remains "on bus" (the status of the kindergarteners does not change to "attended").

The server device 10 notifies the parents of kindergarten children whose status is set to "attended" that their child has attended kindergarten. Specifically, the server device 10 sends an "attendance notification" to the parent terminal 42 of each parent (see Figure 8).

Parents will be notified that their child has been properly accepted into the kindergarten.

If a child is absent from kindergarten, the guardian notifies the kindergarten. Specifically, the guardian operates the guardian terminal 42 to send an "absence notice" to the server device 10 (see Figure 9). More specifically, the guardian terminal 42 sends an absence notice to the server device 10 that includes information identifying the absent child (kindergartener) (for example, name or a combination of name and date of birth).

The server device 10 identifies the absent kindergarteners based on the above information. The server device 10 sets the status of the identified kindergarteners to "absent" and stores it in the child management database.

＜Notification of missing children＞
The server device 10 accesses the child management database at a predetermined timing (e.g., a predetermined time after the start of school) and checks the status of each child. If the checked status includes a status other than "attended" or "absent," the server device 10 notifies (reports, warns) the kindergarten staff that there is a child whose whereabouts are unknown.

Specifically, if there is a kindergartener whose status is set to "unconfirmed" or "boarding the bus," the server device 10 notifies staff and others of this fact. The server device 10 notifies the existence of kindergarteners whose whereabouts are unknown via an office terminal 40 installed in the office and a staff terminal 41 carried by each staff member.

The server device 10 sends a "missing child notification" including the name of the child whose whereabouts are unknown (child whose status is set to unconfirmed or boarding the bus) to the office terminal 40 and staff terminal 41 (see Figure 10).

The office terminal 40 or staff terminal 41 that receives the missing child notification displays a warning message or the like including the name of the child contained in the notification. Staff who receive the warning message will confirm (search for) the whereabouts of the missing child. For example, the staff may contact the guardian or check to see if the child has been left behind on the shuttle bus 30.

Next, we will explain the details of each device included in the information processing system according to the first embodiment.

[Server device]
Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a processing configuration (processing module) of the server device 10 according to the first embodiment. Referring to Fig. 11, the server device 10 includes a communication control unit 201, a child management unit 202, a child detection unit 203, an attendance control unit 204, a missing child control unit 205, and a storage unit 206.

The communication control unit 201 is a means for controlling communication with other devices. For example, the communication control unit 201 receives data (packets) from the office terminal 40. The communication control unit 201 also transmits data to the office terminal 40. The communication control unit 201 passes data received from other devices to other processing modules. The communication control unit 201 transmits data acquired from other processing modules to other devices. In this way, the other processing modules transmit and receive data to and from other devices via the communication control unit 201. The communication control unit 201 has a function as a receiving unit that receives data from other devices and a function as a transmitting unit that transmits data to other devices.

The child management unit 202 is a means for controlling and managing kindergarteners. When a guardian operates the guardian terminal 42 to access the server device 10, the child management unit 202 displays a GUI (Graphical User Interface) on the guardian terminal 42 for obtaining information about the guardian and the children.

After acquiring guardian information (e.g., name, address, email address, etc.), the child management unit 202 displays, for example, a GUI such as that shown in FIG. 12 on the guardian terminal 42. The child management unit 202 acquires the kindergartener's name, date of birth, biometric information (e.g., face image), etc. in response to the guardian's operation.

When the kindergartener's facial image is acquired, the child management unit 202 generates features from the acquired facial image.

Since existing technology can be used for the process of generating features by the child management unit 202, a detailed description thereof will be omitted. For example, the child management unit 202 extracts the eyes, nose, mouth, etc. from the face image as feature points. After that, the child management unit 202 calculates the position of each feature point and the distance between each feature point as feature amounts (generating a feature vector consisting of multiple feature amounts).

Then, the child management unit 202 generates a child ID for identifying the child. The child ID may be any information that can uniquely identify the child. For example, the child management unit 202 may assign a unique value each time a child is registered as the child ID. The child management unit 202 may transmit the child ID to the parent terminal 42 of the parent as necessary.

The child management unit 202 stores user information (name, address, email address, etc.) and child information (child ID, name, date of birth) in a child management database (see Figure 13).

Note that the child management database shown in FIG. 13 is an example and is not intended to limit the items to be stored. For example, facial images may be registered in the child management database as biometric information. Alternatively, the child management database may register the parent's biometric information (facial images, features).

Also, as shown in FIG. 13, the child management database has a status field that manages the status of the children. That is, the child management database stores the status of each of multiple subjects (kindergarteners) who belong to a specific facility and whose whereabouts need to be confirmed. Also, the initial value of the status field is "unconfirmed."

The child detection unit 203 is a means for detecting children using biometric authentication.

The child detection unit 203 detects children attending a specific facility (kindergarten) through biometric authentication using biometric information, and sets the status of the detected children to "attended."

The child detection unit 203 also detects kindergarteners who board the transportation means (shuttle bus 30) that transports the user to the specified facility (kindergarten) by biometric authentication using biometric information acquired on the transportation means. The child detection unit 203 sets the status of the detected kindergarteners to "boarding the bus (boarding transportation means)."

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the child detection unit 203 according to the first embodiment. The operation of the child detection unit 203 will be described with reference to FIG. 14.

The child detection unit 203 periodically or at a predetermined timing receives image data and a camera ID from the camera device 20 (step S101). Based on the camera ID, the child detection unit 203 identifies the installation location of the camera device 20 that is the source of the image data (e.g., the shuttle bus 30, the entrance hall, or a nursery room).

The child detection unit 203 attempts to extract facial images from the acquired image data (step S102). For example, if 10 people appear in the image data, 10 facial images are extracted.

Note that the facial image extraction process performed by the child detection unit 203 can use existing technology, so a detailed explanation will be omitted. For example, the child detection unit 203 may extract facial images (facial regions) from image data using a learning model trained by a CNN (Convolutional Neural Network). Alternatively, the child detection unit 203 may extract facial images using a method such as template matching.

If a face image is not extracted from the image data (step S103, No branch), the child detection unit 203 ends the process.

If face images are extracted from the image data (step S103, Yes branch), the child detection unit 203 identifies the kindergartener corresponding to each extracted face image. Specifically, the child detection unit 203 performs 1:N matching (N is a positive integer, the same applies below) using the extracted face images (step S104).

First, the child detection unit 203 generates features from the extracted face image. The child detection unit 203 sets the generated features to the matching side and the features stored in the child management database to the registration side, and performs 1:N matching.

The child detection unit 203 calculates the similarity between the feature to be matched and each of the multiple feature values on the registration side. If there is no feature value among the multiple feature values registered in the child management database that has a similarity to the feature to be matched that is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the child detection unit 203 determines that the matching process has failed.

The child detection unit 203 determines that the matching process is successful if, among the multiple features registered in the child management database, there is a feature whose similarity with the feature to be matched is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. The child detection unit 203 determines the child with the highest similarity entry as the child corresponding to the facial image to be matched.

If the matching process fails (step S105, No branch), the child detection unit 203 ends the process.

If the matching process is successful (step S105, Yes branch), the child detection unit 203 updates the status of the kindergartener identified by the matching process (step S106).

Specifically, the child detection unit 203 sets the status of children identified from image data captured by the camera device 20 inside the shuttle bus 30 to "boarding the bus" and reflects this in the child management database. The child detection unit 203 sets the status of children identified from image data captured by other camera devices 20 to "attending" and reflects this in the child management database. The other camera devices 20 are camera devices 20-1 to 20-5 installed in various locations within the kindergarten.

The child detection unit 203 notifies the attendance control unit 204 of the child IDs of the kindergarteners whose statuses have been set to "attended."

The kindergartener detection unit 203 determines whether or not there are any facial images for which one-to-N matching has not been performed (determines whether or not there are any facial images for which a kindergartener has not been identified).

If there are facial images for which one-to-N matching has not been performed (facial images remaining; step S107, Yes branch), the child detection unit 203 returns to step S104 and continues processing. That is, the child detection unit 203 repeats the above-mentioned kindergartener identification process and status update process for each facial image included in the image data obtained from the camera device 20.

If there are no face images for which one-to-N matching has not been performed (step S107, No branch), the child detection unit 203 ends the process.

In addition, the child detection unit 203 initializes the status of each child to "unconfirmed" once the kindergarten closes.

The attendance control unit 204 is a means for controlling the attendance and absence of kindergarten children.

When the child ID of a child whose presence in the kindergarten has been confirmed is obtained from the child detection unit 203, the attendance control unit 204 sends a "child attendance notification" to the guardian of the child. For example, the child detection unit 203 sends the child attendance notification, including the child's name, to a pre-registered email address (an email address that can be received by the guardian's parent terminal 42).

In this way, the attendance control unit 204 notifies those related to the kindergartener who attended the kindergarten (e.g., guardians, grandparents, relatives, etc.) that the kindergartener attended the kindergarten. Note that it is sufficient to notify guardians once a day.

The attendance control unit 204 receives an "absence notice" from the parent's parent terminal 42. The attendance control unit 204 searches the child management database using information identifying the child contained in the notice (e.g., the child ID or the child's name, etc.) as a key, and identifies the corresponding entry. The attendance control unit 204 sets "absent" in the status field of the identified entry.

In this way, the attendance control unit 204 sets the status of a kindergartener whose absence has been notified to the kindergarten to absent.

The missing child control unit 205 is a means for controlling kindergarten children whose whereabouts are unknown.

The missing child control unit 205 accesses the child management database at a predetermined timing (e.g., a predetermined time after the start of school) and checks the status of each child. The missing child control unit 205 identifies entries in the child management database that have a status other than "attended" or "absent."

If there is a kindergartener whose status is other than present or absent (a kindergartener whose status is set to unconfirmed or boarding the bus), the missing child control unit 205 treats the kindergartener as a "missing child." The missing child control unit 205 notifies kindergarten staff and others that there is a missing child.

Specifically, the missing child control unit 205 reads out the name, etc. of the missing child from the child management database. The missing child control unit 205 sends a "missing child notification" including the read out name, etc. to the office terminal 40 and staff terminal 41.

In this way, if there is a kindergartener whose status does not change from the initial value to "attended" or "absent" at a specified timing, the missing child control unit 205 notifies kindergarten officials (e.g., staff) of the presence of the kindergartener. Furthermore, if there is a kindergartener whose status does not change from "boarding the bus" at a specified timing, the missing child control unit 205 notifies kindergarten officials of the presence of the kindergartener.

The memory unit 206 is a means for storing information necessary for the operation of the server device 10.

[Office terminals, staff terminals, guardian terminals]
Detailed explanations regarding the processing configurations (processing modules) of the office terminal 40, the staff terminal 41, and the guardian terminal 42 will be omitted. Examples of the office terminal 40 include mobile terminal devices such as smartphones, mobile phones, game consoles, and tablets, as well as computers (personal computers, notebook computers), etc. The office terminal 40 can be any equipment or device that can accept user operations and communicate with the server device 10, etc.

[Camera equipment]
Detailed description of the processing configuration (processing module) of the camera device 20 will be omitted. The camera device 20 photographs a predetermined area periodically or at a predetermined timing and acquires image data. The camera device 20 transmits the acquired image data and a camera ID to the server device 10.

[System Operation]
Next, a description will be given of the operation of the information processing system according to the first embodiment. Fig. 15 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of the information processing system according to the first embodiment.

Each camera device 20 transmits image data and a camera ID to the server device 10 periodically or at a predetermined timing (step S01).

The server device 10 identifies the kindergarteners in the image data through biometric authentication using the acquired image data and the biometric information stored in the child management database (step S02).

The server device 10 updates the status of the identified kindergartener (step S03).

The camera device 20 and server device 10 repeat the above steps S01 to S03.

The server device 10 detects whether there are any missing children at a predetermined timing (time) (step S04). Specifically, the server device 10 detects kindergarten children whose status is set to "unconfirmed" or "boarding the bus."

If a child is missing, the server device 10 sends a "missing child notification" to the office terminal 40 and staff terminal 41 (step S05).

The staff terminal 41 etc. that receives the missing child notification outputs a warning message including the name of the missing child, etc. (step S06). The staff member who receives the warning message checks the location of the missing child. The server device 10 may transmit a missing child notification including a facial image of the missing child to the staff terminal 41 etc. In this case, the staff terminal 41 etc. may display a facial image of the kindergarten child along with the warning message so that the staff member can easily recognize the missing child. The facial image of the missing child transmitted by the server device 10 may be a facial image registered in advance or the latest facial image. In other words, the staff terminal 41 etc. may display a facial image registered in advance or a facial image recently photographed along with the warning message.

Next, we will explain a variation of the first embodiment.

<Modification 1>
The server device 10 (missing child control unit 205) may distinguish between the presence of a kindergartener whose status is the initial value (unconfirmed) and the presence of a kindergartener whose status is "boarding the bus" and notify relevant persons at the kindergarten. For example, the server device 10 transmits the above-mentioned "missing child notification" to the office terminal 40, etc., for a kindergartener whose status has not changed from the initial value (unconfirmed). In contrast, the server device 10 transmits a "bus abandoned warning" to the office terminal 40, etc., for a kindergartener whose status has not changed from "boarding the bus".

The office terminal 40 etc. may change the content of the warning message to be displayed depending on whether a missing child notification is received or a bus abandoned warning is received. Alternatively, the office terminal 40 etc. may output a loud warning sound or the like from a speaker when a bus abandoned warning is received.

Alternatively, if the server device 10 detects at a specified time a kindergartener whose status is the initial value (unconfirmed) and a kindergartener whose status is "boarding the bus" at the same time, it may notify (instruct) kindergarten personnel to prioritize checking the location of the latter over the former.

In this way, when a kindergartener whose status has not changed from "boarding the bus" is detected even when the time for the kindergarten to start work arrives, the server device 10 may instruct the kindergarten staff, etc. to make checking the whereabouts of that kindergartener a top priority.

In other words, for kindergarteners whose status has not changed from the initial value, there is a possibility that their guardians have forgotten to notify the school of their absence. In contrast, for kindergarteners whose boarding the shuttle bus 30 is recorded but whose presence has not been confirmed within the kindergarten, there is a high possibility that they have been left behind on the shuttle bus 30. Taking such a situation into consideration, when a kindergartener whose status has not changed since boarding the bus is detected, the server device 10 instructs the kindergarten staff to make checking the whereabouts of that kindergartener a top priority.

<Modification 2>
The server device 10 may detect the leaving of a kindergartener by biometric authentication. For example, if a kindergartener is captured in image data acquired from the camera device 20 in the shuttle bus 30 or the camera device 20 installed so as to be able to capture the exit after the closing time of the kindergarten, the server device 10 (child detection unit 203) sets the status of the kindergartener to "left the kindergarten."

The server device 10 may also calculate the time each child spends at the kindergarten based on the time the child's status is set to "attended" and the time the child's status is set to "left the kindergarten." The server device 10 may automatically calculate extended childcare fees based on the time each child spends at the kindergarten. The server device 10 may execute a settlement process for the calculated extended childcare fees.

As described above, the server device 10 according to the first embodiment stores and manages the status of children based on biometric authentication and notifications from guardians. If there is a child whose presence at the kindergarten has not been confirmed by biometric authentication and who has not been notified of his/her absence (a child whose status does not change from unconfirmed), the server device 10 treats the child as a child whose whereabouts are unknown. The server device 10 notifies kindergarten staff and others that there is a child whose whereabouts are unknown. Staff and others at a designated facility can recognize the presence of a subject (child) whose whereabouts are unknown and take the necessary action swiftly.

The server device 10 also notifies the kindergarten staff of the presence of a child whose status does not change from "boarding the bus." The fact that the status does not change from "boarding the bus" indicates that there is a high possibility that the child has been left behind inside the shuttle bus 30. When the server device 10 detects such a situation, it issues a stronger warning to the kindergarten staff (a stronger warning than that issued for a child whose initial status does not change). The staff can take appropriate action in accordance with the notification to prevent a serious accident from occurring.

Furthermore, during times when many kindergarten children are arriving at kindergarten, many of them enter the building at the same time, so there is a possibility that biometric authentication (identification of kindergarten children) using image data from the camera device 20-1 installed in the entrance hall will fail. However, the server device 10 performs biometric authentication using image data from the camera device 20 installed in the nursery room or the like to identify the children. Therefore, even if biometric authentication at the entrance (kindergarten entrance) fails, the server device 10 can reliably detect children who have arrived at the kindergarten. In other words, by installing many camera devices 20 inside and outside the kindergarten, the server device 10 can reliably detect children who have arrived at the kindergarten. In other words, there will be no children whose status does not change from "unconfirmed" or "boarding the bus" despite attending the kindergarten.

Next, we will explain the hardware of each device that makes up the information processing system. Figure 16 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the server device 10.

The server device 10 can be configured by an information processing device (so-called a computer), and has the configuration shown in FIG. 16. For example, the server device 10 has a processor 311, a memory 312, an input/output interface 313, and a communication interface 314. The components such as the processor 311 are connected by an internal bus or the like, and are configured to be able to communicate with each other.

However, the configuration shown in FIG. 16 is not intended to limit the hardware configuration of the server device 10. The server device 10 may include hardware not shown, and may not include an input/output interface 313 as necessary. Furthermore, the number of processors 311 and the like included in the server device 10 is not intended to be limited to the example shown in FIG. 16, and for example, the server device 10 may include multiple processors 311.

The processor 311 is, for example, a programmable device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor). Alternatively, the processor 311 may be a device such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). The processor 311 executes various programs including an operating system (OS).

Memory 312 may be a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a HDD (Hard Disk Drive), a SSD (Solid State Drive), etc. Memory 312 stores the OS program, application programs, and various data.

The input/output interface 313 is an interface for a display device and an input device (not shown). The display device is, for example, a liquid crystal display. The input device is, for example, a device that accepts user operations such as a keyboard or a mouse.

The communication interface 314 is a circuit, module, etc. that communicates with other devices. For example, the communication interface 314 includes a NIC (Network Interface Card), etc.

The functions of the server device 10 are realized by various processing modules. The processing modules are realized, for example, by the processor 311 executing a program stored in the memory 312. The program can be recorded on a computer-readable storage medium. The storage medium can be a non-transitory medium such as a semiconductor memory, a hard disk, a magnetic recording medium, or an optical recording medium. In other words, the present invention can also be embodied as a computer program product. The program can be downloaded via a network, or updated using a storage medium that stores the program. The processing modules may also be realized by a semiconductor chip.

In addition, the office terminal 40 and the like can also be configured using information processing devices, just like the server device 10, and the basic hardware configuration is no different from that of the server device 10, so a description of it will be omitted.

The server device 10, which is an information processing device, is equipped with a computer, and the functions of the server device 10 can be realized by having the computer execute a program. The server device 10 also executes a control method for the server device 10 by the program.

[Modification]
The configuration, operation, etc. of the information processing system described in the above embodiment are merely examples, and are not intended to limit the system configuration, etc.

In the above embodiment, a case has been described in which a shuttle bus 30 is used to transport children to kindergarten. However, the information processing system disclosed in this application can also be applied to kindergartens in urban areas and other areas where a shuttle bus 30 is not used. In this case, the server device 10 only needs to detect kindergarteners whose location cannot be confirmed (kindergarteners whose status does not change from the initial value).

In the above embodiment, the configuration, operation, etc. of the information processing system were described assuming that the subjects who belong to a specific facility and whose whereabouts need to be confirmed are kindergarten children (nursery school children). However, subjects whose whereabouts need to be confirmed are not limited to kindergarten children, and patients suffering from dementia may also be set as subjects whose whereabouts need to be confirmed.

In the above embodiment, it has been described that the camera device 20 transmits image data to the server device 10 periodically or at a predetermined timing. If biometric information (face image) is included in the acquired image data, the camera device 20 may transmit the image data including the biometric information and the camera ID to the server device 10.

The server device 10 may transmit a missing child notification including a facial image of the missing child or a bus abandoned warning to the office terminal 40 or staff terminal 41. Alternatively, the server device 10 may transmit a missing child notification including a facial image of the missing child and information about the guardian (guardian's name, phone number) or a bus abandoned warning to the office terminal 40, etc., so that kindergarten staff, etc. can immediately contact the guardian of the missing child.

The server device 10 (missing child control unit 205) may receive reports on missing children (reports from staff, etc.). Specifically, the office terminal 40 or staff terminal 41 may send the status of the confirmation of the missing child's whereabouts (confirmed within the nursery, whereabouts confirmed with the guardian) to the server device 10 in response to the staff's operation. If the whereabouts of a missing child are confirmed within the nursery, the server device 10 sets the status of the missing child to "present" and stores it in the nursery management database. If the whereabouts of a missing child are confirmed by a guardian notifying them of an absence, the server device 10 sets the status of the missing child to "absent" and stores it in the nursery management database. The server device 10 may also notify the office terminal 40 or staff terminal 41 (such as an office terminal 40 different from the terminal that notified the status of the confirmation of the missing child's whereabouts) that the whereabouts of the missing child have been confirmed.

The child management database may store information about the staff member (nursery teacher) in charge of each child. The server device 10 (missing child control unit 205) may send a missing child notification to the staff member in charge of the missing child (the staff member's staff terminal 41). The server device 10 may send a "bus abandoned child warning" to all staff members in the kindergarten (all office terminals 40 and staff terminals 41).

The server device 10 may provide an interface that allows kindergarten staff etc. to check the status of kindergarteners. The server device 10 provides staff with a list of the status of each kindergartener (unconfirmed, present, absent, boarding the bus). If there is a kindergartener whose status is not set to "unconfirmed" or "boarding the bus" even after the kindergarten's start time, the kindergarten staff etc. may check the whereabouts of that child.

In kindergartens, not only the surveillance camera type camera device 20 (camera for non-active authentication purposes) as shown in FIG. 4, but also the camera device 20-6 for active authentication purposes such as a kiosk terminal (see FIG. 17) may be installed. In this case, children stand in front of the camera device 20-6. The camera device 20-6 takes a picture of the child in front of it and acquires biometric information. The biometric information (face image) acquired by the camera device 20-6 is used for authentication to confirm the attendance of the children, just like the biometric information acquired by the camera device 20-1, etc.

In the above embodiment, the case where the child management database is configured inside the server device 10 has been described, but the database may also be configured on an external database server or the like. That is, some of the functions of the server device 10 may be implemented on another server. More specifically, the above-described "child detection unit (child detection means)", "missing child control unit (missing child control means)", etc. may be implemented on any of the devices included in the system.

The form of data transmission between each device (server device 10, office terminal 40, etc.) is not particularly limited, but data transmitted between these devices may be encrypted. Information such as the names of kindergarten children is transmitted between these devices, and in order to properly protect this information, it is desirable to transmit and receive encrypted data.

In the flow diagrams (flowcharts, sequence diagrams) used in the above explanation, multiple steps (processes) are listed in order, but the order in which the steps are executed in the embodiments is not limited to the order listed. In the embodiments, the order of the steps shown in the diagrams can be changed to the extent that does not interfere with the content, for example by executing each process in parallel.

The above embodiments have been described in detail to facilitate understanding of the present disclosure, and it is not intended that all of the configurations described above are necessary. Furthermore, when multiple embodiments are described, each embodiment may be used alone or in combination. For example, it is possible to replace part of the configuration of an embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, or to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of an embodiment. Furthermore, it is possible to add, delete, or replace part of the configuration of an embodiment with other configurations.

The above explanation makes it clear that the present invention has industrial applicability, and the present invention can be suitably applied to information processing systems that check the whereabouts of kindergarten children, etc.

A part or all of the above-described embodiments can be described as, but is not limited to, the following supplementary notes.
[Appendix 1]
A storage means for storing the status of each of a plurality of subjects who belong to a predetermined facility and whose location needs to be confirmed;
A detection means for detecting a first subject who has attended the predetermined facility by biometric authentication using biometric information and setting a status of the detected first subject to "attended";
attendance control means for setting the status of a second subject, whose absence has been notified to the specified facility, to "absent";
a control means for notifying a person concerned in the specified facility of the presence of a third target person when the third target person exists whose status does not change from the initial value to present or absent at a specified timing;
A server device comprising:
[Appendix 2]
the detection means detects a fourth subject who has boarded the transportation means by biometric authentication using biometric information acquired in the transportation means that transports the user of the specified facility to the specified facility, and sets a status of the detected fourth subject to "boarding the transportation means";
The server device described in Appendix 1, wherein, if there is a fifth subject whose status has not changed since boarding the means of transportation at the specified timing, the control means notifies relevant persons at the specified facility of the presence of the fifth subject.
[Appendix 3]
The server device according to claim 2, wherein the control means distinguishes between the third target person and the fifth target person and notifies relevant persons at the specified facility.
[Appendix 4]
The server device according to claim 3, wherein the control means notifies persons involved in the specified facility to check the location of the fifth target person before the third target person if the fifth target person is present.
[Appendix 5]
The server device according to claim 4, wherein the attendance control means notifies related persons of the first subject that the first subject has attended the specified facility.
[Appendix 6]
The server device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the specified facility is a kindergarten or a nursery school, and the target persons are children.
[Appendix 7]
The server device according to claim 6, wherein the biometric information is a face image or a feature generated from the face image.
[Appendix 8]
In the server device,
The system memorizes the status of each of multiple subjects who belong to a specific facility and need to confirm their location,
Detecting a first subject who has attended the predetermined facility by biometric authentication using biometric information, and setting a status of the detected first subject to "attended";
Setting the status of the second subject whose absence has been notified to the specified facility to "absent";
A control method for a server device, which, if there is a third subject whose status does not change from the initial value to present or absent at a specified timing, notifies relevant persons at the specified facility of the presence of the third subject.
[Appendix 9]
A computer installed in the server device
A process of storing the status of each of a plurality of subjects who belong to a specified facility and whose location needs to be confirmed;
A process of detecting a first subject who has attended the predetermined facility by biometric authentication using biometric information, and setting a status of the detected first subject to "attended";
A process of setting the status of a second subject, whose absence has been notified to the specified facility, to "absent";
If there is a third target person whose status does not change from the initial value to present or absent at a predetermined timing, a process of notifying a person concerned at the predetermined facility of the presence of the third target person;
A computer-readable storage medium that stores a program for executing the above.

The disclosures of the above cited prior art documents are incorporated herein by reference. Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. Those skilled in the art will understand that these embodiments are merely illustrative and that various modifications are possible without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. In other words, the present invention naturally includes various modifications and amendments that a person skilled in the art can make in accordance with the entire disclosure, including the scope of the claims, and the technical ideas.

10 Server device 20 Camera device 20-1 Camera device 20-2 Camera device 20-3 Camera device 20-4 Camera device 20-5 Camera device 20-6 Camera device 30 Shuttle bus 40 Office terminal 41 Staff terminal 42 Parent terminal 100 Server device 101 Storage means 102 Detection means 103 Attendance control means 104 Control means 201 Communication control unit 202 Child management unit 203 Child detection unit 204 Attendance control unit 205 Missing child control unit 206 Storage unit 311 Processor 312 Memory 313 Input/output interface 314 Communication interface

Claims (9)

A storage means for storing the status of each of a plurality of subjects who belong to a predetermined facility and whose location needs to be confirmed;
A detection means for detecting a first subject who has attended the predetermined facility by biometric authentication using biometric information and setting a status of the detected first subject to "attended";
an attendance control means for setting the status of a second subject, whose absence has been notified to the specified facility, to "absent";
a control means for notifying a person concerned in the specified facility of the presence of a third target person when the third target person exists whose status does not change from the initial value to present or absent at a specified timing;
A server device comprising: the detection means detects a fourth subject who has boarded the transportation means by biometric authentication using biometric information acquired in the transportation means that transports the user of the specified facility to the specified facility, and sets a status of the detected fourth subject to "boarding the transportation means";
The server device according to claim 1, wherein, when there is a fifth subject whose status has not changed since boarding the means of transportation at the specified timing, the control means notifies relevant persons at the specified facility of the presence of the fifth subject. The server device according to claim 2, wherein the control means distinguishes between the third target person and the fifth target person and notifies relevant persons at the specified facility. The server device according to claim 3, wherein the control means notifies the relevant persons at the specified facility to check the location of the fifth target person before the third target person if the fifth target person is present. The server device according to claim 4, wherein the attendance control means notifies related parties of the first subject that the first subject has attended the specified facility. The server device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the specified facility is a kindergarten or a nursery school, and the target persons are children. The server device according to claim 6, wherein the biometric information is a face image or a feature amount generated from the face image. In the server device,
The system stores the status of each of multiple subjects who belong to a specific facility and need to confirm their location,
Detecting a first subject who has attended the predetermined facility by biometric authentication using biometric information, and setting a status of the detected first subject to "attended";
Setting the status of the second subject whose absence has been notified to the specified facility to "absent";
A control method for a server device, which, if there is a third subject whose status does not change from the initial value to present or absent at a specified timing, notifies relevant persons at the specified facility of the presence of the third subject. A computer installed in the server device
A process of storing the status of each of a plurality of subjects who belong to a specified facility and whose location needs to be confirmed;
A process of detecting a first subject who has attended the predetermined facility by biometric authentication using biometric information, and setting a status of the detected first subject to "attended";
A process of setting the status of a second subject, whose absence has been notified to the specified facility, to "absent";
If there is a third target person whose status does not change from the initial value to present or absent at a predetermined timing, a process of notifying a person concerned at the predetermined facility of the presence of the third target person;
A computer-readable storage medium that stores a program for executing the above.

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