JP7507010B2 - Interior Support System - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an interior support system that supports the selection of interior accessories, etc.

Patent Document 1 proposes a system for selling furniture and home appliances by linking a customer terminal, a real estate company's web server, and the web servers of furniture and home appliance stores. In this sales system, a three-dimensional floor plan, power source location, piping diagram, etc. for the customer's home are obtained from the real estate company's web server, and the three-dimensional dimensions of the furniture and home appliances are obtained from the furniture and home appliance store's web servers. In addition, the customer can simulate the placement of the furniture and home appliances to match the interior of the three-dimensional floor plan of the home on the web via their terminal.

In this simulation, users can search for furniture and home appliances not only by their dimensions, but also by type, color, material price, and other factors, and once they have decided on the furniture or home appliance they want, they can order it online.

JP 2003-337900 A

The atmosphere of each room in a house is influenced to a certain extent by the various interior items (interior elements) in that room. In addition, there is a wide variety of interior items, and even the same item has different sizes, shapes, colors, etc. For this reason, even if a resident selects interior items according to their own preferences, they may not be able to place the selected interior items in the desired position in the room, or they may change the atmosphere of the room.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide an interior design support system that supports the selection of interior items that match the atmosphere of the room and the preferences of the occupant.

The interior design support system of the first aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object includes: an acquisition means for acquiring building information including the layout of the building at the time of occupancy, the size of each room, interior design items arranged in each room and affecting the atmosphere of the room, information on the arrangement of the interior design items, and information for judging the atmosphere of each room in the building; a storage means for storing second design information including information for identifying each of a plurality of interior design items and information for judging the atmosphere of each of the plurality of interior design items; a generation means for generating first atmosphere information for judging the atmosphere of the building from the building information and the first design information, and second atmosphere information for judging the atmosphere of each of the plurality of interior design items from the second design information of each of the plurality of interior design items; a reception means for receiving designations of interior design items by residents of the building from the plurality of interior design items stored in the storage means; and an extraction means for extracting from the storage means interior design items other than the designated interior design items based on the first atmosphere information and the second atmosphere information of the designated interior design items, together with the designated interior design items, so as to be presented to the residents of the building.

In the first aspect of the interior design support system, the acquisition means acquires building information including the layout of the building at the time of occupancy, the size of each room, interior items placed in each room that affect the atmosphere of the room, information regarding the positions of the interior items, and information for determining the atmosphere of each room in the building, and first item information including information for determining the atmosphere of the interior items.

The storage means stores second product information including information identifying each of the plurality of interior products and information for determining the atmosphere of each of the plurality of interior products. The reception means also receives a designation of an interior product by a resident of the building from the plurality of interior products stored in the storage means.

The generating means generates first atmosphere information for determining the atmosphere of the building from the building information and the first product information, and generates second atmosphere information for determining the atmosphere of each of the plurality of interior items from the second product information of each of the plurality of interior items. Note that the first atmosphere information is set to an initial state at the time of occupancy, and the current state is updated as the building information and the first product information change.

The buildings that residents move into are often new or renovated buildings. For this reason, the atmosphere of the building at the time of occupancy is likely to be in line with the resident's preferences. In addition, when residents browse interior goods, they are likely to browse items that match their own (current) preferences.

The extraction means then extracts the interior product specified by the reception means from the storage means so that it can be presented to the occupant. The extraction means also extracts from the storage means interior products other than the specified interior product based on the first atmosphere information and the second atmosphere information of the specified interior product so that it can be presented to the occupant of the building.

This allows multiple interior items that match the resident's preferences to be extracted and presented to the resident, helping them select interior items that suit the atmosphere of the room and the resident's preferences.

In the second aspect of the interior design support system, in the first aspect, the first product information and the second product information each include the shape and size of an interior design item, and when the reception means receives a specified placement position within the building, the reception means is capable of specifying an interior design item that can be placed at the placement position based on the second product information and the building information, and the extraction means extracts from the storage means interior design items that can be placed at the placement position together with the specified interior design item.

In the second aspect of the interior design support system, the first product information and the second product information each include information indicating the shape and size of the interior design item. When the reception means receives the interior design item with a specified placement position within the building, the reception means is capable of specifying the interior design item that can be placed at the placement position based on the second product information and the building information.

In addition, the extraction means extracts from the storage means interior items that can be placed at the specified placement position along with the specified interior item. This allows the resident to select interior items that can be placed at the desired position within the building, effectively supporting the selection of interior items that match the atmosphere of the room and the resident's preferences.

The third aspect of the interior support system is the first or second aspect, in which the first atmosphere information and the second atmosphere information are represented by coordinate positions on a coordinate system that is set so that the positions change depending on the change in atmosphere and the positions change depending on the change in atmosphere.

In the third aspect of the interior support system, coordinates are set in which the position differs depending on the atmosphere, and the position changes according to the change in atmosphere. The first atmosphere information and the second atmosphere information are each represented by a coordinate position on this coordinate system. Therefore, the relative differences between the first atmosphere information and the second atmosphere information can be easily grasped.

A fourth aspect of the interior design support system is the third aspect, in which the extraction means extracts interior items whose coordinate positions in the second atmosphere information are within a predetermined range along a direction from the coordinate position of the first atmosphere information to the coordinate position of the second atmosphere information of the specified interior item on the coordinate system.

In the fourth aspect of the interior design support system, the extraction means extracts interior design items whose coordinate positions in the second atmosphere information are within a predetermined range along a direction from the coordinate positions in the first atmosphere information to the coordinate positions in the second atmosphere information of the specified interior design item on the coordinate system. This makes it possible to present interior design items that match the changes in the resident's preferences, thereby more effectively supporting the selection of interior design items that match the resident's preferences.

The first aspect of the interior design support system has the effect of being able to extract multiple interior design items that match the resident's preferences and present them to the resident, thereby helping the resident select interior design items that match the atmosphere of the room and the resident's preferences.

The second aspect of the interior design support system has the effect of effectively supporting the selection of interior design items that match the atmosphere of the room and the preferences of the resident by allowing the selection of interior design items that can be placed in the desired location within the building.

The third aspect of the interior support system has the advantage that the first atmosphere information and the second atmosphere information are each represented by a coordinate position on a coordinate system, making it easy to grasp the relative differences between the first atmosphere information and the second atmosphere information.

The fourth aspect of the interior design support system has the effect of being able to present interior design items that match the changing tastes of the resident, thereby more effectively supporting the selection of interior design items that match the resident's tastes.

1 is a functional block diagram showing a main part of a support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a flow chart showing an example of data processing. 11 is a table showing an example of a correlation between style and taste in the present embodiment. 13 is a flow chart showing an example of a browsing process for interior goods. Each of (A) to (E) is a schematic diagram showing an example of a display image of a terminal device in a browsing process. 1 is a flow diagram illustrating an example of customer data processing.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
The support system 10 as an interior design support system according to the present embodiment supports the selection of interior items as interior elements for a target customer. The support system 10 according to the present embodiment also supports the selection of interior items so as to create an atmosphere that matches the customer's preferences for each room of a house as a building of the customer.

In this embodiment, interior goods (interior elements) include interior materials such as floors, walls, baseboards, and ceilings, whose specifications such as materials (ingredients) and colors affect the atmosphere of a room. Interior goods also include various furniture products, various home appliances, rugs (carpets), curtains, lighting fixtures, and decorative items such as paintings, which make up the so-called interior and affect the atmosphere of a room. For example, lighting fixtures include secondary lighting fixtures such as stands, pendants, brackets, and downlights, and may also include primary lighting fixtures such as ceiling lights.

By combining interior elements (interior goods), a house and each room within the house can have a variety of styles, such as Japanese style (Japanese style) or Scandinavian style (Scandinavian style), and a person's taste. In this embodiment, this includes supporting the selection of interior goods so that an atmosphere that matches the customer's taste can be obtained. In the following explanation, style includes a style obtained from the atmosphere of the room and the atmosphere of the interior goods, taste includes the atmosphere of the room and the atmosphere of the interior goods that a person (resident) feels, and the atmosphere of the room and the interior goods includes style and taste.

Figure 2 shows a block diagram of the schematic configuration of the support system 10 according to this embodiment, and Figure 1 shows a functional block diagram of the main parts of the support system 10.

As shown in FIG. 2, the support system 10 according to this embodiment includes a data processing device 12. The data processing device 12 includes a CPU 14A, a ROM 14B, a RAM 14C, and a storage 14D as a non-volatile storage medium, which are connected by a bus 14E such as an address bus, a data bus, and a control bus. The data processing device 12 also includes an input/output interface (input/output I/F) 16 including a communication interface as an acquisition means and a presentation means, and the input/output I/F 16 is connected to the bus 14E.

The input/output I/F 16 is connected to a keyboard 18A and a mouse 18B as input devices, and a monitor 20 as a display device. The data processing device 12 is capable of inputting various information by operating the keyboard 18A and the mouse 18B according to a user interface (UI) displayed on the monitor 20. Note that the data processing device 12 may have an input/output device connected to the input/output I/F 16 that can write and read data to and from storage devices such as semiconductor storage media such as memory cards and USB memories, and optical storage media such as CDs and DVDs (not shown).

The data processing device 12 realizes a predetermined function by the CPU 14A reading out programs stored in the ROM 14B and storage 14D and executing them while expanding them into the RAM 14C. The data processing device 12 is also provided with a storage unit 22 as a storage means, and the storage unit 22 is connected to the input/output I/F 16. The storage unit 22 uses a large-capacity storage medium such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or SSD (Solid State Drive), and the provision of the storage unit 22 allows the data processing device 12 to function as a data server.

In the support system 10, the data processing device 12 (input/output I/F 16) is connected to a network (not shown) such as a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), or a public communication line network.

The data processing device 12 is connected to a customer information storage unit 24 and a design information storage unit 26 that are provided at a housing manufacturer that handles construction work such as building and remodeling houses.

The customer information storage unit 24 stores customer information, which includes various information about the home builder's customers (customers who live in homes built or renovated by the home builder). The customer information includes various information such as the customer's age, sex, occupation, cohabiting family members, hobbies, and preferences. The customer information also includes various information about each cohabiting family member, such as the age, sex, occupation, hobbies, and preferences. The customer information stored in the customer information storage unit 24 is, for example, information entered into a customer server (not shown) by the home builder's sales representative, and is collected and stored by the sales representative using customer sheets (questionnaire sheets) and after-sales service sheets at the timing of various meetings such as new home construction and renovation (remodeling). The data processing device 12 acquires the customer information for each customer from the customer information storage unit 24.

The design information storage unit 26 stores architectural information (architectural data) constituting building information about the customer's house, and the architectural information (building information) includes various information about the house at the time the customer moves in (when newly built or remodeled, etc.). The architectural information includes the floor plan of the house, dimensional data for each room, etc., and also includes room information as information that affects the atmosphere of the room, specification data indicating the finish (material, color, etc.) of the floor, wall, baseboard, ceiling, etc. of each room, data indicating an electrical wiring diagram, and fixture data indicating lighting fixtures. For example, data created by a CAD system can be used as such architectural information, and it is more preferable that the data is three-dimensional CAD system data.

In addition, the architectural information (building information) stored in the design information memory unit 26 includes, for each room, information that affects the atmosphere of the room, such as the arrangement of interior items such as furniture products, home appliances, lighting fixtures (pendants, brackets, stands, downlights, etc.), rugs, curtains, etc., as first item information and room information , as well as the shape, dimensions, color tone, etc. of each interior item.

The data processing device 12 acquires construction information for each customer's house at the time of occupancy from the design information storage unit 26. The construction information may be recorded in a storage device and input to the data processing device 12 via the storage device. In addition, the construction information for the house is updated when renovations or the like are carried out on the house.

The data processing device 12 is connected to a style information storage unit 28. The style information storage unit 28 stores coordinate information created by an interior coordinator. The data processing device 12 acquires coordinate information from the style information storage unit 28.

The coordination information includes information (data) regarding the interior design and interior accessories of a room coordinated by an interior coordinator according to a style (or style and taste), and the coordination information includes product information including information on the floor finish, wall finish (including baseboards), ceiling finish, placement of the interior accessories, and information identifying the interior accessories to be placed.

The coordinate information also includes information on the style (or style and taste) determined by the interior coordinator as information associated with the atmosphere for each of the interior materials such as floors, walls, and ceilings, and various interior goods. The coordinate information also includes photographic images (color image data) for determining the style (or style and taste).

By acquiring architectural information about the house, the data processing device 12 is able to grasp the finishes of the floors, walls, and ceilings, the arrangement of interior items, etc., for each room, as well as the atmosphere (style and taste) of the room. Furthermore, by acquiring coordination information, the data processing device 12 is able to grasp the style and taste that correspond to the atmosphere of each room, which are included in the building information (similar to architectural information). Furthermore, by acquiring coordination information, the data processing device 12 is able to grasp the style and taste that correspond to the atmosphere of each interior item.

The data processing device 12 may also read and acquire the building information and coordination information from a recording medium on which the building information and coordination information are recorded. Furthermore, the coordination information is updated (added) when a new interior plan is coordinated.

The data processing device 12 can be connected to a plurality of product servers 30 used as storage means via a network, and the product servers 30 are installed in manufacturers of interior goods and retailers selling interior goods. The product servers 30 are installed in furniture manufacturers (or furniture retailers), home appliance manufacturers (or home appliance retailers), lighting equipment manufacturers (or retailers), etc. Also, the product servers 30 are installed in manufacturers (or retailers) of interior goods such as building materials, rugs, curtains, etc.

Each product server 30 stores product information as second product information related to interior goods as products. The data processing device 12 acquires the product information related to interior goods provided from each product server 30. The product information related to interior goods includes information that allows grasping the atmosphere of the product such as color (pattern) and the atmosphere of the room when the product is placed in the room, in addition to shape, dimensions (size), etc., and the product information includes image information such as drawing data of the product and photographic images of the product.

In addition, the support system 10 allows the purchase of interior goods stored in the product server 30 via the data processing device 12, and the product information may include information such as price, delivery date, and available retailers. The data processing device 12 supports the sale of interior goods by accepting product information about the interior goods from each product server 30 and making the accepted product information viewable. The data processing device 12 sorts the accepted product information by performing various filter processes and stores it in the memory unit 22 so that it can be viewed. In this way, the data processing device 12 functions as a data server that makes the interior goods stored in the memory unit 22 viewable.

On the other hand, a plurality of terminal devices 32 can be connected to the data processing device 12 via a network. The terminal devices 32 may be notebook computers (notebook PCs), tablet terminals, or desktop personal computers or smartphones.

In the support system 10, a customer ID and password that identify a customer are set in the terminal device 32, allowing the customer to connect to the data processing device 12 using the customer ID and password and view the interior goods stored in the memory unit 22.

As shown in FIG. 1, the data processing device 12 is formed with a reception unit 34 as a reception means and an output unit 36 as a presentation means. The reception unit 34 and the output unit 36 are realized by the input/output I/F 16. The reception unit 34 may also be realized by a keyboard 18A and a mouse 18B. The reception unit 34 receives product information, coordination information, architectural information (building information), customer information, and viewing requests input from a terminal device 32 or the like, which are input via a network. The output unit 36 outputs viewing information in response to the viewing request to the terminal device 32 or the like. This makes it possible for the terminal device 32 or the like to input various types of information such as a viewing request, and to view information in response to the viewing request.

The data processing device 12 also includes a learning unit 40, a filter unit 42, a style/preference determination unit 44, a preference/style extraction unit 46, and a selection unit 48. In the data processing device 12, the functions of the learning unit 40, the filter unit 42, the style/preference determination unit 44, the preference/style extraction unit 46, and the selection unit 48 are realized by the CPU 14A executing a predetermined program stored in the ROM 14B and the storage 14D.

The reception unit 34 receives the coordinate information from the style information storage unit 28 and outputs the input coordinate information to the learning unit 40. The learning unit 40 performs machine learning based on the coordinate information to create a learned model (first learned model) for determining atmosphere information (first atmosphere information) as the style and taste of each room from the architectural information and the product information of each interior item arranged in the building. The learning unit 40 also performs machine learning based on the coordinate information to create a learned model (second learned model) for determining atmosphere information (second atmosphere information) as the style and taste of each product (interior item) from the product information of each interior item. The first and second learned models created in the learning unit 40 are each stored in the storage 14D (which may be the storage unit 22). In the following, information on the style and taste that form the atmosphere of the room and the interior items will be described as the first and second atmosphere information, respectively.

The reception unit 34 receives product information of the interior goods input from each of the product servers 30, and outputs the received product information to the filter unit 42. The filter unit 42 executes a filter process for sorting each interior goods according to its item, size, shape, color, etc. based on the product information. The filter unit 42 also reads out the second trained model stored in the storage 14D, and determines second atmosphere information (information related to style and taste) for each interior goods using the trained model.

In the filter unit 42, the item, size, shape, color, second atmosphere information, etc., determined for each interior item are added as attribute information by performing a filter process, and stored in the memory unit 22. As a result, the attribute information is added to the product information for each interior item and stored in the memory unit 22, and a database is formed in the memory unit 22 from which interior items can be extracted based on the attribute information.

The reception unit 34 also receives customer information input from the customer information storage unit 24 and architectural information (building information) input from the design information storage unit 26, and outputs the customer information and architectural information to the style/preference determination unit 44. The style/preference determination unit 44 associates the customer information with the architectural information. The style/preference determination unit 44 also functions as a generating means, and reads out the first trained model and determines first atmosphere information representing the style and taste of each room from the architectural information of the house and the product information of the interior goods in the house.

The style/preference determination unit 44 associates customer information, architectural information, customer preferences, and first atmosphere information for each room and stores them in storage 14D (or storage unit 22). As a result, customer data such as customer information (including customer ID and password), architectural information, product information for interior goods, and first atmosphere information for each room are stored in storage 14D for each customer.

Furthermore, when the reception unit 34 receives a viewing request or the like for interior goods from the customer via the terminal device 32, it outputs the viewing request or the like to the preference/style extraction unit 46. The preference/style extraction unit 46 reads out the building information and first atmosphere information of the house in which the customer who inputted the viewing request lives, and outputs them together with the viewing request or the like to the selection unit 48.

The selection unit 48 selects and reads product information of interior goods specified by a viewing request or the like from the storage unit 22 (interior database), and outputs it to the output unit 36. The selection unit 48 also creates log information that enables the output interior goods, etc. to be identified, and associates the created log information with the customer and stores it in the customer data (not shown). The preference/style extraction unit 46 determines changes in the customer's preferences (changes in the first atmosphere information) based on the log information, and the selection unit 48 is capable of extracting products based on the determination results, and the preference/style extraction unit 46 and the selection unit 48 function as extraction means.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.
In the support system 10, various information is input to the data processing device 12, which can then support the customer in selecting interior goods. Figure 3 is a flow chart showing an outline of data processing in the data processing device 12 for supporting the customer in selecting interior goods.

As shown in FIG. 3, the data processing device 12 checks in step 100 whether or not the coordination information has been received, and if the coordination information has been received, a positive determination is made in step 100 and the process proceeds to step 102. In step 102, the received coordination information is acquired, and in step 104, machine learning is performed using the coordination information to generate trained models (first and second trained models).

In the support system 10, interior plans of various styles and tastes coordinated by an interior coordinator are used to create coordinate information, which is then stored in the style information storage unit 28. The coordinate information includes image information such as photographic images showing the interior plans, and the specifications (finish) of each component (interior goods). That is, the coordinated interior plan uses flooring materials, wall materials (wall materials and baseboards), ceiling materials, etc. that match the set style and taste. In addition, the interior plan includes interior goods with sizes, shapes, colors, and preferences that match the set style and taste.

In the data processing device 12, two-dimensional coordinates are set for the atmosphere information (style and taste). Figure 4 shows a map Mp as a coordinate system according to this embodiment.

Map Mp shows an example of the correlation between style and taste as atmospheric information in a diagram (matrix chart). As shown in FIG. 4, one horizontal axis of Map Mp is "simple" and the other horizontal axis is "luxurious" (simple - luxury), and one vertical axis is "relaxed" and the other vertical axis is "formal" (relaxed - formal). Map Mp shows the relative positional relationship on the coordinate system by converting multiple styles and tastes into numerical values. Note that the horizontal and vertical axes of Map Mp are merely examples, and any parameters can be used as long as different and similar atmospheric information can be grasped.

In map Mp, a rough division is made according to the styles and tastes that are correlated with each other, and as an example, moods A to F are shown on map Mp. For example, on map Mp, moods A, B, and C are set on the "luxurious" side of "simple" from the "formal" side toward the "relaxed" side. Also, on map Mp, mood D is set halfway between "formal" and "relaxed", on the "simple" side of "luxurious", mood E is set on the "simple" side of mood D, and mood F is set on the "formal" side of mood E.

In addition, for each of moods A to F, feelings are set that have an even stronger correlation with style and taste. For example, in mood A, feeling a is set on the "formal" side and feeling b is set on the "luxury" side, and in mood B, feeling c is set in the center. In mood C, feeling d is set on the "formal" side, feeling e is set on the "simple" side of feeling d, and feeling f is set on the "relaxed" side of feeling d. Furthermore, in mood D, feeling g is set on the "luxury" side, and feelings h and i are set on the "simple" and "relaxed" sides, and on the "simple" and "formal" sides of feeling g, respectively. In mood E, feelings j and k are set on the "relaxed" and "formal" sides, respectively, and in mood F, feelings l and m are set on the "relaxed" and "simple" sides, respectively.

The coordination information uses multiple coordinated interior plans, and each interior plan is combined with multiple interior items to achieve a specific style and taste (atmosphere information).

In the data processing device 12, the learning unit 40 performs machine learning using multiple interior plans (combinations of interior items) included in the coordination information as teacher data to generate a learned model (first learned model). The first learned model is used to determine first atmosphere information (style and taste) of a room based on the atmosphere obtained from the specifications of each room in building information (e.g., architectural information including floor plans) and the arrangement of interior items. The first learned model is capable of determining the first atmosphere information of the room from the specifications of the room (floor material, wall material, baseboard, ceiling material, windows, room size, ceiling height, etc.) and the arrangement of interior items.

The learning unit 40 also generates a trained model (second trained model) by performing machine learning using the interior items included in the multiple interior plans and the style and taste (atmosphere information) of each of the multiple interior plans as training data. This second trained model makes it possible to determine second atmosphere information (style and taste) for the interior items from product information (shape, size, color, and atmosphere).

As a result, the data processing device 12 generates a first trained model for determining the first atmosphere information of each room from architectural information (building information) and product information of the interior items, and a second trained model for determining the second atmosphere information of each interior item from the product information of the interior items.

The first and second atmosphere information determined by the first and second trained models can be quantified and expressed as a coordinate position on the map Mp. In other words, by expressing the style and taste (atmosphere information) of each interior plan in the coordination information as a coordinate position on the map Mp, the trained models (the first and second trained models) can obtain the determination result of the atmosphere information as a coordinate position on the map Mp. This makes it easy to compare the atmosphere of rooms and the atmosphere of interior items, and makes it easy to select rooms and interior items with similar atmospheres or atmosphere information.

In FIG. 3, once a trained model is generated based on the coordination information, the process proceeds to step 106, where the trained model is stored in storage 14D.

In the next step 108, it is confirmed whether product information for the interior goods has been received. If the product information has been received, a positive judgment is made in step 108, and the process proceeds to step 110. If a negative judgment is made in step 100, the process proceeds to step 108.

In step 110, product information for the received interior goods is acquired, and in step 112, a filter process is performed on the interior goods identified by the acquired product information.

In filtering interior items, the product information is used to classify items according to item type, size, shape, color, etc., and attribute information is added to enable searching based on each of the classified elements. In filtering, the trained model stored in storage 14D is read, and a second trained model is used to determine second atmosphere information for the interior item. This second atmosphere information makes it possible to determine the suitability of the product, such as what style and taste of interior the item matches. This makes it possible to show (map) which position (style and taste: for example, moods A to F, or feelings a to m in moods A to F) the atmosphere information for the interior item corresponds to on map Mp (see FIG. 4).

The judgment result using the second trained model is added to the product information of the interior item as attribute information. This makes it possible to search for interior items identified by the product information by atmosphere information (second atmosphere information) in addition to item type, size, shape, color, etc. Furthermore, interior items can be mapped on the map Mp according to the atmosphere information, making it easy to extract interior items with similar atmosphere information.

The filtered product information of the interior items is stored in the memory unit 22 in step 114, thereby forming a database of multiple interior items in the memory unit 22.

In step 116, it is confirmed whether or not customer information has been accepted. If a negative judgment is made in step 108, the process proceeds to step 116. In addition, in this embodiment, as an example, the target customers are those who live in existing homes, and when customer information is accepted, construction information for the home in which the customer lives is also input.

In step 118, customer information and building information (construction information) are acquired, and in step 120, customer data is generated based on the customer information and building information. The customer data includes a customer ID and a password, and also includes atmosphere information (first atmosphere information) of each room in the building (house) in which the customer resides.

The customer data may also include customer preference information (for example, information indicating what style and taste of room a customer prefers). Customer preference information is obtained by acquiring information about a customer's preferences through interviews, questionnaires, etc., and adding the style and taste of the room the customer resides in. As a result, the customer data includes customer information, building information, customer ID, password, customer preference information, and information about the atmosphere of each room.

In step 120, a trained model (first trained model) capable of determining room atmosphere information based on architectural information is read from storage 14D, and this first trained model is used to determine atmosphere information (first atmosphere information) for each room based on the specifications of the floors, walls, baseboards, and ceilings, as well as interior items arranged in the room.

This makes it possible for the atmosphere information to indicate which position (style and taste) on the map Mp corresponds to the atmosphere of each room in the building. When determining the atmosphere information of a room, if atmosphere information about interior items placed in the room is required, the determination may be made by reading out a trained model (second trained model) for determining atmosphere information about the interior items.

In step 122, the customer data to which the atmosphere information determined for each room has been added is stored in storage 14D. As a result, the data processing device 12 stores the trained models (first and second trained models) and customer data for each of the multiple customers, and a database of interior goods is formed in the memory unit 22. The initial customer data is used as the initial values for the customer preference information and room atmosphere information.

On the other hand, in the support system 10, the data processing device 12 can function as a so-called web server, and a customer can access the data processing device 12 using a terminal device 32 to view interior goods stored in the database of the storage unit 22. FIG. 5 shows a flow chart of an example of processing (viewing processing) in the data processing device 12 in response to input from the terminal device 32. Also, FIGS. 6(A) to 6(E) show schematic diagrams of images displayed on the terminal device 32.

The flowchart in FIG. 5 is executed when the terminal device 32 is connected to the data processing device 12, and authentication processing is performed in the first step 130. A customer ID (ID) and password are set in advance for the customer, and in the authentication processing, a login screen such as that shown in FIG. 6 (A) is displayed on the terminal device 32, and the customer is requested to enter the customer ID and password.

A customer ID and password are entered on the display image of the terminal device 32, and if they match the customer ID and password in the customer data, the customer is authenticated. As a result, a selection image as shown in FIG. 6(B) is displayed on the terminal device 32. When "interior goods" is selected on the selection image on the terminal device 32, it becomes possible to select interior goods such as "storage," "rugs," and "sofas." Also, when "rugs" are selected as interior goods on the terminal device 32, it becomes possible to select rug shapes such as "circular" and "square."

Meanwhile, the data processing device 12 stores building information about the building in which the customer lives, and when selecting interior goods, the customer specifies the room in which the selected interior goods will be placed, and the data processing device 12 presents interior goods that are not only suitable in size and shape for the selected room, but also suitable for the atmosphere of the selected room.

In the flowchart of FIG. 5, when the authentication process is completed, the process proceeds to step 132. In this step 132, building information is read from the customer data of the authenticated customer, and floor plan data (image data of the floor plan) included in the building information is transmitted to the terminal device 32. As a result, the floor plan as shown in FIG. 6(C) is displayed on the terminal device 32, and the placement position of the interior item (the room to place it in and the specific location within that room) can be specified on the floor plan.

In step 134 of FIG. 5, when the image (floor plan) to be displayed is changed (a room is specified), image data is transmitted to display an image of the specified room, etc. As a result, for example, when beauty room (washroom) 52 on the first floor of building 50 is selected on terminal device 32, the display on terminal device 32 switches to an enlarged display of beauty room 52, as shown in FIG. 6 (D), and the placement position of the rug can be specified. Also, by specifying the placement position of the rug on terminal device 32, a circular mark 54 is displayed on the image of beauty room 52.

For example, when storage furniture (storage) is selected, a room 56 (daughter's room) on the second floor of building 50 is selected, and an enlarged image of room 56 is displayed as shown in FIG. 6 (E). Also, when the back corner of room 56 is specified on terminal device 32 as the location for placing the storage furniture, a mark 58 indicating the storage furniture is displayed on the image of room 56. Mark 58 may be a combination of multiple shapes that can be placed in that location.

In the flowchart of FIG. 5, the target product (interior item) is searched for by selecting an interior item and specifying a placement position. When searching for interior items, the size of the interior item required to properly place the specified interior item in the specified room position is set. For example, when placing a rug, the aesthetic appearance can be improved by leaving a gap of several centimeters to 10 centimeters between the periphery of the rug and the wall or surrounding furniture, so the size (size and shape) of the rug is set based on the size of the room and the placement positions of the surrounding furniture, etc.

When searching for interior goods, the atmosphere information of the room in which the goods are to be placed (first atmosphere information) is read from the customer data, and multiple interior goods that are similar to the room atmosphere information in FIG. 4 are extracted. For example, the multiple interior goods with similar atmosphere information are extracted by extracting the atmosphere information (second atmosphere information) on the interior goods map Mp in order of proximity to the room atmosphere information (first atmosphere information). Note that customer preference information included in the customer data may be applied when searching for interior goods.

The information (e.g., image data, etc.) indicating the interior items extracted in this manner is transmitted to the terminal device 32. As a result, the terminal device 32 displays a number of interior items that are close to the atmosphere of the room (or that are close to the customer's preferences) (not shown). In addition, when any of the interior items is selected, the terminal device 32 displays information about the selected interior item (e.g., an enlarged image, size, etc.).

In step 138 of the flowchart in FIG. 5, a search is performed for interior goods according to the customer's selection, and information on the searched interior goods is transmitted. This allows the customer to operate the terminal device 32 to view multiple interior goods.

The next step 140 is to check whether a new interior item has been selected from the interior items displayed on the terminal device 32.

When one interior item is selected from the multiple interior items displayed on the terminal device 32, the data processing device 12 reads out atmosphere information (second atmosphere information) from the product information of the selected interior item. The data processing device 12 also extracts multiple interior items that are similar to the read atmosphere information and transmits information on the extracted interior items. As a result, the terminal device 32 displays the selected interior item, as well as multiple interior items that have similar atmosphere information to that of the selected interior item. This extraction of interior items is repeated each time a new interior item is selected.

Here, when one interior item is selected on the terminal device 32, the data processing device 12 extracts multiple interior items whose atmosphere information is similar to the atmosphere information of the selected interior item.

For example, in FIG. 4, if the atmosphere information (second atmosphere information) of an interior item corresponding to the room atmosphere information (first atmosphere information) corresponds to point P1 in mood A, the interior item whose atmosphere information (second atmosphere information) is closest to point P1 is selected, and multiple interior items whose atmosphere information is within an area 60 surrounding point P1 are extracted.

In addition, when the atmosphere information of the newly selected interior item corresponds to point P2, the change in the customer's taste is represented by an arrow (vector) Pv. From this, the range of the atmosphere information of the interior item similar to the newly selected interior item is set to the range of area 62 expanding from point P2 in the direction of arrow Pv. Area 62 is set to a range according to the length of arrow Pv including point P2, and the longer the length of arrow Pv is (the greater the change), the wider the range in the direction of arrow Pv is. In this way, when the customer's taste changes significantly, for example, the area 62 of the atmosphere information is set to a range from mood A to mood B, so that the data processing device 12 can suggest interior items according to the change in the customer's taste. Note that the area including point P2 may be area 64 centered on point P2.

If the determination in step 140 in FIG. 5 is negative, the process proceeds to step 142. In step 142, it is confirmed whether the selected interior item has been purchased.

When the customer executes the purchase procedure for the interior goods displayed on the terminal device 32, a positive judgment is made in step 142 and the process proceeds to step 144. In this step 144, the building information of the customer is updated so that the purchased interior goods are placed in the specified room. In addition, the atmosphere information of the corresponding room (first atmosphere information) is updated in accordance with the updated building information.

If the viewing ends without purchasing any interior goods, a negative judgment is made in step 142 and the process proceeds to step 146. In this step 146, the viewing information for the interior goods is recorded as log information. The log information includes information identifying each of the viewed interior goods (e.g., a product code set for each interior goods), atmosphere information for the interior goods (second atmosphere information), and the viewing time for each interior goods. As a result, the log information is added to the customer data, and the log information is updated each time an interior goods is viewed (viewing information is added).

Meanwhile, in the data processing device 12, customer data processing is performed at preset times (e.g., every few months). Customer data processing is performed for each customer. Figure 7 shows an overview of customer data processing in the form of a flow chart.

In the flowchart of FIG. 7, in the first step 150, customer data of the target customer is read from storage 14D. In the next step 152, changes in the atmosphere information for each room (first atmosphere information) are compared. In comparing changes in the atmosphere information, the initial value of the room's atmosphere information (initial atmosphere information when the customer moves into the house) is compared with the atmosphere information that has changed due to the purchase of interior goods (current atmosphere information), thereby verifying the change in the atmosphere information. This change in the atmosphere information can be represented by an arrow (not shown) pointing from the coordinate position of the initial value of the atmosphere information in FIG. 4 to the coordinate position of the current atmosphere information, with the direction of the arrow being the direction of the change in the atmosphere information and the length of the arrow corresponding to the magnitude of the change in the atmosphere information.

In the next step 154, it is confirmed whether the change in the atmosphere information (first atmosphere information) is greater than or equal to a preset change, and if it is determined that the change is small, a negative judgment is made in step 154 and the process proceeds to step 156.

In step 156, changes in the customer's preferences are compared. Changes in the customer's preferences are verified by comparing the initial values (preferences when the customer first moved into the house) with the current preferences. A customer's preferences in a house are reflected in the atmosphere (style and taste) of the room, and since a customer wants to live in a room with a preferred atmosphere, in this embodiment, the initial values of the customer's preferences are replaced with the atmosphere information of the house when the customer first moved in. The atmosphere information in this case can be the atmosphere information of the customer's main room (e.g., living room, dining room) or bedroom, or the average value of the atmosphere information of each room (average of the coordinate positions in Figure 4), etc.

In addition, a customer may wish to create a home atmosphere that suits their tastes, and may purchase new interior items or view interior items to consider purchasing new items. For this reason, the atmosphere information of the interior items that the customer has purchased or viewed can be applied to the customer's current preferences.

In comparing changes in preferences, the current customer preferences can be determined by using the average value of the coordinate positions (e.g., the positions in FIG. 4) of the atmosphere information of the interior items purchased by the customer, or the atmosphere information of the room in which the purchased interior items are placed (first atmosphere information), or the atmosphere information of the interior items viewed. When using the average value, it is preferable to give more weight to the purchased interior items than to the interior items that have only been viewed, and to use a weighted average according to the cumulative number of times each item has been viewed and the viewing time for the atmosphere information of the viewed interior items. In other words, it is preferable to calculate the average value of the atmosphere information so that more weight is placed on the atmosphere information (second atmosphere information) of the interior items that have been viewed many times or viewed for a long time.

Furthermore, a change in preference can be represented by an arrow Tv pointing from the coordinate position of the initial atmosphere information in FIG. 4 (e.g., point Pa in mood B) to the coordinate position of the current atmosphere information (e.g., point Pb, where point Pb may be a different mood). The direction of the change in preference is the direction of the arrow Tv (e.g., the direction from point Pa toward the "simple" side and the "relaxed" side), and the magnitude of the change in preference can correspond to the length of the arrow Tv, making it easy to grasp the change in the customer's preferences.

In FIG. 7, in the next step 158, it is confirmed whether the customer's preferences (home atmosphere information) have changed more significantly than a preset value, and if it is determined that the change is small, a negative judgment is made in step 158 and the process proceeds to step 160. In step 160, the customer data is updated by adding the current room atmosphere information and the customer's preferences to the customer data as a change history (change history of atmosphere information).

On the other hand, if a positive determination is made in step 154 or step 158, the process proceeds to step 162. For example, if the arrow Tv in FIG. 4 has changed significantly in at least one of the horizontal and vertical directions, and the atmosphere information has changed more than a preset value, a positive determination is made in step 154 or step 158.

In step 162, it is confirmed whether it is time to propose renovation of the customer's home (timing to propose renovation). The timing for proposing renovation can be, for example, whether the home has been built for a predetermined number of years (e.g., 10 years) or more. If it is not time to renovate, a negative judgment is made in step 162 and the process proceeds to step 160.

If it is time to remodel, a positive judgment is made in step 162 and the process proceeds to step 164. In this step 164, a remodeling plan that is in line with the customer's current preferences is proposed. For example, the proposed remodeling plan may apply or refer to an interior plan in the atmosphere information that corresponds to the customer's current preferences among multiple interior plans in the coordination information.

In this way, the data processing device 12 extracts from the memory unit 22 the interior goods specified by the customer on the terminal device 32 and presents them to the customer. At this time, the data processing device 12 extracts the interior goods from the storage means based on the room atmosphere information (first atmosphere information) or the atmosphere information of the newly specified interior goods (second atmosphere information). In this way, the data processing device 12 can extract and present interior goods that match the resident's preferences, and can therefore assist the customer in selecting interior goods that match the room atmosphere and the customer's preferences.

In addition, the data processing device 12 extracts from the memory unit 22 interior items that can be placed in the specified room along with the interior items specified by the customer. This allows the customer to select interior items that can be placed in the desired location within the building, effectively supporting the selection of interior items that match the atmosphere of the room and the customer's preferences.

Furthermore, the data processing device 12 uses a map Mp in which coordinates are set such that positions differ depending on the atmosphere, and positions change in response to changes in the atmosphere. This makes it extremely easy for the data processing device 12 to grasp changes in customer preferences and changes in the atmosphere of the interior goods viewed by the customer, i.e., the relative differences in preferences and atmospheres.

The data processing device 12 also extracts multiple interior products with atmosphere information within a predetermined range that corresponds to the change in atmosphere information of the specified interior product or the newly specified interior product, and presents them to the customer. This makes it possible to present interior products that match the customer's tastes and changes in tastes, thereby more effectively supporting the selection of interior products that match the customer's tastes.

The embodiment described above shows an example of the present invention, and does not limit the configuration of the present invention. For example, the coordinates (map) showing the atmosphere information (first and second atmosphere information) may be set on the coordinate axes for each of the different conditions for changing the atmosphere, and the coordinates may be three-dimensional, not limited to two-dimensional.

In this embodiment, the invention has been described as being applied to the interior of a house, but the technical concept of the invention can also be applied to the exterior of a building.

10. Support system (interior support system)
12 Data processing device 24 Customer information storage unit 26 Building information storage unit 28 Coordination information storage unit 30 Product server 32 Terminal device 34 Reception unit (acquisition means, reception means)
36 Output unit 40 Learning unit 42 Filter unit (generation means)
44 Style/preference determination unit (generation means)
46 Preference/Style Extraction Unit (Extraction Means)
48 Selection unit (extraction means)
Mp Map (coordinates)

Claims (4)

an acquisition means for acquiring building information including information indicating the layout of the building at the time of the resident's move-in, the size of each room, the items of interior goods arranged in each room, including interior materials for the floors, walls, baseboards, and ceilings, and the positions of the interior goods, and first product information including the atmosphere of the room and the items, sizes, shapes, and colors of the interior goods that affect the atmosphere of the interior goods, and acquiring room information for a predetermined room and interior goods of the room , including interior goods in the floors, walls, baseboards, and ceilings, and the positions of the interior goods , product information including information that affects the atmosphere of the room, including the items, sizes, shapes, and colors of the interior goods, and a plurality of pieces of coordination information in which the room information and each of the product information are associated with the atmosphere;
a storage means for storing second product information including the product information of each of a plurality of interior products and information indicating the atmosphere associated with the product information of each of the interior products;
a receiving means for receiving a designation of an interior item by a resident of the building from the plurality of interior items stored in the storage means;
When extracting the interior product whose designation has been accepted from the storage means and presenting the product information of the interior product to the resident,
One side of one axis is set as the simple style and the other side as the luxurious style, and one side of another axis intersecting with the one axis is set as the relaxed style and the other side as the formal style, and the different atmospheres are set so that the coordinate positions are different, and a coordinate system is applied in which the atmospheres are represented by the coordinate positions,
A trained model is used in which the product information in the coordination information and the atmosphere associated with the product information are used as training data, and a coordinate position in the coordinate system is output from the product information of the interior product as atmosphere information,
determining, from the product information of the interior product for which the designation has been accepted, the atmosphere information indicating the atmosphere of the interior product;
an extracting means for extracting from said storage means interior products having similar atmosphere information to the interior product designated by said user and presenting the product information of said interior products to a resident of said building;
Interior assistance systems including: The first product information and the second product information each include a shape and a size of an interior product,
the reception unit, when receiving the interior item with a specified placement position in the building, is capable of specifying an interior item that can be placed at the received placement position based on the second product information and the building information;
2. The interior design assistance system according to claim 1, wherein the extracting means is capable of extracting from the storage means interior items that can be arranged at the arrangement position together with the designated interior item and presenting them. The extraction means includes:
using a trained model generated such that the room information of the room in the coordinate information, an atmosphere associated with the room information, the product information about the interior products of the room, and information indicating the atmosphere associated with the product information are used as training data, and a first atmosphere information representing the atmosphere of the room is output based on the room information of the room and the product information about the interior products of the room as a coordinate position in the coordinate system;
The interior design assistance system according to claim 1 or 2 , further comprising presenting the first atmosphere information for a room designated for arranging the interior items from the building information and the first item information . The extraction means defines the atmosphere information as second atmosphere information,
The interior support system according to claim 3, wherein when extracting interior items whose second atmosphere information is similar to the interior item whose specification has been accepted, the items are extracted in order of proximity of coordinate positions in the second atmosphere information in the coordinate system to coordinate positions in the first atmosphere information.