Route guidance device and route guidance method

Abstract

To provide a route guidance device capable of guiding a user himself / herself to a safe place when the user deviates from a movement route, and a route guidance method.SOLUTION: A route guidance device 10 comprises: a position information acquisition unit 21 which acquires position information of a user; a movement route determination unit 27 which determines a movement route range of the user on the basis of a history of the position information; an aid station setting unit 28 which sets a prescribed aid station on the basis of at least one of a staying time and a staying frequency of each position where the user stays within the movement route range; an abnormal stay determination unit 29 which determines whether or not the user is in an abnormal stay state in which a prescribed time or longer has passed in a state in which the user stays in a position out of the movement route range; and a user guidance unit 30 which guides the user to the aid station when the user is determined to be in the abnormal stay state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a route guidance device and a route guidance method. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, elderly people, physically disabled people, children, and the like tend to be in a weaker position in society, and so there is a demand for appropriate safety confirmation and protection for these people (users). As an example of this type of technology, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for confirming the safety of a user through the operation of a specific household electrical appliance. Patent Document 2 discloses a technology for recording the current situation of a user on video when the user deviates from a path that the user regularly uses, such as a school route, for a specific period of time, and for providing the recorded information to the guardian. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2000-138761 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2020-68452 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, conventional technologies only provide information about a user's current situation to third parties, and do not prompt the user to move to a safe location if the user deviates from their usual route, leaving room for improvement in terms of ensuring the safety of users.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above, and has an object to provide a route guidance device and a route guidance method that guide a user to a safe place when the user deviates from a travel route. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the route guidance device of the present invention comprises a location information acquisition unit that acquires location information of a user, a travel route determination unit that determines the user's travel route range based on the location information history, an aid station setting unit that sets a specified aid station based on at least one of the stay time and number of stays at each location where the user stayed within the travel route range, an abnormal stay determination unit that determines whether the user is staying abnormally for a predetermined period of time or more while staying at a location outside the travel route range, and a user guiding unit that guides the user to the aid station when it is determined that the user is staying abnormally.

[0007] In addition, the route guidance method of the present invention has a route guidance device execute the following steps: acquiring location information of a user; determining a route range for the user based on a history of the location information; setting a specified aid station based on at least one of the stay time and number of stays at each location where the user stayed within the route range; determining whether the user is staying abnormally for a specified period of time or more while staying at a location outside the route range; and guiding the user to an aid station if it is determined that the user is staying abnormally. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an advantage that, if a user strays from a travel route, the user can be guided to a safe place. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a route guidance device according to this embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure when the control unit of the route guidance device determines the travel route range of the user. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operational procedure in the control unit of the route guiding device when guiding a user to an aid station. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of a route guidance device and a route guidance method according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a route guidance device according to this embodiment. The route guidance device 10 of this embodiment predetermines a daily walking route of a user based on the history of the user's location information, and guides the user to a predetermined aid station within the range of the route when the user unintentionally goes beyond the range of the route (for example, when the user gets lost or wanders). Here, the route refers to one route along which the user is traveling, and the range of the route includes multiple routes and refers to the range of routes along which the user is always traveling. The route guidance device 10 is configured with a predetermined function incorporated in a mobile terminal owned by the user, such as a smartphone or a mobile phone. In this embodiment, the users are people who are in a weak position in society and need some kind of protection, such as children, the elderly, and the physically disabled, but are not limited to these.

[0012] An aid station is a safe place where the user can find trustworthy people. An aid station is also a place where the user can feel safe and stay for a relatively long time (for example, about three hours). This aid station is set based on the user's past movements, but can also be set separately by the user or their guardian. Aid stations include places where the user has stayed during their movement, such as busy stores such as supermarkets and convenience stores, the homes of relatives or friends, nursing stations, police boxes, and police stations. The user's home may also be included as an aid station.

[0013] 1, the route guidance device 10 includes a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiving unit 11, a storage unit 12, a communication unit 13, a display unit 14, a speaker (announcement unit) 15, and a control unit (route guidance control device) 20. The GPS receiving unit 11, the storage unit 12, the communication unit 13, the display unit 14, the speaker 15, and the control unit 20 may use the respective functions of a mobile terminal of a user in which the route guidance device 10 is incorporated.

[0014] The GPS receiver 11 receives radio waves from a GPS satellite (not shown). The GPS receiver 11 outputs the received radio wave signal to the position information acquisition unit 21 of the control unit 20.

[0015] The memory unit 12 is a storage device that stores programs and various information used by the control unit 20. The memory unit 12 stores map information that has been registered in advance. This map information includes road information, building information, and safety information of the area where the user moves. The road information is information about the road on which the user walks or the vehicle runs, and includes road characteristics such as road width, inclination, and the location of lighting equipment. The road information may also include information about the average number of pedestrians on the road associated with the time period. The building information includes information about commercial facilities (stores, etc.) and householders that reside in the building. The safety information includes information about the safety level of the location. For example, a place where you can take a rest or a place with many third parties around has a high safety level (low risk), and an unpopular place has a low safety level (high risk). The memory unit 12 outputs the stored map information to the map information acquisition unit 23 of the control unit 20.

[0016] Furthermore, under the control of the memory control unit 22 of the control unit 20, the memory unit 12 stores the user's location information and information on the movement route range determined based on the history of this location information. In this case, the route from when the user leaves his / her home (place of residence) to when he / she returns is regarded as one cycle, and the memory unit 12 stores information on the user's movement route range determined by the movement route determination unit 27 of the control unit 20 based on the history of location information for multiple cycles. The memory unit 12 outputs the stored information on the movement route range to the abnormal stay determination unit 29 of the control unit 20 via the memory control unit 22.

[0017] Furthermore, under the control of the memory control unit 22 of the control unit 20, the memory unit 12 stores information regarding aid stations set within the movement route range. In this case, the memory unit 12 stores the position information of the aid stations set by the aid station setting unit 28 of the control unit 20 in association with the map information. Furthermore, information regarding the aid stations can also be input at any time using, for example, an input device (not shown) of a mobile terminal.

[0018] The storage unit 12 also stores user information. This user information is information about the user of the route guidance device 10 (mobile terminal), and stores information such as age, health information, home location information, and guardian contact information. This user-related information can be input at any time using, for example, an input device (not shown) of the mobile terminal. The storage unit 12 may be, for example, a storage device such as an external server that is communicably connected.

[0019] The communication unit 13 is a communication unit that communicates via the Internet, a mobile phone line, or the like under the control of the communication control unit 24 of the control unit 20. When the user is in an abnormal stay state that deviates from the user's usual moving route, the communication unit 13 notifies the user's guardian of the user's current location and the facility name or location information of the aid station to which the user will be guided. The communication unit 13 also receives meteorological information (weather, temperature, etc.) for the area in which the user is moving (walking) by communicating with a search site. The received meteorological information is output to the abnormal stay determination unit 29 of the control unit 20.

[0020] The display unit 14 displays various information to the user under the control of the display processing unit 25 of the control unit 20. When the user is in an abnormal state of staying away from his / her usual moving route, the display unit 14 displays a route for guiding the user to a specified aid station by superimposing it on the map information. In this case, the name of the aid station to which the user is guided, the distance to the aid station, etc. may be displayed.

[0021] The speaker 15 notifies the user of a predetermined message (sound notification information) by voice under the control of the audio playback unit 26 of the control unit 20. In this case, when guiding the user to a predetermined aid station, the speaker 15 may notify a message such as "Turn right XX meters ahead. You will arrive at △△ (aid station) XX meters ahead." Also, when the user is in an abnormally long distance state, the speaker 15 may notify surrounding third parties of a warning sound or a message such as "I'm lost. Please take me to △△ (aid station)."

[0022] The control unit 20 is, for example, an arithmetic processing device constituted by a CPU (Central Processing Unit), etc. The control unit 20 includes a position information acquisition unit 21, a memory control unit 22, a map information acquisition unit 23, a communication control unit 24, a display processing unit 25, an audio reproduction unit 26, a travel route determination unit 27, an aid station setting unit 28, an abnormal stay determination unit 29, and a user guidance unit 30, each of which is connected to the bus BS.

[0023] The position information acquisition unit 21 acquires position information indicating the current position of the user. In this embodiment, the position information acquisition unit 21 acquires position information of the route guidance device 10 (user) based on the radio wave signal acquired by the GPS receiving unit 11. The position information acquisition unit 21 outputs the acquired position information of the user to the memory control unit 22, the map information acquisition unit 23, the display processing unit 25, the travel route determination unit 27, the aid station setting unit 28, the abnormal stay determination unit 29, and the user guidance unit 30, respectively.

[0024] The memory control unit 22 controls the operation of storing various information in the memory unit 12. The memory control unit 22 controls the operation of storing in the memory unit 12, each time, one cycle of location information output from the location information acquisition unit 21 from when the user leaves home until when the user returns home. The memory control unit 22 also controls the operation of storing information relating to the user's movement route range determined by the movement route determination unit 27 of the control unit 20, based on the history of the user's location information over multiple cycles. The memory control unit 22 outputs the stored information relating to the movement route to the aid station setting unit 28 and the abnormal stay determination unit 29.

[0025] The map information acquisition unit 23 acquires map information from the storage unit 12. The map information acquisition unit 23 acquires map information of the surrounding area of ​​the current position of the route guidance device 10 (user) from the storage unit 12, based on the position information acquired by the position information acquisition unit 21. The map information acquisition unit 23 outputs the acquired map information to the aid station setting unit 28, the abnormal stay determination unit 29, and the user guidance unit 30.

[0026] The communication control unit 24 controls the communication operation with other devices by the communication unit 13. When the user is in an abnormal stay state outside the range of the user's daily movement route, the communication control unit 24 controls to notify a predetermined guardian. The communication control unit 24 also controls to receive necessary information by communicating with a search site.

[0027] The display processing unit 25 controls the operation of the display unit 14. When the user is in an abnormal stay state outside the range of the usual moving route, the display processing unit 25 causes the display unit 14 to display a route for guiding the user to a specified aid station superimposed on map information. Furthermore, the display unit 14 may display the facility name of the aid station to which the user is guided, the distance to the aid station, etc.

[0028] The audio playback unit 26 controls the audio output from the speaker 15. The audio playback unit 26 may play a message when guiding the user to a specific aid station, or may control the playing of a warning sound or a message to nearby third parties when the user is staying abnormally.

[0029] The moving route determination unit 27 determines the daily moving route of the user based on the history of the location information of the route guidance device 10 (user). The moving route determination unit 27 determines the moving route range of the user based on the history of the location information of multiple times, with the period from when the user leaves home to when the user returns to home being one cycle. The moving route determination unit 27 outputs information on the determined moving route range to the abnormal stay determination unit 29. Here, when the moving route determination unit 27 acquires location information different from the location information of the user's home, it determines that the user has left home, and when it acquires location information different from the location information of the user's home again within a predetermined time (for example, about 30 minutes) after acquiring the location information different from the location information of the user's home, it determines that the user has returned home. In addition, the moving route determination unit 27 may be configured to perform short-range wireless communication with an electronic device installed in the user's home via the communication unit 13, for example, and when the short-range wireless communication is disconnected, it determines that the user has left home, and when the short-range wireless communication is reconnected, it determines that the user has returned home.

[0030] Furthermore, when the change in the user's location information within a unit time is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the movement route determination unit 27 assumes that the user did not walk but moved by, for example, bus, train, or car, and in this case does not treat the information as the user's location information, and does not store the information in the storage unit 12 or determine the movement route range. Furthermore, when the movement route determination unit 27 acquires new location information that has not been stored within the past month, for example, it temporarily reserves the storage in the storage unit 12. In this case, if new location information is acquired again within a predetermined period (one month), it is stored in the storage unit 12, and if new location information is not acquired, the reserved storage is deleted.

[0031] The aid station setting unit 28 sets at least one aid station based on the location information of the route guidance device 10 (user). As described above, an aid station is a safe place where a person whom the user can trust is present. For this reason, the aid station setting unit 28 sets a facility where the user stays (stops) longer than a predetermined time (for example, a friend's house or a care station) as the aid station for the user based on the history of the user's location information. The aid station setting unit 28 may set a facility that the user frequently visits as the aid station, or may set a facility where the user stays more than a predetermined number of times (for example, a convenience store) as the aid station for the user based on the history of the user's location information. The aid station setting unit 28 refers to map information of candidate locations for the aid station, and does not set the location as an aid station if the location is a dangerous location such as a factory, inside a railroad track, on a road, near a railroad crossing, or on a cliff. The aid station setting unit 28 may also be set by a guardian using, for example, an input device (not shown) of a mobile terminal. For example, a police box or a relative's house located on the user's travel route may be set as an aid station. The aid station setting unit 28 may set an aid station taking into consideration, for example, the current time or the business hours of a store. For example, a park can be an aid station during the day, but it is preferable not to select it as an aid station at night, since there are no people in the park. Also, a store with specified business hours can be an aid station during business hours, but it is preferable not to select it as an aid station, since there are no people outside of business hours.

[0032] The abnormal stay determination unit 29 determines whether the current location of the route guidance device 10 (user) is abnormally staying. In this embodiment, abnormal stay refers to a case where the user's current location is outside the range of a previously determined moving route and a predetermined time or more has passed in this state. Specifically, it refers to any of the following cases: (1) the user is stopped at a location outside the range of the daily moving route, or is moving (getting lost) in a range outside the range of the moving route, and a predetermined time or more has passed or the user is away from the range by a predetermined distance; (2) the user is staying in a dangerous place; or (3) the user is repeatedly circling a certain route. In this case, the abnormal stay determination unit 29 determines that the user is outside the range of the moving route based on the map information if the user's current location is not on the moving route and is not inside a predetermined building. This predetermined building refers to a building that the user has used within the walking range in the past and whose safety has been confirmed. In other words, if the user's current location is inside a building, the abnormal stay determination unit 29 will not immediately determine that the user is outside the movement route range just because the user's current location is not on the movement route.

[0033] On the other hand, even if the user's current location is within a range of a predetermined travel route, if the location is deemed unsafe based on map information, the abnormal stay determination unit 29 determines that the user has stayed in that location for a predetermined time or more. For example, a place with few people, such as a park at night, is unsafe. Therefore, if the user has stayed in a park at night for a predetermined time or more, the abnormal stay determination unit 29 determines that the user has stayed in that location for an abnormal time.

[0034] The abnormal stay determination unit 29 determines the predetermined time. This predetermined time is also, for example, a grace period for the user to return to the movement route by himself, and the abnormal stay determination unit 29 determines the predetermined time based on at least one of internal factors including the state of the user and external factors including the surrounding environment where the user moves. In this case, the external factors include the surrounding environment such as meteorological information (weather, temperature, season, presence or absence of sunlight), and the internal factors include the user's state such as the user's health condition and constraint conditions when going out. Specifically, as an external factor, the predetermined time when the weather when the user moves is sunny and the temperature is 13°C or higher and lower than 25°C is set as a reference time (for example, 20 minutes), and when, for example, the temperature is lower than 13°C or higher than 25°C, or when the weather is rainy or the sunlight is strong, the predetermined time is determined to be shorter than the reference time (for example, 15 minutes). When the weather is snowy or stormy, the predetermined time may be determined to be further shortened (for example, 5 minutes).

[0035] As an internal factor, the predetermined time is set as a reference time (e.g., 20 minutes) when the user's age is 10 years or older but less than 12 years old, or less than 70 years old, and the predetermined time is set shorter than the reference time (e.g., 15 minutes) when the user's age is less than 10 years old or 70 years old or older. The predetermined time may be set shorter than the reference time (e.g., 15 minutes) depending on the user's health information (current medical history, past medical history, underlying disease, presence or absence of disability, etc.). As an internal factor, if the user's outdoor activity time is limited (e.g., exposure to sunlight causes allergic symptoms, etc.), the predetermined time may be set according to the activity time (e.g., within 2 hours). If the user regularly takes medicine that requires regular administration, the predetermined time may be set according to the time of the next medicine. If the user uses a medical device that uses a battery (e.g., a suction device or a vital monitor), the predetermined time may be set according to the time when the battery of the medical device runs out. If the time to return home is set by a guardian (third party), the predetermined time may be set according to this set time.

[0036] When a user is in an abnormal stay state, the user guidance unit 30 guides the user to a specified aid station. The user guidance unit 30 selects the nearest aid station to the user's current location from among a plurality of predefined aid stations, and guides the user to the aid station. Specifically, the user guidance unit 30 searches for a route to the nearest aid station, avoiding, for example, undulating slopes, narrow roads, roads with few people, roads with few shades, and dark (no night lighting) roads, based on map information and weather information. The user guidance unit 30 then superimposes the searched route on the map information and displays it on the display unit 14, while indicating the distance to the corner and the direction of the turn, to guide the user. Here, it is assumed that as a result of searching for a route that avoids undulating slopes, the route to the aid station may be a long detour. The user guidance unit 30 searches for a route according to the user's convenience (the user's walking ability, whether or not he / she uses a cane or a wheelchair, the user's eyesight and hearing) that are registered in advance in the memory unit 12 or a memory unit (not shown) in the user guidance unit 30. In this case, it is preferable to display on the display unit 14 that an easy-to-walk path that avoids slopes has been selected for the user, to obtain the user's understanding.

[0037] Furthermore, the user guidance unit 30 will in principle select the nearest aid station, but may set priorities (importance) based on the user's stay time or number of stays, and guide the user to the aid station with the highest priority if the distance from the current location is within a specified distance. The priority order is as follows, among safe places: (1) places where there are people the user knows who can protect the user, (2) places where the user does not know but there are people who can protect the user, and (3) places where there is no one who can protect the user. This can increase the certainty of the user's protection when guiding the user to an aid station.

[0038] Furthermore, the user guidance unit 30 determines whether an employee is present at the aid station based on, for example, time information, and selects another aid station if no employee is present at the nearest aid station. In this embodiment, the user is guided to an aid station if he or she goes outside the movement route range, but for example, even if the user's current location is within the movement route range, if the user is outdoors and does not move for a predetermined period of time, a warning sound may be issued to the surroundings via the speaker 15 and guidance to the user to the aid station may begin.

[0039] Next, the operation of the route guidance device 10 of this embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, the route guidance device 10 executes an operation of determining a movement route range of a user and an operation of guiding the user to an aid station when the user is in an abnormal stay state, in parallel. Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation procedure when the control unit of the route guidance device determines the movement route range of a user. Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation procedure when the control unit of the route guidance device guides a user to an aid station.

[0040] First, the operation of the route guidance device 10 to determine the user's travel route range will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 20 acquires the position information of the user (route guidance device 10) (step S1). More specifically, the control unit 20 acquires the user's position information by the position information acquisition unit 21 based on the radio wave signal received by the GPS receiver unit 11. In this case, the control unit 20 stores the acquired user's position information in the memory unit 12 via the memory control unit 22 as needed, and outputs it to the travel route determination unit 27. When the travel route determination unit 27 acquires position information different from the home position information after acquiring the same position information as the home position information of the user, it determines that the user has left home.

[0041] Next, the control unit 20 judges whether the user has returned home (step S2). More specifically, when the control unit 20 acquires location information different from the location information of the user's home by the travel route determination unit 27 and then acquires location information identical to the home location information again, the control unit 20 judges that the user has returned home. In this judgment, if the user has not returned home (step S2; No), the control unit 20 shifts the process to step S3. On the other hand, if the user has returned home (step S2; Yes), the control unit 20 shifts the process to step S7.

[0042] Next, the control unit 20 judges whether the user's stay time at the current location is equal to or longer than a predetermined time (step S3). More specifically, the control unit 20 judges whether the user's current location information indicates that the user has stayed within a predetermined distance range (e.g., within 10 m) for a predetermined time or longer (e.g., 30 minutes) using the aid station setting unit 28. If the user's stay time at the current location is not equal to or longer than the predetermined time (step S3; No), the control unit 20 returns the process to step S1. If the user's stay time at the current location is equal to or longer than the predetermined time (step S3; Yes), the control unit 20 moves the process to step S4.

[0043] Next, the control unit 20 judges whether the current location is a dangerous place or not (step S4). More specifically, the control unit 20 judges the safety level (risk level) of the current location based on map information using the aid station setting unit 28. For example, places where you can take a rest or places where there are many third parties around (so-called places with a lot of people) have a high safety level (low risk level), and places with few people have a low safety level (high risk level). In addition, dangerous places such as on roads where cars run or within factory grounds may be set in advance.

[0044] In this determination, if the current location is not a dangerous place (step S4; No), the control unit 20 sets and registers the current location as an aid station (step S5). More specifically, the control unit 20 registers the building (facility, store, or private home) indicated by the current location as an aid station by the aid station setting unit 28, and stores it in the storage unit 12. In the example of FIG. 2, the aid station is set based on the stay time, but it may also be set as an aid station if the number of stays is a predetermined number or more. Also, even if the current location is not a dangerous place, if the location is a place where there is no one the user can trust, it is preferable to store it as a temporary shelter rather than as an aid station.

[0045] On the other hand, if the current location is a dangerous place (step S4; Yes), the control unit 20 does not register the current location as an aid station, and guides the user to the nearest aid station or a safe place (step S6). In this case, it is assumed that the user has wandered into a dangerous place, not a safe place that will function as an aid station in the future. For this reason, if an aid station has already been set, the control unit 20 guides the user to the nearest aid station by the user guidance unit 30. Also, if an aid station has not yet been set, the control unit 20 guides the user to a safe place where there are many third parties around by the user guidance unit 30. As a specific guidance method, for example, a map and a route to the guidance location may be superimposed on the display unit 14 of the route guidance device 10, and the user may be guided while being explained the route.

[0046] Furthermore, when the user has returned home (step S2; Yes), the control unit 20 determines the user's travel route based on the history of time-sequential location information, and stores this travel route in the storage unit 12 (step S7). More specifically, the control unit 20 determines the user's current travel route based on the history of time-sequential location information over one period from when the user leaves home until when the user returns home, using the travel route determination unit 27. The travel route determination unit 27 determines travel routes for multiple periods, and these determined multiple travel routes are stored in the storage unit 12 via the storage control unit 22. The user's daily travel route range is specified by the multiple stored travel routes. With this, the control unit 20 ends the process.

[0047] Next, an operation of the route guidance device 10 to guide a user to an aid station when the user is in an abnormal stay state will be described. As shown in Fig. 3, the control unit 20 acquires location information of the user (route guidance device 10) (step S11). This step S11 is similar to the above-mentioned step S1, so a detailed description will be omitted.

[0048] Next, the control unit 20 judges whether or not the current location is outside the user's movement route range (step S12). More specifically, the control unit 20 uses the abnormal stay judgment unit 29 to compare the user's current location with the user's multiple movement routes stored in the storage unit 12 to judge whether or not the user is outside the daily movement route range. In this judgment, if the current location is outside the user's movement route range (step S12; Yes), the control unit 20 shifts the process to step S14. On the other hand, if the current location is not outside the user's movement route range (step S12; No), the control unit 20 shifts the process to step S13.

[0049] Next, the control unit 20 judges whether the current location is a dangerous place or not (step S13). More specifically, the control unit 20 judges the safety level (risk level) of the current location based on the map information by the abnormal stay judgment unit 29. This judgment is also similar to the above-mentioned step S4, so the explanation is omitted. In this judgment, if the current location is not a dangerous place (step S13; No), the control unit 20 returns the process to step S11.

[0050] On the other hand, if the current location is a dangerous place (step S13; Yes), the control unit 20 sets the predetermined time (step S14). This predetermined time is, for example, a grace period for the user to return to the movement route range by himself. The control unit 20 determines the predetermined time by the abnormal stay determination unit 29 based on at least one of internal factors including the state of the user and external factors including the surrounding environment in which the user moves. If the user is specified in advance, the age and health condition of the user are known, so that, for example, if the time of returning home is set, the predetermined time is set according to this time of returning home. The control unit 20 sets the predetermined time by the abnormal stay determination unit 29 based on the weather information (external factors) of the day.

[0051] Next, the control unit 20 judges whether the user's stay time at the current location is equal to or longer than a predetermined time (step S15). More specifically, the control unit 20 judges whether the user is in an abnormal stay state by the abnormal stay judgment unit 29. In this judgment, if the user's stay time at the current location is not equal to or longer than the predetermined time (step S15; No), the control unit 20 returns the process to step S11. On the other hand, if the user's stay time at the current location is equal to or longer than the predetermined time (step S15; Yes), the control unit 20 guides the user to the nearest aid station (step S16). Specifically, the control unit 20 causes the user guidance unit 30 to search for a route to the nearest aid station, for example, avoiding hilly roads and roads with few people. Then, the user guidance unit 30 superimposes the searched route on the map information and displays it on the display unit 14, while instructing the user on the distance to the corner and the direction of the turn.

[0052] Next, the control unit 20 notifies the pre-registered contact of the user's current location and the aid station to which the user will be guided (step S17). More specifically, the control unit 20 notifies the user's guardian via the communication control unit 24 of the user's current location, information regarding the name and location of the aid station to which the user will be guided, and the fact that the user is moving to this aid station. Since the guardian's contact information is pre-stored in the storage unit 12, the communication control unit 24 reads out the contact information (phone number, email address, SNS account) from the storage unit 12 and notifies the guardian of the necessary information.

[0053] Next, the control unit 20 judges whether the user has arrived at the aid station (step S18). Specifically, the control unit 20 judges whether the user has been guided to the aid station by the user guidance unit 30. For example, if the position information of the user (route guidance device 10) is the same as the position information of the aid station, it can be judged that the user has arrived. In this judgment, if the user has not arrived at the aid station (step S18; No), the control unit 20 waits until the user arrives. On the other hand, if the user has arrived at the aid station (step S18; Yes), the control unit 20 notifies the pre-registered contact that the user has arrived at the aid station (step S19), and ends the process. This allows a guardian to go to the aid station to pick up the user, so that the user can be appropriately protected.

[0054] As described above, the route guidance device 10 of this embodiment includes a location information acquisition unit 21 that acquires location information of a user, a travel route determination unit 27 that determines the user's travel route range based on the location information history, an aid station setting unit 28 that sets a specified aid station based on at least one of the stay time and the number of stays at each location where the user stayed within the travel route range, an abnormal stay determination unit 29 that determines whether the user is staying abnormally, that is, staying at a location outside the travel route range for a predetermined period of time or more, and a user guidance unit 30 that guides the user to an aid station when it is determined that the user is staying abnormally. Therefore, even if the user goes outside the travel route range, the device can properly guide the user so that he or she can arrive at a safe location on his or her own.

[0055] Furthermore, in the route guidance device 10 according to this embodiment, the abnormal stay determination unit 29 determines the specified time based on at least one of internal factors including the state of the user and external factors including the surrounding environment in which the user moves, and therefore can appropriately determine whether or not the user is in an abnormal stay state without placing an excessive burden on the user.

[0056] Furthermore, the route guidance device 10 according to this embodiment is equipped with a map information acquisition unit 23 that acquires map information including the range of the user's travel route, and the abnormal stay determination unit 29 determines, based on the map information, that the user is staying in a location outside the travel route if the user's current location is not on the travel route and is not inside a specified building whose safety has been confirmed. This makes it possible to appropriately determine whether the user is in a safe location and to appropriately protect the user.

[0057] Furthermore, the route guidance device 10 according to this embodiment is equipped with a map information acquisition unit 23 that acquires map information including the range of the user's travel route, and based on the map information, if the user's current location is within the range of the travel route but the user is outdoors and does not move for a predetermined period of time, the user guidance unit 30 issues an alarm to those around and starts guiding the user to an aid station, thereby appropriately protecting the user.

[0058] Although the route guidance device according to the present invention has been described so far, it may be embodied in various different forms other than the above-mentioned embodiment. Each component of the route guidance device shown in the figure is a functional concept, and does not necessarily have to be physically configured as shown in the figure. In other words, the specific form of each device is not limited to that shown in the figure, and all or part of the device may be functionally or physically distributed or integrated in any unit depending on the processing load and usage status of each device.

[0059] The configuration of the control unit of the route guidance device is realized, for example, as software, by a program loaded into a memory. In the above embodiment, the configuration has been described as a functional block realized by the cooperation of these hardware and software. In other words, these functional blocks can be realized in various forms by only hardware, only software, or a combination of both.

[0060] The above-mentioned components include those that a person skilled in the art can easily imagine and those that are substantially the same. Furthermore, the above-mentioned configurations can be appropriately combined. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, or modifications of the configurations are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention. For example, in this embodiment, the control unit 20 is configured to contact the guardian with the user's location information and information regarding the aid station when the user is in an abnormal stay state, but for example, a configuration in which a different aid station is specified by the guardian's operation may be used. When a different aid station is specified by the contact guardian, the user guidance unit changes the guidance destination and resumes guidance to the aid station. However, since it is expected that this will be a heavy burden on the user, only changes made within a predetermined time (for example, one minute) after the information regarding the initial aid station is sent may be valid.

[0061] In addition, in this embodiment, if the user is in an abnormal state, the user is guided to a specified aid station to protect the user. However, if, for example, the road the user is walking on is under construction and the user temporarily goes outside the range of the travel route and is unable to return to the range of the travel route even after a specified period of time has passed, the user may be guided to an aid station serving as a landmark (which does not have to be a building where the user can rest or be protected) and allowed to return to the range of the travel route.

[0062] This disclosure also includes matters that contribute to the realization of the SDGs' goal of "Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all," and contribute to value creation through healthcare products and services. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 10 Route guidance device 12 Storage section 13. Communications Department 14 Display section 15 Speaker 20 Control section 21 Location information acquisition section 22 Memory control unit 23 Map information acquisition section 24 Communication control section 27. Movement Route Determination Unit 28 Aid Station Setting Section 29 Abnormal stay determination unit 30 User Guidance Department

Claims

1. A location information acquisition unit that acquires location information of a user; a movement route determination unit that determines a movement route range of the user based on the history of the position information; an aid station setting unit that sets a predetermined aid station based on at least one of a stay time and a stay frequency at each position where the user stays within the movement route range; an abnormal stay determination unit that determines whether the user is staying abnormally for a predetermined period of time or more while staying at a position outside the movement route range; a user guidance unit that guides the user to the aid station when the user is determined to be abnormally staying; A route guidance device comprising:

2. The route guidance device according to claim 1 , wherein the abnormal stay determination unit determines the predetermined time based on at least one of an internal factor including a state of the user and an external factor including a surrounding environment in which the user moves.

3. A map information acquisition unit that acquires map information including a travel route of the user, 3. The route guidance device of claim 1 or 2, wherein the abnormal stay determination unit determines, based on the map information, that the user is staying in a location outside the travel route when the user's current location is not on the travel route and is not inside a specified building whose safety has been confirmed.

4. A map information acquisition unit that acquires map information including a travel route range of the user, 3. The route guidance device of claim 1 or 2, wherein the user guidance unit, based on the map information, issues an alarm to those around the user and starts guiding the user to the aid station if the user's current location is within the travel route range but the user is outdoors and does not move for the specified period of time.

5. acquiring location information of a user; determining a travel route range of the user based on the history of the location information; setting a predetermined aid station based on at least one of a stay time and a stay frequency at each position where the user stays within the movement route range; determining whether the user is staying abnormally in a position outside the travel route range for a predetermined period of time or more; guiding the user to the aid station when the user is determined to be abnormally staying; A route guidance method for causing a route guidance device to execute the above.

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