WO2010037839A1

WO2010037839A1 - Method for navigating a user in a building

Info

Publication number: WO2010037839A1
Application number: PCT/EP2009/062799
Authority: WO
Inventors: Christa Angehrn; Christoph Heidelberger; Bernhard Schmidt
Original assignee: A-Design Ag
Priority date: 2008-10-02
Filing date: 2009-10-02
Publication date: 2010-04-08
Also published as: CH699676B1; AT513140A5; AT513140B1; CH699676A1; DE112009002509A5

Abstract

A method for navigating a user in a building or in a defined area is disclosed, wherein the user is equipped with a mobile device (1). When necessary, the user inputs a disability into the mobile device (1). A target location within the building is then selected on the mobile device (1). Navigation information for the selected target location is then transmitted to the mobile device (1), wherein the information is displayed on the mobile device (1) according to the current position within the building (1). According to the invention, the desired navigation information is displayed in the mobile device (1) according to the input disability of the user. The invention also relates to a corresponding mobile device and to a navigation system.

Description

Method for routing a user in a building

Technical area

The invention relates to a method for routing a user in a building, wherein the user is provided with a mobile device, to a mobile device, and to a system for routing in the building according to the independent claims.

State of the art

Routing systems widely used today are based on networked active information points that are placed at selected points inside or outside buildings and that display event, routing or other information about different destinations using electronic displays. The information points receive information from a central information management system which allows the information to be temporally varied. Such a system can display events and combine them with static routing (wall-mounted or stand-alone terminal display). With the progressive cost reduction of the information points, it will be possible in the future to place these increasingly cost-effectively. Thus, the way is open to make the guidance much more precise and it is possible to convey more targeted, relevant for a place information. This information can be made accessible to the visitor, not only statically, but also on a portable device thanks to the numerous information points available. For example, information points may be used to present the occupancy plan of a room to one person and at the same time convey routing information to another person to a remote destination. WO2008043877 discloses a routing system in a building. A suitable route is searched for and communicated to the users. This can be done via leadership. It is also possible to transfer the information to a portable device of the user.

It is disadvantageous that these routing systems have little or no response to the wishes and needs of the disabled. In particular, a person with disabilities may find it difficult to find their way because they can not recognize the signs or information on the mobile device. Often, no wheelchair-accessible routes are displayed in the building.

US2007156414 discloses a disability-friendly solution wherein a person with disabilities is equipped with an RFID reader. As the person approaches an RFID tag, the underlying service is read or displayed on a braille display.

WO2008068790 discloses a multifunctional device for visually impaired persons. This device is equipped with Bluetooth and GPS to assist the person.

However, these solutions suitable for the disabled are not suitable for routing in a building according to WO2008043877.

Tsai Chih-Yung et al. , "Location-Aware Tour Guide Systems in Museum", 31.08.08, concerns a system for informing people in a museum.The museum is equipped with a variety of active points, the person with a PDA Interest, language, etc., according to the information is downloaded to an exhibition on the PDA.The graphical display of the PDA gives an overview of the floor plan of the exhibition, location, exhibition information, distance traveled, etc.

In US2003179133, blind persons are equipped with a mobile device containing a GPS. By the exact Position or direction of movement, the person in the area in which he resides, out.

Ghiani Giuseppe et al., "Supporting Orientation for Blind People using museum Guides", April 2008, concerns a museum guide for the blind The art works of the museum are equipped with RFID tags, a concordance between artwork and RFID tag is recorded in a database. The person is guided by verbal instructions ("turn left", etc.) and acoustic signals.

Presentation of the invention

It is an object of the invention to provide a method and system with which guidance can be provided with accessibility representations of the information in a building.

It is another object of the invention to provide a method and system whereby the person with disabilities can continue to use their existing mobile device (mobile phone, PDA) and only minor software adjustments are necessary.

According to the invention, these objects are achieved in a method for information (e.g., event and routing information) of users in a building or a demarcated area, the user being equipped with a mobile device. The method according to the invention comprises the following method steps

• the user enters a disability in the mobile device;

An active information point in the building is located and the mobile device connects to the active information point via a short-range interface;

• a destination is selected on the mobile device;

The routing information for the selected destination is transmitted to the mobile device; • On the way to the destination, the mobile device comes into the sphere of influence of further active or passive information points, whereby

• displayed according to the current position of the information points Wegleitungsinformation on the mobile device, wherein the desired routing information from location of the user to the destination in the mobile device is displayed according to the entered disability of the user and wherein

• a routing application (12) for displaying building management information and routing to the mobile device (1) is loaded and the user in the application (12) stores a visual impairment or mobility restriction to allow the display of information on the mobile device (1) Taxes.

The objects are additionally achieved by a mobile device and a routing system having the features of the independent claims.

In particular, it is advantageous in this method and system that the information (e.g., event or routing information) is independent of the representation; the routing information or the location codes are transmitted to all users the same and only the mobile device provides the desired information according to the particular needs of the individual user. For this purpose, the user can previously store his disability in the device and a stored application takes over the presentation of the information and the communication with the information points inside the building.

Visual content is thus acoustically or tactilely accessible and auditory content is displayed visually or tactually in the mobile device. For individual groups of people, a special route can be displayed, ie, for example, for persons with restrictions on mobility, a handicapped-accessible wheelchair route can advantageously be displayed, etc. Further advantageous embodiments are specified in the subclaims.

Brief description of the figures

The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying figures, wherein show

1 is a schematic overview of various method steps in which the user loads a routing application onto a mobile device and connects to an information terminal; and

Fig. 2 is a schematic overview of the various

Process steps of the inventive method in the way through the building.

Ways to carry out the invention

The present invention describes a routing system that conveys information in a building to persons with and without disabilities and allows them to find the way from a point of origin to a destination in buildings, an area or a demarcated area. The routing is supported by an electronic data processing system 2, which adapts the content of the routing information to the disability of a person.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic overview of the various method steps of the method according to the invention. In a first step A, a routing application 12 for displaying building guidance information and for routing from a routing server 2 to a mobile device 1 is loaded. The mobile device 1 may be a mobile phone of a mobile network GSM, UMTS, etc., a PDA or an ultra-mobile PC with built-Braille line and is equipped with a contactless interface in the short range 13 eg Bluetooth, ZigBee, WLAN, IRDA, etc. It is also conceivable that within the scope of the invention a contact-type interface is used. The routing application 12 may be loaded into the mobile device 1 via the cellular network or over the Internet when it connects to a local PC via the short-range interface 13. The device 1 has with the application 12 the ability to communicate via information points 4 with the electronic data processing system 2 and to serve as a primary control and display unit. The device 1 can in particular store and retrieve information about the user in an identification module 11 (for example a SIM card).

When the user has downloaded the application 12 into their mobile device 1, he or she saves a visual obstruction or other mobility restriction as needed using the application 12 to control the presentation of information on the mobile device 1 with an access profile. This routing application 12 enables, among other things, the following functions on the mobile device 1:

The localization of active and passive information points 4a, 4b;

• the entry of a disability such as Blindness, color blindness, deafblindness and the generation of an access profile due to the input to the mobile device 1;

• Display the entire or partial display content of an active information point 4a with the access profile on the mobile device 1. This means:

o Visual content (eg text, image, motion) alternatively acoustically eg by means of text reader built into the mobile device (text-to-speech application) or tactile, eg accessible by means of a built-in mobile device Braille line do; it thus allows the visually impaired or blind persons to capture and navigate the information;

o alternatively make audible content visually or tactilely accessible;

o to select a destination from the displayed content;

• relevant data, such as To pass identification data of the mobile device 1, local position code and destination to the electronic data processing system via the communication device installed in the display terminal; and

• make interactively accessible additional information provided, e.g. detailed information about an event or service offer of a company.

When the user now enters a building such as a train station, a fair, a hospital, a shopping center or an area such as an open-air museum, a botanical garden, a zoo, etc., he moves to an information terminal 3 and connects to his device 1 with the information terminal 3 via the interface 13 in the short range. This information terminal 3 is in communication with an electronic data processing system 2 and itself has a communication device to communicate with the mobile device 1. The data processing system 2 includes databases 21, 22, which will be discussed later, and a database application for reading out the databases.

In a first method step B, a welcome message and other useful information are downloaded from the database 21 via the information terminal 3 to the mobile device 1 by means of the previously downloaded application (display B1). It can be visual or audible messages that the user is watching or listening to. By means of the application 12, the user selects a destination within the building (Representation B2). This may be a room A, B, an event, the restaurant, the toilets, a species in the zoo, a plant in the botanical garden, a product group in the shopping center, a mobile X-ray machine in the hospital, etc.

In step C, the user specifies a destination, e.g. an event or room on which mobile device 1 is selected or selected and sent together with the identification data (ID) or device recognition of the mobile device 1 to the routing server 2 and the current position to the database 21. The database application extracts from the database 21 stored routing or additional information based on this information. This routing or additional information is sent back to the mobile device 1 in step D.

For people with good eyesight, this can be a local overview map with starting position and direction display (diagram D1), for people with severe visual impairment, this can only be the direction display in its enlarged form (illustration D2), for blind an advertisement on a Braille display, or the information is read out, etc.

Guidance information consists, for example, of a graphical overview display of local and target position, the direction indicator for the local guidance, the directions to the next active information point, as well as additional information (eg detailed information on a company event or service) and makes them visible, audible or tactile to disposal. This gives everyone, including those with impaired sight and hearing, the opportunity to be guided from a local position to the target position. For individual groups of people, a special route can be displayed, ie, for example, for persons with restrictions on mobility (eg wheelchair users), a handicapped accessible wheelchair route can advantageously be displayed, etc. In addition to the routing information, the user can be provided with detailed information about an event or service of a company from an event database 22 (step E). This database 22 is shown separately since it is data from an organizer or a company and they provide this information as occasion demands. It can also be just another storage area of the same server. The information does not necessarily have to be sent to the visitor on the first connection to the information terminal 3. It can also be delivered on the way to the event, upon reaching the destination (step E of FIG. 2), etc. The desired information can be selected on a menu and transmitted according to the needs of the user. This additional information can also be displayed by the application 12 according to the access profile on the device 1 - visually or acoustically.

In order for a person to be guided in the right direction, it must be ensured that they are initially positioned in the right direction. This can e.g. be achieved with a corresponding positioning mark on the ground, which can also be scanned by a blind person with the blind stick. Position markings on the information terminal 3 are conceivable. The position description can also be transmitted acoustically.

It is assumed that the building or the area in all important places, e.g. in doors, paths, branches, staircases, elevators and toilets, etc. has been equipped with active or passive information points 4a, 4b. Active information points 4a connect the electronic data processing system 2 with the routing application 12 of the mobile device 1. Active information points 4a can both convey spatially relevant information and support a person in the routing.

Passive information items 4b have no connection to the electronic data processing system 2 and only support a person in the guidance by sending a position code to the routing application 12, with which they can determine the routing to the next information point 4a, b. To this end, after the user selected the destination in step C of FIG. 1, route guidance information was loaded from the route information application 12 to the device 1 for the passive information points 4b. When connected to a passive information point, the routing information is taken from the stored routing data and displayed by the device 1. Active and passive information points 4 can be equipped with visual, audible and / or tactile indication (eg paper, screen, relief font, Braille line, etc.).

If a person now embarks on the way to the destination (see Fig. 2), it will inevitably return to the reception area of an active or passive information point 4a, b. If the routing application on the mobile device 1 communicates with an active information point 4a, the local position code of the information point with the device identification (ID) of the device 1 is sent to the electronic data processing system (step F). This represents e.g. a graphical overview display of local and target position, a direction display or additional information for the routing of Wegleitungsanwendung available (step G), which is displayed by the mobile device 1 according to the selected representation. In the example shown, it is a proactive door sign, which establishes the link between the mobile device 1 and the data processing system 2 at room A and is possibly equipped with a display. Other larger terminals such as the information terminal 3 are also active information points 4a.

If the routing application 12 communicates with a passive information point 4b, by means of the position code of the information point, for example, a graphical overview display of local and destination position, a direction indicator or additional information is retrieved from the local database in the mobile device (steps H, I). By means of the access profile stored in the mobile device 1 (eg, visual strength data), the routing application now determines an appropriate one Presentation of Route Information on the Mobile Device 1. This process of connecting to active and / or passive information points 4a, b, retrieving location codes and the corresponding routing information repeats until the user is at the destination.

In order for a person to be led further in the right direction, it must be ensured that he initially re-positions himself in the right direction. This can again be e.g. be achieved with a corresponding positioning mark on the ground, visual or audible prompt.

When the person has arrived at the destination (Figure 2, Room B), the device ID and position are sent one last time to the data processing system 2 via an active information point (door sign) (Step J). The mobile device 1 then contains a completion message that the person has arrived at the destination (step K).

Wants a person on the way to the destination position e.g. a facility of public interest, e.g. Toilet or restaurant, the person on the mobile device selects a particular public facility. The person will now be directed to the public place using the procedure described above. After visiting the public place, the guidance to the original position on the mobile device 1 can be reactivated.

With this device, a person with or without disability is successively guided to the destination. Once arrived at the destination, the routing application recognizes that the person has arrived at the destination and sends an e-mail message to the electronic data processing system which causes deletion of the stored data on the database.

It is advantageous in this method and system in particular that the Wegleitungsinformation is independent of the representation; the routing information or the location codes will be at all Transfer users the same and only the mobile device 1 or the application 12 represents the desired information according to the specific needs and the access profile of the individual user.

In another embodiment of the invention, users print a home map at home, which they download from the Internet. He enters event and disability or desired representation. It is conceivable that a code, such as a one- or two-dimensional barcode, is loaded onto the mobile device 1. In the building, the user presents the route map or the code at each information point 4 and receives on a local display of the information points 4 the required Wegleitungs- and additional information. The information will be displayed in accordance with the information entered before.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1 mobile device

1 1 identification module

12 routing application

13 Interface in the near range

2 data processing system

21 Organization database

22 event database

3 information terminal

4 information point

4a Active information point

4b Passive information point

A - K procedural steps

Claims

claims

A method for routing a user in a building or a restricted area, the user being equipped with a mobile device (1) comprising the following method steps

• the user enters a disability in the mobile device (1);

An active information point (4a) in the building is located and the mobile device (1) connects to the active information point (4a) via a short-range interface (13);

A destination is selected on the mobile device (1);

The routing information for the selected destination is transmitted to the mobile device (1);

On the way to the destination, the mobile device (1) enters the sphere of influence of further active or passive information points (4a, b), wherein

Routing information is displayed on the mobile device (1) according to the current position of the information points (4a, b), the desired routing information being displayed from the user's location to the destination in the mobile device (1) according to the user's entered disability, and wherein

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that, when connected to an active information point (4a), a position code is forwarded to a routing server (2) which sends the routing information to the destination and other spatially relevant information to the mobile device (1) and is displayed by this.

3. The method according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that when connected to a passive information point (4b) stored in the mobile device (1) Wegleitungsdaten the Wegleitungsinformation taken and displayed by the mobile device (1).

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the Wegleitungsinformation consists of a graphical overview display of start and end position, a direction indicator for the local guidance and / or additional information.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that active and passive information points (4a, b) are equipped with a visual, audible or tactile indication.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that a specific route is displayed for individual groups of people.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that a position description is transmitted acoustically from the mobile device (1).

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the person, the mobile device (1) by position markings on the ground or at the information point (3, 4a, 4b) positioned such that orientation information on the screen of the mobile device are properly oriented.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that the position markings of blind people can be scanned with the blind stick.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the Wegleitungsinformation on a mobile phone (1), a PDA or an Ultra PC with built-Braille display.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that visual contents are acoustically or tactually accessible and audible content visually or tactually in the mobile device (1) are displayed and accessible.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the user in addition to the Wegleitungsinformation detailed information about an event or service provided by a company.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the user can select the original starting point at the destination and is returned there.

14. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the mobile device (1) at destination to the information point (4a) sends an arrival message, which causes the deletion of the corresponding Wegleitungsdaten.

15. Mobile device (1) for use in a method according to one of claims 1 to 14, comprising

A wireless interface (13) in the vicinity for transmitting data and for connecting a mobile device (1) to at least one information point (4a, 4b) in a building or a restricted area;

• input means for entering and storing a handicap of the user;

An application (12) for receiving routing information via the wireless interface (13) and displaying the desired routing information to the destination in the mobile device according to the user's entered disability;

16. Mobile device (1) according to claim 15, characterized in that visual contents are acoustically or tactually accessible and audible content is accessible visually or tactually in the mobile device (1).

17. Mobile device (1) according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that the mobile device (1) is a mobile phone, a PDA or an Ultra PC with built-Braille.

18. System for routing in a building or a demarcated area with active and passive information points (4a, b), the active information points (4a) include

A short-range wireless interface (13) for transmitting data and connecting a mobile device (1);

• means for receiving a destination from the mobile device (1);

• means for determining routing information from the location of the information point (4a) to the received destination; and

• means for transmitting a determined routing information to the mobile device (1).

19. A system according to claim 18, characterized in that at the information point (4a, b) or on the active information point (4a, b) position markers are provided to properly orient the screen of the mobile device (1).