Reporting device

Abstract

Improve the technology for delivering AEDs to designated locations. [Solution] A notification device 10 that can report when a vehicle accident occurs searches for an AED near the accident vehicle 20, searches for a nearby vehicle 30 that is located near the AED and capable of delivering the AED, and sends a request to the nearby vehicle 30 to deliver the AED to the accident vehicle 20.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a reporting device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a technology for delivering an AED (automated external defibrillator) to a predetermined position is known. For example, in Patent Document 1, when a reporter encounters a situation where an AED is needed, while displaying the route to the location of the nearest AED on the reporter's mobile phone screen, an AED utilization system, a management terminal, and an AED that issue an alarm, emit light, etc. to the AED to notify the position of the AED are disclosed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In Patent Document 1, the management server transmits the position of the AED near the reporter terminal to the reporter terminal, and the reporter delivers the AED. However, when it is necessary to respond to the injured person or when the number of reporters is small, the reporter may not be able to leave the accident site. Also, there may not be a reporter in the first place. In such a case, the AED cannot be delivered to the accident site.

[0005] An object of this disclosure is to improve the technology for delivering an AED to a predetermined position.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A reporting device capable of reporting when a vehicle accident occurs according to an embodiment of this disclosure searches for an AED near the accident vehicle, Search for nearby vehicles located near the AED and capable of delivering the AED. A request for delivery of the AED to the accident vehicle is sent to the nearby vehicle. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the technology for delivering an AED to a predetermined location is improved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This block diagram shows a schematic configuration of a system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a flowchart showing the operation of a notification device according to one embodiment of this disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0010] (Summary of this embodiment) Referring to Figure 1, an overview of System 1 according to one embodiment of this disclosure will be described. System 1 comprises a notification device 10, an accident vehicle 20, and a nearby vehicle 30. The notification device 10, the accident vehicle 20, and the nearby vehicle 30 are connected to a network 40 including the Internet or a mobile communication network.

[0011] The notification device 10 includes one server device or multiple computers capable of communicating with each other. The notification device 10 searches for an AED near the accident vehicle 20 and nearby vehicles 30 near the AED, and uses the nearby vehicles 30 to deliver the AED to the accident vehicle 20.

[0012] The accident vehicle 20 according to this embodiment is equipped with airbags. When the airbags deploy, the accident vehicle 20 transmits an airbag deployment signal to the notification device 10.

[0013] The nearby vehicle 30 is a vehicle located near the AED and capable of delivering the AED. The AED may be installed in a designated location or carried in the nearby vehicle 30.

[0014] The accident vehicle 20 and nearby vehicles 30 include any vehicle such as automobiles and motorcycles. Automobiles may include gasoline automobiles, electric vehicles (BEV; Battery Electric Vehicle), hybrid automobiles (HEV; Hybrid Electric Vehicle), plug-in hybrid automobiles (PHEV; Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle), or fuel cell automobiles (FCEV; Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle).

[0015] Network 40 includes the Internet, one or more WANs (Wide Area Networks), one or more MANs (Metropolitan Area Networks), or any combination thereof.

[0016] First, an overview of this embodiment will be described, and details will be described later. The notification device 10 according to this embodiment can make a notification when a vehicle accident occurs. The notification device 10 searches for an AED near the accident vehicle 20, searches for a nearby vehicle 30 that is located near the AED and capable of delivering the AED, and transmits a request for delivery of the AED to the accident vehicle 20 to the nearby vehicle 30.

[0017] The notification device 10 according to this embodiment requests a nearby vehicle 30 to deliver an AED to the accident vehicle 20. This ensures that the AED can be delivered to the accident vehicle 20 even if the person making the notification cannot leave the accident vehicle 20 or if there is no person making the notification.

[0018] (Configuration of notification device 10) As shown in Figure 1, the notification device 10 comprises a control unit 11, a communication unit 12, and a storage unit 13.

[0019] The control unit 11 includes one or more processors. While controlling each part of the reporting device 10, the control unit 11 executes processes related to the operation of the reporting device 10.

[0020] The communication unit 12 includes at least one communication interface connected to the network 40. The communication interface corresponds to, for example, a mobile communication standard such as 4G (4th generation) or 5G (5th generation), or a wired LAN (Local Area Network) communication standard or a wireless LAN communication standard, but is not limited thereto and may correspond to any communication standard.

[0021] The storage unit 13 includes one or more memories. Each memory included in the storage unit 13 may function as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 13 stores any information used for the operation of the reporting device 10. The storage unit 13 may store, for example, a system program, an application program, and embedded software. In the present embodiment, the storage unit 13 stores an AED map indicating the positions of AEDs near the accident vehicle 20 and the addresses of neighboring vehicles 30.

[0022] (Configuration of the accident vehicle 20) As shown in FIG. 1, the accident vehicle 20 includes a control unit 21, a communication unit 22, a positioning unit 23, a display unit 24, and a sensor unit 25.

[0023] The control unit 21 includes one or more processors. While controlling each part of the accident vehicle 20, the control unit 21 executes processes related to the operation of the accident vehicle 20.

[0024] The communication unit 22 includes at least one communication interface connected to the network 40. The communication interface corresponds to, for example, a mobile communication standard such as 4G or 5G, or a wired LAN communication standard or a wireless LAN communication standard, but is not limited thereto and may correspond to any communication standard.

[0025] The positioning unit 23 includes one or more devices for acquiring location information of the accident vehicle 20. The positioning unit 23 may also include a receiver compatible with a satellite positioning system such as GPS (Global Positioning System) or GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System).

[0026] The display unit 24 includes one or more display interfaces. A display interface is, for example, a display that shows information as an image. The display unit 24 displays information obtained from the operation of the accident vehicle 20.

[0027] The sensor unit 25 includes one or more sensors for detecting the state or operation of various parts of the accident vehicle 20. In this embodiment, the sensor unit 25 may also include a sensor for detecting the deployment of an airbag. The sensor unit 25 may also include a speed sensor for detecting vehicle speed, an in-vehicle camera for imaging the interior of the vehicle, or a millimeter-wave radar. The in-vehicle camera or millimeter-wave radar may be used to detect the number of occupants. The in-vehicle camera may be used to detect whether or not there is an abnormality in the occupants from the image, such as consciousness or breathing.

[0028] (Composed of 30 nearby vehicles) As shown in Figure 1, the nearby vehicle 30 includes a control unit 31, a communication unit 32, a positioning unit 33, a display unit 34, and an input unit 35.

[0029] The control unit 31 includes one or more processors. The control unit 31 controls various parts of the neighboring vehicle 30 and executes processes related to the operation of the neighboring vehicle 30.

[0030] The communication unit 32 includes at least one communication interface connected to the network 40. The communication interface supports, for example, a mobile communication standard such as 4G or 5G, or a wired LAN communication standard or a wireless LAN communication standard, but is not limited to these and may support any communication standard.

[0031] The positioning unit 33 includes one or more devices for acquiring location information of nearby vehicles 30. The positioning unit 33 may also include a receiver compatible with a satellite positioning system such as GPS or GNSS.

[0032] The display unit 34 includes one or more display interfaces. A display interface is, for example, a display that shows information as an image. The display unit 34 displays information obtained from the operation of nearby vehicles 30.

[0033] The input unit 35 includes one or more input interfaces. The input unit 35 accepts operations to input information used for the operation of the nearby vehicle 30. The input interface may be, for example, a physical key, a capacitive key, a pointing device, a touchscreen integrated with the display of the display unit 34, or a microphone that accepts voice input. The input unit 35 may be connected to the nearby vehicle 30 as an external input device, instead of being installed in the nearby vehicle 30.

[0034] (Operation flow of notification device 10) Referring to Figure 2, the operation of the notification device 10 according to this embodiment will be described. In the following, communication between the notification device 10, the accident vehicle 20, and the nearby vehicle 30 is performed via the communication units 12, 22, 32 and the network 40.

[0035] S101: The control unit 11 of the notification device 10 receives vehicle information from the accident vehicle 20.

[0036] In this embodiment, the vehicle information includes an airbag deployment signal indicating that the airbag has deployed. The notification device 10 can detect the occurrence of a vehicle accident based on the airbag deployment signal. The vehicle information may further include information such as the vehicle speed at the time of airbag deployment, or the number of occupants or images, in order to determine the rate of serious injury to occupants in the accident.

[0037] S102: The control unit 11 determines, based on the vehicle information, whether the occupants of the accident vehicle 20 need an AED. If an AED is needed (S102-YES), the process proceeds to S103. If an AED is not needed (S102-NO), the process terminates.

[0038] For example, the control unit 11 may determine that an AED is necessary if the vehicle speed at the time of airbag deployment exceeds a threshold, or if it infers from the in-vehicle camera image that the occupant is not normally conscious or breathing. Alternatively, the control unit 11 may determine the need for an AED based on the severity rate of injuries to occupants in the accident. The severity rate may be determined based on the presence or absence of normal consciousness or breathing, the presence or absence of a heartbeat, the extent of trauma, the amount of bleeding, skin color or temperature, etc. The presence or absence of normal consciousness or breathing may be determined, for example, based on the occupant's posture in the image, the movement of body parts such as the eyes or mouth (for example, whether the eyes or mouth are open or closed), or breathing sounds.

[0039] S103: The control unit 11 searches for an AED near the accident vehicle 20. An AED near the accident vehicle 20 is an AED that is within a predetermined distance from the accident vehicle 20. The predetermined distance may be, for example, 1 km. If multiple AEDs exist within the predetermined distance from the accident vehicle 20, the AED with the shortest distance to the accident vehicle 20 may be selected as the AED near the accident vehicle 20. The distance from the accident vehicle 20 may be evaluated not only by the straight-line distance, but also by the distance based on the actual travel route and the travel time.

[0040] The control unit 11 may search for an AED from the AED map stored in the storage unit 13. If the AED has a communication function with the notification device 10 via the network 40, the control unit 11 may communicate with the AED to search for it.

[0041] S104: The control unit 11 searches for nearby vehicles 30 that are located near the AED and capable of delivering the AED. Being located near the AED means being within a predetermined distance from the AED. The predetermined distance may be, for example, 1 km. Whether or not the vehicle is capable of delivering the AED may be determined, for example, based on the vehicle's driving information. For example, whether or not the vehicle is capable of delivering the AED may be determined based on driving information such as whether it is driving on a one-way street or on a highway. Vehicles that are not eligible for AED delivery requests (vehicles prohibited from AED delivery requests) may be excluded from the search. If there are multiple nearby vehicles 30 within a predetermined distance from the AED, the nearby vehicle 30 with the shortest distance from the AED may be selected preferentially. The distance from the AED may be evaluated not only by the straight-line distance, but also by the distance and travel time based on the actual travel route. Any method may be used for the search process of nearby vehicles 30. For example, the control unit 11 may search for nearby vehicles 30 capable of delivering the AED based on the location information, driving information, etc. of nearby vehicles 30 received via the network 40.

[0042] S105: The control unit 11 transmits a request to a nearby vehicle 30 for the delivery of an AED to the accident vehicle 20. The delivery request is an instruction for the nearby vehicle 30 to deliver an AED located near it to the location of the accident vehicle 20. The delivery request includes the location information of the accident vehicle 20 and the location information of the AED.

[0043] This allows the AED to be delivered to the accident vehicle 20 even if the person making the call cannot leave the accident vehicle 20 or if there is no person making the call. If the AED is installed in a nearby vehicle 30, the control unit 11 may transmit the location information of the accident vehicle 20 and a request for AED delivery to the nearby vehicle 30.

[0044] S106: The control unit 11 displays the delivery request and the estimated time required to deliver the AED to the accident vehicle 20 on the display unit 34 of the nearby vehicle 30.

[0045] The information displayed on the display unit 30 includes the location information of the AED and the location information of the accident vehicle 20. By displaying the location information of the AED and the accident vehicle 20, along with the estimated time, on the display unit 30, the driver of the nearby vehicle 30 can decide whether or not to accept the delivery request. Here, the estimated time may be calculated based on the distance of the actual travel route based on the location information of the AED, the accident vehicle 20, and the nearby vehicle 30, and the estimated average vehicle speed along that route. The control unit 11 may further display the travel route for delivering the AED to the accident vehicle 20 on the display unit 34.

[0046] S107: The control unit 11 determines, based on the information received from the nearby vehicle 30, whether the nearby vehicle 30 has accepted the delivery request. If the delivery request is accepted (S107-YES), the process proceeds to S108. If the delivery request is not accepted (S107-NO), the process returns to S104.

[0047] In this embodiment, if the delivery request is not accepted, the control unit 11 searches for another nearby vehicle 30 near the AED. If the delivery request is not accepted, the control unit 11 may search for another AED near the accident vehicle 20.

[0048] S108: The control unit 11 displays a message on the display unit 24 of the accident vehicle 20 indicating that an AED is being delivered. This provides reassurance to the occupants of the accident vehicle 20.

[0049] 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.

[0050] For example, in the embodiment described above, the configuration of the nearby vehicle 30 may be provided on a terminal device of the occupant riding in the nearby vehicle 30, such as a smartphone, tablet terminal, or personal computer, and the operation of the nearby vehicle 30 may be performed by this terminal device. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0051] 1 System, 10 Notification device, 11 Control unit, 12 Communication unit, 13 Storage unit, 20 Accident vehicle, 21 Control unit, 22 Communication unit, 23 Positioning unit, 24 Display unit, 25 Sensor unit, 30 Nearby vehicle, 31 Control unit, 32 Communication unit, 33 Positioning unit, 34 Display unit, 35 Input unit, 40 Network

Claims

1. A notification device that can report when a vehicle accident occurs, Search for an AED near the accident vehicle. Search for nearby vehicles located near the AED and capable of delivering the AED. A notification device that transmits a request to a nearby vehicle for the delivery of the AED to the accident vehicle.

2. A notification device according to claim 1, wherein the delivery request includes location information of the accident vehicle and location information of the AED.

3. The notification device according to claim 2, further, A notification device that displays the delivery request and the estimated time required to deliver the AED to the accident vehicle on the display unit of a nearby vehicle.

4. The notification device according to claim 1, further, If information indicating acceptance of the delivery request is received from the nearby vehicle, the AED will display a message on the display unit of the accident vehicle indicating that it is in the process of delivery. A notification device that, upon receiving information from a nearby vehicle indicating that it does not accept the aforementioned delivery request, searches for another nearby vehicle located near the AED.

5. The notification device according to claim 1, further, Vehicle information of the accident vehicle is received from the accident vehicle, Based on the aforementioned vehicle information, it is determined whether or not an AED is needed for the occupants of the accident vehicle. A notification device that searches for an AED if the aforementioned occupant requires one.

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