JP7480497B2 - Terminal device, information provision system, information provision method, and program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a terminal device, a control system, a control method, and a program.

There is a known disaster prevention radio system in which local governments and other organizations can broadcast disaster prevention information and other information by voice during a disaster through speakers at outdoor loudspeaker slave stations (hereafter referred to as "slave stations") from a master station that transmits disaster prevention information, and can also broadcast contact information and other information within the local government by voice during normal times.

For example, a disaster prevention radio system is known in which a parent station transmits a call ID indicating a child station and an information ID identifying disaster prevention information, and when the child station receives disaster prevention information including the call ID and information ID stored in a memory unit, the child station outputs the received disaster prevention information (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

In conventional disaster prevention radio systems such as that shown in Cited Document 1, information is transmitted by voice, and so there are cases where the user cannot be properly notified of disaster prevention information due to, for example, the distance from the slave station, echoes due to the surrounding environment, other voices broadcast from slave stations in neighboring municipalities, etc. Furthermore, in such conventional disaster prevention radio systems, there are cases where the user is notified of information that is not necessarily required by the user, such as contact information within neighboring municipalities, for example.

One embodiment of the present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and in a system that uses sound waves to provide information to a user, it is possible to more appropriately notify the user of necessary information while preventing the user from being notified of unnecessary information.

In order to solve the above problem, a terminal device according to one embodiment of the present invention has a memory unit that stores first information that identifies a specified process for providing information to a user and second information that controls the execution of the specified process, a receiving unit that receives sound waves including the first information and the second information, and an execution unit that, when the receiving unit receives sound waves including the second information stored in the memory unit, executes the specified process identified by the first information included in the sound waves received by the receiving unit, and the second information stored in the memory unit includes information indicating that the second information is information common to a plurality of areas.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, in a system that uses sound waves to provide information to a user, it is possible to more appropriately notify the user of necessary information while preventing the user from being notified of unnecessary information.

1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a system configuration of an information providing system according to an embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a sound wave ID according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an overview of a process of an information providing system according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a terminal device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a master station and a slave station according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of an information providing system according to an embodiment. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing of a terminal device according to the first embodiment. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing of a terminal device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen of a terminal device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of area information according to the third embodiment. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process of a terminal device according to the third embodiment.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the attached drawings.

<System Configuration>
1 is a diagram showing an example of a system configuration of an information providing system according to an embodiment. The information providing system 100 includes, for example, a master station 101 of a disaster prevention radio system, an outdoor loudspeaker slave station (hereinafter referred to as a "slave station") 102 of the disaster prevention radio system, and a terminal device 103 used by a user 107.

The disaster prevention radio system is, for example, a broadcasting system installed by a local government such as a city, town, or village. For example, disaster prevention information set in the master station 101 is transmitted to the slave station 102 by digital wireless communication 104, and the slave station 102 broadcasts the received disaster prevention information to all residents using the speaker 106 provided in the slave station 102. In addition, during normal times, the disaster prevention radio system can also broadcast contact information within the local government set in the master station 101 to all residents using the speaker 106 provided in the slave station 102, in the same way as disaster prevention information.

Preferably, the disaster prevention radio system is configured to be able to broadcast disaster prevention information, contact information, etc., even when commercial power is cut off or the public communication network is unavailable due to a disaster such as an earthquake, typhoon, flood, etc.

Conventional disaster prevention radio systems notify users 107 of provided information such as disaster prevention information and contact information by audio broadcast, and therefore users 107 may not be able to properly hear the provided information due to, for example, the distance from the slave station 102 or echoes caused by the surrounding environment. Also, in areas close to the borders of local governments, users 107 may hear contact information from other local governments that is not necessarily required by them.

The information providing system 100 according to this embodiment has a function of using such a disaster prevention radio system to output sound waves 105 including first information that identifies a predetermined process for providing information to a user and second information that controls the execution of the predetermined process. For example, the slave station 102 can output sound waves 105 including sound wave identification information (hereinafter referred to as sound wave ID 200) as shown in FIG. 2(A) under the control of the master station 101.

Figure 2 (A) shows an image of an example of a sonic ID 200 according to one embodiment. For example, as shown in Figure 2 (A), the sonic ID 200 includes a process ID 201 that identifies a specific process for providing information to the user 107, and an area ID that controls the execution of the specific process. The process ID 201 is an example of first information that identifies a specific process for providing information to the user 107. The first information may be, for example, a specific number of processing bits included in the sonic ID 200. The area ID is an example of second information that controls the execution of the specific process. The second information may be, for example, a specific number of area bits included in the sonic ID 200.

Furthermore, the second information may be destination information specifying the terminal device 103 that is to execute the specified process, or a group ID that identifies a group of terminal devices 103 that are to execute the specified process, etc.

Figure 2 (B) shows an example of a correspondence relationship 210 between area IDs and areas according to one embodiment. In the example of Figure 2 (B), area ID "001" is associated with area "A City". This indicates that when area ID 202 included in sound wave ID 200 is "001", sound wave ID 200 is information for area "A City".

In the example of FIG. 2(B), the area ID "002" is associated with the area "City B." This indicates that when the area ID 202 included in the sound wave ID 200 is "002," the sound wave ID 200 is information for the area "City B."

Furthermore, in the example of FIG. 2(B), the area ID "111" is associated with the area "area common." This indicates that when the area ID 202 included in the sound wave ID 200 is "111," the sound wave ID 200 is information common to each area.

FIG. 2(C) shows an example of a correspondence relationship 220 between a process ID and a process content according to one embodiment. For example, the terminal device 103 can identify the process content corresponding to the process ID by storing the correspondence relationship 220 shown in FIG. 2(C) in a storage unit.

The terminal device 103 is an information terminal such as a smartphone, tablet terminal, or wearable terminal used by the user 107. The terminal device 103 receives sound waves 105 output from a slave station 102 of the disaster prevention radio system, for example, by executing an application program (hereinafter referred to as an app) corresponding to the information providing system 100. The terminal device 103 also executes a predetermined process to provide information to the user 107 based on a process ID 201 and an area ID 202 included in the received sound waves 105.

(Processing Overview)
Fig. 3 is a diagram for explaining an overview of the processing of the information providing system according to an embodiment. In Fig. 3, the slave station 102a is installed on the side of City A near the border 302 between City A and City B, which are examples of local governments, and is configured to output a sound wave including a sound wave ID 200 within a predetermined range 301a. The slave station 102b is installed on the side of City B near the border 302 between City A and City B, and is configured to output a sound wave including a sound wave ID 200 within a predetermined range 301b. The terminal device 103 is executing an application corresponding to City A, and has predetermined area IDs "001" and "111".

In this state, if the received sound waves contain a predetermined area ID "001", the terminal device 103 executes the process content corresponding to the process ID. For example, if the process ID is "1001", the terminal device 103 references the correspondence relationship 220 as shown in FIG. 2(C) and executes the process content "display contact information A" corresponding to the process ID "1001". This allows a public relations officer in City A to use the disaster prevention radio system to output sound waves containing the area ID "001" and the process ID "1001" from the slave station 102a, causing the terminal device 103 to display contact information A, which is an example of the local government's contact information.

Similarly, when the received sound waves contain a predetermined area ID "111", the terminal device 103 executes the process content corresponding to the process ID. For example, when the process ID is "2001", the terminal device 103 refers to the correspondence relationship 220 as shown in FIG. 2(C) and executes the process content "display disaster prevention information A" corresponding to the process ID "2001". This allows a disaster prevention officer in City A to use the disaster prevention wireless system to output sound waves containing the area ID "111" and the process ID "2001" from the slave station 102a, thereby causing the terminal device 103 to display disaster prevention information A, which is an example of information common to each area.

Note that the message A, disaster prevention information A, etc. displayed by the terminal device 103 may be stored in advance in the terminal device 103, or may be obtained, for example, from a server device provided by City A via a communication network such as the Internet or a wireless LAN (Local Area Network).

In addition, since the microphone equipped in the terminal device 103 is generally more sensitive than the human ear, the terminal device 103 can appropriately notify the user 107 of necessary information such as contact information and disaster prevention information even if the user 107 cannot hear the audio broadcast.

Furthermore, if the received sound waves contain an area ID "002" that is different from the predefined area IDs "001" and "111", the terminal device 103 will stop executing the processing content corresponding to the processing ID. This prevents the terminal device 103 from displaying message item B for City B, even if, for example, a public relations officer in City B uses a disaster prevention radio system to output sound waves containing area ID "002" and processing ID "1002" from slave station 102b.

For example, when a disaster prevention officer in City B uses the disaster prevention radio system to output sound waves including the area ID "111" and the processing ID "2002" from the slave station 102b, it is desirable for the terminal device 103 to display disaster prevention information B common to each area.

As described above, according to this embodiment, in the information providing system 100 that uses sound waves to provide information to a user, it is possible to more appropriately notify the user 107 of necessary information and to prevent unnecessary information from being notified to the user.

As described above, the disaster prevention radio system can output sound waves including the sound wave ID 200 even when the commercial power supply is cut off or the public communication network is unavailable due to a disaster. Furthermore, if the terminal device 103 can acquire the sound wave ID 200 using the microphone provided in the terminal device 103, it can display the provided information such as notified contact information and disaster prevention information even when the public communication network is unavailable. Therefore, the information providing system 100 according to this embodiment can provide various provided information to the user 107 using the terminal device 103 even when the commercial power supply is cut off or the public communication network is unavailable due to a disaster.

Note that the system configuration of the information provision system 100 described in Figures 1 to 3 is one example. The embodiment of the present invention can be applied to various systems capable of outputting sound waves including the sound wave ID 200, such as broadcasting systems installed in companies, medical facilities, commercial facilities, leisure facilities, etc.

<Hardware Configuration>
Next, the hardware configuration of each device included in the information providing system 100 will be described.

(Hardware configuration of terminal device)
Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a terminal device according to an embodiment. As shown in Fig. 4, the terminal device 103 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 401, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 402, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 403, a storage device 404, a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) sensor 405, an image sensor I/F (Interface) 406, an acceleration/direction sensor 407, a media I/F 409, and a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiving unit 410.

Of these, the CPU 401 controls the overall operation of the terminal device 103 by executing a specific program. The ROM 402 stores programs used to start up the CPU 401, such as an IPL (Initial Program Loader). The RAM 403 is used as a work area for the CPU 401. The storage device 404 is a large-capacity non-volatile storage device that stores an OS (Operating System), programs such as apps, and various data, and is realized by, for example, an SSD (Solid State Drive), flash ROM, etc.

The CMOS sensor 405 is a type of built-in imaging means that captures an image of a subject (mainly a self-portrait) under the control of the CPU 401 to obtain image data. The terminal device 103 may have an imaging means such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) sensor instead of the CMOS sensor 405. The imaging element I/F 406 is a circuit that controls the driving of the CMOS sensor 405. The acceleration/direction sensor 407 is various sensors such as an electronic magnetic compass or gyrocompass that detects geomagnetism, and an acceleration sensor. The media I/F 409 controls the reading or writing (storage) of data to a media (storage media) 408 such as a flash memory. The GPS receiver 410 receives GPS signals from GPS satellites.

The terminal device 103 also includes a long-distance communication circuit 411, an antenna 411a of the long-distance communication circuit 411, a CMOS sensor 412, an image sensor I/F 413, a microphone 414, a speaker 415, an audio input/output I/F 416, a display 417, an external device connection I/F 418, a short-distance communication circuit 419, an antenna 419a of the short-distance communication circuit 419, and a touch panel 420.

Of these, the long-distance communication circuit 411 is a circuit that communicates with other devices, for example, via a communication network. The CMOS sensor 412 is a type of built-in imaging means that captures an image of a subject and obtains image data under the control of the CPU 401. The image sensor I/F 413 is a circuit that controls the drive of the CMOS sensor 412. The microphone 414 is a built-in circuit that converts sound into an electrical signal. The speaker 415 is a built-in circuit that converts electrical signals into physical vibrations to generate sounds such as music and voice. The sound input/output I/F 416 is a circuit that processes the input and output of sound wave signals between the microphone 414 and the speaker 415 under the control of the CPU 401.

The display 417 is a type of display means such as a liquid crystal or organic EL (Electro Luminescence) that displays an image of a subject, various icons, etc. The external device connection I/F 418 is an interface for connecting various external devices. The short-range communication circuit 419 includes a circuit for performing short-range wireless communication such as NFC (Near Field Communication) or Bluetooth (registered trademark). The touch panel 420 is a type of input means that allows a user to operate the terminal device 103 by pressing the display 417.

The terminal device 103 also includes a bus line 421. The bus line 421 includes an address bus and a data bus for electrically connecting the components such as the CPU 401 shown in FIG. 4.

(Hardware configuration of the master station)
In this embodiment, it is assumed that the hardware of the master station 101 and the slave station 102 basically utilizes the hardware configuration of an existing disaster prevention wireless system, and that the functions of this embodiment are realized mainly by software (programs). Here, an example of the hardware configuration of the master station 101 will be described.

Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the parent station 101 and the child station 102. As an example, the parent station 101 has a CPU 501, a memory 502, a storage device 503, an operation panel 504, a microphone 505, a sound wave input I/F 506, a wireless communication device 507, and a bus 508.

The CPU 501 is a calculation device that realizes each function of the parent station 101 by, for example, reading programs and data stored in the storage device 503 or the like onto the memory 502 and executing processing. The memory 502 includes, for example, a RAM used as a work area for the CPU 501, and a ROM that stores programs for starting up the parent station 101. The storage device 503 is a non-volatile large-capacity storage device that stores the OS, applications, various data, etc., and is realized by, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD, etc.

The operation panel 504 includes, for example, a display screen, an output device that outputs sound, etc., and an input device that accepts input operations. The microphone 505 includes, for example, a microphone that accepts input such as voice announcements. The sound wave input I/F 506 is, for example, an interface that inputs sound wave data including the sound wave ID 200, or sound waves. The wireless communication device 507 includes a wireless circuit, a communication control circuit, an antenna, etc. that transmit and receive data to and from the slave station 102 via a specified wireless communication. The bus 508 is commonly connected to each of the above components, and transmits, for example, address signals, data signals, and various control signals.

(Hardware configuration of slave station)
Next, a description will be given of an example of a hardware configuration of the slave station 102. The slave station 102 includes, for example, a CPU 511, a memory 512, a storage device 513, a wireless communication device 514, an amplifier 515, a speaker 516, and a bus 517.

The CPU 511 is a calculation device that realizes each function of the slave station 102 by, for example, reading programs and data stored in the storage device 513 or the like onto the memory 522 and executing processing. The memory 512 includes, for example, a RAM used as a work area for the CPU 511, and a ROM that stores programs for starting up the slave station 102, etc. The storage device 513 is a non-volatile large-capacity storage device that stores the OS, applications, various data, etc., and is realized by, for example, an HDD, SSD, etc.

The wireless communication device 514 includes a wireless circuit, a communication control circuit, an antenna, and the like, which transmit and receive data to and from the parent station 101 through a specified wireless communication. The amplifier 515 is an amplifier that amplifies a sound wave signal including a sound wave ID. The speaker 516 converts the sound wave signal amplified by the amplifier 515 into a sound wave and outputs it. Note that the child station 102 may output a sound wave signal to a speaker 106 or the like connected to the outside of the child station 102, thereby outputting a sound wave 105 including the sound wave ID 200. The bus 517 is commonly connected to each of the above components, and transmits, for example, an address signal, a data signal, and various control signals.

Note that the hardware configuration of the parent station 101 and child station 102 shown in FIG. 5 is an example. The parent station 101 and child station 102 have a computer configuration, and may have other hardware configurations capable of executing programs corresponding to the information provision system 100.

<Functional configuration>
Next, a description will be given of the functional configuration of the information providing system 100. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the information providing system according to an embodiment.

(Functional configuration of the master station)
5 executes a predetermined program, the master station 101 realizes an operation receiving unit 611, a sound wave output control unit 612, a communication unit 613, a storage unit 614, etc. Note that at least a part of the above-mentioned functional configurations may be realized by hardware.

The operation reception unit 611 receives an output operation of the sound wave 105 including the sound wave ID 200 by an operator such as a public relations officer or disaster prevention officer, for example, using the operation panel 504 in FIG. 5 .

The sound wave output control unit 612 controls the slave station 102 to output sound waves 105 including sound wave ID 200, for example, in response to an output operation of sound waves 105 including sound wave ID 200 received by the operation reception unit 611.

For example, suppose that a public relations officer in City A performs an operation to notify residents of City A of contact information A within the municipality. In this case, the sound wave output control unit 612 transmits sound wave data including a sound wave ID 200 including an area ID "001" and a processing ID "1001" and a voice announcement corresponding to the contact information A to the slave station 102 via the communication unit 613. Alternatively, the sound wave output control unit 612 may transmit sound wave data including only a sound wave ID 200 including an area ID "001" and a processing ID "1001" and not including a voice announcement to the slave station 102 via the communication unit 613.

The sonic data including the sonic ID 200 and the like may be stored in advance in the storage unit 614 or the like, or may be generated by the sonic output control unit 612. Furthermore, the sonic data including the sonic ID 200 and the like may be input from an external device or the like using the sonic input I/F 506 in FIG. 5.

The communication unit 613 communicates with the child station 102, for example, using the wireless communication device 507 in FIG. 5. For example, the communication unit 613 transmits to the child station 102 sonic data including the sonic ID 200, etc., received from the sonic output control unit 612.

The storage unit 614 is realized, for example, by a program executed by the CPU 501 in FIG. 5 and the storage device 503, and stores sound wave data corresponding to multiple sound wave IDs 200, etc.

The functional configuration of the parent station 101 described above is an example. For example, the sound wave output control unit 612 may transmit control information requesting the output of sound wave data including the sound wave ID 200, etc., to the child station 102, instead of sound wave data including the sound wave ID 200, etc.

(Functional configuration of slave station)
5 executes a predetermined program, the slave station 102 realizes a communication unit 621, an acoustic data acquisition unit 622, an acoustic wave output unit 623, a storage unit 624, etc. Note that at least a part of the above-mentioned functional configurations may be realized by hardware.

The communication unit 621 communicates with the master station 101, for example, using the wireless communication device 514 in FIG. 5. For example, the communication unit 613 receives sonic data including the sonic ID 200 transmitted from the master station 101.

The ultrasonic data acquisition unit 622 acquires ultrasonic data including the ultrasonic ID 200, for example, received by the communication unit 621.

The sound wave output unit 623 converts the sound wave data, including the sound wave ID 200, acquired by the sound wave data acquisition unit 622, into a sound wave signal, and inputs the signal to the amplifier 515 in FIG. 6, thereby outputting sound waves, including the sound wave ID 200, from the speaker 516.

The storage unit 624 is realized, for example, by the program executed by the CPU 511 in FIG. 5 and the storage device 513, and stores various information, data, etc.

With the above configuration, the slave station 102 functions as an output device that outputs sound waves 105 including first information (processing ID 201) that identifies a specific process for providing information to the user 107 and second information (area ID 202) that controls the execution of the specific process.

The functional configuration of the child station 102 described above is an example. For example, the child station 102 may store in advance in the storage unit 624 or the like sound wave data corresponding to a plurality of sound wave IDs 200. In this case, the sound wave data acquisition unit 622 acquires sound wave data including the specified sound wave ID 200, etc. from the storage unit 624, etc., in accordance with control information that requests the output of sound wave data including the sound wave ID 200, etc., received by the communication unit 621.

(Functional configuration of terminal device)
4 executes a predetermined program, the terminal device 103 realizes a receiving unit 601, an analyzing unit 602, an executing unit 603, a communicating unit 604, an operation accepting unit 605, a position information acquiring unit 606, a storage unit 607, etc. Note that at least a part of the above functional configurations may be realized by hardware.

The receiving unit 601 receives, for example, using the microphone 414 and sound input/output I/F 416 in FIG. 4, sound waves 105 output by the slave station 102, including a process ID 201 that identifies a specific process for providing information to the user 107, and an area ID 202 that controls the execution of the specific process.

The analysis unit 602 analyzes the sound waves 105 received by the receiving unit 601, and obtains the process ID 201, area ID 201, etc. contained in the sound waves 105.

In this embodiment, the method of expressing the sound wave ID 200 with the sound waves 105 is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a method of expressing digital data "1" and "0" by turning on and off sound waves of multiple predetermined frequencies. In this case, the analysis unit 602 can extract the sound wave ID 200 by performing FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) analysis on the sound waves and analyzing the presence or absence of sound waves of multiple frequencies. However, this is not limited to this, and the sound wave ID 200 may be transmitted using various modulation methods.

The execution unit 603 executes a predetermined process for providing information to the user 107 based on the process ID 201 and area ID 202 acquired by the analysis unit 602. For example, if the sound waves received by the reception unit 601 include a predetermined area ID 202, the execution unit 603 refers to the correspondence relationship 220 as shown in FIG. 2(C) and executes the process content corresponding to the process ID 201. On the other hand, if the sound waves received by the reception unit 601 do not include the predetermined area ID 202, the execution unit 603 stops executing the process content corresponding to the process ID 201.

The communication unit 604, for example, uses the long-distance communication circuit 411 in FIG. 4 to connect the terminal device 103 to a communication network such as the Internet or a wireless LAN, and communicates with an external device. Alternatively, the communication unit 604 may use the short-distance communication circuit 419 in FIG. 4 to communicate with an external device via short-distance wireless communication such as Bluetooth.

The operation reception unit 605 receives input operations by the user 107 on the terminal device 103, for example, using the touch panel 420 in FIG. 4.

The location information acquisition unit 606 acquires location information indicating the location of the terminal device 103, for example, using the GPS receiver unit 410 in FIG. 4. Alternatively, the location information acquisition unit 606 may connect the terminal device 103 to a communication network using the long-distance communication circuit 411 in FIG. 4 and acquire location information indicating the location of the terminal device 103 using a geolocation service or the like. Furthermore, the location information acquisition unit 606 may acquire location information by receiving a beacon that reports location information using Bluetooth communication or the like using the short-distance communication circuit 419.

The storage unit 607 is realized, for example, by a program executed by the CPU 401 in FIG. 4, the storage device 404, the RAM 403, etc. The storage unit 607 stores, for example, a predetermined area ID 202, and a correspondence 220 between a processing ID 201 and processing content as shown in FIG. 2(C). The storage unit 607 also stores provided information such as contact information and disaster prevention information displayed by the terminal device 103.

Note that the functional configuration of the information provision system shown in FIG. 6 is one example. For example, the slave station 102 is an example of an output device that outputs sound waves 105 including first information (processing ID 201) that identifies a specific process for providing information to the user 107, and second information (area ID 202) that controls the execution of the specific process. The output device may be any device that has the function of outputting sound waves including the processing ID 201 and the area ID 202.

In addition, the terminal device 103 does not necessarily have to have a location information acquisition unit 606, a communication unit 604, etc.

<Processing flow>
Next, the process flow of the information providing method according to this embodiment will be described.

[First embodiment]
Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of processing of the terminal device according to the first embodiment. The terminal device 103 executing an application corresponding to the information providing system 100 repeatedly executes the processing shown in Fig. 7 at a predetermined time interval, for example. At the start of the processing shown in Fig. 7, an area corresponding to the user 107 (for example, a municipality in which the user 107 resides, etc.) is set in advance in the application, and an area ID corresponding to the area and an area ID common to each area are stored in the storage unit 607, etc.

In step S701, the receiving unit 601 of the terminal device 103 receives (acquires) sound waves around the terminal device 103 using the microphone 414, sound input/output I/F 415, etc. in FIG. 4.

In step S702, the analysis unit 602 of the terminal device 103 analyzes the sound waves received by the receiving unit 601 to obtain, for example, a sound wave ID 200 including a process ID 201 and an area ID 202, as shown in FIG. 2(A).

In step S703, the execution unit 603 of the terminal device 103 determines whether the analysis unit 602 has acquired the sonic ID 200. If the sonic ID 200 has been acquired, the execution unit 603 transitions the process to step S704. On the other hand, if the sonic ID 200 cannot be acquired, the execution unit 603 stops executing the process from step S704 onwards.

When the process proceeds to step S704, the execution unit 603 obtains the area ID 202 from the acquired sound wave ID 200.

In step S705, the execution unit 603 determines whether the acquired area ID 202 is stored in the storage unit 607. As described above, it is assumed here that the storage unit 607 has prestored therein an area ID (e.g., area ID "001") corresponding to the area associated with the user 107 and an area ID (e.g., area ID "111") common to all areas.

If the acquired area ID 202 is not stored in the storage unit 607, the execution unit 603 determines that the sound waves received by the receiving unit 601 are, for example, sound waves intended for another area, and stops the execution of the process of step S706. On the other hand, if the acquired area ID 202 is stored in the storage unit 607, the execution unit 603 determines that the sound waves received by the receiving unit 601 are, for example, sound waves intended for the area corresponding to the user 107, or sound waves common to each area, and transitions the process to step S706.

When the process proceeds to step S706, the execution unit 603 refers to the correspondence relationship 220, for example, as shown in FIG. 2C, stored in the storage unit 607, and executes the process content corresponding to the process ID 201 included in the sound wave ID 200. For example, if the process ID 201 is "1001", the execution unit 603 refers to the correspondence relationship 220, as shown in FIG. 2C, and executes the process content "display contact information A" corresponding to the process ID "1001". For example, the execution unit 603 displays the contact information A stored in the storage unit 607 on a display unit such as the display 417 in FIG. 4. Alternatively, the execution unit 603 may use the communication unit 604 to obtain contact information A from a preset external server or the like, and display it on the display unit.

By the above process, for example, if the terminal device 103 stores the area ID "001" for City A and the area-common area ID "111," the terminal device 103 can selectively display information for City A and information common to each area. In addition, the terminal device 103 can prohibit the display of information for municipalities other than City A (for example, City B).

As described above, according to this embodiment, in the information providing system 100 that uses sound waves to provide information to a user, it is possible to more appropriately notify the user 107 of necessary information and to prevent unnecessary information from being notified to the user.

Second Embodiment
8 is a flowchart showing an example of processing of the terminal device according to the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, an example will be described in which an application executed by the terminal device 103 has two operation modes. Here, as a specific example, the following description will be given assuming that the application executed by the terminal device 103 has two operation modes: a normal mode in which contact information of a local government can be displayed under normal circumstances, and an emergency mode in which disaster prevention information is displayed when a disaster occurs.

It is assumed that at the start of the process shown in FIG. 8, the storage unit 607 of the terminal device 103 stores an area ID corresponding to the area associated with the user 107 and an area ID common to each area. Among the processes shown in FIG. 8, steps S701 to S704 and S705 to S706 are similar to the processes described in steps S701 to S706 of the first embodiment, so the following description will focus on the differences from the first embodiment.

In step S801, the execution unit 603 of the terminal device 103 determines whether the acquired area ID 202 is an area ID common to the areas (e.g., "111"). If the acquired area ID is an area ID common to the areas, the execution unit 603 shifts the process to step S802. On the other hand, if the acquired area ID is not an area ID common to the areas, the execution unit 603 shifts the process to step S705.

When the process proceeds to step S802, the execution unit 603 determines whether the operation mode of the terminal device 103 is the normal mode. If the operation mode is the normal mode, the execution unit 603 proceeds to step S803. On the other hand, if the operation mode is not the normal mode (if the operation mode is the emergency mode), the execution unit 603 proceeds to step S705.

When the process proceeds to step S803, the execution unit 603 switches the operation mode of the terminal device 103 to emergency mode.

Figure 9 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen of a terminal device according to the second embodiment. Figure 9 (A) shows an example of an image of a normal mode display screen 910 displayed when the terminal device 103 is operating in normal mode. As shown in Figure 9 (A), the normal mode display screen 910 displays contact information 911 within the local government, etc. Preferably, this normal mode display screen 901 can be customized for each local government.

Fig. 9 (B) shows an example image of an emergency mode display screen 920 displayed when the terminal device 103 is operating in emergency mode. As shown in Fig. 9 (B), disaster prevention information 921 and the like are displayed on the emergency mode display screen 920. Note that the emergency mode display screen 920 is not limited to disaster prevention information 921, and is capable of displaying a variety of information of high urgency.

Preferably, when the terminal device 103 switches from normal mode to emergency mode, it stops the process of displaying contact information 911 within the local government, etc. (first process), and executes the process of displaying information of high urgency, such as disaster prevention information 921, etc. (second process).

Note that the contact information 911 displayed on the display screen 901 in normal mode and the disaster prevention information 921 displayed on the display screen in emergency mode are determined by the processing of steps S705 and S706 in FIG. 8.

When providing highly urgent information such as disaster prevention information 921, the information providing system 100 preferably outputs sound waves by adding an area ID (e.g., "111") common to the area to the sound wave ID 200. This allows the user 107 of the terminal device 103 to display, for example, an emergency display screen 920 as shown in FIG. 9(B) even when he or she is in another municipality.

By performing the above process, the terminal device 103 is able to display information of high urgency, such as disaster prevention information 921, with priority, and alert the user 107.

[Third embodiment]
In the first and second embodiments, the "area" corresponding to the area ID is a local government, but the "area" is not limited to a local government. In the third embodiment, an example in which the "area" corresponding to the area ID is defined by location information such as location coordinates will be described.

Figure 10 is a diagram showing an example of area information according to the third embodiment. Figure 10 (A) shows an example of area information stored in the storage unit 607 by the terminal device 103. In the example of Figure 10 (A), area information 1001 stores multiple area IDs and "areas" corresponding to each area ID in association with each other, and the "areas" are defined by a latitude range (minimum value, maximum value) and a longitude range (minimum value, maximum value). In this way, the area corresponding to an area ID may be defined by location information such as position coordinates.

The "area" corresponding to the area ID may be represented by N (N is an integer equal to or greater than 3) pieces of position coordinates, as in the area information 1002 shown in FIG. 10(B). In this case, the "area" is represented by a region enclosed by lines connecting each of the coordinates "coordinate 1, coordinate 2, ..., coordinate N".

Figure 11 is a flowchart showing an example of processing of a terminal device according to the third embodiment. The terminal device 103 executing an app corresponding to the information provision system 100 repeatedly executes the processing shown in Figure 11, for example, at a predetermined time interval. It is assumed that, at the start of the processing shown in Figure 11, the storage unit 607 of the terminal device 103 stores area information 1001, for example, as shown in Figure 10 (A). Of the processing shown in Figure 10, the processing of steps S701 to S704 and S706 are similar to the processing of steps S701 to S704 and S706 in the first embodiment, and therefore the following description will focus on the differences from the first embodiment.

In step S1101, the execution unit 603 of the terminal device 103 determines whether or not the acquired area ID 202 is stored in the storage unit 607. For example, the execution unit 603 determines whether or not the acquired area ID is stored in the area information 1001 as shown in FIG. 10(A). If the acquired area ID is stored in the storage unit 607, the execution unit 603 transitions the process to step S1102. On the other hand, if the acquired area ID is not stored in the storage unit 607, the execution unit 603 ends the process of FIG. 11.

In step S1102, the execution unit 603 uses the location information acquisition unit 606 to acquire location information (location coordinates, etc.) indicating the location of the terminal device 103.

In step S1103, the execution unit 603 acquires location information of the area corresponding to the acquired area ID. For example, the execution unit 603 acquires the latitude (minimum value, maximum value) and longitude (minimum value, maximum value) of the area corresponding to the acquired area ID from the area information 1001 as shown in FIG. 10(A).

In step S1104, the execution unit 603 determines whether the location of the terminal device 103 is within the range of the area corresponding to the acquired area ID. For example, the execution unit 603 determines whether the location of the terminal device 103 acquired in step S1102 is within the range of the area acquired in step S1103.

If the location of the terminal device 103 is within the area corresponding to the acquired area ID, the execution unit 603 transitions the process to step S706. On the other hand, if the location of the terminal device 103 is not within the area corresponding to the acquired area ID, the execution unit 603 cancels the process of step S706 and ends the process of FIG. 11.

By performing the above process, the information provision system 100 can selectively display provided information such as contact information and disaster prevention information to terminal devices 103 located within any area represented by location information such as location coordinates.

For example, if the water level of a river in City A rises and there is a risk of flooding, it is more desirable to selectively issue evacuation warnings to areas that are predicted to be inundated by the river overflowing, rather than issuing evacuation warnings to the entirety of City A. According to the third embodiment, such processing can be easily realized.

As described above, according to each embodiment of the present invention, in the information providing system 100 that uses sound waves to provide information to a user, it is possible to more appropriately notify the user of necessary information and prevent unnecessary information from being notified to the user.

<Additional Information>
Each function of each embodiment described above can be realized by one or more processing circuits. Here, the term "processing circuit" in this specification includes a processor programmed to execute each function by software, such as a processor implemented by an electronic circuit, and devices such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a DSP (digital signal processor), an FPGA (field programmable gate array), and a conventional circuit module designed to execute each function described above.

The process ID 201 described in each of the above embodiments is an example of first information that identifies a specific process that provides information to a user, and the area ID 202 is an example of second information that controls the execution of the specific process.

The second information is not limited to information specifying an "area" and may be, for example, a group ID that identifies a group of terminal devices 103 that are to execute a specified process. For example, if the second information is a group ID, any group, such as local government employees, fire brigade members, facility staff, elderly people, children, etc., is associated with the group ID in advance. This allows the information provision system 100 to selectively display provided information to any group by setting the second information.

The slave station 102 of the disaster prevention radio system described in each of the above embodiments is an example of an output device that outputs sound waves including first information that identifies the specified information to be provided to the user 107 and second information that outputs the specified information. The output device may be, for example, a broadcasting system installed in a company, medical facility, commercial facility, leisure facility, etc., and may be any of a variety of devices capable of outputting sound waves including first information that identifies the specified information to be provided to the user 107 and second information that outputs the specified information.

100 Information providing system 101 Parent station 102 Child station (an example of an output device)
103 Terminal device 201 Processing ID (an example of first information)
202 Area ID (an example of second information)
601 Receiving unit 606 Location information acquiring unit 607 Storage unit

JP 2013-65095 A

Claims (8)

a storage unit that stores first information for identifying a predetermined process for providing information to a user and second information for controlling execution of the predetermined process;
A receiving unit that receives a sound wave including the first information and the second information;
an execution unit that executes the predetermined process identified by the first information included in the sound wave received by the receiving unit when the sound wave includes the second information stored in the storage unit is received by the receiving unit;
having
A terminal device , wherein the second information stored in the memory unit includes information indicating that the second information is information common to a plurality of areas. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the execution unit stops execution of the predetermined process if the sound waves received by the receiving unit do not include the second information stored in the memory unit. The terminal device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second information stored in the storage unit includes information indicating an area corresponding to the terminal device among a plurality of areas. The execution unit is
When the sound waves received by the receiving unit include the second information indicating an area corresponding to the terminal device among a plurality of areas, a first process is executed to display information on the area corresponding to the terminal device;
When the sound waves received by the receiving unit include the second information indicating that the information is common to the plurality of areas, a second process is executed to display the information common to the plurality of areas.
A terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 . a location information acquisition unit that acquires location information indicating a location of the terminal device;
the storage unit stores one or more pieces of second information and information indicating an area corresponding to the second information;
The terminal device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the execution unit executes the predetermined process when the location of the terminal device is included in an area corresponding to the second information obtained from the sound waves received by the receiving unit. An information providing system that provides information to a user using sound waves,
an output device that outputs a sound wave including first information for identifying a predetermined process for providing information to a user and second information for controlling execution of the predetermined process;
a terminal device that executes the predetermined process based on the first information and the second information acquired from the sound wave;
Including,
The terminal device
a storage unit that stores the first information and the second information;
A receiving unit that receives a sound wave including the first information and the second information;
an execution unit that executes the predetermined process identified by the first information included in the sound wave received by the receiving unit when the sound wave includes the second information stored in the storage unit is received by the receiving unit;
having
An information providing system , wherein the second information stored in the memory unit includes information indicating that the second information is information common to a plurality of areas. The terminal device
a process of storing, in a storage unit, first information for identifying a predetermined process for providing information to a user and second information for controlling execution of the predetermined process;
A receiving process for receiving a sound wave including the first information and the second information;
When a sound wave including the second information stored in the storage unit is received in the reception process, a process of executing the predetermined process identified by the first information included in the sound wave received in the reception process;
Run
An information providing method , wherein the second information stored in the memory unit includes information indicating that the second information is information common to a plurality of areas. a process of storing in a storage unit first information for identifying a predetermined process for providing information to a user of the terminal device and second information for controlling execution of the predetermined process;
A receiving process for receiving a sound wave including the first information and the second information;
When a sound wave including the second information stored in the storage unit is received in the reception process, a process of executing the predetermined process identified by the first information included in the sound wave received in the reception process;
Run the command ,
A program , the second information stored in the storage unit including information indicating that the second information is information common to a plurality of areas.

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