Rescue assistance terminal, rescue assistance system, and rescue assistance method

Abstract

To improve the efficiency of searching for victims using avalanche beacons. [Solution] The first acquisition unit 111 acquires information regarding the rescued person beacon signal received by the rescuer beacon terminal 20 from the rescuer beacon terminal 20. The estimation unit 112 estimates the location of the rescued person beacon terminal 30, which is the source of the rescued person beacon signal, based on the information regarding the rescued person beacon signal. The display control unit 114 displays the estimated location of the rescued person beacon terminal 30 on the touch panel 101.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a rescuer assistance terminal, a rescuer assistance system, and a rescuer assistance method.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, an avalanche beacon, which is a terminal for searching for victims when an avalanche occurs, has become widespread. For example, Patent Document 1 below discloses an avalanche victim search beacon device aimed at quickly searching for a plurality of victims caught in an avalanche. A transmitter intermittently outputs a sine wave of approximately 457 kHz amplitude-modulated with identification information data carried by each victim by an identification signal input means, for example, at a rate of once every second for 0.1 seconds. On the receiver side, it is received by a pair of receivers, converted into digital data by an A / D converter, and taken into a data capture means. Based on this captured data, a distance calculation means and a direction calculation means calculate the distance and direction. Further, an identification number processing means identifies each victim from the data captured by the serial data capture means.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the above-described conventional technology, only an arrow indicating the propagation direction of the radio wave from the avalanche beacon of the victim and an estimated distance to the avalanche beacon are displayed. For this reason, there is a problem that it takes time to grasp the actual position of the victim.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to improve the efficiency of searching for a victim using an avalanche beacon.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A rescuer assistance terminal according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a first acquisition unit that acquires information relating to a distress signal received by a first terminal from a first terminal; an estimation unit that estimates the location of a second terminal which is the source of the distress signal based on the information relating to the distress signal; and a display control unit that causes the estimated location of the second terminal to be displayed on a display device.

[0007] A rescuer assistance system according to one aspect of the present invention includes a first terminal equipped with a transmission control unit that transmits information relating to a distress signal from a second terminal, a rescuer assistance terminal equipped with a first acquisition unit that acquires information relating to the distress signal from the first terminal, an estimation unit that estimates the location of the second terminal based on the information relating to the distress signal, and a display control unit that causes the estimated location of the second terminal to be displayed on a display device.

[0008] A rescuer assistance method according to one aspect of the present invention involves a computer that acquires information regarding a distress signal received by a first terminal from a first terminal, estimates the location of a second terminal which is the source of the distress signal based on the information regarding the distress signal, and displays the estimated location of the second terminal on a display device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to one aspect of the present invention, the efficiency of searching for people to be rescued using avalanche beacons can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing the configuration of the climber support system 1 according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] This diagram shows the appearance of the rescuer beacon terminal 20 and the rescued person beacon terminal 30. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the rescuer beacon terminal 20. [Figure 4] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of smartphone 10. [Figure 5]This is a schematic diagram showing the location estimation of the rescued person's beacon terminal 30 by the estimation unit 112. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram showing the location estimation of the rescued person's beacon terminal 30 by the estimation unit 112. [Figure 7] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of how a mountain climber support application is displayed. [Figure 8] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of how a mountain climber support application is displayed. [Figure 9] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of how a mountain climber support application is displayed. [Figure 10] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of how a mountain climber support application is displayed. [Figure 11] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of how a mountain climber support application is displayed. [Figure 12] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of a rescue request message. [Figure 13] This is a flowchart showing the operation of the processing unit 107. [Figure 14] This is a schematic diagram illustrating a method for searching for a person in need of rescue using an avalanche beacon 40, based on conventional technology. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] [Embodiment] [System Configuration] Figure 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a climber support system 1 according to an embodiment. The climber support system 1 is an example of a rescuer assistance system. In this embodiment, the climber support system 1 will mainly be described in terms of assistance when a rescuer, user U1, rescues a person being rescued, user U2. User U1 holds the climber support system 1. The climber support system 1 includes a smartphone 10 and a rescuer beacon terminal 20. The smartphone 10 is an example of a rescuer assistance terminal, and the rescuer beacon terminal 20 is an example of a first terminal.

[0012] The smartphone 10 is an example of a portable information processing terminal. Instead of the smartphone 10, a tablet terminal may be used. A climber support application is installed on the smartphone 10. The rescuer beacon terminal 20 is a beacon terminal smaller than a general avalanche beacon terminal that has been conventionally used, as will be described later. The smartphone 10 and the rescuer beacon terminal 20 are connected (paired) by short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or Wi-Fi. Also, the rescuer beacon terminal 20 can receive a beacon signal transmitted from the rescued person beacon terminal 30.

[0013] The user U1 subscribes to a climbing support service provided by a service provider not shown in the figure. The climber support system 1 (the rescuer beacon terminal 20 and the climber support application) is provided by the service provider to subscribers of the climbing support service.

[0014] The user U2 holds the rescued person beacon terminal 30. The rescued person beacon terminal 30 is an example of a second terminal. In the present embodiment, the rescued person beacon terminal 30 is a general avalanche beacon terminal that has been conventionally used. Note that the user U2 may hold the climber support system 1 (the smartphone 10 on which the climber support application is installed and the rescuer beacon terminal 20) instead of the rescued person beacon terminal 30.

[0015] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the appearance of the rescuer beacon terminal 20 and the rescued person beacon terminal 30. As described above, the rescued person beacon terminal 30 is a general avalanche beacon terminal that has been conventionally used. The rescued person beacon terminal 30 is provided with a liquid crystal display 34 and a transmission / reception changeover switch 36 in a housing 32.

[0016] The liquid crystal display 34 displays information based on, for example, the operating mode (standby mode and search mode) of the rescued person beacon terminal 30. Standby mode is the mode set during mountain climbing (except in search mode). In standby mode, the rescued person beacon terminal 30 transmits a beacon signal at a frequency specified by law (e.g., 457 kHz) at predetermined intervals (e.g., every 0.9 seconds), and the liquid crystal display 34 displays an image indicating that a beacon signal is being transmitted (not shown).

[0017] Furthermore, the search mode is a mode set when searching for a person to be rescued. In search mode, the transmission of beacon signals from the terminal is stopped, and beacon signals transmitted from other terminals are received. In search mode, as shown in Figure 2, an arrow N1 indicating the propagation direction of the beacon signal and a numerical value N2 indicating the distance to the source of the beacon signal are displayed on the liquid crystal display 34. The distance to the source of the beacon signal is estimated based on the received strength of the beacon signal. In addition, the rescued person beacon terminal 30 can receive beacon signals transmitted from multiple terminals simultaneously. For this reason, an icon N3 indicating the number of beacon signals being received is displayed on the liquid crystal display 34. In the example in Figure 2, the rescued person beacon terminal 30 is receiving two beacon signals. The arrow N1 and numerical value N2 shown in Figure 2 are information about one of the two beacon signals. User U2 can switch the beacon signal whose information is displayed on the liquid crystal display 34 by operating a selection switch (not shown).

[0018] The transmit / receive switch 36 is a switch for switching the operating mode of the rescued person beacon terminal 30. The transmit / receive switch 36 is an example of an operating device for the rescued person beacon terminal 30. In addition to the transmit / receive switch 36, the housing 32 is provided with, for example, a power switch for switching the activation of the rescued person beacon terminal 30 on and off, a selection switch for selecting the beacon signal to be displayed on the liquid crystal display 34, and a switch for configuring the rescued person beacon terminal 30.

[0019] The rescue beacon terminal 30 is attached to the user U2's body (for example, between the outer and inner layers) using a harness so that it does not separate from the user U2 even if the user U2 is caught in an avalanche. The combined weight of the harness and the rescue beacon terminal 30 is approximately 500g.

[0020] On the other hand, the rescuer beacon terminal 20 has only a rescue request switch 24 on its housing 22. Since the rescuer beacon terminal 20 is used in conjunction with a smartphone 10, there is no need to provide an operating device such as an LCD display 34 and a transmit / receive switch 36. Therefore, the rescuer beacon terminal 20 is smaller and lighter (approximately 100g) compared to the rescued person beacon terminal 30.

[0021] The rescuer beacon terminal 20 and the smartphone 10 may be integrated, for example, by a mounting device. This allows the positions of the rescuer beacon terminal 20 and the smartphone 10 to be identified as the same. Furthermore, the relative positions of the rescuer beacon terminal 20 and the smartphone 10 may be calibrated while they are fixed together by the mounting device.

[0022] The rescue request switch 24 is used when user U1 is in distress. As will be explained in more detail later, when the rescue request switch 24 is pressed, a distress signal is transmitted via satellite communication, allowing rescue to be requested even if the user is in an area with no cell phone coverage. Also, when the rescue request switch 24 is pressed, if the rescuer beacon terminal 20 was operating in search mode, it will switch to standby mode and transmit a beacon signal.

[0023] [Rescue Beacon Terminal 20] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the rescuer beacon terminal 20. In addition to the rescue request switch 24 described above, the rescuer beacon terminal 20 includes a short-range wireless communication device 202, a satellite communication device 203, a beacon signal transceiver 204, a GPS device 205, a storage device 206, a processing device 207, and a bus 220 that connects these devices to each other.

[0024] The short-range wireless communication device 202 is a communication interface for performing short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth® or Wi-Fi. In this embodiment, the short-range wireless communication device 202 is provided for communication with the smartphone 10.

[0025] The satellite communication device 203 is a communication interface for communication via artificial satellite. In this embodiment, the satellite communication device 203 is provided to transmit a distress signal via satellite when user U1 is in distress. In other words, the rescuer beacon terminal 20 can transmit a distress signal via satellite using satellite communication. A distress signal via satellite is an example of a fifth distress signal.

[0026] The beacon signal transceiver 204 transmits or receives beacon signals. When the rescuer beacon terminal 20 is set to standby mode, or when the rescue request switch 24 is pressed and the system switches to standby mode, the beacon signal transceiver 204 functions as a beacon signal transmitting antenna and transmits a beacon signal. Also, when the rescuer beacon terminal 20 is set to search mode, the beacon signal transceiver 204 functions as a beacon signal transmitting antenna and receives beacon signals transmitted by other terminals such as the rescued person beacon terminal 30. Generally, multiple beacon signal receiving antennas are provided, and the propagation direction of the beacon signal is calculated based on the differences in the received signal strength of the beacon signal at the multiple receiving antennas.

[0027] The GPS device 205 receives radio waves from multiple satellites and generates location information indicating the position of the rescuer beacon terminal 20 from the received radio waves. The location information may be in any format as long as it can identify the location in real space. In this embodiment, latitude and longitude are used as the location information.

[0028] The storage device 206 is a recording medium that can be read by the processing device 207. The storage device 206 includes, for example, non-volatile memory and volatile memory. Non-volatile memory is, for example, ROM (Read Only Memory), EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), and EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory). Volatile memory is, for example, RAM (Random Access Memory). The storage device 206 stores program PG2. Program PG2 is a program for operating the rescuer beacon terminal 20.

[0029] The processing unit 207 includes one or more CPUs (Central Processing Units). One or more CPUs are examples of one or more processors. Each processor and CPU is an example of a computer. The processing unit 207 functions as a transmission control unit 211 and a reception unit 212 by executing the program PG2 read from the storage device 206. These functional units may be composed of circuits such as DSPs (Digital Signal Processors), ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), PLDs (Programmable Logic Devices), and FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays).

[0030] The transmission control unit 211 transmits information regarding the beacon signal from the rescued person beacon terminal 30. The beacon signal is an example of a distress signal. The beacon signal from the rescued person beacon terminal 30 is called the "rescued person beacon signal". The rescued person beacon signal is an example of a first distress signal and a third distress signal. The information regarding the beacon signal from the rescued person beacon terminal 30, that is, the information regarding the rescued person beacon signal, includes, for example, the location information of the rescuer beacon terminal 20 when the rescued person beacon signal was received, the time the rescued person beacon signal was received, the intensity of the rescued person beacon signal, and the propagation direction of the rescued person beacon signal.

[0031] When the rescuer beacon terminal 20 is set to search mode, the transmission control unit 211 transmits to the smartphone 10 the location information of the rescuer beacon terminal 20 as received by the beacon signal transceiver 204, as well as information indicating the signal strength and propagation direction of the received beacon signal. In this embodiment, the location of the rescuer beacon terminal 20 and the location of the smartphone 10 can be considered to be the same. Therefore, for example, if the rescuer beacon terminal 20 is not equipped with a GPS device 205, the location of the smartphone 10 at the same time as the time the rescuer beacon terminal 20 received the rescued person beacon signal can be considered to be the location of the rescuer beacon terminal 20 when the rescued person beacon signal was received. For this reason, the transmission control unit 211 may transmit to the smartphone 10 the time when the beacon signal transceiver 204 received the beacon signal.

[0032] The reception unit 212 receives instructions to specify the operating mode of the rescuer beacon terminal 20 to either standby mode or search mode. In other words, the reception unit 212 receives instructions to switch between transmitting rescuer beacon signals and receiving rescued beacon signals. The beacon signal transmitted by the rescuer beacon terminal 20 is called a "rescuer beacon signal." A rescuer beacon signal is an example of a Type 4 rescue signal.

[0033] As described above, the beacon signal transceiver 204 (rescuer beacon terminal 20) is capable of receiving rescued person beacon signals and transmitting rescuer beacon signals requesting rescue from user U1 of the rescuer beacon terminal 20. When standby mode is specified, the reception unit 212 instructs the beacon signal transceiver 204 to transmit a beacon signal (rescuer beacon signal). Also, when search mode is specified, the reception unit 212 instructs the beacon signal transceiver 204 to receive a beacon signal (rescued person beacon signal).

[0034] As will be described later, in this embodiment, user U1 switches between standby mode and search mode using a climber support application installed on the smartphone 10. Therefore, the reception unit 212 accepts the switching between transmitting a rescuer beacon signal and receiving a rescued person beacon signal based on the control signal from the smartphone 10.

[0035] Furthermore, the reception unit 212 also accepts the switching between transmitting a rescuer beacon signal and receiving a rescued person beacon signal when the rescue request switch 24 is pressed. More specifically, if the rescue request switch 24 is pressed while the search mode is set, the reception unit 212 switches its operation mode to standby mode. As a result, the operation of the beacon signal transceiver 204 switches from receiving a rescued person beacon signal to transmitting a rescuer beacon signal.

[0036] Furthermore, the reception unit 212 also receives instructions to transmit a distress signal via satellite. Specifically, when the rescue request switch 24 is pressed, the reception unit 212 controls the satellite communication device 203 to transmit a distress signal via satellite.

[0037] [Smartphone 10] Figure 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a smartphone 10. The smartphone 10 includes a touch panel 101, a camera 102, a GPS device 103, a short-range wireless communication device 104, a wide-area wireless communication device 105, a storage device 106, a processing device 107, and a bus 120 that connects these devices to each other.

[0038] The touch panel 101 is a device that integrates a display device and an input device. The display device is, for example, one of various display panels such as a liquid crystal display panel or an organic EL display panel. The input device is, for example, a sensor that detects the position touched by the user U1 on the display panel. Note that the display device and the input device may be provided as separate components.

[0039] Camera 102 captures an image of a subject and outputs image data corresponding to the captured image. Camera 102 includes, for example, an imaging optical system and an image sensor. The imaging optical system is an optical system including at least one imaging lens. The image sensor is, for example, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor or a CMOS (Complementary MOS) image sensor. The image captured by camera 102 may be a still image or a video.

[0040] The GPS device 103 receives radio waves from multiple satellites and generates location information indicating the location of the smartphone 10 from the received radio waves. The location information can be in any format as long as it can identify the location in real space. In this embodiment, latitude and longitude are used as location information.

[0041] The short-range wireless communication device 104, like the short-range wireless communication device 202 of the rescuer beacon terminal 20, is a communication interface for short-range wireless communication. In this embodiment, the short-range wireless communication device 104 is provided for communication with the rescuer beacon terminal 20.

[0042] The wide-area wireless communication device 105 is a communication interface for connecting to a wide-area communication network. A wide-area communication network is, for example, a mobile phone network installed by a telecommunications carrier. Generally, a smartphone 10 connects to a wide-area communication network to communicate outdoors or in places where Wi-Fi is unavailable. On the other hand, in mountainous areas, for example, it may not be possible to connect to a wide-area communication network and may be out of range.

[0043] The storage device 106 is a recording medium that can be read by the processing unit 107. The storage device 106 includes, for example, non-volatile memory and volatile memory. Non-volatile memory is, for example, ROM, EPROM, and EEPROM. Volatile memory is, for example, RAM. The storage device 106 stores program PG1. Program PG1 is a program for operating the smartphone 10. Program PG1 includes a program for running the climber support application described later.

[0044] The processing unit 107 includes one or more CPUs. One or more CPUs are examples of one or more processors. Each processor and CPU is an example of a computer. The processing unit 107 functions as a first acquisition unit 111, an estimation unit 112, a second acquisition unit 113, and a display control unit 114 by executing the program PG1 read from the storage device 106. These functional units may be composed of circuits such as DSPs, ASICs, PLDs, and FPGAs.

[0045] The first acquisition unit 111 acquires information regarding the rescued person beacon signal received by the rescuer beacon terminal 20 from the rescuer beacon terminal 20. The rescuer beacon terminal 20 is an example of the first terminal. The first acquisition unit 111 acquires information regarding the rescued person beacon signal transmitted by the transmission control unit 211 of the rescuer beacon terminal 20. As described above, the information regarding the rescued person beacon signal includes, for example, the location information of the rescuer beacon terminal 20 when the rescued person beacon signal was received, the intensity of the rescued person beacon signal, and the propagation direction of the rescued person beacon signal.

[0046] The first acquisition unit 111 acquires information regarding the rescued person's beacon signal multiple times. More specifically, as described above, the rescued person's beacon terminal 30 transmits the rescued person's beacon signal at 0.9-second intervals. The rescuer's beacon terminal 20 receives the rescued person's beacon signal at 0.9-second intervals and transmits information regarding the rescued person's beacon signal each time. Therefore, generally, when the rescuer's beacon terminal 20 is in search mode and capable of receiving the rescued person's beacon signal, the first acquisition unit 111 will acquire the rescued person's beacon signal multiple times at 0.9-second intervals.

[0047] The estimation unit 112 estimates the location of the rescued beacon terminal 30, which is the source of the rescued beacon signal, based on information regarding the rescued beacon signal. The estimation unit 112 estimates the location of the rescued beacon terminal 30 based on information regarding multiple rescued beacon signals acquired every 0.9 seconds by the first acquisition unit 111.

[0048] Figures 5 and 6 are schematic diagrams showing the position estimation of the rescued person beacon terminal 30 by the estimation unit 112. In Figure 5, a rescued person beacon signal is being transmitted from the rescued person beacon terminal 30. The rescued person beacon signal propagates along magnetic flux lines L, indicated by symbols L1, L2, etc. User U1 moves around while carrying the climber support system 1. Although Figure 5 shows a plan view centered on the rescued person beacon terminal 30, in reality, in many cases the rescued person beacon terminal 30 is buried in the snow as shown in Figure 6. User U1 will perform the search while moving on the snow surface G. Also, it is assumed that the position of the rescued person beacon terminal 30 does not change.

[0049] For example, suppose a detection value K1 is obtained at position P1 and a detection value K2 is obtained at position P2. The detection values ​​K1 and K2 are the position information of positions P1 and P2, the intensity of the rescued person beacon signal at each position, and the propagation direction. The estimation unit 112 simulates magnetic flux lines L1 and M2 based on the detection values ​​K1 and K2. For example, the estimation unit 112 simulates magnetic flux line L1 based on the detection value K1 at position P1. When user U1 moves to position P2, the estimation unit 112 calculates the distance and direction between position P1 and position P2 and determines the relative position of position P2 to position P1. The estimation unit 112 simulates magnetic flux line L2 based on the detection value K2 at position P2.

[0050] The estimation unit 112 estimates the location of the rescued person beacon terminal 30, which is the target of the search, by overlapping multiple magnetic flux lines L, such as magnetic flux lines L1 and L2, and identifying their intersections. By repeating this process, the estimation unit 112 corrects the intersections of the multiple magnetic flux lines L (the location of the rescued person beacon terminal 30) and estimates the final location of the rescued person beacon terminal 30. The location of the rescued person beacon terminal 30 is recognized in three dimensions (length, width, and height). In order to determine the location in three dimensions, it is necessary to receive the rescued person beacon signal three or more times.

[0051] The relative position of position P2 to position P1 may be determined using, for example, position information generated by the GPS device 103, images captured by the camera 102, and detection values ​​from sensors built into the smartphone 10 (accelerometer, gyroscope, etc.; not shown).

[0052] Furthermore, the estimation unit 112 may estimate the locations of two or more rescued person beacon terminals 30. The beacon signal transmitting and receiving device 204 of the rescuer beacon terminal 20 is capable of receiving beacon signals from multiple rescued person beacon terminals 30. For example, the first rescued person beacon terminal 30 is referred to as the first rescued person beacon terminal 30, and the rescued person beacon signal transmitted by the first rescued person beacon terminal 30 is referred to as the first rescued person beacon signal. The second rescued person beacon terminal 30 is referred to as the second rescued person beacon terminal 30, and the rescued person beacon signal transmitted by the second rescued person beacon terminal 30 is referred to as the second rescued person beacon signal.

[0053] In this case, the beacon signal transmitting / receiving device 204 of the rescuer beacon terminal 20 can receive, in addition to the first rescued person beacon signal, a second rescued person beacon signal transmitted from a second rescued person beacon terminal 30 which is different from the first rescued person beacon terminal 30. The first rescued person beacon terminal 30 is an example of the second terminal, and the second rescued person beacon terminal 30 is an example of the third terminal. The first rescued person beacon signal is an example of the first distress signal, and the second rescued person beacon signal is an example of the second distress signal.

[0054] The first acquisition unit 111 acquires information regarding the second rescued person beacon signal in addition to information regarding the first rescued person beacon signal from the rescuer beacon terminal 20. The estimation unit 112 estimates the location of the first rescued person beacon terminal 30 based on the information regarding the first rescuer beacon signal, and estimates the location of the second rescued person beacon terminal 30 based on the information regarding the second rescuer beacon signal. The specific estimation method is as described using Figures 5 and 6.

[0055] The second acquisition unit 113 acquires captured images from the camera 102, which captures images. The camera 102 is an example of an imaging device. The captured images acquired by the second acquisition unit 113 are used for estimating the distance traveled as described above and for AR (Augmented Reality) display, which will be described later.

[0056] The display control unit 114 displays the location of the rescued person beacon terminal 30 estimated by the estimation unit 112 on the touch panel 101. If the locations of multiple rescued person beacon terminals 30 are estimated, the display control unit 114 displays the location of the first rescued person beacon terminal 30 and the location of the second rescued person beacon terminal 30 on the same screen.

[0057] Figures 7 to 11 are schematic diagrams showing an example of the display of the climber support application. When user U1 launches the climber support application (indicated as "climber support app" in the figures) on smartphone 10, pairing is performed between smartphone 10 and rescuer beacon terminal 20. Once pairing is complete, the menu screen M1 shown in Figure 7 is displayed. Menu screen M1 includes an operation mode switching button B1, a location information sharing management button B2, a contract management button B3, an emergency message button B4, and a system settings button B5.

[0058] The operation mode switching button B1 is used to switch the operation mode of the rescuer beacon terminal 20 between standby mode and search mode. The location information sharing management button B2 is used to manage the recipients of the location information shared by user U1 (smartphone 10). The contract management button B3 is used to manage contracts with service providers that provide mountain climber support applications, etc. The emergency message button B4 is used to set the message to be sent when using a distress signal via satellite communication, as described later. The system settings button B5 is used to configure various settings for the mountain climber support application and the rescuer beacon terminal 20.

[0059] When user U1 selects the search mode using the operation mode switching button B1, the search mode screen M2 shown in Figure 8 is displayed. The search mode screen M2 includes the operation mode switching button B1 as well as a location display image B6 that shows the location of the rescued person beacon terminals 30. The location display image B6 is an image that shows the location (direction and distance) of the rescued person beacon terminals 30 located around the smartphone 10, with the smartphone 10's location as the reference point O. In Figure 8, points A to C indicate the locations of three rescued person beacon terminals 30. By displaying information from multiple rescued person beacon terminals 30 on the same screen in this way, the visibility of the information is improved compared to switching screens to display information for each rescued person, allowing for more efficient rescue operations.

[0060] In Figure 8, the rescued person beacon terminal 30, indicated by point A, is selected, and the distance to the rescued person beacon terminal 30 (25m) and an arrow indicating the direction of the rescued person beacon terminal 30 are displayed in the location display image B6. For example, when user U1 taps point C on the search mode screen M2, the rescued person beacon terminal 30, indicated by point C, is selected, and the display on the touch panel 101 switches to the search mode screen M3 shown in Figure 9. In the search mode screen M3 of Figure 9, the distance to the rescued person beacon terminal 30, indicated by point C (15m), and an arrow indicating the direction of the rescued person beacon terminal 30 are displayed.

[0061] Furthermore, for example, if user U1 long-presses point B on the search mode screen M2, they can choose to hide the information of the rescued person beacon terminal 30 indicated by point B. Specifically, when user U1 chooses to hide point B, the display of point B disappears from the location display image B6, as shown in the search mode screen M3 in Figure 9. Cases in which information is hidden in this way include, for example, when it is clear that the information in question is from a beacon terminal held by someone other than the rescued person.

[0062] Furthermore, the display control unit 114 may, for example, display the location of the rescued person beacon terminal 30 on the image captured by the camera 102. In the search mode screen M4 shown in Figure 10, points A and C, which indicate the location of the rescued person beacon terminal 30, are displayed superimposed on the image captured by the camera 102. By performing AR display as shown in Figure 10, it becomes easier to determine the specific location of the person to be rescued, which can, for example, allow for the rescue of the person in a shorter time or make it easier to ensure the safety of the user U1. Also, for example, point A shows a climber walking on the snow, making it clear that point A does not represent the person to be rescued. By displaying the location of the rescued person beacon terminal 30 on the captured image, it is possible to clearly distinguish between beacon signals indicating a person to be rescued and beacon signals indicating other objects, allowing for more efficient rescue operations.

[0063] As described above, the location of the rescued person's beacon terminal 30 is recognized in three dimensions (length, width, and height). Therefore, when the horizontal distance (length and width) between the rescuer (user U1) and the rescued person (user U2) becomes close, the display control unit 114 displays the distance in the height (depth) direction in addition to the horizontal distance, as shown in the search mode screen M5 in Figure 11.

[0064] Next, we will explain what happens when user U1 gets lost. Prior to setting out on a climb, user U1 registers the body of a rescue request message (e.g., "Help! I'm lost") and the recipient of the rescue request message (e.g., a family member's email address) on the climber support application. If user U1 gets lost, user U1 presses the rescue request switch 24 on the rescuer beacon terminal 20. When the rescue request switch 24 is pressed, the processing unit 207 of the rescuer beacon terminal 20 functions as a reception unit 212, causing the beacon signal transceiver 204 to transmit a rescuer beacon signal and the satellite communication device 203 to transmit a rescue request signal to the communication satellite. The rescue request signal includes the identification information of the rescuer beacon terminal 20, the location information of the rescuer beacon terminal 20 generated by the GPS device 205, and the time the rescue request signal was transmitted.

[0065] The rescue request signal is received, for example, by a service server (not shown) of a mountain climbing support service. The service server sends a rescue request message to a destination set by user U1 (the user associated with the identification information of the rescuer beacon terminal 20). The rescue request message includes the message body set in advance by user U1, the location information of the rescuer beacon terminal 20, the time the rescue request signal was sent, and a link to a map display of the location indicated by the location information. By confirming the rescue request message, user U1's family or others can quickly request rescue from the relevant organizations. In addition, because the rescue request message is sent through the service server, the service provider of the mountain climbing support service can also be aware that a service user is in distress and can request rescue from the relevant organizations. Alternatively, the rescue request signal may include the recipient email address for the rescue request message, so that the rescue request message is sent directly to that email address.

[0066] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a rescue request message. The rescue request screen M11 for user U1 (referred to as "Mr. / Ms. AAA" in the figure) is displayed on the smartphone 10A of user U1's family. The rescue request screen M11 is displayed, for example, when a family member taps a link included in a rescue request message sent via email. The rescue request screen M11 includes a map B11 showing the location of the rescuer beacon terminal 20 plotted, text B12 containing the time the rescue request signal was sent and the message body set by user U1, etc.

[0067] Each time user U1 presses the rescue request switch 24 on the rescuer beacon terminal 20, a distress signal message is sent to the smartphone 10A of user U1's family. If user U1 moves from the initial location of the distress, the family can continue to know user U1's current location. Even if user U1 does not move from the initial location of the distress, the family can know that user U1 is at least able to press the rescue request switch 24.

[0068] As mentioned above, when the rescue request switch 24 is pressed, the rescuer beacon terminal 20 transmits a beacon signal, so a search can also be conducted in the same way as using a normal beacon terminal. Thus, the climber support system 1 is effective not only when user U1 is the rescuer, but also when user U1 is the person being rescued.

[0069] [flowchart] Figure 13 is a flowchart showing the operation of the processing unit 107. The processing unit 107 waits until the climber support application is launched and the climber support system 1 is put into use (step S100: NO). Once the climber support system 1 is put into use (step S100: YES), the processing unit 107 pairs the smartphone 10 with the rescuer beacon terminal 20 (step S102).

[0070] The processing unit 107 accepts the selection of the operating mode of the rescuer beacon terminal 20 on the climber support application (step S104) and transmits the selection result to the rescuer beacon terminal 20. If the standby mode is selected (step S104: NO), the beacon signal transceiver 204 of the rescuer beacon terminal 20 transmits a rescuer beacon signal (indicated as "beacon signal" in the figure) (step S105).

[0071] On the other hand, if the search mode is selected (step S104: YES), the rescuer beacon terminal 20's beacon signal transceiver 204 receives the rescued person beacon signal (indicated as "beacon signal" in the figure) (step S106). The processing unit 107 functions as the first acquisition unit 111 and acquires information regarding the rescued person beacon signal from the rescuer beacon terminal 20 (step S107).

[0072] The processing unit 107 functions as an estimation unit 112 and estimates the location of the rescued person beacon terminal 30 based on information regarding the rescued person beacon signal (step S108). The processing unit 107 functions as a display control unit 114 and displays the estimated location on the touch panel 101 (indicated as "screen" in the figure) (step S110). Until the search for the rescued person is completed (step S112: NO), the processing unit 107 returns to step S106. When the search for the rescued person is completed (step S112: YES), the processing unit 107 terminates the processing of this flowchart.

[0073] [Comparison with conventional technology] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method for searching for a person to be rescued using a conventional avalanche beacon 40. As explained using Figure 2, the conventional avalanche beacon 40 (hereinafter simply referred to as "avalanche beacon 40") displays an arrow indicating the direction of propagation of the beacon signal and a numerical value indicating the distance to the source of the beacon signal on the liquid crystal display. The distance to the source of the beacon signal is the distance along the magnetic flux line L. Therefore, the rescuer needs to move in an arc along the magnetic flux line L.

[0074] Furthermore, this distance is a straight-line distance, and if the person being rescued (the rescued person's beacon terminal 30) is buried in snow, the distance in the depth direction (up to approximately 3m) must also be considered. For example, if the distance to the beacon signal source is displayed as 3m, it is necessary to determine whether the beacon signal source is located at a depth of 3m at the rescuer's feet, or at a depth of 1m 2.8m away.

[0075] Thus, the avalanche beacon 40 requires prior training before use. Because it is not intuitive to operate, it is difficult for beginners to use for searching. In contrast, the climber support system 1 according to the embodiment identifies and displays the 3D coordinates of the source of the beacon signal. Identifying the 3D coordinates does not require movement along the magnetic flux line L; it is sufficient to receive the beacon signal multiple times from different locations. Therefore, even if user U1 is a beginner, intuitive operation becomes possible, and the effectiveness of rescue operations can be increased even if user U1 unexpectedly finds themselves in the position of a rescuer.

[0076] [Summary of Embodiments] As described above, unlike conventional avalanche beacons, the climber support system 1 according to this embodiment specifically identifies the location of the rescued person's beacon terminal 30 and displays that location on the touch panel 101. This improves the efficiency of rescuing the rescued person, allowing them to be rescued in a shorter time, and also reduces the possibility of secondary injuries to the rescuer.

[0077] Furthermore, the climber support system 1 overlays the location of the rescued person's beacon terminal 30 onto the image captured by the camera 102. This allows rescue operations to be carried out while understanding the situation at the location of the person being rescued, thereby improving the efficiency and safety of rescue operations.

[0078] Furthermore, when the climber support system 1 receives multiple beacon signals from people being rescued, it displays information related to those multiple beacon signals on the same screen. This improves the visibility of the information related to the beacon signals and further enhances the efficiency of rescue operations.

[0079] [others] (1) In the embodiments described above, ROM and RAM were given as examples of storage devices 106 and 206, but storage devices 106 and 206 may be flexible disks, magneto-optical disks (e.g., compact disks, digital multipurpose disks, Blu-ray® disks), smart cards, flash memory devices (e.g., cards, sticks, key drives), CD-ROMs (Compact Disc-ROMs), registers, removable disks, hard disks, floppy® disks, magnetic strips, databases, servers, or other suitable storage media.

[0080] (2) In the embodiments described above, the information, signals, etc. may be represented using any of the various different technologies. For example, the data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, chips, etc. that may be mentioned throughout the above description may be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, optical fields or photons, or any combination thereof.

[0081] (3) In the embodiments described above, the input and output information may be stored in a specific location (e.g., memory) or managed using a management table. The input and output information may be overwritten, updated, or appended to. The output information may be deleted. The input information may be transmitted to other devices.

[0082] (4) In the embodiments described above, the determination may be made by a value represented by 1 bit (0 or 1), by a boolean value (true or false), or by a numerical comparison (for example, a comparison with a predetermined value).

[0083] (5) The processing procedures, sequences, flowcharts, etc., exemplified in the embodiments described above may be reordered, as long as they do not contradict each other. For example, in the methods described herein, the elements of various steps are presented using an exemplary order and are not limited to the specific order presented.

[0084] (6) Each function illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 is implemented by any combination of at least one of hardware and software. Furthermore, the method of implementing each function block is not particularly limited. That is, each function block may be implemented using one device that is physically or logically coupled, or it may be implemented using two or more physically or logically separated devices that are directly or indirectly connected (for example, using wired, wireless, etc.). A function block may be implemented by combining the above one device or the above multiple devices with software.

[0085] (7) The programs illustrated in the embodiments described above should be broadly interpreted to mean instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subprograms, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executable files, execution threads, procedures, functions, etc., whether they are called software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description languages ​​or by other names.

[0086] Furthermore, software, instructions, information, etc., may be transmitted and received via a transmission medium. For example, if software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using at least one of wired technology (coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), etc.) and wireless technology (infrared, microwave, etc.), at least one of these wired and wireless technologies is included in the definition of a transmission medium.

[0087] (8) In each of the above-mentioned forms, the terms “system” and “network” shall be used interchangeably.

[0088] (9) The information, parameters, etc. described in this disclosure may be expressed using absolute values, relative values ​​from a given value, or other corresponding information.

[0089] (10) In the embodiments described above, the portable device may be a Mobile Station (MS). A Mobile Station may also be referred to by those skilled in the art as a subscriber station, mobile unit, subscriber unit, wireless unit, remote unit, mobile device, wireless device, wireless communication device, remote device, mobile subscriber station, access terminal, mobile terminal, wireless terminal, remote terminal, handset, user agent, mobile client, client, or several other appropriate terms. In this disclosure, terms such as “Mobile Station,” “User Terminal,” “User Equipment (UE),” and “Terminal” may be used interchangeably.

[0090] (11) In the embodiments described above, the terms “connected,” “coupled,” or any variation thereof, mean any direct or indirect connection or coupling between two or more elements, and may include the presence of one or more intermediate elements between two elements that are “connected” or “coupled” with each other. The coupling or connection between elements may be physical, logical, or a combination thereof. For example, “connection” may be read as “access.” As used in this disclosure, two elements may be considered to be “connected” or “coupled” with each other using at least one of one or more wires, cables, and printed electrical connections, and, in some non-limiting and non-exclusive examples, electromagnetic energy having wavelengths in the radio frequency domain, microwave domain, and optical (both visible and invisible) domain.

[0091] (12) In the embodiments described above, the phrase “based on” does not mean “based solely on” unless otherwise specified. In other words, the phrase “based on” means both “based solely on” and “based at least on.”

[0092] (13) The terms “determining” and “determining” as used in this disclosure may encompass a wide variety of actions. “Determining” may include, for example, judging, calculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, looking up, searching, inquiry (e.g., searching in a table, database or other data structure), ascertaining, etc. “Determining” may also include receiving (e.g., receiving information), transmitting (e.g., sending information), input, output, accessing (e.g., accessing data in memory), etc. Furthermore, "judgment" and "decision" can include considering something as having "judgmented" or "decided" after resolving (reSQLving), selecting, choosing, establishing, comparing, etc. In other words, "judgment" and "decision" can include considering something as having "judgmented" or "decided" on some action. Also, "judgment (decision)" can be reinterpreted as "assuming," "expecting," "considering," etc.

[0093] (14) Where the terms “include,” “including,” and variations thereof are used in the embodiments described above, these terms are intended to be inclusive, as is the term “comprising.” Furthermore, the term “or” as used in this disclosure is not intended to be exclusive OR.

[0094] (15) In the present disclosure, if articles are added by translation, such as a, an, and the in English, the present disclosure may include the fact that the noun following these articles is plural.

[0095] (16) In this disclosure, the term “A and B are different” may mean “A and B are different from each other.” The term may also mean “A and B are each different from C.” Terms such as “separate” and “combine” may be interpreted in the same way as “different.”

[0096] (17) Each aspect / embodiment described herein may be used individually, in combination, or switched between as needed in practice. Furthermore, notification of certain information (e.g., notification that "X is") is not limited to explicit notification, but may also be implicit (e.g., by not providing such notification). [Explanation of Symbols]

[0097] 1...Climber support system, 10...Smartphone, 20...Rescue beacon terminal, 22...Housing, 24...Rescue request switch, 30...Rescue beacon terminal, 101...Touch panel, 102...Camera, 103...GPS device, 104...Short-range wireless communication device, 105...Wide-area wireless communication device, 106...Storage device, 107...Processing device, 111...First acquisition unit, 112...Estimation unit, 113...Second acquisition unit, 114...Display control unit, 202...Short-range wireless communication device, 203...Satellite communication device, 204...Beacon signal transmitting / receiving device, 205...GPS device, 206...Storage device, 207...Processing device, 211...Transmission control unit, 212...Reception unit, U1, U2...User.

Claims

1. A first acquisition unit that acquires information regarding distress signals received by the first terminal from the first terminal, An estimation unit that estimates the location of the second terminal, which is the source of the distress signal, based on the information relating to the distress signal, A display control unit that causes the estimated location of the second terminal to be displayed on a display device, A rescuer assistance terminal equipped with the following features.

2. The first acquisition unit acquires information related to the distress signal multiple times, The estimation unit estimates the location of the second terminal based on information regarding a plurality of distress signals. The rescuer assistance terminal according to claim 1.

3. The information relating to the distress signal includes at least one of the following: the location information of the first terminal at the time the distress signal was received, the time the distress signal was received, the intensity of the distress signal, and the propagation direction of the distress signal. The rescuer assistance terminal according to claim 1.

4. The system further includes a second acquisition unit that acquires captured images from an imaging device that captures images, The display control unit displays the position of the second terminal on the captured image. The rescuer assistance terminal according to claim 1.

5. The distress signal transmitted from the second terminal is the first distress signal, The first terminal is capable of receiving, in addition to the first distress signal, a second distress signal transmitted from a third terminal different from the second terminal. The first acquisition unit acquires information regarding the second rescue signal in addition to the information regarding the first rescue signal from the first terminal. The estimation unit estimates the location of the second terminal based on the information regarding the first distress signal, and estimates the location of the third terminal based on the information regarding the second distress signal. The display control unit displays the position of the second terminal and the position of the third terminal on the same screen. The rescuer assistance terminal according to claim 1.

6. A first terminal equipped with a transmission control unit that transmits information regarding distress signals from a second terminal, A first acquisition unit that acquires information relating to the distress signal from the first terminal, An estimation unit that estimates the location of the second terminal based on the information regarding the distress signal, A rescuer assistance terminal comprising: a display control unit that causes the estimated location of the second terminal to be displayed on a display device; A rescuer assistance system including this.

7. The aforementioned distress signal is the third distress signal. The first terminal is, The terminal is capable of receiving the third distress signal and transmitting a fourth distress signal requesting rescue for the user of the first terminal. The system further includes a reception unit that receives instructions for switching between transmitting the fourth distress signal and receiving the third distress signal. The rescuer assistance system according to claim 6.

8. The first terminal is, It is possible to transmit the fifth distress signal using satellite communications. The reception unit further receives instructions to transmit the fifth distress signal. The rescuer assistance system according to claim 7.

9. By computer, From the first terminal, information regarding the distress signal received by the first terminal is acquired. Based on the information regarding the distress signal, the location of the second terminal, which is the source of the distress signal, is estimated. The estimated location of the second terminal is displayed on the display device. Rescuer assistance methods.

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