Personal mobility device navigation system with road recognition capabilities

Abstract

The present invention relates to a personal mobility device operation system comprising a road recognition function that recognizes the road on which the personal mobility device is traveling and sanctions the use of a prohibited road to enable safe operation. The objective of the present invention is to provide a personal mobility device operation system that determines whether the road on which the personal mobility device is currently traveling is a drivable road, outputs a warning message if it is a non-drivable road, determines whether the personal mobility device is parked in a designated area to prevent the personal mobility device from being left abandoned anywhere on the road, and sanctions the user if they illegally park or drive on a non-drivable road while ignoring the warning message.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a personal mobility device operation system including a road recognition function, and more specifically, to a personal mobility device operation system including a road recognition function that recognizes the road on which the personal mobility device is traveling and restricts the use of a road where driving is prohibited, thereby enabling safe operation. Background Technology

[0002] Personal mobility devices include electric kick scooters, electric two-wheeled self-balancing vehicles, and bicycles that can move solely by the power of an electric motor, and among motorized bicycles, those with a maximum speed of less than 25 km / h and a body weight of less than 30 kg.

[0003] Personal mobility devices are not permitted for use by individuals under the age of 13, require a motorcycle license or higher, and necessitate the wearing of safety equipment including a helmet; furthermore, only one person is allowed to ride on a single personal mobility device. However, as the number of riders failing to comply with these regulations increases, traffic accidents involving personal mobility devices are occurring frequently.

[0004] The number of traffic accidents involving personal mobility devices increased more than 20-fold from 117 in 2017 to 2,386 in 2022. An analysis of traffic accidents involving personal mobility devices in 2022 showed that accidents caused by collisions between vehicles and personal mobility devices accounted for 45.3% of the total, while accidents caused by collisions between people and personal mobility devices accounted for 43.7%.

[0005] Among accidents involving collisions between vehicles and personal mobility devices, 'side collisions' were the most frequent, with a large portion of these occurring at 'intersections.' Similarly, in traffic accidents involving collisions between personal mobility devices and pedestrians, excluding the 'other' category, the highest number of accidents occurred while 'walking' and at 'crosswalks,' with a high proportion taking place on sidewalks and crosswalks, respectively.

[0006] These figures indicate that despite the Road Traffic Act, users of personal mobility devices continue to use roads where driving is restricted.

[0007] Accordingly, the applicant intends to propose a system that restricts personal mobility devices from driving illegally on sidewalks or crosswalks and prevents illegal parking of personal mobility devices in places other than designated parking spaces. Prior art literature

[0008] 1. Korean Patent Publication No. 20-2496950 ("Safety Electric Scooter System", Feb. 2, 2023.) The problem to be solved

[0009] The present invention has been devised to solve the above-mentioned problems, and the objective of the present invention is to provide a personal mobility device operation system that includes a road recognition function that determines whether the road the personal mobility device is currently traveling on is a drivable road and outputs a warning message if it is a drivable road.

[0010] In addition, the invention provides a personal mobility device operation system that can determine whether a personal mobility device is parked in a designated area to prevent it from being left abandoned anywhere on the road, and can penalize the user if they park illegally or drive on a road where driving is prohibited while ignoring warning messages. means of solving the problem

[0011] The personal mobility device operation system including the road recognition function of the present invention is characterized by comprising: a terminal installed integrally with or detachably attached to the personal mobility device and collecting data of the road on which the personal mobility device is traveling; and a server that receives the road data collected from the terminal, analyzes the road on which the personal mobility device is traveling, and determines whether the road is drivable by the personal mobility device.

[0012] In addition, the terminal comprises a first communication unit that communicates with the server, an input unit that receives data for accessing the server from a driver, an output unit that visually outputs data received from the server, a camera provided in the terminal that captures a road according to the direction of movement of the personal mobility device to collect video or image data, and a GPS unit provided in the terminal or the personal mobility device that collects location data of the personal mobility device.

[0013] Additionally, the server comprises: a second communication unit that communicates with the terminal and an external server; a database in which one or more selected from data input from the terminal, driver data, an algorithm for generating a movement path, and an algorithm for analyzing video or image data collected from the camera are stored; a driver authentication unit that determines whether driver information input from the input unit is a driver stored in the database; a driving path generation unit that generates a movement path based on map data stored in the database or map data transmitted from the external server, based on a destination input from the input unit and location data collected from the GPS unit; and a driving road recognition unit that analyzes the road on which the personal mobility device is driving based on video or image data collected from the camera and determines whether it is a drivable road.

[0014] In addition, the server further includes a parking zone recognition unit that determines whether the personal mobility device is parked in a parking zone based on video or image data collected from the camera.

[0015] In addition, the server further includes a guidance message generation unit that generates a guidance message based on the results determined by the driving road recognition unit and the parking area recognition unit, and the message generated by the guidance message generation unit is output to the output unit of the terminal.

[0016] In addition, the server is characterized by transmitting parking zone data within a predetermined distance from the personal mobility device to the terminal, based on a message generated by the guidance message generation unit and location data collected from the GPS unit, when the parking zone recognition unit determines that it is a restricted parking zone.

[0017] In addition, the server is characterized by communicating with the external server to impose sanctions on the driver when the driving road recognition unit determines that the personal mobility device has been driving on a road where driving is prohibited for a certain period of time or longer.

[0018] In addition, the server is characterized by communicating with the external server to automatically report when it is determined that the location data collected from the GPS unit remains the same for a certain period of time or longer and there are peculiarities in the data captured by the camera.

[0019] In addition, the above server is characterized by determining that there is an anomaly in the captured data if the captured data collected from the camera is rotated or if the captured data collected from the camera is determined to be in a place other than a driving road. Effects of the invention

[0020] A personal mobility device operating system including a road recognition function according to the above configuration determines whether the road the personal mobility device is currently driving on is a drivable road, and outputs a warning message if it is a road that is not drivable, thereby enabling the user to operate safely.

[0021] In addition, it can determine whether a personal mobility device is parked in a designated area, preventing devices from being left abandoned anywhere on the road. Furthermore, it can prevent traffic accidents by penalizing drivers who park illegally or drive on roads where driving is prohibited while ignoring warning messages. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0022] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a personal mobility device operation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a terminal block diagram of a personal mobility device operation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a server block diagram of a personal mobility device operation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a method for authenticating a driver using a personal mobility device operation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a driving road recognition method using a personal mobility device operation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a parking area recognition method using a personal mobility device operation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a driving start screen output to a terminal of a personal mobility device driving system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is an example of preprocessing of a personal mobility device operation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a driving road recognition screen output to a terminal of a personal mobility device operation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0023] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention as described above will be explained in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0024] FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of a personal mobility device operation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the personal mobility device operation system of the present invention includes a terminal (100) and a server (200) that communicates with the terminal (100).

[0025] The terminal (100) may be formed integrally with a personal mobility device (hereinafter referred to as the "mobility device"), and it is preferable that the terminal be a portable device such as a smartphone or tablet PC owned by the individual driver. The terminal (100) is equipped with a camera (130) so that it can capture information about the road on which the mobility device is traveling and collect it in the form of video or images.

[0026] The server (200) communicates with the terminal (100) and determines whether the conditions are such that a driver can operate the mobile device based on data collected from the outside and data collected or input from the terminal (100), and recognizes the road on which the mobile device is traveling to determine whether it is a road that can be traveled.

[0027] The terminal (100) and server (200) of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 2 and FIGS. 3.

[0028] FIG. 2 illustrates a terminal block diagram of a personal mobile device operation system according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the terminal (100) of the present invention includes an input unit (110), an output unit (120), a camera (130), a GPS unit (140), and a first communication unit (150).

[0029] It is preferable that the terminal (100) be configured to be able to connect to the server (200), and the terminal (100) may have an application installed for connecting to the server (200), or the driver may connect to the server (200) by entering a URL address or recognizing a code.

[0030] The mobile device may be a privately owned mobile device or a shared mobile device. In the case of a shared mobile device, it is configured so that only the driver connected to the server (200) can drive the mobile device, and a privately owned mobile device may also be configured so that only the driver connected to the server (200) can drive it.

[0031] The input unit (110) is provided for a driver to input personal information or a destination to travel to while riding a mobile device, and is preferably a touchscreen of the terminal (100). The output unit (120) is for visually outputting information including the route to the destination, guidance text, etc., and is preferably a touchscreen of the terminal (100), and may also be audibly output through a speaker provided in the terminal (100).

[0032] A camera (130) is installed at the rear of the terminal (100) to photograph the road on which the mobile device is traveling and collect the footage or images, and the data collected from the camera (130) is transmitted to the server (200) by the first communication unit (150).

[0033] It is preferable that the terminal (100) be installed with a built-in GPS unit (140), and the GPS unit (140) collects the current location of the mobile device. The location data of the mobile device collected from the GPS unit (140) is transmitted to the server (200) by the first communication unit (150).

[0034] When the terminal (100) is integrated with the mobile device, the driver can authenticate their identity as a driver by entering a unique ID or a code composed of letters or numbers into the terminal (100), or by pairing it with a smartphone or tablet PC owned by the driver and using the driver's smartphone or tablet PC.

[0035] When the driver is authenticated, the mobile device becomes capable of driving, and the terminal (100) connects to the server (200), and a screen is displayed that allows the destination to be entered. The camera (130) is also turned on to photograph the road on which the mobile device is driving and collect video or image data.

[0036] In another embodiment, when the terminal (100) is a smartphone or tablet PC owned by the driver, the driver connects to the server (200) by entering an application or URL address installed on the terminal (100), or connects to the server (200) by scanning a barcode or QR code displayed on one side of the mobile device using a camera (130) and logging in, the mobile device becomes drivable, and a screen is displayed that allows the terminal (100) to connect to the server (200) and input a destination.

[0037] A camera (130) provided on the rear of the terminal (100) is also turned on to photograph the road on which the mobile device is traveling and collect video or image data. At this time, if the terminal (100) is a smartphone or tablet PC owned by the individual driver, it is preferable that a stand capable of mounting the driver's terminal (100) be provided on the mobile device.

[0038] The camera (130) provided in the terminal (100) is installed at the rear to photograph the direction of travel of the moving device, and is also provided at the front to determine whether the driver is wearing safety equipment such as a helmet.

[0039] FIG. 3 illustrates a server block diagram of a personal mobility device operation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3, it includes a second communication unit (210), a database (220), a driver authentication unit (230), a driving path generation unit (240), a driving road recognition unit (250), a parking area recognition unit (260), and a guidance message generation unit (270).

[0040] The second communication unit (210) communicates with the terminal (100) to receive data transmitted from the terminal (100), and transmits driving path data, guidance messages, etc. generated by the server (200) to the terminal (100). In addition, it can verify the driver by communicating with an external server (200).

[0041] The database (220) stores the driver's personal information and map data for generating a route. In addition, one or more algorithms for generating a driving route and recognizing driving roads and parking areas are stored.

[0042] The driver authentication unit (230) determines whether the driver information input from the terminal (100) matches the driver information stored in the database (220). If the driver authentication unit (230) determines that it matches, it controls the mobile device to be able to drive, and if it determines that it does not match, it controls the re-input screen to be displayed.

[0043] The driving path generation unit (240) generates a driving path for a moving device based on a destination input from a terminal (100) as shown in FIG. 7 and current location data of the moving device collected from a GPS unit (140), prevents the driver from entering a road where the moving device cannot travel, such as a first lane, and generates a driving path including the location of a bicycle path.

[0044] The driving road recognition unit (250) determines whether the road on which the moving device is driving is a drivable road or an undrivable road based on video or image data captured and transmitted from the camera (130).

[0045] The algorithm for determining the driving road learns by collecting images of the roadway, crosswalk, bicycle path, and sidewalk as illustrated in FIG. 8 (a), and the collected images may be images taken from a camera (130) or images received from an external source to a server (200).

[0046] As shown in Fig. 8(b), the roadway, bicycle path, sidewalk, crosswalk, and roadway edge included in the image are each separated and labeled using a labeling algorithm and preprocessed.

[0047] Based on the preprocessed data, it is possible to determine whether the driving road captured in real-time by the camera (130) is a sidewalk, crosswalk, roadway, or bicycle path, and to display a guidance message if it is a road where driving is impossible.

[0048] The parking area recognition unit (260) determines whether the area where the mobile device is parked is a parking area based on video or image data captured and transmitted from the camera (130). The algorithm for determining whether it is a parking area first collects and learns images of the parking area where the mobile device is parked, and the collected images are preprocessed by distinguishing and labeling the parking area and other areas using images captured from the camera (130) or images received from the outside to the server (200).

[0049] Based on the preprocessed data, it is determined whether the area where the mobile device is parked, which is captured in real-time by the camera (130), is a parking area or a restricted parking area, and if it is a restricted parking area, a notice can be displayed.

[0050] The guidance message generation unit (270) is for generating a guidance message to be output to the terminal (100). As shown in FIG. 9 (a), the guidance message is not output when driving on the road.

[0051] However, as shown in FIG. 9(b), if the driving road recognition unit (250) determines that the vehicle is driving on the sidewalk, a message prohibiting driving on the sidewalk is generated and output to the terminal (100). As shown in FIG. 9(c), if a crosswalk is recognized by the camera (130), a message instructing the vehicle to dismount from the vehicle and walk across the crosswalk can be generated and output to the terminal (100). Additionally, if the parking area recognition unit (260) determines that the vehicle is parked in a restricted parking area, a message instructing the vehicle to park in the parking area and a nearby parking area can be output to the terminal (100).

[0052] Additionally, based on the location data of the mobile device collected from the GPS unit (140), guidance messages for turning left or right can be displayed as shown in (d) of FIG. 9, and based on the location data of the mobile device collected from the GPS unit (140) and data captured by the camera (130), a message warning to be careful of the intersection before entering the intersection can be displayed on the terminal (100), and a warning message warning of accidents before entering a place where accidents frequently occur can be displayed on the terminal (100).

[0053] In addition, if the driver is speeding based on the driving speed of the mobile device measured by a speed sensor provided in the mobile device or terminal (100), a guidance message to slow down may be generated and output to the terminal (100).

[0054] If a driver ignores the guidance message displayed on the terminal (100) and continues driving on the sidewalk or crosses a crosswalk while riding the vehicle, or parks the vehicle in a restricted area, the driver may be subject to sanctions such as penalty points or fines by communicating with an external agency, namely the police agency server.

[0055] In addition, if the location data collected from the GPS unit (140) remains the same for more than a predetermined amount of time while the driver is driving the mobile device, and there is an unusual occurrence in the data captured by the camera (130), it is determined that an accident occurred while the driver was driving the mobile device, and a report can be automatically transmitted to an external agency, namely the police or an ambulance.

[0056] At this time, the special circumstances may include cases where the video or image data captured by the camera (130) while driving rotates, or where the video or image data captured by the camera (130) captures a roadside tree or wall instead of the driving road.

[0057] FIG. 4 illustrates a flowchart of a method for authenticating a driver using a personal mobility device operation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 4, the method for authenticating a driver using a personal mobility device operation system of the present invention includes a membership registration step, a connection step, a second judgment step, and a mobility device control step.

[0058] First, a membership registration step is performed in which the driver accesses the server (200) through the terminal (100) to proceed with membership registration. During the membership registration step, the driver may directly set the ID they wish to use or be assigned a unique ID from the server (200). At this time, the driver's age and whether they possess a motorcycle license or higher may be entered to determine whether the driver is eligible to operate the mobile device.

[0059] A driver holding a motor vehicle license or higher can photograph the license using a camera (130) provided in the driver's terminal (100) or input the unique number printed on the license through the input section (110) of the terminal (100).

[0060] Next, a second determination stage is conducted to determine eligibility during the registration process. In this second stage, it is determined whether the driver's age entered during the registration stage meets the minimum age requirement for operating a mobility device, and whether the license information entered during the registration stage is valid, such as whether it is a motorcycle license or higher.

[0061] In the second judgment stage, if the motorcycle license or higher is valid and the driver's age is above the standard age, membership registration is completed; if the motorcycle license or higher is invalid and the driver's age is below the standard age, membership registration is rejected.

[0062] Once membership registration is complete, a connection step is performed in which the driver accesses the server (200) to use the mobile device. To access the server (200), the driver logs in by entering a unique ID, and if it is determined in the second judgment step that it is a member's ID, a mobile device control step is performed to unlock the device so that it becomes drivable.

[0063] When using a shared mobile device, if it is determined to be a member's ID in the second judgment step, it is desirable to allow the lock of one of the multiple shared mobile devices to be unlocked by scanning the QR code or barcode attached to the shared mobile device to be used or by entering a combination of characters or numbers.

[0064] FIG. 5 illustrates a flowchart of a driving road recognition method using a personal mobility device driving system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 5, the driving road recognition method using a personal mobility device driving system of the present invention includes a second shooting data reception step, a second data analysis step, a third judgment step, a second guidance phrase generation step, and a second guidance phrase output step.

[0065] First, a second shooting data reception step is performed in which a video or image file captured by the camera (130) of the terminal (100) is transmitted from the terminal (100) and received by the server (200). Next, a second data analysis step is performed in which the driving road recognition unit (250) of the server (200) analyzes the shooting data received by the second shooting data reception step to determine whether the road the mobile device is currently driving on is a roadway, a crosswalk, a bicycle path, or a sidewalk.

[0066] Based on the results analyzed in the second data analysis step, a third judgment step is performed to determine whether the road is drivable by the mobile device. If it is determined in the third judgment step that the road is drivable by the mobile device, a second guidance message generation step is performed in which a guidance message prohibiting driving is generated by the guidance message generation unit (270) of the server (200), and a second guidance message output step is performed in which the guidance message generated in the second guidance message generation step is visually output to the output unit (120) of the terminal (100).

[0067] FIG. 6 illustrates a flowchart of a method for recognizing a parking area using a personal mobility device operation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 6, the method for recognizing a parking area using a personal mobility device operation system of the present invention includes a second shooting data reception step, a second data analysis step, a fourth judgment step, a second guidance phrase generation step, and a second guidance phrase output step.

[0068] First, a second shooting data reception step is performed in which a video or image file captured by the camera (130) of the terminal (100) is transmitted from the terminal (100) and received by the server (200). Next, a second data analysis step is performed in which the parking area recognition unit (260) of the server (200) analyzes the shooting data received by the second shooting data reception step to determine whether the area where the mobile device is parked is a parking area.

[0069] A fourth judgment step is performed to determine whether the mobile device is parked in a parking area based on the results analyzed in the second data analysis step. If it is determined in the fourth judgment step that the mobile device is parked in a restricted parking area, a second guidance message generation step is performed in which a guidance message instructing the user to move the mobile device to a parking area is generated by the guidance message generation unit (270) of the server (200), and a second guidance message output step is performed in which the guidance message generated in the second guidance message generation step is visually output to the output unit (120) of the terminal (100). At this time, in addition to the guidance message, the location of a parking area located near the mobile device may also be output.

[0070] The technical concept of the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited to the above-described embodiments. Not only is the scope of application diverse, but various modifications are possible at the level of a person skilled in the art without departing from the essence of the invention claimed in the claims. Accordingly, such improvements and modifications fall within the scope of protection of the present invention insofar as they are obvious to a person skilled in the art. Explanation of the symbols

[0071] 100 terminals 110 Input section 120 output section 130 cameras 140 GPS unit 150 1st Communications Department 200 servers 210 2nd Communications Department 220 database 230 Driver Certification Department 240 Driving path generation unit 250 Driving Road Recognition Unit 260 Parking area recognition unit 270 Guide Message Generation Section

Claims

Claim 1 A terminal installed integrally with or detachably attached to a personal mobility device and collecting data of a road on which the personal mobility device is traveling; and a server that receives road data collected from the terminal, analyzes the road on which the personal mobility device is traveling, and determines whether the personal mobility device is traveling on the road; comprising It further includes a camera equipped on the terminal or the personal mobility device that captures a road along the direction of movement of the personal mobility device to collect video or image data, and a GPS unit that collects location data of the personal mobility device. The above server further includes a parking zone recognition unit that determines whether the personal mobility device is parked in a parking zone based on video or image data collected from the camera, and If the above parking area recognition unit determines that it is a restricted parking area, based on location data collected from the above GPS unit, parking area data within a predetermined distance from the above personal mobility device is transmitted to the terminal, and If the location data collected from the GPS unit remains the same for a certain period of time or longer, and it is determined that there are anomalies in the data captured by the camera, it communicates with an external server to automatically report. A personal mobility device operation system including a road recognition function characterized by doing so. Claim 2 A personal mobility device operating system including a road recognition function, wherein, in claim 1, the terminal comprises a first communication unit that communicates with the server, an input unit that receives data for accessing the server from a driver, and an output unit that visually outputs data received from the server. Claim 3 A personal mobility device operation system comprising a road recognition function, wherein the server comprises: a second communication unit communicating with the terminal and an external server; a database storing one or more selected from data input from the terminal, driver data, an algorithm for generating a movement path, and an algorithm for analyzing video or image data collected from the camera; a driver authentication unit determining whether driver information input from the input unit is a driver stored in the database; a driving path generation unit generating a movement path based on map data stored in the database or map data transmitted from the external server based on a destination input from the input unit and location data collected from the GPS unit; and a driving road recognition unit analyzing the road on which the personal mobility device is driving based on video or image data collected from the camera and determining whether it is a drivable road. Claim 4 delete Claim 5 A personal mobility device operating system including a road recognition function, wherein, in claim 1, the server further includes a guidance message generation unit that generates a guidance message based on a result determined from the driving road recognition unit and the parking area recognition unit, and the message generated from the guidance message generation unit is output to the output unit of the terminal. Claim 6 delete Claim 7 A personal mobility device operation system comprising a road recognition function, wherein, in claim 1, the server communicates with the external server to impose sanctions on the driver when the driving road recognition unit determines that the personal mobility device is driving on a road where driving is prohibited for a certain period of time or longer. Claim 8 delete Claim 9 A personal mobility device operating system comprising a road recognition function, wherein, in claim 1, the server determines that there is an anomaly in the captured data when the captured data collected from the camera is rotated or when the captured data collected from the camera is determined to be in a place other than a driving road.

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