JP7251713B2 - guidance system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to guidance systems.

Conventionally, braille blocks (blocks for guiding visually impaired people) have been used as facilities for guiding visually impaired people.

Further, in Patent Document 1, a transmission system having a modulated wave output means for modulating a carrier wave into a modulated wave based on a walking position information signal and outputting the modulated wave, and the walking position information signal of the received modulated wave are specified An information guidance system has been proposed which includes a reception system having a modulated wave receiving means for converting the signal into a signal of . In the information guidance system, the transmission system has a signal output means for outputting an infrared signal as a target position information signal within a reachable range of the modulated wave and within a narrower range, and the signal output means It is placed on a target located within the reachable range. Further, the receiving system has signal receiving means for converting the target position information signal received by the signal receiving section capable of exhibiting reception directivity into a predetermined signal and outputting the signal.

JP-A-2000-285383

Braille blocks are widely used on road surfaces where a large number of people pass, such as sidewalks in urban areas, stations, and bus terminals. there were few things. For this reason, it has been difficult for the visually impaired to walk indoors in hotels, hospitals, government offices, etc., without assistance.

Further, in the information guidance system described in Patent Document 1, an infrared signal (target position information signal) indicating the position of a target is transmitted, and this is received by a signal receiving section capable of exhibiting reception directivity. . Therefore, there is a problem that the range in which the target position information signal can be received is narrow, and the walking position information signal cannot be received unless the target object is sufficiently approached.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a technology capable of appropriately assisting the movement of the user.

In order to solve the above problems, the guidance system of the present invention includes:
A plurality of beacons provided in a guidance target area, and a guide device carried by a user moving along a passage in the guidance target area and outputting guidance information to the user walking along the passage based on the beacon. A guidance system comprising:
The beacon comprises a transmitting unit that transmits a beacon signal containing information identifying the beacon,
The guide device
a positioning unit that receives the beacon signal and identifies the current position of the user based on the beacon signal;
a guidance generation unit that generates guidance information for heading to a destination along a predetermined route from the current position obtained by the positioning unit;
and an audio output unit that outputs the guidance information as an audio message.

The guidance system further comprises a management device in which each of the plurality of beacons performs mesh communication with other beacons and receives a signal from the guidance device through the mesh communication,
When the guidance device receives the beacon signal from the beacon provided outside the route, receives the beacon signal from the beacon provided outside the guidance area, or prohibits entry into the guidance area An anomaly notifying unit may be provided that, when receiving the beacon signal from the beacon provided in the area, transmits an anomaly notification of an anomaly to the management device through mesh communication of the beacon.

The guidance system further comprises a management device in which each of the plurality of beacons performs mesh communication with other beacons and receives a signal from the guidance device through the mesh communication,
The guide device periodically transmits a position signal indicating the current position to the management device,
When the management device does not receive the position signal for a predetermined time or longer, the management device may notify a manager of a request for relief.

In order to solve the above problems, the guiding method of the present invention comprises:
A guidance device that is carried by a user moving along a passage and outputs guidance information to the user walking along the passage based on a plurality of beacons provided on the passage,
receiving from the beacon a beacon signal including information identifying the beacon and determining the current location of the user based on the beacon signal;
a step of generating guidance information for heading to a destination along a predetermined route from the current position obtained in the above step;
and outputting the guidance information as a voice message.

In the guidance method, each of the plurality of beacons performs mesh communication with other beacons, and the guidance device communicates with the management device through the mesh communication,
When the guidance device receives the beacon signal from the beacon provided outside the route, receives the beacon signal from the beacon provided outside the guidance area, or prohibits entry into the guidance area When the beacon signal is received from the beacon provided in the area, an anomaly notification may be transmitted to the management device by mesh communication of the beacon.

In order to solve the above problems, the guidance program of the present invention includes:
A guidance device that is carried by a user moving through a passage and outputs guidance information to the user walking along the passage based on a plurality of beacons provided on the passage,
receiving from the beacon a beacon signal including information identifying the beacon and determining the current location of the user based on the beacon signal;
a step of generating guidance information for heading to a destination along a predetermined route from the current position obtained in the above step;
and outputting the guidance information as a voice message.

In the guidance program, each of the plurality of beacons performs mesh communication with other beacons, the guidance device communicates with a management device through the mesh communication, and the guidance device is provided outside the route. When the beacon signal is received from the beacon, when the beacon signal is received from a beacon provided outside the guidance target area, or when the beacon signal is received from the beacon provided in a restricted area within the guidance target area If received, an anomaly notification may be transmitted to the management device by means of mesh communication of the beacon.

Moreover, this invention may record the said program non-temporarily on the computer-readable recording medium. The function can be provided by causing a computer to read and execute the program of this recording medium.

Here, a computer-readable recording medium is a recording medium that stores information such as data and programs by electrical, magnetic, optical, mechanical, or chemical action and can be read by a computer, etc. Say. Examples of such recording media that can be removed from a computer or the like include flexible discs, magneto-optical discs, CDs (Compact Discs), CD-R/Ws, DVDs (Digital Versatile Discs), Blu-ray discs, Disc (registered trademark)), DAT, 8 mm tape, and memory cards such as flash memory. In addition, there are a hard disk, a ROM (read only memory), and the like as a recording medium fixed to a computer or the like.

According to this guidance system, it is possible to provide a technology capable of appropriately assisting the movement of the user.

1 is a schematic diagram of a guidance system; FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a data format of an advertisement packet; FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of functional blocks of a beacon according to the embodiment; It is a figure which shows the example of the functional block of the guidance apparatus which concerns on embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a position signal table in which identification information of beacons and coordinates of installation positions of beacons are stored in association with each other; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a beacon provided in a passage and its radio wave reachable range; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example in which the radio wave reachable distance of other beacons is set longer than the radio wave reachable distance of a beacon placed at an important point; FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a method of positioning using beacon signals received from a plurality of beacons; It is a figure which shows an example of the holding state of a guide apparatus. It is a figure which shows the example of the functional block of the management apparatus which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure which shows the hardware structural example of an information processing apparatus. It is a figure (1/2) which shows the guidance method which the guidance apparatus which concerns on embodiment performs. It is a figure (2/2) which shows the guidance method which the guidance apparatus which concerns on embodiment performs. It is a figure which shows the guidance method which the management apparatus which concerns on embodiment performs. It is a figure which shows the floor with the point (front desk) which starts guidance. It is a figure which shows the floor with a destination. It is a figure which shows arrangement|positioning of the beacon in a modification.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The configurations of the following embodiments are examples, and the present invention is not limited to the configurations of the embodiments.

<Embodiment 1>
"System configuration"
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a guidance system 1 according to the invention. The guidance system 1 mainly guides a user (for example, a visually impaired person) who moves through passages in a facility to a destination. The guidance system 1 includes a plurality of beacons 10 provided in and around the guidance target area, a guidance device 20 that outputs guidance information to the user based on signals acquired from the beacons 10, and the guidance device 20. and a management device 30 that manages information such as the position of the . The guidance system 1 of this embodiment uses the inside of a hotel as a guidance target area, and guides a user who has checked in at the front desk, for example, from the front desk to the guest room. Also, when the user inputs a destination at an arbitrary location such as an exit of an elevator or escalator or a guest room, guidance is provided from the current position to the destination. In this embodiment, the user's main means of transportation is walking. Also, when the user moves by taking an elevator or an escalator, it is regarded as the movement of the user.

A plurality of beacons 10 are installed along a passage along which a user using the guidance system 1 walks. In particular, the beacons 10 are provided at specific locations (hereinafter also referred to as key points) required for guidance, such as corners and junctions of passages, doors (entrances) of guest rooms, entrances and exits of elevators, and the like. In addition, the installation location in the passage for each installation position is arbitrarily provided, such as the side wall of the passage, the ceiling, or the floor. Moreover, the installation position of the beacon 10 is not limited to inside the passage, and may be provided outside the passage. For example, beacons 10 are installed outside the passage (outside the guide area) or in the restricted area in order to detect when the user leaves the passage or enters the restricted area. Each of the plurality of beacons 10 is arranged within the radio range of at least one other beacon 10, and has a function of mutually communicating with the other beacons, that is, a function of performing mesh communication. Form a network (mesh network). A plurality of beacons that are communicable with each other are collectively called a beacon mesh. The radio wave reachable distance of the beacon 10 may be determined according to the accuracy of finding the current location based on the beacon signal. For example, the radio wave reachable distance of a beacon provided at a key point such as a corner of a passage may be set shorter than the radio wave reachable distance of other beacons.

The beacon 10 transmits a beacon signal including identification information of the beacon 10 itself. This identification information is information that can uniquely identify each beacon 10 . The beacon 10 transmits beacon signals and communicates with other devices (such as the beacon 10) according to wireless communication standards such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), ZigBee (registered trademark), and wireless LAN. In this embodiment, the beacon 10 adopts Bluetooth Low Energy as a wireless communication standard and transmits an advertisement packet as a beacon signal. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the data format of an advertisement packet. As shown in FIG. 2, advertisement packet 61 has UUID 63 in payload 62 . In this embodiment, the beacon 10 transmits an advertising packet 61 including an ID 64 indicating the guidance service of this system and a UUID 63 including identification information 65 of the beacon 10 itself.

When the destination is input by the user's voice or the like, the guidance device 20 determines a route from the current location to the destination. For example, when the user checks in at the front desk and has decided on a room to stay in, when the user enters this room number, the guide device 20 moves from the current position (front desk) to the room (destination) identified by the room number. Calculate the route to By receiving the beacon signal from the beacon 10, the guidance device 20 specifies the current position of the guidance device 20, and outputs voice guidance for moving from the current position to the destination along the route to the user.

The management device 30 receives a signal from the guide device 20 via the beacon mesh, and notifies a manager (for example, front desk staff) when the user needs assistance.

<Functional configuration of beacon 10>
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of functional blocks of the beacon 10 according to this embodiment. The beacon 10 includes a communication section 11 and a storage section 12 .

The communication unit 11 is one form of a transmission unit that transmits beacon signals. The communication unit 11 transmits a beacon signal including, for example, an ID 64 (FIG. 2) indicating that it is a beacon signal of this system and identification information 65 of the beacon 10 as a UUID 63 . In addition, the communication unit 11 bidirectionally transmits and receives information to and from devices such as other beacons 10, guidance devices 20, and management devices 30 (hereinafter simply referred to as beacons 10 and the like). For example, mutual communication may be performed based on a profile such as GATT in BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy). For example, the communication unit 11 may perform connection-oriented communication. When the communication unit 11 receives a signal including the ID 64 indicating mesh communication and the identification information 65 of the beacon 10 from another beacon 10 or the like, the communication unit 11 mutually communicates with the other beacon 10 or the like to send a position signal, an abnormality notification, or the like. information and identification information indicating its destination is transmitted (multi-hop) to surrounding beacons or management devices 30 . The communication unit 11 stores information included in the received signal in the storage unit 12 .

The storage unit 12 is a nonvolatile memory such as an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory) such as a flash memory of a microprocessor.
) etc. In addition, the storage unit 12 stores predetermined identification information of its own beacon 10, information included in the received signal, and the like.

<Functional configuration of guide device 20>
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of functional blocks of the guide device 20 according to this embodiment. The guide device 20 is lent to the user at the time of check-in or the like, and is carried by the user to move with the user. The guide device 20 is configured as a dedicated device such as PDR (Pedestrian Dead Reckoning), for example. Further, the guidance device 20 may function as the guidance device 20 by executing a guidance program on a smartphone, mobile phone, or the like owned by the user. As shown in FIG. 4, the guidance device 20 includes a positioning unit 21, a route calculation unit 22, a guidance information generation unit 23, a guidance information output unit 24, a position information transmission unit 25, an abnormality notification unit 26, It has a storage unit 27 .

The positioning unit 21 receives a beacon signal from the beacon 10 and identifies the current position of the guidance device 20, that is, the current position of the user carrying the guidance device 20, based on the beacon signal. For example, the positioning unit 21 receives, as a beacon signal, an advertising packet including an ID 64 indicating that it is a beacon signal of the present system in the UUID, so that the radio wave of the beacon 10 identified by the identification information 65 included in the beacon signal is detected. It can be specified that the beacon 10 is located within the reachable distance, that is, it is located near the installation position of the beacon 10 .

In this case, identification information included in the currently received beacon signal can be used as position information indicating the current position. Further, the position information may be coordinates and latitude and longitude in a coordinate system defined in the space in which the pedestrian moves. In this case, as the position information indicating the current position, for example, coordinates or latitude and longitude indicating the installed position of the beacon specified from the currently received beacon signal can be used. Furthermore, the positioning unit 21 may determine the position of the guide device 20 based on the detection result of a detection unit such as an acceleration sensor or a geomagnetic sensor when the guide device 20 moves along with the movement of the user. For example, based on the beacon signal, it is detected that the guide device 20 is positioned at a key point such as the front desk or in front of an elevator. do. Specifically, the direction of movement and the Based on the amount of movement, the position after moving from this key point is obtained, and the coordinates or latitude and longitude indicating this position are used as the position information of the current position.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a position signal table in which the identification information of the beacon 10 and the coordinates of the installation position of the beacon 10 are stored in association with each other. The coordinates of the installation position in FIG. 5 are coordinates in a coordinate system consisting of X, Y, and Z axes that are orthogonal to each other and defined in the guidance target area. The position in the height direction is indicated by the value on the Z-axis. For example, when the identification information of the received beacon signal is 10-30, the positioning unit 21 refers to the position signal table to obtain the coordinates of the installation position of the beacon 10, and from these coordinates (3367, 5492, 2100) It specifies that the guidance device 20 exists within the radio wave coverage.

FIG. 6A is a diagram showing a beacon 10 provided in a passage and its radio coverage. In FIG. 6A, a plurality of beacons 10 are provided along the passage, and each reference numeral 10 is given a serial number, such as 10-21 to 10-42. Also, in FIG. 6A, the radio wave reachable ranges within the radio wave reachable distances from the respective beacons 10-21 to 10-42 are indicated by two-dot chain line circles 1A-21 to 1A-42. In the present embodiment, each beacon 10 is arranged within the radio wave reachable range of at least one other beacon 10. Therefore, the guide device 20 is positioned within the radio wave reachable range of a plurality of beacons 10 as shown in FIG. 6A. I often do. In FIG. 6A, the guidance device 20 is positioned within the radio coverage of the beacons 10-29 and 10-30. In this case, the positioning unit 21 refers to the position signal table to obtain the installation positions (3335, 5492, 2100) (3367, 5492, 2100) of the beacons 10-29 and 10-30, 2100), it may be specified that the guide device 20 exists.

When the position of the guiding device 20 is specified based on the beacon signal in this way, the shorter the radio wave reachable distance of the beacon signal, the narrower the specified range and the higher the accuracy. However, if the radio wave reachable distance is short, other beacons will be arranged within this radio wave reachable distance to form a beacon mesh, so it is necessary to install a large number of beacons 10 . For this reason, as shown in FIG. 6B, the radio wave reaching distance of the beacons 10-24 placed at strategic points is set shorter than the radio wave reaching distances of the other beacons 10 to increase the position detection accuracy at the strategic points. A configuration in which the number of beacons 10 to be installed may be reduced by setting the radio wave reaching distance of the beacon 10 to be long.

6A and 6B , based on the beacon signal received from the beacon 10, the guide device 20 was identified as being located within the radio wave range of the beacon 10. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the beacon signal The position of the guidance device 20 may be detected based on the received signal strength indicator (RSSI). The reception intensity decreases as the distance between the guide device 20 and the beacon 10 increases. For example, the received strength (energy) is proportional to the -2 power of the distance. Therefore, the guidance device 20 can obtain the distance to the beacon 10 that transmitted the beacon signal from the transmission power and reception intensity of the beacon signal. Further, the guide device 20 stores the positions of the beacons 10 in advance as shown in FIG. demand.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a method of positioning using beacon signals received from a plurality of beacons 10. FIG. Each beacon 10-31, 10-32, 10-33 transmits a beacon signal with a predetermined output (for example, 2 mW), and when the guidance device 20 receives the beacon signal transmitted with the predetermined output, the reception strength is measured. Then, the distance is obtained from the degree of this attenuation. Here, when the distance between the guide device 20 and the beacon 10-31 is r1, the guide device 20 is located on the circumference R1 of the radius r1 centered on the installation position (3399, 5492, 2100) of the beacon 10-31. exists. Similarly, when the distance from the beacon 10-32 is r2, the guide device 20 exists on the circumference R2 of the radius r2 centered on the installation position (3431, 5492, 2100) of the beacon 10-32, A guide device 20 is present on a circumference R3 with a radius r3 centered on the installation position (3430, 5534, 2100) of the beacon 10-33. Therefore, it can be determined that the current position of the guide device 20 is a point 99 where the circumferences R1, R2, and R3 intersect. Although the above example shows an example using three beacon signals,
Not limited to this, four or more beacon signals may be used, or two beacon signals may be used.

Also, the positioning unit 21 identifies the orientation of the guide device 20 based on the detection results of the detection unit such as an acceleration sensor and a geomagnetic sensor. Accordingly, the positioning unit 21 can identify the orientation of the user holding the guidance device 20 in a specific state. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the holding state of the guide device 20. As shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is a plan view of the user viewed from above, where the front side of the user 81 (upper side of the figure) is the front, the back side of the user 81 (lower side of the figure) is the rear, and the left and right sides of the user 81 are the left and right directions. In the example of FIG. 8, the user holds the guide device 20 horizontally in front of the chest, and the top of the guide device 20 faces forward. This makes it possible to identify the direction in which the user is guided from the direction of the guidance device 20 . It should be noted that FIG. 8 is an example, and is not limited to this holding form. Any holding form that can specify the relationship between 20 and the orientation of the user may be used.

The route calculation unit 22 calculates route information indicating a route to a destination based on map information stored in the storage unit 27 .

Guidance information generation unit 23 generates guidance information for heading to a predetermined destination from the current position and direction obtained by positioning unit 21 . For example, "Go straight for 10m and turn right at the end." "Go along the wall on the right." Generates information indicating the distance and direction to points of interest. For example, if the position information indicating the current position is the identification information of the beacon 10, the distance and direction from the installation position of the beacon 10 specified by this identification information to the next point are obtained from the map information. For example, as shown in FIG. 6A, the guide device 20 is positioned within the radio wave range of the beacons 10-29 and 10-30, and the guide device 20 is positioned between the beacons 10-29 and 10-30 (3351, 5492, 2100 ), the distance between these coordinates is calculated from these coordinates (3351, 5492, 2100) and the coordinates (3175, 5492, 2100) of the beacon 10-24 installed at the next point. Then, the guidance information indicating the distance to the next key point, such as "go straight for 10 m, and so on".

The guidance information output unit 24 outputs the guidance information generated by the guidance information generation unit 23 to the user. For example, the guidance information output unit 24 synthesizes a voice message based on the guidance information and outputs it from a speaker (not shown). In addition to the voice message, the guidance information output unit 24 causes the display device (not shown) to display and output the guidance information. In this case, the guidance information output unit 24 may change the size of the characters, the size of the display range, the background color to black, and the background color to be displayed in white characters, etc., depending on the mode and degree of the disability for the low vision user. You can also display it with other settings.

The location information transmission unit 25 periodically transmits location information indicating the current location to the management device 30 via surrounding beacons. The surrounding beacons 10 that have received the position information further transmit the position information to the surrounding beacons 10 (multi-hop), and the transmission to the surrounding beacons 10 is repeated to transmit the information to the management device 30 .

The anomaly notifying unit 26 sends an anomaly notification to notify an anomaly when a beacon signal is received from a beacon 10 provided outside the route, or when a beacon signal is received from a beacon 10 provided outside the guidance target area. 30. Further, the anomaly notification unit 26 notifies an anomaly when a beacon signal is received from a beacon 10 provided in a restricted area within the guidance target area, or when the user requests relief and selects transmission of a relief signal. Send to the management device 30 . The abnormality notification may be transmitted to the management device 30 via the beacon mesh, or may be transmitted via another communication line such as a mobile phone line or a wireless LAN (local area network).

The storage unit 27 stores position information indicating installation locations of the plurality of beacons 10 , operation settings, etc. in association with identification information (beacon ID) of each beacon 10 . The storage unit 27 also stores information such as map information used for guidance. For example, the position where the beacon 10 is provided is defined as a node, the path between the nodes where the user can move is defined as a link (edge), and the difficulty of movement (for example, the distance) when the user moves on the link is the cost ( weight), and the map information has information indicating these nodes, links, and costs.

<Functional configuration of management device 30>
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of functional blocks of the management device 30 according to the embodiment. The management device 30 is a computer, for example, and includes a position acquisition unit 31 , a notification control unit 32 and a storage unit 33 .

The position acquisition unit 31 acquires position information from the guide device 20 via the beacon mesh and stores it in the storage unit 33 .

When receiving an anomaly notification, the notification control unit 32 identifies the guide device 20 from the identification information of the anomaly notification, and the anomaly notification from the guide device 20, that is, the out-of-route notification, out-of-area notification, no-entry notification, or Notify the administrator (staff) that there is a request for relief. In addition, the notification control unit 32 receives position signals from each guidance device 20 at predetermined time intervals, and if there is a guidance device 20 that has not received a position signal for a predetermined period of time or more, determines that relief is required, and manages the information. Notify the person of the request for relief. For example, the notification control unit 32 displays the position of the guidance device 20 that has transmitted the abnormality notification or the position of the guidance device 20 determined to require assistance on the display device. In addition, the notification control unit 32 sends an e-mail indicating the position of the guidance device 20 that has transmitted the abnormality notification or the guidance device 20 that requires assistance to the terminal owned by the staff. The position of the guidance device 20 requiring relief is, for example, the position indicated by the latest position signal among the received position signals.

<Hardware configuration>
The guide device 20 uses a dedicated or general-purpose computer such as a smart phone, a mobile phone, a tablet terminal, a car navigation device, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), or a PC (Personal Computer), or an electronic device equipped with a computer. is feasible. The management device 30 can be implemented using a dedicated or general-purpose computer such as a PC, workstation (WS), or an electronic device equipped with a computer.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration example of an information processing apparatus. An information processing apparatus 90 shown in FIG. 10 has a configuration of a general computer. The guide device 20 and the management device 30 are realized by an information processing device 90 as shown in FIG. The information processing device 90 has a processor 91 , a memory 92 , a storage device 93 , an input section 94 , an output section 95 and a communication control section 96 . These are connected to each other by buses. The memory 92 and storage device 93 are computer-readable recording media. The hardware configuration of the information processing apparatus is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 10, and components may be omitted, replaced, or added as appropriate.

The processor 91 loads a program stored in a recording medium into a work area of a memory 92 and executes the program, and the information processing apparatus 90 is configured to meet a predetermined purpose by controlling each component and the like through the execution of the program. function can be realized.

The processor 91 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor).

The memory 92 is, for example, a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a ROM (Read Only Memory).
)including. The memory 92 is also called main memory.

The storage device 93 is, for example, an EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), a hard disk drive (HDD), or a solid state drive (SSD). The storage device 93 can also include removable media, ie, portable recording media. Removable media are, for example, USB (Universal Serial Bus) memories, or disc recording media such as CDs (Compact Discs) and DVDs (Digital Versatile Discs). The storage device 93 is also called a secondary storage device.

The storage device 93 stores various programs, various data, and various tables in a recording medium in a readable and writable manner. The storage device 93 stores an operating system (OS), various programs, various tables, and the like. Information stored in storage device 93 may be stored in memory 92 . Information stored in the memory 92 may also be stored in the storage device 93 .

An operating system is software that mediates between software and hardware, manages memory space, manages files, and manages processes and tasks. The operating system includes a communication interface. The communication interface is a program that exchanges data with other external devices connected via the communication control unit 96 . The external device and the like include, for example, another information processing device, an external storage device, and the like.

The input unit 94 includes a keyboard, pointing device, wireless remote controller, touch panel, and the like. Also, the input unit 94 can include a detection device such as an acceleration sensor or an orientation sensor, or an audio input device such as a microphone.

The output unit 95 includes a display device such as a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) display, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), a PDP (Plasma Display Panel), an EL (Electroluminescence) panel, and an output device such as a printer. Also, the output unit 95 can include an output device that outputs sound such as a speaker, or an output device that outputs vibration such as a vibrator.

The communication control unit 96 connects to another device and controls communication between the information processing device 90 and the other device. The communication control unit 96 is, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) interface board, a wireless communication circuit for wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), or a communication circuit for telephone communication. The LAN interface board and wireless communication circuit are connected to a network such as the Internet.

In the computer that implements the guidance device 20, the processor 91 loads a program stored in the secondary storage device 93 into the main storage device 92 and executes it, thereby obtaining the positioning unit 21, the route calculation unit 22, and the guidance information. The functions of the generation unit 23, the guidance information output unit 24, the position information transmission unit 25, and the abnormality notification unit 26 are realized. The storage unit 27 of the guidance device 20 is provided in the storage area of the main storage device 92 or the secondary storage device 93 .

In the computer that implements the management device 30, the processor 91 loads a program stored in the secondary storage device 93 into the main storage device 92 and executes the functions of the position acquisition unit 31 and the notification control unit 32. Realize Also, the storage unit 33 of the management device 30 is provided in a storage area of the main storage device 92 or the secondary storage device 93 .

<Guidance method>
A guidance method executed by the guidance device 20 and the management device 30 based on a program in the guidance system 1 of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12. FIG. First, when the guidance program of the guidance device 20 is activated by an instruction from the user or the like, the guidance device 20 starts the processing of FIG.

11A and 11B are diagrams showing the guidance method executed by the guidance device 20 according to this embodiment. In step S10, the guidance device 20 is operated by a user or the like to receive input of information indicating a destination. The information indicating the destination is, for example, identification information (room number) that can uniquely identify the room (guest room) in which the user stays. Further, the identification information is not limited to the guest room, and may be identification information indicating a place such as a meeting room, a dining room, a restroom, a vending machine, or the like.

In step S<b>20 , guidance device 20 receives a beacon signal from beacon 10 and specifies the current position of guidance device 20 . Further, the guidance device 20 identifies the orientation of the guidance device 20, that is, the orientation of the user, based on the detection results of the detection units such as the acceleration sensor and the geomagnetic sensor.

At step S<b>30 , the guidance device 20 calculates route information indicating a route to the destination based on the map information stored in the storage unit 27 . For example, when the user checks in at the front desk and inputs the room number of the guest room to stay in, the route calculation unit 22 calculates route information from the front desk (current location) to the guest room (destination) specified by the room number. Calculated from map information. In addition, when the hotel staff guides the user from the front desk to the elevator, and the user gets off the elevator on the floor where the room (destination) is located, and the user inputs the room number by voice, the guidance device 20 is displayed in front of the elevator (current location). to the guest room (destination) specified by the room number is calculated from the map information. Any route search algorithm such as the Dijkstra method can be used as a method for calculating route information from map information.

In step S35, the guidance device 20 notifies the start of guidance. For example, the guidance device 20 outputs the route from the current location to the destination as a voice message to the user, and also sends a start signal including information indicating the start of guidance and identification information of the guidance device 20 to the management device 30. Send to

At step S40, the guidance device 20 generates guidance information for heading to a predetermined destination from the current position and direction obtained at step S20. For example, if the next turn indicated by the route information is a right turn 10 meters away from the current position and orientation of the user, the next turn, that is, the next turn, is displayed, such as "Go straight for 10 meters and turn right at the end." Information is generated that indicates, for example, a location where the direction to proceed to is changed. Further, the guidance information generating unit 23 guides the traveling direction based on the direction of the user and the route information when the user is not facing the traveling direction. For example, guidance indicating the direction relative to the current direction of the user, such as "Go straight to the left." "Go along the wall on the right." Generate information.

At step S50, the guidance device 20 synthesizes a voice message based on the guidance information generated at step S40, and outputs it to the user from a speaker (not shown). In addition to the voice message, the guidance information output unit 24 may display and output guidance information on a display device (not shown). In this case, the guidance information output unit 24 displays settings according to the mode and degree of the user's disability, such as the size of characters, the size of the display range, and the background color of black and white characters. may

In step S60, the guidance device 20 periodically transmits position information indicating the current position to the management device 30 via the beacon mesh. The guidance device 20 transmits the received beacon signal and the identification information of the guidance device 20 as a position signal to the surrounding beacons 10, for example, every time a beacon signal is received from the beacon 10 or at predetermined time intervals. Position signals received by surrounding beacons 10 are transmitted to the management device 30 through mesh communication by each beacon. This transmission of the position signal is for the management device 30 to manage the current position of the guidance device 20. Therefore, if the management device 30 does not need to manage the current position, step S60 may be omitted. No signal transmission is required.

At step S70, the guidance device 20 determines whether the current position is off the route. For example, when the guide device 20 receives a beacon signal from a beacon 10 that is not adjacent to the route or a beacon 10 that is located at a predetermined distance or more from the route, i. I judge that. The guiding device 20 proceeds to step S80 if the determination in step S70 is negative, and proceeds to step S85 if the determination is positive. In step S85, the guidance device 20 notifies the user of information indicating that the vehicle has deviated from the route (out-of-route notification) by voice, display, vibration, or the like. At this time, the guide device 20 may obtain the current position and orientation of the guide device 20, obtain a return route for returning from the current position to the predetermined route, and output the result to the user. For example, a message indicating the return route is output by voice or display, such as "Go back 5m, turn right and return to the original route."

Further, the guidance device 20 may transmit an out-of-route notification to the management device 30 . Upon receiving the notification, the administrator responds by calling the user, rushing to the user, or activating the alarm device 40 . In FIG. 11, steps S40 to S110 are repeated until the destination is reached, as will be described later. Therefore, when the guide device 20 deviates from the route, the affirmative determination is repeatedly made in step S70 until it returns to the route. In this case, instead of always outputting the out-of-route notification in step S75, it may be output every predetermined number of times or every time a predetermined period elapses. Further, after the affirmative determination is made in step S70, until the affirmative determination is continuously repeated a predetermined number of times or for a predetermined period of time, an out-of-route notification is output to the user, and the user cannot return to the original route even after a predetermined number of times or a predetermined period of time. A configuration may be adopted in which an out-of-route notification is output to the management device 30 when there is no route. That is, it may be configured such that when the user is initially deviated from the route, the out-of-route notification is output only to the user, and the out-of-route notification is output to the management device 30 when the user cannot return to the route by himself/herself.

In step S80, the guidance device 20 determines whether or not it is out of the guidance target area. For example, when the guide device 20 receives a beacon signal from a beacon 10 provided outside the guidance target area, for example, a beacon 10 provided outside the hotel or on a passage leading to the outside of the hotel, it determines that the guide device 20 has left the guidance target area. do. In addition, in the present embodiment, when the guidance device 20 exists within the guidance target area, the beacon signal can generally be received from the beacon 10. Therefore, if the beacon signal cannot be received for a predetermined time or longer, the guidance device 20 It may be determined that the vehicle is out of the guidance target area. The guidance device 20 uses the detection result of the acceleration sensor, and does not add the time during which the beacon signal cannot be received, i.e., the time during which the acceleration is less than the threshold, and the time during movement, that is, the time during which the acceleration is equal to or greater than the threshold. is counted, and when the beacon signal cannot be received for a predetermined time or more, it may be determined that the area is out of the guidance target area. The guidance device 20 proceeds to step S90 if the determination in step S80 is negative, and proceeds to step S85 if determined affirmative. In step S85, the guidance device 20 notifies the user of information indicating that the user has left the guidance target area (out-of-area notification) by voice, display, vibration, or the like. At this time, the guidance device 20 may obtain the current position and orientation of the guidance device 20, obtain a return route for returning from the current position to the guidance target area, and output it to the user. For example, a message indicating the return route, such as "go along the wall on the right and return to the guidance target area", is output by voice or display.

Further, the guidance device 20 may transmit an out-of-area notification to the management device 30 . Upon receiving the notification, the administrator responds by calling the user, rushing to the user, or activating the alarm device 40 . When the guidance device 20 leaves the guidance target area, the affirmative determination is repeatedly made in step S80 until the guidance device 20 returns to the guidance target area. In this case, instead of always outputting the out-of-area notification in step S85, it may be output every predetermined number of times or every time a predetermined period elapses. Further, after the affirmative determination is made in step S80, until the affirmative determination is continuously repeated a predetermined number of times or for a predetermined period of time, an out-of-area notification is output to the user, and the user cannot return to the guidance target area even after a predetermined number of times or a predetermined period of time has passed. If not, it may be configured to output an out-of-area notification to the management device 30 . In other words, the out-of-area notification may be output only to the user at the beginning of leaving the guidance target area, and the out-of-area notification may be output to the management device 30 when the user cannot return by himself.

In step S90, the guide device 20 determines whether or not the entry is into a restricted area. For example, when the guide device 20 receives a beacon signal from a predetermined beacon 10 provided in an off-limits area such as an emergency staircase or a machine room, it determines that the off-limits area has been entered. The guiding device 20 proceeds to step S100 if the determination in step S90 is negative, and proceeds to step S95 if the determination is affirmative. In step S95, the guidance device 20 notifies the user of information indicating that the user has entered the restricted area (no-entry notification) by voice, display, vibration, or the like. At this time, the guidance device 20 may obtain the current position and orientation of the guidance device 20, obtain a return route for exiting the off-limits area, and output it to the user. For example, a message indicating the return route is output by voice or display, such as "This is a restricted area. Go left for 10 m, turn right at the end, and exit the restricted area."

Further, the guidance device 20 may transmit a no-entry notice to the management device 30 . Upon receiving the notification, the administrator responds by calling the user, rushing to the user, or activating the alarm device 40 . When the guidance device 20 enters the off-limits area, the positive determination is repeatedly made in step S90 until it leaves the area. In this case, instead of always outputting the no-entry notification in step S95, it may be output every predetermined number of times or every time a predetermined period elapses. In addition, after the affirmative determination is made in step S90, until the affirmative determination is continuously repeated a predetermined number of times or for a predetermined period of time, a no-entry notification is output to the user, and the user leaves the restricted area even after the elapse of a predetermined number of times or a predetermined period of time. The configuration may be such that a no-entry notification is output to the management device 30 when the access is not permitted. That is, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which, when entering a restricted area, a restricted access notification is first output only to the user, and a restricted access notification is output to the management device 30 when the user cannot leave the restricted area by himself/herself. good.

In step S100, guidance device 20 determines whether or not the user has selected to call a staff member. If the determination in step S100 is negative, the guide device 20 proceeds to step S110, and if the determination is positive, the guide device 20 proceeds to step S120 and transmits a relief signal (relief request) to the management device 30. FIG.

In step S110, the guidance device 20 determines whether or not the destination has been reached. For example, the guidance device 20 determines that the destination has been reached when receiving a beacon signal from the beacon 10 provided at the destination. If a negative determination is made in step S110, the guidance device 20 proceeds to step S130, receives a beacon signal from the beacon 10, identifies the current position of the guidance device 20, and returns to step S40. On the other hand, if the determination in step S110 is affirmative, the guidance device 20 proceeds to step S140 and gives an end notification. For example, the guidance device 20 notifies the user such as "You have arrived at your destination." Send.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a guidance method executed by the management device 30 according to this embodiment. When the guidance program of the management device 30 is activated by an instruction from an administrator or the like, the management device 30 starts the process of FIG. 12 .

In step S210, the management device 30 waits for a position signal from each guide device 20 via the beacon mesh, and stores the position signal in the storage unit 33 together with the reception time when the position signal is received.

In step S220, the management device 30 waits for a start signal from each guide device 20 via the beacon mesh, and stores the start signal in the storage unit 33 together with the reception time when it is received. That is, the guiding device 20 which is in the midst of guiding can be identified from the start signal, and managed so that relief can be provided when the position signal cannot be received as will be described later.

In step S<b>230 , the management device 30 waits for an end signal from each guidance device 20 via the beacon mesh, and stores the end signal in the storage unit 33 when it is received.

In step S240, the management device 30 refers to the storage unit 33 to determine whether there is a guidance device 20 that has not received the end signal after receiving the start signal and has not received the position signal for a predetermined time or longer. determine whether If the determination in step S250 is negative, the management device 30 proceeds to step S260, and if the determination is affirmative, the management device 30 proceeds to step S270 and notifies the administrator that relief is required. At this time, the management device 30 obtains information indicating the position (for example, the installation position of the beacon 10) from the last position signal received from the guide device 20, and obtains the information indicating the position and the reception time of the last received position signal. to the administrator along with the fact that relief is required.

In step S250, the management device 30 waits for an abnormality notification such as an out-of-route notification, an out-of-area notification, a no-entry notification, a rescue signal, etc., and receives an abnormality notification from the guidance device 20 via the beacon mesh or other wireless communication line. If so, it is stored in the storage unit 33 together with the position signal received from the guide device 20 .

In step S260, management device 30 determines whether or not an abnormality notification has been received. If the determination in step S260 is negative, the management device 30 ends the process of FIG. 12, and if the determination is positive, the process proceeds to step S270 and notifies the administrator of the received abnormality notification. At this time, the management device 30 may notify the manager of the location signal of the guidance device 20 together with the abnormality notification. This allows the administrator to rush to the user based on the location signal. In addition, based on the position signal, the administrator activates the alarm device 40 installed near the user, and informs the user and the staff in the vicinity that the user has deviated from the route, It is possible to notify that the user has left the guidance target area or entered a restricted area. In addition, the management device 30 may notify the administrator of the user's name, telephone number, gender, age, etc. along with the abnormality notification. As a result, the administrator can know that an abnormality has occurred and the user's information, which can be used as a clue to find the user when rushing to the user's place. Furthermore, the management device 30 presents the administrator with options such as "display a map of the location where the user is", "call the user", and "activate an alarm device near the user", and the process selected by the administrator is performed. may be configured to execute That is, a process of displaying a map of the location of the guide device 20 owned by the user based on the position signal, a process of calling the phone number of the mobile phone owned by the user, and a process of calling the phone number of the mobile phone owned by the user based on the position signal. A process for activating the alarm device 40 installed at a nearby position is performed.
Note that the management device 30 repeatedly executes the process of FIG. 12 until an administrator or the like instructs to stop the guidance process.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a floor on which a guidance start point (front) is located, and FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a floor on which a destination is located.

As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the beacons 10 are mainly provided along passages, especially at specific locations required for guidance, such as corners, junctions, doors (entrances) of cabins, entrances to elevators, and the like. is provided. 13 and 14, the beacons 10 used for explanation are shown as 10-1 to 10-17 for convenience.

As shown in FIG. 13, the front 71 is provided with a beacon 10-1. When the user 72 checks in at the front desk, the guide device 20 is lent out, and the user 72 or the front desk staff inputs the destination room number (501 in FIG. 14) into the guide device 20 (step S10).

The guidance device 20 receives a beacon signal from the beacon 10-1 provided at the front desk, identifies the current location (step S20), and calculates a route from the current location to the destination (room 501) from the map information (step S20). S30).

When starting guidance, the guidance device 20 outputs a voice message from the current location to the destination so that the user can grasp the entire route in advance (step S35). For example, "From your current location, go 3m to the left and turn right, go 20m and turn right at the end, there is an elevator 3m ahead. Go up to the 5th floor by elevator, go straight 3m after getting off the elevator, turn left, go 15m, Turn left at the end of the road, go 10m, and the right hand side is Room 501 (destination)."

Then, when the user starts moving and receives a beacon signal from the beacon 10-2, the guide device 20 guides the user to change the direction of travel, such as "Turn right and go straight for 20 m." (steps S40 to S60). At this time, if the user is facing the lower side of FIG. 13, it is a right turn, but the turning direction differs depending on the direction of the user. Therefore, according to the orientation of the user detected in step S20, guidance is provided so that the user faces the beacons 10-3 to 10-5. For example, at the point where the beacon 10-2 is installed in FIG. 13, if the user is facing the right side of FIG. 13, that is, the direction opposite to the direction of travel, the user will say, "Turn 180 degrees and go straight for 20 m." Guidance is provided according to the orientation of the user.

Further, the guide device 20 determines whether the route is out of the route, whether the destination has been reached, etc. (steps S70 to S110). ), the process of outputting guidance information (steps S40 to S60) is repeated. If the beacon signal received in step S130 is the same as the one received last time, the processes of steps S40 to S100 are omitted until a predetermined time has passed since the previous guidance information was output, and the same guidance information need not be output. may be prevented from being repeated in

Then, when receiving the beacon signal of the beacon 10-3, the guide device 20 guides the distance to the next corner, such as "Go 15 m and turn right at the end." When the beacon signals of the beacons 10-4 and 10-5 are received, the guidance device 20, in the same way as when the beacon signal of the beacon 10-3 is received, says, "Go 10 meters and turn right at the end." Turn right at the end of the road." In this embodiment, beacons 10 are also provided at locations other than corners to form a beacon mesh, providing guidance not only when reaching a corner, but also on the way to the next corner. be able to.

The beacon 10-6 is installed in front of the elevator on the 1st floor, the beacon 10-7 is installed in the elevator, and the beacon 10-8 is installed in front of the elevator on the 5th floor. Upon receiving the beacon signal of the beacon 10-6, the guidance device 20 provides guidance that the user has arrived at the entrance of the elevator, such as "In front of the elevator", and the user operates the operation buttons of the elevator. When the elevator reaches the first floor and the door opens, the guide device 20 receives the beacon signal of the beacon 10-7 provided in the elevator to guide the arrival of the elevator. For example, guidance such as "The elevator has arrived. The operation panel is on the left hand side after entering the elevator."

When the user operates the elevator so that it stops at the target floor (fifth floor in this example), the elevator stops at the fifth floor and the door is opened, the beacon 10-8 provided in front of the elevator on the fifth floor is activated. It receives a beacon signal and guides that it has arrived at the target floor. For example, the guidance device 20 provides guidance on the 5th floor, such as "You have arrived at the 5th floor. Go forward 3 meters and turn left."

When receiving the beacon signals of the beacons 10-10 to 10-15, the guide device 20 will say, "Go ahead for 15 m and turn left at the end," as in the case of receiving the beacon signals of the beacons 10-3 to 10-5. "Go straight for 5m and turn left at the end."

When the guide device 20 receives the beacon signal of the beacons 10-16, it indicates that the corner is a corner and the distance to the destination, such as "Turn left, go 10 m and the right hand side is Room 501 (destination)." When the beacon signals of beacons 10-17 are received, the distance to the destination is guided, such as "Room 501 (destination) is on the right after 5m.".

Then, when the user reaches the destination and receives the beacon signals of the beacons 10 to 18, the guidance device 20 displays arrival and guidance such as "The destination has been reached. Guidance ends." The end is notified (step S140). The beacon 10-18 provided in front of the door of the guest room has a shorter radio range than other beacons, such as the beacon 10-17, in order to increase the accuracy of position identification based on the beacon signal. ing. Then, another beacon 10-17 is provided within the radio wave coverage range of the beacon 10-18, and mesh communication is enabled via the beacon 10-17 while increasing the accuracy of position identification using the beacon signal of the beacon 10-18. ing. Further, even if the radio wave reachable distance of the beacon 10-18 is set short, guidance to the destination is provided based on the beacon signal from the beacon 10-17. You can't get lost between The beacons 10 installed in front of the doors of other guest rooms may also be set to have a smaller radio wave reach than other beacons 10 such as 10-10 to 10-15. In addition, the radio wave reachable distance of the beacons 10 installed in specific places required for guidance, such as corners and branch points of aisles, entrances and exits of elevators, etc., is set short, and this radio wave reachable distance is set to be short. It may be configured to provide another beacon 10 within.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the position of a visually impaired person moving within a facility is specified based on a beacon signal, and voice guidance indicating the direction and distance of movement is output to facilitate the movement of the visually impaired person. can appropriately support

In particular, in this embodiment, even if the radio wave reachable distance of the beacon 10 provided at a specific location required for guidance is set short, the radio wave reachable distance is set short based on the beacon signals from the other beacons 10. Since the user is guided to the beacon that has been set to a short radio wave reachable distance, the user does not get lost until the beacon signal is received from the beacon whose radio wave reachable distance is set to be short.

Furthermore, when the guidance device 20 determines that it has deviated from the route, determined that it has deviated from the guidance target area, or determined that it has entered a restricted area, it transmits an abnormality notification to the management device 30 so that the administrator can You can request a response.

The management device 30 periodically acquires the position of the guide device 20, and if the position signal of the guide device 20 cannot be received for a predetermined time or longer, it notifies the manager of relief. Thus, even if the user cannot use the guidance device 20 and has left the guidance target area without requesting relief, the administrator can go to rescue the user based on the relief request.

<Modification>
In the above-described embodiment, each beacon 10 forms a beacon mesh and communicates with the management device 30 mainly by mesh communication. good. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing the arrangement of beacons 10 in this modified example. As shown in FIG. 15, in this modified example, beacons 10 are arranged only at key points of guidance, such as corners of passages and doors of passenger cabins. For this reason, each beacon 10 does not perform mesh communication because it is not always the case that other beacons 10 are arranged within the range of radio wave coverage.

In this modification, the guidance device 20 has the same configuration as the above-described embodiment, and when communicating with the management device 30, communicates with the management device 30 via a mobile phone line or wireless LAN instead of mesh communication. . For example, when a beacon signal is received from the beacon 10 when determining the current position in steps S20 and S130 in FIG. or wireless LAN.

In this modification, the guide device 20 is not configured to always receive the beacon signal, but after passing a turn, until the next turn (key point) is reached, etc. does not receive a beacon signal, the transmission of the current position in step S60 may be omitted. However, if the current position can be determined by autonomous navigation using an acceleration sensor, a direction sensor, or the like, the current position may be transmitted in step S60.

The management device 30 also has the same configuration as the above-described embodiment, and when communicating with the guidance device 20, it communicates via a mobile phone line or a wireless LAN instead of mesh communication. For example, when communicating with the guidance device 20 in steps S210 to S230, S250, and S270 in FIG. 12, a mobile phone line or wireless LAN is used. Note that steps S210 to S240 in FIG. 12 may be omitted if the current position of the guide device 20 is not managed.

Thus, according to this modified example, it is possible to eliminate the beacons 10 to be placed at places other than the important points, reduce the number of beacons to be placed, and simplify the system. Note that the configuration is not limited to the configuration in which all the beacons 10 in the guidance system 1 do not perform mesh communication, and a configuration in which there are beacons 10 that perform mesh communication and beacons 10 that do not perform mesh communication may be employed. For example, in areas such as lobbies and public facilities that are frequently used by users or areas where routes are difficult to understand, a large number of beacons 10 are arranged to perform mesh communication, and in areas with low use frequency, beacons 10 are arranged only at key points. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which mesh communication is not performed. In this case, the guide device 20 identifies whether or not the beacon 10 performs mesh communication based on the beacon signal, and if it is within the radio wave reachability of the beacon 10 that performs mesh communication, the management device 30 via the beacon mesh. If it is not within the range of the radio waves of the beacon 10 that performs mesh communication, communication with the management device 30 may be performed via a mobile phone line or a wireless LAN.

1: guidance system 10: beacon 11: communication unit 12: storage unit 20: guidance device 21: positioning unit 22: route calculation unit 23: guidance information generation unit 24: guidance information output unit 25: position information transmission unit 26: abnormality notification Unit 27 : Storage unit 30 : Management device 31 : Position acquisition unit 32 : Notification control unit 33 : Storage unit 61 : Advertise packet

Claims (1)

A plurality of beacons provided in a guidance target area, and a guide device carried by a user moving along a passage in the guidance target area and outputting guidance information to the user walking along the passage based on the beacon. A guidance system comprising:
The beacon comprises a transmitting unit that transmits a beacon signal containing information identifying the beacon,
The guide device
a positioning unit that receives the beacon signal and identifies the current position of the user based on the beacon signal;
a guidance generation unit that generates guidance information for heading to a destination along a predetermined route from the current position obtained by the positioning unit;
a voice output unit that outputs the guidance information as a voice message,
The plurality of beacons are
a first beacon provided at a key point, which is a specific place requiring guidance, and having a radio wave transmission distance for transmitting the beacon signal determined according to a predetermined position detection accuracy;
A second beacon provided at a location other than the key point and having a longer reach of the radio waves than the first beacon ,
A plurality of the beacons each further comprises a management device that performs mesh communication with other beacons and receives a signal from the guide device through the mesh communication,
The guide device periodically transmits a position signal indicating the current position to the management device,
When the management device does not receive the position signal for a predetermined time or longer, it notifies the manager of a request for relief.
guidance system.

Images