JP2009251968A - Emergency call system, communication management server, and vehicle-mounted information communication device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an emergency call system capable of grasping a state of a vehicle incapable of communicating by a communication management server. <P>SOLUTION: The emergency call system comprises: a plurality of vehicles; and a communication management server (100) capable of communicating with the plurality of vehicles. The plurality of vehicles comprise current position specifying means (30, 35) for specifying the current position of the vehicle, and periodically transmit the information about the current position of the vehicle specified by the current position specifying means to the communication management server. The communication management server transmits the signal to the vehicle located in the periphery of the communication-incapable vehicle for inquiring to send the camera image with a vehicle exterior included when the communication-incapable vehicle incapable of receiving the information about the current position of the vehicle exists. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an emergency call system for coping with an emergency situation of a vehicle by transmitting and receiving information between a plurality of vehicles and a communication management server, and a communication management server and an in-vehicle information communication apparatus constituting a part thereof.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an emergency call system for detecting an emergency situation such as an airbag operation in a vehicle, making an emergency call to an outside facility, and requesting emergency services such as dispatch of a guarded vehicle or an ambulance has been put into practical use. A problem with such an emergency call system is that emergency calls cannot be made when communication equipment mounted on the vehicle breaks down.

The invention about the monitoring device of vehicles which considered the problem concerned is indicated (for example, refer to patent documents 1). In this device, the monitoring station determines whether or not position data is received every time a predetermined time elapses. As a result of this determination, position data to be transmitted from a specific vehicle is not received, and When it is determined that position data transmitted from another vehicle has been received, it is determined that there is an abnormality in the transmission means of this specific vehicle.
JP-A-10-222227

  However, in the above-described conventional apparatus, the monitoring station cannot accurately grasp whether or not the specific vehicle determined to have an abnormality in the transmission means is in an emergency situation. Accordingly, there is a limit to the actions that can be taken by the monitoring station.

  The present invention is for solving such problems, an emergency call system capable of grasping the state of a vehicle that has become unable to communicate with a communication management server, and a communication management server constituting a part thereof, The main purpose is to provide an in-vehicle information communication device.

In order to achieve the above object, the first aspect of the present invention provides:
An emergency call system having a plurality of vehicles and a communication management server capable of communicating with the plurality of vehicles,
The plurality of vehicles includes a current position specifying unit that specifies a current position of the vehicle, and periodically transmits information on the current position of the vehicle specified by the current position specifying unit to the communication management server,
When there is an incommunicable vehicle in which information relating to the current position of the vehicle cannot be received, the communication management server displays a camera image that captures the outside of the vehicle around the incommunicable vehicle. Send a signal to ask to send,
It is an emergency call system.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the current position is periodically transmitted to a plurality of vehicles, and the camera image is displayed for vehicles existing around the incommunicable vehicle extracted in the process. Therefore, it is possible to collect an image of a vehicle that has become unable to communicate. Therefore, it is possible to grasp the state of the vehicle that has become unable to communicate.

The second aspect of the present invention is:
An emergency call system having a plurality of vehicles and a communication management server capable of communicating with the plurality of vehicles,
The plurality of vehicles includes a current position specifying unit that specifies a current position of the vehicle, and periodically transmits information on the current position of the vehicle specified by the current position specifying unit to the communication management server,
The communication management server receives information on the current position of the vehicle that is in the vicinity of the non-communication vehicle when there is an incommunicable vehicle in which information on the current position of the vehicle is not received. Send a signal to request a possible vehicle to send a camera image of the outside of the vehicle,
It is an emergency call system.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the current position is periodically transmitted to a plurality of vehicles, and a camera image is displayed for vehicles existing around the incommunicable vehicle extracted in the process. Therefore, it is possible to collect an image of a vehicle that has become unable to communicate. Therefore, it is possible to grasp the state of the vehicle that has become unable to communicate.

In the first or second aspect of the present invention,
The communication management server, when transmitting a signal for requesting to transmit a camera image captured outside the vehicle, a vehicle equipped with a camera that captures the outside of the vehicle among vehicles existing around the non-communication vehicle. The signal may be selected and transmitted.

In the first or second aspect of the present invention,
The communication management server analyzes a received camera image as a response to transmitting a signal for requesting to transmit a camera image captured outside the vehicle, and determines whether or not the communication failure is in an emergency state. It may be a thing.

The third aspect of the present invention is:
A communication management server capable of communicating with a plurality of vehicles,
When information regarding the current position of the vehicle is periodically received from the plurality of vehicles and there is an incommunicable vehicle in which the information regarding the current position of the vehicle cannot be received among the plurality of vehicles, the incommunicable vehicle A signal for requesting to send a camera image captured outside the vehicle to a vehicle existing around the vehicle,
It is a communication management server.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, the current position is periodically transmitted to a plurality of vehicles, and a camera image is displayed for vehicles existing around the incommunicable vehicle extracted in the process. Since the transmission is requested, it is possible to collect images showing the vehicles that have become unable to communicate. Therefore, it is possible to grasp the state of the vehicle that has become unable to communicate.

The fourth aspect of the present invention is:
A communication management server capable of communicating with a plurality of vehicles,
When information regarding the current position of the vehicle is periodically received from the plurality of vehicles and there is an incommunicable vehicle in which the information regarding the current position of the vehicle cannot be received among the plurality of vehicles, the incommunicable vehicle A signal for requesting to transmit a camera image captured outside the vehicle to a vehicle existing in the vicinity of the vehicle and capable of receiving information on the current position of the vehicle,
It is a communication management server.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the current position is periodically transmitted to a plurality of vehicles, and camera images are displayed for vehicles existing around the incommunicable vehicle extracted in the process. Since the transmission is requested, it is possible to collect images showing the vehicles that have become unable to communicate. Therefore, it is possible to grasp the state of the vehicle that has become unable to communicate.

In the third or fourth aspect of the present invention,
When transmitting a signal for requesting to transmit a camera image that captures the outside of the vehicle, a vehicle equipped with a camera that captures the outside of the vehicle is selected from among the vehicles that exist around the vehicle that cannot communicate, and the signal is transmitted. It is good also as what to do.

In the third or fourth aspect of the present invention,
The received camera image may be analyzed as a response to the transmission of a signal for requesting transmission of a camera image obtained by imaging the outside of the vehicle, and it may be determined whether or not the incommunicable vehicle is in an emergency state.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention,
An in-vehicle information communication device that is mounted on a vehicle and can communicate with a communication management server that is a facility outside the vehicle,
Current position specifying means for specifying the current position of the vehicle;
A camera for imaging outside the vehicle,
Information on the current position of the vehicle specified by the current position specifying means is periodically transmitted to the communication management server;
In response to the request signal received from the communication management server, the camera image captured by the camera is transmitted to the communication management server.
This is an in-vehicle information communication device.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to support so as to specifically realize the effects exhibited by the first to fourth aspects of the present invention.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the emergency call system which can grasp | ascertain the state of the vehicle which became communication-disabled with the communication management server, the communication management server which comprises that part, and a vehicle-mounted information communication apparatus can be provided. .

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  Hereinafter, the emergency communication system 1, the in-vehicle information communication apparatus 10, and the communication management server 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[Configuration and basic functions]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of an emergency communication system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The emergency communication system 1 includes an in-vehicle information communication device 10 and a communication management server 100 mounted on a plurality of vehicles. For simplicity, the in-vehicle information communication device 10 is illustrated as a single device.

  The in-vehicle information communication device 10 includes a G sensor 20, a GPS receiver 30, a current position specifying device 35, a communication device 40, a camera 50, and a control device 60.

  The G sensor 20 is, for example, a two-axis acceleration sensor attached below the server console unit of the vehicle, and measures the distortion of the beam in the sensor that occurs according to the acceleration in the front-rear and left-right directions of the vehicle. It replaces with a signal and outputs it to the control device 60.

  The GPS receiver 30 receives a radio wave transmitted by a GPS satellite, demodulates it, and outputs a navigation message (satellite signal) included in the radio wave to the current position specifying device 35. The navigation message includes information on the satellite orbit, the correction value of the satellite clock, the correction coefficient of the ionosphere, the health message indicating the operation state of the satellite itself, and the like.

  The current position specifying device 35 is, for example, a microcomputer, analyzes navigation messages from a plurality of GPS satellites, and specifies the current position (referred to as latitude, longitude, and altitude) of the vehicle. Specifically, the position (Xs, Ys, Zs) of each GPS satellite in the world coordinate system (for example, WGS84) is calculated from the satellite orbit information included in the navigation message, and the arrival time of radio waves (arrival time-transmission time) ) Is multiplied by the speed of light to calculate a pseudo distance between each GPS satellite and the vehicle, and the pseudo position and position calculated for the plurality of GPS satellites are used to calculate the current position of the vehicle based on the principle of triangulation. Note that the current position of the vehicle may be corrected based on outputs of various sensors such as a vehicle speed sensor and a gyro sensor, and various information received via the beacon receiver and the FM multiplex receiver. The current position of the vehicle calculated by the current position specifying device 35 is periodically output to the control device 60.

  Note that the GPS receiver 30 and the current position specifying device 35 may share hardware constituting an existing in-vehicle navigation device.

  The communication device 40 is a device for transmitting / receiving information to / from the communication management server 100. Such communication is performed via the radio base station 80 and the network 90, for example. Between the communication device 40 and the wireless base station 80, wireless communication using a mobile phone network, a PHS (Personal Handy-phone System) network, a wireless LAN, WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access), a satellite phone, a beacon, etc. Done. The network 90 connecting the radio base station 80 and the information server 100 is a wired network such as a public switched telephone network (PSTN), a digital communication network (ISDN), or an optical fiber. The communication device 40 includes, for example, a data communication antenna and a communication module. A Bluetooth-compatible mobile phone may be used, or a mobile phone may be mechanically connected. Further, a beacon transmitter / receiver for communicating with the communication management server 100 via the roadside equipment may be included, and an FM multiplex broadcast receiver may be included as a device dedicated to receiving information from the communication management server 100.

  The camera 50 is, for example, a camera that uses an imaging element such as a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) or CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) disposed in the upper center of the windshield, and has an imaging area in the obliquely lower front of the vehicle. Imaging is repeated every few [ms]. The captured image of the camera 50 is output to the control device 60 periodically (for example, for each captured frame) as an image signal generated by an interlace method such as NTSC (National Television Standards Committee). Note that the camera 50 may be a lane recognition control camera, a collision prevention safety control camera, a camera used as a drive recorder, or the like. The camera 50 may be a camera that captures the rear of the vehicle, or may include both a camera that captures the front of the vehicle and a camera that captures the rear of the vehicle.

  The control device 60 is, for example, a microcomputer in which a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like are connected to each other via a bus with a central processing unit (CPU) as the center. A storage device such as a disc drive (DVD), a digital versatile disk (DVD) drive, a compact disc (CD) drive, a flash memory, an I / O port, a timer, a counter, and the like are provided. The ROM stores programs and data executed by the CPU.

  As a basic operation, the control device 60 performs an impact when the acceleration in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle detected by the G sensor 20 exceeds an operation threshold value of an airbag device (not shown) (that is, an impact enough to activate the airbag device). When the vehicle is received), an instruction signal is transmitted to the communication device 40 so as to make an emergency call to the communication management server 100. The emergency call may include the current position of the vehicle, the vehicle ID, and the like.

  In addition, the control device 60 displays the current position of the vehicle input from the current position specifying device 35 together with various information such as the vehicle ID, vehicle specifications (including the presence / absence of the camera 50, the installation direction of the camera, etc.) for a predetermined time. The data is transmitted to the communication management server 100 using the communication device 40 at intervals. Thereby, the communication management server 100 can grasp the current position of the vehicle included in the emergency communication system 1 in real time. FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing how the communication management server 100 grasps the current position of the vehicle included in the emergency communication system 1 in real time. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of vehicle current position information stored in a memory 120 (described later) included in the communication management server 100. In the figure, “category” is an index value indicating the possibility that an emergency situation including communication failure occurs in the vehicle. Details will be described later.

  The “vehicle included in the emergency communication system 1” refers to a vehicle in which the in-vehicle information communication device 10 is in an operating state among registered vehicles registered in the communication management server 100. For example, when the vehicle power source is turned on, the registered vehicle transmits a system join signal to the communication management server 100 together with the vehicle ID, and transmits a system exit signal to the communication management server 100 together with the vehicle ID at a timing such as engine stop. . As a result, the communication management server 100 grasps the vehicle that is currently subscribed to the system.

  Further, the control device 60 performs processing for causing the communication management server 100 to grasp the status of the vehicle that has become unable to communicate in response to a request from the communication management server 100 when another vehicle becomes unable to communicate due to an accident or the like. Execute. This will be described later.

  The communication management server 100 is installed in, for example, an information service facility of an automobile manufacturer or a public institution, and an information processing device 110 that performs various statistical processing, a memory 120, a database that stores a plurality of programs, statistical results, and the like Is provided. The communication management server 100 is connected via a network 90 to a road traffic center 130 that provides traffic jam information. There are no particular restrictions on the installation location of the communication management server 100 and the specific mode of hardware, and any configuration may be used.

  As a basic function, the communication management server 100 superimposes and displays the current position of the vehicle included in the received emergency call on a map on a display device or the like in the facility. The operator in the facility who sees this dispatches a rescue vehicle to the position.

[Characteristic processing]
Further, the communication management server 100 performs a characteristic process for grasping the situation of the vehicle that has become unable to communicate. This will be described below.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a characteristic processing flow executed by the information processing apparatus 110 included in the communication management server 100 according to this embodiment. This flow is executed for each vehicle included in the emergency communication system 1. Hereinafter, the vehicle to be processed is referred to as a target vehicle.

  First, with reference to the current position information of the vehicle stored in the memory 120, it is determined whether or not transmission of information including the current position from the target vehicle has been interrupted for a predetermined time (S200). If a negative determination is obtained in this step, that is, if transmission of information including the current position continues regularly, one routine of this flow is terminated without performing any processing.

  When an affirmative determination is obtained in S200, the classification of the target vehicle is changed to classification 1 (S202). FIG. 5A is a diagram schematically showing such a state.

  Then, a signal requesting the target vehicle to transmit the current position for a specified number of times is transmitted (S204).

  When the request signal is transmitted for the specified number of times, it is determined whether or not a response signal from the target vehicle is received within the specified time (S206). When a response signal from the target vehicle is received, it is determined that communication is temporarily interrupted due to regional radio wave interference or the like, and the target vehicle is classified as unclassified ("-" in FIG. 2 corresponds to ) (S208), and one routine of this flow is terminated.

  On the other hand, when the response signal from the target vehicle is not received within the specified time, the category of the target vehicle is changed to category 2 (S210). FIG. 5B is a diagram schematically showing such a state.

  When the category of the target vehicle is changed to category 2, the current position information of the vehicle stored in the memory 120 is referred to and a vehicle traveling around the target vehicle is requested to transmit information including the current position. A request signal is transmitted (S212). Here, “running around the target vehicle” may simply mean traveling within a predetermined distance of the target vehicle, or may be a predetermined path distance (path distance; road of the target vehicle). It is also possible to mean that the vehicle is traveling within the shortest distance for traveling to the target position. And the position used as the reference of “periphery” is, for example, the current position last received from the target vehicle.

  Then, it is determined whether a response signal has been received from a vehicle traveling around the target vehicle within the specified time (S214). When a response signal is not received from a vehicle traveling around the target vehicle, it is determined that the radio wave condition around the target vehicle is bad, and the processing from S204 onward is executed again.

  On the other hand, if a response signal is received from a vehicle traveling around the target vehicle within the specified time, the target vehicle has become unable to communicate even though the radio wave condition around the target vehicle is not bad. It is determined that some trouble has occurred, and the classification of the target vehicle is changed to classification 3 (S216). FIG. 5C is a diagram schematically showing such a state.

  When the target vehicle category reaches Category 3, the communication management server 100 transmits a request signal for requesting the vehicle traveling around the target vehicle to transmit a camera image that captures the outside of the vehicle. (S218). FIG. 6A is a diagram schematically showing such a state. Note that the “periphery” in this step may be limited to a vehicle approaching the target vehicle in consideration of the traveling direction, unlike the vicinity of S210. This is because the possibility that the target vehicle is reflected in the camera image from the vehicle that is moving away from the target vehicle is low.

  Here, it is not necessary for all the vehicles that have joined the emergency communication system 1 to be equipped with the camera 50. In this case, the communication management server 100 may transmit the request signal in S216 only for the vehicle on which the camera 50 is mounted, or may transmit the request signal collectively regardless of whether the camera 50 is mounted. Good.

  In response to the request signal, the control device 60 mounted on the vehicle traveling around the target vehicle transmits the communication device 40 to the communication management server 100 so as to transmit an image captured by the camera 50 for a certain period. Control. The communication management server 100 receives the camera image (S220) and also receives information (failed vehicle information and accident traffic jam information) periodically transmitted from the road traffic center 130 (S222). FIG. 6B is a diagram schematically showing such a state.

  The flow may end at S220. After that, the communication management server 100 displays the collected camera image and the information on the broken vehicle and the traffic jam in the vicinity of the vehicle that has reached the category 3 on the display device in the facility. When the operator in the facility having the communication management server 100 monitors these pieces of information and determines that the rescue personnel need to be dispatched, the operator is dispatched to the location of the target vehicle. FIG. 6C is a diagram schematically showing such a state.

  Such determination may be performed in the information processing apparatus 110 by analyzing the collected camera images.

  According to the emergency communication system 1 and the communication management server 100 of the present embodiment described above, the current position is periodically transmitted to each vehicle on which the in-vehicle information communication device 10 is mounted, and extracted in the process. Since the camera image is requested to be transmitted to a vehicle that exists in the vicinity of the vehicle that cannot communicate, it is possible to collect images showing the vehicle that has become unable to communicate. Therefore, the communication management server 100 can grasp the state of the vehicle that has become unable to communicate.

  Moreover, the effect concerned is specifically implement | achieved by each hardware structure which the vehicle-mounted information communication apparatus 10 has.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention has been described above with reference to the embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. And substitutions can be added.

  For example, the processing of S210 and S212 in the flowchart of FIG. 4 may be omitted. That is, a request signal for requesting to transmit a camera image is transmitted regardless of a communication state with a vehicle traveling around the target vehicle.

  Further, the processing of S204 and S206 in the flowchart of FIG. 4 may be omitted. That is, when the target vehicle is classified as category 1, the communication state of the vehicle traveling around the target vehicle is confirmed, and when the communication state is normal, a request signal for requesting to transmit a camera image Send.

  Further, the processing of S204, S206, S210, and S212 in the flowchart of FIG. 4 may be omitted.

  The present invention can be used in the automobile manufacturing industry, the automobile parts manufacturing industry, and the like.

It is a figure which shows an example of the whole structure of the emergency communication system 1 which concerns on one Example of this invention. It is a figure which shows typically a mode that the communication management server 100 grasps | ascertains the present position of the vehicle contained in the emergency communication system 1 in real time. It is a figure which shows an example of the present position information of the vehicle stored in the memory 120 which the communication management server 100 has. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the characteristic process performed by the information processing apparatus 110 which the communication management server 100 of a present Example has. It is a figure which shows typically a mode that each process is performed in the emergency communication system 1 which concerns on one Example of this invention. It is a figure which shows typically a mode that each process is performed in the emergency communication system 1 which concerns on one Example of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Emergency communication system 10 In-vehicle information communication apparatus 20 G sensor 30 GPS receiver 35 Current position specifying apparatus 40 Communication apparatus 50 Camera 60 Control apparatus 80 Wireless base station 90 Network 100 Communication management server 110 Information processing apparatus 120 Memory 130 Road traffic center

Claims (9)

An emergency call system having a plurality of vehicles and a communication management server capable of communicating with the plurality of vehicles,
The plurality of vehicles includes a current position specifying unit that specifies a current position of the vehicle, and periodically transmits information on the current position of the vehicle specified by the current position specifying unit to the communication management server,
When there is an incommunicable vehicle in which information relating to the current position of the vehicle cannot be received, the communication management server displays a camera image that captures the outside of the vehicle around the incommunicable vehicle. Send a signal to ask to send,
Emergency call system. An emergency call system having a plurality of vehicles and a communication management server capable of communicating with the plurality of vehicles,
The plurality of vehicles includes a current position specifying unit that specifies a current position of the vehicle, and periodically transmits information on the current position of the vehicle specified by the current position specifying unit to the communication management server,
The communication management server receives information on the current position of the vehicle that is in the vicinity of the non-communication vehicle when there is an incommunicable vehicle in which information on the current position of the vehicle is not received. Send a signal to request a possible vehicle to send a camera image of the outside of the vehicle,
Emergency call system. The communication management server, when transmitting a signal for requesting to transmit a camera image captured outside the vehicle, a vehicle equipped with a camera that captures the outside of the vehicle among vehicles existing around the non-communication vehicle. Select to send a signal,
The emergency call system according to claim 1 or 2. The communication management server analyzes a received camera image as a response to transmitting a signal for requesting to transmit a camera image captured outside the vehicle, and determines whether or not the communication failure is in an emergency state. ,
The emergency call system according to any one of claims 1 to 3. A communication management server capable of communicating with a plurality of vehicles,
When information regarding the current position of the vehicle is periodically received from the plurality of vehicles and there is an incommunicable vehicle in which the information regarding the current position of the vehicle cannot be received among the plurality of vehicles, the incommunicable vehicle A signal for requesting to send a camera image captured outside the vehicle to a vehicle existing around the vehicle,
Communication management server. A communication management server capable of communicating with a plurality of vehicles,
When information regarding the current position of the vehicle is periodically received from the plurality of vehicles and there is an incommunicable vehicle in which the information regarding the current position of the vehicle cannot be received among the plurality of vehicles, the incommunicable vehicle A signal for requesting to transmit a camera image captured outside the vehicle to a vehicle existing in the vicinity of the vehicle and capable of receiving information on the current position of the vehicle,
Communication management server. When transmitting a signal for requesting to transmit a camera image that captures the outside of the vehicle, a vehicle equipped with a camera that captures the outside of the vehicle is selected from among the vehicles that exist around the vehicle that cannot communicate, and the signal is transmitted. To
The communication management server according to claim 5 or 6. Analyzing the received camera image as a response to transmitting a signal for requesting to transmit a camera image capturing the outside of the vehicle, and determining whether or not the incommunicable vehicle is in an emergency state;
The communication management server according to any one of claims 5 to 7. An in-vehicle information communication device that is mounted on a vehicle and can communicate with a communication management server that is a facility outside the vehicle,
Current position specifying means for specifying the current position of the vehicle;
A camera for imaging outside the vehicle,
Information on the current position of the vehicle specified by the current position specifying means is periodically transmitted to the communication management server;
In response to the request signal received from the communication management server, the camera image captured by the camera is transmitted to the communication management server.
In-vehicle information communication device.

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