Control system, control device, and control method

Abstract

To improve the technology related to vehicle air conditioning control. [Solution] The control device 20 includes a control unit 24 that, based on the passenger's biometric information received from a wearable terminal 30 worn by the passenger riding on the mobile vehicle 10, checks whether the passenger shows signs of being infected with a predetermined infectious disease, identifies the seat location of the passenger suspected of being infected if such signs are detected, and controls the air conditioning at the identified seat location.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control system, a control device, and a control method.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, technologies related to air conditioning control of vehicles are known. For example, in Patent Document 1, a technology is disclosed in which the airflow generated from the air conditioning outlets for each seat is adjusted, and by strengthening the airflow at the ends of the seats, the strong airflow is made to act as an air curtain to reduce the interference of air conditioning between the seats.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, the technology according to Patent Document 1 is aimed at allowing passengers to individually perform temperature adjustment, and does not consider infection prevention inside the vehicle when a passenger is suffering from a disease such as an infectious disease. Therefore, there is room for improvement in technologies related to air conditioning control of vehicles.

[0005] In view of such circumstances, an object of the present disclosure is to improve technologies related to air conditioning control of vehicles.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A control system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises: a wearable terminal worn by a passenger on a mobile vehicle, which measures the passenger's biometric information using one or more built-in sensors and transmits the measured biometric information to a control device; and a control device that, based on the passenger's biometric information received from the wearable terminal, checks for signs of infection of a predetermined infectious disease, identifies the seat location of a passenger suspected of infection in whom such signs have been detected, and controls the air conditioning at the identified seat location.

[0007] A control device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a control unit that, based on biometric information of a passenger worn by a passenger on a mobile vehicle, checks for signs of infection of a predetermined infectious disease, identifies the seat location of a passenger suspected of infection in whom such signs have been detected, and controls the air conditioning at the identified seat location.

[0008] A control method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes, using a control device, receiving biometric information of a passenger from a wearable terminal worn by a passenger riding in the mobile vehicle; checking for signs of infection of a predetermined infectious disease based on the received biometric information; identifying the seat location of a passenger suspected of infection in whom the signs have been detected; and controlling the air conditioning at the identified seat location. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the technology relating to vehicle air conditioning control is improved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration example of a control system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a sequence diagram showing an example of the control system's operation. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The embodiments of this disclosure will be described below. <Overview of Embodiments> Referring to Figure 1, an overview of the control system 1 according to the embodiment of this disclosure will be described. The control system 1 comprises a mobile body 10, a control device 20, a wearable terminal 30, and a server 40. The mobile body 10, the control device 20, and the server 40 are connected to each other via a network 2 (referring to the Internet). The control device 20 may also be able to communicate with the mobile body 10 via a wired connection through an in-vehicle network 3 such as CAN (Controller Area Network). Furthermore, the control device 20 is connected (paired) to the wearable terminal 30 worn by the passenger of the mobile body 10 via a short-range wireless network 4 using short-range wireless communication (e.g., Bluetooth®).

[0012] The mobile vehicle 10 is, for example, a vehicle that transports passengers (hereinafter referred to as passengers), but is not limited to this, and may also be a passenger aircraft or a passenger ship. The vehicle may be, but is not limited to, a gasoline car, a BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle), a HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle), a PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle), or an FCEV (Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle).

[0013] The control device 20 is a computer that controls the air conditioning inside the mobile unit 10.

[0014] The wearable device 30 is a terminal device, such as a smartwatch, worn by the passenger of the mobile body 10, but it may also be a terminal device that is attached to various parts of the human body.

[0015] Server 40 is a computer owned by the operator that runs the mobile vehicle 10.

[0016] (Configuration of the mobile unit) As shown in FIG. 1, the moving body 10 includes a communication unit 11, an air conditioning unit 12, a storage unit 13, and a control unit 14.

[0017] The communication unit 11 includes both a communication interface for wirelessly connecting to the network 2 and a communication interface for wired connection to an in-vehicle network 3 such as CAN. The communication interface for connecting to the network 2 corresponds to, for example, a mobile communication standard such as 4G (4th Generation) or 5G (5th Generation), but is not limited thereto and may correspond to any communication standard.

[0018] The air conditioning unit 12 includes equipment for adjusting the temperature, humidity, air purification, and air flow inside the passenger compartment of the moving body 10.

[0019] The storage unit 13 includes one or more memories. The memory is, for example, a semiconductor memory, a magnetic memory, or an optical memory, etc., but is not limited thereto. The storage unit 13 stores any information used for the operation of the moving body 10.

[0020] The control unit 14 includes one or more processors, one or more programmable circuits, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination thereof. The control unit 14 controls the operation of the entire moving body 10.

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

[0022] The communication unit 21 includes a communication interface for wirelessly connecting to the network 2, a communication interface for wiredly connecting to the in-vehicle network 3, and a communication interface for wirelessly connecting to the short-range wireless network 4. The communication interface for connecting to the network 2 conforms to, for example, a mobile communication standard. In this embodiment, the control device 20 communicates with the mobile body 10 and the server 40 via the network 2. Also, the control device 20 may communicate with the mobile body 10 via the in-vehicle network 3. Further, the control device 20 is wirelessly connected (paired) to the wearable terminal 30 via the short-range wireless network 4.

[0023] The storage unit 22 includes one or more memories. Each memory included in the storage unit 22 may function as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 22 stores any information used for the operation of the control device 20. The storage unit 22 may store a system program, an application program, a database, and the like.

[0024] The input unit 23 includes a camera 23A that captures an image (a moving image or a still image).

[0025] The control unit 24 includes one or more processors, one or more programmable circuits, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination thereof. The control unit 24 controls the overall operation of the control device 20.

[0026] (Configuration of Wearable Terminal) As shown in FIG. 1, the wearable terminal 30 includes a communication unit 31, a measurement unit 32, and a control unit 33.

[0027] The communication unit 31 includes a communication interface for wirelessly connecting to the short-range wireless network 4 such as Bluetooth. The wearable terminal 30 is wirelessly connected (paired) to the control device 20 via the short-range wireless network 4.

[0028] The measurement unit 32 is equipped with one or more sensors 32A that measure human biological information. Biological information includes, but is not limited to, the passenger's heart rate, pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate, body temperature, blood oxygen saturation, electrocardiogram, electroencephalogram, skin temperature, heart rate interval, electroencephalogram interval, body movement, and posture. The one or more sensors 32A include, but is not limited to, a heart rate sensor, blood pressure sensor, respiratory sensor, temperature sensor, blood oxygen saturation sensor, electrocardiogram sensor, motion sensor, etc.

[0029] 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 operation of the entire wearable terminal 30.

[0030] (Server configuration) As shown in Figure 1, the server 40 includes a communication unit 41, a storage unit 42, and a control unit 43.

[0031] The communication unit 41 includes one or more communication interfaces connected to the network 2. These communication interfaces may support, for example, mobile communication standards, wired LAN (Local Area Network) standards, or wireless LAN standards, but are not limited to these, and may support any communication standard. The server 40 communicates with the control device 20 via the communication unit 41 and the network 2.

[0032] The storage unit 42 includes one or more memories. Each memory included in the storage unit 42 may function as, for example, a main memory, an auxiliary memory, or a cache memory. The storage unit 42 stores any information used for the operation of the server 40. For example, the storage unit 42 may store system programs, application programs, and a database 42A. The database 42A stores the identification information of the passenger of the mobile vehicle 10, which is registered when the passenger purchases a ticket, and images of facial photographs associated with the identification information.

[0033] The control unit 43 includes one or more processors, one or more programmable circuits, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination thereof. The control unit 43 controls the operation of the entire server 40.

[0034] (Control device operation flow) Figure 2 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of the control system 1. The operation of the control device 20 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 2.

[0035] S101: The control unit 24 is connected (paired) to a wearable terminal 30 worn by a passenger Px riding on the mobile body 10 via the communication unit 21 and the communication unit 31.

[0036] The control device 20 is paired with the wearable terminal 30, for example, via Bluetooth. However, the communication method is not limited to Bluetooth. Once the two devices are paired, the control unit 24 becomes able to receive biometric information of the passenger Px riding on the mobile body 10. There may be one or more passengers Px.

[0037] S102-S103: The measurement unit 32 of the wearable terminal 30 measures the biometric information of the passenger Px using one or more built-in sensors 32A, and transmits the measured biometric information to the control device 20.

[0038] S104: The control unit 24 receives biometric information of the passenger Px from the wearable terminal 30.

[0039] The biometric information includes identification information of the passenger Px wearing the wearable device 30, and at least one of the following data measured by the wearable device: heart rate, pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate, body temperature, blood oxygen saturation, electrocardiogram, electroencephalogram, skin temperature, heart rate interval, electroencephalogram interval, body movement, and posture. The identification information of the passenger Px may include, for example, address, name, and user ID.

[0040] S105-S106: The control unit 24 checks for signs that the passenger Px is infected with a predetermined infectious disease based on the received biometric information of the passenger Px. If signs s are detected, the process proceeds to S107; if signs s are not detected, the process proceeds to S112.

[0041] Infectious diseases can be transmitted through (i) aerosol transmission, (ii) droplet transmission, (iii) contact transmission, and (iv) airborne transmission. Aerosol transmission is infection caused by inhaling aerosols containing viruses that are suspended in the air. Droplet transmission is infection caused by droplets containing viruses that come into contact with exposed mucous membranes such as the mouth, nose, and eyes. Contact transmission is infection caused by directly touching droplets containing viruses or by touching exposed mucous membranes with hands that have touched a surface contaminated with the virus. Airborne transmission occurs when viruses or bacteria are released into the air through coughing, sneezing, etc., encased in fine saliva or respiratory secretions, and infect people within a range of about 1 meter.

[0042] This disclosure uses COVID-19 as an example. The main routes of transmission for COVID-19 are thought to be (i) aerosol transmission, (ii) droplet transmission, and (iii) contact transmission. Hereinafter, in this disclosure, a passenger Px who shows signs of being infected with a specified infectious disease will be referred to as a suspected infected person Py. In the case of such transmission routes, aerosols or droplets containing the virus are released into the air, and passengers Px seated around a suspected infected person Py are exposed to the risk of infection.

[0043] In the case of COVID-19, symptoms s refer to one or more of the following being higher or lower than normal: body temperature, blood pressure, blood oxygen saturation (SpO2), pulse rate, or respiratory rate. For example, a body temperature of 37.5°C or higher and an SpO2 of less than 96% may be considered to indicate symptoms s of COVID-19, but the criteria for judgment are not limited to this.

[0044] S107: The control unit 24 transmits to the server 40 the identification information contained in the biometric data of the passenger Px suspected of infection Py in whom symptoms s have been detected.

[0045] S108: The control unit 43 of the server 40 sends the facial photograph of the suspected infected person Py obtained by image searching the database 42A, using the identification information of the suspected infected person Py in which symptoms s were detected as a search criterion, to the control device 20.

[0046] S109: The control unit 24 identifies the seating location of suspected infected person Py, in whom symptoms s were detected.

[0047] The control unit 24 obtains a facial photograph of the suspected infected person Py from the server 40, compares the obtained facial photograph of the suspected infected person Py with the facial images of one or more passengers Px captured by the camera 23A inside the mobile body 10, and identifies the seat location of the suspected infected person Py.

[0048] S110: The control unit 24 controls the air conditioning for the specified seat location.

[0049] Controlling the air conditioning involves at least one of the following: expelling the air around the seat of the suspected infected person Py from the mobile unit 10, and creating an air curtain around the seat of the suspected infected person Py. The control unit 24 transmits to the mobile unit 10 the location of the seat identified and the method of air conditioning control to be performed.

[0050] S111: The control unit 14 of the mobile unit 10 causes the air conditioning unit 12 to perform air conditioning at the specified seat location based on the air conditioning control method transmitted from the control unit 24.

[0051] The air conditioning unit 12 of the mobile vehicle 10 is equipped with equipment for adjusting the airflow inside the passenger compartment of the mobile vehicle 10. The air conditioning unit 12, in response to a request from the control unit 24, discharges the air around the seat of the suspected infected person Py to the outside of the mobile vehicle 10 and / or generates an air curtain around the seat of the suspected infected person Py. This reduces the risk that aerosols containing the virus or droplets containing the virus discharged into the air will reach passengers Px seated around the suspected infected person Py.

[0052] S112: The control unit 24 checks whether all passengers Px have been tested. If all passengers Px have been tested, it terminates the air conditioning control. If not all passengers Px have been tested, it returns to S105 and continues to test untested passengers Px for signs of infection with the specified infectious disease until all passengers Px have been tested.

[0053] As described above, the control device 20 according to this embodiment checks for the presence or absence of signs s of infection of a predetermined infectious disease in the passenger Px based on the biometric information of the passenger Px received from the wearable terminal 30 worn by the passenger Px riding on the mobile body 10, identifies the seat location of the passenger Px suspected of infection Py in whom signs s were detected, and controls the air conditioning at the identified seat location.

[0054] With this configuration, the seat location of a suspected infected person Py who has been detected to have symptoms s of a predetermined infectious disease is identified, and the air conditioning at the identified seat location is controlled. Therefore, even if a passenger Px on board the vehicle 10 is unaware that a suspected infected person Py is seated around them, the air conditioning at the suspected infected person Py's seat location is automatically controlled. Thus, the technology related to vehicle air conditioning control is improved in that the risk of passenger Px on board the vehicle becoming infected with the predetermined infectious disease is reduced.

[0055] While this disclosure has been described based on the drawings and embodiments, it should be noted that those skilled in the art may make various modifications and alterations based on this disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and alterations are within the scope of this disclosure. For example, the functions, etc., included in each component or step can be rearranged in a logically consistent manner, and multiple components or steps can be combined into one or divided into two.

[0056] Furthermore, it is also possible to implement an embodiment in which a general-purpose computer functions as the control device 20 according to the above embodiment. Specifically, a program describing the processing content that realizes each function of the control device 20 according to the above embodiment is stored in the memory of the general-purpose computer, and the processor reads and executes the program. Therefore, this disclosure can also be implemented as a program that can be executed by a processor, or as a non-temporary computer-readable medium that stores said program. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0057] 1. Control System 2. Network (Internet) 3. In-vehicle network 4. Short-range wireless network 10 vehicles 11 Communications Department 12. Air Conditioning Unit 13 Storage section 14 Control Unit 20 Control device 21 Communications Department 22 Memory section 23 Input section 23A Camera 24 Control Unit 30 Wearable Devices 31 Communications Department 32 Measurement Unit 32A sensor 33 Control Unit 40 servers 41 Communications Department 42 Storage section 42A Database 43 Control Unit

Claims

1. A wearable terminal worn by a passenger on a mobile vehicle, which measures the passenger's biometric information using one or more built-in sensors and transmits the measured biometric information to a control device, Based on the passenger's biometric information received from the wearable terminal, the control device checks for signs of infection with a predetermined infectious disease, identifies the seat location of a passenger suspected of infection who exhibits the signs, and controls the air conditioning at the identified seat location. A control system equipped with the following features.

2. A control device comprising: a control unit that, based on biometric information of a passenger received from a wearable terminal worn by a passenger on a mobile vehicle, checks for signs of infection of a predetermined infectious disease, identifies the seat location of a passenger suspected of infection in whom such signs are detected, and controls the air conditioning at the identified seat location.

3. A control device according to claim 2, A control device in which the biometric information includes identification information of the passenger wearing the wearable terminal and at least one of the following data measured by the wearable terminal: heart rate, pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate, body temperature, blood oxygen saturation, electrocardiogram, electroencephalogram, skin temperature, heart rate interval, electroencephalogram interval, body movement, and posture.

4. A control device according to claim 2, A control device that controls the air conditioning, which includes at least one of the following: discharging the air around the seat of the person suspected of infection to the outside of the mobile body, and generating an air curtain around the seat of the person suspected of infection.

5. A control device according to claim 3, The control unit is a control device that uses the identification information of the suspected infected person as a search criterion to obtain a facial photograph of the suspected infected person obtained by image search of the database, and compares the obtained facial photograph of the suspected infected person with the facial images of the passengers captured in images taken inside the mobile vehicle to determine the seat location of the suspected infected person.

6. The control device, Receiving biometric information of the passenger from a wearable device worn by the passenger on board the mobile vehicle, Based on the received biometric information, the passenger is examined for signs of infection with a predetermined infectious disease, Identifying the seating location of the suspected infected person in whom the aforementioned symptoms were detected, Controlling the air conditioning at the identified seat location, A control method for executing this.

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