Support device and support method

Abstract

To improve a technique for transporting a user who feels unwell inside a vehicle to a medical institute.SOLUTION: A support device 20 includes a control section 26 for, when a user feeling unwell inside a vehicle 10 is identified by a camera image during traveling of the vehicle 10 on an operation route, retrieving a stoppable place nearest to the vehicle 10, so as to instruct the vehicle 10 to stop at the retrieved stoppable place and request a server 30 of an organization for dispatching an ambulance to dispatch the ambulance to the stoppable place.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an assistance device and an assistance method. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a technique for transporting a passenger who becomes unwell in a vehicle to a medical institution. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for controlling vehicle travel so that, when a passenger (hereinafter referred to as a "passenger") becomes unwell in a vehicle, a medical institution to which the unwell passenger should be transported and a stopover point to which healthy passengers should be dropped off are determined, and the unwell passenger is transported to the medical institution via the stopover point. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-121081 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Transporting a sick passenger to a medical institution affects the schedules of other passengers in the vehicle. One way to avoid this impact is to stop the vehicle in a safe location and leave the transportation of the sick passenger to an ambulance. However, when the vehicle is traveling on a road where it cannot stop, such as a highway, it is difficult to coordinate the transfer of the sick passenger from the vehicle to an ambulance. Therefore, there is room for improvement in the technology for transporting passengers who become sick in the vehicle to a medical institution.

[0005] The purpose of the present disclosure, made in consideration of the above circumstances, is to improve the technology for transporting a user who becomes unwell in a vehicle to a medical institution. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An assistance device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is an assistance device mounted on a vehicle, and when a user who is feeling unwell inside the vehicle is identified by a camera image while the vehicle is traveling along a route, the assistance device searches for the nearest possible stopping location from the vehicle, instructs the vehicle to stop at the searched possible stopping location, and includes a control unit that requests a server of an agency that dispatches an ambulance to dispatch the ambulance to the possible stopping location.

[0007] An assistance method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is an assistance method executed by an assistance device mounted on a vehicle, and includes, when a user who is feeling unwell inside the vehicle is identified by a camera image while the vehicle is traveling along a route, searching for the nearest possible stopping location from the vehicle, instructing the vehicle to stop at the searched possible stopping location, and requesting a server of an agency that dispatches an ambulance to dispatch the ambulance to the possible stopping location. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a technique for transporting a user who becomes unwell in a vehicle cabin to a medical institution is improved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration example of a system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the support device. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a method for transporting an unwell user to a medical facility. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described.

[0011] (Outline of the embodiment) An overview of a system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 1. The system 1 includes a vehicle 10, an assistance device 20 mounted on the vehicle 10, and a server 30. The vehicle 10, the assistance device 20, and the server 30 are communicably connected to a network 2 including, for example, the Internet and a mobile communication network.

[0012] The vehicle 10 is, for example, an automobile, but is not limited to this and may be any vehicle. The automobile may be, but is not limited to, a gasoline-powered vehicle, a BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle), a HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle), a PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle), or a FCEV (Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle). In the present disclosure, the vehicle 10 is assumed to be a public bus (on-demand bus) that operates on a predetermined route, but is not limited to this. The number of vehicles 10 included in the system 1 may be determined arbitrarily. The vehicle 10 is capable of communicating with the assistance device 20 and the server 30 via the network 2. The vehicle 10 may also be capable of communicating with the assistance device 20 via a wired connection.

[0013] The assistance device 20 is a computer provided in the vehicle 10. The assistance device 20 provides assistance to a user 3 who has fallen ill in the passenger compartment of the vehicle 10. The assistance device 20 is communicably connected to the vehicle 10 and the server 30 via the network 2. The assistance device 20 may also be capable of communicating with the vehicle 10 via a wired connection.

[0014] The server 30 is, for example, a computer owned by an organization that dispatches an ambulance. The organization that dispatches an ambulance may be, for example, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, a fire department (fire station) of a local government, or a medical institution, but is not limited to these. The server 30 may also be a computer owned by a business that dispatches an ambulance. The business that dispatches an ambulance is a private company that provides emergency medical services. The server 30 is capable of communicating with the vehicle 10 and the assistance device 20 via the network 2.

[0015] When a user who is feeling unwell inside the vehicle is identified from a camera image while the vehicle is traveling along a route, the assistance device 20 searches for the nearest possible stopping place from the vehicle 10, instructs the vehicle 10 to stop at the searched possible stopping place, and requests the server 30 of the ambulance dispatching organization to dispatch an ambulance to the possible stopping place.

[0016] As described above, according to this embodiment, if a user 3 suddenly falls ill in the vehicle, the unwell user 3 can be transferred to an ambulance at the nearest stop within the travel route. Therefore, the technology for transporting a user who becomes ill in the vehicle to a medical institution is improved in that the probability of improving the condition of the unwell user 3 or saving the life of the user 3 is increased without significantly affecting the schedules of other users in the vehicle.

[0017] (Vehicle configuration) 1, the vehicle 10 includes a communication unit 11, a storage unit 12, and a control unit 13. The vehicle 10 further includes an assistance device 20. Details of the assistance device 20 will be described later.

[0018] The communication unit 11 includes both a communication interface for wireless connection to the network 2 and a communication interface for wired connection to a CAN (Controller Area Network). The communication interface for wireless connection to the network 2 is compatible with mobile communication standards such as, but not limited to, 4G (4th Generation) or 5G (5th Generation). The communication unit 11 may also communicate with the support device 20 via a wired connection.

[0019] The storage unit 12 includes one or more memories. The memories may be, for example, semiconductor memories, magnetic memories, or optical memories, but are not limited to these. Each memory included in the storage unit 12 may function as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 12 stores any information used in the operation of the vehicle 10. For example, the storage unit 12 may store system programs, application programs, embedded software, etc. The information stored in the storage unit 12 may be updatable with information obtained from the network 2 via the communication unit 11, for example.

[0020] The control unit 13 includes one or more processors, one or more programmable circuits, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination thereof. The processor may be, for example, a general-purpose processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or a dedicated processor specialized for a specific process, but is not limited to these. The programmable circuit may be, for example, but is not limited to, an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array). The dedicated circuit may be, for example, but is not limited to, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). The control unit 13 controls the overall operation of the vehicle 10.

[0021] (Configuration of support device) As shown in FIG. 1, the support device 20 includes a communication unit 21, a positioning unit 22, an input unit 23, an output unit 24, a storage unit 25, and a control unit .

[0022] The communication unit 21 includes both a communication interface for wireless connection to the network 2 and a communication interface for wired connection to the CAN. The communication interface for wireless connection to the network 2 is compatible with, for example, a mobile communication standard, but is not limited thereto and may be compatible with any communication standard. The communication unit 21 may also communicate with the vehicle 10 via a wired connection.

[0023] The positioning unit 22 includes one or more devices that acquire position information of the vehicle 10. Specifically, the positioning unit 22 includes, for example, a receiver compatible with GPS, but is not limited to this and may include a receiver compatible with any satellite positioning system.

[0024] The input unit 23 is configured to include an input interface that can input images and voices of the user 3 riding in the vehicle 10. The input interface is, for example, a camera 23A that captures images of the user 3 and a microphone 23B that collects voices of the user 3. However, the input interface is not limited to these.

[0025] The camera 23A is, for example, a video camera installed inside the vehicle cabin, and captures moving or still images. The camera 23A captures images of the face and body of the user 3. The camera 23A is, for example, installed on a wall or ceiling inside the vehicle cabin, and monitors the activities of the user 3. The microphone 23B is, for example, a microphone installed inside the vehicle cabin, and captures the sound emitted by the user 3.

[0026] The output unit 24 includes at least one audio output interface capable of outputting audio and at least one display interface capable of displaying text or video. The audio output interface is, for example, a speaker. The display interface is, for example, a display such as an LCD or an organic EL display.

[0027] The storage unit 25 includes one or more memories. Each memory included in the storage unit 25 may function as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 25 stores any information used in the operation of the assistance device 20. For example, the storage unit 25 may store a system program, an application program including a car navigation application, etc. The storage unit 25 may store information on driving routes, map information, information on organizations or businesses (owners of a server 30 described below) that dispatch ambulances, etc. The information stored in the storage unit 25 may be updatable with information obtained from the network 2 via the communication unit 21, for example.

[0028] The control unit 26 includes one or more processors, one or more programmable circuits, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination thereof. The control unit 26 controls the overall operation of the assistance device 20.

[0029] (Server configuration) As shown in FIG. 1, the server 30 includes a communication unit 31, a storage unit 32, and a control unit 33.

[0030] The communication unit 31 includes one or more communication interfaces connected to the network 2. The communication interfaces may correspond to, for example, a mobile communication standard, a wired LAN standard, or a wireless LAN standard, but are not limited to these and may correspond to any communication standard. In this embodiment, the server 30 communicates with the vehicle 10 and the assistance device 20 via the communication unit 31 and the network 2.

[0031] The storage unit 32 includes one or more memories. Each memory included in the storage unit 32 may function, for example, as a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 32 stores any information used in the operation of the server 30. For example, the storage unit 32 may store a system program, a database, an application program, etc. Furthermore, the storage unit 32 stores a list of medical institutions that can accept users 3 who are feeling unwell, as well as contact information and location information for those medical institutions. The information stored in the storage unit 32 may be updatable with information obtained from the network 2 via the communication unit 31, for example.

[0032] The control unit 33 includes one or more processors, one or more programmable circuits, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination thereof. The control unit 33 controls the overall operation of the server 30.

[0033] (Operation flow of the support device) Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the assistance device 20. The operation of the assistance device 20 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2. This operation relates to transporting a user 3 who has become ill in the vehicle to a medical institution.

[0034] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a method for transporting a user 3 who is feeling unwell to a medical institution 8. In the example shown in FIG. 3, four users 3 (e.g., 3A, 3B, 3C, and 3D) are riding in a vehicle 10. When a camera 23A identifies, for example, user 3C as feeling unwell in the cabin of the vehicle 10 in which users 3A, 3B, 3C, and 3D are riding, the assistance device 20 performs a procedure described below, searches for the nearest possible stopping place 7 from the current driving position, guides the vehicle 10 to the possible stopping place 7 and stops the vehicle 10 there, and requests a server 30 of an organization that dispatches an ambulance 5 to dispatch an ambulance 5 to the possible stopping place 7. Then, the crew member 4 of the vehicle 10 entrusts the transport of the unwell user 3C to a medical institution 8 to the ambulance crew member 6 of the ambulance 5 that has arrived at the possible stopping place 7. The ambulance 5, for example, enters and exits the stopping place 7 through an entrance and exit dedicated to ambulances (hereinafter referred to as the emergency entrance and exit road 9B) and transports the unwell user 3C to a medical institution 8 that can accept him. Meanwhile, the vehicle 10, carrying other users 3A, 3B, and 3D, travels along the main road 9 along route r toward the destination.

[0035] S101: When the vehicle 10 starts traveling along the travel route r, the control unit 26 starts information processing, which will be described later.

[0036] In the present disclosure, the vehicle 10 is assumed to be an on-demand bus (public bus), but is not limited to this. Also, in the present disclosure, all or part of the travel route r is assumed to be set on a highway 9A including a national expressway and a motorway, but is not limited to this. The road 9 on which all or part of the travel route r is set may include any road having a driving area where it is difficult to stop the vehicle 10 while traveling.

[0037] S102: The control unit 26 determines whether or not a user 3 who is feeling unwell in the vehicle cabin has been identified from the camera image. If a user 3 who is feeling unwell has been identified, the process proceeds to S103; if not, the process proceeds to S109.

[0038] The poor physical condition of the user 3 identified from the camera image may be identified, for example, when the user 3 falls to the floor or crouches in the seat from a standing or seated position in the vehicle cabin, and the falling or crouching state continues for a predetermined time (e.g., one minute or more). A fall may be defined as the user 3's head being within a predetermined height (e.g., within 40 cm) from the surface of the floor in the vehicle cabin. Crouching may be defined as the user 3's head being within a predetermined height (e.g., within 40 cm) from the surface of the seat. The definitions of falling and crouching are not limited to these and may be defined arbitrarily. Furthermore, the poor physical condition of the user 3 is not limited to falling and crouching, and may be identified by any change in bodily movement suggesting poor physical condition, such as the identification of unsteadiness when walking or the identification of a significant change in facial expression.

[0039] S103: The control unit 26 searches for the nearest possible stopping place 7 from the vehicle 10.

[0040] The possible stopping place 7 is a place where both the vehicle 10 and the ambulance 5 can stop in tandem or side by side. In this disclosure, the possible stopping place 7 is assumed to be a service area 7A or a parking area 7B located on the expressway 9A, but is not limited to these. The nearest possible stopping place 7 refers to the possible stopping place 7 located in the shortest travel time from the current location of the vehicle 10. The positioning unit 22 searches for the service area 7A or the parking area 7B located in the shortest travel time from the current location of the vehicle 10. The control unit 26 then acquires from the positioning unit 22 the location information of the current location of the vehicle 10 and the location information of the searched service area 7A or the parking area 7B, and calculates the estimated time of arrival at the service area 7A or the parking area 7B based on the acquired information.

[0041] S104: The control unit 26 instructs the vehicle 10 to stop at the searched possible stopping location 7.

[0042] S105: The control unit 26 requests the server 30 of the organization that dispatches the ambulance 5 to dispatch the ambulance 5 to the location 7 where the ambulance can stop.

[0043] The organization that dispatches the ambulance 5 is, for example, a public organization such as the Fire and Disaster Management Agency of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications or a local government fire department (fire station). These public organizations dispatch a public ambulance 5A. The organization that dispatches the ambulance 5 may also include a medical institution 8 that owns a so-called hospital ambulance 5C. Furthermore, the organization to which the control unit 26 requests the dispatch of the ambulance 5 may be a private company that provides emergency medical services. The emergency medical services provided by such private companies include nursing care taxis and private ambulances 5B. Private ambulances 5B often respond to special medical needs, such as transporting patients between hospitals. The ambulance 5 in this disclosure is intended to include a public ambulance 5A, a private ambulance 5B, and a hospital ambulance 5C.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 3, the ambulance 5 may travel along an emergency access road 9B to a service area 7A or a parking area 7B on a highway 9A. The emergency access road 9B is a road 9 exclusively for ambulances that connects the highway 9A with a medical institution 8 or its vicinity, and is installed to shorten the time it takes to transport patients. It is not available for general vehicles to use due to a locked gate, etc. However, the location of the emergency access road 9B is not limited to the service area 7A or the parking area 7B on the highway 9A. As shown in FIG. 3, the vehicle 10 may be equipped with a mechanism that converts the seat into a bed to provide care for an unwell user 3 until the ambulance 5 arrives.

[0045] When requesting the dispatch of an ambulance 5 to a possible stopping location 7, the control unit 26 notifies the server 30 of the location information of the location where the vehicle 10 is currently traveling, the location information of the searched possible stopping location 7 (service area 7A or parking area 7B), and the estimated time of arrival at the searched possible stopping location 7. Upon receiving this information, the server 30 becomes able to dispatch the ambulance 5 according to the estimated time of arrival.

[0046] S106: The control unit 26 confirms that the vehicle 10 has stopped at the possible stopping location 7.

[0047] If the position information of the vehicle 10 matches the position information of the searched possible stopping location 7, the positioning unit 22 notifies the control unit 26 that the vehicle 10 has stopped at the possible stopping location 7.

[0048] S107: The control unit 26 entrusts the ambulance crew 6 who has boarded the ambulance 5 that has arrived with the task of transporting the unwell user 3C to the medical institution 8.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 3 , the ambulance crew 6 gets into the parked vehicle 10, places the unwell user 3C on a stretcher or the like, transfers the user to the ambulance 5, and provides first aid to the unwell user 3C. Meanwhile, the server 30 searches for medical institutions 8 that can admit the user 3C, and notifies the ambulance 5 of the searched medical institutions 8 that can admit the user 3C. However, the ambulance 5 or the ambulance crew 6 may individually search for medical institutions 8 that can admit the user 3C. If multiple suitable medical institutions 8 are found, the medical institution 8 located in the shortest travel time from the possible stop location 7 is selected, but the selection criteria for the medical institution 8 are not limited to travel time, and may also be a medical institution 8 that has medical skills appropriate for treating the user 3C, or a medical institution 8 that employs a doctor experienced in treating the user 3C.

[0050] S108: The control unit 26 causes the vehicle 10 to resume operation.

[0051] When the control unit 26 confirms that the unwell user 3C has been transferred to the ambulance 5, that the vehicle's 10 crew member 4 or the like has finished explaining the user's 3C's health condition to the ambulance's 5 paramedic 6, and that the medical institution 8 to which user 3C will be transported has been decided, it resumes operation of the vehicle 10 with the other users aboard.

[0052] S109: The control unit 26 determines whether the vehicle 10 has arrived at the destination. If the vehicle 10 has arrived at the destination, the information processing ends, and if the vehicle 10 has not arrived, the process returns to S101 and the information processing continues.

[0053] As described above, when a user 3C who is feeling unwell inside the vehicle cabin is identified by a camera image while the vehicle 10 is traveling along a route r, the support device 20 of this embodiment searches for the nearest possible stopping place 7 from the vehicle 10, instructs the vehicle 10 to stop at the searched possible stopping place 7, and requests the server 30 of the agency that dispatches the ambulance 5 to dispatch the ambulance 5 to the possible stopping place 7.

[0054] According to this configuration, if a user 3 suddenly falls ill in the vehicle, the unwell user 3C can be transferred to an ambulance 5 at the nearest possible stopping point 7 within the travel route r. Therefore, the technology for transporting a user who becomes ill in the vehicle to a medical institution is improved in that the likelihood of improving the condition of the unwell user 3C or saving the life of user 3C is increased without significantly affecting the schedules of the other users 3A, 3B, 3D in the vehicle.

[0055] Although the present disclosure has been described based on the drawings and examples, it should be noted that those skilled in the art may make various modifications and alterations based on the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and alterations are included in the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the functions included in each component or step can be rearranged so as not to be logically inconsistent, and multiple components or steps can be combined or divided into one.

[0056] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the configuration and operation of the assistance device 20 may be distributed among multiple computers that can communicate with each other. Also, an embodiment in which some or all of the components of the assistance device 20 are provided in the vehicle 10 is also possible. For example, a navigation device installed in the vehicle 10 may include some or all of the components of the assistance device 20.

[0057] Also, an embodiment is possible in which, for example, a general-purpose computer functions as the assistance device 20 according to the above-described embodiment. Specifically, a program describing the processing content for realizing each function of the assistance device 20 according to the above-described embodiment is stored in the memory of the general-purpose computer, and the program is read and executed by a processor. Therefore, the present disclosure can also be realized as a program executable by a processor, or a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing the program.

[0058] In one example, the assistance device 20 may be used to provide MaaS (Mobility as a Service), which is a service that utilizes mobility. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 1 System 2 Network 3,3A,3B,3C,3D User 4 Crew 5. Ambulance 5A public ambulance 5B Private Ambulance 5C Hospital Ambulance 6 Emergency personnel 7 Parking locations 7A Service Area 7B Parking Area 8. Medical institutions 9 road 9A Expressway 9B Emergency entrance / exit route 10 vehicles 11 Communications Department 12 Storage section 13 Control Unit 20 Support equipment 21 Communications Department 22 Positioning unit 23 Input section 23A Camera 23B Microphone 24 Output section 25 Memory section 26 Control Unit 30 servers 31 Communications Department 32 Storage section 33 Control Unit

Claims

1. An assistance device mounted on a vehicle, The support device includes a control unit that, when a user who is feeling unwell inside the vehicle is identified from a camera image while the vehicle is traveling along its route, searches for the nearest possible stopping location from the vehicle, instructs the vehicle to stop at the searched possible stopping location, and requests a server of an organization that dispatches an ambulance to dispatch the ambulance to the possible stopping location.

2. The support device according to claim 1, An assistance device in which all or part of the travel route is set on a highway including a national expressway and a road exclusively for motor vehicles.

3. 3. The support device according to claim 2, The assistance device, wherein the possible stopping location is a service area or a parking area installed on the expressway.

4. The support device according to claim 1, The control unit, when requesting the dispatch of the ambulance to the possible stopping location, further notifies the server of location information of the location where the vehicle will be traveling, location information of the searched possible stopping location, and the estimated time of arrival at the searched possible stopping location.

5. An assistance method executed by an assistance device mounted on a vehicle, comprising: When a user who is feeling unwell is identified in the vehicle from a camera image while the vehicle is traveling along a route, searching for the nearest possible stopping location from the vehicle; instructing the vehicle to stop at the searched possible stopping location; requesting a server of an organization that dispatches an ambulance to dispatch the ambulance to the location where the ambulance can stop; and how to help.

6. A MaaS (Mobility as a Service) providing method using the assistance device according to claim 1.

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