Emergency vehicle approach notification system, mobile terminal, emergency vehicle approach notification method, and emergency vehicle approach notification program
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2025031693
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-02-28
- Publication Date
- 2026-09-09
Smart Images
Figure 2026144420000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to an emergency vehicle approach notification system, a mobile terminal, an emergency vehicle approach notification method, and an emergency vehicle approach notification program.
Background Art
[0002] For example, when an emergency vehicle such as a fire truck, ambulance, or police vehicle travels with a siren activated, ordinary vehicles are required to promptly and safely yield the right of way. However, in practice, there are cases where the siren cannot be heard, or even if the siren can be heard, it is difficult to recognize from which direction the emergency vehicle is approaching, leading to the problem that road users may not notice the approaching emergency vehicle and cannot take action to yield the way. The above-mentioned problem applies not only to drivers of ordinary vehicles but also to, for example, pedestrians crossing a crosswalk. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a system that enables smooth emergency travel of an emergency vehicle by securing a travel route for the emergency vehicle utilizing forwarding vehicles.
Prior Art Literature
Patent Literature
[0003]
Patent Literature 1
Summary of the Invention
Problem to be Solved by the Invention
[0004] However, with the technology disclosed in Patent Literature 1, there is a risk that drivers of ordinary vehicles, pedestrians crossing crosswalks, and the like may not notice the approaching emergency vehicle, and may not be able to take safe evasive action.
[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an emergency vehicle approach notification system, a mobile terminal, an emergency vehicle approach notification method, and an emergency vehicle approach notification program capable of appropriately notifying the approach of an emergency vehicle.
Means for Solving the Problem
[0006] The emergency vehicle approach notification system (1) described in claim 1 comprises an emergency vehicle device (2) mounted on an emergency vehicle and a center device (3) capable of data communication with the emergency vehicle, and a mobile terminal (4) capable of data communication with the center device and moving together with the moving object. The emergency vehicle device transmits first position information indicating the location of the emergency vehicle to the center device while the emergency vehicle is in emergency motion. The center device obtains second position information indicating the location of the moving object from the mobile terminal, determines the mobile terminal corresponding to the moving object whose positional relationship with the emergency vehicle satisfies a predetermined relationship as a transmission target, and transmits the first position information obtained from the emergency vehicle device to the mobile terminal determined as the transmission target. The mobile terminal determines whether notification regarding the approach of the emergency vehicle is necessary based on the first position information obtained from the center device and the second position information, determines the notification method if notification is necessary, and notifies the approach of the emergency vehicle according to the determined notification method.
[0007] The mobile terminal (4) described in claim 8 is mounted on an emergency vehicle and is capable of data communication with an emergency vehicle device (2) that transmits first position information indicating the location of the emergency vehicle to a central device while the emergency vehicle is in emergency motion. The system is used in an emergency vehicle approach notification system (1) which includes a central device (3) that acquires second position information indicating the location of a moving object from the mobile terminal that moves with the moving object, determines the mobile terminal corresponding to the moving object whose positional relationship with the emergency vehicle satisfies a predetermined relationship as a transmission target, and transmits the first position information acquired from the emergency vehicle device to the mobile terminal determined as the transmission target. Based on the first position information acquired from the central device and the second position information, the system determines whether notification regarding the approach of the emergency vehicle is necessary, determines the notification method if notification is necessary, and notifies the approach of the emergency vehicle according to the determined notification method.
[0008] The emergency vehicle approach notification method described in claim 9 includes an emergency vehicle device mounted on the emergency vehicle, which transmits first position information indicating the location of the emergency vehicle to a central device while the emergency vehicle is in emergency motion. The central device obtains second position information indicating the location of a mobile terminal that is moving with the mobile terminal, determines the mobile terminal corresponding to the mobile terminal whose positional relationship with the emergency vehicle satisfies a predetermined relationship as a transmission target, and transmits the first position information obtained from the emergency vehicle device to the mobile terminal determined as the transmission target. The mobile terminal determines whether notification regarding the approach of the emergency vehicle is necessary based on the first position information obtained from the central device and the second position information, determines the notification method if notification is necessary, and notifies the approach of the emergency vehicle according to the determined notification method.
[0009] The emergency vehicle approach notification program described in claim 10 is an emergency vehicle approach notification system (1) comprising an emergency vehicle device (2) mounted on the emergency vehicle and capable of data communication with a central device that transmits first position information indicating the location of the emergency vehicle to a central device while the emergency vehicle is in emergency driving, and a central device (3) that acquires second position information indicating the location of a moving object from a mobile terminal that moves with the moving object, determines the mobile terminal corresponding to the moving object whose positional relationship with the emergency vehicle satisfies a predetermined relationship as a transmission target, and transmits the first position information acquired from the emergency vehicle device to the mobile terminal determined as the transmission target, and causes the control unit (14) of the mobile terminal (4) used in the emergency vehicle approach notification system (1) to execute a notification necessity determination procedure that determines whether or not to notify about the approach of the emergency vehicle based on the first position information acquired from the central device and the second position information, and a notification procedure that notifies the approach of the emergency vehicle in a predetermined notification manner when the notification necessity determination procedure determines that notification is necessary.
[0010] According to the above configuration, the central device determines the recipient of the first location information indicating the location of the emergency vehicle and transmits the first location information to the mobile terminal determined as the recipient. When the mobile terminal identifies a notification need, it determines the notification method and notifies the approach of the emergency vehicle. This allows for appropriate notification of the approach of an emergency vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0011] [Figure 1] A diagram showing the overall configuration of one embodiment. [Figure 2] Diagram showing a real-time database [Figure 3] Diagram showing the location of emergency vehicles and moving objects. [Figure 4] Diagram showing how emergency vehicles and mobile units move. [Figure 5] Flowchart showing the processing of emergency vehicle equipment [Figure 6] Flowchart showing the processing of the center device [Figure 7] Flowchart showing the processing of mobile devices [Figure 8] Flowchart showing the processing of mobile devices [Figure 9] A diagram showing how an emergency vehicle's approach is notified. [Figure 10] A diagram showing how an emergency vehicle's approach is notified. [Figure 11] A diagram showing how an emergency vehicle's approach is notified. [Figure 12] A diagram showing how an emergency vehicle's approach is notified. [Figure 13] A diagram showing how an emergency vehicle's approach is notified. [Figure 14] A diagram showing how an emergency vehicle's approach is notified. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0012] One embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figure 1, the emergency vehicle approach notification system 1 comprises a central device 3 that can communicate data with an emergency vehicle device 2 mounted on an emergency vehicle via a communication network, and a mobile terminal 4 that can communicate data with the central device 3 via a communication network and moves with the moving object. Since there are an unspecified number of emergency vehicles, there are also an unspecified number of emergency vehicle devices 2 corresponding to emergency vehicles. Since there are an unspecified number of moving objects, there are also an unspecified number of mobile terminals 4 corresponding to moving objects. That is, an unspecified number of emergency vehicle devices 2 can communicate data with the central device 3 via a communication network, and the central device 3 can communicate data with an unspecified number of mobile terminals 4 via a communication network. The central device 3 is configured as, for example, a cloud server. The moving object is, for example, a general vehicle other than an emergency vehicle or a pedestrian. If the moving object is a general vehicle, the mobile terminal 4 is, for example, a navigation device mounted on the general vehicle. If the moving object is a pedestrian, the mobile terminal 4 is, for example, a smartphone or smartwatch carried by the pedestrian.
[0013] Emergency vehicles are vehicles used for urgent duties and include, for example, fire engines, ambulances, police vehicles, emergency service vehicles for infrastructure such as electricity, water, and gas, and hospital doctor cars. Emergency vehicles are granted special privileges and priority in road traffic to respond to emergencies. On the other hand, general vehicles are obligated to yield the right of way to approach emergency vehicles to give them priority.
[0014] An emergency vehicle notifies the surrounding area that it is in an emergency drive for emergency operations by turning on warning lights and sounding a siren. Through such notification, a driver of a general vehicle who notices the approach of the emergency vehicle can recognize that the emergency vehicle is in an emergency drive, and can take appropriate measures such as pulling over to the side of the road or changing lanes from an overtaking lane to a driving lane so as not to obstruct the passage of the emergency vehicle. In addition, a pedestrian who notices the approach of the emergency vehicle can also take appropriate measures such as refraining from entering the crosswalk on the path of the emergency vehicle or accelerating to exit the crosswalk, for example.
[0015] The emergency vehicle device 2 includes a control unit 5, a wireless communication device 6, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 7, and an emergency travel signal detection unit 8. The control unit 5 is mainly configured of, for example, a well-known microcomputer (hereinafter referred to as a microcomputer) having a CPU, a RAM, a ROM, and the like. Various functions of the control unit 5 are realized by the CPU executing a program stored in a non-transitional tangible storage medium. The non-transitional tangible storage medium is, for example, a ROM. The number of microcomputers constituting the control unit 5 may be one or plural. Further, the method for realizing various functions of the control unit 5 is not limited to software, and some or all of the elements may be realized using one or more pieces of hardware. For example, when various functions are realized by an electronic circuit that is hardware, the electronic circuit may be realized by a digital circuit including a large number of logic circuits, an analog circuit, or a combination of these.
[0016] The wireless communication device 6 controls wireless communication with the center device 3.
[0017] When the GNSS receiver 7 receives a GNSS signal transmitted from a GNSS satellite orbiting the sky, it outputs various information contained in the received GNSS signal to the control unit 5. The various information output from the GNSS receiver 7 to the control unit 5 is necessary for calculating the current position of the emergency vehicle and includes information such as the position of the GNSS satellite that transmitted the GNSS signal and the transmission time. Based on the various information input from the GNSS receiver 7, the control unit 5 calculates the current position of the emergency vehicle as the emergency vehicle position. Alternatively, if a vibration gyroscope for detecting the angular velocity of the emergency vehicle and a speed sensor for detecting the speed of the emergency vehicle are used in conjunction, the emergency vehicle position may be calculated based on the detection results of the angular velocity of the emergency vehicle input from the vibration gyroscope and the detection results of the speed of the emergency vehicle input from the speed sensor, in addition to the various information input from the GNSS receiver 7.
[0018] The emergency driving signal detection unit 8 detects that an emergency vehicle is on an emergency run by detecting the illumination of warning lights or the sounding of sirens, and outputs a detection signal to the control unit 5. When the control unit 5 receives a detection signal from the emergency driving signal detection unit 8, it causes the wireless communication device 6 to transmit an emergency vehicle location notification signal, which includes emergency vehicle location information (corresponding to first location information) indicating the location of the emergency vehicle, to the center device 3. In other words, if an emergency vehicle is on an emergency run, the control unit 5 continues to periodically transmit the emergency vehicle location notification signal from the wireless communication device 6 to the center device 3. The emergency vehicle location notification signal includes the emergency vehicle location information described above and an emergency vehicle ID unique to the emergency vehicle equipped with the emergency vehicle device 2, which is the source of the emergency vehicle location notification signal.
[0019] The center device 3 comprises a control unit 9, a communication device 10, a service usage registration database 11, and a real-time database 12. The control unit 9 is mainly composed of a microcontroller having, for example, a well-known CPU, RAM, ROM, etc. The various functions of the control unit 9 are realized by the CPU executing a program stored in a non-transitional physical storage medium. The transitional physical storage medium is, for example, ROM. The number of microcontrollers constituting the control unit 9 may be one or more. Furthermore, the method for realizing the various functions of the control unit 9 is not limited to software; some or all of its elements may be realized using one or more hardware components. For example, if various functions are realized by an electronic circuit which is hardware, that electronic circuit may be a digital circuit containing a large number of logic circuits, or an analog circuit, or a combination thereof.
[0020] The communication device 10 controls communication between the emergency vehicle equipment 2 and the mobile terminal 4.
[0021] The service registration database 11 is a database that manages the mobile IDs of mobile terminals 4 that have been registered as targets for the emergency vehicle approach notification service. When the control unit 9 determines, for example, that a user has operated the service registration terminal 13 and applied for registration of the emergency vehicle approach notification service by specifying mobile terminal 4, it registers the mobile ID of the mobile terminal 4 that was the target of the application in the service registration database 11. Conversely, when the control unit 9 determines, for example, that a user has operated the service registration terminal 13 and applied for cancellation of the emergency vehicle approach notification service by specifying mobile terminal 4, it deletes the mobile ID of the mobile terminal 4 that was the target of the application from the service registration database 11.
[0022] As shown in Figure 2, the real-time database 12 is a database that manages emergency vehicle locations by emergency vehicle ID and mobile location locations by mobile ID. When the control unit 9 receives an emergency vehicle location notification signal transmitted from the emergency vehicle device 2 via the communication device 10, it registers the emergency vehicle location included in the received emergency vehicle location notification signal in the real-time database 12 in association with the emergency vehicle ID. The emergency vehicle location is managed using coordinates indicating latitude, longitude, and altitude. Each time the control unit 9 receives an emergency vehicle location notification signal from the emergency vehicle device 2, it updates the emergency vehicle location corresponding to the emergency vehicle that transmitted the emergency vehicle location notification signal. When the control unit 9 stops receiving emergency vehicle location notification signals from the emergency vehicle device 2 for a registered emergency vehicle ID, it deletes the registered emergency vehicle ID and emergency vehicle location from the real-time database 12.
[0023] Furthermore, when the control unit 9 receives a mobile location notification signal, described later, transmitted from the mobile terminal 4 via the communication device 10, it registers the mobile location contained in the received mobile location notification signal in the real-time database 12, associating it with the mobile ID, provided that the mobile ID contained in the received mobile location notification signal is registered in the service usage registration database 11. Note that, like emergency vehicle locations, mobile locations are managed using coordinates indicating latitude, longitude, and altitude. Each time the control unit 9 receives a mobile location notification signal from the mobile terminal 4, it updates the mobile location corresponding to the mobile source of that mobile location notification signal. When the control unit 9 stops receiving mobile location notification signals from the mobile terminal 4 for a registered mobile ID, it deletes the registered mobile ID and mobile location from the real-time database 12.
[0024] Note that the emergency vehicle ID "0001" and emergency vehicle location "P01(x_01,y_01,z_01)" and the mobile object ID "0051" and mobile object location "P51(x_51,y_51,z_51)" shown in Figure 2 are merely formal notations for explanatory purposes.
[0025] The control unit 9 compares the emergency vehicle location and the mobile location managed by the real-time database 12. If a mobile terminal 4 is located within a circle with a predetermined radius (e.g., 1 kilometer) centered on the emergency vehicle location, the control unit 9 determines that the mobile terminal 4 located within that circle should be the recipient of the emergency vehicle location notification signal and registers it in the recipient list. As shown in Figure 3, for example, if mobile location "P51", "P52", "P61", and "P71" are located within a circle with a predetermined radius (r) centered on the emergency vehicle location "P01" with emergency vehicle ID "0001", the control unit 9 determines that the mobile terminals 4 corresponding to the mobile objects with mobile object IDs "0051", "0052", "0061", and "0071" should be the recipients and registers them in the recipient list. Once the control unit 9 has determined the mobile terminals 4 to be recipients in this way, it causes the communication device 10 to transmit the emergency vehicle location notification signal to the mobile terminals 4 that have been determined as recipients. In other words, the control unit 9 narrows down the recipients from among the mobile terminals 4 corresponding to the location of the moving object managed by the real-time database 12 and sends an emergency vehicle location notification signal. Furthermore, if a mobile terminal 4 registered in the recipient list moves out of the designated circle, the control unit 9 removes it from the recipient list.
[0026] The mobile terminal 4 comprises a control unit 14, a wireless communication device 15, a GNSS receiver 16, a non-volatile memory 17, a notification setting unit 18, a display unit 19, an audio output unit 20, and a vibration unit 21. The control unit 14 is mainly composed of a microcontroller having, for example, a well-known CPU, RAM, ROM, etc. The various functions of the control unit 14 are realized by the CPU executing a program stored in a non-transitional physical storage medium. In this embodiment, the CPU executes an emergency vehicle approach notification program. The transitional physical storage medium is, for example, ROM. The number of microcontrollers constituting the control unit 14 may be one or more. Furthermore, the method for realizing the various functions of the control unit 14 is not limited to software, and some or all of its elements may be realized using one or more hardware components. For example, when various functions are realized by an electronic circuit which is hardware, that electronic circuit may be a digital circuit including a large number of logic circuits, or an analog circuit, or a combination thereof.
[0027] The wireless communication device 15 controls wireless communication with the center device 3.
[0028] When the GNSS receiver 16 receives a GNSS signal transmitted from a GNSS satellite orbiting the sky, it outputs various information contained in the received GNSS signal to the control unit 14. The various information output from the GNSS receiver 16 to the control unit 14 is necessary for calculating the current position of the moving object and includes information such as the position of the GNSS satellite that transmitted the GNSS signal and the transmission time. The control unit 14 calculates the current position of the moving object as the moving object position based on the various information input from the GNSS receiver 16. In this case as well, a vibration gyroscope for detecting the angular velocity of the moving object and a velocity sensor for detecting the speed of the moving object may be used in combination, and the moving object position may be calculated based on the detection result of the angular velocity of the moving object input from the vibration gyroscope and the detection result of the speed of the moving object input from the velocity sensor, in addition to the various information input from the GNSS receiver 16.
[0029] The control unit 14 causes the wireless communication device 15 to transmit a mobile location notification signal, which includes mobile location information (corresponding to second location information) indicating the location of the mobile object, to the central device 3. The control unit 14 continues to periodically transmit the mobile location notification signal from the wireless communication device 15 to the central device 3 while the mobile terminal 4 is powered on. For example, if the mobile terminal 4 is a navigation device and the navigation device is connected to the accessory (ACC) power supply, the control unit 14 continues to periodically transmit the mobile location notification signal to the central device 3 while the ACC power is on. For example, if the mobile terminal 4 is a smartphone, the control unit 14 continues to periodically transmit the mobile location notification signal to the central device 3 while the smartphone's power is on. The mobile location notification signal includes the mobile location information described above and a mobile ID unique to the mobile object that moves together with the mobile terminal 4, which is the source of the mobile location notification signal.
[0030] The non-volatile memory 17 stores map data. The map data includes road data that shows road shapes, road types, etc.
[0031] The notification setting unit 18 switches the emergency vehicle approach notification setting on or off, for example, through user operation. By turning on the emergency vehicle approach notification setting, the user can receive the emergency vehicle approach notification service.
[0032] When the control unit 14 receives an emergency vehicle position notification signal transmitted from the center device 3 via the wireless communication device 15, it compares the emergency vehicle position included in the received emergency vehicle position notification signal with the calculated mobile position and calculates the distance from the mobile position to the emergency vehicle position. The control unit 14 calculates the distance between a point on the map data, identified by the latitude, longitude, and altitude indicating the emergency vehicle position, and a point on the map data, identified by the latitude, longitude, and altitude indicating the mobile position, reflecting the road shape indicated by the road data. For example, if the straight-line distance between the two is "L1", and there are no right-turn or left-turn roads between them, only a straight road, the control unit 14 calculates the distance from the mobile position to the emergency vehicle position as "L1", the same as the straight-line distance. However, if there are right-turn or left-turn roads between them, the control unit 14 reflects the right or left turn and calculates the distance from the mobile position to the emergency vehicle position as "L2 (>L1)", which is longer than the straight-line distance.
[0033] The control unit 14 calculates the distance from the moving object's position to the emergency vehicle's position and determines whether or not the emergency vehicle is approaching based on the time-series change of the calculated distance. The control unit 14 determines that the emergency vehicle is approaching if the distance from the moving object's position to the emergency vehicle's position is decreasing over time. The control unit 14 determines that the emergency vehicle is not approaching if the distance from the moving object's position to the emergency vehicle's position is not changing over time, or is increasing.
[0034] When the control unit 14 identifies that an emergency vehicle is approaching, it calculates the direction of approach of the emergency vehicle as seen from the moving object, based on the time-series changes in the emergency vehicle's position. Once the control unit 14 has calculated the direction of approach of the emergency vehicle, it notifies the emergency vehicle of its approach. In other words, the control unit 14 narrows down the direction of approach of the emergency vehicle and notifies the emergency vehicle of its approach.
[0035] As shown in Figure 4, for example, let's assume that the emergency vehicle with emergency vehicle ID "0001" has moved from emergency vehicle position "P01_1" to "P01_2" and is moving eastward. If a general vehicle, which is a mobile body with mobile body ID "0053", has moved from mobile body position "P53_1" to "P53_2" and is moving westward, the control unit 14 of the mobile terminal 4 installed in the general vehicle with mobile body ID "0053" will identify that the emergency vehicle with emergency vehicle ID "0001" is approaching from the front. If a general vehicle, which is a mobile body with mobile body ID "0062", has moved from mobile body position "P62_1" to "P62_2" and is moving eastward, the control unit 14 of the mobile terminal 4 installed in the general vehicle with mobile body ID "0062" will identify that the emergency vehicle with emergency vehicle ID "0001" is approaching from behind.
[0036] If a pedestrian with mobile object ID "0070" moves from mobile object position "P70_1" to "P70_2" and is moving in a northerly direction, the control unit 14 of the mobile terminal 4 carried by the pedestrian with mobile object ID "0070" identifies that an emergency vehicle with emergency vehicle ID "0001" is approaching from the left. If a pedestrian with mobile object ID "0071" moves from mobile object position "P71_1" to "P71_2" and is moving in a southerly direction, the control unit 14 of the mobile terminal 4 carried by the pedestrian with mobile object ID "0071" identifies that an emergency vehicle with emergency vehicle ID "0001" is approaching from the right.
[0037] When the control unit 14 calculates the direction of approach of the emergency vehicle, it compares the distance from the position of the moving object to the position of the emergency vehicle with a threshold (for example, 500 meters). If the distance is greater than or equal to the threshold, it notifies that an emergency vehicle is approaching using a first notification pattern. The first notification pattern only notifies that an emergency vehicle is approaching, and the control unit 14 outputs the notification instruction of the first notification pattern to the display unit 19, the sound output unit 20, and the vibration unit 21, thereby notifying the display unit 19, the sound output unit 20, and the vibration unit 21 that only an emergency vehicle is approaching.
[0038] If the distance is less than a threshold, the control unit 14 notifies that an emergency vehicle is approaching and also indicates the direction of approach using one of the second to fifth notification patterns. The second notification pattern indicates that an emergency vehicle is approaching from the front. The control unit 14 outputs a notification instruction for the second notification pattern to the display unit 19, the audio output unit 20, and the vibration unit 21, thereby notifying the display unit 19, the audio output unit 20, and the vibration unit 21 that an emergency vehicle is approaching from the front. The third notification pattern indicates that an emergency vehicle is approaching from the rear. The control unit 14 outputs a notification instruction for the third notification pattern to the display unit 19, the audio output unit 20, and the vibration unit 21, thereby notifying the display unit 19, the audio output unit 20, and the vibration unit 21 that an emergency vehicle is approaching from the rear.
[0039] The fourth notification pattern indicates that an emergency vehicle is approaching from the left. The control unit 14 outputs a notification instruction for the fourth notification pattern to the display unit 19, the audio output unit 20, and the vibration unit 21, thereby notifying the system that an emergency vehicle is approaching from the left. The fifth notification pattern indicates that an emergency vehicle is approaching from the right. The control unit 14 outputs a notification instruction for the fifth notification pattern to the display unit 19, the audio output unit 20, and the vibration unit 21, thereby notifying the system that an emergency vehicle is approaching from the right.
[0040] When the control unit 14 receives a notification instruction from the control unit 14 for any of the first to fifth notification patterns, the display unit 19 displays a message indicating that an emergency vehicle is approaching, according to the input notification pattern. If the mobile terminal 4 is a navigation device, the display unit 19 is a center information display, head-up display, meter device, etc. If the mobile terminal 4 is a smartphone, the display unit 19 is the main display.
[0041] When the control unit 14 inputs a notification instruction from the control unit 14, one of the first to fifth notification patterns, the audio output unit 20 outputs a message indicating that an emergency vehicle is approaching, according to the input notification pattern. When the control unit 14 inputs a notification instruction from the control unit 14, one of the first to fifth notification patterns, the vibration unit 21 vibrates at a constant frequency according to the input notification pattern.
[0042] Furthermore, by making the vibration pattern of the vibration unit 21 different for the first notification pattern when the distance from the moving object to the emergency vehicle is above a threshold, and for the second to fifth notification patterns when it is below the threshold, for example by varying the intensity of the vibration, the approximate distance to the emergency vehicle can be communicated to people with visual or hearing impairments. In addition, by making the second to fifth notification patterns different, for example by varying the length of the vibration, the direction in which the emergency vehicle is approaching can be communicated to people with visual or hearing impairments, in addition to the approximate distance to the emergency vehicle.
[0043] Next, the operation of the above-described configuration will be explained with reference to Figures 5 to 14. Here, the processing performed by the emergency vehicle device 2, the processing performed by the center device 3, and the processing performed by the mobile terminal 4 will be explained in order.
[0044] (1) Processing performed by the emergency vehicle device 2 (see Figure 5) In the emergency vehicle system 2, the control unit 5 periodically performs an emergency driving determination process at regular intervals. When the start event for the emergency driving determination process occurs, the control unit 5 starts the emergency driving determination process and determines whether or not the vehicle is in emergency driving mode (A1). If the control unit 5 determines that the vehicle is not in emergency driving mode (A1: NO), it terminates the emergency driving determination process and waits for the next start event for the emergency driving determination process to occur.
[0045] When the control unit 5 detects that an emergency is in progress by detecting the illumination of a warning light or the sounding of a siren (A1: YES), it sends an emergency vehicle location notification signal from the wireless communication device 6 to the center device 3 (A2), terminates the emergency driving determination process, and waits for the occurrence of the next emergency driving determination process start event.
[0046] (2) Processing performed by the center device 3 (see Figure 6) In the center device 3, the control unit 9 periodically performs signal transmission and reception processing at regular intervals. When the signal transmission and reception processing start event occurs, the control unit 9 starts the signal transmission and reception processing and determines whether or not the emergency vehicle position notification signal from the emergency vehicle device 2 has been received by the communication device 10 (B1). If the control unit 9 determines that the emergency vehicle position notification signal from the emergency vehicle device 2 has not been received by the communication device 10 (B1: NO), it terminates the signal transmission and reception processing and waits for the next signal transmission and reception processing start event to occur.
[0047] When the control unit 9 determines that an emergency vehicle location notification signal from the emergency vehicle device 2 has been received by the communication device 10 (B1:YES), it registers the emergency vehicle location included in the received emergency vehicle location notification signal in the real-time database 12, associating it with the emergency vehicle ID (B2).
[0048] The control unit 9 determines whether or not the mobile location notification signal from the mobile terminal 4 has been received by the communication device 10 (B3). If the control unit 9 determines that the mobile location notification signal from the mobile terminal 4 has not been received by the communication device 10 (B3: NO), it terminates the signal transmission / reception process and waits for the start event of the next signal transmission / reception process to occur.
[0049] When the control unit 9 determines that a mobile location notification signal from the mobile terminal 4 has been received by the communication device 10 (B3:YES), it refers to the service usage registration database 11 and determines whether the received mobile location notification signal includes a mobile location notification signal from the mobile terminal 4 for which the emergency vehicle approach notification service is registered (B4). When the control unit 9 determines that the mobile location notification signal from the mobile terminal 4 for which the emergency vehicle approach notification service is registered does not include a mobile location notification signal (B4:NO), it terminates the signal transmission / reception process and waits for the start event of the next signal transmission / reception process to occur.
[0050] When the control unit 9 identifies that the mobile terminal 4, which is registered for the emergency vehicle approach notification service, has a mobile location notification signal (B4:YES), it registers the mobile location included in the received mobile location notification signal in the real-time database 12, associating it with the mobile ID (B5).
[0051] The control unit 9 compares the emergency vehicle location and the moving object location managed by the real-time database 12 (B6) and determines whether or not the moving object exists within a circle with a predetermined radius centered on the emergency vehicle location (B7). If the control unit 9 determines that the moving object does not exist within a circle with a predetermined radius centered on the emergency vehicle location (B7: NO), it terminates the signal transmission / reception process and waits for the start event of the next signal transmission / reception process to occur.
[0052] When the control unit 9 identifies that a moving object exists within a circle with a predetermined radius centered on the emergency vehicle's location (B7:YES), it determines that the mobile terminal 4 corresponding to that moving object will be the transmission target (B8). The control unit 9 then has the communication device 10 transmit an emergency vehicle location notification signal to the mobile terminal 4 determined to be the transmission target (B9), terminates the signal transmission and reception process, and waits for the start event of the next signal transmission and reception process to occur.
[0053] (3) Processing performed by the mobile terminal 4 (see Figures 7 to 8) In the mobile terminal 4, the control unit 14 periodically performs proximity notification determination processing at regular intervals. When the proximity notification determination processing start event occurs, the control unit 14 starts the proximity notification determination processing and determines whether or not the proximity notification setting for the emergency vehicle is turned on (C1). If the control unit 14 determines that the proximity notification setting for the emergency vehicle is not turned on (C1:NO), it terminates the proximity notification determination processing and waits for the next proximity notification determination processing start event to occur.
[0054] When the control unit 14 determines that the emergency vehicle approach notification setting is turned on (C1:YES), it determines whether the moving object is on the road or not (C2). When the control unit 14 determines that the moving object is not on the road or not (C2:NO), it terminates the approach notification determination process and waits for the start event of the next approach notification determination process to occur.
[0055] When the control unit 14 determines that the moving object is on a road (C2:YES), it determines whether or not an emergency vehicle position notification signal from the center device 3 has been received by the wireless communication device 15 (C3). When the control unit 14 determines that an emergency vehicle position notification signal from the center device 3 has not been received by the wireless communication device 15 (C3:NO), it terminates the proximity notification determination process and waits for the start event of the next proximity notification determination process to occur.
[0056] When the control unit 14 determines that an emergency vehicle location notification signal from the center device 3 has been received by the wireless communication device 15 (C3:YES), it compares the emergency vehicle location included in the received emergency vehicle location notification signal with the location of the moving object and calculates the distance from the location of the moving object to the emergency vehicle location (C4).
[0057] The control unit 14 calculates the distance from the moving object's position to the emergency vehicle's position and determines whether or not an emergency vehicle is approaching based on the time-series progression of the calculated distance (C5, corresponding to the notification necessity determination procedure). If the control unit 14 determines that an emergency vehicle is not approaching (C5: NO), it terminates the approach notification determination process and waits for the start event of the next approach notification determination process to occur.
[0058] When the control unit 14 determines that an emergency vehicle is approaching (C5:YES), it calculates the direction of approach of the emergency vehicle (C6). After calculating the direction of approach of the emergency vehicle, the control unit 14 compares the distance from the position of the moving object to the position of the emergency vehicle with a threshold and determines whether the distance is greater than or equal to the threshold (C7). When the control unit 14 determines that the distance from the position of the moving object to the position of the emergency vehicle is greater than or equal to the threshold (C7:YES), it notifies that an emergency vehicle is approaching using the first notification pattern (C8, corresponding to the notification procedure), terminates the approach notification determination process, and waits for the start event of the next approach notification determination process to occur.
[0059] If the mobile terminal 4 is a navigation device, the control unit 14 displays a pop-up screen 22 containing a message such as "Emergency vehicle approaching" on the display 23, as shown in Figure 9, and outputs the message "Emergency vehicle approaching" through the speaker. If the mobile terminal 4 is a smartphone, the control unit 14 displays a message such as "Emergency vehicle approaching" on the display 24, as shown in Figure 10, outputs the message "Emergency vehicle approaching" through the speaker, and vibrates the vibration device in a predetermined vibration pattern.
[0060] If the control unit 14 determines that the distance from the moving object's position to the emergency vehicle's position is less than a threshold (C7: NO), it determines the direction of approach of the emergency vehicle (C9~C11). If the control unit 14 determines that the direction of approach of the emergency vehicle is forward (C9: YES), it notifies that the emergency vehicle is approaching from the front using the second notification pattern (C12, corresponding to the notification procedure), terminates the approach notification determination process, and waits for the start event of the next approach notification determination process to occur.
[0061] If the mobile terminal 4 is a navigation device, the control unit 14 displays a pop-up screen 22 on the display 23 containing a message such as "An emergency vehicle is approaching from the front," as shown in Figure 11, and outputs the message "An emergency vehicle is approaching from the front" as an audible output from the speaker. If the mobile terminal 4 is a smartphone, the control unit 14 displays a message such as "An emergency vehicle is approaching from the front" on the display 24, as shown in Figure 12, outputs the message "An emergency vehicle is approaching from the front" as an audible output from the speaker, and vibrates the vibration device in a predetermined vibration pattern.
[0062] When the control unit 14 determines that the direction of approach of the emergency vehicle is from behind (C10: YES), it notifies that the emergency vehicle is approaching from behind using the third notification pattern (C13, corresponding to the notification procedure), terminates the approach notification determination process, and waits for the start event of the next approach notification determination process to occur. If the mobile terminal 4 is a navigation device, the control unit 14 displays a pop-up screen on the display containing a message such as "An emergency vehicle is approaching from behind" and outputs the message "An emergency vehicle is approaching from behind" through the speaker. If the mobile terminal 4 is a smartphone, the control unit 14 displays a message such as "An emergency vehicle is approaching from behind" on the display and outputs the message "An emergency vehicle is approaching from behind" through the speaker and vibrates the vibration device with a predetermined vibration pattern.
[0063] When the control unit 14 determines that the direction of approach of the emergency vehicle is to the left (C11: YES), it notifies that the emergency vehicle is approaching from the left using the fourth notification pattern (C14, corresponding to the notification procedure), terminates the approach notification determination process, and waits for the start event of the next approach notification determination process to occur. If the mobile terminal 4 is a navigation device, the control unit 14 displays a pop-up screen on the display containing a message such as "An emergency vehicle is approaching from the left," and outputs the message "An emergency vehicle is approaching from the left" through the speaker. If the mobile terminal 4 is a smartphone, the control unit 14 displays a message such as "An emergency vehicle is approaching from the left," outputs the message "An emergency vehicle is approaching from the left" through the speaker, and vibrates the vibration device with a predetermined vibration pattern.
[0064] When the control unit 14 determines that the direction of approach of the emergency vehicle is to the right (C11:NO), it notifies that the emergency vehicle is approaching from the right using the fifth notification pattern (C15, corresponding to the notification procedure), terminates the approach notification determination process, and waits for the start event of the next approach notification determination process to occur. If the mobile terminal 4 is a navigation device, the control unit 14 displays a pop-up screen on the display containing a message such as "An emergency vehicle is approaching from the right," and outputs the message "An emergency vehicle is approaching from the right" through the speaker. If the mobile terminal 4 is a smartphone, the control unit 14 displays a message such as "An emergency vehicle is approaching from the right," outputs the message "An emergency vehicle is approaching from the right" through the speaker, and vibrates the vibration device with a predetermined vibration pattern.
[0065] Furthermore, if the mobile terminal 4 is a navigation device, for example, a vibration device may be placed on the steering wheel, and the navigation device and the vibration device may be connected by short-range wireless communication to vibrate the vibration device, thereby notifying the user of the approaching emergency vehicle and the direction of its approach through vibrations transmitted via the steering wheel.
[0066] The explanation described the case where the moving object is a regular vehicle or pedestrian, but the moving object may also be a motorcycle or bicycle. In the case of a motorcycle or bicycle, for example, a vibration device may be placed on the grip, and the smartphone and the vibration device may be connected by short-range wireless communication. By vibrating the vibration device, the rider can be notified of the approaching emergency vehicle and its direction through the vibration transmitted via the grip. Even if the rider of a motorcycle or bicycle cannot see the message displayed on the smartphone or hear the voice message output from the smartphone, they can still recognize the approaching emergency vehicle and its direction through the vibration transmitted via the grip.
[0067] While the description above explains how to notify the direction in which an emergency vehicle is approaching, the distance to the emergency vehicle may also be notified. If the mobile terminal 4 is a navigation device, as shown in Figure 13, a pop-up screen 22 containing the message "An emergency vehicle is approaching from 300 meters ahead" may be displayed on the display 23, and the message "An emergency vehicle is approaching from 300 meters ahead" may be output as voice from the speaker. If the mobile terminal 4 is a smartphone, as shown in Figure 14, a message "An emergency vehicle is approaching from 300 meters ahead" may be displayed on the display 24, and the message "An emergency vehicle is approaching from 300 meters ahead" may be output as voice from the speaker, and the vibration device may be vibrated in a predetermined vibration pattern. In that case, the distance to the emergency vehicle may be updated and notified in real time. When notifying the distance to the emergency vehicle, the distance to the emergency vehicle may be notified in stages.
[0068] If multiple emergency vehicles are approaching, the system may target the emergency vehicle closest to the moving object and notify the direction in which the emergency vehicle is approaching.
[0069] As described above, the embodiment provides the following advantages and benefits. In the center device 3, mobile terminals 4 located within a circle with a predetermined radius centered on the emergency vehicle's position are determined as transmission targets to which the emergency vehicle position notification signal should be transmitted, and the emergency vehicle position notification signal is transmitted to the mobile terminals 4 determined as transmission targets. In the mobile terminal 4, when the need for notification of the approaching emergency vehicle is identified, a notification pattern is determined, and the approaching emergency vehicle is notified according to the determined notification pattern. The approaching emergency vehicle can be appropriately notified.
[0070] The notification pattern is determined according to the distance from the moving object to the emergency vehicle, and notifications are made by distinguishing between the first notification pattern and the second through fifth notification patterns. This allows for appropriate notification of the approximate distance from the moving object to the emergency vehicle.
[0071] The system determines the notification pattern according to the direction from which the emergency vehicle is approaching the moving object, and distinguishes between the second to fifth notification patterns for notification. This allows for appropriate notification of whether the emergency vehicle is approaching from the front, rear, left, or right.
[0072] This disclosure is described in accordance with the embodiments, but it is understood that this disclosure is not limited to such embodiments or structures. This disclosure also includes various modifications and variations within the equivalence. In addition, various combinations and forms, as well as other combinations and forms that include only one, more, or fewer of those elements, fall within the scope and concept of this disclosure.
[0073] The control unit and its method described herein may be implemented by a dedicated computer provided by configuring a processor and memory programmed to perform one or more functions embodied by a computer program. Alternatively, the control unit and its method described herein may be implemented by a dedicated computer provided by configuring a processor by one or more dedicated hardware logic circuits. Alternatively, the control unit and its method described herein may be implemented by one or more dedicated computers configured by a combination of a processor and memory programmed to perform one or more functions and a processor configured by one or more hardware logic circuits. Furthermore, the computer program may be stored as instructions executed by the computer on a computer-readable non-transitional tangible recording medium. [Explanation of Symbols]
[0074] In the drawing, 1 is the emergency vehicle approach notification system, 2 is the emergency vehicle device, 3 is the center device, 4 is the mobile terminal, and 14 is the control unit.
Claims
1. An emergency vehicle approach notification system (1) comprises an emergency vehicle device (2) mounted on an emergency vehicle, a data communication center device (3), and a mobile terminal (4) that is data communication with the center device and moves together with the moving vehicle, The emergency vehicle device transmits first position information indicating the location of the emergency vehicle to the center device while the emergency vehicle is in emergency motion. The central device acquires second position information indicating the position of the moving object from the mobile terminal, determines the mobile terminal corresponding to the moving object whose positional relationship with the emergency vehicle satisfies a predetermined relationship as a transmission target, and transmits the first position information acquired from the emergency vehicle device to the mobile terminal determined as a transmission target. An emergency vehicle approach notification system in which the mobile terminal determines whether notification of the approach of the emergency vehicle is necessary based on the first location information and the second location information obtained from the central device, determines the notification method if notification is necessary, and notifies the approach of the emergency vehicle according to the determined notification method.
2. The emergency vehicle approach notification system according to claim 1, wherein the central device determines the mobile terminal corresponding to the mobile body whose distance from the emergency vehicle is less than a predetermined distance as the transmission target.
3. The emergency vehicle approach notification system according to claim 1, wherein the mobile terminal determines whether or not the emergency vehicle is approaching the mobile body, thereby determining whether or not notification is necessary.
4. The emergency vehicle approach notification system according to claim 3, wherein the mobile terminal determines the notification method by determining the distance from the mobile body to the emergency vehicle when it identifies a notification need.
5. The emergency vehicle approach notification system according to claim 4, wherein the mobile terminal determines different notification modes depending on the distance from the mobile body to the emergency vehicle.
6. The emergency vehicle approach notification system according to claim 3, wherein the mobile terminal determines the notification method by determining the direction in which the emergency vehicle is approaching the mobile body when it identifies a notification requirement.
7. The emergency vehicle approach notification system according to claim 6, wherein the mobile terminal determines different notification modes depending on the direction in which the emergency vehicle approaches the mobile body.
8. A mobile terminal (4) used in an emergency vehicle proximity notification system (1) comprising an emergency vehicle device (2) mounted on an emergency vehicle that transmits first position information indicating the location of the emergency vehicle to a central device while the emergency vehicle is in emergency motion, a central device (3) that is capable of data communication with the emergency vehicle device and acquires second position information indicating the location of a moving object from a mobile terminal that moves with the moving object, determines the mobile terminal corresponding to the moving object whose positional relationship with the emergency vehicle satisfies a predetermined relationship as a transmission target, and transmits the first position information acquired from the emergency vehicle device to the mobile terminal determined as the transmission target, A mobile terminal that determines whether notification is necessary regarding the approach of an emergency vehicle based on the first location information and the second location information obtained from the central device, determines the notification method if notification is necessary, and notifies the approach of the emergency vehicle according to the determined notification method.
9. In an emergency vehicle device installed in an emergency vehicle, the emergency vehicle transmits first position information indicating the location of the emergency vehicle to a central device while the emergency vehicle is in emergency driving mode. In the center device, second position information indicating the position of the moving object is acquired from a mobile terminal that moves together with the moving object, the mobile terminal corresponding to the moving object whose positional relationship with the emergency vehicle satisfies a predetermined relationship is determined as a transmission target, and the first position information acquired from the emergency vehicle device is transmitted to the mobile terminal determined as a transmission target. An emergency vehicle approach notification method comprising: determining whether notification of the approach of the emergency vehicle is necessary based on the first location information and the second location information obtained from the central device in the mobile terminal; determining the notification method when notification is deemed necessary; and notifying the approach of the emergency vehicle according to the determined notification method.
10. The control unit (14) of a mobile terminal (4) used in an emergency vehicle proximity notification system (1) includes an emergency vehicle device (2) mounted on the emergency vehicle that transmits first position information indicating the location of the emergency vehicle to a central device while the emergency vehicle is in emergency motion, and a central device (3) that is data-communicable with the emergency vehicle device and transmits second position information indicating the location of the mobile object from a mobile terminal that moves with the mobile object, determines the mobile terminal corresponding to the mobile object whose positional relationship with the emergency vehicle satisfies a predetermined relationship as a transmission target, and transmits the first position information acquired from the emergency vehicle device to the mobile terminal determined as the transmission target, A notification necessity determination procedure for determining whether notification is necessary regarding the approach of an emergency vehicle, based on the first position information and the second position information obtained from the center device, An emergency vehicle approach notification program that, when the notification requirement is determined by the notification requirement determination procedure, causes the program to execute a notification procedure that notifies of the approach of the emergency vehicle in a predetermined notification manner.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Driving support method for emergency vehicle, and driving support system for emergency vehicle
JP2019079124A