JP2023164882A - target tracking system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a novel technique for tracking a moving target using a drone.SOLUTION: A target tracking system 10 for tracking a target comprises: a drone 200 for tracking the target; and a management server 50 with which a communication terminal 90 used for the target can communicate via the drone 200. The drone 200 includes: a relay base station 206 for establishing communication between the communication terminal 90 and the management server 50; and a controller 202 that controls a navigation of the drone 200. The controller 202 causes the drone 200 to autonomously navigate toward the target under the condition that a connection between the communication terminal 90 and the management server 50 is not established. Under the condition that a connection between the communication terminal 90 and the management server 50 is established, the management server 50 remotely controls the drone 200 based on position information received from the communication terminal 90 via the relay base station 206.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to technology for tracking moving targets, such as pedestrians, using a drone.

Techniques for guiding pedestrians while walking have already been proposed.

As this type of technology, for example, Patent Document 1 describes a mountain climbing information relay system. In this system, a plurality of short-range wireless communication devices (transmitters + receivers) are arranged side by side along a mountain climbing route. The mountain climbing server receives route information from the user terminal, and based on it, each short-range wireless communication device transmits necessary update information to the user terminal. The mountain climbing server remotely transmits update information to each short-range wireless communication device via the user terminal. Each short-range wireless communication device receives the update information from the user terminal, and updates the information to be transmitted to the user terminal based on the update information.

JP2018-22454A

In recent years, mountain climbing has attracted attention as a leisure and sport, and the number of mountain climbers is actually increasing. Some climbers are experienced climbers, while others are inexperienced. In addition, not only inexperienced mountaineers but even experienced mountaineers tend to experience the psychological phenomenon of normalcy bias when climbing a mountain they have not experienced, even though they are expected to suffer some kind of damage. This may lead to an unexpected situation where a pedestrian deviates from the normal route (for example, a pedestrian deviates from the normal route).

However, with the above-mentioned conventional technology, climbers who may be in a state of psychological panic can judge whether they are lost, judge whether there is a risk of being lost, and how to avoid being lost. They are forced to decide on their actions and decide whether or not they are truly in distress.

Therefore, with this conventional technology, it is possible to assist the climber in calmly determining whether or not he or she is lost before the climber is lost, and also in assisting the climber in calmly determining whether or not there is a risk of being lost. Nor can it support the accurate selection of actions to avoid distress when there is a risk of distress.

The problem of route deviation, where pedestrians deviate from the normal route, can also occur in activities other than mountain climbing. For example, in environments where pedestrians are likely to lose their sense of direction, for example, when walking in natural environments such as forests and grasslands, on unfamiliar factory tour paths, or when pedestrians are inexperienced such as children and the elderly. It can also occur when walking on the route to school or on a promenade.

Against this background, the present invention has been made with the object of providing a new technique for tracking moving targets such as pedestrians using a drone.

In order to solve the problem, a first aspect of the present invention provides a target tracking system for tracking a target, comprising:
a drone for tracking the target;
a management server with which a communication terminal used for the target can communicate via the drone;
including;
That drone is
a relay base station for establishing communication between the communication terminal and the management server;
A controller that controls the navigation of the drone and
including;
The controller causes the drone to autonomously navigate toward the target in a state where a connection is not established between the communication terminal and the management server,
The management server remotely controls the drone based on position information received from the communication terminal via the relay base station in a state where a connection is established between the communication terminal and the management server. A target tracking system is provided.

Further, according to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a target tracking system for tracking a target, comprising:
a transmitter attached to the target, which transmits a unique signal;
a drone for tracking the target;
a management server with which a communication terminal used for the target can communicate via the drone;
including;
That drone is
a relay base station for establishing communication between the communication terminal and the management server;
A controller that controls the navigation of the drone;
a receiver capable of receiving signals from the transmitter;
including;
The controller autonomously directs the drone toward the target based on changes in the strength of radio waves received by the receiver from the transmitter in a state where a connection is not established between the communication terminal and the management server. let it sail,
The management server remotely controls the drone based on position information received from the communication terminal via the relay base station in a state where a connection is established between the communication terminal and the management server. A target tracking system is provided.

Also, according to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a target tracking system for tracking a target, comprising:
a transmitter attached to the target, which transmits a unique signal;
a management server having a function of communicating with a communication terminal used by the target;
Including drone and
That drone is
A controller that controls the navigation of the drone;
a communication device connected to the controller;
a receiver capable of receiving a signal from the transmitter;
The management server transmits the spatial coordinate values of the location of the target to the communication device of the drone as information representing a flight target point, and thereby the management server transmits information to the drone via the controller. and gave instructions to dispatch.
In addition to the communication device, the drone is equipped with a relay base station for the communication terminal, and the relay base station receives position information from the communication terminal within its communication range, and transmits the position information to: transmitting to a ground base station within the communication range of the relay base station;
In a state where a connection between the communication terminal and the management server is not established, the controller enters a transmitter use mode, and the receiver receives the radio waves from the transmitter without depending on the management server. causing the drone to autonomously navigate toward the target location based on the change in intensity, thereby transitioning to a connection establishment state in which a connection is established between the communication terminal and the management server;
In the connection established state, the management server enters a communication terminal use mode, and performs target tracking for determining the flight target point based on position information received from the communication terminal via the relay base station and the ground base station. system is provided.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a target tracking system for tracking a target, comprising:
a transmitter attached to the target, which transmits a unique signal;
a drone for tracking the target;
a management server with which a communication terminal used for the target can communicate via the drone,
That drone is
a relay base station for establishing communication between the communication terminal and the management server;
a receiver capable of receiving a signal from the transmitter;
A controller for controlling navigation of the drone;
The controller autonomously directs the drone toward the target based on changes in the strength of radio waves received by the receiver from the transmitter in a state where a connection is not established between the communication terminal and the management server. let it sail,
The management server remotely controls the drone based on position information received from the communication terminal via the relay base station in a state where a connection is established between the communication terminal and the management server. A target tracking system is provided.

Further, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a search system for searching for a pedestrian when the pedestrian is lost while walking,
a transmitter worn by the pedestrian, which transmits a unique signal;
a mobile terminal used by the pedestrian;
a management server having a function of communicating with the mobile terminal and a function of determining whether or not there is a risk that the pedestrian is in distress based on a signal from the mobile terminal;
Including drone and
That drone is
A controller that controls the navigation of the drone;
a communication device connected to the controller;
a receiver capable of receiving a signal from the transmitter;
When the management server determines that there is a possibility that the pedestrian is in distress, the management server transmits the spatial coordinate values of the pedestrian's location to the communication device of the drone as information representing a flight target point, and thereby, The management server instructs the drone to dispatch via the controller,
In addition to the communication device, the drone is equipped with a relay base station for the mobile terminal, and the relay base station receives position information from the mobile terminal within its communication range, and transmits the position information to: transmitting to a ground base station within the communication range of the relay base station;
In a state where a connection between the mobile terminal and the management server is not established, the controller enters a transmitter usage mode, and the receiver receives the radio waves from the transmitter without depending on the management server. causing the drone to autonomously navigate toward the location of the victim based on the change in intensity, thereby transitioning to a connection establishment state in which a connection is established between the mobile terminal and the management server;
In the established connection state, the management server enters a mobile terminal usage mode, and determines the flight target point based on position information received from the mobile terminal via the relay base station and the ground base station. A search system is provided.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a search system for searching for a pedestrian when the pedestrian is lost while walking,
If the victim's mobile terminal that has a global positioning function can communicate with a management server located in a remote location, the management server receives information about the position on the earth that is received from the mobile terminal. based on the above, execute a mobile terminal usage mode to remotely control the drone to search for the victim,
If the communication is poor, it switches to a transmitter mode to improve the communication situation, and based on the change in the strength of the signal received from the transmitter of the same victim, the mobile terminal and the ground base When a drone equipped with a relay base station that relays between the mobile terminal and the mobile terminal autonomously navigates and the relay base station enters the communication range of the mobile terminal and the communication becomes possible, the drone switches to the mobile terminal usage mode. An alternative system for searching for victims is provided.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a search system for searching for a pedestrian when the pedestrian is lost while walking, the system comprising:
a transmitter worn by the pedestrian, which transmits a unique signal;
a mobile terminal used by the pedestrian;
a management server having a function of communicating with the mobile terminal and a function of determining whether or not there is a risk that the pedestrian is in distress based on a signal from the mobile terminal;
Including drone and
That drone is
A controller that controls the navigation of the drone;
a communication device connected to the controller;
a receiver capable of receiving a signal from the transmitter;
When the management server determines that there is a possibility that the pedestrian is in distress, the management server transmits the spatial coordinate values of the pedestrian's location to the communication device of the drone as information representing a flight target point, and thereby, The management server instructs the drone to dispatch via the controller,
In addition to the communication device, the drone is equipped with a relay base station for the mobile terminal, and the relay base station receives position information from the mobile terminal within its communication range, and transmits the position information to: transmitting to a ground base station within the communication range of the relay base station;
A victim search system is provided in which the controller navigates the drone toward the location of the victim based on a change in the intensity of radio waves received by the receiver from the transmitter.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a pedestrian guidance system for guiding pedestrians while walking, comprising:
A plurality of guide transmitters installed discretely and in series along a walking route, each guide transmitter transmitting an identification signal representing a unique transmitter ID;
A user terminal that is a communication terminal for pedestrians and is capable of receiving identification signals from each guide transmitter using a short-range wireless communication method;
a management server capable of communicating with the user terminal;
The user terminal or the management server,
The user terminal includes a walking state determination unit that determines whether there is an abnormality in the walking state of the pedestrian based on the reception state of the identification signal from each guide transmitter,
The user terminal is
a warning section that issues a warning to the pedestrian when the walking state determining section determines that there is an abnormality in the walking state of the pedestrian;
a confirmation button display section that continues to display a confirmation button operated by the pedestrian on the screen until the warning is operated by the pedestrian when the warning is confirmed by the pedestrian;
The user terminal or the management server,
an emergency situation determination unit that determines that the pedestrian may be in an emergency situation when the confirmation button is not operated by the pedestrian even after the continuous display time of the confirmation button exceeds a predetermined time limit;
A memory in which other pedestrians accompanying the pedestrian are registered;
When the emergency situation determining unit determines that the pedestrian may be in an emergency situation, transmitting the emergency situation information to communication terminals of other pedestrians registered in the memory. A pedestrian guidance system including sections and is provided.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a pedestrian guidance system for guiding pedestrians while walking, comprising:
A plurality of guide transmitters installed discretely and in series along a walking route, each guide transmitter transmitting an identification signal representing a unique transmitter ID;
A pedestrian transmitter attached to a pedestrian, which transmits an identification signal representing a unique transmitter ID;
A user terminal that is a communication terminal for pedestrians and is capable of receiving identification signals from each guide transmitter using a short-range wireless communication method;
An unmanned flying drone equipped with an aerial mobile relay base station for the user terminal and a receiver capable of receiving an identification signal from the pedestrian transmitter;
a management server capable of communicating with the user terminal;
The user terminal or the management server,
The user terminal includes a walking state determination unit that determines whether there is an abnormality in the walking state of the pedestrian based on the reception state of the identification signal from each guide transmitter,
The user terminal is
a warning section that issues a warning to the pedestrian when the walking state determining section determines that there is an abnormality in the walking state of the pedestrian;
a confirmation button display section that continues to display a confirmation button operated by the pedestrian on the screen until the warning is operated by the pedestrian when the warning is confirmed by the pedestrian;
The user terminal or the management server determines that if the confirmation button is not operated by the pedestrian even after the continuous display time of the confirmation button exceeds a predetermined time limit, the pedestrian may have fallen into an emergency situation. including an emergency situation determination unit that determines;
The management server is configured to establish a connection between the user terminal and the management server when the emergency situation determination unit determines that there is a possibility that the pedestrian is in an emergency situation. A communication terminal-based search mode in which a pedestrian is searched for using a positioning function and a communication function of the user terminal, and a connection is established between the pedestrian transmitter and the receiver mounted on the drone. Provided is a pedestrian guidance system that selectively executes a transmitter-based search mode that searches for pedestrians by using the location authentication function and communication function of the pedestrian transmitter.

The following aspects can be obtained by the present invention. Each aspect is divided into sections, each section is numbered, and the numbers of other sections are cited as necessary. This is to facilitate understanding of some of the technical features that can be adopted by the present invention and their combinations, and the technical features that can be adopted by the present invention and their combinations are limited to the following aspects. It should not be interpreted as such. That is, it should be interpreted that technical features not described in the following embodiments but described in this specification may be appropriately extracted and adopted as technical features of the present invention.

Furthermore, it should be noted that the description of each section in the form of quoting the numbers of other sections does not necessarily prevent the technical features described in each section from being separated and independent from the technical features described in other sections. It should be interpreted that the technical features described in each section can be made independent as appropriate depending on the nature of the technical features described in each section.

(1) A pedestrian guidance system that guides pedestrians while walking,
A plurality of transmitters installed discretely and in series along a walking route, each transmitter transmitting an identification signal representing a unique transmitter ID;
including communication terminals for each pedestrian that can receive identification signals from each transmitter using short-range wireless communication;
Each pedestrian's communication terminal is
a reference transmitter determining unit that, upon receiving an identification signal from one of the transmitters, determines one of the transmitters as a reference transmitter through which a pedestrian has been confirmed to have passed;
After determining the reference transmitter, by referring to mapping data representing the order in which the plurality of transmitters are lined up along the walking route assigned in advance to the walking route, the walking route is determined from among the plurality of transmitters. a target transmitter determining unit that determines a transmitter located next to the reference transmitter as a target transmitter;
a walking state determination unit that determines that there is an abnormality in the walking state of the pedestrian if the identification signal is not received from the target transmitter even after a predetermined time limit has elapsed from the time when the identification signal was received from the reference transmitter; ,
a warning section that conveys the determination result to the pedestrian and warns the pedestrian;
The reference transmitter determining section and the target transmitter determining section are each a pedestrian guidance system that is repeatedly executed.

(2) A pedestrian guidance system that guides pedestrians while walking,
A plurality of transmitters installed discretely and in series along a walking route, each transmitter transmitting an identification signal representing a unique transmitter ID;
A communication terminal for each pedestrian that can receive identification signals from each transmitter using a short-range wireless communication method, and a management server that can communicate with each pedestrian's communication terminal,
The management server is
a reference transmitter determining unit that, when each pedestrian's communication terminal receives an identification signal from one of the transmitters, determines one of the transmitters as a reference transmitter whose passage of the pedestrian has been confirmed;
After determining the reference transmitter, by referring to mapping data representing the order in which the plurality of transmitters are lined up along the walking route assigned in advance to the walking route, the walking route is determined from among the plurality of transmitters. a target transmitter determining unit that determines a transmitter located next to the reference transmitter as a target transmitter;
If each pedestrian's communication terminal does not receive the identification signal from the target transmitter even after a predetermined time limit has elapsed from the time when each pedestrian's communication terminal received the identification signal from the reference transmitter, the pedestrian's a walking state determination unit that determines that there is an abnormality in the walking state;
a transmitter that transmits the determination result to the pedestrian's communication terminal,
The reference transmitter determining section and the target transmitter determining section are each a pedestrian guidance system that is repeatedly executed.

(3) The predetermined time limit is based on the distance between the reference transmitter and the target transmitter in the walking route, the altitude difference, the slope, and the type of road surface (paved road, gravel road, mud road, cliff road, wide road). The pedestrian guidance system according to item (1) or (2), wherein the pedestrian guidance system has a variable length depending on at least one of the following: roads, narrow roads, etc.).

(4) The pedestrian guide according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the determination result that the walking condition is abnormal is visually, auditorily, and/or haptically communicated to the pedestrian. system.

(5) The abnormality in the walking condition includes at least one of the possibility that the pedestrian has gotten lost or the possibility that the pedestrian has deviated from the walking route. Pedestrian guidance system described in Crab.

(6) The communication terminal further includes:
(1) includes a display unit that displays a map, the current position, and the installation position of one of the transmitters in an overlay state on the screen of the communication terminal when an identification signal is received from one of the transmitters; The pedestrian guidance system according to any one of paragraphs to (5).

(7) The walking route includes at least one of mountain roads, forest roads, tour paths within facilities, school routes, walking paths, and cycling courses, each of which has a predetermined walking route (1) to ( 6) Pedestrian guidance system according to any one of paragraphs.

(8) A program for causing a computer to function as a communication terminal according to any one of (1) to (7).

Throughout this specification, the term "program" shall be construed to mean, for example, a combination of instructions executed by a computer to perform its functions, and not just any combination of those instructions; It can be interpreted to include, but is not limited to, files and data processed in accordance with.

In addition, this program may be executed by a computer alone to achieve the desired purpose, or may be executed together with other programs to achieve the desired purpose. Yes, but not limited to. In the latter case, the program according to this section may be data-based, but is not limited thereto.

(9) A program for causing a computer to function as a management server according to any one of (1) to (7).

(10) A recording medium on which the program described in (8) or (9) is recorded in a computer-readable manner.

Throughout this specification, the term "recording medium" may be interpreted to mean various types of recording medium, including, for example, magnetic recording media such as flexible disks, etc. The storage medium includes, but is not limited to, optical recording media such as CDs and CD-ROMs, magneto-optical recording media such as MOs, and unremovable storages such as ROMs.

(11) A pedestrian guidance method for guiding a pedestrian while walking, the method comprising:
The method is
A plurality of transmitters installed discretely and in series along a walking route, each transmitter transmitting an identification signal representing a unique transmitter ID;
This is carried out using each pedestrian's communication terminal that can receive identification signals from each transmitter using short-range wireless communication.
The pedestrian guidance method is
When each pedestrian's communication terminal receives an identification signal from one of the transmitters, a reference transmitter determining step of determining one of the transmitters as a reference transmitter;
After determining the reference transmitter, by referring to mapping data representing the order in which the plurality of transmitters are lined up along the walking route assigned in advance to the walking route, the walking route is determined from among the plurality of transmitters. a target transmitter determining step of determining the one located next to the reference transmitter as the target transmitter;
If each pedestrian's communication terminal does not receive the identification signal from the target transmitter even after a predetermined time limit has elapsed from the time when each pedestrian's communication terminal received the identification signal from the reference transmitter, the pedestrian a lost state determination step of determining that there is a possibility that the person is lost;
and a warning step of conveying the determination result to the pedestrian and warning the pedestrian,
A pedestrian guidance method in which the reference transmitter determining step and the target transmitter determining step are each repeatedly executed.

FIG. 1 is a system diagram conceptually representing the hardware configuration of a mountain trail guidance system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an example of a layout in which a plurality of guide transmitters in the mountain trail guidance system shown in FIG. 1 are installed on a mountain trail in a mountainous area. It is a schematic perspective view showing what was installed.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of two adjacent guide transmitters in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram showing the guide transmitter and climber transmitter shown in FIG. 2, both of which have a common configuration.

FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram representing the mountain climber's mobile terminal shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6(a) shows that in the mountain trail guidance system shown in FIG. 1, the same mobile terminal receives a signal from the neighboring transmitter B before the time limit has elapsed from the time when the mobile terminal received the signal from transmitter A. It is a graph illustrating a received normal walking state scenario, and FIG. 3 is a graph exemplarily representing an abnormal walking state scenario in which the same mobile terminal does not receive a signal from a neighboring transmitter B;

FIG. 7 shows the predetermined relationship between the transmitter ID of each guide transmitter and the position of each guide transmitter on the map, and the order in which multiple guide transmitters are lined up along the walking route of the mountain trail. , and a time limit conceptually represent mapping data that is associated with each other.

FIG. 8(a) is a graph showing an example in which the altitude changes gradually between two points adjacent to each other on the mountain trail shown in FIG. This is a graph showing an example in which the altitude changes suddenly, and FIG. It is a graph exemplarily showing that the correction coefficient k increases according to the distance d between the two points, and FIG. It is a graph illustrating an increase.

FIG. 9 is a functional block diagram representing the management server shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart conceptually representing a plurality of programs for explaining the software configuration of the mountain trail guidance system shown in FIG.

FIG. 11(a) is an exemplary first page displayed on the screen of the mobile terminal shown in FIG. 1, which supports the user's data input to distinguish whether to climb a mountain or descend a mountain. FIG. 3B is a plan view showing the second page displayed on the screen, which is used to warn the user when there is a possibility that the user has lost his way. FIG. 6(c) is a plan view illustrating a third page displayed on the screen, in which the user can check the process executed by the management server after the user has been warned. FIG.

Hereinafter, one of a plurality of more specific and exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 conceptually shows the hardware configuration of a mountain trail guide system (hereinafter simply referred to as "system") 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention in a system diagram.

<About the system overview>

Briefly, as shown in FIG. 2, this system 10 guides a mountain climber (an example of a "pedestrian") who is a user to a mountain trail 14 (an example of a "walking route") in a mountain area 12. For example, in an example of a mountain route), it is determined whether the climber's walking condition is abnormal (such as whether he or she may have gotten lost or deviated from the mountain trail 14), and the results are determined. Climbing that warns climbers by informing them of the danger, and ultimately assists in guiding them along the correct walking route (in the correct direction of travel, along the correct course), thereby preventing accidents. It has a route guidance function.

<Mountain trail guide function>

In this system 10, a plurality of guide transmitters 30 are installed discretely and in series along the mountain trail 14 in order to realize a mountain trail guidance function. The guide transmitters 30 are arranged in series at equal intervals (for example, intervals of 10 m, 50 m, 100 m, 500 m, and 1 km). Alternatively, the plurality of guide transmitters 30 may be arranged in series with variable spacing that decreases as the end of the trail 14 is approached.

Each guide transmitter 30 may be attached to something artificially installed on the mountain trail 14, such as a post or a sign, or may be attached to a natural object growing on the mountain trail 14, such as a natural tree, tree, etc. may be attached to.

As the climber walks, the signals from the plurality of guide transmitters 30 are sequentially received by the climber's mobile terminal 90 (an example of a "communication terminal") using a short-range wireless communication method. The mobile terminal 90 can wirelessly communicate with a management server 50 operated and managed by a management center 40 installed in a location remote from the mountainous region 12.

In order to realize the mountain climbing route guidance function, the mobile terminal 90, alone or in collaboration with the management server 50, monitors the mountain climber's walking route (where to walk) and walking while climbing or descending the mountain. Warnings to climbers (notifying climbers that they may be lost and asking them to be careful) so that they do not deviate from the normal route (in which direction they walk) etc.) and provide route guidance.

Here, a "warning" includes, for example, notifying a climber that he or she may have gotten lost in mountain area 12, calling the climber's attention, urging corrective action, or simply warning the climber. If the user continues to walk, the mobile terminal 90 may notify that the radio waves of the mobile terminal 90 will enter the outside of the communication range where it cannot reach other mobile terminals 90. Examples of out-of-communication areas include areas where there is no ground base station 300 (see FIG. 2) that can receive data nearby, or areas where there are tall trees or neighboring mountains around the climber. There are areas where the radio waves of the mobile terminal 90 are blocked.

In addition, "route guidance (route guidance, course guidance, regular route guidance, etc.)" includes, for example, providing climbers with location and orientation information to correct the actual walking route and course to the official walking route and course. For example, the user may be visually, audibly, or haptically informed of a message to the effect that ``you are lost and should retrace your current route.''

In this example, when the lost mountaineer's mobile terminal 90 detects that he/she is lost using the guide transmitter 30, the mountain climber's mobile terminal 90 uses the guide transmitter 30 to alert the climber and makes a decision to return to the current route. In order to encourage the mountain climber to do so, the message may be output in text, image, or audio, or confirmation that the current climber has confirmed the message may be confirmed by operating a "confirmation button." In this case, the current climber's mobile terminal 90 may continue to display the same button until the "confirm button" is tapped by the user.

Nevertheless, if the "confirm button" is not tapped by the user even if the continuous display time of the "confirm button" exceeds the predetermined time limit, the mobile terminal 90 of the climber this time It is determined that there is a possibility that a certain climber has fallen into an emergency situation (for example, a shipwreck), and this fact is transmitted to the management server 50, and further, the information is sent to each of the other climbers (companions) belonging to the same party. It is transmitted to the mobile terminals 90 all at once.

Furthermore, each climber's mobile terminal 90 is configured to activate its positioning function (for example, a positioning function using GPS, a ground base station 300 The location information is acquired in a time-discrete manner using the positioning function used, and the location information is sequentially transmitted to the management server 50 in order to facilitate search work in the event of a distress.

Upon receiving the position information, the management server 50 sequentially stores the position information in the memory 162 (see FIG. 9) in association with the user ID/device ID of the mobile terminal 90 of each climber. When a mountain climber is in distress, the mountain climber's mobile terminal 90 accesses the management server 50, and the management server 50 extracts the behavior history of the mountain climber in distress from the memory 162. the user's mobile terminal 90. Therefore, the management server 50 and other companions can track the location of the victim from at least the time when the warning was given to the victim.

The behavior history of the victim, that is, the tracking results, is used, for example, in search operations for the victim by other companions or rescue workers. Furthermore, the behavior history of the victim is used by the management server 50 when determining a flight target point for the drone 200, which will be described later.

In this system 10, in order to realize the climbing route guidance function, when the climber's mobile terminal 90 receives an identification signal from any of the guide transmitters 30, the climber's mobile terminal 90 selects one of the guide transmitters 30 as is determined as the reference transmitter (start transmitter, departure point transmitter, etc.) whose passage is confirmed.

After determining the reference transmitter, the mobile terminal 90 determines the walking route (see FIG. 2) among the plurality of guide transmitters 30 by referring to mapping data (see FIG. 7) downloaded from the management server 50, which will be described later. The transmitter located next to the reference transmitter is determined as the target transmitter (forward transmitter, adjacent transmitter, target point transmitter, etc.).

Furthermore, if the mobile terminal 90 receives the identification signal from the target transmitter before the predetermined time limit f has elapsed from the time when the identification signal was received from the reference transmitter, the mobile terminal 90 determines that the climber's walking condition is normal (the mountain climber's walking condition is normal). On the other hand, if the identification signal is not received from the target transmitter even after the predetermined time limit f has passed, there is an abnormality in the climber's walking condition (the climber may be lost). It is determined that there is a

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of two adjacent guide transmitters 30 in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. These two guide transmitters 30 are installed at two points A and B adjacent to each other. In the example shown in FIG. 3, point A is located at the entrance point (starting point, start point) of mountain trail 14, and point Z is located at the top point (turning point, end point, end point) of mountain trail 14. To position.

During mountain climbing (while climbing the mountain trail 14) (in the walking route during mountain climbing, in the ascending direction, in the ascending direction), since point B is ahead of point A in the direction of travel, the guide transmitter 30 of point A is the reference transmitter, the guide transmitter 30 at point B becomes the target transmitter.

On the other hand, while descending the mountain (descending the mountain trail 14) (in the walking route during descent, in the descending direction, in the descending direction), point A is in front of point B in the direction of travel, so point B When the guide transmitter 30 is the reference transmitter, the guide transmitter 30 at point A becomes the target transmitter.

Furthermore, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the distance d between the guide transmitter 30 at point A and the guide transmitter 30 at point B is not the shortest distance, but the mountain trail 14 is measured along it. There is a length of time. Further, there is also an altitude difference Δh between the guide transmitter 30 at point A and the guide transmitter 30 at point B.

Further, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the reception area for the guide transmitter 30 at point A and the reception area for the guide transmitter 30 at point B are arranged so that the reception area for the guide transmitter 30 at point B does not overlap with each other. Since the reception range is set, one mobile terminal 90 will not effectively receive identification signals from two guide transmitters 30 at the same time at each instant.

In FIG. 6(a), in this system 10, before a predetermined time limit f has elapsed from the time when the mobile terminal 90 receives the signal from the guide transmitter 30 at the point A, the same mobile terminal 90 is sent to the adjacent point. A normal gait scenario in which signals are received from the guide transmitter 30 of B is illustratively represented graphically.

On the other hand, in FIG. 6(b), in this system 10, even if the predetermined time limit f has elapsed from the time when the mobile terminal 90 received the signal from the guide transmitter 30 at point A, the same mobile terminal 90 An abnormal walking state scenario in which the user does not receive a signal from the guide transmitter 30 at the neighboring point B is exemplified by a graph.

As shown in FIG. 6(b), in this system 10, if the mobile terminal 90 does not receive a signal from the guide transmitter 30 at the neighboring point B even after the predetermined time limit f has elapsed, the mobile terminal 90 However, the system determines that the climber's walking condition (direction of travel, etc.) is abnormal (for example, he is lost) and issues a warning to the climber.

If the climber does not notice the warning, the climber's mobile terminal 90 or management server 50 may notify the mobile terminals 90 of other accompanying persons that the climber may be in trouble. Send all at once. Furthermore, in order to realize the above-mentioned victim search function, the management server 50 executes a victim search mode.

FIG. 7 shows a predetermined relationship between the transmitter ID of each guide transmitter 30 and the installation position of each guide transmitter 30 on the map, and a plurality of guides along the correct walking route of the mountain trail 14. Mapping data that correlates the order in which the transmitters 30 are lined up and the length of the above-mentioned time limit f is conceptually represented in a table.

The mapping data is originally stored in the memory 162 of the management server 50, and when accessed from any mobile terminal 90, the management server 50 transmits the mapping data to that mobile terminal 90, and thereby, The mobile terminal 90 downloads the mapping data from the management server 50 and stores it in its own memory 132 (see FIG. 5).

<About setting the time limit f>

In this system 10, the time limit f is set for each point pair consisting of two points adjacent to each other, as shown in FIG. The time limit f is calculated based on the actual distance d and height difference Δh between two adjacent points, assuming a climber with normal athletic ability, and the time limit that the average climber can cover between the two points. This is preset so that the minimum time required for

FIG. 8A shows a graph representing an example in which the altitude changes gradually between two points A and B adjacent to each other on the mountain trail 14. FIG. 4B shows a graph of an example in which the altitude changes suddenly between points A and B.

In this system 10, the time limit f is calculated as the product of the reference time S and the correction coefficient k. FIG. 8(c) exemplarily shows in a graph that the length of the reference time S increases in accordance with the distance d between the two points A and B. In FIG. 2D, it is exemplarily shown in a graph that the correction coefficient k increases in accordance with the altitude difference Δh between the two points A and B.

<Mutual communication function for companions>

In addition to the above-mentioned mountain trail guidance function, this system 10 supports mutual assistance by allowing multiple climbers belonging to the same party (team, group, etc.) to communicate with each other using their respective mobile terminals 90. It has a mutual communication function for companions. This companion communication function also functions as a function to confirm the safety of the victim.

In this system 10, when multiple people climb a mountain as one party and one climber falls into an emergency situation, the related information is transmitted to the other climbers using the mutual communication function (mutual aid function). By communicating with each other using a mobile terminal 90 and sharing information, it is possible to prevent a distress, to immediately go to rescue, or even if a distress occurs, to search immediately.

Specifically, for example, when multiple people climb a mountain as one party, it becomes clear that one of the climbers has fallen into an emergency situation (for example, the mountain climber's mobile terminal 90 or management server 50 infers the existence of the emergency situation), the climber's mobile terminal 90 or the management server 50 automatically informs the mobile terminals 90 of other climbers in the same party all at once about the emergency situation. wirelessly transmit information about

In one example, the mobile terminals 90 of multiple climbers belonging to the same party automatically attempt to establish mutual connection (for example, without the user's knowledge ), and if there is another mobile terminal 90 to which a connection cannot be established despite this, this fact is reported to the management server 50. The management server 50 determines that the climber who is the user of the other mobile terminal 90 with which the connection is not established may be in an emergency situation, and informs each of the other climbers with whom the connection is established. It is transmitted to the mobile terminals 90 all at once.

In another example, the management server 50 periodically attempts to establish a connection with each mobile terminal 90, and if a connection is not established with any of the mobile terminals 90, It is determined that there is a possibility that a mountain climber who should own one of the mobile terminals 90 has fallen into an emergency situation, and this information is simultaneously transmitted to the respective mobile terminals 90 of other mountain climbers.

Here, the "emergency situation" includes, for example, a case where the walking route is not corrected even after the warning is given, a case where a connection with a certain mobile terminal 90 is not established, and the like. In the latter case, for example, a climber may be out of communication range, or the battery of the climber's mobile device 90 may be running low.In either case, if the climber is in trouble, This is a case where it becomes impossible to search for the mountain climber by relying on the mobile terminal 90, and there is a possibility that the search will be difficult.

<Victim search function>

This system 10 has, in addition to the above-mentioned mountain trail guidance function and companion mutual communication function, a lost person search function that searches for the lost person in the event that a mountain climber becomes lost in the mountain area 12. This victim search function also functions to confirm the safety of the victim.

In this system 10, a climber transmitter 32 is attached to a climber before climbing the mountain in order to realize the function of searching for a lost person. The climber transmitter 32 moves together with the wearer, the climber, and the position of the climber transmitter 32 coincides with the position of the climber.

Furthermore, this system 10 includes an unmanned small aircraft, or drone 200, to search for victims from above. The drone 200 can be operated remotely using its own controller 202 and according to instructions from the management server 50, or can be operated autonomously using the controller 202.

When the management server 50 determines that there is a possibility that one of the climbers has been lost, the management server 50 determines the representative spatial coordinates of the mountainous area 12 where the climber is climbing (for example, the specific location of the mountaintop, the entrance of the mountain trail 14, etc.). The latitude, longitude, and altitude of the representative point are transmitted to the communication device 204 of the drone 200 as information representing the flight target point, and the controller 202 instructs the drone 200 to dispatch (deploy).

Drone 200 includes a controller 202 and a communication device 204 connected to it. The communication device 204 is capable of wireless communication with the management server 50. This communication device 204 may function as a normal mobile phone (mobile phone) that uses the terrestrial base station 300, or may function as a satellite phone that uses an artificial satellite.

In addition to the communication device 204, the drone 200 is equipped with a mobile (movable) aerial base station (hereinafter referred to as a "relay base station") 206 that replaces the fixed ground base station 300 for the mobile terminal 90. are doing. Relay base station 206 receives position information from mobile terminal 90 within its communication range, and transmits the position information to terrestrial base station 300 within communication range of relay base station 206.

The drone 200 further includes a receiver 210 capable of receiving a signal from the climber transmitter 32 of the victim. The controller 202 measures the intensity of the radio waves that the receiver 210 receives from the climber transmitter 32 from time to time. The controller 202 causes the drone 200 to navigate in a direction in which the current value of the radio field intensity measurement value increases from the previous value.

In this system 10, in order to search for a mountain climber in distress, there is a mobile terminal use mode in which the search for the mountain climber is performed by relying on the mobile terminal 90 of the mountain climber, and a mode in which the search is performed by relying on the mountain climber transmitter 32 of the mountain climber. There is also a transmitter use mode that searches for the person in question.

First, to briefly explain, the mobile terminal use mode uses the positioning function and communication function of the mobile terminal 90 to locate a distress site on the condition that a connection is established between the mobile terminal 90 and the management server 50. carried out to search for the person. In this search scenario, the mobile terminal 90, which is one of the equipment of the victim, is directly used to search for the victim.

On the other hand, the transmitter use mode is a state in which a connection is not established between the mobile terminal 90 of the victim and the management server 50, for example, a state in which the battery of the mobile terminal 90 is insufficient, or a state in which the mobile terminal 90 This is executed in order to search for the person in distress by using the location authentication function and transmission function of the climber transmitter 32 in a state where the person is located outside the communication range.

Specifically, in this transmitter use mode, the drone 200 is dispatched, and the receiver 210 mounted on the drone 200 sequentially measures the strength of the radio waves received from the climber's transmitter 32, A flight route for the drone 200 is determined so that the measured value increases over time. As a result, a search scenario in which a person is searched for a person in distress, or a situation where the person in question's mobile terminal 90 operates normally (for example, the battery is not low or the mobile terminal 90 is not malfunctioning) is set. , a search scenario occurs in which the mobile terminal 90 is connected to the management server 50 via the relay base station 206 mounted on the drone 200 and further via the nearest ground base station 300. Realized.

In the former search scenario, the climber transmitter 32 as one of the equipment of the victim is directly used by the drone 200 to search for the victim. In contrast, in the latter search scenario, the transmitter usage mode is executed to enable the aforementioned mobile terminal usage mode.

Specifically, in the latter search scenario, when the drone 200 is dispatched and approaches the victim, and the victim's mobile terminal 90 enters the communication range of the relay base station 206, the relay base station 206 The function establishes a connection between the victim's mobile terminal 90 and the ground base station 300, and in turn establishes a connection between the victim's mobile terminal 90 and the management server 50. In this case, the portable terminal usage mode is executed, and the victim is able to communicate with the management server 50. In this case, for example, the person in distress will be able to talk to the telephone operator of the management center 40 and send data (messaging) via his or her mobile terminal 90.

The drone 200 further includes a camera 220 that photographs the ground from above as a still image or a video. The camera 220 generates imaging data representing images of the ground, and the imaging data is transmitted to the management server 50 via the communication device 204. The operator of the management center 40 can remotely monitor the condition of the ground surface of the mountainous area 12 via the camera 220. This allows the operator of the management center 40 to visually and remotely search for the victim. The operating state (on/off, etc.), photographing conditions (zoom rate, exposure, etc.), and posture (angle, etc.) of the camera 40 are remotely controlled by the management server 50 via the controller 202.

Drone 200 further includes a speaker 230 that outputs audio from above. The speaker 230 is remotely controlled by the management server 50 via the controller 202. For example, the controller 202 drives the speaker 230 based on the audio data received from the management server 50, thereby generating and outputting audio. As a result, the operator of the management center 40 can output sound from above toward the mountainous area 12 via the speaker 230.

Thanks to the audio output, the operator of the management center 40 can notify the victim of the current search, the existence of the drone 200, and its current location, by voice, before the victim is found. Furthermore, after a person in distress is found, it is possible to confirm the safety of the person, give instructions on what actions the person should take in order to rescue the person, and provide information regarding the current status of rescue operations.

The drone 200 further includes a shooter 240 that drops or drops necessary items, optionally equipped with a parachute, from the sky toward a target position on the ground. The shooter 240 is remotely controlled by the management server 50 via the controller 202. Items that may be dropped include, for example, relief supplies (for example, a spare charged battery pack that can be used for the victim's mobile device 90, water, food, etc.), and local illumination of the vicinity of the victim to provide relief. There are lighting equipment to make activities easier.

When dropping items from the shooter 240, it is possible to use the speaker 230 to explain the details of the rescue operation audibly using the speaker 230, or to drop lighting equipment as well, in order to draw the attention of the victims. Thanks to the illumination, the victim can accurately determine where the dropped item will land, and will be able to reliably capture the item.

<About guide transmitters and climber transmitters>

FIG. 4 shows a functional block diagram of the guide transmitter 30 and the climber transmitter 32 shown in FIG. 2, both of which have a common configuration. Since the guide transmitter 30 and the climber transmitter 32 have a common configuration, the common configuration will be described below as a representative example of only the guide transmitter 30.

As shown in FIG. 4, each guide transmitter 30 emits a unique signal, and the unique signal represents a unique transmitter ID. Since it is known at which position on the mountain trail 14 each guide transmitter 30 is installed, the installation position, that is, the spatial coordinate values (x, y, z) is assigned in advance to the transmitter ID. .

First, to explain conceptually, the guide transmitter 30 is a non-contact type or contact (proximity) type communication device that locally transmits an identification signal that can identify a unique transmitter ID.

Next, to explain the operation method, the guide transmitter 30 transmits a unique identification signal actively, locally, without the need for an external trigger signal, and permanently as long as there is no shortage of power supply. send.

The guide transmitter 30 is generally a device that is also known as a beacon device, a radio beacon, or the like that transmits a beacon signal as an identification signal. In one example, the guide transmitter 30 generates an identification signal representing a corresponding transmitter ID by modulating the original signal, and uses the generated identification signal as an IR signal, a Bluetooth (registered trademark) signal, It is transmitted locally as an NFC (near field communication) signal.

Next, the hardware configuration will be described with reference to FIG. 4. The guide transmitter 30 is mainly configured with a computer 104 having a processor 100 and a memory 102 that stores a plurality of applications executed by the processor 100. ing.

The guide transmitter 30 further includes a replaceable disposable battery 106 as a power source. Instead of the battery 106, it is possible to use a rechargeable battery, or to use a commercial power source or a solar cell as an external power source.

When a solar cell is used as an external power source, surplus electrical energy generated by the solar cell during the day is stored in a battery, and at night, the battery energy is extracted from the battery to power the guide transmitter 30. It may be activated.

The guide transmitter 30 further includes a transmitter 108 that generates and transmits an identification signal. The transmitter 108 is operated by a battery 106 and controlled by a controller 110. The controller 110 is controlled by the computer 100.

To explain the software configuration of the guide transmitter 30, the processor 100 outputs a signal for modulating the original signal (eg, carrier signal) to the controller 110 so that the transmitter ID is reflected. The controller 110 controls the transmitter 108, and as a result, the transmitter 108 generates the identification signal to be transmitted this time. Thereafter, the generated identification signal is transmitted from the transmitter 108.

<About mobile devices>

The climber's (user's) mobile terminal 90 is a device that is carried by the user and has a wireless communication function, such as a mobile phone, a smart phone, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, or a PDA. Further, the mobile terminal 90 is an example of a user's communication terminal.

Next, the hardware configuration of the mobile terminal 90 will be described with reference to FIG. The computer 134 has a computer 132 as a main component.

This mobile terminal 90 further includes a display section (for example, a liquid crystal display) 136 that displays information, a receiving section 138 that receives signals from the guide transmitter 30 and the management server 50, and a receiving section 138 that generates and receives signals. and a transmitter 140 that transmits data to the management server 50. Here, the receiving section 138 is also a section that senses the identification signal from the guide transmitter 30.

This mobile terminal 90 further includes an input section 150 for inputting data and commands from the user. The input unit 150 includes, for example, an operation unit that can be operated by the user to input desired information (eg, commands, data, etc.) into the mobile terminal 90. The operating parts include a touch screen that displays icons (e.g., virtual buttons) that can be operated by the user, physical operating parts that can be operated by the user (e.g., a keyboard, keypad, buttons, etc.), and a touch screen that displays user-operable icons (e.g., virtual buttons). Examples include, but are not limited to, a sensing microphone.

This mobile terminal 90 further includes a GPS (satellite positioning system) receiver 152. As is well known, the GPS receiver 152 receives multiple GPS signals from multiple GPS satellites, and determines the position (latitude, longitude, and altitude) of the GPS receiver 152 on the earth based on the GPS signals. Measure by triangulation.

This mobile terminal 90 further includes an acceleration sensor 154 that detects its own acceleration. Since the acceleration sensor 154 is mounted on the mobile terminal 90, it vibrates integrally with the mobile terminal 90, and as a result, the acceleration acting on the acceleration sensor 154 itself is transmitted to the mobile terminal 90 and the user carrying it. It is detected as equivalent to the acceleration acting on the

Here, to explain one function of the user's mobile terminal 90 in relation to the guide transmitter 30, the mobile terminal 90, while receiving the identification signal from the guide transmitter 30, When you start (log in) a certain program pre-installed in the computer, that is, a dedicated application for guide transmitter processing (hereinafter referred to as "transmitter application"), it demodulates the received identification signal and The transmitter ID is decoded by the following.

Further, when the mobile terminal 90 starts the transmitter application while receiving the identification signal from the guide transmitter 30, the mobile terminal 90 determines whether the transmitter application is activated based on the received identification signal (for example, the strength of the identification signal). The distance between the position of the guide transmitter 30 when transmitting the identification signal and the position of the mobile terminal 90 when receiving the identification signal is also measured.

That is, based on the identification signal received from the guide transmitter 30, the mobile terminal 90 acquires both the transmitter ID unique to the guide transmitter 30 and the distance from the guide transmitter 30 at that time. It has become.

<Transmitter reception range>

The guide transmitter 30 is apparently assigned two types of reception areas. These are a receivable area and an effective reception area (hereinafter also referred to as "reception range" or "reception area").

Each of these areas is generally defined by a sphere centered on the location where the guide transmitter 30 is installed. Some examples of coverage areas are shown in FIG.

The receivable area of the guide transmitter 30 has a maximum reception radius (for example, approximately 50 m), whereas the effective reception area has an effective reception radius (for example, any value within the range of 0 m to approximately 50 m). have While the maximum reception radius is a constant value, the effective reception radius is a variable value that can be set at any time by the mobile terminal 90, as described later.

The receivable area is an area where the identification signal from the guide transmitter 30 can be reached when the power supply to the guide transmitter 30 is normal, that is, as long as the identification signal exists within the area, the mobile terminal 90 can receive the identification signal. means the area where it can be received.

On the other hand, the effective reception area has an effective reception radius smaller than the maximum reception radius of the receivable area. While the maximum reception radius cannot be arbitrarily set, the effective reception radius can be arbitrarily set in the mobile terminal 90 using software.

That is, it is possible that the maximum reception radius means a reception limit determined by hardware, whereas the effective reception radius means a reception limit determined by software.

As described above, the mobile terminal 90 measures the distance to the guide transmitter 30 based on the strength of the identification signal it receives. The distance measurement may or may not exceed the effective reception radius. When the measured distance value does not exceed the effective reception radius, it means that the mobile terminal 90 is within the effective reception area, whereas when the measured distance value exceeds the effective reception radius, the mobile terminal 90 exists within the receivable area but not within the effective reception area.

In this embodiment, the reception range of the guide transmitter 30 is set to be, for example, a spherical area with a radius of approximately 0 m to 5 m. That is, the effective reception radius used within the mobile terminal 90 is set to a fixed value within approximately 0 m to 5 m. The effective reception radius may be set, for example, so that the reception range of each guide transmitter 30 covers the entire width of the portion of the mountain trail 14 where each guide transmitter 30 is installed.

<About the management server>

Next, to explain the hardware configuration of the management server 50, the management server 50 is shown in a functional block diagram in FIG. The management server 50 is mainly configured with a computer 164 having a processor 160 and a memory 162 that stores a plurality of applications executed by the processor 160.

This management server 50 further includes a display section (for example, a liquid crystal display) 166 that displays information, a receiving section 168 that receives signals from the mobile terminal 90, and a receiver section 168 that generates a signal and transmits the signal to the mobile terminal 90. The transmitter 170 has a transmitter 170 and a clock 172. This management server 50 does not directly receive information from the transmitter 30, but actually receives it via the mobile terminal 90.

<Software configuration of mountain trail guidance system>

FIG. 10 conceptually shows a flowchart of a plurality of programs for explaining the software configuration of this system 10. These programs include a mountain trail guidance application (steps S101-S122) as a program executed on each climber's mobile terminal 90, and a program (steps S151-S158) executed on the management server 50.

When the mountain climbing route guidance application is started on the mobile terminal 90 of each mountain climber prior to climbing the mountain trail 14, first, in step S101, a login request to the management server 50 is sent to the management server 50 by the user's operation. personal information of a user who is a mountain climber is input into the mobile terminal 90. The personal information of the climber this time includes, for example, the climber's user ID, the user's name and address, and the telephone number or e-mail address of each of the other companions' mobile terminals 90. The login request and personal information are sent to the management server 50, and then received by the management server 50 in step S151.

Next, in step S102, the user inputs mountain trail identification information for identifying the current mountain trail 14 (for example, the name or ID of the mountain trail 14, the name or ID) is input into the mobile terminal 90, the mountain trail identification information is transmitted to the management server 50, and then received by the management server 50 in step S151.

Subsequently, in step S152, the management server 50 registers the received personal information and mountain trail identification information in the memory 162. Thereafter, in step S153, the management server 50 selects the mountain trail 14, which is represented by the mountain trail identification information received from the mobile terminal 90, from among the plurality of mapping data (see FIG. 7) stored in the memory 162. The corresponding one is read from the memory 162 and transmitted to the current mobile terminal 90.

In response, the mobile terminal 90 downloads mapping data corresponding to the mountain trail 14 from the management server 50 in step S103. The downloaded mapping data is stored in memory 132 in association with mountain trail 14 and date.

Next, in step S104, the mobile terminal 90 displays a page as shown in FIG. Input data to distinguish between climbing and descending.

In a typical example, first (for example, at the starting point A of the mountain trail 14), the user operates a button representing "climbing" as shown in FIG. The above-mentioned mountain trail guidance mode is activated on the condition that the mountain is being climbed and not descended.

Thereafter, when the user safely arrives at the end point Z of the mountain trail 14 and is about to start descending the mountain, the user presses the "reset" button prior to that, as shown in FIG. 11(a). Then, a button representing "descend" is operated. In response, the above-mentioned mountain trail guidance mode is activated in the mobile terminal 90 from the first step, on the condition that the user is descending a mountain and not climbing a mountain.

Subsequently, the mobile terminal 90 attempts to receive an identification signal from one of the guide transmitters 30 in step S105. Thereafter, the mobile terminal 90 determines whether the identification signal has been effectively received from any guide transmitter 30 in step S106. If the identification signal has not been effectively received (effective reception has failed), the determination is NO and the process returns to step S105. On the other hand, if the identification signal is effectively received (valid reception is successful), the determination in step S106 becomes YES.

The mobile terminal 90 has effectively received an identification signal from one of the guide transmitters 30 (among the plurality of guide transmitters 30, the one closest to the user's current position) (successful reception). If so, then in step S107, the mobile terminal 90 displays a map representing the mountain trail 14 covering the current position and the installation position of one of the received guide transmitters 30 on the screen. and the current position measured using the built-in GPS described above are displayed in an overlay state.

If the mobile terminal 90 is also equipped with an orientation sensor, the user holds the mobile terminal 90 horizontally and determines the orientation of the mobile terminal 90 based on the direction of the map displayed on the screen and the direction of the mobile terminal 90. By adjusting the directions so that they match each other, it becomes possible to visually guide the climber's future direction using the screen.

Thereafter, in step S108, the mobile terminal 90 determines the guide transmitter 30 received this time as the aforementioned reference transmitter.

Subsequently, in step S109, the mobile terminal 90 determines whether or not the user is currently descending the mountain. If you are not descending but climbing a mountain, the determination is NO, and in step S110, among the plurality of guide transmitters 30, when viewed in the ascending direction of the mountain trail 14, the guide transmitter 30 received this time is Another guide transmitter 30 located immediately adjacent is determined as the target transmitter.

Specifically, in the example shown in FIG. The guide transmitter 30 located at the sixth position is determined as the target transmitter.

On the other hand, this time, if you are not climbing but descending, the determination in step S109 is YES, and in step S111, among the plurality of guide transmitters 30, when viewed in the downhill direction of the mountain trail 14, , another guide transmitter 30 located immediately next to the guide transmitter 30 received this time is determined as the aforementioned target transmitter.

Specifically, in the example shown in FIG. 2, if the reference transmitter is the guide transmitter 30 located at point E (fifth from starting point A), The guide transmitter 30 located at the fourth position is determined as the target transmitter.

In either case, the mobile terminal 90 then attempts to receive an identification signal from the current target transmitter in step S112. Thereafter, in step S113, the mobile terminal 90 determines whether the identification signal has been effectively received from the current target transmitter. If the identification signal has not been effectively received (effective reception has failed), the determination is NO and the process moves to step S115.

In this step S115, the mobile terminal 90 determines whether or not the elapsed time from the initial execution start time of step S112 has not exceeded the time limit f. If not, the determination is YES and the process returns to step S112.

On the other hand, if the mobile terminal 90 effectively receives the identification signal from the current target transmitter (succeeds in effective reception), the determination in step S113 becomes YES.

Subsequently, in step S114, the mobile terminal 90 displays a map near the current location, the received installation location of the target transmitter, and the measured current location on the screen in the same manner as in step S107 described above. Display in overlay state. Thereafter, the process returns to step S108, and the current target transmitter is now determined as the next reference transmitter.

On the other hand, if the mobile terminal 90 does not effectively receive the identification signal from the target transmitter even though the elapsed time from the execution start time of step S112 exceeds the time limit f, the determination in step S115 becomes NO.

Thereafter, in step S116, the mobile terminal 90 determines that the current walking condition of the climber is abnormal. This abnormality determination means, for example, that the climber could not reach the target transmitter and got lost in the section between the reference transmitter and the target transmitter. It means a judgment to that effect.

Subsequently, in step S117, the mobile terminal 90 issues a visual warning to the current climber, as illustrated in FIG. 11(b). In one example, the mobile terminal 90 sends a message to the effect that "You may have lost your way. We recommend that you retrace your route" and confirms that the current climber has read the message. A confirmation button to be operated is displayed in association with each other on the screen.

Thereafter, in step S118, the mobile terminal 90 measures the current position by using the above-mentioned built-in GPS. Subsequently, in step S119, the mobile terminal 90 transmits the position information representing the positioning result to the management server 50 in association with the user ID and the current time.

In response, the management server 50 receives the location information from the current mobile terminal 90 in step S154 in association with the user ID and current time, and then stores the location information in the memory 162 in step S155. Save in association with the current time. As a result, the memory 162 stores the current history of the climber's actions in chronological order in association with the time, and this information becomes useful information when tracking the climber.

Thereafter, in step S120, the mobile terminal 90 determines whether or not the confirmation button has been operated by the user, as illustrated in FIG. 11(b). If the confirmation button is not operated, the determination becomes NO, and the mobile terminal 90 determines in step S121 whether or not the elapsed time from the initial execution start time of step S120 has not exceeded the predetermined time limit g. Determine whether If not, the determination is YES and the process returns to step S117. When the elapsed time eventually exceeds the time limit g, the determination in step S121 becomes NO.

Thereafter, in step S122, the mobile terminal 90 determines that the current climber is a lost person, and transmits a request for the aforementioned lost person search mode to the management server 50 to search for the lost person. Subsequently, in step S123, the mobile terminal 90 sends a message saying "we are contacting your companion" and a message saying "we are requesting help", as illustrated in FIG. 11(c). Display on screen.

In response, the management server 50 receives the request for the search mode for the lost person from the current mobile terminal 90 in step S156, and subsequently, in step S157, the management server 50 receives the request for the search mode for the lost person from the current mobile terminal 90. A message is sent all at once to each of the mobile terminals 90 registered in the memory 162 to notify that the climber may have been lost.

Thereafter, in step S158, the management server 50 dispatches the drone 200 with the current mountain trail 14 as the destination destination. As described above, the drone 200 searches for the climber's position by relying on radio waves received from the climber transmitter 32 worn by the climber. This realizes the aforementioned victim search function.

As is clear from the above description, according to this embodiment, a climber who may be in a state of psychological panic can determine whether or not he or she is lost, and whether or not there is a risk of being lost. It is no longer necessary to select an action to avoid a shipwreck or to judge whether or not a shipwreck has occurred. As a result, according to the present embodiment, a climber can accurately know whether or not he/she is lost or not, and whether or not there is a risk of being lost, before the climber gets lost. In certain cases, it becomes possible to accurately know what actions to take to avoid a disaster.

In this embodiment, it is possible to consider that the part of the computer 134 of the mobile terminal 90 that executes steps S105, S106, and S108 in FIG. 10 constitutes an example of the reference transmitter determining part, and It can be considered that the part of the computer 134 of the mobile terminal 90 that executes steps S109 to S111 in the figure constitutes an example of the target transmitter determining part, and , it is possible to consider that the part that executes steps S115 and S116 in the figure constitutes an example of the walking state determination section, and the part that executes step S117 in the figure can be considered to constitute an example of the walking state determination section. It is possible to consider that the portion constitutes an example of the warning portion.

Additionally, in this embodiment, both the first characteristic section functioning as the reference transmitter determining section and the second characteristic section functioning as the target transmitter determining section are the same as the first characteristic section functioning as the walking state determining section. Although the three characteristic parts are also implemented in the computer 134 of the same mobile terminal 90, the present invention may be implemented in a mode in which all three characteristic parts are implemented in the computer 164 of the management server 50 instead. Alternatively, the present invention may be implemented in such a manner that some of these three features are implemented in the computer 164 of the management server 50.

Additionally, in the present embodiment, the mobile terminal 90 is configured to transmit information from the target transmitter on the premise that the climber does not fall off the mountain trail 14 (the climber does not deviate laterally from the mountain trail 14). If the signal cannot be received within the time limit f, it is determined that the climber may be lost.

In contrast, in the present invention, when the mobile terminal 90 cannot receive the signal from the target transmitter within the time limit f, the acceleration sensor 154 of the mobile terminal 90 is used to detect the acceleration of the mobile terminal 90, that is, the mountain climber's acceleration. The acceleration is measured, and if the absolute value of the measured value exceeds a predetermined value, it is determined that the climber may have deviated from the mountain trail 14 in the vicinity of the reference transmitter and may have slipped. It may be implemented in a manner. Here, the "possibility that the climber has slipped from the mountain trail 14" is an example of the aforementioned "abnormal walking condition."

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the present invention is applied to the use of guiding climbers on the mountain trail 14, but it can be applied to other uses.

For example, the present invention can be used to guide pedestrians on other types of mountain roads, guide pedestrians on forest roads, guide tours for visitors in facilities (e.g., factories, art museums, museums, public facilities, etc.), or Monitoring of behavior (entering prohibited areas, dangerous areas, etc.), guiding customers in stores where multiple products are displayed, monitoring student behavior on school routes (whether or not they deviate from the regular school route) etc.), may be applied to uses such as route guidance for pedestrians on walking paths, route guidance for bicycles on cycling courses, etc.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, all or part of the processing that was being executed on the mobile terminal 90 may be executed on the management server 50 instead, or conversely, the processing that was executed on the mobile terminal 90 may be executed on the management server 50 instead. All or part of the processing may be performed on the mobile terminal 90 instead. This is because the device on which a process is to be executed is usually determined by the circumstances at the time, such as the amount and type of data being handled, the processing speed and storage capacity of each device, etc. .

Some of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described above in detail based on the drawings, but these are merely examples, and those skilled in the art will be able to understand the embodiments including the embodiments described in the above [Summary of the Invention] column. It is possible to implement the present invention in other forms with various modifications and improvements based on knowledge.

Claims (8)

A target tracking system for tracking a target,
a drone for tracking the target;
a management server with which a communication terminal used for the target can communicate via the drone,
That drone is
a relay base station for establishing communication between the communication terminal and the management server;
A controller for controlling navigation of the drone;
The controller causes the drone to autonomously navigate toward the target in a state where a connection is not established between the communication terminal and the management server,
The management server remotely controls the drone based on position information received from the communication terminal via the relay base station in a state where a connection is established between the communication terminal and the management server. Target tracking system. A target tracking system for tracking a target,
a transmitter attached to the target, which transmits a unique signal;
a drone for tracking the target;
a management server with which a communication terminal used for the target can communicate via the drone,
That drone is
a relay base station for establishing communication between the communication terminal and the management server;
A controller that controls the navigation of the drone;
a receiver capable of receiving a signal from the transmitter;
The controller autonomously directs the drone toward the target based on changes in the strength of radio waves received by the receiver from the transmitter in a state where a connection is not established between the communication terminal and the management server. let it sail,
The management server remotely controls the drone based on position information received from the communication terminal via the relay base station in a state where a connection is established between the communication terminal and the management server. Target tracking system. A program for causing a computer to function as the communication terminal according to claim 1 or 2. A program for causing a computer to function as a management server according to claim 1 or 2. A program for causing a computer to function as the controller according to claim 1 or 2. A recording medium on which the program according to claim 3 is recorded in a computer-readable manner. A recording medium on which the program according to claim 4 is recorded in a computer-readable manner. A recording medium on which the program according to claim 5 is recorded in a computer-readable manner.

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