Location notification device and location notification system

Abstract

To provide a location notification device and location notification system that can quickly and accurately notify people located at a specific location. [Solution] The location notification device 100 includes an antenna 10 (10A, 10B) as a receiving unit RE that receives radio waves from the transmitting location, a control unit 50 (main control unit 53) as a determination unit JG that estimates the transmitting location based on the arrival angle calculated from the reception result of the receiving unit RE and determines whether or not the estimated transmitting location is within the target range, and a communication unit 51 as a notification unit NF that notifies the determination result of the determination unit JG to the transmitting location.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a position notification device and a position notification system that identify the position of a person or an object and issue a notification.

Background Art

[0002] For example, as a position identification device, there is known one that identifies and manages the position of a person or an object by using an AoA (Angle of Arrival) method or an RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) method (see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in Patent Document 1 above, for example, there is no mention of issuing a notification to a person whose position has been identified.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object thereof is to provide a position notification device and a position notification system that can quickly and accurately issue a notification to a person present at a specific position.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A position notification device for achieving the above object includes a receiving unit that receives radio waves from a transmission position, a determination unit that estimates the transmission position based on the arrival angle calculated from the reception result in the receiving unit and determines whether or not the estimated transmission position is within a target range, and a notification unit that notifies the determination result in the determination unit toward the transmission position.

[0007] In the above-described location notification device, the determination unit determines whether or not the transmission location is within the target range, and then notifies the transmission location of the determination result, thereby enabling quick and accurate notification to, for example, a person located at the transmission location.

[0008] In a specific aspect of the present invention, the radio wave reception range of the receiving unit is wider than the target range, the receiving unit performs reception continuously, and the notification unit starts notification from the point when the transmitting position is outside the target range but within the radio wave reception range. In this case, communication can be established even before reaching the target range.

[0009] In another aspect of the present invention, the scope includes areas where traffic from different directions intersects, the receiving unit receives radio waves from a mobile terminal held by a passerby, and the notification unit notifies the mobile terminal of the determination result. In this case, for example, when a passerby is passing through an area where traffic intersects, such as a railway crossing or an intersection, a notification can be sent to the mobile terminal held by the passerby.

[0010] In yet another aspect of the present invention, the notification unit notifies the mobile terminal via short-range wireless communication. In this case, highly accurate location notification can be performed accurately and quickly.

[0011] In yet another aspect of the present invention, the scope includes the area inside the barrier of a level crossing as an intersection region, and the determination unit makes determinations independently of the level crossing control device that controls the level crossing. In this case, notifications at the level crossing can be made separately from level crossing control.

[0012] In yet another aspect of the present invention, the scope includes the area inside the barrier of a level crossing as an intersection area, and the determination unit is connected to a level crossing control device that controls the level crossing and outputs the determination result to the level crossing device. In this case, the level crossing control side can grasp the situation of pedestrians.

[0013] In yet another aspect of the present invention, the scope includes the area inside the barrier of a level crossing as an intersection area, and the notification unit adds information about the level crossing obtained from the level crossing control device that controls the level crossing to the determination result of the determination unit and notifies the user. In this case, notification can be made taking into account the situation on the level crossing side.

[0014] In yet another aspect of the present invention, the scope includes an intersection as an intersecting area, and the receiving unit receives radio waves from a pedestrian priority zone adjacent to the intersection. In this case, it becomes possible to notify people present in the intersection and the pedestrian priority zone adjacent to the intersection.

[0015] A location notification system for achieving the above objective comprises a mobile terminal that emits radio waves, and a communication device on the equipment side that receives radio waves from the mobile terminal, estimates the transmission location of the mobile terminal based on the angle of arrival calculated from the reception result, determines whether the estimated transmission location is within the target range, and notifies the mobile terminal of the determination result.

[0016] In the above-described location notification system, the communication device on the equipment side determines whether the location of the mobile terminal is within the target range, and then notifies the location of the determination result, thereby enabling quick and accurate notification to, for example, the holder of the mobile terminal located at the location of the departure. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] [Figure 1] This is a conceptual diagram illustrating the location notification device and location notification system of the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a conceptual plan view illustrating the operation of the location notification system. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram illustrating one example configuration of a location notification system. [Figure 4] This is a flowchart illustrating a series of processing operations in a location notification device within a location notification system. [Figure 5] (A) is a conceptual diagram illustrating a location notification device and location notification system according to the second embodiment, and (B) is a block diagram illustrating an example configuration of the location notification system. [Figure 6] (A) and (B) are conceptual diagrams and block diagrams illustrating one modified location notification device and location notification system. [Figure 7] This is a conceptual diagram for explaining the position notification device and the position notification system according to the third embodiment. [Figure 8] (A) is a conceptual plan view showing one aspect of the state of a road as a target for incorporating the position notification device and the position notification system, (B) is a conceptual diagram for explaining the position notification device and the position notification system, and (C) and (D) are conceptual plan views and conceptual diagrams showing another aspect. [Figure 9] This is a conceptual diagram for explaining the outline of the position notification device.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] 〔First Embodiment〕 Hereinafter, referring to FIG. 1 and the like, the position notification device and the position notification system according to the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the position notification device 100 of the present embodiment and the position notification system 500 incorporating the position notification device 100, FIG. 2 is a conceptual plan view for explaining the operation of the position notification system 500, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram for explaining an example of the configuration of the position notification system 500.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1 and the like, the position notification device 100 is an infrastructure facility and includes a plurality of antennas 10 (10A, 10B) that perform radio wave transfer and a control unit 50 that performs various operation processes related to communication. The position notification device 100 is a device for providing to the user US by communicating with the portable terminal TE held by the user US.

[0020] In this embodiment, the location notification device 100 is installed around the railway crossing CR to notify users US, who are pedestrians attempting to cross the railway crossing CR, of their location. Various types of users US can be envisioned, but for example, as shown in the illustrated example, it may target visually impaired individuals carrying white canes. In this case, the location notification device 100 accurately conveys information about the visually impaired person's own location, contributing to their safe crossing of the railway crossing CR.

[0021] The location notification system 500 consists of a location notification device 100 on the infrastructure equipment side that provides location notification, i.e., the side that transmits location-related information, and a mobile terminal TE on the receiving side. Thus, when the location notification device 100 is considered as a component of the location notification system 500, it is the equipment-side communication device. In this case, the mobile terminal TE can also be considered the user-side communication device.

[0022] The mobile terminal TE is comprised of a smartphone equipped with various communication functions and notification functions such as image display, vibration, and sound, with an application installed to communicate with the infrastructure equipment. In particular, this system employs BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) communication as the short-range wireless communication method, and enables highly accurate location detection by estimating the position based on the angle of arrival (AoA). In other words, the mobile terminal TE is a BLE device.

[0023] The following describes the general operation of the location notification device 100. First, as a premise, each antenna 10A and 10B is positioned at a certain distance apart, for example, on one side and the other side of a railroad crossing CR, and each antenna 10A and 10B functions as a receiving unit RE by receiving radio waves from the mobile terminal TE. The control unit 50 calculates the angle of arrival (AoA) for the radio waves received by each antenna 10A and 10B as receiving units RE, and estimates the transmission position, i.e., the location of the mobile terminal TE, based on the calculated angle of arrival. For this reason, each antenna 10A and 10B is configured as an antenna array to capture the direction of arrival (angle of arrival) of the radio waves.

[0024] In particular, in this embodiment, the control unit 50 or a part thereof acts as a determination unit to determine whether the estimated transmission location is within the target range. That is, it determines whether the mobile terminal TE and, by extension, the user US possessing it, are inside or outside the railroad crossing CR. Furthermore, the control unit 50 notifies the transmission location of the determination result. As a result, the mobile terminal TE (user US) can determine its current location.

[0025] In the illustrated example, the range in which the receiving unit RE of the location notification device 100 can receive radio waves is set to include the railroad crossing CR, and this is defined as the radio wave receivable range RR. In this example, the area inside the railroad crossing CR within the radio wave receivable range RR is defined as the target range OD, and the area outside the target range OD but within the radio wave receivable range RR is defined as the target surrounding range DJ. From a different perspective, the radio wave receivable range RR of the receiving unit RE is wider than the target range OD, and location notification is established not only in the target range OD but also in the target surrounding range DJ around the target range OD. In the location notification device 100, the receiving unit RE constantly receives radio waves within the radio wave receivable range RR, and when it receives radio waves from the mobile terminal TE, it calculates the transmission position based on the arrival angle of the radio waves, determines whether the transmission position is in the target range OD or the target surrounding range DJ from the calculated result, and notifies the mobile terminal TE of the determination result. Thus, by providing a surrounding area DJ that is outside the target range but within the radio wave reception range, the location notification device 100 can start notifying the user US at the transmission location from a point before the transmission location reaches the target area OD, enabling quick and accurate notification.

[0026] Furthermore, looking at the above case from a broader perspective, it can be said that the target area OD, which is the area inside the barrier BA of the level crossing CR, is set up to cover the intersection area of ​​traffic from different directions, such as the direction of train travel and the direction of people and vehicles passing through.

[0027] Furthermore, in this embodiment, although each component of the location notification device 100 is installed near the facilities of the level crossing CR, it is installed independently of these facilities. Therefore, for example, the determination of the transmission location is performed separately and independently from the various operations at the level crossing CR.

[0028] The following describes a typical example of the series of operations from the start to the completion of location notification to the mobile terminal TE (user US) by the location notification device 100, with reference to Figure 2.

[0029] Figure 2 is a conceptual plan view illustrating the operation of the location notification system 500. In the diagram, the direction along the railway line RL is defined as the X direction, and the direction along the road RD perpendicular to the railway line RL is defined as the Y direction. The direction perpendicular to the X and Y directions, i.e., perpendicular to the horizontal plane, is defined as the Z direction.

[0030] The level crossing CR consists of a warning device AL and a barrier BA that is linked to it. The barrier BA forms the boundary between an area including the railway track RL extending in the X direction and an area including the road RD extending in the Y direction. Here, as previously described, the area inside the barrier BA, which is the area where the railway track RL and the road RD intersect, is assumed to be the target area OD. The surrounding area enclosing the target area OD is the target peripheral area DJ, and the combined area of ​​the target area OD and the target peripheral area DJ is the radio wave receivable area RR. In the illustrated example, within the target peripheral area DJ, the area on the -Y side is designated as the road-side upper area DJ1α, the area on the +Y side is designated as the road-side lower area DJ1β, and the areas on the ±X sides are designated as the railway track side area DJ2. Multiple antennas 10A and 10B are positioned diagonally at the four corners of the rectangular target area OD in plan view, so that they are spaced apart from each other to a certain extent.

[0031] For example, as shown in the diagram, when a mobile terminal TE (the user US possessing it) moves from the upper side of the paper (-Y side) in the direction indicated by arrow DDα (+Y direction), communication has not been established between the mobile terminal TE and the location notification device 100 when the mobile terminal TE (user US) is on the -Y side of the road-side upper range DJ1α, and the location notification device 100 does not detect the mobile terminal TE. However, when the mobile terminal TE moves in the direction indicated by arrow DDα (+Y direction) and reaches the road-side upper range DJ1α, communication between the two begins. Specifically, the location notification device 100 communicates with the mobile terminal TE via antennas 10A and 10B, respectively, and the control unit 50 calculates the arrival angle of the radio waves. Furthermore, based on the arrival angle of the mobile terminal TE at antenna 10A and the arrival angle of the mobile terminal TE at antenna 10B, the control unit 50 estimates the position of the mobile terminal TE and detects that the mobile terminal TE is in the road-side upper range DJ1α. Furthermore, the location notification device 100 is capable of detecting its position within the upper road-side range DJ1α. In addition to the above, in this embodiment, the location notification device 100 notifies the mobile terminal TE of location information corresponding to the transmission position detected from the estimation based on the angle of arrival, i.e., the current location of the mobile terminal TE.

[0032] Once the location notification device 100 detects the presence of the mobile terminal TE, it continues to transmit and receive data with the mobile terminal TE. That is, it continues to detect the location based on the arrival angle of the mobile terminal TE and to notify the detected location. As a result, as in the above embodiment, the mobile terminal TE continues to move in the direction indicated by arrow DDα +Y, moving from the road-side upper range DJ1α to the target range OD, and further moving from the target range OD to the road-side lower range DJ1β, until the mobile terminal TE reaches the +Y side beyond the road-side lower range DJ1β, which is outside the radio wave reception range RR.

[0033] In parallel with the above, the location notification device 100 continuously notifies the mobile terminal TE of the detected results in real time. As a result, the mobile terminal TE is always able to know its own position based on the location notification device 100 from the time it enters the radio wave reception range RR until it leaves.

[0034] Furthermore, within the radio wave reception range RR, the area DJ2 on the railway side is an area where pedestrians should not enter. Therefore, if a mobile terminal TE enters this area, it is assumed that the location notification device 100 will immediately notify the user to change their course.

[0035] The following describes an example configuration of the location notification system 500 for performing the operations described above, with reference to the block diagram shown in Figure 3.

[0036] As shown in the figure and as previously described, the location notification device 100 of the location notification system 500 includes a plurality of antennas 10 (10A, 10B) as a receiving unit RE and a control unit 50. Of these, the control unit 50 is an infrastructure-side controller that includes a communication unit 51, an arrival angle determination unit 52, a main control unit 53, and an external output interface 54, as shown in the figure.

[0037] Multiple antennas 10A and 10B, at their respective installation locations (see Figure 1), constantly emit trigger signals to initiate communication in order to maintain a state where transmission and reception are possible within the radio wave reception range RR, thereby establishing communication with the mobile terminal TE located within the radio wave reception range RR and receiving radio waves (signals) from the mobile terminal TE in short-range wireless communication using BLE.

[0038] Furthermore, when communicating using BLE signals as described above, the mobile terminal TE attaches unique ID information to the BLE signal to identify itself. This allows the location notification device 100 to simultaneously send location notifications to multiple mobile terminals TE.

[0039] Of the control unit 50, the communication unit 51 transmits and receives signals via each antenna 10A and 10B according to instructions from the main control unit 53. Here, in order to calculate the angle of arrival (AoA), it outputs the signals received by each antenna 10A and 10B to the angle of arrival (AoA) determination unit 52. On the other hand, it also functions as a notification unit NF that notifies the mobile terminal TE, which is located at the transmission location, of the position information of the mobile terminal TE as a result of processing by the main control unit 53, via the antenna 10 (for example, antenna 10A).

[0040] Of the control unit 50, the arrival angle (AoA) determination unit 52 is a main unit composed of, for example, various circuit boards, and calculates the arrival angle for each radio wave (signal) received from each antenna 10A and 10B via the communication unit 51. That is, it determines the arrival angle of the mobile terminal TE as seen from the position of antenna 10A and the arrival angle of the mobile terminal TE as seen from the position of antenna 10B based on the reception results. The arrival angle determination unit 52 outputs the determination result to the main control unit 53.

[0041] Of the control units 50, the main control unit 53 is composed of, for example, a CPU and various circuit boards, and is responsible for controlling the operation of each part that constitutes the control unit 50. In particular, the main control unit 53 estimates the transmission position based on the arrival angle information from the arrival angle determination unit 52, and functions as a determination unit JG that determines whether the estimated transmission position is within the target range, that is, whether it is within the target range OD of the radio wave receivable range RR. In the illustrated example, the target area inside / outside determination unit 53d is responsible for processing to perform the above determination in the main control unit 53, or the target area inside / outside determination unit 53d is activated by starting a program equivalent to this processing. That is, the target area inside / outside determination unit 53d has map data of the railroad crossing CR and its surroundings, and estimates the transmission position corresponding to the position of the mobile terminal TE from the positional relationship between antenna 10A and antenna 10B, the arrival angle of the transmission position from antenna 10A, and the arrival angle of the transmission position from antenna 10B. Based on this, the target area inside / outside determination unit 53d determines whether the estimated transmission location is within the target area OD or within the target surrounding area DJ. Furthermore, if the determination result is within the target surrounding area DJ, it determines whether it is, for example, within the road-side upper area DJ1α or the road-side lower area DJ1β, or within the railway-side area DJ2. Note that methods other than map data may be used for the above various determinations, for example, the determination may be made based on the angular range from the antenna position. The main control unit 53 outputs the results of the inside / outside determination described above, which are location notification information, to the communication unit 51 as a notification unit NF, and the communication unit 51 provides the location notification information to the mobile terminal TE via the antenna 10 (antenna 10A).

[0042] Furthermore, the position estimation information described above can be output to various other devices via the external output interface 54. Possible output destinations include, for example, the emergency contact information of the visually impaired user US.

[0043] On the other hand, the mobile terminal TE, as shown in the figure, has an operating system SY, a communication unit TT, and a notification device ND consisting of a vibration unit VB, a speaker SK, etc. The operating system SY incorporates an application ST for communicating with the location notification device 100 described above. Here, the user US is a visually impaired person as an example, and the notification device ND is shown as a vibration unit VB and a speaker SK, but it is not limited to these, and notifications can also be made using displays, various lamps, etc.

[0044] The application ST installed on the operating system SY performs a series of processes, such as transmitting radio waves to receive the location notification mentioned above and reading the location notification information.

[0045] The communication unit TT is responsible for processing various communication operations for receiving location notifications, in accordance with a series of processes in the application ST. Specifically, it transmits radio waves in accordance with the BLE standard to allow the location notification device 100 to estimate the angle of arrival, and outputs the location notification signal received from the location notification device 100 to the application ST.

[0046] The vibration unit VB, acting as a notification device ND, provides user U with information corresponding to the location notification content read by application ST by changing the way it vibrates in a predetermined manner. Similarly, speaker SK provides information to user U by changing the content of the voice (message).

[0047] The following describes a series of processing operations in the location notification device 100 of the location notification system 500, with reference to the flowchart shown in Figure 4.

[0048] First, as a prerequisite, when the location notification device 100 is activated, it starts continuously transmitting a trigger signal to maintain a state where transmission and reception are possible within the radio wave receivable range RR, and becomes capable of receiving responses from the mobile terminal TE. Based on the above prerequisite, when the input is confirmed by the communication unit 51 upon reception of a BLE signal, which is a transmitted signal from the mobile terminal TE held by the user US passing through the radio wave receivable range RR (step S101), the arrival angle determination unit 52 performs the process of estimating the arrival angle based on the input in step S101 (process 1) (step S102). When process 1 in step S102 is performed based on reception by multiple antennas (antenna 10A and antenna 10B), that is, when multiple arrival angles (AoA) are acquired, a process (process 2) is performed to identify the transmission location, i.e., the location of the mobile terminal TE (user US), based on these (step S103). Furthermore, it is determined whether the identified transmission location (current location) is within or outside the target range OD of the radio wave receivable range RR (step S104).

[0049] In step S104, if it is determined that the location is outside the target range OD, i.e., within the target surrounding range DJ, a process (process 3) is performed to notify the location of this fact (step S105), that is, the determination result from step S104 is transmitted to the transmission location. On the other hand, in step S104, if it is determined that the location is within the target range OD, i.e., within the target range OD, a process (process 4) is performed to notify the location of this fact (step S106).

[0050] Once the notification processing (process 3 or 4) in step S105 or step S106 is completed, the series of processes ends, and the operation returns to step S101, and this is repeated.

[0051] As described above, the location notification device 100 of this embodiment includes a receiving unit RE that receives radio waves from the transmitting location, a determination unit JG that estimates the transmitting location based on the angle of arrival calculated from the reception result of the receiving unit RE and determines whether or not the estimated transmitting location is within the target range, and a notification unit NF that notifies the determination result of the determination unit JG to the transmitting location. In the location notification device 100, the determination unit JG determines whether or not the transmitting location is within the target range and then notifies the determination result to the transmitting location, thereby enabling quick and accurate notification to a user US located at the transmitting location.

[0052] [Second Embodiment] The location notification device and location notification system of the second embodiment will be described below with reference to Figure 5 and other figures. Figure 5(A) is a conceptual diagram for illustrating the location notification device 100 and location notification system 500 of this embodiment, and corresponds to Figure 1 or a part thereof. Figure 5(B) is a block diagram for illustrating one example configuration of the location notification system 500, and corresponds to Figure 3. Note that the location notification device 100 and location notification system 500 in this embodiment are connected to the level crossing control device, which differs from the case of the first embodiment, in that they are independent of the level crossing control device. For matters that are the same as in the first embodiment, refer to the case of the first embodiment as appropriate, and a detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0053] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5(A), the location notification device 100 of the location notification system 500 is connected to the level crossing control device 200 that controls the level crossing CR, and information is exchanged between the two. In the illustrated example, the control unit 50 of the location notification device 100 is connected to the level crossing control device 200.

[0054] The following describes a configuration example of the level crossing control device 200, mainly with reference to Figure 5(B). The level crossing control device 200 comprises a main control unit 200M, which is composed of a CPU and the like and performs processing for various control operations, and an external output unit EX, which is connected to the main control unit 200M and is also connected to the outside. It is a level crossing device that performs various processing operations related to the level crossing CR and exchanges information with the outside.

[0055] In addition to the above, the level crossing control device 200 is responsible for various driving operations of the level crossing CR as a level crossing device. For example, the motor MO, which is connected to the barrier arm RO and constitutes the barrier BA, and the warning device AL are connected to the main control unit 200M, and the warning device AL and barrier BA are driven under the command of the main control unit 200M. Furthermore, the level crossing control device 200 is also connected to an external train detection device TD at the main control unit 200M, and acquires information such as the approach of a train running on the track RL (see Figure 2) based on detection signals from the train detection device TD. Thus, the main control unit 200M aggregates information regarding the status of various operations at the level crossing CR and information regarding the operation status of trains via the train detection device TD. The level crossing control device 200 performs a series of operational controls, such as opening and closing the barrier BA and activating the warning device AL, based on the information acquired from the train detection device TD.

[0056] In the above case, information from the level crossing control device 200 is output to the position notification device 100 via the external output unit EX. In this case, for example, the main control unit 53 can process the information appropriately and issue a command to the communication unit 51, which acts as the notification unit NF, so that the communication unit 51, acting as the notification unit NF, can add the information regarding the level crossing CR obtained from the level crossing control device 200 to the determination result in the determination unit JG and notify it.

[0057] Furthermore, since the external output unit EX is connected to the external output interface 54 of the position notification device 100, information from the position notification device 100 is output to the level crossing control device 200 via the external output interface 54. In this case, for example, the main control unit 53, which acts as the determination unit JG, can output the determination result to the level crossing control device 200, which is a level crossing device, via the external output interface 54, making it possible for the level crossing control side and, consequently the train operation management side, to grasp the situation of pedestrians at the level crossing CR.

[0058] Figure 6(A) is a conceptual diagram illustrating a modified location notification device 100 and location notification system 500, and Figure 6(B) is a block diagram corresponding to Figures 5(A) and 5(B), respectively. This modified version differs from the example shown in Figure 5 in that the location notification device 100 is incorporated into the level crossing control device 200. More specifically, as shown in Figure 6(A), multiple antennas 10 (10A, 10B) of the location notification device 100 are attached to the warning device AL, and the control unit 50 is built into the level crossing control device 200. In this case, as shown in an example in Figure 6(B), the main control unit 53 of the location notification device 100 may directly transmit information to the main control unit 200M of the level crossing control device 200. Furthermore, an embodiment in which the main control unit 53 and the main control unit 200M are configured as an integrated unit is also conceivable.

[0059] In this embodiment as well, by notifying the mobile terminal TE located at the transmission location of the determination result, notifications to the user US located at the transmission location can be made quickly and accurately. In particular, in this embodiment, it is possible to add information about the level crossing CR when notifying the transmission location, and to convey the status of the user US located at the level crossing CR to the level crossing side and, consequently, to the train operation side.

[0060] [Third Embodiment] The location notification device and location notification system of the third embodiment will be described below with reference to Figure 7 and other figures. Figure 7 is a conceptual diagram showing the location notification device 100 and location notification system 500 of this embodiment, Figures 8(A) and 8(B) are diagrams illustrating one aspect of the location notification device 100 and location notification system 500, and Figures 8(C) and 8(D) are diagrams illustrating another aspect.

[0061] In this embodiment, the target of location notification includes the intersection CS as an intersection area, and the pedestrian priority sections PR and PW adjacent to the intersection CS, which are pedestrian priority sections. This differs from other embodiments (see Figure 1, etc.) which targeted the area inside the barrier BA of a railroad crossing CR. In other words, the location notification device 100 and location notification system 500 of this embodiment target the area where the direction of vehicle travel and the direction of pedestrian walking intersect, as an intersection area of ​​traffic from different directions. In particular, in the illustrated example, the location notification device 100 and location notification system 500 provide location notification for the pedestrian crossing PR where pedestrians cross the road RD on which vehicles travel, and the surrounding area.

[0062] The following describes the general outline of the location notification device 100 and location notification system 500 of this embodiment with reference to Figure 7.

[0063] In this case, the area of ​​the pedestrian crossing PR located at the intersection CS formed by road RD1 extending in one direction and road RD2 extending in the other direction is the target area. In the example shown in Figure 7, the target area OD is the crossing area of ​​one of the four pedestrian crossing PRs formed at intersection CS. In this case, as shown in the figure, the target surrounding area DJ is the portion of the sidewalk PW adjacent to the pedestrian crossing PR and the portion of road RD1 adjacent to the pedestrian crossing PR. It should be noted that the portion of the target surrounding area DJ that is on road RD1 is an area where pedestrians should not enter, so if a mobile terminal TE enters this area, it is assumed that the location notification device 100 will immediately notify the user that they should change their course.

[0064] Furthermore, as shown in the diagram, it is assumed that the vehicle signal lights installed at the intersection CS are designated as signal lights TL, and the pedestrian signal lights are designated as signal lights PT, and that their operation is controlled by the signal controller TC. The antennas 10 (10A, 10B) that constitute the location notification device 100 are arranged, for example, on either side of the road RD1 in accordance with a pair of signal lights PT, and communicate with the mobile terminal TE held by the user US who intends to cross the pedestrian crossing PR.

[0065] Figures 8(A) and 8(B) illustrate one aspect of the location notification device 100 and, by extension, the location notification system 500 described above. In the explanation referring to Figure 7, for simplicity, location notification was shown for one of the four pedestrian crossings formed at intersection CS, but as shown in Figure 8(A), location notification can be provided for all four pedestrian crossings. In this case, location notification devices 100 may be provided individually for each of the four pedestrian crossings for detection, or detection may be performed collectively. Furthermore, in this detection, as shown in an example in Figure 8(B), the pedestrian crossing PR included in the target range OD and the sidewalks PW (sidewalks adjacent to the pedestrian crossing) which are in the target surrounding range DJ before and after it are included in the radio wave receivable range RR. In addition, multiple antennas 10 (10A, 10B) are provided to cover the radio wave receivable range RR, and in the illustrated example, they are arranged so as to sandwich the pedestrian crossing PR. As described above, users US who possess a mobile terminal TE can receive location notification information from the location notification device 100 or location notification system 500 at least from just before crossing the pedestrian crossing PR until they have finished crossing.

[0066] In this case, the location notification device 100 may be linked (connected) to the signal controller TC to exchange various information and provide the mobile terminal TE with information from the traffic signal, such as the timing of traffic signal changes, along with the location notification. Specifically, the mobile terminal TE located within the target area OD (on the pedestrian crossing PR) may be made aware of the color of the pedestrian signal light PT (red, blue, etc.) and, in addition, the remaining seconds when the light is blue. Furthermore, the mobile terminal TE located within the surrounding area DJ (on the sidewalk PW) before entering the target area OD may be made aware of the danger (or impediment) of entering the target area OD based on the color of the pedestrian signal light PT (red, blue, etc.) and, in addition, the remaining seconds when the light is blue. In addition, if there is an abnormality in the display operation of the pedestrian signal light PT, etc., the device may also notify the user of this fact and a prohibition on crossing.

[0067] Figures 8(C) and 8(D) are conceptual plan and diagrams illustrating another embodiment, corresponding to Figures 8(A) and 8(B), respectively. For example, as is clear from comparing Figure 8(C) with its corresponding Figure 8(A), this embodiment uses a pedestrian crossing and its surroundings on a road without traffic signals as the location notification method.

[0068] In this case as well, as shown in Figure 8(D), multiple antennas 10 (10A, 10B) are installed in a configuration that straddles the pedestrian crossing PR in order to cover the radio wave reception range RR, so that users US who possess a mobile terminal TE can receive location notification information at least from just before crossing the pedestrian crossing PR until they have finished crossing.

[0069] In this embodiment as well, by notifying the user US at the transmission location of the determination result, notification can be made quickly and accurately. In particular, in this embodiment, location notification is made quickly and accurately when passing a pedestrian crossing PR, and it is also possible to add information such as traffic signal information to the notification of the transmission location.

[0070] The following outlines the characteristics of the location notification device 100 common to each of the embodiments described above, with reference to the conceptual diagram shown in Figure 9.

[0071] In each embodiment, the location notification device 100 receives radio waves from the transmitting location (the location of the mobile terminal TE) in the receiving unit RE. From the reception result in the receiving unit RE, the angle of arrival is calculated, and the transmitting location is estimated (detected) based on the calculated angle of arrival. The determination unit JG determines whether the transmitted location obtained in this way is within the target range, and the notification unit NF notifies the transmitting location of the determination result. As a result, the location notification device 100 can quickly and accurately notify the mobile terminal TE (i.e., the user possessing it) located at the transmitting location.

[0072] 〔others〕 This invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various forms without departing from its spirit.

[0073] First, while the above definition of a mobile terminal TE is assumed to consist of an application installed on a smartphone, it is not limited to this. Various devices can be adopted that include the necessary wireless communication and a notification device that provides information to the user about the location of the received notification.

[0074] Furthermore, while the above example of multiple antennas 10 includes antennas 10A and 10B, it is also conceivable to have a configuration with three or more antennas. On the other hand, it is also conceivable to perform inside / outside determination based on a single antenna. For example, in inside / outside determination, if a pedestrian (user US) does not pass through the inner area, it is conceivable to perform the determination based only on the angle of arrival detected by a single antenna.

[0075] Furthermore, while the above description assumes that the control unit 50 calculates the angle of arrival, this is not the only option. For example, an angle of arrival (AoA) determination unit 52 could be provided on each antenna 10A and 10B side, and the angle of arrival (AoA) could be calculated for the radio waves received by each antenna 10A and 10B before being output to the control unit 50.

[0076] Furthermore, as described above, the notification content will differ depending on whether the user is located within the target range OD or the target surrounding range DJ that forms the radio wave receivable range RR. For example, the notification content can be further varied depending on which part of the target surrounding range DJ the user is located within. In addition, by continuously detecting the movement of the mobile terminal TE, if it is detected that the user is approaching a dangerous area (for example, the trackside range DJ2 in Figure 2), the system may notify the user that they are approaching the dangerous area and should change their course. Furthermore, it is conceivable to implement a system that provides warnings when the degree of danger is increasing, based on differences in the degree of danger within the target range OD and the target surrounding range DJ. Also, the shape of the target range OD, etc., is not limited to rectangular or cuboid shapes, but can be various shapes.

[0077] Furthermore, while the above focuses on railway crossings and road pedestrian crossings, the present invention is not limited to these locations. It can also be applied to other locations where traffic can intersect with pedestrian traffic and various modes of transport, such as areas including the boundary between a road and a sidewalk, or the boundary between a station platform and railway tracks.

[0078] Furthermore, regarding roads, as mentioned above, examples were given in Figure 8, etc., for single roads and four-way intersections, but the present invention is not limited to these. For example, in the case of intersections, the present invention can be applied to various forms other than four-way intersections, such as T-junctions, three-way intersections, five-way intersections, etc.

[0079] Furthermore, in order to ensure that responses between the location notification device 100 and the mobile terminal TE are always receivable, various methods can be used in addition to polling. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0080] 10, 10A, 10B… Antenna, 50… Control unit, 51… Communication unit, 52… Angle of arrival determination unit, 52… Determination unit, 53… Main control unit, 53d… Target area inside / outside determination unit, 54… External output interface, 100… Location notification device, 200… Level crossing control device, 200M… Main control unit, 500… Location notification system, AL… Warning device, BA… Barrier, CR… Level crossing, CS… Intersection, DDα… Arrow, DJ… Target surrounding area, DJ1α… Roadside upper area, DJ1β… Roadside lower area, DJ2… Trackside area Enclosure, EX...External Output Unit, JG...Determination Unit, MO...Motor, ND...Notification Device, NF...Notification Unit, OD...Target Range, PR...Pedestrian Crossing, PT...Signal Light, PW...Sidewalk, RD, RD1, RD2...Road, RE...Receiver, RL...Railway Track, RO...Barrier, RR...Radio Wave Reception Range, SK...Speaker, ST...Application, SY...Operation System, TC...Signal Controller, TD...Train Detection Device, TE...Mobile Terminal, TL...Signal Light, TT...Communication Unit, US...User, VB...Vibration Unit

Claims

1. A receiving unit that receives radio waves from the transmission location, A determination unit estimates the transmission position based on the arrival angle calculated from the reception result at the receiving unit, and determines whether the estimated transmission position is within the target range. A notification unit that notifies the determination result from the determination unit to the transmission position. A location notification device equipped with the following features.

2. The radio wave reception range of the receiving unit is wider than the target range. The aforementioned receiving unit performs continuous reception. The location notification device according to claim 1, wherein the notification unit starts notification from the time when the transmission location is outside the target range but within the radio wave receivable range.

3. The aforementioned scope includes areas where traffic from different directions intersects, The receiving unit receives radio waves from a mobile device held by a passerby. The location notification device according to claim 1, wherein the notification unit notifies the determination result to the mobile terminal.

4. The location notification device according to claim 3, wherein the notification unit notifies the mobile terminal by short-range wireless communication.

5. The aforementioned target area includes the area inside the level crossing barrier as the intersection area, The location notification device according to claim 3, wherein the determination unit performs determination independently of the level crossing control device that controls the level crossing.

6. The aforementioned target area includes the area inside the level crossing barrier as the intersection area, The position notification device according to claim 3, wherein the determination unit is connected to a level crossing control device that controls the level crossing, and outputs the determination result to the level crossing device.

7. The aforementioned target area includes the area inside the level crossing barrier as the intersection area, The location notification device according to claim 3, wherein the notification unit notifies the determination result of the determination unit by adding information about the level crossing obtained from the level crossing control device that controls the level crossing.

8. The aforementioned scope includes intersections as the intersecting area, The location notification device according to claim 3, wherein the receiving unit receives radio waves from a pedestrian priority zone adjacent to the intersection.

9. A mobile device that emits radio waves, A communication device on the equipment side receives radio waves from the aforementioned mobile terminal, estimates the transmission position of the mobile terminal based on the angle of arrival calculated from the reception result, determines whether the estimated transmission position is within the target range, and notifies the mobile terminal of the determination result. A location notification system equipped with the following features.

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