JP2021174281A - Information providing device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an information providing device capable of selecting necessary information to provide them.SOLUTION: A portable terminal 1 comprises: an intersection information acquisition unit 53 that acquires intersection information; a traveling direction acquisition unit 52 that acquires traveling direction information as information indicating a traveling direction of a pedestrian Pe at an intersection; and an information providing unit 54 that provides information selected from information included in the information at the intersection on the basis of the traveling direction information acquired by the traveling direction acquisition unit 52.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

The present invention relates to an information providing device that provides information to a user such as a visually impaired person.

Conventionally, voice guidance has been performed so that visually impaired people and the like can safely cross the pedestrian crossing.

For example, in Patent Document 1, a white cane sensor attached to a support of a pedestrian traffic signal lamp detects the presence or absence of a white cane, and when a controller inputs a white cane detection signal, the sound from the speaker is heard. The output is started and the visually impaired person is guided by the sound.

However, in the case of guidance by a speaker or the like provided on the traffic light side, it may be difficult to hear due to other environmental sounds such as the running sound of a car. In addition, it may not be possible to determine whether or not the voice is for itself.

In Patent Document 2, crossing information related to crossing is transmitted from a communication device installed at an intersection, and a portable terminal device carried by a pedestrian receives the crossing information, and obstacle information, crossing possibility information, etc. It is stated that the transmission of various cross-sectional information of the above is requested and acquired.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-11600 JP-A-2002-150475

In the invention described in Patent Document 2, cross-sectional information is transmitted to the portable terminal device, but when there are a plurality of traffic lights depending on the cross-sectional direction, it is necessary to consider which traffic light information should be provided. Patent Document 2 describes that the direction of travel is specified and information on the traffic light in the specified direction is provided, but this is premised on going straight in the current direction of travel and turns at an intersection. The case cannot be dealt with. Therefore, there is a risk of providing incorrect information.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an information providing device capable of selecting and providing necessary information.

The invention described in claim 1 made to solve the above problems is an information providing device possessed by a pedestrian, and is an intersection information acquisition unit that acquires intersection information and a traveling direction at the intersection of the pedestrian. A traveling direction acquisition unit that acquires travel direction information, which is information indicating the above, and an information providing unit that provides the pedestrian with information selected from the intersection information based on the travel direction information acquired by the travel direction acquisition unit. It is an information providing device characterized by being provided with.

The invention according to claim 2 is the invention according to claim 1, wherein the intersection information acquisition unit determines whether or not the intersection has approached within a predetermined distance, and the information providing unit determines whether the intersection information is provided. It is characterized in that when it is determined that the acquisition unit has approached within a predetermined distance from the intersection, the selected information is provided.

In the invention described in claims 1 and 2, the intersection information includes information regarding the name of the intersection, and the information providing unit includes information regarding the name of the intersection. It is characterized by providing.

The invention according to claim 4 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the intersection information includes information indicating a lighting state of a pedestrian traffic light, and the information is provided. The unit determines whether to cross the intersection based on the traveling direction information, and when crossing the intersection, provides information indicating a lighting state of the pedestrian traffic light corresponding to the traveling direction indicated by the traveling direction information. It is characterized by being selected and provided.

The invention described in claim 5 is the invention described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the intersection information includes a crossing request indicating whether a crossing request for a pedestrian traffic light can be accepted. The information providing unit may include reception information, and the information providing unit determines whether to cross the intersection based on the traveling direction information, and the intersection information includes the crossing request reception information and the information providing unit. When it is determined to cross the intersection based on the traveling direction information, the crossing request transmitting unit for transmitting the crossing request is provided.

The invention according to claim 6 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a route acquisition unit for acquiring a route to the destination of the pedestrian, and acquiring the traveling direction. The unit is characterized in that the traveling direction information is acquired based on the route acquired by the route acquisition unit.

The invention according to claim 7 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the information providing unit provides information by voice.

According to the present invention, since the information included in the intersection information can be selected and provided based on the traveling direction information, it is possible to select and provide the information necessary for the pedestrian.

It is a schematic block diagram of the system which has the information providing apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a functional block diagram of the system shown in FIG. It is a hardware configuration example of the mobile terminal shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a functional configuration diagram when the mobile terminal shown in FIG. 1 functions as an information providing device according to the present embodiment. It is a flowchart of the operation of the information providing apparatus shown in FIG. This is a specific operation example of a mobile terminal.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a system having an information providing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The system shown in FIG. 1 includes a mobile terminal 1 possessed by a pedestrian Pe, a BLE roadside machine 2, and a signal controller 3.

Here, in the present embodiment, the pedestrian Pe possessing the mobile terminal 1 will be described as a visually impaired person holding a white cane C, but when the elderly person or the like moves, the walking speed is slower than that of a healthy person or the like. Any traffic restricted person with the following restrictions will do. Further, the "pedestrian" in the present embodiment means a person who is moving on the road by a method that does not depend on a vehicle, and is a wheelchair for the physically handicapped, a walking assistance vehicle, or a vehicle for children. Including those who pass by.

The BLE roadside unit 2 and the signal controller 3 are each installed on a support column P to which, for example, a pedestrian signal S is attached.

FIG. 2 shows a functional configuration diagram of the system shown in FIG. The signal controller 3 controls the light color of the traffic light including the pedestrian traffic light S installed at the intersection. Further, the signal controller 3 changes the light color based on a request signal or the like from a push button that requests to change the pedestrian traffic light S to a green light or requests to extend the green light period of the pedestrian traffic light S. It also controls the extension of the green light period.

The BLE roadside unit 2 is a device that communicates with the outside by BLE (Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy). As shown in FIG. 2, the BLE roadside machine 2 includes a BLE transmission / reception unit 21 and a control unit 22.

The BLE transmission / reception unit 21 communicates with the outside by BLE. In this embodiment, it communicates with the mobile terminal 1. Since the details of communication by BLE are already known, the description thereof will be omitted.

The control unit 22 receives a light color signal and a handling / confirmation indicator light signal from the signal controller 3. The light color signal is a signal indicating the light color (blue or red) of the pedestrian traffic light S (information on the time until the light color changes may be included). That is, the light color signal is information indicating the lighting state of the pedestrian traffic light. The handling / confirmation indicator signal is a signal output to indicate that the push button has been accepted or is being accepted for the above-mentioned push button, and is output not only to the push button but also to the BLE roadside machine 2 in the present embodiment. That is, the handling / confirmation indicator light signal is crossing request reception information indicating whether or not a crossing request for a pedestrian traffic light can be received.

The mobile terminal 1 can be a mobile device having a call function such as a smartphone. It should be noted that any device that can communicate with the BLE roadside unit 2 and can perform the operations described later may be used even if it does not have a call function. Further, the mobile terminal 1 does not need to be held by the pedestrian Pe, and may be any device that can move with the pedestrian Pe, such as being worn by the pedestrian Pe.

An example of the hardware configuration of the mobile terminal 1 is shown in FIG. The mobile terminal 1 stores a microphone 11, a speaker 12, a control unit 13, a position information acquisition unit 14, a first communication unit 15, a second communication unit 16, an input unit 17, a display unit 18, and storage. A unit 19, a power supply control unit 1A, and a battery 1B are provided.

The microphone 11 converts the voice spoken by the pedestrian Pe during a call or the like into an electric signal. The speaker 12 outputs the utterance content of the other party as voice during a call. The speaker 12 also outputs voices and the like generated by various applications and the like operating on the mobile terminal 1. In addition to the speaker 12, a device capable of outputting sound or the like from an earphone or the like may be connected, and the sound may be output from the connected device (earphone).

The control unit 13 is composed of, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a microprocessor having a memory, or the like. The control unit 13 functions as a route acquisition unit 51, a traveling direction acquisition unit 52, an intersection information acquisition unit 53, an information providing unit 54, and a crossing request transmission unit 55 as shown in FIG. 4, and is transmitted from the BLE roadside machine 2. Information is selected and provided to the pedestrian Pe, and a crossing request is transmitted as needed. FIG. 4 will be described later.

The position information acquisition unit 14 is provided with a well-known GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver or the like, and detects and acquires the current position of the mobile terminal 1. The position information acquisition unit 14 may acquire information on the current position detected by another device possessed by the pedestrian Pe.

The first communication unit 15 includes a circuit, an antenna, and the like for communicating with the outside during a call or the like. The first communication unit communicates with, for example, a mobile phone communication network or a network such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark). The second communication unit 16 includes a circuit, an antenna, and the like for communicating by BLE. The second communication unit communicates with the BLE roadside unit 2 as described above.

The input unit 17 is composed of, for example, a well-known touch panel or the like. The input unit 17 inputs operations such as an application. The input unit 17 may recognize the voice input from the microphone 11 and convert it into an operation signal or the like. The display unit 18 is composed of, for example, a well-known liquid crystal display or the like. The display unit 18 displays a screen of an application or the like. The storage unit 19 is composed of, for example, a non-volatile semiconductor memory or the like. The storage unit 19 stores various data such as the OS (Operating System) of the mobile terminal 1 and applications.

The power control unit 1A supplies the electric power from the battery 1B to the mobile terminal 1. The battery 1B is composed of a secondary battery such as a lithium ion battery. The battery 1B can be charged by supplying electric power from the outside through a USB (Universal Serial Bus) terminal (not shown) or the like.

FIG. 4 shows a functional configuration diagram when the mobile terminal 1 described above functions as an information providing device according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the information providing device according to the present embodiment includes a route acquisition unit 51, a traveling direction acquisition unit 52, an intersection information acquisition unit 53, an information provision unit 54, and a crossing request transmission unit 55. , Is equipped. Note that these blocks can be configured as an application (computer program) having the functions of each block.

The route acquisition unit 51 acquires route information from the starting point to the destination searched by, for example, a navigation application (navigation application) installed in the mobile terminal 1. This navigation application may be an application that does not distinguish between a vehicle and a pedestrian in route search, but an application that can search for a route for pedestrians is preferable.

When the position indicated by the current position information acquired by the position information acquisition unit 14 is near an intersection included in the route, the traveling direction acquisition unit 52 is based on the route information acquired by the route acquisition unit 51. Acquire information (traveling direction information) indicating the traveling direction at a nearby intersection. This traveling direction information includes information on the traveling direction such as going straight and turning right. In addition, instead of going straight or turning right, information indicating the direction by a place name or facility name that serves as a guide such as the direction of XX station or the direction of XX city hall may be used.

The intersection information acquisition unit 53 acquires the intersection information transmitted from the BLE roadside machine 2 via the second communication unit 16. As the intersection information, in addition to the above-mentioned light color signal and handling / confirmation indicator light signal, the intersection name (intersection ID) and intersection position (latitude / longitude) where the pedestrian traffic light S is installed and the service described later Information such as area (scope of service) is also included. The intersection position indicates the central position of service provision at the intersection where the BLE roadside machine 2 is installed.

The information providing unit 54 selects the intersection information acquired by the intersection information acquisition unit 53 based on the traveling direction at the intersection acquired by the traveling direction acquisition unit 52 and outputs it as voice information from, for example, a speaker 12, or a display unit. Output as character or image information from 18. In this embodiment, since the explanation is mainly for the visually impaired, it is preferable to provide it by voice.

The crossing request transmitting unit 55 transmits a crossing request to the BLE roadside unit 2 via the second communication unit 16. The crossing request is information indicating a request to change the above-mentioned pedestrian traffic light S to a green light, or a request to extend the green light period of the pedestrian traffic light S. That is, the operation equivalent to operating the push button described above can be automatically performed when the conditions described later are satisfied.

Next, the operation of the mobile terminal 1 (information providing device) having the above-described configuration will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

First, before executing the flowchart of FIG. 5, the destination is set in the navigation application installed in the mobile terminal 1. The destination may be set by using a touch panel, or by voice input from the microphone 11. Then, the route acquisition unit 51 acquires the route information searched by the navigation application.

Then, in the flowchart of FIG. 5, the intersection information acquisition unit 53 determines whether or not the intersection information has been received from the BLE roadside machine 2 (step S13). If the intersection information is not received from the BLE roadside machine 2, step S13 is repeated (step S13; NO).

When the intersection information is received from the BLE roadside machine 2 (step S13; YES), the intersection information acquisition unit 53 determines whether or not the service area of the BLE roadside machine 2 has been entered (step S14). That is, the intersection information acquisition unit 53 determines whether or not the vehicle has approached within a predetermined distance from the intersection. The service area of the BLE roadside machine 2 is predetermined (for example, 70 m from the intersection position). Therefore, in step S14, it is determined whether or not the pedestrian Pe has entered the range of the service area based on the intersection position included in the intersection information and the current position information acquired by the position information acquisition unit 14. It may be determined that the user has entered the service area by receiving the intersection information in step S13.

If the service area of the BLE roadside machine 2 is not entered in step S14 (step S14; NO), the step is repeated. On the other hand, when the service area of the BLE roadside machine 2 is entered in step S14 (step S14; YES), the information providing unit 54 provides the pedestrian Pe with the name of the intersection for which the intersection information has been received (step S15). The intersection name can be obtained from, for example, map information used by a navigation application or the like, based on the ID of the intersection included in the intersection information. The pedestrian Pe may be provided by voice from, for example, the speaker 12 (the earphone described above may be used).

Next, the information providing unit 54 determines whether the intersection currently entering the service area is designated as the intersection to be crossed based on the route acquired in step S12 (step S16). If the intersection does not cross (step S16; NO), the flowchart ends. That is, the information providing unit 54 provides information regarding the name of the intersection.

On the other hand, in the case of a crossing intersection (step S16; YES), the information providing unit 54 provides information on the pedestrian traffic light S in the traveling direction (step S17). The traveling direction is acquired by the traveling direction acquisition unit 52 based on the route acquired by the route acquisition unit 51. In this flowchart, the crossing direction based on the route is the traveling direction. Then, among the intersection information received in step S13, the information providing unit 54 selects and provides the information of the pedestrian traffic light S corresponding to the traveling direction acquired by the traveling direction acquisition unit 52. The information to be provided (information indicating the lighting state) is, for example, the current light color (blue or red) based on the light color signal, the time until the light color changes, and the like. That is, the information providing unit 54 determines whether to cross the intersection based on the traveling direction information, and when crossing the intersection, information indicating the lighting state of the pedestrian traffic light S corresponding to the traveling direction indicated by the traveling direction information. Is selected and provided.

Next, the intersection information acquisition unit 53 determines whether the pedestrian traffic light S in the traveling direction is designated to be able to accept a crossing request (step S18). The designated pedestrian traffic light S that can accept a crossing request is a pedestrian traffic light S that outputs a handling / confirmation indicator signal. That is, in step S18, it is determined whether the intersection information received in step S13 includes the handling / confirmation indicator signal. The pedestrian traffic light S without a push button as described above does not include the handling / confirmation indicator signal in the intersection information.

In step S18, if it is not specified that the crossing request can be accepted (step S18; NO), the flowchart ends. On the other hand, if it is specified in step S18 that the crossing request can be accepted (step S18; YES), the crossing request transmitting unit 55 transmits the crossing request to the BLE roadside machine 2 via the second communication unit 16 (step S18). S19). Then, the process returns to step S13. That is, when the crossing request transmitting unit 55 includes the crossing request receiving information in the intersection information and the information providing unit 54 determines that the crossing is crossed based on the traveling direction information, the crossing request transmitting unit 55 transmits the crossing request. There is.

When the crossing request is transmitted, the BLE roadside machine 2 converts it into a crossing request signal and outputs it to the signal controller 3. When the crossing request signal is input, the signal controller 3 controls the pedestrian traffic light S to be changed to a green light, or controls the extension of the green light period of the pedestrian traffic light S.

If step S13 is executed again after the execution of step S19 and before exiting the service area of the BLE roadside machine 2, the same operation will be repeated for the same intersection. Therefore, for example, the received intersection information has already been provided. In that case, step S13 may be repeated.

To summarize the above, (1) For intersections that do not cross, only the intersection name is provided. (2) At an intersection to be crossed, information indicating the lighting state of the pedestrian traffic light S in the traveling direction is provided in addition to the name of the intersection. (3) If the intersection is crossing and the crossing request reception information is included, the crossing request is transmitted in addition to providing the intersection name and the lighting state.

Here, a specific example of the operation of the mobile terminal 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a route R from the starting point (current position) to the destination. In FIG. 6, intersections I1, I2, and I3 are included in the middle, and when moving along the route R, the intersections I1, I2, and I3 pass in this order. A BLE roadside machine 2 is installed at each of the intersections I1, I2, and I3. The service area of the BLE roadside machine 2 is indicated by a symbol ar. Although the intersection I2 does not intersect a plurality of roads such as a three-way junction and a four-way junction, it is treated as an intersection because a pedestrian traffic light S and a pedestrian crossing are installed. That is, in the present embodiment, the point where such a pedestrian traffic light S and a pedestrian crossing are installed is included in the intersection.

Further, the intersection I1 is an intersection in which the handling / confirmation indicator light signal is not included in the intersection information, that is, the intersection is not designated as being able to accept a crossing request. Intersections I2 and I3 are intersections in which the handling / confirmation indicator light signal is included in the intersection information, that is, the intersection is designated as being able to accept crossing requests.

FIG. 6 describes the operation of the mobile terminal 1 at each intersection. First, at the intersection I1, the mobile terminal 1 receives the intersection information (step S13), determines that it has entered the service area (step S14), and provides the intersection name (step S15). Since the intersection I1 is designated as an intersection to be crossed (step S16; YES), information on the pedestrian traffic light S in the traveling direction is provided (step S17). Since the intersection I1 is not designated to be able to accept the crossing request (step S18; NO), the intersection I1 waits in step S13 to receive the intersection information of the next intersection without transmitting the crossing request.

Next, at the intersection I2, the mobile terminal 1 receives the intersection information (step S13), determines that the user has entered the service area (step S14), and provides the intersection name (step S15). Since the intersection I1 is not designated as an intersection to be crossed (step S16; NO), the information of the pedestrian traffic light S is not provided, and the patient waits in step S13 to receive the intersection information of the next intersection. The present embodiment includes a case where the intersection (road) is not crossed in the traveling direction as in the intersection I2.

Next, at the intersection I3, the mobile terminal 1 receives the intersection information (step S13), determines that the user has entered the service area (step S14), and provides the intersection name (step S15). Since the intersection I3 is designated as an intersection to be crossed (step S16; YES), information on the pedestrian traffic light S in the traveling direction is provided (step S17). Since the intersection I3 is designated to be able to accept the crossing request (step S18; YES), the crossing request is transmitted (step S19), and the intersection waits in step S13 to receive the intersection information of the next intersection.

According to the present embodiment, in the mobile terminal 1, the intersection information acquisition unit 53 acquires the intersection information, and the traveling direction acquisition unit 52 acquires the traveling direction information which is information indicating the traveling direction at the intersection of the pedestrian Pe. Then, the information providing unit 54 provides information selected from the information included in the intersection information based on the traveling direction information acquired by the traveling direction acquisition unit 52. By doing so, it is possible to select and provide the information included in the intersection information based on the traveling direction information, so that it is possible to select and provide the information necessary for the pedestrian Pe.

Further, the traveling direction acquisition unit 52 determines whether the pedestrian Pe has entered the service area of the BLE roadside machine 2, and the information providing unit 54 determines that the traveling direction acquisition unit 52 has approached within a predetermined distance from the intersection. If so, the selected information is provided. By doing so, it is possible to provide information on the intersection when approaching the intersection, and the pedestrian Pe can grasp the situation at the current position, which improves convenience.

Further, the intersection information includes information regarding the name of the intersection, and the information providing unit 54 provides information regarding the name of the intersection. By doing so, it is possible to grasp which position the pedestrian Pe is currently passing through.

Further, the intersection information includes the light color signal of the pedestrian traffic light S, and the information providing unit 54 determines whether to cross the intersection based on the traveling direction information, and when crossing the intersection, the traveling direction information is used. Information indicating the lighting state of the pedestrian traffic light S corresponding to the indicated traveling direction is selected and provided. By doing so, the pedestrian Pe can grasp information such as the light color of the pedestrian traffic light S in the crossing direction, and the pedestrian can cross safely.

Further, the intersection information may include a handling / confirmation indicator light signal indicating whether a crossing request for the pedestrian traffic light S can be accepted, and the information providing unit 54 crosses the intersection based on the traveling direction information. If the intersection information includes a handling / confirmation indicator light signal and the information providing unit 54 determines that the intersection is to be crossed based on the traveling direction information, a crossing request is transmitted. It has a part 55. By doing so, when crossing is required, a request to change the pedestrian traffic light S to a green light, a request to extend the green light period of the pedestrian traffic light S, etc. can be performed without a push button operation. It can be done automatically.

Further, the route acquisition unit 51 for acquiring the route to the destination of the pedestrian is provided, and the traveling direction acquisition unit 52 acquires the traveling direction information based on the route acquired by the route acquisition unit 51. By doing so, it is possible to use the route information searched based on the so-called navigation function, so that the traveling direction information can be easily acquired.

In addition, the information providing department provides information by voice. By doing so, it is possible to provide the visually impaired person with intersection information in an easy-to-understand manner.

Further, the intersection information is acquired from the roadside machine provided in the vicinity of the traffic light installed at the intersection. By doing so, it is possible to acquire a real-time state such as the light color of the current traffic light and provide it to the pedestrian Pe. Further, since the service area of the roadside machine is predetermined, it is possible to provide information in a timely manner when approaching the roadside machine, that is, an intersection.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. That is, those skilled in the art can carry out various modifications according to conventionally known knowledge within a range that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention. As long as the information providing device of the present invention is still provided by such a modification, it is, of course, included in the category of the present invention.

1 Information providing device 2 BLE roadside machine 3 Signal controller 51 Route acquisition unit 52 Travel direction acquisition unit 53 Intersection information acquisition unit 54 Information provision unit 55 Crossing request transmission unit

Claims (7)

An information providing device possessed by pedestrians
The intersection information acquisition unit that acquires intersection information and
A traveling direction acquisition unit that acquires traveling direction information, which is information indicating a traveling direction at an intersection of pedestrians, and a traveling direction acquisition unit.
An information providing unit that provides the pedestrian with information selected from the intersection information based on the traveling direction information acquired by the traveling direction acquisition unit.
An information providing device characterized by being provided with. The intersection information acquisition unit determines whether or not the vehicle has approached within a predetermined distance from the intersection.
The information providing unit provides the selected information when it is determined that the intersection information acquisition unit has approached the intersection within a predetermined distance.
The information providing device according to claim 1. The intersection information includes information regarding the name of the intersection.
The information providing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the information providing unit provides information regarding the name of the intersection. The intersection information includes information indicating a lighting state of a pedestrian traffic light, and includes information indicating a lighting state.
The information providing unit determines whether to cross the intersection based on the traveling direction information, and when crossing the intersection, the lighting state of the pedestrian traffic light corresponding to the traveling direction indicated by the traveling direction information is displayed. Select and provide the information to be shown,
The information providing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the information providing device is characterized by the above. The intersection information may include crossing request reception information indicating whether a crossing request for a pedestrian traffic light can be received.
The information providing unit determines whether to cross the intersection based on the traveling direction information, and determines whether to cross the intersection.
When the intersection information includes the crossing request reception information and the information providing unit determines that the intersection is crossed based on the traveling direction information, the crossing request transmitting unit for transmitting the crossing request is provided. ,
The information providing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the information providing device is characterized by the above. A route acquisition unit for acquiring a route to the destination of the pedestrian is provided.
The traveling direction acquisition unit acquires the traveling direction information based on the route acquired by the route acquisition unit.
The information providing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the information providing device is characterized by the above. The information providing device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the information providing unit provides information by voice.

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