JP2011232872A - Emergency notification system and emergency notification method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an emergency notification system and an emergency notification method which are capable of notifying emergency information with immediacy and certainty.SOLUTION: An emergency notification system 10 comprises: detection means to detect an emergency state of a mobile object; a plurality of communication terminals 30A to 30N which are mounted on the mobile objects and have external connection; storage means to store emergency information including an emergency contact number; and control means allowing the plurality of communication terminals, when the emergency state is detected, to simultaneously start communications based on the emergency contact numbers. Thus the plurality of mobile communication terminals 30A to 30N simultaneously transmits emergency information including positional information of the mobile object.

Description

  The present invention relates to an emergency notification system and an emergency notification method, and more particularly to a notification system when an emergency state of a moving body such as a vehicle is detected.

  A system has been proposed in which when an emergency such as a breakdown or accident occurs in a vehicle or the like, the emergency is quickly notified to an emergency center or the like, and rescue activities are supported. The emergency call system disclosed in Patent Document 1 is to notify necessary information from a mobile phone to an emergency contact by using this as a trigger when an emergency state of a mobile body is detected. The information to be notified includes user information stored in advance in the memory in addition to the position information of the moving body obtained by GPS or the like.

JP 2009-3806 A

  A dedicated telephone is attached to the navigation device if it is a high-end model, and a mobile phone or the like can be connected using short-range wireless communication such as infrared rays if the model is relatively inexpensive. By using such a communication terminal, it is possible to connect to the public telephone line network from the inside of the vehicle and make a call, or to connect to the external Internet or the like. In the future, with the expansion of communication infrastructure and the development of communication technology, it is expected that the number of portable terminals that can support networks with music and video playback functions will increase.

  There are various communication methods of the communication terminal, such as FOMA, HSDPA, EVDO, WiMax, WiFi, etc., and the data communication speed and the radio wave condition differ accordingly. In the case of normal data communication, communication charges, transfer speed, etc. are emphasized, but in the case of an emergency call, it is required to perform data communication promptly and reliably.

  When a plurality of communication terminals are capable of data communication with the navigation device, the result of attempting to connect to the contact information with one communication terminal selected preferentially or one communication terminal registered in advance When a connection error occurs in the one communication terminal, there is a problem that emergency information cannot be transmitted quickly and reliably. Further, when the data communication speed of the communication terminal is slow, there is a problem that it takes time to transmit emergency information.

  An object of the present invention is to solve the above-described conventional problems and provide an emergency call system and an emergency call method capable of reporting emergency information with immediacy and certainty.

  The emergency call system according to the present invention is for reporting an emergency state of a mobile body, and includes a detecting means for detecting the emergency state of the mobile body, and a plurality of devices that are mounted on the mobile body and enable communication with the outside. Communication means, storage means for storing at least an emergency contact, and control means for causing the plurality of communication terminals to start communication simultaneously based on the emergency contact when an emergency state is detected by the detection means .

  Preferably, the control means causes the plurality of communication terminals to simultaneously transmit emergency information including position information of the moving body. Preferably, when any one of the plurality of communication terminals completes transmission of emergency information, the control unit terminates communication of the other communication terminal if there is another communication terminal in communication. In addition, the control means can cause the plurality of communication terminals to call the telephone numbers of emergency contacts at the same time. In this case, preferably, the control means terminates the call connection of the other communication terminal when any one of the plurality of communication terminals is connected to the emergency contact. Preferably, the control means maintains the call connection of the communication terminal connected to the emergency contact first and terminates the call connection of the other communication terminals. Preferably, an electronic device having a navigation function includes at least the storage unit and the control unit.

  According to the present invention, an emergency contact method in a mobile system equipped with an electronic device having a navigation function and a plurality of communication terminals capable of data communication with the electronic device and enabling communication with the outside, The electronic device includes a step of detecting an emergency state of the moving body, and a step of causing the plurality of communication terminals to simultaneously communicate with the same emergency contact when the emergency state is detected.

  According to the present invention, emergency information can be reported reliably and promptly from any of the communication terminals by simultaneously starting communication from a plurality of communication terminals. Further, according to the present invention, emergency information can be reliably and promptly communicated through a call by any one of the communication terminals by simultaneously calling from a plurality of communication terminals.

It is a figure which shows the outline | summary of the emergency call system which concerns on 1st Example of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the vehicle-mounted apparatus of an emergency communication system. It is a figure explaining the example of emergency information. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the emergency call system which concerns on 1st Example of this invention. It is a display example of a menu screen when displaying an emergency call guide. It is a figure which shows the outline | summary of the emergency call system which concerns on 2nd Example of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the emergency call system which concerns on 2nd Example of this invention.

  Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. As a preferred embodiment, a vehicle emergency call system will be described as an example.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an outline of an emergency call system for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the emergency call system 10 includes an in-vehicle electronic device 20 mounted on a vehicle, and a plurality of communication terminals 30A, 30B connected to the in-vehicle electronic device 20 so that wired or wireless communication is possible. ... 30N (hereinafter collectively referred to as communication terminal 30) and a management server 50 connected to the communication terminal 30 via a network 40 such as the Internet or an intranet.

  The on-vehicle electronic device 20 can be a device including a navigation function, an audio function, a video function, a television function, a computer function, and the like. Furthermore, the in-vehicle electronic device 20 can receive information related to the operation of the vehicle and information related to equipment mounted on the vehicle, and uses these information as emergency information. Further, the in-vehicle electronic device 20 has a function of performing data communication with the communication terminal 30 and controls communication of the communication terminal 30 when an emergency state of the vehicle is detected as will be described later.

  The communication terminal 30 can perform data communication with the in-vehicle electronic device 20. In the illustrated example, the communication terminal 30A is connected to the in-vehicle electronic device 20 via the communication cable 32, and the other communication terminals 30B and 30N are in-vehicle by short-range wireless communication 34 such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or wireless LAN. Connected to the electronic device 20.

  Furthermore, the communication terminal 30 has a function of performing data communication with the network 40 outside the vehicle. That is, the communication terminal 30 has a communication function for connecting to a public telephone network such as a mobile phone, for example, and can be used to connect to the network 40 or to establish a wireless communication facility in a narrow area or a wide area. It has a function of connecting to the network 40 using it.

  The management server 50 receives emergency information from the communication terminal 30 and executes an operation determined in an emergency based on the emergency information. For example, in the case of a vehicle accident, the occurrence of the accident is notified to a police station or a fire department, or the occurrence of the accident is notified to an insurance company or a sales dealer. The contact method may be any of data communication via the Internet or the like, e-mail, or a call by an operator. In addition, although the management server 50 is shown in FIG. 1, other emergency contacts may be used. Moreover, what kind of operation | movement should be made to emergency contact information, such as the management server 50, can be determined suitably.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of the in-vehicle electronic device 20. As shown in the figure, the in-vehicle electronic device 20 includes an in-vehicle bus interface (I / F) 100 capable of acquiring information related to the operation of the vehicle and information related to the equipment mounted on the vehicle, and whether an emergency state has occurred in the vehicle. An emergency state detection unit 110 that detects whether or not, a navigation unit 120, an input unit 130 that receives and receives input from a user, an emergency information storage unit 140 that stores emergency information, and data that controls data communication of the communication terminal 30 The communication unit 150 includes an audio output unit 160 that outputs audio from a speaker, a display unit 170 that displays a navigation screen and other information on a display, and a control unit 180 that controls each unit. Control unit 180 preferably includes a memory that stores a program for controlling the operation of each unit in the case of an emergency call, a processing processor that executes the program, and the like. Although not shown here, the in-vehicle electronic device 20 can have a function of reproducing audio data and video data and a function of receiving television broadcasts and radio broadcasts.

  The vehicle is equipped with a vibration sensor, an acceleration sensor, and the like for the purpose of various operations. For example, the airbag operates when the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor exceeds a certain value. The in-vehicle bus I / F 100 inputs detection signals such as an acceleration sensor and a vibration sensor, a drive signal for operating the airbag, and the like.

  The emergency state detection unit 110 detects whether or not the vehicle is in an emergency state based on detection signals from various sensors received from the in-vehicle bus I / F 100 or drive signals for operating the airbag. When a vehicle causes an accident, a large acceleration is detected due to sudden braking or collision. When acceleration or vibration that cannot normally occur is detected, an emergency state can be determined. Further, when a signal for driving the air bag is input, it is possible to determine an emergency state. An emergency state is also detected when the user manually inputs an emergency state from the input unit 130.

  The navigation unit 120 has a function of searching for a route from the vehicle position to the destination and guiding the route. The navigation unit 120 also has a function of detecting the position of the host vehicle based on signals from GPS satellites and autonomous navigation sensors (vehicle speed sensor, gyro sensor). Preferably, the vehicle position that changes gradually is detected, and the detection result is stored in the emergency information storage unit 140 and updated. A road map around the vehicle position by navigation is displayed on the display unit 170, and a voice guide is provided by the voice output unit 160.

  The input unit 130 provides a user interface such as a remote controller, a mouse, and a touch panel, and receives user input therefrom. Preferably, the user can input an emergency state by manual operation.

  The emergency information storage unit 140 stores information for connecting to the management server 50 and information necessary for transmission (hereinafter referred to as emergency information) at the time of an emergency call. The emergency information can be arbitrarily set, but a preferable example will be described here. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining emergency information. The emergency information 200 includes, for example, emergency contact information 210, emergency state analysis information 220, own vehicle position information 230, user information 240, and vehicle information 250.

[emergency contact]
The emergency contact information includes connection information necessary for the plurality of communication terminals 30 to connect to the network 40. This connection information includes a telephone number, login information, a password, and the like for dialing up to the network 40 when the communication terminal 30 performs data communication using the public telephone line network. Further, in the case of connecting to the network 40 using narrow area or wide area wireless communication or the like, login information and a password necessary for using the wireless communication are included. Even when a communication method other than this is used, information necessary for connection to the network 40 is registered.

  The emergency contact information may further include URL or address information of the management server 50, login information or a password for connecting to the management server 50. Further, in the example of FIG. 1, the management server 50 is illustrated as an emergency contact. However, if the emergency contact is a specific computer device, a home phone, a mobile phone, or the like, their telephone number, e-mail address Etc. can be registered.

[Emergency analysis information]
The emergency state analysis information indicates information used for determining the emergency state. For example, when an emergency state is detected based on the detection result of the acceleration sensor, the acceleration sensor and the detection result are stored. Further, when an emergency state is detected by an airbag driving signal, information for identifying the airbag driving signal is stored. Further, the emergency state analysis information includes detection time information when the emergency state is detected. Furthermore, when a drive recorder that records imaging data by an in-vehicle imaging camera is mounted, the imaging data can be included in the emergency state analysis information as necessary.

[Vehicle location information]
This is the latest vehicle position information detected by the navigation unit 120. The own vehicle position information includes not only the latitude and longitude, but also information such as the address where the own vehicle position exists, the name of the road on which the own vehicle is traveling (for example, National Highway No. 1), the name of the route, and the name of the intersection. be able to.

[User Information]
The user information is information registered in advance by the user. For example, the user's name, address, gender, age, blood type, medical history, insurance coverage, etc. can be included.
[Vehicle information]
The vehicle information can include a vehicle type, a license plate, a name of a sales dealer, and the like.

  Next, the operation of the emergency call system of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, during traveling of the host vehicle, the emergency state detection unit 110 monitors whether or not the vehicle is in an emergency state (step S101). Until the emergency state is detected, the latest vehicle position is updated in the emergency information storage unit 140.

  When the emergency state is detected, the control unit 180 reads the emergency information from the emergency information storage unit 140 (step S102), and then there is a communication terminal 30 capable of data communication via the data communication unit 150. It is determined whether or not (step S103). The communication terminal capable of data communication means that the communication terminal 30 is in a standby state in which communication with the network 40 can be performed according to an instruction from the control unit 180.

  When it is determined that there is a communication terminal 30 capable of data communication, the control unit 180 causes a plurality of communication terminals 30 to start communication simultaneously in order to transmit emergency information (step S104). That is, the control unit 180 reads out emergency information from the emergency information storage unit 140, extracts emergency contact information from the emergency information, and causes the data communication unit 150 to start connection to the emergency contact information with the plurality of communication terminals 30. If the communication terminal 30 is different in model or the like, the communication method is different. Therefore, the data communication unit 150 establishes a connection according to a procedure according to the communication method of the communication terminal 30. For example, if dial-up is necessary to connect to the network 40 from a mobile phone, the telephone number is automatically dialed to connect to the network 40 and then to the management server 50 for logon connection. Alternatively, when the communication terminal 30 uses a wide area wireless LAN, the communication terminal 30 is connected to the network 40 accordingly, and then connected to the management server 50 in a logon manner.

  Next, when the control unit 180 confirms the connection with the management server 50, the control unit 180 simultaneously transmits emergency information to the plurality of communication terminals 30 (step S105). Actually, the timing at which the communication terminal 30 is connected to the management server 50 by the communication method includes a slight deviation, and therefore emergency information is transmitted in order from the communication terminal with which the connection has been established. Therefore, “simultaneous” here includes a time difference required for connection. The emergency information to be transmitted includes the emergency state analysis information 220, the vehicle position information 230, the user information 240, the vehicle information 250, and the like shown in FIG.

  Next, the control unit 180 detects whether any of the communication terminals has finished transmitting emergency information (step S106). Since the communication speed varies depending on the communication method of the communication terminal 30, the communication time varies depending on the communication terminal even when emergency information of the same size is transmitted. Next, when the control unit 180 detects that the transmission of the emergency information by any one of the communication terminals is completed, the control unit 180 detects whether the other communication terminal is still transmitting the emergency information (step S107). If the communication terminal is transmitting, the transmission of the other communication terminal is terminated (step S108). As a result, the emergency information can be reported to the management server 50 in the fastest and most reliable manner.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that there is no communicable communication terminal 30 (step S103), the control unit 180 causes the display unit 170 to display an emergency call guide indicating a manual operation procedure (step S109). The emergency call guide includes a menu screen 300 as shown in FIG. 5, for example, and displays items such as “Accident has occurred?”, “Vehicle is broken?”, “Contact with fallen objects?” Then, the display unit 170 and the voice output unit 160 are used to guide the emergency information to the emergency contact. Such operation support using the menu screen 300 is similarly performed when the user selects an emergency state from the input unit 130 manually.

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the first embodiment, an example is shown in which emergency information is reported to a plurality of communication terminals 30 by data communication. However, the second embodiment is to make a call connection to a plurality of communication terminals 30 simultaneously. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an outline of the emergency call system of the second embodiment.

  The emergency call system 10A of the second embodiment includes an in-vehicle electronic device 20A, a plurality of communication terminals 30A, 30B, and 30C (three communication terminals are illustrated in this example), the communication terminal 30 and the public telephone line network 40A. And a service center 50A connected via the network. The in-vehicle electronic device 20A has substantially the same configuration as the in-vehicle electronic device 20 of the first embodiment. However, in the second embodiment, when an emergency state is detected, a plurality of communication terminals 30A to 30C are connected. Dial emergency contacts at the same time. In the illustrated example, the communication terminal 30A is connected to the in-vehicle electronic device 20A via the communication cable 32 and is placed in a standby state. Further, the communication terminals 30B and 30C are connected to the on-vehicle electronic device 20A by the short-range wireless communication 34 such as Bluetooth or wireless LAN, and are placed in a standby state. When the communication terminals 30A to 30C are connected to the service center 50A, the operator responds by calling.

  Next, the operation of the emergency call system of the second embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. Steps S201 to S203 are the same as steps S101 to S103 of FIG. 4 described in the first embodiment. When it is determined that there are communication terminals 30A to 30C that can communicate (step SS203), the control unit 180 reads out the telephone number of the emergency contact from the emergency information storage unit 140 (step S204). Here, it is the telephone number of the service center 50A.

  Next, the control unit 180 transfers the read emergency contact telephone number to the communication terminals 30A to 30C via the data communication unit 150, and simultaneously transmits the emergency contact telephone numbers to the plurality of communication terminals 30A to 30C. A call is made (step S205). Depending on the communication method of the communication terminals 30A to 30C, the traveling speed of the vehicle, the position of the vehicle, etc., there may be a difference in the time required for connection, the connection cannot be made to the line, or an error may occur once connected. The control unit 180 monitors the connection status of the communication terminal 30 and detects whether any one connection is established in the communication terminal 30 (step S206). Preferably, the first connected is applicable. When detecting that the connection of any one of the communication terminals has been established, the control unit 180 ends the connection sequence of the other communication terminals (step S207). As a result, the connection between the communication terminal connected first and the service center 50A is started, and the user communicates necessary emergency information through a conversation with the operator. If there is no communicable communication terminal, an emergency call guide is displayed as in the first embodiment (step S208), and an emergency call is guided by a screen or voice. Thus, in this embodiment, the communication terminal 30 can be reliably and fastest connected to the service center.

  The preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above, but the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention described in the claims. Deformation / change is possible.

10, 10A: Emergency call system 20, 20A: On-vehicle electronic devices 30A, 30B, 30C-30N: Communication terminal 32: Cable 40: Network 40A: Public telephone line network 50: Management server 50A: Service center

Claims (8)

An emergency call system for reporting an emergency state of a mobile object,
Detecting means for detecting an emergency state of the moving body;
A plurality of communication terminals that are mounted on a mobile body and enable communication with the outside,
Storage means for storing at least emergency contact information;
Control means for causing the plurality of communication terminals to simultaneously start communication based on the emergency contact address when an emergency state is detected by the detection means;
Emergency call system with The emergency notification system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit causes the plurality of communication terminals to simultaneously transmit emergency information including position information of a moving body. The control means terminates communication of another communication terminal if there is another communication terminal in communication when any one of the plurality of communication terminals completes transmission of emergency information. The emergency call system according to 2. The emergency notification system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit causes the plurality of communication terminals to simultaneously call the telephone numbers of emergency contacts. The emergency notification system according to claim 4, wherein when any one of the plurality of communication terminals is connected to an emergency contact by a call, the control unit terminates the call connection of another communication terminal. The emergency notification system according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the control means maintains a call connection of a communication terminal that is first connected to an emergency contact and terminates a call connection of another communication terminal. The emergency call system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein an electronic device having a navigation function includes at least the storage unit and the control unit. An emergency notification method in a mobile system equipped with an electronic device having a navigation function and a plurality of communication terminals capable of data communication with the electronic device and enabling communication with the outside,
Detecting an emergency state of a moving body in the electronic device;
When an emergency state is detected, the electronic device causes the plurality of communication terminals to simultaneously communicate with the same emergency contact; and
Emergency call method having.

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