JP7262121B2 - Movement assistance system, mobile communication device, orientation detection device and computer program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a mobility assistance system, a mobile communication device, an orientation detection device, and a computer program.

As a device intended to assist the movement of a user, Patent Document 1 discloses a device that detects the current position of a pedestrian who is the user of the device and reaches a destination point preset by the pedestrian from the current position. It is described that the presence of an intersection ahead on the moving route is notified by voice or the like.

JP 2018-109554 A (paragraphs 0038 and 0071)

The device described in Patent Document 1 assumes guidance along a moving route set by a pedestrian, and is forward on the moving route, in other words, the intersection between the current position of the pedestrian and the destination point. It is the one that makes the existence known.

Here, the direction in which the pedestrian actually faces forward (that is, the actual traveling direction) does not always match the forward direction on the movement route. For example, when passing through an intersection, it may be necessary to cross a road on the travel route depending on the situation. According to a satellite positioning system such as GPS, which is generally used to detect the current position, it is possible to estimate the traveling direction from the trajectory traced by the pedestrian, that is, from the transition of the position in the past. However, satellite positioning systems are not adequately capable of detecting heading until a pedestrian stops (eg, stops and turns before a pedestrian crossing or traffic light).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a movement assistance system, a mobile communication device, an orientation detection device, and a computer program in consideration of the above problems.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a direction identification unit configured to identify the direction in which the mobile communication device faces as the traveling direction of the user of the mobile communication device, and road or traffic guidance information related to a target area on the road and an information transmission unit configured to be able to transmit the information, receive the guidance information transmitted by the information transmission unit, and provide the guidance information to the user in association with the traveling direction identified by the direction identification unit. and a signal transmitter provided at a known position and capable of transmitting a radio signal containing radio waves of a predetermined wavelength. In this embodiment, the direction specifying unit detects radio waves transmitted by the signal transmitting unit, detects the relative direction of the mobile communication device to the signal transmitting unit based on the detected radio waves, and detects the detected mobile communication Based on the relative orientation of the device and the orientation of the known location relative to the mobile communication device, the direction in which the mobile communication device is facing can be determined.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide road or traffic guide information after specifying or confirming the direction in which the user actually faces (the actual direction of travel), thereby providing more appropriate information for the user. Contributes to the provision of guidance information and promotion of further safety.

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a movement assistance system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a structural diagram of a data frame applicable to the mobility assistance system according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is an operation explanatory diagram of the mobility assistance system according to the embodiment, and shows transmission and reception of signals among the center, the roadside unit, and the smart phone (when the smart phone calculates the direction of travel). FIG. 4 is an operation explanatory diagram of the mobility assistance system according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and shows transmission and reception of signals among the center, roadside units, and smartphones (when the center calculates the direction of travel). FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the overall operation using a wide-area map of the vicinity of the intersection targeted for road and traffic guidance. FIG. 6 is an operation explanatory diagram using an enlarged map of the intersection shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a relative positional relationship between a transmitter, a smartphone (antenna), and a traffic light. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the principle of calculating the traveling direction. FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing the overall flow of control relating to road and traffic guidance according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing the details of forward direction detection processing according to the embodiment. FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing the overall flow of control relating to road and traffic guidance according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a flow chart showing the details of processing performed by the center regarding road and traffic guidance according to the embodiment.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<1. First Embodiment>
(Overall Configuration and Basic Operation of Mobility Assistance System)
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a mobility assistance system S1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

In this embodiment, the movement assistance system S1 is applied to road or traffic guidance for pedestrians moving on roads (sidewalks). A pedestrian is an example of a “user” and possesses a smart phone SP. Pedestrians can receive guidance of roads or traffic on the route on which they are traveling via the smartphone SP.

The movement assistance system S1 includes a traffic signal roadside device 1 and a smartphone SP. In other words, the roadside device 1 and the smartphone SP work together to realize the "movement assistance system" according to the present embodiment. The roadside device 1 and the smartphone SP can communicate with each other wirelessly. In this embodiment, communication between the roadside device 1 and the smartphone SP is based on the Bluetooth (registered trademark) 5.1 standard.

The roadside device 1 is attached to a traffic light provided at an intersection on a route along which pedestrians move. An intersection is an example of a "target area on the road." The traffic signal includes a roadside device 1, a signal controller 2, and a signal lamp device 3. The signal controller 2 sends a signal to the roadside device 1 (specifically, a control unit 101 described below) and the signal lamp device 3 connected via a wire. The signal controller 2 controls the current state of the signal by the traffic signal, that is, the red, blue, or yellow lighting state by the signal lamp device 3 . Here, the signal controller 2 collects various types of information for grasping the traffic situation near the intersection, and based on the various types of information, the current state of the signal by the traffic signal is adapted to the actual traffic situation. Execute matching controls. For example, the signal controller 2 receives a signal from a push button attached to the traffic signal, switches the lighting state of the signal lamp 3 from red to blue, or extends the lighting time of the green signal more than usual. or The signal lamp device 3 receives a command signal (or lamp color signal) from the signal controller 2 and displays a signal of the color indicated by the command signal.

The roadside device 1 includes a control section 101 and a transmission/reception section 102 .

The control unit 101 generates road or traffic guidance information (hereinafter referred to as “pedestrian guidance information”) related to the intersection and provides it to the pedestrian's smart phone SP. Pedestrian guidance information is provided to the smartphone SP by wireless communication via the transmission/reception unit 102 . In this embodiment, the "road or traffic guidance information" includes the intersection ID, the light color state of the traffic light device 3, and the remaining time of the green light.

The transmitting/receiving unit 102 is connected to the control unit 101 via a signal line, can wirelessly communicate with the smartphone SP, and transmits pedestrian guidance information to the smartphone SP, as described above. The transmission/reception unit 102 also receives user input information from the smartphone SP. User input information is information input by a user (that is, a pedestrian) as a response to pedestrian guidance information. This information indicates a request to switch the lighting state of the signal lamp device 3 to green or to extend the lighting time of the green signal. Here, the blue light state of the traffic light device 3 corresponds to the "crossing permission signal of the traffic light device", and the lighting time of the green light corresponds to the "display time of the crossing permission signal".

The smart phone SP is an example of a mobile terminal device, embodies the “mobile communication device” according to the present embodiment, and provides pedestrian guidance information received from the transmission/reception unit 102 of the roadside unit 1 to pedestrians. Pedestrian guidance information may be provided to pedestrians audibly through speakers or visually through screens. The smartphone SP searches for the name of the intersection from the intersection ID when providing guidance to the pedestrian. In other words, the pedestrian guidance information provided to pedestrians includes the name of the intersection, the light color state of the signal lamp 3, and the remaining time of the green light.

The smartphone SP includes a touch panel display that can be operated by a pedestrian for inputting user input information by the pedestrian. A touch panel display is an example of an "operation unit" provided in a mobile communication device. It is not limited to a touch panel display such as a pressure-sensitive type or an electrostatic type, and various "operation units" such as a push button type can be adopted.

The smartphone SP can wirelessly communicate with a center (specifically, a server provided in a data center) CT. In this embodiment, the smartphone SP further embodies a "direction detection device" and includes a pair of antennas arranged slightly apart from each other. The direction in which these pair of antennas are spaced apart is perpendicular to the direction in which the smartphone SP faces, for example, the direction in which the upper side of the smartphone SP faces during normal use. The direction in which the upper side portion of the smartphone SP faces typically matches the direction in which the pedestrian using the smartphone SP faces. The smartphone SP identifies the direction in which the smartphone SP faces as the direction of travel of the pedestrian, and provides the pedestrian with pedestrian guidance information in association with the direction of travel of the pedestrian.

The smart phone SP can also acquire information for detecting the current position of the smart phone SP or its user on the map. Acquisition of position information is by a satellite positioning system (eg, GPS).

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram schematically showing the data structure of a transmitter signal DF applicable to the mobility assistance system S1 according to this embodiment.

The transmitter signal DF constitutes an advertising packet comprising a preamble part a1, an access address part a2, a PDU part a3 and a CRC part a4. The PDU part a3 of the transmitter signal DF consists of a header part a31, an advertiser address part a32 and a data part a33. In this embodiment, the transmitter signal DF has a CTE (Constant Tone Extension) portion a5 in addition to these data portions a1 to a4. The CTE part a5 is an unmodulated radio wave added after the CRC part a4 for a certain period (for example, 160 μs), and has, for example, a sine wave shape with a predetermined wavelength.

The transmission/reception unit 102 of the roadside device 1 writes the pedestrian guidance information into the data unit a33 of the PDU unit a3, and transmits the transmitter signal DF after writing to the smart phone SP. Transmission of the transmitter signal DF is not limited to transmission targeting a specific smartphone SP, and may be broadcast targeting unspecified receivers including the smartphone SP.

The smartphone SP receives the radio waves from the CTE part a5 with a pair of antennas, and based on the phase difference between the radio waves received by the pair of antennas, determines the direction in which the smartphone SP faces, that is, the direction in which the pedestrian travels. To detect. In the present embodiment, the direction in which the smartphone SP faces is a 360° azimuth or direction with north as a reference, and the detection of the direction in which the smartphone SP faces is based on a relative direction obtained by a so-called AOA (Angle of Arrival) method, That is, by converting the direction in which the antenna of the smartphone SP faces relative to the transmitting/receiving unit 102 of the roadside device 1 into a direction based on the north according to the triangulation method. A specific method for detecting the direction in which the smartphone SP faces will be described later in detail.

(Actions related to road and traffic guidance)
FIG. 3 is an operation explanatory diagram of the mobility assistance system S1 according to the present embodiment, and shows transmission and reception of signals among the center CT, the traffic lights (the roadside device 1 and the signal controller 2), and the smartphone SP in chronological order.

The smartphone SP receives the map information from the center CT and acquires the GPS information. Based on the GPS information, the smartphone SP identifies the current position of the smartphone SP or its user (hereinafter referred to as "current position") by latitude and longitude, and displays the current position on the map. Pedestrians can recognize the current position and confirm the route to the destination by the pointer displayed on the map.

On the other hand, the smartphone SP receives the transmitter signal DF from the transmitter/receiver 102 of the roadside device 1 . When the smartphone SP receives the transmitter signal DF, the smartphone SP determines that a pedestrian is in the communication area of the transmitting/receiving unit 102, and makes an announcement to start road or traffic guidance (guidance announcement).

After that, when the smartphone SP confirms that the pedestrian has reached a service area where road or traffic guidance is provided, the smartphone SP starts road or traffic guidance (guidance execution). The specific contents of the guidance should not be particularly limited, and can be appropriately switched according to the actual situation. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which guidance is provided before and after a pedestrian crosses a pedestrian crossing provided at an intersection.

The smartphone SP provides guidance 1 to the pedestrian before the pedestrian crosses the pedestrian crossing. Then, when the smartphone SP confirms that the pedestrian has finished crossing the pedestrian crossing, the smartphone SP provides guidance 2 to the pedestrian. Pedestrians can input pedestrian input information with the smart phone SP before starting to cross the pedestrian crossing. The smart phone SP transmits the pedestrian input information to the roadside device 1 .

When receiving the pedestrian input information, the roadside device 1 transmits to the signal controller 2 a pedestrian input sensing signal for changing the display state of the signal by the traffic signal in accordance with a request from the pedestrian. For example, the roadside device 1 (control unit 101) outputs to the signal controller 2 a signal requesting extension of the lighting time of the green light.

FIG. 5 is a wide-area map of the vicinity of the intersection CS that is the target of road and traffic guidance, and FIG. 6 shows an enlarged map of the intersection CS shown in FIG. The operation of the movement assistance system S1 according to this embodiment will be further described with reference to FIGS.

In this embodiment, when a pedestrian moving along the road R1 turns left at the intersection CS, specifically, the pedestrian moves along the road R1 toward the intersection CS and crosses the road R1 along the right turn road R3. It is assumed that after crossing the sidewalk, the vehicle turns to the left, crosses the pedestrian crossing over the straight road R2, and then moves along the left turn road R4. Such movements of the pedestrian may or may not be in accordance with navigational functions preset by the pedestrian himself. In other words, the mobility assistance system S1 can provide pedestrian guidance information as part of its navigation function, and can provide guidance as needed while monitoring the current position or movement route of the pedestrian. is also possible.

As shown in FIG. 6, crosswalks are provided at the intersection CS on each of the road R1 on which the vehicle is moving, the straight road R2 for the road R1, the right turn R3, and the left turn R4. Signals SG1a and SG1b are installed on the pedestrian crossing over the road R1, signals SG2a and SG2b are installed on the pedestrian crossing over the straight road R2, and signals SG3a and SG2b are installed on the pedestrian crossing over the right-turn road R3. SG3b is installed, and traffic signals SG4a and SG4b are installed at the pedestrian crossing over the left turn road R4.

The intersection CS is further provided with a signal controller 2 for controlling the traffic signals SG1 to SG4. FIG. 6 schematically shows the transmitting/receiving section (antenna) 102 of the roadside unit 1 by a dashed-dotted frame.

When the smartphone SP receives the transmitter signal DF from the transmitting/receiving unit 102 (point P1), it determines that the pedestrian has reached the communication area A1 of the transmitting/receiving unit 102, and gives an advance notice to start road or traffic guidance (point P2). . Guidance related to the notice is, for example, guidance of the following contents by display or voice.
Advance notice 1a: "There is an intersection in front of the station 50 meters ahead."
Advance notice 1b: "Intersection crossing guidance will start soon."

After that, when the smartphone SP confirms that the pedestrian has reached the service area A2 by comparing the map information and the current position (point P3), it starts road or traffic guidance. Guidance related to the start is, for example, guidance of the following contents by display or voice.
Start Guidance 1a: "The intersection crossing guidance will start."
Start guidance 1b: "20 meters ahead, there is a signal information at the intersection in front of the station."

When the smartphone SP confirms that the pedestrian has reached the front of the pedestrian crossing (point P4), it provides guidance 1 to the pedestrian. Guidance 1 is, for example, guidance with the following contents by display or voice when the current state of the signal of the traffic light SG3b in front is red.
Guidance 1a: "The signal to go straight is red. The signal to turn left is green."

Here, it is also possible to provide guidance with the following content as the guidance 1 according to the present state of the signal of the traffic light SG3b.
Guidance 1b: "The signal to go straight will soon turn green."
Information 1c: "The signal to go straight ahead will soon turn red. Please wait until the next green light."

Pedestrians can input pedestrian input information using the smart phone SP while waiting in front of the pedestrian crossing or before starting to cross the pedestrian crossing. On the other hand, the signal controller 2 controls the signal lamp device 3 of the signal SG3b so that the green signal is displayed over a longer lighting time than usual. The smartphone SP can prompt the pedestrian to use the push button function by providing the following guidance.
Guidance 1d: "You can use the straight direction signal and push button function."

The smart phone SP can provide guidance with the following content as the guidance 1 when the current state of the signal of the traffic light SG3b in front is green.
Guidance 1e: "Direct light, green light, 20 seconds remaining."
Guidance 1f: "The signal to go straight will soon turn red."

After the pedestrian starts crossing, the smartphone SP, when confirming that the pedestrian has finished crossing the pedestrian crossing (point P5), provides guidance 2 to the pedestrian. Guidance 2 is, for example, guidance of the following contents by display or voice.
Guidance 2a: "We have finished crossing. Turn left on the road in the direction of ○○."

When the pedestrian stops before the pedestrian crossing on the straight road R2 and turns to the left, the smartphone SP provides the pedestrian with guidance 1a to 1f according to the current state of the signal of the traffic light SG2b in front. It is possible to provide guidance on the content of

When the smartphone SP confirms that the pedestrian has crossed the pedestrian crossing on the straight road R2 and has left the service area A2 (point P6), the smartphone SP ends road or traffic guidance. Guidance related to the end is, for example, guidance of the following contents by display or voice.
End Guidance 1a: "The intersection crossing guidance will end."

(Forward computation)
FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the relative positional relationship among the transmitting/receiving unit (antenna) 102 of the roadside device 1, the smartphone SP, and the traffic light SG. , that is, in the direction of the traffic light SG. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the calculation principle of the direction in which the smartphone SP faces (that is, the traveling direction of the pedestrian). A method of detecting the direction in which the smartphone SP faces will be described with reference to FIGS.

As shown in FIG. 7, the smartphone SP is perpendicular to the direction in which the upper part of the smartphone SP faces the pedestrian, in other words, the part corresponding to the upper side of the screen during normal use of the smartphone SP, and is separated from each other. A pair of antennas 51 and 52 are arranged. The smartphone SP receives the radio waves w of the CTE part a5 of the transmitter signal DF through the pair of antennas 51 and 52, and calculates the phase difference φ when the radio waves w of the CTE part a5 are received by the respective antennas 51 and 52. To detect. FIG. 8 schematically shows portions w1, w2, and w3 of the same phase in a radio wave w having a sine wave shape with a wavelength λ. The smartphone SP sends the smartphone to the transmitting/receiving unit 102 of the roadside device 1 based on the distance d between the antennas 51 and 52 (the distance between the antennas 51 and 52), the wavelength λ of the radio waves w, and the detected phase difference φ. The relative direction (arrival angle θ of the radio wave w) toward which the antennas 51 and 52 of the SP are directed is calculated by the following equation (1).
θ=arc sin(λφ/2πd) (1)

Then, the smartphone SP converts the arrival angle θ of the radio wave w into a 360° azimuth or azimuth ε based on the north using the following equation (2). In the present embodiment, the azimuth or azimuth angle ε to which the smartphone SP faces is detected as the direction to which the smartphone SP faces, that is, the walking direction of the pedestrian.
ε=θ−μ (2)

Here, the angle μ is the azimuth of the roadside device 1 (transceiving unit 102) with respect to the smartphone SP, and can be calculated from the current position (X1, Y1) of the smartphone SP and the position (X2, Y2) of the transmitting/receiving unit 102. It is possible. The position of the transmitting/receiving unit 102 is known and can be retrieved from the map information using the intersection ID.

(Explanation by flow chart)
FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the overall flow of control related to road and traffic guidance (hereinafter referred to as "traffic guidance control") according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, the traffic guidance control is executed at predetermined intervals by the control unit of the smart phone SP. The control unit is configured as a microcomputer, and includes a processor as an arithmetic section and various memories as a storage section. A computer program for executing traffic guidance control can be pre-installed as an application on the smartphone SP, or can be downloaded via the Internet as necessary. In this embodiment, a program for traffic guidance control is stored in advance in the memory, and the program is read out from the memory and executed by the processor based on an application activation command from the pedestrian.

In S101, map information is acquired.

In S102, GPS information is acquired.

In S103, the current position of the smart phone SP is detected.

In S104, it is determined whether or not the transmitter signal DF has been received. If the transmitter signal DF has been received, the process proceeds to S105. If not, the process waits until the transmitter signal DF is received before proceeding to the next process.

In S105, the intersection CS present in front of the pedestrian is identified as the target area.

In S106, it is assumed that the pedestrian has arrived at the communication area A1 due to the reception of the transmitter signal DF, and an advance notice to start road or traffic guidance is given.

In S107, it is determined whether or not the pedestrian has reached the service area A2 set for the intersection CS. If the service area A2 has been reached, the process proceeds to S108. If the service area A2 has not been reached, the process waits until the service area A2 is reached.

In S108, the current state of the signals of the traffic lights SG1 to SG4 provided at the intersection CS is read from the transmitter signal DF.

In S109, forward direction detection processing is performed to detect the direction in which the smartphone SP faces (the forward direction of the pedestrian). The forward direction detection processing is performed according to the procedure shown in the flowchart of FIG.

At S110, road or traffic guidance is initiated to provide pedestrian guidance information to pedestrians.

In S111, when the user input information is input by the pedestrian, the user input information is transmitted to the roadside device 1 (transmitting/receiving unit 102).

In S112, it is determined whether or not the pedestrian has passed through the intersection CS and left the service area A2. If it has left the service area A2, it proceeds to S113, and if it has not, it waits to proceed to the next process until it leaves the service area A2.

At S113, the road or traffic guidance ends.

FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing the details of forward direction detection processing according to the present embodiment. The smartphone SP executes forward direction detection processing by the processor of the control unit as a subroutine of traffic guidance control.

In S201, the phase difference φ of the radio waves w received by the antennas 51 and 52 of the smartphone SP is detected.

In S202, the arrival angle θ of the radio wave w is calculated.

In S203, the current position (X1, Y2) of the smartphone SP is read.

In S204, the position (X2, Y2) of the roadside device 1 (transmitting/receiving unit 102) is searched.

In S205, the direction ε to which the smart phone SP faces is calculated.

In the present embodiment, the smartphone SP (S109 in the flowchart shown in FIG. 9, especially the processing of S202 to 205 in the flowchart shown in FIG. 10) implements the "direction specifying unit", and the roadside device 1 implements the "information transmitting unit". , and the smartphone SP (the process of S110 in the flowchart shown in FIG. 9) implements the "information providing unit". Further, the transmitting/receiving unit 102 of the roadside device 1 implements a “signal transmitting unit” and a “signal transmitting device”, the signal controller 2 implements a “user input acquisition unit” and a “signal control unit”, and the smart phone SP The display implements the "operation unit". In the present embodiment, the roadside device 1 has both functions as an "information transmission section" and a "signal transmission section" (or a "signal transmission device").

(action and effect)
The direction in which the pedestrian actually faces forward (that is, the actual traveling direction) does not always match the forward direction on the movement route. For example, when passing through an intersection, it may be necessary to cross a road on the travel route depending on the situation. According to a satellite positioning system such as GPS, which is generally used to detect the current position, it is possible to estimate the traveling direction from the trajectory traced by the pedestrian, that is, from the transition of the position in the past. However, satellite positioning systems are not adequately capable of detecting heading until a pedestrian stops (eg, stops and turns before a pedestrian crossing or traffic light).

Under such circumstances, it is conceivable to inform pedestrians about to pass through the intersection of the current state of the signal (i.e., the light color of the signal light) in order to guide pedestrians passing through the intersection. If the guidance of the indicated state is performed simply in association with information on the road map (for example, the destination of the road extending straight from the intersection) regardless of the actual traveling direction, the user , it is necessary to check the direction in which you are facing forward with the direction you have been informed of, which may cause confusion.

According to the present embodiment, first, the direction in which the smartphone SP faces (orientation ε) is specified as the traveling direction of the pedestrian, and the pedestrian guidance information at the intersection CS can be provided in association with the specified traveling direction. By doing so, it is possible to provide pedestrian guidance information to pedestrians based on the actual direction of travel. This makes it possible to provide more appropriate guide information to pedestrians, thereby further promoting safety.

Secondly, the smartphone SP receives the radio wave w of the predetermined wavelength transmitted from the transmission/reception unit 102 of the roadside device 1, and the phase difference of the radio wave w when received by the pair of antennas 51 and 52 provided in the smartphone SP. Based on φ, the direction in which the smartphone SP faces can be calculated in the manner of triangulation, thereby providing a specific means for identifying the direction in which the smartphone SP faces, that is, the traveling direction.

Thirdly, by acquiring the pedestrian's response input (that is, user input information) to the provision of intersection guidance information and controlling the light color state of the signal light device 3 based on this, the intersection CS It is possible to promote further safety in

Fourthly, by making it possible to audibly or visually provide pedestrians with intersection guidance information, it is possible to encourage pedestrians to recognize the guidance information, and users with disabilities other than hearing or vision ( For example, it is possible to effectively provide intersection guidance information to blind people or hearing-impaired people.

Other embodiments of the invention are described below.

<2. Second Embodiment>
FIG. 4 is an operation explanatory diagram of the mobility assistance system S2 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. shown in The movement assistance system S2 according to the present embodiment has the same configuration as the movement assistance system S1 (FIG. 1) according to the previous embodiment, and therefore the description of the configuration is omitted to avoid redundant description.

In the previous embodiment, the control (traffic guidance control) regarding the provision of pedestrian guidance information was performed only by the smart phone SP, and the calculation regarding forward direction determination was performed by the smart phone SP. On the other hand, in this embodiment, the smartphone SP and the center CT cooperate to execute the traffic guidance control, and the center CT performs calculations related to forward direction determination, such as calculation of the arrival angle θ of the radio waves w, other than the forward direction determination. The smart phone SP executes the calculation related to the processing of .

Specifically, after starting road or traffic guidance for pedestrians (guidance execution), the smartphone SP transmits information used for forward direction determination to the center CT. Information transmitted from the smartphone SP to the center CT regarding the forward direction determination includes the intersection ID, the current position of the smartphone SP, and the arrival angle θ of the radio waves w. That is, in this embodiment as well, the smartphone SP calculates the arrival angle θ. It is also possible to transmit the phase difference φ of the radio wave w to the center CT instead of the arrival angle θ.

When the center CT acquires the intersection ID, the current position of the smartphone SP, and the arrival angle θ, the center CT searches for the position of the roadside device 1 (transmitting/receiving unit 102) provided at the intersection CS to be guided from the intersection ID, and calculates the above formula ( 2) calculates the azimuth or azimuth angle ε to which the smartphone SP faces, and detects this as the direction in which the smartphone SP faces, that is, the traveling direction of the pedestrian. Needless to say, when transmitting the phase difference φ of the radio waves w to the center CT, it is possible to calculate the direction ε to which the smartphone SP faces using the above equations (1) and (2).

After that, the center CT returns the direction ε to which the smartphone SP faces to the smartphone SP.

When the smartphone SP acquires the direction ε to which the smartphone SP faces as the forward direction of the pedestrian, the smartphone SP provides the pedestrian with pedestrian guidance information in association with this direction ε (Guidance 1, Guidance 2).

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the details of processing performed by the smartphone SP regarding traffic guidance control according to this embodiment, and FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the details of processing performed by the center CT regarding traffic guidance control according to this embodiment. be.

With reference to the flowchart of FIG. 11 , when the smartphone SP confirms that the pedestrian has reached the service area A2 set for the intersection CS (S107), the smartphone SP transmits the signal from the transmitter signal DF to the traffic light SG1 provided at the intersection CS. The current state of the signal of SG4 is read (S108), and then the phase difference φ of the radio waves w is detected in S301.

In S302, the arrival angle θ of the radio wave w is calculated.

In S303, the intersection ID, the position of the smartphone SP, and the arrival angle θ are transmitted to the center CT.

In S304, the direction ε to which the smart phone SP faces is returned from the center CT as the forward direction of the pedestrian.

After that, the smartphone SP starts road or traffic guidance, provides pedestrian guidance information to the pedestrian (S110), and confirms that the pedestrian has passed through the intersection CS and left the service area A2. Then (S112), the road or traffic guidance ends (S113).

With reference to the flowchart of FIG. 12, the center CT receives the intersection ID, the position of the smartphone SP, and the arrival angle θ from the smartphone SP in S401.

In S402, the position of the roadside device 1 (transmitting/receiving unit 102) is searched from the intersection ID.

In S403, the azimuth or azimuth angle ε to which the smartphone SP faces is calculated by the above equation (2).

In S404, the direction ε to which the smartphone SP faces is returned to the smartphone SP.

According to this embodiment, it is possible to obtain the first to fourth effects described above with respect to the first embodiment. Along with this, according to the present embodiment, by performing calculations related to forward direction determination by the center CT, the calculation load on the smartphone SP, which has a limited processing capacity, is reduced, and the smooth provision of intersection guidance information is realized. , it is possible to achieve compatibility with an application that is started simultaneously with traffic guidance control.

In the present embodiment, the center CT (processing of S401 to 404 in the flowchart shown in FIG. 12) implements the "direction specifying unit", the roadside unit 1 implements the "information transmitting unit", and the smartphone SP (shown in FIG. 11 The processing of S110 in the flow chart) realizes an "information providing unit". The transmission/reception unit 102 of the roadside device 1 realizes a "signal transmission unit" and a "signal transmission device", the signal controller 2 realizes a "user input acquisition unit" and a "signal control unit", and the display of the smartphone SP The “manipulation unit” is implemented in the same manner as in the previous embodiment. Similarly, the roadside unit 1 has a function as an "information transmission section" and also has a function as a "signal transmission section" (or a "signal transmission device").

In the above description, a pedestrian moving on a road (sidewalk) is defined as a "user", and the mobility assistance systems S1 and S2 are applied to guide the pedestrian on the road or traffic. However, the mobility assistance system according to the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to users other than pedestrians and applications other than guidance for pedestrians. Users other than pedestrians can be exemplified by drivers of vehicles (including bicycles) equipped with navigation functions or driving assistance functions. It is possible to exemplify guidance for. The provision of guidance to the user is not limited to the smartphone, and can also be performed by a navigation device (for example, a car navigation system).

The "target area on the road" is not limited to intersections, and may be any area on the road that can be the target of guidance to pedestrians or users. For example, pedestrians can be guided to intersections other than crossroads, such as T-junctions, as well as straight roads with pedestrian crossings. It can be applied to present state guidance.

The detection of the angle of arrival θ is not limited to the AOA method, but can also be performed by the AOD (Angle of Departure) method. In the case of the AOD method, a transmitter (for example, the transmitting/receiving unit 102 of the roadside unit 1) that transmits the radio wave w has an array antenna having a pair of antennas, and the radio waves emitted from the pair of antennas are transmitted to the receiver, for example, , the arrival angle θ is calculated based on the phase difference when received by the smartphone SP. The number of antennas provided in the smartphone SP in the case of the AOD method may be one, or may be plural.

Communication between the transmitter (for example, the transmission/reception unit 102 of the roadside device 1) and the receiver is not limited to communication based on the Bluetooth (registered trademark) 5.1 standard. Transmission and reception of radio signals including radio waves w in can be performed separately from communication of information on road or traffic guidance. For example, between the roadside device 1 and the smartphone SP, while communicating the intersection guidance information according to a standard other than the Bluetooth (registered trademark) 5.1 standard, the radio wave w of the predetermined wavelength λ used for detecting the phase difference φ The transmission and reception are performed in parallel with the communication of the intersection guidance information. In this sense, the "information transmission section" and the "signal transmission section" (or "signal transmission device") can also be embodied by separate devices.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the above embodiments merely show a part of application examples of the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention is limited to the specific configurations of the above embodiments. not on purpose. Various changes and modifications can be made to the above-described embodiment within the scope of matters described in the claims.

S1, S2... Movement assistance system SP... Smart phone CT... Center DF... Data frame CS... Intersection SG1 to SG4... Traffic light R1 to R4... Road 1... Roadside device 101... Control unit 102... Transmission/reception unit 2... Signal controller 3... Signal light Device 51, 52...Antenna

Claims (16)

a direction identification unit configured to identify the direction in which the mobile communication device faces as the traveling direction of the user of the mobile communication device;
an information transmitting unit capable of transmitting road or traffic guidance information related to a target area on a road;
an information providing unit configured to receive the guidance information transmitted by the information transmitting unit and provide the guidance information to the user in association with the traveling direction identified by the direction identifying unit;
a signal transmission unit provided at a known position and configured to transmit a radio signal containing radio waves of a predetermined wavelength;
The direction specifying unit
detecting the radio wave transmitted by the signal transmitting unit, detecting the orientation of the mobile communication device relative to the signal transmitting unit based on the detected radio wave;
A direction in which the mobile communication device faces can be identified based on the detected relative orientation of the mobile communication device and the orientation of the known position with respect to the mobile communication device,
Mobility aid system. a direction identification unit configured to identify the direction in which the mobile communication device faces as the traveling direction of the user of the mobile communication device;
an information transmitting unit capable of transmitting road or traffic guidance information related to a target area on a road;
an information providing unit configured to receive the guidance information transmitted by the information transmitting unit and provide the guidance information to the user in association with the traveling direction identified by the direction identifying unit;
a signal transmission unit provided at a known position and configured to transmit a radio signal containing radio waves of a predetermined wavelength;
The direction specifying unit
A pair of antennas configured to receive the radio signal transmitted by the signal transmission unit,
The direction in which the mobile communication device faces can be specified based on the phase difference of the radio waves received by the pair of antennas and the direction of the known position with respect to the mobile communication device,
Mobility aid system. further comprising a position acquisition unit configured to acquire the position of the mobile communication device,
The direction specifying unit
detecting a relative direction in which the antenna faces with respect to the known position based on the phase difference of the radio waves;
Based on the known position, the position of the mobile communication device acquired by the position acquisition unit, and the relative direction of the antenna, the direction in which the mobile communication device faces can be specified.
3. A mobility assistance system according to claim 2. The information transmission unit includes the signal transmission unit, and is configured to be able to transmit the radio signal along with the guidance information.
Mobility assistance system according to any one of claims 1 to 3. 5. The mobility assistance system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the target area on the road is an intersection. 6. The movement assistance system according to claim 5, wherein said road guidance information includes at least one of a name of said intersection and a light color state of a signal lamp installed at said intersection. a user input acquisition unit configured to acquire the user's response input to the provision of the guidance information by the information provision unit;
a signal control unit configured to be able to control a light color state of a signal light device installed at the intersection based on the acquired response input;
7. A mobility assistance system according to claim 5 or 6, further comprising: The mobile communication device comprises an operation unit operated by the user,
8. The movement assistance system according to claim 7, wherein the user input acquisition unit is further configured to be capable of acquiring, as the user's response input, a sensing signal corresponding to the operation of the operation unit by the user. 9. The response input of the user according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the user's response input is an input requesting switching to the crossing permission signal of the traffic light device or an input requesting a change in the display time of the crossing permission signal of the traffic light device. Mobility aid system. 10. The movement according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein said information providing unit is provided in said mobile communication device and is configured to be able to provide said user with said guidance information audibly or visually. auxiliary system. a direction detection device configured to receive a radio signal output from a signal transmission device at a known position and including radio waves of a predetermined wavelength;
a relative direction detection unit configured to detect radio waves output from the signal transmission device and detect the relative orientation of the direction detection device with respect to the signal transmission device based on the detected radio waves;
An azimuth calculation unit configured to be able to calculate the azimuth or direction toward which the azimuth detection device is directed, based on the relative orientation detected by the relative direction detection unit and the azimuth of the signal transmission device with respect to the azimuth detection device. and,
A direction detection device. The receiving unit includes a pair of antennas configured to receive a radio signal output from the signal transmitting device,
The relative direction detection unit is configured to detect the relative direction of the azimuth detection device based on the phase difference between the radio waves received by the pair of antennas.
The direction detection device according to claim 11. the pair of antennas are arranged apart from each other in a direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction of the azimuth detection device;
The azimuth calculation unit is configured to calculate a forward azimuth of the azimuth detection device as an azimuth or direction to which the azimuth detection device faces.
The direction detection device according to claim 12. a first position acquisition unit configured to acquire the position of the direction detection device;
a second position acquisition unit configured to acquire the position of the signal transmission device;
further comprising
The azimuth calculation unit calculates the position of the azimuth detection device acquired by the first position acquisition unit, the position of the signal transmission device acquired by the second position acquisition unit, and the relative orientation of the azimuth detection device. Based on, further configured to be able to calculate the direction or direction to which the direction detection device is directed,
The orientation detection device according to any one of claims 11 to 13. a direction specifying unit configured to be able to specify a direction or an angle detected by the direction detection device according to any one of claims 11 to 14 as the traveling direction of the user;
an information acquisition unit configured to acquire road or traffic guidance information related to a target area on a road;
an information providing unit configured to provide guidance information acquired by the information acquiring unit to the user in association with the traveling direction specified by the direction specifying unit;
A mobile communication device comprising: A computer program executable by a computer provided in a mobile communication device configured to be capable of receiving a radio signal output from a signal source at a known position and containing radio waves of a predetermined wavelength,
to said computer,
identifying the direction in which the mobile communication device faces as the traveling direction of the user of the mobile communication device;
Obtain road or traffic guidance information related to a target area on the road,
providing the acquired guidance information to the user in association with the specified traveling direction; and
In specifying the direction in which the mobile communication device faces,
calculating a relative orientation of the mobile communication device with respect to the signal source based on the radio waves included in the radio signal;
A computer program product comprising instructions operable to calculate the direction in which the mobile communication device is facing based on the calculated relative orientation and the bearing of the signal source with respect to the mobile communication device.

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