Information processing device, information processing method and terminal device

Abstract

The present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing method and a terminal device. An information processing device includes a control unit, which determines a travel path of a wheelchair crossing a road. The control unit determines the travel path of the wheelchair based on information about the undulations of the road surface.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing device, an information processing method and a terminal device. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a configuration that, when a pedestrian starts to cross a desired spot on a road, notifies surrounding vehicles of the presence of the pedestrian crossing the spot (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. 2014-225151 (JP 2014-225151 A)). Summary of the invention

[0003] When crossing a road with a wheelchair, the wheelchair may be difficult to move depending on the road conditions. When crossing a road with a wheelchair, it is necessary to make it easier to move the wheelchair.

[0004] The present disclosure has been made in view of such circumstances and aims to improve the travel convenience of a wheelchair.

[0005] An information processing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a control unit that determines a travel path of a wheelchair crossing a road. The control unit determines the travel path of the wheelchair based on information about undulations of a road surface.

[0006] The information processing method according to the embodiment of the present disclosure includes determining the driving path of a wheelchair crossing a road. The information processing method includes determining the driving path of the wheelchair based on information about the undulations of the road surface.

[0007] The terminal device according to an embodiment of the present invention is installed on a wheelchair crossing a road or carried by a wheelchair user. The terminal device obtains the driving path of the wheelchair from the information processing device, and the driving path of the wheelchair is determined by the information processing device based on information about the undulations of the road surface.

[0008] According to the information processing device, information processing method and terminal device of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the convenience of wheelchair travel can be improved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like symbols represent like elements, and in which:

[0010] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of an information processing system according to an embodiment;

[0011] Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of a travel path of a wheelchair determined based on contour lines of a road surface;

[0012] Figure 3is a diagram showing an example of a travel path of a wheelchair determined based on contour lines of a road surface and an example of a crosswalk displayed along the travel path;

[0013] Figure 4 is a front view showing an example of the position of the center of gravity of the wheelchair;

[0014] Figure 5 is a side view showing an example of the position of the center of gravity of a wheelchair; and

[0015] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing a procedure example of the information processing method according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] Configuration Example of Information Processing System 1

[0017] like Figure 1 As shown in FIG. 1 , the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment includes an information processing device 10 and a terminal device 20. The information processing device 10 determines a travel path 80 of a wheelchair 70 crossing a road 40, such as Figure 2 and 3 As shown in . The information processing device 10 determines the driving path 80 of the wheelchair 70 based on the information about the undulations of the road surface of the road 40. The information processing device 10 uses the terminal device 20 to notify the wheelchair 70 or the user 74 of the wheelchair 70 of the determined driving path 80. The terminal device 20 can be installed on the wheelchair 70. The terminal device 20 can be carried by the user 74. The terminal device 20 obtains the driving path 80 of the wheelchair 70 from the information processing device 10, notifies the user 74 of the driving path 80, and controls the wheelchair 70 to travel along the driving path 80. The information processing system 1 also includes a display device 84, but it is not necessary. The display device 84 can be configured to display the driving path 80 of the wheelchair 70 on the road 40. The display device 84 can be configured to display a crosswalk 82 on the road 40 where the vehicle 60 travels. Hereinafter, a configuration example of the information processing system 1 will be described.

[0018] Information processing device 10

[0019] The information processing apparatus 10 includes a control unit 11 and a server interface 12. The server interface 12 is also referred to as an I / F 12.

[0020] The control unit 11 controls each component of the information processing device 10. The control unit 11 may be configured to include one or more processors. According to the present embodiment, the "processor" is a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor dedicated to a specific process, etc. However, the processor is not limited thereto. The control unit 11 may be configured to include one or more dedicated circuits. The dedicated circuit may include, for example, a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The control unit 11 may be configured to include a dedicated circuit instead of a processor, or may be configured to include a dedicated circuit together with a processor.

[0021] The information processing device 10 may further include a storage unit. The storage unit is, for example, a semiconductor memory, a magnetic memory, or an optical memory. However, the storage unit is not limited to these memories. The storage unit may be used as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit may include an electromagnetic storage medium such as a disk. The storage unit stores any information used for the operation of the information processing device 10. The storage unit may store, for example, a system program or an application program, etc. The storage unit may be included in the control unit 11.

[0022] The I / F 12 outputs information, data, etc. from the control unit 11, and inputs information, data, etc. to the control unit 11. The I / F 12 is also simply called an interface or I / F.

[0023] The I / F 12 may include a communication module configured to be able to communicate with the display device 84 or the like via the network 30. The communication module may include a communication module corresponding to a mobile communication standard such as the fourth generation (4G) or the fifth generation (5G). However, the communication module is not limited thereto. The I / F 12 may be configured to be connectable to the communication module.

[0024] The information processing device 10 may include one server device or a plurality of server devices capable of communicating with each other.

[0025] The information processing device 10 further includes a detection unit 14, but this is not essential. The detection unit 14 detects information about the undulation of the road surface of the road 40 that the wheelchair 70 is to cross. The information about the undulation of the road surface of the road 40 is also referred to as undulation information. The undulation information may include, for example, information specifying the height of each point on the road surface of the road 40. The undulation information may include information specifying a slope existing on the road surface of the road 40. The undulation information may include information indicating contour lines of the road surface of the road 40.

[0026] The detection unit 14 may be configured to include, for example, a camera that photographs the road surface of the road 40. The detection unit 14 may be configured to include a distance sensor that detects the distance of each point on the road surface of the road 40. The detection unit 14 may calculate the coordinates or height of each point on the road surface of the road 40 as the undulation information based on the detected information about the road surface. The detection unit 14 may generate information specifying a slope existing on the road surface of the road 40 as the undulation information based on the detected information about the road surface. The detection unit 14 may generate information indicating the contour of the road surface of the road 40 as the undulation information based on the detected information about the road surface.

[0027] The detection unit 14 may output the undulation information to the control unit 11. The detection unit 14 may output the detected information to the control unit 11. The control unit 11 may calculate the coordinates or height of each point on the road surface of the road 40 as the undulation information based on the information on the road surface detected by the detection unit 14. The control unit 11 may generate information specifying a slope existing on the road surface of the road 40 as the undulation information based on the information on the road surface detected by the detection unit 14. The control unit 11 may generate information indicating a contour line of the road surface of the road 40 as the undulation information based on the information on the road surface detected by the detection unit 14.

[0028] Terminal device 20

[0029] like Figure 1 As shown in FIG. 1 , the terminal device 20 includes a terminal control unit 21 and a terminal interface 22. The terminal interface 22 is also referred to as a terminal I / F 22.

[0030] The terminal control unit 21 controls each component of the terminal device 20. The terminal control unit 21 may be configured to be the same as or similar to the control unit 11 of the information processing device 10. The terminal control unit 21 may be configured to include one or more processors. The terminal control unit 21 may be configured to include one or more dedicated circuits. The dedicated circuit may include, for example, an FPGA or an ASIC. The terminal control unit 21 may be configured to include a dedicated circuit instead of a processor, or may be configured to include a dedicated circuit together with a processor.

[0031] The terminal device 20 may further include a storage unit. The storage unit of the terminal device 20 may be configured to be the same as or similar to the storage unit of the information processing device 10. The storage unit is, for example, a semiconductor memory, a magnetic memory, or an optical memory. However, the storage unit is not limited to these memories. The storage unit may be used as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit may include an electromagnetic storage medium such as a disk. The storage unit stores any information used for the operation of the terminal device 20. The storage unit may store, for example, a system program or an application program, etc. The storage unit may be included in the terminal control unit 21.

[0032] The terminal I / F 22 transmits information or data output from the terminal control unit 21 to the information processing device 10. The terminal I / F 22 may include a communication module configured to communicate with other devices such as the information processing device 10 via the network 30. The communication module may include a communication module that complies with a mobile communication standard such as 4G or 5G. However, the communication module is not limited thereto.

[0033] The terminal I / F 22 may be configured to include an input device for receiving input of information or data from a user. The input device may be configured to include, for example, a touch panel or a touch sensor or a pointing device such as a mouse. The input device may be configured to include a physical key. The input device may be configured to include a voice input device such as a microphone.

[0034] Terminal I / F 22 may include, for example, a display device that outputs visual information such as images, characters or graphics to a user. The display device may be configured to include, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic electroluminescent (EL) display or an inorganic EL display or a plasma display panel (PDP), etc. The display device is not limited to the above-mentioned display, and may be configured to include various other types of displays. The display device may be configured to include a light emitting element, such as a light emitting diode (LED) or a laser diode (LD). The display device may be configured to include various other devices.

[0035] The terminal device 20 also includes a detection unit 24 that detects undulation information of the road surface of the road 40, but this is not essential. The detection unit 24 may be configured to be the same as or similar to the detection unit 14 of the information processing device 10. The terminal device 20 may output the undulation information to the information processing device 10. The detection unit 24 may detect information such as an image of the road surface or a distance to each point on the road surface as information for generating the undulation information, and output the information to the information processing device 10.

[0036] The terminal device 20 may further include a location information acquisition unit that acquires location information of the terminal device 20 itself. The location information acquisition unit may be configured to include a receiver for a satellite positioning system. A receiver compatible with a satellite positioning system may include, for example, a global positioning system (GPS) receiver.

[0037] The terminal device 20 may be mounted on the wheelchair 70 or may be carried by the user 74 of the wheelchair 70. When the terminal device 20 is mounted on the wheelchair 70, the terminal device 20 may notify the user 74 of the travel path 80 of the wheelchair 70 or may control the travel of the wheelchair 70. When the terminal device 20 is carried by the user 74, the terminal device 20 may notify the user 74 of the travel path 80 of the wheelchair 70.

[0038] The number of terminal devices 20 included in the information processing system 1 is not limited to one, and may be two or more. The terminal device 20 may be configured to include a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet, or a PC such as a laptop personal computer (PC) or a tablet PC. The terminal device 20 is not limited to the above examples, and may be configured to include various devices.

[0039] Display Device 84

[0040] The display device 84 may be configured to include one or more processors. The display device 84 may be configured to include one or more dedicated circuits. The display device 84 may be configured to include a storage unit. The storage unit of the display device 84 may be configured to be the same as or similar to the storage unit of the information processing device 10. The storage unit stores any information used for the operation of the display device 84. The storage unit may store, for example, system programs or application programs, etc.

[0041] The display device 84 may be configured to include an interface for acquiring information or data or the like from the information processing device 10. The interface may be configured to be the same as or similar to the I / F 12 of the information processing device 10.

[0042] The display device 84 is configured to include a display device for displaying the crosswalk 82 on the road surface of the road 40. For example, the display device can be configured to include a light source installed to be embedded in the road surface of the road 40. The light source can be configured to include, for example, a light emitting element such as an LED or an LD. The light source can be configured to include, for example, a light bulb or a fluorescent lamp. For example, the display device can be configured to project an image of the crosswalk 82 onto the road surface of the road 40.

[0043] The number of display devices 84 included in the information processing system 1 is not limited to one, and may be two or more.

[0044] When the information processing system 1 detects a wheelchair 70 crossing the road 40, the display device 84 may display a crosswalk 82 on the road 40. When the information processing device 10 detects a wheelchair 70 located within a predetermined distance from the road 40 or a wheelchair 70 that has stayed within a predetermined distance from the road 40 for a predetermined time or longer, the information processing device 10 may cause the display device 84 to display the crosswalk 82 so that the wheelchair 70 can cross the road 40.

[0045] The information processing system 1 may include a sensor such as a camera or a motion sensor capable of detecting the presence of the wheelchair 70 as a configuration for detecting the wheelchair 70 located within a predetermined distance from the road 40. The display device 84 may be configured to be capable of detecting the presence of the wheelchair 70 by being installed near the road 40. The information processing device 10 or the display device 84 may detect the wheelchair 70 located within the predetermined distance from the road 40 by acquiring the position information of the terminal device 20 from the terminal device 20 installed on the wheelchair 70 or the terminal device 20 carried by the user 74 of the wheelchair 70.

[0046] Wheelchair 70

[0047] The wheelchair 70 may or may not be included in the information processing system 1. The wheelchair 70 includes a drive wheel 76 and casters 78, such as Figure 4 and 5 The driving wheels 76 include a left driving wheel 76L and a right driving wheel 76R. When the user 74 sits on the wheelchair 70 , the center of gravity positions of both the wheelchair 70 and the user 74 are indicated as the center of gravity position 75 .

[0048] like Figure 1 As shown, the wheelchair 70 also includes a travel control unit 72, although it is not required. The wheelchair 70 may also include a drive device such as an electric motor. The travel control unit 72 controls the speed of the wheelchair 70, etc. by controlling the drive device. When the wheelchair 70 is equipped with the terminal device 20, or when the user 74 of the wheelchair 70 carries the terminal device 20, the travel control unit 72 can obtain information for controlling the travel of the wheelchair 70 from the terminal device 20 to control the drive unit. The travel control unit 72 can obtain information for controlling the travel of the wheelchair 70 from the information processing device 10 to control the drive device.

[0049] The wheelchair 70 may further include a sensor that detects undulation information of the road surface of the road 40. The sensor of the wheelchair 70 may output the detected undulation information to the information processing device 10. The sensor of the wheelchair 70 may detect information such as an image of the road surface or a distance to each point on the road surface as information for generating undulation information, and output the information to the information processing device 10.

[0050] The wheelchair 70 may further include a position information acquisition unit that acquires position information of the wheelchair 70 itself. The position information acquisition unit may be configured to be the same as or similar to the position information acquisition unit of the terminal device 20.

[0051] Operation Example of Information Processing System 1

[0052] In the information processing system 1 , the information processing device 10 determines the travel path 80 to be traveled when the wheelchair 70 crosses the road 40 by operating, for example, as described below.

[0053] Wheelchair 70 detection

[0054] The control unit 11 of the information processing device 10 detects the wheelchair 70 crossing the road 40. The control unit 11 may detect a wheelchair 70 located within a predetermined distance from the road 40 or a wheelchair 70 that stays within a predetermined distance from the road 40 for a predetermined time or more as the wheelchair 70 crossing the road 40. The control unit 11 may detect the wheelchair 70 crossing the road 40 based on, for example, the position information of the wheelchair 70 itself or the position information of the terminal device 20 mounted on the wheelchair 70 or the terminal device 20 carried by the user 74 of the wheelchair 70. The control unit 11 may detect the wheelchair 70 crossing the road 40 based on, for example, the acquired image. The control unit 11 may detect the wheelchair 70 crossing the road 40 based on, for example, an image obtained by photographing the road 40 and the surroundings of the road 40. The control unit may detect the wheelchair 70 crossing the road 40 based on, for example, the detection result of a sensor for detecting the presence of the wheelchair 70 on and around the road 40.

[0055] Acquisition of fluctuation information

[0056] The control unit 11 obtains the undulation information of the road surface around the wheelchair 70. The control unit 11 may obtain the undulation information of the road surface within the range that the wheelchair 70 can pass when crossing the road 40. The control unit 11 may obtain the undulation information from the detection unit 14. The control unit 11 may obtain the undulation information from the terminal device 20 or the wheelchair 70.

[0057] The control unit 11 may obtain the height of at least one point of a portion of the road surface as the undulation information. The control unit 11 may calculate a contour line defined based on the height of at least one point of a portion of the road surface. Figure 2 and 3, the contour lines of the road surface are represented by dotted lines as a first contour line 42a and a second contour line 42b. The height of the point from which the first contour line 42a extends may be the same as or different from the height of the point from which the second contour line 42b extends. The height of the point from which the first contour line 42a extends may be higher or lower than the height of the point from which the second contour line 42b extends. In this embodiment, the height of the point from which the first contour line 42a extends is lower than the height of the point from which the second contour line 42b extends.

[0058] Determination of driving route 80

[0059] The control unit 11 determines the travel path 80 when the wheelchair 70 crosses the road 40 based on the undulation information of the road surface. Figure 2 and 3 As shown, the control unit 11 may determine a path intersecting the first contour line 42a and the second contour line 42b defined as the undulation information of the road surface of the road 40 as the driving path 80. The control unit 11 may determine a path orthogonal to the first contour line 42a and the second contour line 42b as the driving path 80. Figure 2 On the road surface with the contour lines shown in FIG. 1 , the control unit 11 determines a straight path extending in a direction inclined relative to a direction perpendicular to the road 40 as the travel path 80 of the wheelchair 70. Figure 3 On the road surface with the contour lines shown, the control unit 11 determines a curved path that intersects the contour lines at a right angle or an angle close to a right angle as the travel path 80 of the wheelchair 70 .

[0060] The control unit 11 may also determine the travel path 80 of the wheelchair 70 based on the center of gravity position 75 of the wheelchair 70. Specifically, the control unit 11 may determine the travel path 80 of the wheelchair 70 based on the deviation of the center of gravity of the wheelchair 70 in the axial direction. The axial direction of the wheelchair 70 is the direction along the line connecting the center of the left drive wheel 76L and the center of the right drive wheel 76R. The axial direction of the wheelchair 70 corresponds to Figure 4 and Figure 5 The reference position of the center of gravity of the wheelchair 70 in the axial direction is set to the center of gravity position 75 of the wheelchair 70 when the height of the road surface in contact with the left drive wheel 76L of the wheelchair 70 is the same as the height of the road surface in contact with the right drive wheel 76R. Figure 4In the example of , the reference position of the center of gravity of the wheelchair 70 in the axial direction is located between the left drive wheel 76L and the right drive wheel 76R. When the wheelchair 70 tilts to the left or right, the center of gravity of the wheelchair 70 shifts from the reference position to the positive and negative directions of the X-axis, that is, in the axial direction. When the center of gravity of the wheelchair 70 shifts toward the drive wheel 76 of the left drive wheel 76L or the right drive wheel 76R, or shifts outward from the left and right drive wheels 76, the possibility of the wheelchair 70 falling to the right or left increases. The control unit 11 can determine the driving path 80 so that when the wheelchair 70 travels along the driving path 80, the deviation of the center of gravity position 75 of the wheelchair 70 in the axial direction is less than the first threshold value. The first threshold value may be, for example, 1 / 4 of the distance between the left drive wheel 76L and the right drive wheel 76R, but is not limited thereto, and may be various values. The first threshold value may be various values ​​less than 1 / 2 of the distance between the left drive wheel 76L and the right drive wheel 76R.

[0061] By determining the travel path 80 of the wheelchair 70 so that the travel path 80 intersects with the contour line of the road surface of the road 40, the left and right tilt of the wheelchair 70 is reduced. That is, the deviation of the center of gravity position 75 of the wheelchair 70 in the axial direction is reduced. In addition, by determining the travel path 80 of the wheelchair 70 based on the center of gravity position 75 of the wheelchair 70, the deviation of the center of gravity position 75 of the wheelchair 70 in the axial direction is reduced. Since the deviation of the center of gravity position 75 of the wheelchair 70 in the axial direction is small, the user 74 of the wheelchair 70 can obtain a sense of stability when the wheelchair 70 is traveling. As a result, the convenience of traveling of the wheelchair 70 is improved.

[0062] The control unit 11 can determine the travel path 80 of the wheelchair 70 based on the deviation of the center of gravity of the wheelchair 70 in the travel direction. The travel direction of the wheelchair 70 is orthogonal to the line connecting the center of the left drive wheel 76L and the center of the right drive wheel 76R, and is a direction along the road surface. The travel direction of the wheelchair 70 corresponds to Figure 4 and 5The reference position of the center of gravity of the wheelchair 70 in the traveling direction is set to the center of gravity position 75 when the height of the road surface in contact with the driving wheel 76 of the wheelchair 70 and the height of the road surface in contact with the caster 78 are the same. When the wheelchair 70 tilts forward or backward, the center of gravity of the wheelchair 70 deviates from the reference position in the positive direction or negative direction of the Y axis, that is, in the traveling direction. When the center of gravity of the wheelchair 70 deviates to the rear of the driving wheel 76 or the front of the caster 78, the possibility of the wheelchair 70 falling forward or backward increases. The control unit 11 can determine the traveling path 80 so that when the wheelchair 70 travels along the traveling path 80, the deviation of the center of gravity position 75 of the wheelchair 70 in the traveling direction is less than the second threshold value. The second threshold value can be, for example, 1 / 4 of the distance between the center of the driving wheel 76 and the center of the caster 78 in the Y axis direction, but is not limited thereto, and can be various values. The second threshold value can be various values ​​less than 1 / 2 of the distance between the center of the driving wheel 76 and the center of the caster 78 in the Y axis direction.

[0063] The control unit 11 can determine the travel path 80 of the wheelchair 70 so that the travel path 80 intersects with the contour line of the road surface of the road 40, and the inclination of the wheelchair 70 in the front-rear direction decreases when the wheelchair 70 travels along the travel path 80. The control unit 11 can determine the travel path 80 of the wheelchair 70 so that the inclination of the wheelchair 70 in the front-rear direction decreases when the wheelchair 70 travels along the travel path, regardless of the angle between the travel path 80 and the contour line of the road surface. In this way, the user 74 of the wheelchair 70 can obtain a sense of stability when the wheelchair 70 travels. As a result, the convenience of traveling of the wheelchair 70 is improved.

[0064] The control unit 11 may determine the travel path 80 so that the height difference of each point included in the travel path 80 of the wheelchair 70 is small. In this way, the wheelchair 70 can travel easily. As a result, the convenience of travel of the wheelchair 70 is improved.

[0065] The control unit 11 may determine the travel path 80 so that the height change rate of each point included in the travel path 80 is small when the wheelchair 70 is traveling. The height change rate of each point included in the travel path 80 corresponds to the slope of the road surface along the travel direction of the wheelchair 70. The smaller the slope of the road surface becomes, the easier it becomes for the wheelchair 70 to travel. As a result, the travel convenience of the wheelchair 70 is improved.

[0066] The control unit 11 may determine the travel path 80 so that the difference between the height of the road surface in contact with the left drive wheel 76L of the wheelchair 70 and the height of the road surface in contact with the right drive wheel 76R is small. The difference between the height of the road surface in contact with the left drive wheel 76L of the wheelchair 70 and the height of the road surface in contact with the right drive wheel 76R is also referred to as the height difference between the left and right wheels. By reducing the height difference between the left and right wheels, the user 74 of the wheelchair 70 can obtain a sense of stability when the wheelchair 70 is traveling. As a result, the convenience of traveling of the wheelchair 70 is improved.

[0067] The control unit 11 can determine the travel path 80 so that the height difference between the left and right wheels changes less. In this way, the swing of the wheelchair 70 in the left and right directions is reduced. By reducing the swing in the left and right directions, the user 74 of the wheelchair 70 can gain a sense of stability when the wheelchair 70 is traveling. As a result, the convenience of traveling of the wheelchair 70 is improved.

[0068] Output of driving route 80

[0069] When the control unit 11 determines the driving path 80 of the wheelchair 70, the control unit 11 may output the determined driving path 80 from the I / F 12 to the terminal device 20 or the wheelchair 70. The terminal device 20 or the wheelchair 70 may notify the user 74 of the driving path 80. The user 74 may operate and move the wheelchair 70 based on the notified driving path 80. The wheelchair 70 may travel along the driving path 80 through the driving control unit 72 based on the driving path 80 acquired from the information processing device 10.

[0070] The control unit 11 may display the determined driving path 80 on the road surface. The control unit 11 may cause the display device 84 to display the determined driving path 80 on the road surface. The control unit 11 may display the determined driving path 80 on the road surface through projection from the wheelchair 70 or the terminal device 20.

[0071] The control unit 11 may cause the terminal device 20 to display the driving path 80 so that the user 74 can recognize the driving path 80 of the wheelchair 70 , or may cause the display device 84 to display the driving path 80 on the road 40 .

[0072] Display of pedestrian crossing 82

[0073] The control unit 11 may cause the display device 84 to display the crosswalk 82 on the road 40 that the wheelchair 70 is to cross. That is, the control unit 11 may control the display device 84 so that the crosswalk 82 is displayed on the road 40 on which the vehicle 60 is traveling. Figure 2 As shown in , the control unit 11 can cause the display device 84 to display a crosswalk 82 on the road surface of the road 40 within the range of the travel path 80 of the wheelchair 70. Figure 3As shown, the control unit 11 can cause the display device 84 to display a crosswalk 82 along the travel path 80 of the wheelchair 70. In addition, the control unit 11 can change the width of the crosswalk 82 so that the wheelchair 70 traveling along the travel path 80 of the wheelchair 70 can travel within the crosswalk 82.

[0074] Process example of information processing method

[0075] The control unit 11 may execute the following operations: Figure 6 The information processing method of the process of the flowchart shown in the figure can be realized as an information processing program executed by a processor constituting the control unit 11. The information processing program can be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium.

[0076] The control unit 11 determines whether there is a wheelchair 70 crossing the road 40 (step S1). When there is no wheelchair 70 crossing the road 40 (step S1: No), the control unit 11 repeats the determination process of step S1. When there is a wheelchair 70 crossing the road 40 (step S1: Yes), the control unit 11 acquires information about the undulations of the road surface (step S2).

[0077] The control unit 11 determines the driving path 80 when the wheelchair 70 crosses the road 40 based on the information about the undulation of the road surface (step S3). The control unit 11 outputs the determined driving path 80 (step S4). Specifically, the control unit 11 may output the determined driving path 80 to the terminal device 20 or the wheelchair 70. The control unit 11 may cause the display device 84 to display the determined driving path 80 on the road surface. After executing the process of step S4, the control unit 11 ends. Figure 6 Flowchart of the process.

[0078] Summary

[0079] As described above, the information processing system 1 and the information processing device 10 according to the present embodiment can determine the travel path 80 of the wheelchair 70 crossing the road 40 based on the information about the undulations of the road surface of the road 40. In this way, it becomes easier for the wheelchair 70 to travel when crossing the road 40. As a result, the convenience of traveling of the wheelchair 70 is improved.

[0080] Other embodiments

[0081] The information processing system 1 is not limited to the above-described mode, and can be implemented in various other modes. Hereinafter, other embodiments will be described.

[0082] Travel path 80 according to the operation of the wheelchair 70

[0083] When operating the wheelchair 70, the user 74 of the wheelchair 70 may alternately move the left drive wheel 76L and the right drive wheel 76R with one hand. In this case, the travel path 80 of the wheelchair 70 becomes a thin curved path, a so-called zigzag path. The control unit 11 may determine the travel path 80 of the wheelchair 70 according to the situation in which the user 74 operates the wheelchair 70. For example, the control unit 11 may determine the travel path 80 of the wheelchair 70 so that the user 74 alternately moves the left and right drive wheels 76 of the wheelchair 70 to travel. The control unit 11 may determine the travel path 80 based on information about the undulations of the road surface in consideration of whether to move the left drive wheel 76L or the right drive wheel 76R. In this way, the user 74 can easily operate the wheelchair 70. As a result, the convenience of traveling of the wheelchair 70 is improved.

[0084] Although the embodiments according to the present disclosure have been described above based on the drawings and examples, it should be noted that those skilled in the art may make various modifications and changes based on the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and changes are within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the functions included in each device or each step may be rearranged so as to be logically consistent, or multiple devices or steps may be combined into one or divided.

Claims

1. An information processing device, comprising: a control unit that determines a travel path of the wheelchair crossing the road, and an interface capable of communicating with a display device that displays an image on a pavement of the road, wherein the control unit determines the travel path of the wheelchair based on information about the undulations of the road surface, The control unit causes the display device to display a crosswalk on the road surface of the road, including the travel path of the wheelchair, through the interface. wherein the control unit causes the display device to display the crosswalk along the travel path of the wheelchair through the interface, and The control unit changes the width of the crosswalk to allow the wheelchair traveling along the travel path of the wheelchair to travel within the crosswalk.

2. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein: The control unit acquiring the height of at least one point of a portion of the road surface of the road as information on the undulations of the road surface, and A travel path of the wheelchair is determined such that the travel path intersects a contour line defined based on a height of the at least one point of the portion of the road surface.

3. The information processing device according to claim 2, wherein: The control unit determines a travel path of the wheelchair such that the travel path is orthogonal to the contour line.

4. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein: The control unit further determines a travel path of the wheelchair based on the center of gravity position of the wheelchair.

5. The information processing device according to claim 4, wherein: The control unit determines a travel path of the wheelchair based on a deviation of the center of gravity of the wheelchair in an axial direction or a travel direction.

6. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein: The control unit determines a travel path of the wheelchair so that a height difference of each point included in the travel path of the wheelchair or a rate of change of the height of each point included in the travel path during travel of the wheelchair is small.

7. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein: The control unit determines a travel path of the wheelchair so that a height difference between left and right wheels of the wheelchair or a change in the height difference between left and right wheels of the wheelchair during travel of the wheelchair is small.

8. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein: The control unit determines a travel path of the wheelchair so that the left and right wheels of the wheelchair move alternately to travel. 9 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a detection unit that detects information on undulations of the road surface.

10. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein: The control unit acquires information about the undulations of the road surface from the wheelchair.

11. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein: The information processing device is installed on the wheelchair; and The control unit causes the wheelchair to travel along a travel path of the wheelchair.

12. An information processing method for determining a travel path of a wheelchair crossing a road, comprising: determining a travel path of the wheelchair based on information about the undulations of the road surface, displaying a crosswalk on the road surface of the road within a range including the travel path of the wheelchair, displaying the crosswalk along the travel path of the wheelchair, and The width of the crosswalk is changed to allow the wheelchair traveling along the travel path of the wheelchair to travel within the crosswalk.

13. The information processing method according to claim 12, further comprising: acquiring a height of at least one point of a portion of the road surface of the road as information on undulations of the road surface; as well as A travel path of the wheelchair is determined such that the travel path intersects a contour line defined based on a height of the at least one point of the portion of the road surface.

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