Computer readable recording medium, roadwork planning method and information processing apparatus

A non-transitory computer readable recording medium has stored therein a program that causes a computer to execute a process including displaying a screen on which it is possible to set an area affected by a characteristic of a road around a specific facility, which is the area set based on the facility; and displaying, on a graphic, information specifying a section of road that is contained in the area affected by the characteristic relating to the specific facility on the displayed screen and that is affected by a possible selected type of repair work on the road according to the fact that the section belongs to the affected area.

FIELD

The embodiment discussed herein is related to a computer readable recording medium, a roadwork planning method and an information processing apparatus.

BACKGROUND

Most of roads are managed by local public entities, such as prefectural governments and city governments. Local public entities carry out works to repair degraded roads (also referred to as routes) within limited budgets and maintain roads to be managed. For this reason, when implementing the budgets, local public entities allocate the budgets according to the condition of the degraded roads and draw up plans for roadworks.

It is however difficult to, when drawing up a plan for roadworks, check whether each section of a route belongs to an affected area that is an area based on a specific facility and that affects the type of roadwork.

For example, when roadworks are planned, a type of roadwork is specified for each section in consideration of the circumstances that differ with respect to each section of the route, such as the level of degradation and importance. For example, the importance of the road is high in a section near an important facility, such as a station or a hospital, and thus it is preferable to select a roadwork enabling long durable years after the roadwork. Thus, it is important to check whether each section of a route belongs to an area based on an important facility; however, this checking work is not easy.

SUMMARY

According to an aspect of an embodiment, a non-transitory computer readable recording medium has stored therein a program that causes a computer to execute a process including displaying a screen on which it is possible to set an area affected by a characteristic of a road around a specific facility, which is the area set based on the facility and displaying, on a graphic, information specifying a section of road that is contained in the area affected by the characteristic relating to the specific facility on the displayed screen and that is affected by a possible selected type of repair work on the road according to the fact that the section belongs to the affected area.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be explained with reference to accompanying drawings. Components having the same functions in the embodiment will be denoted with the same reference numerals and redundant descriptions will be omitted. The roadwork planning program, the roadwork planning method and the information processing apparatus of the embodiment described below represent an example only and do not limit the embodiments. The following embodiments may be combined as appropriate as long as no discrepancy is caused.

FIG. 1is an illustration diagram illustrating an exemplary system configuration. As illustrated inFIG. 1, an information processing apparatus100according to the embodiment is, for example, a server device enabling communication with terminal devices200via a network N, such as a local area network (LAN) or the Internet. The terminal device200is, for example, a personal computer (PC). The central processing units (CPU) of the information processing apparatus100and the terminal device200execute a program and thus the information processing apparatus100and the terminal device200execute various processes (details of the hardware configuration will be described below). Specifically, the CPU of the information processing apparatus100executes the program and thus the information processing apparatus100performs various processes relating to a roadwork plan. Furthermore, the CPU of the terminal device200executes the program and thus the terminal device200requests communication with the information processing apparatus100, requests the information processing apparatus100to perform various processes, and performs, for example, a graphical user interface (GUI) processing to display the result of the requests.

For example, a user, such as a member of a local public entity, performs an operation to login the information processing apparatus100from the terminal device200to request the information processing apparatus100to cause the terminal device200to display a GUI screen for performing various operations relating to a roadwork plan. The user then requests the information processing apparatus100to perform various processes relating to the roadwork plan from the GUI screen displayed on the terminal device200. The information processing apparatus100executes various processes relating to the roadwork plan according to the request for the processes that is received from the terminal device200and outputs the result of the processes to the terminal device200. In this manner, the user is able to implement a task relating to the drawing up of the roadwork plan on the terminal device200. The information processing apparatus100may have a function of performing the GUI processing and thus receive a request for various processes relating to budget allocation from the user via the input device and display the result of the processes on the monitor.

FIG. 2is a flowchart illustrating exemplary operations of the information processing apparatus100according to the embodiment. The CPU of the information processing apparatus100executes the program and thus the information processing apparatus100executes the various processes at S1to S6illustrated inFIG. 2.

First of all, the information processing apparatus100acquires road surface investigation data D1from a storage, such as a hard disk device (S1). The road surface investigation data D1is data representing an investigation result of investigating the reality of roads managed by the local public entity. In the road surface investigation data D1, at least information representing the level of degradation of road surface and information representing the amount of traffic of vehicles traveling on the roads per unit of time are described with respect to each section of the roads (kilo post).

The information representing the level of degradation of road surface in the road surface investigation data D1may be, for example, data obtained by evaluating the level of degradation by stage when an investigator investigates the road surface at each kilo post. The information representing the level of degradation of road surface may be imaging data obtained by imaging the road surface at each kilo post with a camera. The imaging data obtained at each kilo post may be collected with a global positioning system (GPS) and by causing a vehicle for investigation on which a camera for imaging the road surface is mounted to travel.

The information representing the amount of traffic in the road surface investigation data D1may come of investigation on the amount of traffic at each kilo post performed by the investigator. The information representing the amount of traffic may be a value obtained by counting vehicles passing through from the imaging data obtained with a fixed point camera that is arranged in a given position on the road. The amount of traffic may be collected according to each type of vehicle, for example, passenger cars or trucks, and according to each time band, for example, daytime or nighttime.

The information processing apparatus100determines the level of degradation of the road surface (for example, five-stage evaluation or point evaluation) at each kilo post on the basis of information representing the level of degradation contained in the acquired road surface data D1(S2). Specifically, when it is data from the evaluating of the level of degradation by stage by the investigator, the evaluation is determined as the level of degradation. When it is imaging data obtained by imaging the road surface, the imaging data may be displayed on, for example, a monitor and the evaluation by the user may be received from an input device and determined. The information processing apparatus100recognizes the state of the road surface by stage from the imaging data obtained by imaging the road surface by performing known image recognition processing and determines the result of the recognition as the level of degradation.

The information processing apparatus100then receives registration of a specific facility (hereinafter, referred to as an important spot) that affects the type of roadwork (S3). The GUI that registers the important spot registers the important spot by displaying a graphic based on graphic-facility data D2that is read from a storage, such as a hard disk device, and receiving the specifying of the important spot from the user.

The graphic-facility data D2is data in which the graphic of the area managed by the local public entity, the position of the road, and information on an environment, such as a facility on the graphic, are described. Specifically, in the graphic-facility data D2, the position of each kilo post on the road managed by the local public entity and the area thereof are described by using the latitude and amplitude and an address. In the graphic-facility data D2, the position (the latitude, amplitude and address) of the facility on the graphic and information representing the types of facility, such as school, hospital or municipal office, are described. The information on the environment on the graphic may be any data as long as the information is data representing the environment obtained by investigating the position (the latitude, amplitude and address) on the graphic. For example, the information may be demographic statistics (daytime population, nighttime population, etc.), traffic accidents and the causes thereof (such as sudden braking and over-speeding), the use district (residential area, commercial area, etc.) according to the city planning law, multi-lane roads, one-way roads, etc.

Details of registration of an important spot (S3) will be described.FIG. 3is a flowchart illustrating exemplary operations relating to registration of an important spot.

As illustrated inFIG. 3, when registration of an important spot is started, the information processing apparatus100reads the graphic-facility data D2(S10) and displays a graphic illustrating stations, railways, brides, facilities, such as hospitals, routes, and natural structures, such as rivers and mountains, in a given reduced scale on the display screen (S11).

The information processing apparatus100then displays a list of routes displayed on the graphic and kilo posts on the routes on the GUI display screen with reference to the graphic-facility data D2(S12). The information processing apparatus100further displays images for operation and setting, such as button icons and signs, on the GUI display screen (S13).

FIG. 4is an illustration diagram illustrating the display screen G. As illustrated inFIG. 4, the display screen G includes a graphic display G1, a list display G2, and a setting display G3. The display screen G includes operation buttons B1, B2, B3, B4, B5and B6and an input box B7.

The graphic display G1is a graphic displayed with reference to the graphic-facility data D2. The graphic display G1displays facilities, routes and natural structures in the given reduced scale. With respect to the routes on the graphic display G1, route names G10corresponding to routes and kilo post signs G11corresponding to respective kilo posts are displayed. The route names G10and the kilo post signs G11enable the user to distinguish between routes and check the positions of the kilo posts.

The setting display G3receives the setting of an important spot and an area affected by the important spot. Specifically, the information processing apparatus100acquires the list of facilities on the graphic from the graphic-facility data D2and receives the choosing of a facility serving as an important spot in a spot-name section. The information processing apparatus100then receives setting a radius of a circle about the important spot that is set in the spot-name section as the affected area in a radius section.

The setting of an important spot and an area that is affected by the important spot described above is an example only and is not particularly limited. For example, specifying an important spot may be specifying a given spot on the graphic on the graphic display G1. In this case, an input of a name of a facility that is specified as an important spot may be received in the spot-name section. Furthermore, the area affected by the important spot that is set may be an area where the distance from the important spot is a given distance or a section (town or address) containing the important spot. It is possible to calculate the area where the distance from the important spot is the given distance and the section containing the important spot with reference to the graphic-facility data D2on the basis of the specified important spot.

The operation button B1is a button for issuing an instruction to save the choosing setting in a column G21on whether to set each kilo post as a kilo post affected by the important spot. The information processing apparatus100receives an operation on the operation button B1and accordingly saves the setting on whether each kilo post is a kilo post affected by the important spot as setting data.

The operation button B2is a button for issuing an instruction to close the list of kilo posts on the list display G2. The operation buttons B3and B4are buttons for issuing instructions for collective choosing or collective canceling in the column G21.

The operation button B5is a button that receives an instruction to end the process without saving the setting on whether each kilo post is a kilo post affected by the important spot as setting data. The information processing apparatus100ends the process without saving the setting data in response to the receiving of the operation on the operation button B5. The operation button B6is a button that receives an instruction to return to the previous process. The information processing apparatus100returns to the last previous process in response to the receiving of the operation on the operation button B6. For example, the information processing apparatus100keeps the history of operations, such as the choosing setting, in the memory and, when receiving an operation on the operation button B6, returns to the state where the last previous operation is performed according to the memory history.

The input box B7is a box that receives an input of, for example, a route name to receive the specifying of a route.

FIG. 3will be referred back. After S13, the information processing apparatus100receives an operation on the graphic display G1on the GUI (S14) and determines the content of the received operation (S15). The GUI operation covers, for example, “important spot” for setting an important spot and an area affected by the important spot on the setting display G3.

In the case of this “important spot”, the information processing apparatus100receives the setting of an important spot and an area affected by the important spot (S16) and reflects the content of the received setting to the graphic display G1and the list display G2(S17).

FIG. 5is an illustration diagram illustrating the display screen G.FIG. 5is an illustration diagram of the display screen G that receives the setting of an important spot and an area affected by the important spot and reflects the content of the received setting.

As illustrated inFIG. 5, on the setting display G3, two important spots and the radii affected by the important spots are set. The information processing apparatus100implements central displays G13aand G13bin the corresponding positions on the graphic on the graphic display G1with reference to the graphic-facility data D2on the basis of the positions of the received two important spots. The information processing apparatus100also implements area displays G12aand G12bin the corresponding positions on the graphic on the graphic display G1with reference to the graphic-facility data D2on the basis of the radii affected by the two important spots.

The information processing apparatus100denotes the kilo posts on the routes within the area display G12aon the graphic with kilo post signs G14adifferent from the kilo post signs G11. Furthermore, the information processing apparatus100denotes the kilo posts on the route within the area display G12bon the graphic with kilo post signs G14bdifferent from the kilo post signs G11and G14a.Furthermore, the kilo post on the route within the area where the area display12aand the area display G12bon the graphic overlap is denoted with a kilo post sign G14cdifferent from the kilo post signs G11, G14aand G14b.As described above, the display mode of kilo post signs is changed according to whether each kilo post on the routes is within the area of the area display G12aor G12bor within the area where the area displays G12aand G12boverlap and accordingly the user is able to identify the area to which the kilo post of the route belongs.

The GUI operation covers “choosing” to make a choosing setting by choosing an important spot by specifying the rows G31and G32, choosing a kilo post on the list display G2, and choosing a route by specifying a route by using the input box B7.

In the case of “choosing”, the information processing apparatus100reflects the content of the received choosing to the graphic display G1and the list display G2(S18) and returns the process to S14. Accordingly, the user is able to check the content of the choosing setting according to the graphic display G1or the list display G2.

The list display G2displays the list of kilo posts contained in the area affected by the important spot. More specifically, the list display G2displays a kilo post list table where one kilo post corresponds to one row. The list table includes columns G21, G22, G23and G24.

In the column G21, for example, choosing boxes on each of which a setting on whether to choose each kilo post as a kilo post affected by the important spot is made are displayed. By making a setting on whether to choose by using the choosing boxes, the user is able to make a setting on whether each kilo post is affected by the important spot. In the columns G22to G24, information, such as the route IDs, route names and kilo posts, acquired with reference to the graphic-facility data D2is displayed.

Specifically, on the basis of the choosing in the rows G31and G32, the information processing apparatus100makes a setting to choose kilo posts that belong to the area affected by the important spot. For example, when the row G31is chosen as illustrated inFIG. 5, the information processing apparatus100chooses the kilo posts that belong to the area display G12aof the important spot corresponding to the row G31. Kilo posts that belong to the area display G12amay be chosen according to the environment described in the graphic-facility data D2(for example, whether it is a one-way road). The information processing apparatus100displays choosing signs G15for the kilo posts chosen on the graphic. The information processing apparatus100implements a choosing display G25for the kilo posts chosen as those belonging to the area display G12aamong the kilo posts in the list display G2and turns the choosing boxes on in a column21.

The information processing apparatus100may make a setting to choose kilo posts according to the choosing of the kilo posts on the list display G2.FIG. 6is an illustration diagram illustrating the display screen G. More specifically,FIG. 6is a diagram illustrating a case where the choosing of a kilo post on the list display G2is received.

As illustrated inFIG. 6, when a given kilo post (in the exemplary illustration, the0.2kilo post on Route22) on the list display G2is chosen, the information processing apparatus100implements the choosing display G25on the chosen row and turns the choosing box on in the column G21. The information processing apparatus100then displays the choosing sign G15for the kilo post sign corresponding to the kilo post chosen on the list display G2among the kilo posts on the graphic.

The information processing apparatus100may make a setting to choose a kilo post by the choosing where the route is specified by using the input box B7.FIG. 7is an illustration diagram illustrating the display screen G and, more specifically, is a diagram illustrating the setting to choose a kilo post in a case where a route is specified by using the input box B7.

As illustrated inFIG. 7, when a route (in the exemplary illustration, Route21) is specified by using the input box B7, the information processing apparatus100acquires the specified route from the list display G2. The information processing apparatus100then extracts the kilo posts positioned in the area displays G12aand G12bamong the kilo posts on the specified route with reference to the graphic-facility data D2. The information processing apparatus100then implements the choosing display G25on the rows of the extracted kilo posts and turns on the choosing boxes in the column G21. The information processing apparatus100then displays the choosing signs G15for the kilo post signs corresponding to the kilo posts chosen on the list display G2among the kilo posts on the graphic. Accordingly, the user is able to make a setting to choose kilo posts positioned in the area displays G12aand G12bwith respect to the specified route and check the content of the choosing according to the graphic display G1or the list display G2.

The GUI operation covers “saving” the choosing setting. In the case of “saving”, the information processing apparatus100saves the setting to choose each kilo post in the column G21as setting data in the memory (S19) and ends the process.

FIG. 2will be referred back. After S3, the information processing apparatus100determines the importance at each kilo post on the basis of the setting data obtained by registering important spots (S4). Specifically, the information processing apparatus100evaluates the importance at the kilo posts by stage (for example, in three stages A to C) by using a point plus system that adds a point when the kilo post is chosen as one affected by an important spot according to registration of the important spot.

For a kilo post that is chosen as one affected by the important spot in the setting data according to registration of the important spot, the information processing apparatus100adds points according to the type of important spot and the size of the area. For example, 20 points are added when the important spot is a facility with high importance, such as a hospital, a municipal office or a station and 10 points are added when the important spot is a facility with intermediate importance, such as a school or a library. Furthermore, 20 points are added when the area that is set in the registering of the important spot is larger than a given value and 10 points are added when the the area is smaller than the given value.

The information processing apparatus100evaluates the importance on the basis of the score with respect to the kilo post resulting from the adding of points according to the important spot. For example, the importance is evaluated as “C” when 0≤(score)≤50-points, the importance is evaluated as “B” when 50≤(score)≤100, and the importance is evaluated as “A” when 100≤(score).

After receiving conditions on simulation, such as a route on which road works are to be implemented and a budget, the information processing apparatus100executes a budget simulation to calculate a combination of types of roadwork with respect to the kilo posts within a range where the received conditions are satisfied (S5).

Specifically, for the route on which roadworks are to be carried out, the information processing apparatus100selects a method with respect to each kilo post according to the level of degradation, amount of traffic and importance at each kilo post. For example, a costly method is selected with respect to a kilo post where the degradation proceeds and the importance is high. The information processing apparatus100calculates a work cost according to the methods selected for the respective kilo posts and calculates a combination of methods for the respective kilo posts within the budget. When multiple combinations are obtained, the durable years, etc., may be evaluated from the methods contained in the combination and the most highly evaluated combination may be used as a simulation result.

The information processing apparatus100displays the simulation result of the budget simulation described above and obtains an approval of the user via an operation on the GUI. The information processing apparatus100determines the simulation result approved by the user as a roadwork plan.

The information processing apparatus100then performs an ordering process for ordering works according to the roadwork plan that is determined in the budget simulation (S6). Specifically, the process of, for example, creating an application and registration with respect to the budget in the database is performed on the basis of the kilo posts on which it is determined that works are to be carried out, the methods, the budget, etc.

All or part of various processing functions implemented by the information processing apparatus100may be executed on a CPU (or a microcomputer, such as a MPU or a micro controller unit (MCU)). Needless to say, all or part of the various processing functions may be implemented on a program that is analyzed and executed by a CPU (or a microcomputer, such as a MPU or MCU) or on hardware using a wired logic.

It is possible to implement the various processes of the above-described embodiment by executing a program prepared in advance with a computer. An exemplary computer (hardware) that executes a program having the same functions as those of the above-described embodiment will be described below.FIG. 7is a block diagram exemplifying a hardware configuration of the information processing apparatus100according to the embodiment.

AsFIG. 7illustrates, the information processing apparatus100includes a CPU101that executes various arithmetic operations, an input device102that receives data inputs, a monitor103and a speaker104. The information processing apparatus100further includes a medium reading device105that reads, for example, a program from a storage medium, an interface device106for connection with various devices, and a communication device107for wired or wireless connection to communicate with external devices. The information processing apparatus100further includes a RAM108that temporarily stores various types of information and a hard disk device109. Each unit (101to109) of the information processing apparatus100is connected to a bus110.

In the hard disk device109, a program111for executing the various processes of the above-described embodiment is stored. In the hard disk device109, various types of data112(such as the road surface investigation data D1or the graphic-facility data D2) for implementing the program111are stored. The input device102receives, for example, an input of operation information from an operator of the information processing apparatus100. The monitor103displays, for example, various screens operated by the operator. To the interface device106, for example, a printing device is connected. The communication device107is connected to a communication network, such as a local area network (LAN), and communicates various types of information with an external device via the communication network.

The CPU101reads the program111stored in the hard disk device109, loads the program111into the RAM108, and executes the program111, thereby performing the various processes. The program111need not be stored in the hard disk device109. For example, the information processing apparatus100may read the program111stored in a storage medium readable by the information processing apparatus100and execute the program. The storage medium readable by the information processing apparatus100corresponds to, for example, a portable recording medium, such as a CD-ROM, a DVD disk or a universal serial bus (USB) memory, a semiconductor memory, such as a flash memory, or a hard disk drive. The program may be stored in a device that is connected to the public line, the Internet or a LAN and the information processing apparatus100may read the program from the device and execute the program.

As described above, the information processing apparatus100displays the display screen G on which it is possible to set an area affected by the characteristic (for example, importance) of a road around an important spot, which is the area set based on the important spot. The information processing apparatus100further displays, on the graphic, kilo post signs each specifying a section of a road that is contained in the area affected by the characteristic relating to the important spot on the display screen G and that is affected by a possible selected type of repair work on the road according to the fact that the section belongs to the affected area. Accordingly, the information processing apparatus100makes it possible to easily check whether each kilo post of a route belongs to the affected area based on the important spot and affecting the type of roadwork and enables easy checking when a road work plan is drawn up.

According to the first embodiment, it is possible to enable easy checking when a roadworks plan is drawn up.