JP2007139486A - Navigation system for wheelchair - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a navigation system for a wheelchair to enhance convenience for a wheelchair user by using a navigation device mounted on the wheelchair as a navigation device of a vehicle for a wheelchair. <P>SOLUTION: A navigation device 300 mounted on a wheelchair 100 performs a navigation process in a wheelchair movement mode intended for movement by means of the wheelchair 100 when moving on the wheelchair 100 to a destination. When a vehicle 200 for a wheelchair, mounted with the wheelchair 100, moves to a destination, the navigation device 300 switches its movement mode from the wheelchair movement mode to a vehicle movement mode while performing a navigation process intended for movement by means of the vehicle 200 for a wheelchair. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a wheelchair navigation system for navigating a wheelchair user to a destination, and in particular, a wheelchair navigation system capable of using a navigation device mounted on a wheelchair as a car navigation device for a vehicle. About.

  Conventionally, an electric wheelchair equipped with a navigation device mounted on a vehicle or the like is known. This type of wheelchair is equipped with a wheelchair navigation device at the front of the wheelchair, and like a vehicle navigation device, the wheelchair user sets the destination and destination in advance, so that the starting point It is possible to search for an optimal travel route from (current position) to the destination and a road on which a wheelchair can pass, and display the searched route information on the display panel (see Patent Document 1). ). A wheelchair user can efficiently move to a destination based on voice guidance or display guidance by a navigation device provided in the wheelchair.

  In addition, a wheelchair vehicle (hereinafter referred to as “wheelchair vehicle”) in which a wheelchair user can drive to a destination while sitting in the wheelchair is also known and is mounted on the wheelchair described above. Therefore, it is desired to realize a navigation system capable of navigating movement in a wheelchair vehicle using the navigation device.

  As a conventional technique related to this type of navigation system, Patent Document 2 discloses that the navigation system is intended for pedestrians walking outside the vehicle and can be detachable from a vehicle capable of performing navigation for driving the vehicle inside the vehicle. A navigation device is disclosed (see Patent Document 2).

  According to such a navigation device, when the navigation device is mounted on a wheelchair or the like as well as the navigation intended for traveling of the vehicle, the navigation processing for the movement of the wheelchair can be performed efficiently.

  Further, in Patent Document 3, route guidance to a destination is performed by a database storing road information for each moving means according to moving means (walking, bicycle, vehicle, wheelchair, etc.) used by the user. A navigation system is disclosed (see Patent Document 3).

  According to such a navigation system, accurate navigation processing can be performed based on road information related to each moving means in accordance with the moving means of the user.

JP 2001-304908 A JP 2001-317947 A JP 2001-280992 A

  However, a navigation device that can be applied to a moving means (for example, a wheelchair) different from the above-described conventional vehicle has a problem that it cannot be used as a car navigation for moving in a wheelchair vehicle.

  In other words, the navigation device installed in the wheelchair is set for the wheelchair because it selects the search route and sets the arrival time based on the road information that the wheelchair can pass and the moving speed of the wheelchair. Even if an attempt is made to use a navigation device for a vehicle as a navigation device for a vehicle, the navigation device performs navigation based on road information for movement of a wheelchair, and therefore can be used as a navigation system for a vehicle. Can not.

  As a result, there is a problem that it becomes necessary to provide a vehicle navigation device (car navigation) in a wheelchair vehicle separately from the navigation device mounted on the wheelchair.

  On the other hand, when the navigation device is mounted on the wheelchair vehicle, the information stored in the navigation device mounted on the wheelchair (the search performed based on the initially set destination information and destination information) Route information and the like) need to be reset for the navigation device mounted on the wheelchair vehicle, which causes inconvenience such as troublesome operations (setting).

  This invention was made in order to solve the said subject (problem), and when navigating to the movement by a wheelchair, and the user of a wheelchair moving to the destination in the state which got on the vehicle for wheelchairs Another object of the present invention is to provide a wheelchair navigation system that can use a navigation device mounted on a wheelchair as it is.

  The invention according to claim 1 is a navigation system for a wheelchair that performs navigation to a destination for a user of the wheelchair based on position information and map information of the wheelchair, A navigation device for navigating to a destination set by a wheelchair user, wherein the navigation device includes first navigation control means for navigating to the destination for movement by the wheelchair; A second navigation control means for navigating to a destination for movement by a wheelchair vehicle mounted thereon is provided.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the navigation device mounted on the wheelchair performs navigation to the destination intended for movement by the wheelchair by the first navigation control means, and the wheelchair is operated by the second navigation control means. It is configured to perform navigation to a destination intended for movement by a mounted wheelchair vehicle.

  Further, the invention according to claim 2 is the invention according to claim 1, wherein the wheelchair stores storage means for storing road information and / or searched route information to a destination set by the navigation device; When a vehicle navigation device is mounted on the wheelchair vehicle, the vehicle is provided with information transmission means for transmitting the road information and / or the searched route information to the wheelchair vehicle.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the navigation device mounted on the wheelchair includes a storage means for storing road information and / or searched route information to the destination set by the navigation device, and a vehicle for the wheelchair vehicle. When the navigation device for the vehicle is mounted, the information transmission means for transmitting the road information and / or the searched route information to the wheelchair vehicle is provided.

  The invention according to claim 3 is the invention according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the navigation device further includes a movement mode determination means for determining a shift from movement by the wheelchair to movement by the wheelchair vehicle. And when the movement mode determination means determines that the movement by the wheelchair vehicle has shifted, the navigation for the wheelchair by the first navigation control means is used for the wheelchair by the second navigation control means. It shifts to the navigation which makes object the movement of a vehicle, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  According to the invention of claim 3, the navigation device further includes a movement mode determination unit that determines a shift from movement by the wheelchair to movement by the wheelchair vehicle, and the movement mode determination unit allows the movement by the wheelchair vehicle. In the case where it is determined that the movement has been made, the navigation is shifted from the navigation targeted for the movement of the wheelchair by the first navigation control means to the navigation targeted for the movement of the wheelchair vehicle by the second navigation control means.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to the first, second, or third aspect, the navigation device includes a wheelchair road database that stores road information on which the wheelchair is movable, and the wheelchair vehicle. And a vehicle road database that stores road information that can be moved, wherein the first navigation control means performs navigation based on the road information stored in the wheelchair road database, and the second navigation. The control means performs navigation based on road information stored in the vehicle road database.

  According to the invention of claim 4, the navigation apparatus further includes a wheelchair road database that stores road information on which the wheelchair can move, and a vehicle road database that stores road information on which the wheelchair vehicle can move. The first navigation control means performs navigation based on the road information stored in the wheelchair road database, and the second navigation control means performs navigation based on the road information stored in the vehicle road database. It is configured.

  The invention according to claim 5 is the invention according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the movement mode determination means is a connection between a communication transmission cord provided in the wheelchair and a communication connector provided in the wheelchair vehicle. Sometimes it is determined that the movement by the wheelchair has shifted to the movement by the wheelchair vehicle.

  According to the invention of claim 5, the movement mode determination means has shifted from movement by the wheelchair to movement by the wheelchair vehicle when the communication transmission cord provided in the wheelchair is connected to the communication connector provided in the wheelchair vehicle. Is determined.

  Further, the invention according to claim 6 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the wheelchair vehicle includes position information for specifying an arrangement position of the wheelchair vehicle, a vehicle type, and a form. Specific information storage means for storing vehicle type information to be specified and search route information from the arrangement position of the wheelchair vehicle to the destination as specific information, and the specific information stored in the specific information storage means, a wheelchair navigation device A navigation device that transmits the shortest of a plurality of search routes to the destination and the wheelchair vehicle suitable for moving to the destination based on the specific information transmitted from the wheelchair vehicle. It further comprises a selection means for selecting a search route that is a distance.

  According to the invention of claim 6, the wheelchair vehicle includes position information for specifying the position of the wheelchair vehicle, vehicle type information for specifying the vehicle type and type, and the position of the wheelchair vehicle to the destination. Specific information storage means for storing the searched route information as specific information, and communication means for transmitting the specific information stored in the specific information storage means to the wheelchair navigation device. Based on the transmitted specific information, a wheelchair vehicle suitable for moving to the destination and a selection means for selecting a search route having the shortest distance from a plurality of search routes to the destination are provided.

  The invention according to claim 7 is the invention according to claim 6, wherein the specific information stored between the wheelchair and the wheelchair vehicle is stored between the wheelchair and the wheelchair vehicle. An information center for transmitting to the navigation device, the information center responding to a request for transmission from the wheelchair and a periodic communication mode for periodically transmitting specific information on the wheelchair vehicle to the wheelchair. And a communication request mode for transmitting vehicle specific information.

  According to the seventh aspect of the invention, the information center is provided between the wheelchair and the wheelchair vehicle, and transmits the specific information stored in the storage means of the wheelchair vehicle to the navigation device. Is a configuration comprising a periodic communication mode for periodically transmitting wheelchair vehicle specific information to a wheelchair, and a communication request mode for transmitting wheelchair vehicle specific information in response to a request for transmission from the wheelchair. Yes.

  The invention according to claim 8 is the invention according to any one of claims 3 to 7, wherein the navigation device guides a searched route by a wheelchair searched by the navigation device or a wheelchair vehicle. A voice level adjustment that includes voice output means for outputting voice as information, and that adjusts the voice level by the voice output means to be increased when it is determined by the movement mode determination means that the vehicle has moved to a wheelchair vehicle. The apparatus further comprises means.

  According to the invention of claim 8, the navigation device includes the voice output means for outputting as a guide the wheelchair searched by the navigation device or the search route by the wheelchair vehicle as guidance information, and the navigation mode determination means uses the wheelchair for the wheelchair. When it is determined that the movement by the vehicle has been made, the audio output adjusting unit adjusts so that the audio level by the audio output unit becomes high.

  According to the invention described in claim 9, in the invention described in any one of claims 1 to 8, the wheelchair further includes power acquisition means for acquiring power from a battery of the wheelchair vehicle. It is characterized by that.

  According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, the wheelchair further includes power acquisition means for acquiring power, and when the wheelchair is mounted on the wheelchair vehicle, the power of the battery of the wheelchair vehicle is acquired from the power acquisition means. It is said.

  According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to any one of the first to ninth aspects, the navigation device uses the road information obtained from the search route acquired during the movement of the wheelchair or the wheelchair vehicle. It is further provided with a movement history information database stored as

  According to the invention of claim 10, the navigation device uses the travel history information database that stores the movement of the wheelchair or wheelchair vehicle as history information, and obtains the search route acquired when the wheelchair or wheelchair vehicle moves. It is configured to store as road information.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the navigation device for the wheelchair is based on the first navigation control means for navigating to the destination for movement by the wheelchair and the wheelchair vehicle on which the wheelchair is mounted. Since the second navigation control means for navigating to the destination for the movement is provided, the navigation device mounted on the wheelchair is not only intended for the movement of the wheelchair. It can be used as a navigation device when a user moves to a destination by a wheelchair vehicle, and no separate navigation device is required when moving by a wheelchair vehicle. Has the effect of improving the convenience of traveling on a wheelchair vehicle.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the wheelchair has storage means for storing road information and / or searched route information to the destination set by the navigation device, and a vehicle navigation device for the wheelchair vehicle. If the navigation device is mounted on the wheelchair vehicle, the wheelchair vehicle is provided with information transmitting means for transmitting road information and / or searched route information to the wheelchair vehicle. Various information set on the side can be sent to the wheelchair vehicle, which eliminates the need for resetting specific information such as the destination, as well as road information for wheelchair movement and the past. Since searched route information can be acquired, information can be shared between the wheelchair and the vehicle for the wheelchair. An effect that user convenience can be improved when moving a wheelchair for a vehicle.

  According to the invention described in claim 3, the navigation device further includes movement mode determination means for determining a shift from movement by the wheelchair to movement by the wheelchair vehicle, and movement by the wheelchair vehicle by the movement mode determination means. When it is determined that the vehicle has shifted to the navigation system, the navigation system that shifts the wheelchair by the first navigation control unit to the navigation system that targets the movement of the wheelchair vehicle by the second navigation control unit is configured. Therefore, the wheelchair navigation device mounted on the wheelchair can be used as a navigation device for moving the wheelchair vehicle.

  According to the invention described in claim 4, the navigation device includes a wheelchair road database that stores road information on which the wheelchair can move, and a vehicle road database that stores road information on which the wheelchair vehicle can move. The first navigation control means performs navigation based on the road information stored in the wheelchair road database, and the second navigation control means is based on the road information stored in the vehicle road database. Since navigation is performed, when navigation of a wheelchair is intended, suitable navigation processing can be performed based on road information stored in a wheelchair road database. Further, in the case of targeting the movement of the vehicle, there is an effect that a suitable navigation process can be performed based on the road information stored in the vehicle road database.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the movement mode determination means moves from the movement by the wheelchair to the movement by the wheelchair vehicle when the communication transmission cord provided in the wheelchair and the communication connector provided in the wheelchair vehicle are connected. Therefore, it is possible to reliably determine the transition from the wheelchair movement mode to the vehicle movement mode and to perform a navigation process for the movement of the wheelchair vehicle. There is an effect.

  According to the invention described in claim 6, the wheelchair vehicle is based on position information for specifying the position of the wheelchair vehicle, vehicle type information for specifying the vehicle type and type, and the position of the wheelchair vehicle. Specific information storage means for storing the search route information to the ground as specific information, and communication means for transmitting the specific information stored in the specific information storage means to the navigation device of the wheelchair, Based on the specific information transmitted from the wheelchair vehicle, the vehicle further includes a selection unit that selects a search route that has the shortest distance from a plurality of search routes to the destination and the wheelchair vehicle suitable for moving to the destination. Since it is configured, it is possible to select the optimal search route based on the acquired specific information, and the wheelchair user can use the wheelchair suitable for his own wheelchair. An effect that it is possible to manage multiple vehicles.

  According to the invention of claim 7, the information center provided between the wheelchair and the wheelchair vehicle regularly transmits the specific information of the wheelchair vehicle to the wheelchair. In response to the transmission request from the wheelchair, the communication request mode for transmitting the specific information on the wheelchair vehicle is provided. Therefore, the navigation device acquires the specific information transmitted from the plurality of wheelchair vehicles, Since the optimum route selection to move to the destination is selected based on the acquired specific information, there is an effect that it is possible to efficiently select the shortest search route.

  Further, according to the invention described in claim 8, the navigation device includes a voice output means for outputting the wheelchair or the search route by the wheelchair vehicle as guidance information and moving by the wheelchair vehicle by the movement mode determination means. When the vehicle is moved by the wheelchair vehicle, the sound level by the sound output means is further provided. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the guidance information from becoming difficult to hear due to the engine sound of the wheelchair vehicle, and when moving by the wheelchair, the volume can be adjusted to a volume level adapted to the movement of the wheelchair. There is an effect that can be done.

  According to the invention described in claim 9, since the wheelchair further includes power acquisition means for acquiring power from the battery of the wheelchair vehicle, the power consumed when moving by the wheelchair is used. From this, it is possible to avoid problems such as power shortage when moving in a wheelchair.

  According to the invention of claim 10, the wheelchair or the wheelchair is provided with the movement history information database that stores the searched route searched when the wheelchair or wheelchair vehicle is moved as the history information of the road information. There is an effect that it is possible to grasp in advance search route information that is suitable as a travel route of a commercial vehicle or search route information that is inappropriate as a travel route.

  Exemplary embodiments of a wheelchair navigation system according to the present invention will be explained below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following embodiment, the concept of the wheelchair navigation system according to the present invention will be described first, and then the schematic configuration of the wheelchair 100 and the wheelchair vehicle 200 and the processing procedure related to the overall processing by the wheelchair navigation system will be described. I decided to. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

(Concept of wheelchair navigation system)
First, the concept of the wheelchair navigation system according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the concept of a wheelchair navigation system. Here, in the navigation system for wheelchairs of FIG. 1, the navigation apparatus 300 is mounted in the wheelchair 100, and the navigation apparatus is not mounted in the vehicle 200 for wheelchairs.

  Here, the wheelchair vehicle 200 illustrated in FIG. 1 is a vehicle disposed in a predetermined place (for example, a public facility) for the purpose of assisting the movement of the wheelchair 100. The user can move to the destination by driving the wheelchair vehicle 200 while sitting.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the wheelchair 100 is equipped with a navigation device 300 that provides travel guidance (navigation) to a destination set by a user of the wheelchair 100 as a destination (for example, a hospital). The navigation device 300 includes a wheelchair movement mode for navigating to a destination for movement by the wheelchair 100 and a vehicle movement mode for navigating to a destination for movement by the wheelchair vehicle 200. Yes. A wheelchair navigation process and a vehicle navigation process for performing a navigation process according to the wheelchair movement mode and the vehicle movement mode are provided.

  That is, when the navigation device 300 mounted on the wheelchair 100 moves to the destination by the wheelchair 100, the navigation device 300 performs navigation processing for movement by the wheelchair 100 and desires to move in the wheelchair vehicle 200. When the user travels to this wheelchair vehicle 200 and moves to the destination, the navigation mode for the movement by the wheelchair vehicle 200 is performed by switching the movement mode from the wheelchair movement mode to the vehicle movement mode. ing.

  The transition from the wheelchair movement mode to the vehicle movement mode can be performed by operating the operation unit 117 (movement mode button 118) of the wheelchair driving device 110 (FIG. 3). When the movement mode is set to the wheelchair movement mode, the navigation process is a wheelchair navigation process for the movement of the wheelchair 100. On the other hand, when the movement mode is set to the vehicle movement mode, the navigation process is a vehicle navigation process for moving the wheelchair vehicle 200.

  The wheelchair navigation process is a navigation process for searching for a route suitable for the movement of the wheelchair 100, and this wheelchair navigation process is performed by the wheelchair navigation processing unit 122 of the wheelchair control unit 120 (FIG. 3). Specifically, the travel route is searched based on the road information for the wheelchair 100 stored in the wheelchair road database 360 of the navigation device 300 (FIG. 3).

  In this case, on the display panel 351 of the navigation device 300, the shortest route from the start position before the movement by the wheelchair 100 to the destination, road information and route information on which the wheelchair 100 can move, and the start position before the movement by the wheelchair 100 are displayed. To the position of the wheelchair vehicle 200, the shortest path when moving to the destination using this wheelchair vehicle 200 is searched, and each searched path is displayed on the display panel 351 (FIG. 3). can do.

  On the other hand, the vehicle navigation process is a navigation process for searching for a route suitable for the movement of the wheelchair vehicle 200 as in the case of normal car navigation. This vehicle navigation process is performed by the wheelchair control unit 120 (FIG. 3). This is performed by the vehicle navigation processing unit 123. Specifically, a travel route is searched based on vehicle road information (car navigation information) stored in the vehicle road database 370 of the navigation device 300 (FIG. 3). In this case, it is possible to display route information of the movable vehicle 200 for the wheelchair on the display panel 351 of the navigation device 300.

  Therefore, in the navigation system for wheelchairs of the present embodiment, when the wheelchair 100 is moved (wheelchair movement mode), the navigation processing for the movement in the wheelchair 100 is performed, and when the wheelchair vehicle 200 is moved (vehicle movement mode). ), The movement mode is switched from the wheelchair movement mode to the vehicle movement mode, and the navigation process for moving in the wheelchair 100 is shifted to the navigation process for moving in the wheelchair vehicle 200. Therefore, the user of the wheelchair 100 can perform navigation using the navigation device 300 of the wheelchair 100 when moving in the wheelchair 100, and the navigation device mounted on the wheelchair 100 also when moving by the wheelchair vehicle 200. 300 Use left, it can be moved efficiently by the navigation to the destination.

  Next, a concept of a wheelchair navigation system in which a car navigation system (navigation device 300a) is mounted on the wheelchair vehicle 200 will be described. FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of a wheelchair navigation system in which the navigation device 300 is mounted on the wheelchair 100 and the vehicle navigation device 300 a is mounted on the wheelchair vehicle 200.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the wheelchair 100 is equipped with a navigation device 300 for the wheelchair 100 as in the wheelchair navigation system shown in FIG. 1, and the wheelchair vehicle 200 includes a vehicle navigation device 300a. It is equipped with.

  When the user of the wheelchair 100 drives the wheelchair vehicle 200 while the wheelchair 100 is mounted on the wheelchair vehicle 200, the destination information set by the user of the wheelchair 100 and the movement history of the wheelchair 100 are displayed. Information is shared by transmitting information or the like to the navigation device 300a of the wheelchair vehicle 200.

  That is, when the navigation device 300a is mounted on the wheelchair vehicle 200, specific data set on the wheelchair 100 side (for example, destination information set by the user of the wheelchair 100) is used as the wheelchair. The navigation device 300a of the commercial vehicle 200 can obtain the information and use it as it is, thereby making it unnecessary to reset specific information such as the destination.

  In this case, the display panel 351a of the navigation device 300a targets movement of the wheelchair vehicle 200 based on the vehicle road information (car navigation information) stored in the vehicle road database 370 (FIG. 3). Road information and search route information to the destination can be displayed.

  That is, when the navigation device 300a is mounted on the wheelchair vehicle 200, the specific information of the wheelchair 100 is transmitted to the wheelchair vehicle 200 at the time of transition from the wheelchair movement mode to the vehicle movement mode. The specific information on the wheelchair 100 side can be used by the navigation device 300a of the wheelchair vehicle 200, which eliminates the need for resetting the destination and the like, and at the same time, obtains history information when moving by the wheelchair 100. Therefore, the convenience when the user of the wheelchair 100 moves on the wheelchair vehicle 200 can be improved.

(Configuration of wheelchair 100 and wheelchair vehicle 200)
Next, schematic configurations of the wheelchair 100 and the wheelchair vehicle 200 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. First, the internal configuration of the wheelchair 100 will be described in detail. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the wheelchair 100 applied to the wheelchair navigation system according to the first embodiment. As shown in the figure, the wheelchair 100 includes a wheelchair driving device 110, a wheelchair control unit 120, and a navigation device 300.

  The wheelchair driving device 110 has a driving control unit 110 a that performs overall control for the user of the wheelchair 100 to drive the wheelchair 100. In addition, a handle 111, a brake 112, an accelerator 113, a drive unit 114, a battery 115, a wheelchair speed sensor 116, and an operation unit 117 are connected to the wheelchair driving device 110.

  The operation unit 117 is an interface for accepting an operation (input) by a user of the wheelchair 100. The operation unit 117 includes various operation switches and setting buttons (not shown) for operating the wheelchair driving device 110, A movement mode button 118 is provided. By selecting the movement mode button 118, a wheelchair movement mode for performing navigation for the movement of the wheelchair 100 and a vehicle movement mode for performing navigation for the movement of the wheelchair vehicle 200 can be set. Reference numeral 119 denotes a power button, which can be turned on / off by operating the power button 119.

  The wheelchair control unit 120 is a control device that controls the entire wheelchair 100, and includes a movement mode determination unit 121, a wheelchair navigation processing unit 122, and a vehicle navigation processing unit 123. The movement mode determination unit 121 is a determination unit that determines whether the current movement mode is a movement mode by the wheelchair 100 (wheelchair movement mode) or a movement mode by the wheelchair vehicle 200 (vehicle movement mode).

  Specifically, in this embodiment, when the mode selection (wheelchair / vehicle) by the movement mode button 118 is set to “wheelchair”, it is determined that the movement mode is by the wheelchair 100.

  On the other hand, when the mode selection (wheelchair / vehicle) by the movement mode button 118 is set to “vehicle”, it is determined that the mode is the movement mode by the wheelchair vehicle 200. Similarly, when the information transmission cable 160 provided in the wheelchair 100 is connected to the connector portion of the wheelchair vehicle 200, the vehicle movement mode by the wheelchair vehicle 200 is determined.

  The determination of whether the movement mode determination unit 121 is in a wheelchair movement mode or a vehicle movement mode is based on an input signal (speed by the wheelchair 100 or speed by the wheelchair vehicle 200) input to the navigation device 300. You may make it carry out.

  The wheelchair navigation processing unit 122 is a processing unit that searches for a road suitable for the movement of the wheelchair 100 for the movement of the wheelchair 100. Specifically, the travel route is searched based on the road information for the wheelchair 100 stored in the wheelchair road database 360 of the navigation device 300. The route information searched by the wheelchair navigation processing unit 122 is displayed on the display panel 351.

  The vehicle navigation processing unit 123 is a processing unit that searches for a route suitable for the movement of the wheelchair vehicle 200 for the movement of the wheelchair vehicle 200. Specifically, the travel route is searched based on the road information for the wheelchair vehicle 200 stored in the wheelchair road database 360 of the navigation device 300.

  The route information searched by the vehicle navigation processing unit 123 is displayed on the display panel 351 as route information. The display is based on navigation for a normal vehicle.

  Reference numeral 160 denotes an information transmission cable connected to the wheelchair control unit 120 of the wheelchair 100. This information transmission cable 160 is a receiving connector provided on the wheelchair vehicle 200 when the wheelchair 100 is mounted on the wheelchair vehicle 200. When the information transmission cable 160 is connected, the movement mode determination unit 121 determines that the wheelchair movement mode has shifted to the vehicle movement mode.

  The wheelchair control unit 120 is connected to a communication IF unit 140 and a communication IF unit 150, and the communication IF unit 140 is an interface for transmitting specific information on the wheelchair 100 to the wheelchair vehicle 200. Specifically, specific information on the wheelchair 100 is transmitted from the wheelchair 100 to the wheelchair vehicle 200 by the communication IF unit 140.

  The communication IF unit 150 is an interface unit for performing data communication between the wheelchair 100 and the wheelchair vehicle 200 using the information center A (see FIG. 5-1) as a relay point. The specific information of the wheelchair vehicle 200 is transmitted from the wheelchair vehicle 200 to the navigation device 300 of the wheelchair 100 via A.

  Here, the specific information of the wheelchair vehicle 200 includes the position information of each wheelchair vehicle 200 (position information of the location) arranged at various places, the type of wheelchair vehicle 200 (the type and outer dimensions of the wheelchair vehicle 200). (Position inside the vehicle), etc., information for specifying the position information and the size for specifying the location of the wheelchair vehicle 200.

  Here, the communication information transmitted to the wheelchair 100 by the communication IF unit 140 is specific information for individually identifying the wheelchair vehicle 200 among the plurality of wheelchair vehicles 200, and the transmission of the specific information is performed by the information center A. Is performed periodically (periodic communication type) or by communication in response to a communication request from the wheelchair 100 (request communication type). The communication system by this information center A will be described later.

  The handle 111 has a moving operation unit for operating the movement of the wheelchair 100, the brake 112 has a movement stop function for stopping the movement of the wheelchair 100, and the accelerator 113 has a function for accelerating the moving speed of the wheelchair 100. .

  The drive unit 114 includes an electric motor (engine) for driving the wheelchair 100, a power transmission mechanism that transmits power, a tire that rotates with the power transmitted by the power transmission mechanism, and the like.

  The battery 115 includes a navigation device 300 mounted on the wheelchair 100 and a function as a power supply unit that supplies predetermined power to each unit. In addition, when the wheelchair 100 is mounted on the wheelchair vehicle 200, the battery 115 is supplied with power from the power supply unit 250 (FIG. 4) of the wheelchair vehicle 200, and is charged by the power supply unit 250. Therefore, it is possible to avoid a power shortage or the like when shifting from the movement by the wheelchair vehicle 200 to the movement by the wheelchair 100.

  The wheelchair speed sensor 116 is a sensor that detects the moving speed of the wheelchair 100 when the wheelchair 100 moves. The navigation device 300 can calculate the arrival time to the destination based on the moving speed detected by the wheelchair speed sensor 116.

(Configuration of navigation device 300)
Next, the configuration of the navigation device 300 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in the figure, the navigation apparatus 300 includes position information to the destination set by the operation unit 340 of the navigation apparatus 300, position information (current position) of the wheelchair 100, road information to the destination, and the wheelchair 100. Is a device that performs navigation for the user of the wheelchair 100 who drives the wheelchair vehicle 200 based on the moving speed of

  As shown in the figure, the navigation device 300 includes a GPS antenna 310, a GPS receiver 320, and a control unit 330. The control unit 330 includes an operation unit 340, a display panel 351, a speaker 352, and the like. , An wheelchair road database 360, a vehicle road database 370, and a storage unit 380 are connected.

  The GPS receiving unit 320 has a function of receiving a radio wave transmitted from a GPS satellite by the GPS antenna 310 and positioning the current position of the wheelchair 100 or the wheelchair vehicle 200 as a moving body based on the received radio wave. This is realized using an apparatus. Further, the GPS receiving unit 320 has a function of sending the current position information of the wheelchair 100 or the wheelchair vehicle 200 measured based on the radio wave received from the GPS satellite to the control unit 330 under the control of the control unit 330. It has.

  The operation unit 340 is an interface that receives an operation (input) by a user of the wheelchair 100, and includes an operation switch that operates the navigation device 300, a remote controller that includes the operation switch, or a touch panel. The operation unit 340 may be integrated with the display panel 351 and the speaker 352 of the output unit 350 that outputs image information and audio information.

  The output unit 350 is configured by a combination of a display panel 351 such as a CRT or a liquid crystal display and a speaker 352, and the wheelchair 100 or the wheelchair vehicle 200 measured by the GPS receiver 220 under the control of the control unit 330. Based on the current position information, wheelchair road database 360 or vehicle road database 370, the read map information and the searched route information, or the route search result to the desired destination (navigation processing result) is displayed on the display panel 351. It has a function of outputting by screen display or sound from the speaker 352.

  That is, when the wheelchair 100 is in the wheelchair movement mode, the display panel 351 can display the current position information of the wheelchair 100 and the shortest search route to the destination for the searched movement of the wheelchair 100.

  Specifically, information necessary for the user of the wheelchair 100 (for example, a toilet for a wheelchair, an elevator for a wheelchair, a place where the wheelchair cannot pass, a facility where an assistant who assists the movement of the wheelchair 100 is resident, a slope, etc. Can be displayed by an icon or the like. A user of the wheelchair 100 can move without any trouble by operating the wheelchair 100 based on the search route to the destination displayed on the display panel 351 and the displayed icon.

  On the other hand, at the time of the vehicle movement mode by the wheelchair vehicle 200, the display panel 351 targets the current position of the wheelchair vehicle 200 and the movement of the searched wheelchair vehicle 200, as in a normal vehicle navigation system. The shortest search route to the destination can be displayed.

  Here, since the line-of-sight position of the display panel 351 of the navigation device 300 when used in the wheelchair 100 is different from the line-of-sight position of the display panel 351 of the navigation device 300 when used in the wheelchair vehicle 200, When the wheelchair 100 is mounted and the user of the wheelchair 100 drives the wheelchair vehicle 200, the height position of the display panel 351 is automatically set by the height adjusting mechanism (not shown). It becomes the structure which rises according to the driving by. Note that the height position of the display panel 351 returns to the eye position of the user of the original wheelchair 100 when the wheelchair 100 moves alone (when getting off from the wheelchair vehicle 200).

  The control unit 330 includes a CPU (Centrl Processing Unit) that executes navigation processing, or creation or correction of road information, matching processing, a ROM that stores various data such as programs for these processing, and map information or The wheelchair 100 or the wheelchair vehicle 200 is provided with a RAM (Random Access Memory) that temporarily stores current position information and the like, and each processing function by the control unit 330 is executed by the CPU executing a program stored in the ROM. It is set as the structure which realizes.

  As shown in the figure, the control unit 330 includes a movement route setting unit 331, a current position specifying unit 331, a movement route selection unit 334, and a volume level adjustment unit 335. The route setting unit 331 receives input conditions (destination information as a destination) set (input) by the user of the wheelchair 100 using the operation unit 340, and road information (search route) by the wheelchair 100 or the wheelchair vehicle 200. ) Is created or modified, and a search route is set.

  The current position specifying unit 332 includes the position information of the wheelchair 100 input from the GPS receiver 320 or the wheelchair vehicle 200 on which the wheelchair 100 is mounted and the map information stored in the wheelchair road database 360 or the vehicle road database 370. In addition, the current position of the wheelchair 100 or the wheelchair vehicle 200 is specified, and a function as a processing unit that performs processing such as creation or correction of the current position on a road map displayed on the display panel 351 is provided.

  The movement route selection unit 334 moves to the destination based on the movement route set by the movement route setting unit 331 and the current position information of the wheelchair 100 or the wheelchair vehicle 200 specified by the current position specifying unit 332. It has a function of selecting a route that is the shortest route from a plurality of search routes that are routes. In this case, by using VISS or the like, a route that can reach the destination in the shortest time may be searched in consideration of traffic conditions (crowded road, crowded time zone) and the like. .

  The volume level adjustment unit 335 has a function of adjusting the volume level of guidance information (search route announcement) output from the speaker 352 of the navigation device 300. More specifically, when the movement mode determination unit 121 determines that the wheelchair movement mode has shifted to the vehicle movement mode, the sound output from the speaker 352 is adjusted to increase. That is, since the wheelchair vehicle 200 generates engine sound and the like, it is necessary to increase the voice output of the navigation guidance.

  For this reason, the volume level adjustment unit 335 performs adjustment to increase the volume level, and when moving alone (when getting off from the wheelchair vehicle 200), the volume level is adjusted to a normal volume level. Thereby, the user of the wheelchair 100 can hear the guidance information by navigation in a good state without performing any special operation even if the moving means is changed from the wheelchair 100 to the wheelchair vehicle 200.

  The wheelchair road database 360 is a database in which searched route information that can be moved by the wheelchair 100 is stored together with road information. The wheelchair road database 360 mainly includes road information that is accessible by the wheelchair 100, toilets for wheelchairs, elevators for wheelchairs, places where wheelchairs cannot pass, assistants who assist the movement of the wheelchairs 100, etc. The facility to be used and the slope angle of the slope are stored. When the wheelchair 100 is in the wheelchair movement mode, the travel route to the destination is searched based on the road information stored in the wheelchair road database 360.

  The vehicle road database 370 is a database in which road information (search route information by car navigation) that can be passed by movement of the wheelchair vehicle 200 is stored. In the vehicle movement mode by the wheelchair vehicle 200, a route search to the destination is performed based on the road information stored in the vehicle road database 370.

  The wheelchair road database 360 and the vehicle road database 370 can be realized by using a road device for the wheelchair 100 or a drive device (HDD) in which road information for the vehicle is stored. Further, a configuration can be adopted in which the vehicle road information is read from a storage medium such as a CD-ROM or a DVD-ROM in which the road information is stored.

  The storage unit 380 acquires information about a road search route to a destination set in advance by a user of the wheelchair 100 and road map information created as a search route based on the wheelchair road database 360 and the vehicle road database 370. The storage unit temporarily stores the search route information to the preset destination and the acquired search route information regarding the wheelchair 100 or the wheelchair vehicle 200.

  Further, the storage unit 380 has a function of storing the getting-off position as position information when the user of the wheelchair 100 stops driving in the wheelchair vehicle 200 and gets off the wheelchair vehicle 200. . The position information at the time of getting off stored in the storage unit 380 can be used when the arrangement position (stop position) of the wheelchair vehicle 200 is grasped.

(Schematic configuration of wheelchair vehicle 200)
Next, a schematic configuration of the wheelchair vehicle 200 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of the wheelchair vehicle 200. As shown in the figure, the wheelchair vehicle 200 includes a vehicle driving device 210, a vehicle control unit 220, and a drive unit 230 having an engine and the like. In addition, a vehicle speed sensor 240, a power supply unit 250, a communication IF unit 260, and a vehicle information storage unit 270 are connected to the vehicle control unit 220. The wheelchair vehicle 200 is provided with a connector (not shown) for an information transmission cable 160 connected to the wheelchair control unit 120 of the wheelchair 100.

  The vehicle driving device 210 is a device for a driver of the wheelchair vehicle 200 (a user of the wheelchair 100) to drive the wheelchair vehicle 200. The wheelchair driving device 210 includes various tools for driving. (Handle, brake, accelerator) are provided. The vehicle control unit 220 has a function of controlling the movement of the wheelchair vehicle 200 based on driving by a user of the wheelchair 100.

  The drive device 230 is a device that drives movement by the wheelchair vehicle 200. Specifically, the drive device 230 is rotated by the electric power, the power transmission mechanism that transmits the power of the electric motor (engine), and the power transmitted by the power transmission mechanism. Tires and so on.

  The vehicle speed sensor 240 is a sensor that detects the moving speed of the wheelchair vehicle 200 when the wheelchair vehicle 200 moves. Similar to the wheelchair speed sensor 116 (FIG. 3) of the wheelchair 100, the arrival time to the destination can be calculated based on the moving speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor 240. The power supply unit 250 has a function of supplying predetermined power to each part of the wheelchair vehicle 200.

  The communication IF unit 260 is an interface unit for data communication with the communication IF unit 140 (FIG. 3) of the wheelchair 100, and mainly transmits specific information acquired by the wheelchair 100 through the communication IF unit 260. be able to. The communication IF unit 140 functions as an interface unit for data communication with the communication IF unit 150 of the wheelchair 100 (FIG. 3) using the information center A (FIG. 5-1) as a relay point.

  The vehicle information storage unit 270 stores the road information searched by moving the wheelchair vehicle 200, the destination and search route information to the destination, the vehicle type of the wheelchair vehicle 200, the model (specs such as size), and the like. It has a function to store as specific information.

(Communication mode between wheelchair 100 and wheelchair vehicle 200)
Next, a communication mode between the wheelchair 100 and the wheelchair vehicle 200 will be described. In other words, as described above, since the wheelchair vehicle 200 is arranged at a predetermined location, when the user of the wheelchair 100 searches for a route to the destination, from the location where the wheelchair vehicle 200 is arranged to the destination. It is necessary to calculate the search route (movement distance) until it reaches.

  In addition, the type (form) and size (size) of the wheelchair 100 are different depending on the physique of the user of the wheelchair 100 and the disordered state of the body. For this reason, the user of the wheelchair 100 needs to select the vehicle 200 for wheelchairs suitable for the kind and size of the wheelchair 100 which he owns.

  For this reason, in the navigation system for wheelchairs of the present embodiment, an information center A for performing communication between the wheelchair 100 and the wheelchair vehicle 200 is provided. The information center A is connected to the wheelchair 100 and the wheelchair vehicle 200. Specific information for identifying the wheelchair vehicle 200 stored in the vehicle information storage unit 270 (FIG. 4) of the wheelchair vehicle 200 with the information center A as a relay point is provided to the navigation device 300 of the wheelchair 100. It is configured to transmit.

  As described above, the specific information of the wheelchair vehicle 200 includes the position information of each wheelchair vehicle 200 (position information of the arrangement location), the type of the wheelchair vehicle 200 (the type of the wheelchair vehicle 200, This is information for specifying position information, size, and the like for specifying the location of the wheelchair vehicle 200, such as external dimensions and dimensions inside the vehicle). Hereinafter, an outline of a communication mode of the vehicle navigation system will be described with reference to FIGS. 5A and 5B.

(Communication system between wheelchair 100 and wheelchair vehicle 200 with information center A as a relay point)
FIG. 5A is an explanatory diagram showing a regular communication type communication procedure performed between the wheelchair 100 and a plurality of wheelchair vehicles 200 arranged at various places with the information center A as a relay point. As shown in the figure, in this periodic communication type communication procedure, (1) the information center A periodically transmits a request signal for transmitting the specific information of the own vehicle to the wheelchair vehicle 200. . (2) In response to the request signal from the information center A, the wheelchair vehicle 200 returns the specific information of the own vehicle to the information center A. (3) Upon receiving the specific information center 300 transmitted from the wheelchair vehicle 200, the information center A periodically transmits the specific information of each wheelchair vehicle 200 acquired from the wheelchair vehicle 200 to the wheelchair 100. To do. (4) The user of the wheelchair 100 receives the specific information regarding each wheelchair vehicle 200 transmitted from the information center A, and based on the received specific information of the wheelchair vehicle 200, the user of the wheelchair 100 The wheelchair vehicle 200 that is the shortest route from the position of the suitable wheelchair vehicle 200 or the own wheelchair 100 to the destination is specified.

  That is, in the case of the above-described regular communication type wheelchair navigation system, the wheelchair 100 periodically acquires specific information of the plurality of wheelchair vehicles 200 arranged at various places via the information center A. Therefore, the navigation device 300 provided in the wheelchair 100 selects the search route that is the shortest to the destination based on the specific information of the wheelchair vehicle 200 transmitted from the information center A, and It is possible to efficiently select the wheelchair vehicle 200 adapted to the specifications of the own wheelchair 100.

(Communication system between wheelchair 100 and wheelchair vehicle 200 with information center A as a relay point)
FIG. 5-2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a request communication type communication procedure performed between the wheelchair 100 and a plurality of wheelchair vehicles 200 arranged at various places, with the information center A as a relay point. As shown in the figure, in this request communication type communication procedure, (1) a request communication signal for requesting transmission of specific information regarding each wheelchair vehicle 200 is sent from the wheelchair 100 to the information center A. (2) When the information center A receives the request communication signal from the wheelchair 100, the information center A transmits a request signal for transmitting the specific information of the own vehicle to the wheelchair vehicle 200. (3) The wheelchair vehicle 200 receives the request signal from the information center A and returns the specific information of the own vehicle to the information center A. (4) Upon receiving the specific information center 300 transmitted from the wheelchair vehicle 200, the information center A transmits the specific information of each wheelchair vehicle 200 acquired from the wheelchair vehicle 200 to the wheelchair 100. (5) The user of the wheelchair 100 receives the specific information regarding each wheelchair vehicle 200 transmitted from the information center A, and based on the received specific information of the wheelchair vehicle 200, the user can make the shortest to the destination. Thus, the selection of the search route and the selection of the wheelchair vehicle 200 adapted to the specifications of the wheelchair 100 can be efficiently performed.

  That is, in the case of the request notification type wheelchair navigation system described above, the wheelchair 100 can sequentially acquire the specific information of the plurality of wheelchair vehicles 200 arranged at various places via the information center A. Therefore, the navigation device 300 provided in the wheelchair 100 selects the search route that is the shortest to the destination based on the specific information of the wheelchair vehicle 200 transmitted from the information center A, and the wheelchair 100 itself. The wheelchair vehicle 200 adapted to the specifications can be efficiently selected.

  Here, when the wheelchair 100 searches for a route to the destination, the route from the point where the plurality of wheelchair vehicles 200, 200a, 200b are arranged can be displayed. This route search will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a route search to the destination based on the position information of the wheelchair vehicle.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 6, the search route from the start position (current position) before moving by the wheelchair 100 to the destination that is the destination, and the wheelchair vehicle 200a or the wheelchair from the starting position before moving by the wheelchair 100 It is possible to move to the position of the vehicle for vehicle 200b and display the search route when moving to the destination using the vehicle for wheelchair 200a or the vehicle for wheelchair 200b on the display panel 351 (FIG. 3).

In the example shown in the figure, there are a case where the wheelchair 100 alone moves, a case where the wheelchair 100 and the wheelchair vehicle 200a move to the destination, and a case where the wheelchair 100 and the wheelchair vehicle 200b move to the destination. An example in which three search routes (search route T ₁ , search route T ₂ , search route T ₃ ) are shown will be described.

That is, (1) It moves from the current position P to the standby position where the wheelchair vehicle 200a is arranged in the wheelchair 100, gets on this wheelchair vehicle 200a, and the user of the wheelchair 100 drives the wheelchair vehicle 200a. A search route when moving to the position of the ground Q (search route T ₁ indicated by a broken line and a solid line), and (2) a search route when moving from the current position P to the position of the destination Q by the wheelchair 100 (with a one-dot chain line) a search path T ₂₎ showing, (3) moves from the current position P to the standby position where the wheelchair vehicle 200b are arranged in a wheelchair 100, take the wheelchair vehicle 200b, vehicular wheelchair user of the wheelchair 100 A search route (search route T ₃ indicated by a broken line and a two-dot chain line) when driving 200b and moving to the position of the destination Q is shown as a candidate. In this case, the relationship between the travel distances of the respective search routes is: search route T ₁ <search route T ₂ <search route T ₃ .

As a result, the wheelchair 100 moves from the current position P in (1) to the standby position where the wheelchair vehicle 200a is arranged, and gets on the wheelchair vehicle 200a. It can be seen that the search route T ₁ when moving up to is the search route having the shortest distance. Thereby, the wheelchair 100 will move to the destination using the vehicle 200a for wheelchairs.

(Navigation procedure)
Next, with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 7, the detail of the process procedure regarding the navigation performed by the wheelchair control part 120 mounted in the wheelchair 100 and the navigation apparatus 300 is demonstrated.

  As shown in FIG. 7, first, it is determined whether or not it is a wheelchair movement mode indicating movement in the wheelchair 100 (step S101). The determination of the movement mode is performed by the movement mode determination unit 121 of the wheelchair control unit 120 (FIG. 3). As described above, the mode selection (wheelchair / vehicle) by the movement mode button 118 of the operation unit 117 is “wheelchair”. ”Is determined to be in the wheelchair movement mode by the wheelchair 100. And when it determines with it being a wheelchair movement mode by determination of this step S101 (step S101 affirmation), it transfers to the next wheelchair navigation process (step S102).

  As described above, the wheelchair navigation process is a navigation process for searching for a route suitable for the movement of the wheelchair 100 with respect to the movement of the wheelchair 100. The wheelchair navigation process includes the wheelchair control unit 120 (see FIG. 3) by the wheelchair navigation processing unit 122 and searching for a moving route based on the road information for the wheelchair 100 stored in the wheelchair road database 360 of the navigation device 300 (FIG. 3). Become.

  Specifically, the current position for acquiring the current position of the wheelchair 100 is acquired by the wheelchair navigation process, and the wheelchair speed sensor 116 (FIG. 3) is used based on the acquired current position and destination. Based on the calculated travel speed of the wheelchair 100, the arrival time to the destination is calculated, and the shortest travel route in the wheelchair 100 is searched based on the acquired current position information and destination information.

  If it is determined in step S101 that the vehicle movement mode is set (No in step S101), the process proceeds to the vehicle navigation process in step S105. This vehicle navigation process will be described later.

  Hereinafter, if the wheelchair navigation process in step S102 is performed, the search route of the wheelchair 100 searched by the wheelchair navigation process in step S102 is displayed on the display panel 351 (FIG. 3) (step S103).

  As described above, the display panel 351 can display necessary wheelchair information by road information suitable for the movement of the wheelchair 100, the shortest search route to the destination, and icons (display marks). Thus, the user of the wheelchair 100 can efficiently move the wheelchair 100.

  Next, it is determined whether or not the vehicle has moved to the vehicle movement mode (step S104). If it is determined in step S104 that the vehicle has moved to the vehicle movement mode (Yes in step S104), vehicle navigation processing is performed. (Step S105).

  This movement mode is determined by the movement mode determination unit 121 (FIG. 3). As described above, the mode selection (wheelchair / vehicle) by the movement mode button 118 of the operation unit 117 is set to “vehicle”. When it is, it determines with it being the movement mode by the vehicle 200 for wheelchairs. Similarly, when the information transmission cable 160 provided in the wheelchair 100 is connected to the connector of the wheelchair vehicle 200, it can be determined that the vehicle movement mode by the wheelchair vehicle 200 is shifted.

  The vehicle navigation process is a navigation process for searching for a route suitable for the movement of the wheelchair vehicle 200 with respect to the movement of the wheelchair vehicle 200 as in the case of the normal vehicle driving process. The navigation processing is performed by the vehicle navigation processing unit 123 of the wheelchair control unit 120 (FIG. 3).

  Specifically, the travel route is searched based on the vehicle road information stored in the vehicle road database 370 of the navigation device 300 (FIG. 3). In this case, the moving speed of the wheelchair vehicle 200 can be detected by the vehicle speed sensor 240 (FIG. 4), and the arrival time to the destination by the wheelchair vehicle 200 can be calculated.

  Hereinafter, the search route for the wheelchair vehicle 200 searched by the vehicle navigation process in step S105 is displayed on the display panel 351 (FIG. 3) (step S106). As described above, the display panel 351 includes road information suitable for the movement of the wheelchair vehicle 200, the shortest search route to the destination, and icons (various display marks), as in a normal vehicle navigation device. Necessary information for the vehicle can be displayed, and thus the user of the wheelchair 100 can efficiently move the wheelchair vehicle 200.

  As described above, according to the wheelchair navigation system of the present invention, when moving to the destination by the wheelchair 100, the navigation processing for the wheelchair targeted for movement by the wheelchair 100 is performed by the wheelchair movement mode by the navigation device 300. When moving to the destination by the wheelchair vehicle 200 equipped with the wheelchair 100, the wheelchair movement mode is switched to the vehicle movement mode, and the navigation processing for the vehicle targeted for movement by the wheelchair vehicle 200 is performed. Since it comprised, the navigation apparatus 300 is not only intended for the movement of the wheelchair 100, but can be used as a navigation apparatus when the user of the wheelchair 200 moves to the destination by the wheelchair vehicle 200. By wheelchair 10 It is possible to improve the user's convenience to use.

(Other examples)
Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described so far, the present invention can be implemented in various different embodiments within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims other than the embodiments described above. You can also In other words, the wheelchair navigation system of the above-described embodiment has been described for an electric wheelchair, but the present invention is not limited to this, and is mounted on a wheelchair that is moved manually rather than electrically. It can also be applied to a navigation device.

  The wheelchair navigation system according to the present invention is useful for a wheelchair navigation system in which a navigation device mounted on a wheelchair is applied as a car navigation device for a vehicle.

It is explanatory drawing explaining the concept of the navigation system for wheelchairs which concerns on a present Example (a navigation apparatus is mounted in a wheelchair). It is explanatory drawing explaining the concept of the navigation system for wheelchairs which concerns on a present Example (a navigation apparatus is mounted in the vehicle for wheelchairs). It is a functional block diagram which shows the structure of the wheelchair shown in FIG. It is a functional block diagram which shows the structure of the vehicle for wheelchairs shown in FIG. It is explanatory drawing explaining the communication form of the regular communication type which makes an information center a relay point. It is explanatory drawing explaining the communication request type communication form which makes an information center a relay point. It is explanatory drawing explaining the route search to the destination based on the positional information on the vehicle for wheelchairs. It is a flowchart which shows the navigation processing procedure which concerns on a present Example.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Wheelchair 110 Wheelchair driving device 110a Operation control part 111 Handle 112 Brake 114, 230 Drive part 115 Battery 116 Wheelchair speed sensor 117, 340 Operation part 118 Movement mode button 119 Power switch 120 Wheelchair control part 121 Movement mode determination part 122 Wheelchair navigation process Unit 123 Vehicle navigation processing unit 140, 150, 260 Communication IF unit 160 Information transmission cable 200 Wheelchair vehicle 210 Vehicle driving device 220 Vehicle control unit 240 Vehicle speed sensor 250 Power supply unit 270 Vehicle information storage unit 300, 300a Navigation device 310 GPS antenna 320 GPS receiver 330 Control unit 331 Movement path setting unit 332 Current position specifying unit 334 Movement path selection unit 335 Volume level adjustment unit 350 Out Part 351,351a display panel 352 speaker 360 Roll road database 370 vehicle road database 380 storage unit A information center

Claims (10)

A wheelchair navigation system for navigating a wheelchair user to a destination based on wheelchair position information and map information,
The wheelchair includes a navigation device that performs navigation to a destination set by a user of the wheelchair.
The navigation device performs navigation to a destination with respect to movement by a wheelchair vehicle on which the wheelchair is mounted and first navigation control means for performing navigation to the destination for movement by the wheelchair. A navigation system for a wheelchair, comprising: a second navigation control means. The wheelchair is
Storage means for storing road information and / or searched route information to a destination set by the navigation device;
The information transmission means for transmitting the road information and / or the searched route information to the wheelchair vehicle when the vehicle navigation device is mounted on the wheelchair vehicle. Wheelchair navigation system. The navigation device
A movement mode determination means for determining a shift from the movement by the wheelchair to the movement by the wheelchair vehicle is further provided, and when the movement mode determination means determines that the movement by the wheelchair vehicle has been shifted, The navigation for a wheelchair according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the navigation for the movement of the wheelchair by the second navigation control means is shifted to the navigation for the movement of the vehicle for the wheelchair by the second navigation control means. system. The navigation device
A wheelchair road database for storing road information on which the wheelchair is movable;
A vehicle road database for storing road information on which the wheelchair vehicle is movable;
The first navigation control means performs navigation based on road information stored in the wheelchair road database, and the second navigation control means is based on road information stored in the vehicle road database. The navigation system for wheelchairs according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein navigation is performed. The movement mode determination means includes
4. The method according to claim 3, wherein when the communication transmission cord provided in the wheelchair is connected to the communication connector provided in the wheelchair vehicle, it is determined that the movement by the wheelchair has shifted to the movement by the wheelchair vehicle. 4. A navigation system for wheelchairs according to 4. The wheelchair vehicle includes, as specific information, position information for specifying the position of the wheelchair vehicle, vehicle type information for specifying the vehicle type and type, and search route information from the position of the wheelchair vehicle to the destination. Specific information storage means for storing;
Communication means for transmitting the specific information stored in the specific information storage means to the navigation device of the wheelchair,
The navigation device selects a search route that is the shortest distance from a plurality of search routes to a destination and a wheelchair vehicle suitable for movement to the destination based on the specific information transmitted from the wheelchair vehicle. The navigation system for wheelchairs according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising selection means for performing the selection.   An information center that is interposed between the wheelchair and the wheelchair vehicle, and that transmits the specific information stored in the specific information storage means of the wheelchair vehicle to the navigation device; On the other hand, comprising: a periodic communication mode for periodically transmitting wheelchair vehicle specific information; and a communication request mode for transmitting wheelchair vehicle specific information in response to a transmission request from the wheelchair. The wheelchair navigation system according to claim 6.   The navigation device includes a voice output unit that outputs, as guidance information, a wheelchair searched for by the navigation device or a wheelchair vehicle as guidance information, and determines that the movement mode determination unit has shifted to movement by the wheelchair vehicle. The wheelchair navigation system according to any one of claims 3 to 7, further comprising a sound level adjusting unit that adjusts the sound level of the sound output unit to be high when the sound is output.   The wheelchair navigation system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the wheelchair further includes power acquisition means for acquiring power from a battery of the wheelchair vehicle.   The wheelchair according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the navigation device further includes a movement history information database that stores, as road information, a searched route acquired when the wheelchair or wheelchair vehicle is moved. For navigation system.

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