JP2012103146A - Navigation device for wheelchair user - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To perform autonomous navigation by using only a sensor mounted to a wheelchair as own vehicle position detection means even in a station building where GPS signal cannot be received, thereby allowing a wheelchair user to be guided on a barrier-free route based on only the own vehicle position detected by the sensor.SOLUTION: Barrier-free routes between an entrance/exit port of the station and a platform, and between different platforms are treated as links. When the wheelchair user approaches a guiding point provided on the link, actual image information of a sight around the guiding point is displayed, and when the wheelchair user arrives at the guiding point and makes a confirmation operation, the own vehicle position is corrected and set to the guiding point.

Description

  The present invention relates to a navigation device that assists a wheelchair user to move to a destination without assistance.

No navigation apparatus that guides a wheelchair barrier-free route has been put into practical use because the accuracy of detecting the position of the vehicle is poor in an environment where GPS cannot be received, such as in a station.

  In order to solve this problem of vehicle position accuracy, wireless devices that transmit position information are installed at major locations within the station, such as elevator doorways and slope doorways, and the company's position is corrected based on this position information. A navigation device has been proposed that guides the barrier-free route on the premises by improving the accuracy of the company position (Patent 3841401, Patent 4041100). However, it is necessary to install a large number of location information transmitters on the premises, and the location information by radio waves is not limited to some station premises, but also various public transports that users of this device may use. Since there is no practicality unless it is provided by a unified communication protocol even in public facilities, etc., there is a disadvantage that it is very costly and is not feasible.

Patent 3841401 Patent 4041100

  The problem to be solved is that, when barrier-free guidance is provided at a location such as a station where GPS cannot be received, the accuracy of the vehicle position cannot be obtained with an inexpensive sensor such as a vehicle speed sensor, a magnetic sensor, or a gyro sensor.

  The present invention provides a method for identifying the position of the host vehicle by providing image information or the like that can identify the point at least at a major point on the barrier-free route, thereby allowing the user to confirm the position on the barrier-free route. It is characterized by a method of identifying the own vehicle position.

  Since the navigation device of the present invention can improve the accuracy of the vehicle position without having equipment such as a wireless device that provides position information on the guidance route in places where GPS cannot be received such as in station premises, There is an advantage that barrier-free guidance can be realized at low cost.

FIG. 1 is a screen displaying a 3D view of a barrier-free route in a station. FIG. 2 is a display screen for confirming the actual video for confirmation at the guidance point, the guidance content, and the position. FIG. 3 shows a display screen when boarding a transportation facility such as a railway. FIG. 4 shows the system configuration of this apparatus. FIG. 5 is a flow of processing for detecting the position of the host vehicle and displaying on the guidance screens in the premises, in the vehicle, and outdoors, and on the host vehicle position display screen according to the position of the host vehicle.

  Providing appropriate information to the user and confirming the position by the user in order to realize only the self-contained navigation using a vehicle speed sensor, a gyro sensor, etc. as a means for detecting the position in a premises such as a station where GPS cannot be received. Realized by the method.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a navigation apparatus according to the present invention, in which a station floor plan is displayed in a 3D bird's-eye view.
The user can search for a barrier-free route using public transportation from the current location to the destination by setting a destination and performing a route search.
In this case, entering the inside of the station from the outside, a barrier-free route to the platform, and a route from the getting-off platform at the transfer station to the transit platform on the transfer route should be handled as a single route link by holding as data in advance. Can do.
A route search is performed, the vehicle moves based on route guidance, and switches to the station premises map when entering the station from the outside or when getting off the train.
When entering the station premises from the outside, if it is detected by the current position and the reception change of the GPS signal, the premises map of the station is displayed.
At the time of getting off the train, it is displayed when the user confirms the getting-off station on the getting-off station confirmation screen at the time of getting off the train.
Among these, 1 is a guide route, 2 is a guidance guide point, and 3 is a vehicle position mark.

FIG. 2 is a guidance screen at a guidance point on the premises.
4 is a guidance screen at the guidance point, 5 is an actual video screen at the guidance point, 6 is a text display of guidance content at the guidance point, and 7 is a confirmation switch.
When the same scenery as 5 is confirmed, touching the confirmation switch 7 confirms that the vehicle has arrived at the guidance point.
In addition, when the guidance point is a boarding gate on the platform, a function that guides a boarding gate where a vehicle such as a train has a wheelchair space, a function that guides a clearance between the platform and a vehicle such as a train, and a place where the level difference is below a specified value May be given. In this case, it is possible to ride safely by setting the specified value to a clearance or a step that the wheelchair can get over.

FIG. 3 is a display screen showing the route map in the car and the exit station.
The screen switches to this screen by touching a confirmation switch for confirming that the vehicle has reached a predetermined home position on the guidance screen at the boarding home guidance point on the floor plan.
In this screen, 8 is a switch for confirming that the user has boarded, 9 is a switch for confirming that the user has boarded the vehicle, 10 is the name of the boarding station that is the starting point, and 11 is the name of the boarding station that is the ending point of the boarding.
When the train travels outdoors, the current location of the train is displayed on the bar of the route map based on the reception result of the GPS signal.
This figure shows that the train is near Daiba Station.
By touching the getting-off confirmation switch when arriving at the getting-off station, the map is switched to the on-site guide map of the getting-off station.

FIG. 4 shows the system configuration of the navigation apparatus.
15 processor is a 17 GPS receiver, 18 gyro sensor, 19 vehicle speed calculation based on the vehicle speed signal and map matching using 16 locator data from the result, the vehicle position and 16 display map data to 13 display When the destination is set by drawing and displaying the map and the vehicle position and touch switch operation input, the barrier-free optimal route is calculated using the 16-route database. Process to perform.
16 Barrier-free display / locator / route / guidance database stores sidewalks, slopes, escalators, steps, stairs, transit routes within the station, public transport routes, platform steps between platform and platform It is a memory medium.

FIG. 5 is a processing flow for calculating the vehicle position based on the GPS, gyro, and vehicle speed sensor signals, and displaying the guidance screen and the vehicle position according to the result and the current guidance state.
In this embodiment, every time a vehicle speed pulse is input, the own vehicle position is calculated using GPS and gyro signals.
In addition, if GPS cannot be received, such as in the station premises, the current error is calculated from the specified error of the gyroscope and vehicle speed signal at the same time as the calculation of the own vehicle position, and the result indicates that the own vehicle position exists. The size of is changed according to the amount of error.
The error at time n is calculated as follows, for example.
En = (Ejn ** 2 + Esn ** 2) ** 1/2 where Ejn is the error of the gyro at time n and Esn is the error of the vehicle speed signal at time n.
Further, when the distance from the vehicle position to the guidance point becomes (Lp + En) or less, the guidance screen for the guidance point is switched.
Here, Lp is a specified value, for example, set to 5 m or the like, and is set to display the guidance screen at least 5 m before the guidance point.
When the confirmation switch is touched when the image displayed on the guidance point guidance screen matches the surrounding landscape of the place where the vehicle is traveling, the guidance point is reset as the current position and the vehicle position is calculated.

1 Barrier-free route when transferring within a station 2 Guidance point 3 Own vehicle position mark 4 Guidance point during actual video display 5 Real video around the guidance point 6 Guidance information at the guidance point 7 Confirmation switch 8 Boarding confirmation switch 9 Get-off confirmation Switch 10 Boarding station name display 11 Get-off station name display 12 Navigation display / processing unit 13 Display 14 Touch switch 15 Signal, data, drawing processor 16 Barrier-free display / locator / guidance database 17 GPS receiver 18 Gyro sensor 10 Vehicle speed sensor

In the present invention, a stand-alone vehicle position detection method that is already used in vehicle navigation is used as barrier-free route guidance when transferring within a station, etc. The user can easily confirm that the vehicle has passed the guidance point while watching the video, and the vehicle can be corrected with the confirmation switch. It becomes possible.
This device is realized by having a longitudinal acceleration sensor, a wheel rotation sensor, and a gyro sensor as sensors that can detect the vehicle speed not only for electric wheelchairs but also for wheelchairs that do not have an electric drive mechanism. It is possible and useful for wheelchair users to go out using public transportation.

Claims (6)

  In the barrier-free route guidance function that searches and guides the route that can be traveled to the destination when moving by wheelchair, the function to display the scenery around the guidance point on the premises such as the station in real video, the actual video of the guidance point It is characterized by having means for inputting that the position of the vehicle has been confirmed on the screen on which is displayed, and means for setting the current position of the vehicle to the position of the guidance point when the vehicle position is confirmed. A wheelchair navigation device. The navigation device according to the first item, which has a function of displaying the entire guidance route on the premises in a 3D display at a premises such as a station. It has GPS and self-contained navigation detection functions as its own vehicle position detection, calculates the error of self-contained navigation when GPS cannot be received, and adjusts the error to the scale of the premises display such as a station displayed in 3D The navigation device according to the first or second item, characterized by displaying. The navigation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein guidance information for a wheelchair-compatible vehicle is provided as guidance information at a guidance point at a home. The navigation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the guide information at the guidance point at the home is used to guide a boarding opening whose distance between the vehicle and the home is a specified value or less. A barrier-free route from the station entrance to the platform, a barrier-free route from the getting-off platform to the boarding platform, and a barrier-free route from the getting-off platform to the exit of the station at the time of transfer of transportation such as inside the station are treated as one route link. The navigation apparatus to 1-5 term | claim.