JP2016153974A - Monitoring system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a system for supporting a watch on a target person to be monitored, such as a child or an elderly person.SOLUTION: A monitoring system of the present invention includes, at least: a wireless LAN device (10) disposed in a prescribed space (100); a portable terminal (Tn) that is associated with a target person (N) for monitoring and is carried by the target person and movable; and a control device (20) that controls the wireless LAN device (10). The space corresponds to a range in which an electric wave from the wireless LAN (10) reaches. When the portable terminal (Tn) goes outside the space (100), a response signal (Rs) transmitted by the portable terminal in response to a beacon signal (Bs) transmitted by the wireless LAN device (10) cannot be normally received on the wireless LAN device (10) side. Making use of this fact, the monitoring system transmits information on whether or not the monitoring object person (N) is present in the prescribed space (100).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a monitoring system for watching and supporting a monitoring subject who needs some kind of monitoring or support.

In recent years, there has been an increasing need to monitor the lives of children. In addition, the number of elderly people who have gone out for walks has been increasing, which has become a social problem.
As an aid for solving such problems, the monitoring target is possessed by a terminal corresponding to the GPS (Global Positioning System) function, and is monitored as abnormal when the monitoring target person goes to a remote area or a dangerous area. A system for notifying a person is known. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1.)

  In addition, in order to be able to cope with indoor and outdoor field environments outside the GPS base station area, a system that identifies the relative position of the monitoring subject based on the principle of triangulation using a portable communication terminal is also known. It has been. (For example, see Patent Document 2.)

JP 2012-165300 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-227685

However, systems such as those disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 require a dedicated device having advanced functions such as using GPS in order to specify the position of the person to be monitored. Furthermore, when using GPS, the position detection accuracy of GPS may exceed 100 meters although it depends on the performance of the GPS-equipped device.
Therefore, there is a problem that erroneous detection due to inappropriate area setting may occur when a child or an elderly person is monitored using GPS.
In addition, there is a problem that a high cost is incurred when a specialized contractor having a high-accuracy position detection system is requested to monitor or support a child or an elderly person.

  Therefore, the present invention is a system for watching and supporting a monitoring target person such as a child or an elderly person so as to be able to go out of the living space and return to the living space, for example. The purpose is to provide a system that does not incur a new high cost in the construction and operation of the system and is less prone to false detection.

  The monitoring system of the present invention solves the above problems by means described in the following aspects. In addition, the code | symbol shown in the parenthesis described in each following aspect respond | corresponds to the code | symbol attached | subjected to drawing.

A monitoring system according to a first aspect of the present invention is a system for monitoring whether or not a monitoring target person exists in a predetermined space. The system includes a wireless LAN (Local Area) installed in a predetermined space (100). A network device (10), a portable terminal (Tn) that is associated with the monitoring target person (N) and attached to the monitoring target person, and a control device that controls the wireless LAN device (10) ( 20) and at least
The space is a range where radio waves from the wireless LAN device (10) reach, and a beacon signal emitted from the wireless LAN device (10) when the portable terminal (Tn) comes out of the space (100). Utilizing the fact that the response signal (Rs) from the mobile terminal to (Bs) cannot be normally received on the wireless LAN device (10) side, the monitoring target person (N) exists in the predetermined space (100). It is characterized by transmitting information on whether or not.

According to the first aspect, the monitoring target person is watched and supported by using a wireless LAN device, which is one of information devices used in general homes, and a general portable terminal compatible with wireless LAN. Therefore, there is almost no cost burden incurred in the construction and operation of the monitoring system.
Further, the wireless LAN device is operated in a unique environment that does not depend on a system that varies in position detection accuracy, such as GPS. Therefore, according to the first aspect using the wireless LAN device, there is almost no fluctuation in position detection accuracy, and erroneous detection is unlikely to occur.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the monitoring system according to the first aspect, the response signal (Rs) from the portable terminal (Tn) to the beacon signal (Bs) emitted from the wireless LAN device (10) is the wireless signal. Warning information is transmitted from at least one of the control device (20) or the portable terminal (tn) when a predetermined period has elapsed from the time when the LAN device (10) cannot receive normally. To do.
According to the second aspect, for example, the absence allowable period from when the monitoring target person goes out of the predetermined space (100) to returning again is set in advance, and the wireless LAN device (10) side is normal. By sending warning information when the elapsed time from the time when it is no longer received exceeds the absence allowable period, it is possible to urge the person to be monitored or the warning.

    According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect, warning information is issued to a mobile terminal possessed by a monitor who monitors the monitoring target person (N) under the control of the control device (20). It is characterized by doing so.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to third aspects, the space (100) is a living space where the monitoring subject (N) lives.
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, by using a beacon signal (Bs) realized by a communication protocol by a wireless LAN device of a general standard and a response signal (Rs) from a portable terminal with respect to this beacon signal, The living space where the monitoring subject resides can be determined.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, it is a child by using the wireless LAN apparatus which is one of the information devices which do not require an advanced function, and is used in many general homes, and the general portable terminal corresponding to wireless LAN. It is possible to watch and support the monitoring target persons who need monitoring, such as elderly people.

It is a conceptual diagram concerning embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the processing content concerning the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the processing content concerning the 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 10 is a wireless LAN device, 20 is a control device that controls the wireless LAN device 10, and Tn is attached to a monitoring subject N and the monitoring subject. A portable terminal that can be moved is shown.

  The wireless LAN device is a general information device used in a general home, and is used by being connected to a mobile terminal such as a personal computer, a mobile phone, or a game machine compatible with a wireless LAN by radio waves. The control device 20 includes at least a storage unit and an arithmetic processing unit, and the arithmetic processing unit is an information processing device that functions under program control. As the control device 20, for example, a personal computer can be used.

  In FIG. 1, reference numeral 100 denotes a space where the wireless LAN device 10 and the portable terminal Tn can communicate. A communication range of a general wireless LAN device is about several tens of meters. Therefore, the space 100 in which the wireless LAN device 10 and the portable terminal Tn can communicate can be used as a space that can be considered as a child or an elderly person who is a monitoring target of the monitoring system of the present invention acting safely. It becomes.

  For example, as indicated by an arrow P in FIG. 1, when the monitoring target person N goes outside the space 100, the beacon signal emitted from the wireless LAN device 10 cannot be received by the mobile terminal Tn of the monitoring target person N. For this reason, the response signal from the portable terminal Tn to the beacon signal from the wireless LAN device 10 does not return to the wireless LAN device side, and communication is not established between the wireless LAN device 10 and the portable terminal Tn.

  In addition, the monitoring object person N is matched with the specification which moves with the said portable terminal Tn by the said control apparatus 20. FIG. Although FIG. 1 shows a case where there is only one monitoring target person N, that is, N = 1 and Tn = T1, any number of monitoring target persons N may be used. When there are a plurality of monitoring subjects, a plurality of portable terminals Tn are prepared according to the number of monitoring subjects, and a definition table (not shown) for associating the relationship between the monitoring subjects N and the portable terminals Tn is provided in the control device. 20 may be provided.

(First embodiment)
Next, processing contents of the monitoring system by the control device 20 will be described.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of processing contents of the monitoring system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The processing on the wireless LAN device side (each processing step of S10 to S14) and the mobile terminal side The process (each process step of S1 and S2) is shown.

  On the wireless LAN device 10 side, the beacon signal Bs superimposed on the frame signal is transmitted according to a predetermined communication protocol (step S10). On the other hand, on the wireless LAN device 10 side, the terminal ID superimposed on the response signal Rs from the mobile terminal Tn side to the beacon signal Bs is received according to a predetermined communication protocol (step S11).

The terminal ID is defined in advance as information unique to the mobile terminal Tn. For example, a definition table that associates the relationship between the monitoring subject N and the portable terminal Tn is provided in the storage unit of the control device 20, and the association relationship with the terminal ID of the portable terminal Tn is described in the definition table.
A terminal ID is received in S11, and then it is determined whether or not the terminal ID is a monitoring target ID with reference to the definition table (step S12).
If the monitoring target ID exists, that is, if “Yes” in S12, the process returns to the beacon signal transmission process (step S10), and the beacon signal is transmitted.

  If the terminal ID signal cannot be normally received in step S11, or if the monitoring target ID does not exist, that is, if “No” in S12, the reconfirmation process of the monitoring target ID in S13 is performed, and if reconfirmation is not possible, a warning is given. Information is transmitted (step S14). And it returns to the process (step S10) of beacon signal transmission, and transmits a beacon signal.

In the step of sending the warning information in step S14, the warning information is issued to a portable terminal possessed by a monitor (not shown) who monitors the monitoring subject N under the control of the control device 20. Can do. Of course, a warning may be issued by sound, light, vibration, or the like under the control of the control device 20.
The above processing is repeated in the processing on the wireless LAN device side.

  In the process on the wireless LAN device side of the present embodiment, an example of performing the reconfirmation process of the monitoring target ID in step S13 has been shown, but without performing the reconfirmation process of the monitoring target ID in step S13. If “No” in step S12, the warning information in step S14 may be immediately transmitted.

  However, the transmission / reception state of radio waves emitted from the wireless LAN device is not always constant and fluctuates for some reason. As the cause of the fluctuation, for example, the mobile terminal worn by the monitoring subject is shaken with the movement of the monitoring target, and the direction of the mobile terminal, that is, the direction of the antenna built in the mobile terminal changes. Or, there are changes in the humidity and temperature of the air, the open / close state of the doors in the building, and, in the outdoors, the propagation state of the radio waves changes due to the influence of trees and other obstacles.

  Therefore, due to such fluctuations in the transmission / reception state of radio waves, normal reception may not be temporarily possible when the terminal ID is received in step S11. As a result, the determination result of the monitoring target ID in step S12 is “ In some cases, it is “No”. If warning information is issued in such a case, a supervisor (not shown) may feel the warning information bothersome.

  Further, even if the monitoring subject N goes outside the space 100 as shown by the arrow P as shown in FIG. 1, the person N may return to the inside of the space 100 immediately. Even in such a case, if the warning information is issued immediately, the supervisor may feel annoying the warning information.

  In view of the above points, it is preferable to perform the monitoring target ID reconfirmation process in step S13, and the degree of reconfirmation is determined in advance according to the condition of the monitoring target person N.

  Specifically, the monitoring target ID reconfirmation process in step S13 is performed when an allowable value is set for the number of times “No” is determined in the monitoring target ID determination process in step S12 or the terminal ID signal is received in step S11. If it cannot be normally received, it can be set by setting an allowable value for the number of re-reception.

On the mobile terminal Tn side, after starting the mobile terminal Tn, while the mobile terminal Tn is functioning normally, the mobile terminal Tn receives the beacon signal Bs from the wireless LAN device 10 side and responds to the received beacon signal Bs. The terminal ID of the portable terminal Tn is superimposed on Rs and transmitted.
That is, each process of receiving a beacon signal (step S1) and transmitting a terminal ID signal (step S2) is repeatedly performed according to a predetermined communication protocol.

  On the mobile terminal Tn side, when the beacon signal Bs cannot be received for a certain period, a warning may be issued from the mobile terminal Tn by sound, light, vibration, or the like.

(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of processing contents of the monitoring system according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The processing on the wireless LAN device side (each processing step of S30 to S34 and S39) and the portable The processing on the terminal side (each processing step of S20 to S24 and S29) is shown.

  In the process on the wireless LAN device side in FIG. 3, a beacon signal Bs transmission step S30, a terminal ID signal reception step S31 on the portable terminal Tn side, a determination step S32 whether the terminal ID is a monitoring target ID, and The processing content in each step of step S34 for transmitting the warning information is the same as the processing content in each step of S10, S11, S12, and S14 described in the first embodiment.

  Further, in the processing on the portable terminal side in FIG. 3, the processing contents of the reception step S20 of the beacon signal Bs and the transmission step S22 of the terminal ID signal are the processing in each step of S1 and S2 described in the first embodiment. It is the same as the contents.

In the second embodiment of the present invention, the period until the monitoring subject N goes out of the predetermined space 100 such as a living space and returns to the space is monitored.
That is, the period after the time when the beacon signal Bs cannot be normally received by the mobile terminal Tn of the monitoring subject N is defined as the absence period t, and if the absence period t is within the predetermined absence allowable period ta, there is a problem. There shall be no.
On the other hand, when the absence period t exceeds a predetermined absence allowable period ta, warning information is transmitted.

  Therefore, as processing on the wireless LAN device side, first, in step S39, the absence allowable period ta is set. The value of the absence allowable period ta set in step S39 is set according to the condition of the monitoring subject N.

If the terminal ID signal cannot be normally received in step S31, or if the monitoring target ID does not exist in the monitoring target ID determination step S32, that is, if “No” in S32, the process proceeds to step S33 and the absence period t is set. It is determined whether the absence allowable period ta is exceeded.
If the absence period t exceeds the absence absence period ta, that is, if “Yes” in S33, the warning information is transmitted in step S14, and then the process returns to the beacon signal transmission step in S30.

  Also on the mobile terminal Tn side, first, the absence allowable period ta is set in step S29. The value of the absence allowable period ta set in step S29 is set according to the condition of the monitoring subject N.

  On the mobile terminal Tn side, when the beacon signal Bs is received in step 20 and it is determined in step S21 that the beacon signal Bs has been normally received, that is, if the determination result in S21 is “Yes”, the terminal in step S22 After proceeding to the ID signal transmission step and transmitting the terminal ID signal, the process returns to the beacon signal reception step S1 again.

  If it is determined in step S21 that normal reception is not possible, that is, if “No” in step S21, the process proceeds to step S23, where it is determined whether the absence period t exceeds the absence allowable period ta.

If the absence period t does not exceed the absence allowable period ta in the determination result of step S23, that is, if “No” in S23, the process returns to the beacon signal reception step of S20.
If the absence period t exceeds the absence allowable period ta in the determination result in step S23, that is, if “Yes” in S23, the warning information is transmitted in step S24, and then the beacon signal reception step in S20 is performed. Return.

  The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible, and these are also within the equivalent scope of the present invention. Examples include the following.

(Modification 1)
Adjustment of the reach of radio waves is performed by adjusting the output intensity of radio waves transmitted from the wireless LAN device 10, or by selecting the frequency band or communication protocol of the radio waves used by the wireless LAN device 10, or by a combination thereof. Is possible.
By such adjustment, a space for watching over the monitoring subject N can be determined more appropriately.

(Modification 2)
The control device side 20 counts the time at which the response signal from the portable terminal Tn to the beacon signal Bs emitted by the wireless LAN device 10 cannot be normally received on the wireless LAN device 10 side, or the number of times the response signal cannot always be received. When the result exceeds a preset allowable value, warning information may be issued from the control device 20. The allowable value can be appropriately set according to the situation of the monitoring subject N and the situation of the living space 100.
By performing such control, it is possible to reduce the frequency with which unnecessary warning information is issued to the monitor.

(Modification 3)
By preparing a plurality of wireless LAN devices having different radio wave reachable ranges as the wireless LAN device, a plurality of spaces that can be monitored can be set.
For example, device A and device B are prepared as wireless LAN devices having different radio wave reachable ranges. Assume that the radio wave arrival range of the wireless LAN device A is A space and the radio LAN device B radio wave arrival range is B space, and the radio wave arrival range is A space <B space. For example, different monitoring areas can be set according to the purpose, for example, the A space is mainly in the building in the living space where the monitoring subject lives, and the B space is in the site around the building including the building. It is.
The radio wave reach range is set by adjusting the output intensity of the radio wave transmitted from each of the wireless LAN devices A and B, selecting the frequency band or communication protocol of the radio wave used by the wireless LAN devices A and B, It is possible to carry out by a combination of these. By setting a plurality of monitorable ranges in this way, it is possible to inform the monitor of the monitoring subject in more detail.

10 wireless LAN device 20 control device 100 space N person to be monitored Tn portable terminal

Claims (4)

In a system for monitoring whether a monitoring target person exists in a predetermined space,
The system controls a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) device installed in a predetermined space, a portable terminal that is associated with the monitoring target person and is attached to the monitoring target person, and the wireless LAN device. And at least a control device,
The space is a range where radio waves from the wireless LAN device reach, and when the portable terminal comes out of the space, a response signal from the portable terminal to the beacon signal emitted by the wireless LAN device is a wireless LAN device side. The monitoring system is characterized in that information indicating whether or not the monitoring target person exists in a predetermined space is transmitted by utilizing the fact that it cannot be received normally. Warning information from at least one of the control device and the portable terminal when a predetermined period has elapsed from the time when the response signal from the portable terminal to the beacon signal emitted by the wireless LAN device cannot be normally received on the wireless LAN device side The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring system is transmitted. The monitoring system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein warning information is issued to a portable terminal possessed by a monitor who monitors the monitoring subject under the control of the control device. The monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the space is a living space where the monitoring target person lives.

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