Head-mounted device, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To appropriately notify a user wearing a head-mounted device.SOLUTION: There is provided a head-mounted device that is worn on a user's head including: a plurality of antennas for receiving radio waves from a transmitter, a direction of which is indicated by at least one of a reception angle and a radiation angle; a control unit that estimates a state around the user based on the radio waves received by the plurality of antennas; and an output unit that outputs information according to a surrounding state of the user estimated by the control unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a head-mounted device, an information processing method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a technique is known for detecting that a user wearing a head-mounted device (e.g., a helmet) has fallen or the like using a sensor provided in the head-mounted device (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the prior art, there is a problem that it may be difficult to appropriately notify, for example, a user wearing a head-mounted device.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a technique capable of appropriately notifying a user wearing a head-mounted device in view of the above-described problems.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In a first aspect of the present disclosure, a head-mounted device is provided which is worn on the head of a user, and which includes a plurality of antennas that receive radio waves from a transmitter that indicate the direction to the transmitter by at least one of a receiving angle and a radiation angle, a control unit that estimates the state of the user's surroundings based on the radio waves received by the plurality of antennas, and an output unit that outputs information corresponding to the state of the user's surroundings estimated by the control unit.

[0007] Furthermore, in a second aspect relating to this disclosure, an information processing method is provided which estimates the state of the user's surroundings based on radio waves received by a plurality of antennas of a head-mounted device attached to the user's head, the plurality of antennas receiving radio waves from a transmitter that indicate the direction toward the transmitter by at least one of the receiving angle and the radiation angle, and outputs information corresponding to the estimated state of the user's surroundings.

[0008] Furthermore, in a third aspect relating to this disclosure, a program is provided that causes a computer to perform a process that estimates the state of the user's surroundings based on the radio waves received by a plurality of antennas of a head-mounted device attached to the user's head, which receive radio waves from a transmitter that indicate the direction toward the transmitter by at least one of the receiving angle and the radiation angle, and outputs information corresponding to the estimated state of the user's surroundings. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] From one perspective, it is possible to appropriately notify users wearing head-mounted devices. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example configuration of the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of the arrangement of each antenna in the head-mounted device 10 according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing device 100 of the head-mounted device 10 according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] The configuration of the information processing device 100 of the head-mounted device 10 according to this embodiment will be described. [Figure 5] This flowchart shows an example of the processing performed when an anomaly is detected by the information processing device 100 according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] This flowchart shows an example of the notification reception process of the information processing device 100 according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of the arrangement of the vibration device in the head-mounted device 10 according to the embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The principles of this disclosure will be described with reference to several exemplary embodiments. These embodiments are described for illustrative purposes only and should be understood as helping those skilled in the art to understand and implement this disclosure without implying any limitation on the scope of this disclosure. The disclosures described herein may be implemented in various ways other than those described below. In the following description and claims, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as those generally understood by those skilled in the art to which this disclosure belongs. Embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0012] <System Configuration> The configuration of the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment. Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of each antenna in the head-mounted device 10 according to the embodiment. In the example of Figure 1, the information processing system 1 has head-mounted devices 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D (hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish them, they will simply be referred to as "head-mounted device 10"). The information processing system 1 also has radio transceivers 20A, 20B, 20C, and 20D (hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish them, they will simply be referred to as "radio transceiver 20"). The information processing system 1 also has a transmitter 30. Note that the number of head-mounted devices 10, radio transceivers 20, and transmitters 30 is not limited to the example of Figure 1.

[0013] The transmitter 30 may be installed, for example, on a hook used to hang loads on a crane. The transmitter 30 transmits a predetermined radio wave to measure the direction from the head-mounted device 10 to the transmitter 30. The transmitter 30 may also transmit a predetermined radio wave when it detects shaking, for example, using an acceleration sensor or the like.

[0014] The radio 20 is installed within a facility (for example, a construction site, office, hospital, cruise ship, event venue, etc.), and one or more radios 20 transmit radio waves to each antenna of the head-mounted device 10 for positioning.

[0015] The head-mounted device 10 is an object worn on the head of a user (e.g., a worker, firefighter, maintenance worker, etc.). The head-mounted device 10 may be, for example, a protective helmet, headgear, etc. The head-mounted device 10 has multiple antennas, and the three-dimensional position of each antenna of the head-mounted device 10 is determined by wireless communication with the radio 20. In the example shown in Figure 2, the head-mounted device 10 is provided with an antenna 110A at the top (vertex) of the head-mounted device 10, and antennas 110B, 110C, and 110D on the outer circumference in the horizontal direction.

[0016] The head-mounted device 10 may calculate (locate) the positions of the respective antennas of the head-mounted device 10 based on at least one or more known indicators such as, for example, the angle of arrival (AoA), the angle of departure (AoD), the received signal strength (RSSI), the time difference of arrival TDOA (Time Difference of Arrival), the time of arrival TOA (Time of Arrival), etc. (hereinafter, also simply referred to as "AoA, etc." as appropriate). Note that the head-mounted device 10 may detect the posture of the head-mounted device 10 by, for example, a gyro sensor or the like, and further use the detected posture information to improve the positioning accuracy.

[0017] When the head-mounted device 10 detects an abnormality in the state of the user wearing the head-mounted device 10 (the state around the user), it notifies other head-mounted devices 10 wirelessly, such as BLE (Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy), UWB (Ultra Wide Band), or wireless LAN (Local Area Network).

[0018] <Hardware Configuration of the Information Processing Device (Computer) 100 of the Head-Mounted Device 10> FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing device 100 of the head-mounted device 10 according to the embodiment. In the example of FIG. 3, the information processing device 100 includes a processor 101, a memory 102, and a communication interface 103. These components may be connected by a bus or the like. The memory 102 stores at least a part of the program 104. The communication interface 103 includes an interface necessary for communication with other network elements.

[0019] When program 104 is executed in cooperation with the processor 101 and memory 102, the information processing device 100 performs at least some of the processing of embodiments of this disclosure. Memory 102 may be of any type suitable for a local technology network. Memory 102 may, in non-limiting examples, be a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium. Memory 102 may also be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory and removable memory. Although only one memory 102 is shown for the information processing device 100, the information processing device 100 may have several physically different memory modules. Processor 101 may be of any type. Processor 101 may include one or more general-purpose computers, dedicated computers, microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs), and, in non-limiting examples, processors based on multicore processor architectures. The information processing device 100 may have multiple processors, such as application-specific integrated circuit chips that are time-dependent to a clock that synchronizes the main processor.

[0020] Embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in hardware or in dedicated circuitry, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some embodiments may be implemented in hardware, while others may be implemented in firmware or software that can be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device.

[0021] This disclosure also provides at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions, such as instructions contained in a program module, and is executed on a device on a target real or virtual processor to perform the processes or methods of this disclosure. The program module includes routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc., that perform a specific task or implement a specific abstract data type. The functionality of the program module may be combined or divided among the program module as desired in various embodiments. The machine-executable instructions of the program module can be executed on a local or distributed device. On a distributed device, the program module can reside on both local and remote storage media.

[0022] Program code for performing the methods of this disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. These program codes are provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, a dedicated computer, or other programmable data processing device. When the program code is executed by the processor or controller, the functions / operations in the flowchart and / or block diagrams it implements are performed. The program code may run entirely on a machine, partially on a machine, partially as a standalone software package, partially on a machine, partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0023] Programs can be stored and supplied to a computer using various types of non-temporary computer-readable media. Non-temporary computer-readable media include various types of tangible recording media. Examples of non-temporary computer-readable media include magnetic recording media, magneto-optical recording media, optical disc media, and semiconductor memory. Magnetic recording media include, for example, flexible disks, magnetic tapes, and hard disk drives. Magneto-optical recording media include, for example, magneto-optical disks. Optical disc media include, for example, Blu-ray discs, CD (Compact Disc)-ROM (Read Only Memory), CD-R (Recordable), and CD-RW (ReWritable). Semiconductor memory includes, for example, solid-state drives, mask ROMs, PROMs (Programmable ROMs), EPROMs (Erasable PROMs), flash ROMs, and RAMs (Random Access Memory). Programs may also be supplied to a computer using various types of temporary computer-readable media. Examples of temporary computer-readable media include electrical signals, optical signals, and electromagnetic waves. Temporary computer-readable media can supply programs to a computer via wired communication channels such as electric wires and optical fibers, or via wireless communication channels.

[0024] <Configuration of the information processing device 100> Referring to Figure 4, the configuration of the information processing device 100 of the head-mounted device 10 according to the embodiment will be described. Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the information processing device 100 according to the embodiment. The information processing device 100 has a receiving unit 11, a control unit 12, and an output unit 13. Each of these units may be realized through the cooperation of one or more programs installed in the information processing device 100 and hardware such as the processor 101 and memory 102 of the information processing device 100. Alternatively, each of these units may be realized by dedicated circuits such as a microcontroller, FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), and ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit).

[0025] The receiving unit 11 receives (acquires, inputs) radio wave signals transmitted from other external devices such as the head-mounted device 10, the radio 20, and the transmitter 30, which indicate the direction toward the external device by at least one of the receiving angle and the radiation angle, from each antenna of the head-mounted device 10.

[0026] The control unit 12 performs various processes in the head-mounted device 10. For example, the control unit 12 estimates the user's state in the head-mounted device 10 based on radio waves from one or more wireless devices 20 received by multiple antennas of the head-mounted device 10. The output unit 13 outputs various information according to the instructions of the control unit 12. For example, the output unit 13 may output information corresponding to the user's state estimated by the control unit 12 through vibration, sound, display, etc. Alternatively, the output unit 13 may output (transmit, illuminate) information corresponding to the user's state estimated by the control unit 12 from the antenna.

[0027] <Processing> <<Processing when an anomaly is detected>> Next, with reference to Figure 5, an example of the processing performed by the information processing device 100 according to the embodiment when an anomaly is detected will be described. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing performed by the information processing device 100 according to the embodiment when an anomaly is detected. The information processing device 100 may perform the following processing, for example, at a predetermined interval (for example, every second).

[0028] In step S101, the control unit 12 of the information processing device 100 calculates the orientation of the head-mounted device 10. Here, the information processing device 100 first measures the three-dimensional position of each antenna of the head-mounted device 10 by wireless communication with the radio 20. Then, based on the relative positions between the antennas that have been registered in advance and the three-dimensional positions of each antenna that have been measured, the information processing device 100 calculates the orientation of the head-mounted device 10 (the three-dimensional orientation of the head-mounted device 10).

[0029] Next, the control unit 12 of the information processing device 100 estimates (determines) the user's state of the head-mounted device 10 based on the calculated posture of the head-mounted device 10 (step S102). Here, the information processing device 100 may estimate that the user of the head-mounted device 10 has fallen over if the tilt of the head-mounted device 10 is greater than or equal to a threshold (for example, 70°). The information processing device 100 may also consider the tilt of the head-mounted device 10 when the user is standing without bending their neck to be 0°.

[0030] Next, the output unit 13 of the information processing device 100 outputs information corresponding to the estimated user's state (step S103). Here, the output unit 13 of the information processing device 100 may output information corresponding to the estimated user's state by vibration or sound. Alternatively, the output unit 13 of the information processing device 100 may transmit information corresponding to the estimated user's state from the antenna of the head-mounted device 10. Here, for example, if an abnormality is detected in the user of the head-mounted device 10, the information processing device 100 may indicate the direction to the head-mounted device 10 using AoA, etc., and transmit radio waves containing information indicating that an abnormality has been detected in the user. This allows, for example, if user A of head-mounted device 10A has fallen, to call for help from user B of head-mounted device 10B and to allow user B to understand the direction from user B to user A. In this case, the information processing device 100 may wirelessly transmit a signal to indicate the direction to the head-mounted device 10 using AoA, etc., and a signal indicating that an abnormality has been detected in the user's state.

[0031] <<Processing upon notification reception>> Next, with reference to Figure 6, an example of the processing performed by the information processing device 100 upon receiving a notification according to the embodiment will be described. Figure 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing performed by the information processing device 100 upon receiving a notification according to the embodiment. The information processing device 100 may perform the following processing, for example, at a predetermined interval (for example, every second).

[0032] In step S201, the receiving unit 11 of the information processing device 100 of the head-mounted device 10 (hereinafter described as head-mounted device 10A) receives a radio wave signal from another head-mounted device 10 (hereinafter described as head-mounted device 10B).

[0033] Next, the control unit 12 of the information processing device 100 causes notification based on the received signal (step S202). Here, the information processing device 100 may, for example, notify the direction from the head-mounted device 10A to the head-mounted device 10B and the state of user B (hereinafter, also referred to as simply "user B" as appropriate) wearing the head-mounted device 10B by display on a display device, sound, or vibration. In this case, the information processing device 100 may vibrate one or more of the multiple vibration devices provided on the head-mounted device 10A, corresponding to the direction to be notified. This allows the user to intuitively understand, for example, the direction in which an abnormality has occurred.

[0034] Figure 7 shows an example of the arrangement of each vibration device in a head-mounted device 10 according to an embodiment. In the example of Figure 7, the head-mounted device 10 has vibration devices 111A to F (note that 111E and 111F are not shown. Hereafter, unless it is necessary to distinguish them, they will simply be referred to as "vibration device 111"). In the example of Figure 7, vibration device 111A is located on the top of the head, vibration device 111B on the front, vibration device 111C on the left side, vibration device 111D at a position corresponding to the user's chin (for example, the chin strap area), vibration device 111E on the right side, and vibration device 111E on the back.

[0035] The control unit 12 of the information processing device 100 may, for example, vibrate the vibration devices 111C and 111D when the direction of notification is to the lower left of the user. Alternatively, the control unit 12 of the information processing device 100 may vibrate the vibration devices 111B, 111C, and 111D when the direction of notification is to the lower left of the user's front side. The vibration device 111 may be, for example, a vibration device that generates vibration by the rotation of an eccentric motor having an eccentric weight at the tip of the motor. Alternatively, the vibration device 111 may be, for example, a vibration speaker that does not have a diaphragm. In this case, the vibration device 111 may generate sound by vibrating the part of the head-mounted device 10 that each of the vibration devices 111 is in contact with.

[0036] Furthermore, the vibration device 111 may be, for example, a conventional speaker having a diaphragm. In this case, the vibration device 111 may be provided, for example, on the part of the chin strap of the head-mounted device 10 that is located around the user's ear. The control unit 12 of the information processing device 100 may also determine the volume and phase of the sound to be output by each vibration device 111, which is a speaker, based on the direction of notification. This makes it possible to generate a sound that makes the user recognize that there is a sound source in the direction of notification.

[0037] (Example of a warning system for objects the user has not seen) The control unit 12 of the information processing device 100 may warn the user of objects that are not visible to the user. This can reduce accidents such as collisions or falls by the user. ((Example of a warning above the user's head)) The control unit 12 of the information processing device 100 may issue a warning regarding an object above the user's head. In this case, the transmitter 30 may be installed on an object that may be located above the user's head, such as a hook for attaching loads to a crane. The transmitter 30 may also transmit a predetermined radio wave indicating the direction to the transmitter 30 using AoA or the like, for example, when vibration is detected by an acceleration sensor or the like. When the control unit 12 of the information processing device 100 receives the radio wave from each antenna of the head-mounted device 10, it calculates the direction from the head-mounted device 10 to the transmitter 30 based on AoA or the like. If the calculated direction from the head-mounted device 10 to the transmitter 30 is above the user's head, the control unit 12 of the information processing device 100 may vibrate the vibration device 111A provided on the top of the head-mounted device 10. This allows the user of the head-mounted device 10 to intuitively understand, for example, that there is a load above their head that poses a risk of falling or other danger.

[0038] (An example of warning the user about their lack of awareness.) The control unit 12 of the information processing device 100 may issue a warning regarding an object at the user's feet. In this case, the transmitter 30 may be installed on an object that may be located at the user's feet, such as a manhole, a hole, or a hazardous object. The transmitter 30 may then transmit a predetermined radio wave that indicates the direction to the transmitter 30, for example, by AoA. When the control unit 12 of the information processing device 100 receives the radio wave from each antenna of the head-mounted device 10, it calculates the direction from the head-mounted device 10 to the transmitter 30 based on AoA. If the calculated direction from the head-mounted device 10 to the transmitter 30 is the direction of the user's feet, the control unit 12 of the information processing device 100 may vibrate the vibration device 111D located at a position corresponding to the user's chin on the head-mounted device 10. This allows the user of the head-mounted device 10 to intuitively understand, for example, that there is a hole or other object at their feet that poses a risk of falling.

[0039] (An example of warning about objects in directions other than the one the user's face is facing.) The control unit 12 of the information processing device 100 may issue a warning for an object in a direction other than the direction the user's face is facing. In this case, the control unit 12 of the information processing device 100 may output a warning corresponding to the direction the user's face is facing and the object located in the direction the user is moving. In this case, the control unit 12 of the information processing device 100 may determine the direction the front of the head-mounted device 10 is facing (the direction the user's face is facing) based on the three-dimensional orientation of the head-mounted device 10 calculated in step S101 of Figure 5.

[0040] Furthermore, the control unit 12 of the information processing device 100 may determine the user's direction of travel based, for example, on the transition of the three-dimensional position of each antenna of the head-mounted device 10 calculated in step S101 of Figure 5. The transmitter 30 may also be installed on a predetermined object such as a manhole, hole, or hazardous material. The transmitter 30 may also transmit a predetermined radio wave that indicates the direction to the transmitter 30, for example, by AoA.

[0041] Furthermore, when the radio waves are received by each antenna of the head-mounted device 10, the control unit 12 of the information processing device 100 may calculate the direction from the head-mounted device 10 to the transmitter 30 based on AoA, etc. The control unit 12 of the information processing device 100 may then determine whether the difference between the calculated direction from the head-mounted device 10 to the transmitter 30 and the user's direction of travel is less than or equal to a first threshold. If the difference is less than or equal to the first threshold (the user is moving in the direction of the transmitter 30), the control unit 12 of the information processing device 100 may then determine whether the difference between the direction from the head-mounted device 10 to the transmitter 30 and the direction in which the front of the head-mounted device 10 is facing is less than or equal to a second threshold. If the difference is not less than or equal to the second threshold (the user is not facing in the direction of the transmitter 30), the control unit 12 of the information processing device 100 may cause a specific notification, such as vibrating one or more vibration devices 111 corresponding to the direction from the head-mounted device 10 to the transmitter 30. This allows the user of the head-mounted device 10 to intuitively understand, for example, that there is danger in a direction other than the direction the user's face is facing.

[0042] ((Example of a warning system for objects hidden from the user's sight, such as objects in the shadows.)) The control unit 12 of the information processing device 100 may issue a warning for objects hidden from the user's view. In this case, the control unit 12 of the information processing device 100 may output a warning corresponding to objects visible from the user's face position and objects located in the user's direction of travel.

[0043] In this case, the control unit 12 of the information processing device 100 may determine the user's direction of travel and whether the user is in a vehicle or the like, based on the transition of the three-dimensional position of each antenna of the head-mounted device 10 calculated in step S101 of Figure 5. In this case, the control unit 12 of the information processing device 100 may determine, for example, that the user is in a vehicle or the like if the movement speed of the head-mounted device 10 is above a threshold.

[0044] Furthermore, the transmitter 30 may be installed on a predetermined object, such as a user or a mobile object. The mobile object may include, for example, a vehicle, an autonomously moving robot, and a drone. The transmitter 30 may also transmit, for example, information indicating the type of object on which the transmitter 30 is installed, and a predetermined radio wave indicating the direction to the transmitter 30, such as AoA.

[0045] Furthermore, if the control unit 12 of the information processing device 100 receives the radio waves from the antennas of the head-mounted device 10 while it is determined that the user is in a vehicle or the like, it may calculate the direction from the head-mounted device 10 to the transmitter 30 based on AoA or the like.The control unit 12 of the information processing device 100 may then determine whether the difference between the calculated direction from the head-mounted device 10 to the transmitter 30 and the user's direction of travel is less than or equal to a first threshold (i.e., whether the user is moving in the direction of the transmitter 30).

[0046] If the difference is less than or equal to a first threshold, the control unit 12 of the information processing device 100 may recognize (detect) the type of each object in the subject based on the image of the area corresponding to the direction from the head-mounted device 10 to the transmitter 30, from the image of the imaging device (camera) associated with the head-mounted device 10. The imaging device may be, for example, provided on the head-mounted device 10 so that at least the front of the head-mounted device 10 is included in the imaging range. Alternatively, the imaging device may be, for example, an imaging device of a wearable device such as smart glasses that is connected to the head-mounted device 10 by wireless communication or the like. The term "image" in this disclosure includes at least one of a moving image and a still image. If the control unit 12 of the information processing device 100 cannot recognize the type of object received from the transmitter 30, it may cause one or more vibration devices 111 corresponding to the direction from the head-mounted device 10 to the transmitter 30 to vibrate, or otherwise provide a specific notification. This allows the user of the head-mounted device 10 to intuitively understand, for example, that there is a danger such as something jumping out from behind an object.

[0047] (An example of a warning system for an object the user is unaware of.) The control unit 12 of the information processing device 100 may also warn about objects that the user is not aware of. In this case, for example, as described above, when the control unit 12 of the information processing device 100 receives the radio waves from the antennas of the head-mounted device 10 while it is determined that the user is riding in a vehicle or the like, it may calculate the direction from AoA to the transmitter 30 based on AoA or the like.

[0048] Furthermore, the control unit 12 of the information processing device 100 may determine whether the user is aware of danger based on information from a biosensor associated with the head-mounted device 10, if the difference between the calculated direction from the head-mounted device 10 to the transmitter 30 and the user's direction of travel is less than or equal to a first threshold. The biosensor may include, for example, an electroencephalograph and a heart rate monitor. The biosensor may be provided on the head-mounted device 10. Alternatively, the biosensor may be attached to the user and transmit information to the information processing device 100 wirelessly or by other means.

[0049] Furthermore, the control unit 12 of the information processing device 100 may, for example, use AI or the like to determine whether the user is in a specific state, such as being surprised, based on information from the biosensor. If the user is not in that specific state, the control unit 12 of the information processing device 100 may cause a specific notification, such as vibrating one or more vibration devices 111 corresponding to the direction from the head-mounted device 10 to the transmitter 30. This allows the user of the head-mounted device 10 to intuitively understand that there is danger in the direction of the transmitter 30, for example, if the user is distracted and unaware of the danger.

[0050] (Example of notifying of an abnormality in the user of another head-mounted device 10) The control unit 12 of the information processing device 100 may indicate the direction to the head-mounted device 10B using AoA or the like, and if it receives a radio wave from the head-mounted device 10B that includes information indicating that an abnormality has been detected in the user B's condition, it may also notify the direction from the head-mounted device 10A to the head-mounted device 10B. In this case, the information processing device 100 of the head-mounted device 10A may wirelessly receive a signal indicating the direction from the head-mounted device 10A to the head-mounted device 10B using AoA or the like, and a signal indicating that an abnormality has been detected in the user B's condition.

[0051] (Example of notifying other users of directions) The control unit 12 of the information processing device 100 may notify the user of the direction to other users who are not in a state of instability if the user has fallen or otherwise fallen. This allows the user who has fallen or otherwise fallen to know which direction to call for help. In this case, the control unit 12 of the information processing device 100 of the head-mounted device 10 (hereinafter described as head-mounted device 10A) first indicates the direction to the other head-mounted device 10 (hereinafter described as head-mounted device 10C) using AoA or the like, and receives radio waves from the head-mounted device 10C that contain information indicating that no abnormality has been detected in user C wearing the head-mounted device 10C. Then, if the information processing device 100 detects an abnormality in the state of user A of the head-mounted device 10A, it notifies the user of the direction from head-mounted device A to head-mounted device C by display on a display device, sound, or vibration.

[0052] <Variation> The information processing device 100 of the head-mounted device 10 may be a device contained in a single housing, but the information processing device 100 of this disclosure is not limited to this. Each part of the information processing device 100 (for example, the control unit 12) may be implemented by cloud computing, which is composed of, for example, one or more computers. In this case, the information processing device 100 may communicate with an external server, for example, by a wireless LAN or a mobile communication network such as 5G. Such information processing devices 100 are also included as examples of "information processing devices" in this disclosure.

[0053] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0054] 1. Information Processing System 10 Head-mounted device 11 Receiving unit 12 Control Unit 13 Output section 20 Radios 30 Transmitters 100 Information Processing Devices

Claims

1. A head-mounted device that is attached to the user's head, Multiple antennas that receive radio waves from the transmitter, indicating the direction to the transmitter by at least one of the receiving angle and the radiation angle, A control unit that estimates the state of the user's surroundings based on radio waves received by the aforementioned multiple antennas, An output unit that outputs information corresponding to the user's surroundings estimated by the control unit, A head-mounted device having the following features.

2. The head-mounted device has a vibrating device provided on the top of the head, The control unit vibrates the vibration device when the direction from the head-mounted device to the transmitter is above the user's head. The head-mounted device according to claim 1.

3. The device has a vibrating mechanism located at a position corresponding to the user's jaw, The control unit vibrates the vibration device if the direction from the head-mounted device to the transmitter is towards the user's feet. The head-mounted device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. Having three or more vibration devices, The control unit vibrates a plurality of the three or more vibration devices according to the direction to be notified. The head-mounted device according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The control unit shall, if the difference between the direction from the head-mounted device to the transmitter and the direction of travel of the head-mounted device is less than or equal to a first threshold, and the difference between the direction from the head-mounted device to the transmitter and the front direction of the head-mounted device is not less than or equal to a second threshold, cause a specific notification to be made. The head-mounted device according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The control unit shall, if the difference between the direction from the head-mounted device to the transmitter and the direction of travel of the head-mounted device is below a threshold, and the type of object received from the transmitter cannot be recognized based on the image of the imaging device associated with the head-mounted device, cause a specific notification to be issued. The head-mounted device according to claim 1 or 2.

7. A head-mounted device worn on the user's head has multiple antennas that receive radio waves from a transmitter, with the direction to the transmitter indicated by at least one of the receiving angle and the radiation angle. Based on the radio waves received by the multiple antennas, the state of the user's surroundings is estimated. Output information corresponding to the estimated surrounding conditions of the user. Information processing methods.

8. A head-mounted device worn on the user's head has multiple antennas that receive radio waves from a transmitter, with the direction to the transmitter indicated by at least one of the receiving angle and the radiation angle. Based on the radio waves received by the multiple antennas, the state of the user's surroundings is estimated. Output information corresponding to the estimated surrounding conditions of the user. A program that instructs a computer to perform a process.

Images