Devices and communication systems

Abstract

To provide a device and a communication system capable of obtaining information on a ground surface.SOLUTION: A device (white stick 1) comprises a base, a rotating body, a housing, a motion sensor (first sensor of sensors 26), a processor (control unit 2531), a memory (storage unit 2532), and a notification a device 27. The rotating body is provided on the base and rotates relative to the base. The housing is provided on the rotating body. The motion sensor is provided within the housing. The processor analyzes information detected by the motion sensor. The memory holds the information detected by the motion sensor. The notification device notifies information according to a result of the analysis by the processor to an outside by at least one of vibration and sound.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a device and a communication system.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a white cane used by visually impaired people has been known. Such a white cane detects the road surface conditions by operating it in the left - right direction while bringing the tip into contact with the ground.

[0003] Although the white cane can confirm obstacles on the walking path, it is difficult to obtain information about the ground of the driving path such as the slipperiness of the ground and the presence or absence of unevenness. Also, obtaining such ground information is required not only for white canes.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] An object of the problems to be solved by the present invention is to provide a device and a communication system capable of obtaining ground information.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The device according to the embodiment includes a base, a rotating body, a housing, a motion sensor, a processor, a memory, and an informing device. The rotating body is provided on the base and rotates with respect to the base. The housing is provided on the rotating body The housing is slid from side to side on the ground while in contact with the ground during use. and slides on the ground. The motion sensor is provided inside the housing. The motion sensor detects at least one of angular velocity and acceleration as information.The processor analyzes the information detected by the motion sensor. The memory stores the information detected by the motion sensor. The notification device notifies the outside of the information corresponding to the results of the analysis by the processor, using at least one of vibration and sound. . Me Mori, This includes non-slip surfaces with a friction coefficient suitable for walking, slippery surfaces with a friction coefficient unsuitable for walking, and uneven surfaces that can cause people to trip while walking. The system stores a first threshold and a second threshold for determining multiple ground conditions. The first threshold is a value smaller than the lower limit of the information detected by the motion sensor on slippery ground, and larger than the lower limit of the information detected by the motion sensor on non-slippery ground. The second threshold is a value larger than the upper limit of the information detected by the motion sensor on both non-slippery and slippery ground, and smaller than the upper limit of the information detected by the motion sensor on uneven ground. The processor determines that the ground is slippery if the number of times the information detected by the motion sensor falls below the first threshold is less than a predetermined number of times, and that the number of times the information detected by the motion sensor exceeds the second threshold is less than a predetermined number of times, and that the ground is not slippery if the number of times the information falls below the first threshold is greater than a predetermined number of times, and that the number of times the information detected by the motion sensor exceeds the second threshold is greater than a predetermined number of times, and that the ground is uneven. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the embodiment, a device and communication system can be provided that can obtain ground information. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] An explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a communication system using a tip as an RFID device according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] A block diagram showing the configuration of a communication system using a tip according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] An explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a white cane according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] A block diagram showing the configuration of the tip according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] A perspective view showing the configuration of the tip according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] An exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the tip according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] A cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the butt cap according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] An exploded perspective view showing the main components of the tip of a wedge according to an embodiment. [Figure 9]Perspective view showing a partial cutaway of the configuration of the first housing used in the case of the stone protrusion according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] Exploded perspective view showing the main part configuration of the stone protrusion according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] Perspective view showing the main part configuration of the stone protrusion according to the embodiment. [Figure 12] Side view showing the configuration of the third housing used in the case according to the embodiment. [[ID=ll]] [Figure 13] Exploded view showing the configuration of the third housing according to the embodiment. [Figure 14] Perspective view showing the configuration of the battery and control board of the stone protrusion according to the embodiment. [Figure 15] Perspective view showing the configuration of the battery and control board of the stone protrusion according to the embodiment. [Figure 16] Perspective view showing the configuration of the antenna of the stone protrusion according to the embodiment. [Figure 17] Side view showing the configuration of the antenna according to the embodiment. [Figure 18] Perspective view showing the configuration of the control board according to the embodiment. [Figure 19] Explanatory view showing an example of the information on the ground and the threshold value that can be obtained by the stone protrusion according to the embodiment. [Figure 20] Flow chart showing an example of the use of the communication system according to the embodiment. [Figure 21] Block diagram showing the configuration of the non-contact charging system according to the embodiment.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 19, the configurations of the white cane 1, the communication system 2, and the non-contact charging system 3 having the RFID device 12 according to one embodiment will be described.

[0010] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a communication system 2 using a white cane 1 with a tip 12 as an RFID device, and Figure 2 is a schematic block diagram illustrating the configuration of the communication system 2 using the tip 12. Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the white cane 1. Figure 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the tip (RFID device) 12.

[0011] Figures 5 to 7 show the configuration of the tip 12, with Figure 5 being a perspective view, Figure 6 an exploded perspective view, and Figure 7 a cross-sectional view. Figure 8 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the tip 12 with the third housing 213 of case 21 omitted, and Figure 9 is a perspective view showing a portion of the configuration of the first housing 211 used in case 21. Figure 10 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the second housing 212, battery 22, antenna 23, and control board 25 of case 21. Figure 11 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the first component 2122, battery 22, and control board 25 of the second housing 212.

[0012] Figures 12 and 13 show the configuration of the third housing 213, with Figure 12 being a side view and Figure 13 being an exploded view. Figure 14 shows the configuration of the battery 22 and control board 25 when the first housing 211 and the third housing 213 are in the second position, and Figure 15 shows the configuration of the battery 22 and control board 25 when the first housing 211 and the third housing 213 are in the third position. Figures 16 and 17 show the configuration of the antenna 23, with Figure 16 being a perspective view and Figure 17 being a side view. Figure 18 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the control board 25. Figure 19 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of ground information and thresholds that can be obtained by the tip 12, and Figure 20 is a flowchart showing an example of the use of the communication system 2. Figure 21 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the contactless charging system 3 according to the embodiment.

[0013] As shown in Figure 1, the white cane 1, for example, uses an RFID device 12 to read RFID tags 6 on the user's walking path and notifies the user's terminal 5 of the read information. The RFID device 12 of the white cane 1, the terminal 5, and the RFID tags 6 constitute a communication system 2. In addition, either the white cane 1 or the tip 12, and / or the communication system 2, constitute a device capable of notifying the user of the ground conditions, which are road surface information of the walking path. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 21, the RFID device 12 of the white cane 1, together with the power transmission device 7, constitutes a contactless charging system 3. The contactless charging system 3 performs contactless charging of the RFID device 12 of the white cane 1 by supplying power to the RFID device 12 from the power transmission device 7.

[0014] First, the structure of the white cane 1 will be explained using Figures 2 to 18. As shown in Figure 3, the white cane 1 comprises a white cane body 11 and an RFID device 12. The RFID device 12 is an RFID reader that reads information from the RFID tag 6. Here, the RFID device 12 constitutes the tip of the cane. In the following description, the RFID device 12 will be referred to as the tip 12. Furthermore, the vertical direction will be defined as the tip 12 side of the white cane 1 being downwards in the following description.

[0015] As shown in Figure 3, the white cane body 11 is formed so that it can be folded into multiple sections, for example. When unfolded, the white cane body 11 is formed into a rod shape. The white cane body 11 has a grip 111 at one end and a tip 12 attached to the other end. The white cane body 11 may be a retractable sliding type, or it may be formed from a single shaft.

[0016] As shown in Figures 2 to 11, the tip 12 comprises a case 21, a battery 22, an antenna 23, a power receiving coil 24, a control board 25, a sensor 26, and a notification device 27. When the white cane 1 is in use, for example, the tip 12 slides on the ground from side to side while in contact with the ground, rotating relative to the white cane body 11.

[0017] The case 21 forms the outer casing of the tip 12, which rotates around a central axis coaxial with the axis of the white cane body 11. As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the case 21 houses an electronic device, including a battery 22, an antenna 23, a receiving coil 24, a control board 25, and a sensor 26. As a specific example, as shown in Figures 5 to 8, the case 21 comprises a first housing 211, a second housing 212, and a third housing 213.

[0018] The first housing 211 is the outer casing of the foot 12. The first housing 211 houses the battery 22, antenna 23, receiving coil 24, control board 25, and second housing 212. When the first housing 211 is rotated around its central axis, its corners rotate on the ground. The first housing 211 is fixed to the third housing 213. The first housing 211 is formed of, for example, a resin material. The first housing 211 is formed of, for example, polyacetal.

[0019] As shown in Figures 5 to 9, the first housing 211 is formed in the shape of a bottomed cylinder. For example, the first housing 211 is formed in the shape of a bottomed cylinder. The bottom of the first housing 211 is formed in the shape of a flat plate with curved corners, or in the shape of a hemisphere. The external shape of the first housing 211 is set as appropriate, as long as it can house the battery 22, antenna 23, receiving coil 24, control board 25 and second housing 212 and slide on the ground. Other examples of the external shape of the first housing 211 include a spherical shape, a polygonal prism shape, a gourd shape, etc.

[0020] As a specific example, as shown in Figures 6 to 9, the first housing 211 has, for example, a radially extending rib 2111 at the bottom of the interior and a plurality of protrusions 2112 formed at the radial ends of the rib 2111. The first housing 211 has an insertion portion 2113, a plurality of first protrusions 2114 formed on the outer circumferential surface of the insertion portion 2113, and second protrusions 2115 formed on the outer circumferential surface of the insertion portion 2113. The first housing 211 also has a guide display portion 2116 formed adjacent to the insertion portion 2113.

[0021] The rib 2111 is integrally formed on the upper surface of the bottom of the first housing 211. The rib 2111 extends radially in four directions from the center of the bottom of the first housing 211, for example. In other words, the rib 2111 is formed in a cross shape and protrudes from the upper surface of the bottom of the first housing 211. The upper surface of the rib 2111 is formed as a plane extending in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the first housing 211.

[0022] The projections 2112 extend axially from the radial end of the rib 2111 in the direction of the first housing 211. The projections 2112 are formed integrally with the inner circumferential surface of the first housing 211. Multiple projections 2112 are each integrally formed at the radial end of the rib 2111. In this embodiment, since the rib 2111 is formed in a cross shape, four projections 2112 are provided. For example, one of the four projections 2112 has a greater axial height than the other three projections 2112.

[0023] The ribs 2111 and / or the multiple projections 2112 have at least a portion of their upper surfaces in contact with the antenna 23, thereby supporting the antenna 23 in the axial direction.

[0024] The insertion portion 2113 is formed at the opening upper end of the first housing 211. The insertion portion 2113 is inserted into the third housing 213. The insertion portion 2113 is formed to have a smaller diameter than the outer diameter of the central side of the first housing 211. The insertion portion 2113 is formed, for example, by making the opening end of the first housing 211 thinner than the outer diameter of the central side of the first housing 211.

[0025] Multiple first protrusions 2114 are arranged at equal intervals on the outer circumferential surface of the insertion portion 2113. For example, two first protrusions 2114 are provided. For example, the two first protrusions 2114 are arranged symmetrically on the outer circumferential surface of the insertion portion 2113. The second protrusion 2115 is provided, for example, between the two first protrusions 2114 in the circumferential direction of the insertion portion 2113.

[0026] The guidance display unit 2116 displays the position of the first housing 211 inserted into the third housing 213. For example, the guidance display unit 2116 is a display that guides the user to the position for attaching and detaching the first housing 211 and the third housing 213, and to the position for turning the power ON / OFF. For example, the guidance display unit 2116 has three indentations to guide these positions, and raised or braille markings to indicate "OFF" and "ON". In other words, the guidance display unit 2116 is a display that guides the user to the operating position of the tip 12 by sight or touch.

[0027] As shown in Figure 8, the second housing 212 is formed in a cylindrical shape that can be inserted into the first housing 211. The second housing 212 is housed inside the first housing 211. For example, the second housing 212 is formed in a cylindrical shape. The outer diameter of the second housing 212 is formed to be slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the first housing 211 so that it can be inserted into the first housing 211. The second housing 212 houses or holds, for example, a battery 22, an antenna 23, a receiving coil 24, a control board 25, and a sensor 26. The circumferential movement of the second housing 212 is restricted by the first housing 211. In addition, the axial movement of the second housing 212 is restricted by the first housing 211 and the third housing 213. As a result, the second housing 212 is fixed to the first housing 211 and the third housing 213.

[0028] The second housing 212, for example, holds an antenna 23 at its lower end. The second housing 212, for example, houses a battery 22 and a control board 25 inside. The second housing 212, for example, holds a power receiving coil 24 on its outer circumferential surface. The second housing 212, for example, holds a part of a sensor 26 at its upper end. The second housing 212 also has, for example, four notches 2121 formed at its lower end, into which the four protrusions 2112 of the first housing 211 are positioned. The notches 2121 engage with the protrusions 2112 in the circumferential direction, thereby restricting the circumferential movement of the second housing 212 relative to the first housing 211.

[0029] The second housing 212 is formed from a single component or constructed by assembling multiple components. Specifically, as shown in Figures 8 and 10, the second housing 212 comprises a first component 2122 and a second component 2123. The second housing 212 is formed by assembling the first component 2122 and the second component 2123 as a single unit.

[0030] The first component 2122 is formed in a cylindrical shape with openings at both ends. The first component 2122, for example, holds an antenna 23 at its lower end and a power receiving coil 24 on its outer circumferential surface. The first component 2122, for example, holds a battery 22 and a control board 25. The lower ends of the battery 22 and the control board 25 are inserted into the first component 2122, and the first component 2122 holds the battery 22 and the control board 25. The first component 2122 has ribs, protrusions, etc. formed on it so as to restrict the radial and circumferential movement of the battery 22 and the control board 25.

[0031] The second component 2123 is formed in a cylindrical shape with openings at both ends. The second component 2123 is fixed to the first component 2122 by engagement or fitting, for example, by claws or protrusions. The second component 2123 is assembled to the first component 2122, for example, to form a cylindrical second housing 212 together with the first component 2122. The second component 2123 covers the radial periphery of the battery 22 and control board 25 held by the first component 2122. The second component 2123 also has a holding portion 21231 at its upper end, on which a part of the sensor 26 is provided, and a restricting portion 21232 that covers the upper part of the control board 25.

[0032] The holding portion 21231 holds, for example, the Hall sensor 2621 of the sensor 26, which will be described later. The restricting portion 21232 restricts the axial movement of the control board 25. The restricting portion 21232 is, for example, a rib formed in the opening at the upper end of the second component 2123 and facing at least a portion of the upper end of the control board 25 in the axial direction. The upper end of the second component 2123 also has an opening in the portion facing the battery 22 in the axial direction.

[0033] The third housing 213 is fixed to the tip of the white cane body 11. As shown in Figure 5, the third housing 213 fixes the first housing 211 so that it can rotate around the axial direction of the white cane body 11. As shown in Figures 5 to 7, Figure 12 and Figure 13, the third housing 213 includes, for example, a base 2131 fixed to the white cane body 11, a bearing member 2132 provided on the base 2131, and a cover 2133 fixed to the bearing member 2132.

[0034] The base portion 2131 includes, for example, a fixed portion 21311, an umbrella portion 21312 integrally formed with the fixed portion 21311, and a shaft portion 21313 integrally formed with the umbrella portion 21312.

[0035] The fixed portion 21311 is fixed to the tip of the white cane body 11. The umbrella portion 21312 covers the upper surface of the lid portion 2133. The shaft portion 21313 is, for example, coaxial with the white cane body 11 which is fixed to the fixed portion 21311. The shaft portion 21313 has a bearing member 2132 inserted into or fitted into it, and the bearing member 2132 is fixed axially by a bolt 21314 or the like.

[0036] The bearing member 2132 is, for example, a ball bearing or a needle bearing. The bearing member 2132 rotatably holds the cover portion 2133 on the shaft portion 21313.

[0037] The lid portion 2133 is a rotating body rotatably mounted on the base portion 2131. The lid portion 2133 is rotatably fixed to the shaft portion 21313 of the base portion 2131 via a bearing member 2132. The lid portion 2133 rotates relative to the base portion 2131. The lid portion 2133 fixes the first housing 211. The lid portion 2133 covers the open end of the first housing 211. With the first housing 211 fixed, the lid portion 2133 is formed to allow the first housing 211 to move to two positions where the power to the foot fin 12 is turned ON and OFF.

[0038] For example, as shown in Figure 6, the lid 2133 is provided with a first terminal 25211 of the positive terminal 2521 connected to the battery 22. The lid 2133 is configured such that when the relative circumferential position of the lid 2133 and the first housing 211 changes, the first terminal 25211 moves, thereby switching the conductivity state of the battery 22 and the control board 25.

[0039] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the lid portion 2133 comprises a top plate portion 21331, an outer peripheral wall portion 21332, and an inner peripheral wall portion 21333. The top plate portion 21331 is formed in a disc shape. As shown in Figures 6, 7, and 13, the top plate portion 21331 is fixed to the bearing member 2132.

[0040] The outer peripheral wall portion 21332 is integrally formed with the outer peripheral edge of the top plate portion 21331. The inner diameter of the outer peripheral wall portion 21332 is larger than the outer diameter of the insertion portion 2113 of the first housing 211. Furthermore, the inner diameter of the outer peripheral wall portion 21332 is smaller than the circumscribed circles of the multiple first projections 2114 formed on the insertion portion 2113, which are coaxial with the central axis of the first housing 211, and the circumscribed circles of the second projections 2115 formed on the insertion portion 2113, which are coaxial with the central axis of the first housing 211.

[0041] The outer peripheral wall portion 21332 has, for example, first grooves 21335 and second grooves 21336 formed on its inner peripheral surface. The first grooves 21335 are provided in the same number as the first projections 2114 of the insertion portion 2113. The first grooves 21335 are formed to allow insertion of the first projections 2114. The first grooves 21335 extend in the axial direction of the outer peripheral wall portion 21332. In addition, the first grooves 21335 extend in one direction along the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral wall portion 21332 on the central side in the axial direction of the outer peripheral wall portion 21332. Here, the one direction along the circumferential direction is the direction in which the first housing 211 and the third housing 213 are rotated and fixed.

[0042] The second groove 21336 is formed to allow the second projection 2115 to be inserted in the axial direction and to allow the second projection 2115 to move in the circumferential direction. For example, the second groove 21336 is formed in such a way that when a rotational force greater than a certain amount is applied to the first housing 211 and the lid 2133, the second projection 2115 can move in the circumferential direction between the first and second positions, and between the second and third positions, and the first housing 211 and the lid 2133 can rotate. Alternatively, for example, the second groove 21336 restricts the movement of the second projection 2115 between the first and second positions, and between the second and third positions, when a rotational force less than a certain amount is applied to the first housing 211 and the lid 2133.

[0043] Here, the first position is the position in which the insertion portion 2113 is inserted into the cover portion 2133. The second position is the position in which the insertion portion 2113 is fixed to the cover portion 2133, and in which the first terminal 25211 and the second terminal 25212 of the positive terminal 2521 are separated, as shown in Figure 14. The third position is the position in which the insertion portion 2113 is fixed to the cover portion 2133, and in which the first terminal 25211 and the second terminal 25212 of the positive terminal 2521 are in contact, as shown in Figure 15.

[0044] Furthermore, the fixing of the insertion portion 2113 to the third housing 213 in the second and third positions means that the axial movement and relative circumferential movement of the first housing 211 and the third housing 213 are restricted. Specifically, in the second and third positions, the first projection 2114 of the insertion portion 2113 is located in the portion of the first groove 21335 that extends in the circumferential direction, thereby restricting the axial movement of the insertion portion 2113 (first housing 211) relative to the lid portion 2133 of the third housing 213. Also, in the second and third positions, the movement of the second projection 2115 is restricted by the second groove 21336, thereby restricting the circumferential movement of the first housing 211 relative to the lid portion 2133 of the third housing 213.

[0045] For example, the second groove 21336 is composed of a plurality of grooves that extend axially, each of which a second projection 2115 can be positioned. Specifically, the second groove 21336 is composed of three grooves formed at positions corresponding to the first, second, and third positions.

[0046] The inner circumferential wall portion 21333 is positioned with a predetermined gap between it and the inner surface of the outer circumferential wall portion 21332, allowing for the insertion portion 2113 to be placed. The height of the inner circumferential wall portion 21333 from the top plate portion 21331 may be formed at different heights depending on the location. Furthermore, the inner circumferential wall portion 21333 may be composed of multiple arc-shaped wall portions arranged in the circumferential direction.

[0047] In this configuration, the case 21 has its base 2131 fixed to the white cane body 11. The shaft portion 21313 and bearing member 2132 of the base 2131 constitute a rotating mechanism. The first housing 211, the second housing 212, and the lid portion 2133 rotate relative to the base 2131 by the rotating mechanism (shaft portion 21313 and bearing member 2132) and constitute a rotating part that houses various electronic devices. Furthermore, the case 21 is fixed to the first housing 211 in the circumferential direction by the engagement of the projection 2112 and the notch 2121 in the circumferential direction. Furthermore, the case 21 is fixed to the first housing 211 and the third housing 213 in the axial direction by the antenna 23 or the second housing 212 contacting the rib 2111 or projection 2112 of the first housing 211, and by the second housing 212 or the battery 22 contacting a part of the third housing 213 (for example, a part of the lid 2133) or the first terminal 25211 fixed to the lid 2133 of the third housing 213.

[0048] Battery 22 is a power source that supplies power to the antenna 23, control board 25, and sensor 26. Battery 22 is a rechargeable battery.

[0049] Antenna 23 has a radiating element. Antenna 23 is, for example, a linearly polarized antenna. For example, antenna 23 is an inverted-F antenna or a patch antenna (strip antenna). Antenna 23 may also be a circularly polarized antenna. Antenna 23 is formed in a shape that can be placed inside the first housing 211 and attached to the second housing 212. The external shape of antenna 23 is formed in a circular shape, for example, with a diameter less than or equal to the inner diameter of the first housing 211.

[0050] As a specific example, as shown in Figures 16 and 17, the antenna 23 comprises a base 231, a ground layer 232, and an antenna pattern 233. Figure 16 also shows an example of the antenna pattern 233 and the feed point 234. The base 231 is formed, for example, in the shape of a disc with a diameter less than or equal to the inner diameter of the first housing 211. The base 231 may be an annular shape with an opening in the center, or it may be a plate shape with one main surface protruding in a cylindrical shape. The antenna 23 is not limited to a circular shape as long as it can be placed inside the first housing 211 and attached to the second housing 212.

[0051] The base 231 is formed across both main surfaces and has one or more through-holes 2311 connecting the ground layer 232 and the antenna pattern 233. The ground layer 232 is formed on one main surface of the base 231. The antenna pattern 233 is formed on the other main surface of the base 231. The antenna pattern 233 forms a radiating element.

[0052] The receiving coil 24 receives power transmitted from the transmitting coil 74 and supplies the received power to the receiving circuit 2551, which will be described later. As shown in Figures 8 and 11, the receiving coil 24 is formed in a cylindrical shape. The receiving surface of the receiving coil 24, which receives power, is formed in a cylindrical shape. The receiving coil 24 is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the second housing 212. As a specific example, as shown in Figure 11, the receiving coil 24 is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the first component 2122 of the second housing 212.

[0053] The power receiving coil 24 is mounted on the second housing 212, coaxially with the first housing 211, the second housing 212, and the third housing 213. In other words, the power receiving coil 24 is positioned coaxially with the rotation center of the first housing 211, i.e., the shaft portion 21313 and bearing member 2132 of the third housing 213, which constitute the rotation mechanism. As shown in Figure 21, the power receiving coil 24 is connected in series or parallel with a power receiving resonant capacitor 2553, which will be described later, to form a resonant circuit (power receiving resonant circuit).

[0054] The receiving coil 24, acting as a resonant receiving circuit, electromagnetically couples with the transmitting coil 74 when it is in close proximity to it. In the receiving coil 24, an induced current is generated by the magnetic field output from the transmitting coil 74. The receiving coil 24 may be configured as a wound structure in which insulated wires are wound, or it may be configured by forming a coil pattern on a cylindrical printed circuit board.

[0055] The receiving coil 24 supplies the received AC power to the receiving circuit 2551, which will be described later. Furthermore, for example, when a magnetic field resonance method is used for power transmission, the self-resonant frequency of the receiving resonant circuit as the receiving coil 24 is set to be approximately the same as the frequency transmitted by the transmitting coil 74.

[0056] Figures 7, 8, 10, 11, 14, 15, and 18 show examples of the control board 25. The control board 25 comprises a board 251 and terminals 252. The control board 25 is configured to perform various processes through processing circuits, modules, and wiring patterns mounted on the board 251. As a specific example, the control board 25 comprises an RFID module 253, a communication unit 254, and a power receiving unit 255. The control board 25 is connected to an antenna 23 and a power receiving coil 24. The control board 25 is also connected to a battery 22 via terminals 252.

[0057] The substrate 251 is formed in a rectangular shape that can be housed, for example, within the second housing 212. The substrate 251 may be composed of multiple substrates. In a specific example, the substrate 251 comprises a first substrate 2511 and a second substrate 2512. The first substrate 2511 and the second substrate 2512 are electrically connected. The first substrate 2511 and the second substrate 2512 are arranged within the second housing 212, side by side in the radial direction of the second housing 212.

[0058] Terminal 252 is connected to the battery 22. Terminal 252 includes a positive terminal 2521 and a negative terminal 2522.

[0059] The positive terminal 2521 contacts the positive terminal of the battery 22. Specifically, the positive terminal 2521 comprises a first terminal 25211 and a second terminal 25212. The first terminal 25211 is fixed to the third housing 213. When the first housing 211, which houses the second housing 212, is fixed to the lid 2133 of the third housing 213 and is in the second position, the first terminal 25211 contacts the positive terminal of the battery 22 and is separated from the second terminal 25212, as shown in Figures 7 and 14. When the first housing 211, which houses the second housing 212, is fixed to the lid 2133 of the third housing 213 and is in the third position, the first terminal 25211 contacts both the positive terminal of the battery 22 and the second terminal 25212, as shown in Figures 7 and 15.

[0060] For example, as shown in Figures 6, 14, and 15, the first terminal 25211 is formed in the shape of a strip extending in an arc. When the first housing 211 and the third housing 213 rotate relative to each other and move from the second position to the third position, the first terminal 25211 moves circumferentially along with the circumferential movement of the third housing 213, connecting the positive terminal of the battery 22 to the second terminal 25212.

[0061] The second terminal 25212 is provided on the substrate 251. For example, the second terminal 25212 is provided on one of the substrates 251 adjacent to the battery 22 within the second housing 212. Specifically, the second terminal 25212 is provided on the upper end side of the first substrate 2511 in a position housed within the second housing 212. The second terminal 25212 is in contact with the first terminal 25211 in the second position.

[0062] The negative terminal 2522 contacts the negative terminal of the battery 22. For example, the negative terminal 2522 is provided on one of the substrates 251 adjacent to the battery 22 within the second housing 212. Specifically, the negative terminal 2522 is provided at the lower end of the first substrate 2511 when it is housed within the second housing 212. The negative terminal 2522 contacts the negative terminal of the battery 22 when the battery 22 is placed in the second housing 212.

[0063] The RFID module 253 is electrically connected to the antenna 23. The RFID module 253 reads, for example, an RFID tag 6. The RFID module 253, together with the antenna 23, constitutes an RFID reader. Alternatively, the RFID module 253 may be configured with the antenna 23 to function as an RFID reader / writer, capable of reading and writing to the RFID tag 6.

[0064] The RFID module 253 controls the antenna 23 and emits radio waves from the antenna 23 to wirelessly transmit data to the RFID tag 6. The RFID module 253 thus supplies power to the RFID tag 6 by emitting radio waves from the antenna 23, demodulates the data in the RFID tag 6, and receives the response wave sent back from the RFID tag 6 via the antenna 23 by changing the load on the antenna 23. In this way, the RFID module 253 reads the data from the RFID tag 6.

[0065] As a concrete example, let's explain how the RFID module 253 reads the RFID tag 6. First, the RFID module 253 emits radio waves from the antenna 23 to communicate wirelessly with the RFID tag 6, and the RFID tag 6 is activated when it receives these radio waves. Next, the RFID module 253 amplitude modulates the carrier wave emitted from the antenna 23 with a signal that encodes the communication data. The RFID tag 6 demodulates the amplitude-modulated communication data and sends back a response wave by changing the load on its antenna. The RFID module 253 receives this response wave via the antenna 23 and obtains the data from the RFID tag 6.

[0066] The RFID module 253 includes, for example, a control unit 2531 and a memory unit 2532. The RFID module 253 is also appropriately equipped with couplers, filters, amplifiers, low-pass filters, baluns, etc., depending on the reader function of the RFID module 253. The control unit 2531 performs arithmetic processing. The control unit 2531 is a processor as a processing circuit. The control unit 2531 performs various processing based on programs stored in the memory unit and data used in the programs. The memory unit 2532 stores programs and data used in the programs, etc. The memory unit 2532 is memory and storage. The memory unit 2532 is, for example, ROM (Read Only Memory) or RAM (Random Access Memory). The memory unit 2532 is, for example, EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM) (registered trademark) or FRAM (Ferroelectric Random Access Memory) (registered trademark).

[0067] The RFID module 253 performs data reading processing for the RFID tag 6 received from the antenna 23 by having the control unit 2531 execute a program stored in the memory unit 2532. The RFID module 253 also outputs the information read from the RFID tag 6 to the communication unit 254.

[0068] The communication unit 254 connects to the terminal 5 via wireless communication. The communication unit 254 transmits and receives information with the terminal 5 using short-range wireless communication technology, such as Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), which is a standard of Bluetooth®. For example, the communication unit 254 is a BLE module.

[0069] The communication unit 254 is mounted on the circuit board 251. The communication unit 254, for example, sends an advertisement, and when terminal 5 receives the advertisement and receives a connection request sent from terminal 5, it performs GATT (Generic Attribute Profile) communication. For example, when using the white cane 1, the user sets terminal 5 in advance to receive information from the communication unit 254, and the communication unit 254 communicates with the set terminal 5.

[0070] The power receiving unit 255 charges the battery 22 with power transmitted from the power transmitting coil 74 and power received by the power receiving coil 24. The power receiving unit 255 supplies the received power to the battery 22. The power receiving unit 255, together with the power receiving coil 24, constitutes a power receiving device.

[0071] As shown in Figure 21, the power receiving unit 255 includes, for example, a power receiving circuit 2551, a control circuit 2552, and a resonant capacitor 2553.

[0072] The power receiving circuit 2551 converts the power received from the power receiving coil 24 into power that can be supplied to the battery 22. For example, the power receiving circuit 2551 rectifies the power received from the power receiving coil 24 and converts it to DC. Such a power receiving circuit 2551 is implemented, for example, by a rectifier circuit including a rectifier bridge composed of multiple diodes. In this case, a pair of input terminals of the rectifier bridge are connected to a power receiving resonant circuit consisting of the power receiving coil 24 and a resonant capacitor 2553. The power receiving circuit 2551 outputs DC power from a pair of output terminals by full-wave rectifying the power received from the power receiving coil 24.

[0073] The control circuit 2552 controls the operation of the power receiving circuit 2551. The control circuit 2552 comprises, for example, a control unit and a memory unit. The control unit performs arithmetic processing. The control unit is a processor as a processing circuit. The control unit performs various processing based on the program and data used in the program stored in the memory unit. The memory unit stores the program and data used in the program, etc. The memory unit is a memory and storage. The memory unit is, for example, ROM (Read Only Memory) or RAM (Random Access Memory). The control circuit 2552 may be composed of a microcontroller and / or an oscillator circuit, etc.

[0074] The charging circuit 256 supplies power from the power receiving circuit 2551 to the battery 22 as charging power. For example, the charging circuit 256 converts the power supplied from the power receiving circuit 2551 into a DC current used to charge the battery 22. That is, the charging circuit 256 converts the power from the power receiving circuit 2551 into charging power of predetermined current and voltage values ​​for charging the battery 22 and supplies it to the battery 22. Also, for example, the charging circuit 256 includes a charging IC having a port that transmits the charging status to the control unit of the control circuit 2552.

[0075] Sensor 26 detects changes in the posture of the tip 12 (case 21). As shown in Figure 4, sensor 26 comprises a first sensor 261 and a second sensor 262.

[0076] The first sensor 261 detects the orientation of the tip 12. The first sensor 261 is a motion sensor. For example, the first sensor 261 is a 3-axis gyro sensor capable of detecting angular velocity or a 3-axis accelerometer capable of detecting acceleration. Alternatively, the first sensor 261 may be a 6-axis sensor capable of detecting both angular velocity and acceleration. As shown in Figure 18, the first sensor 261 is mounted on, for example, the circuit board 251. The first sensor 261 outputs the detected angular velocity or acceleration as a signal to the control unit 2531.

[0077] The second sensor 262 detects the rotation of the tip 12, specifically the rotation of the first housing 211. As shown in Figure 4, the second sensor 262 includes, for example, a Hall sensor 2621 for detecting magnetism and one or more magnets 2622 provided on the umbrella portion 21312 of the third housing 213.

[0078] As shown in Figure 8, the Hall sensor 2621 is provided on the holding portion 21231 of the second housing 212. The Hall sensor 2621 moves in the circumferential direction as the first housing 211 rotates. For example, the Hall sensor 2621 moves in the circumferential direction relative to one or more magnets 2622, detects the magnetism of the opposing magnet 2622 during movement, and outputs a signal to the control unit 2531.

[0079] The magnet 2622 is positioned opposite the Hall sensor 2621 when the Hall sensor 2621 moves to a predetermined position, in other words, when the first housing 211 (rotating part) reaches a predetermined rotation angle of the base 2131. For example, if multiple magnets 2622 are provided, the multiple magnets 2622 are positioned at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. As shown in Figure 7, the multiple magnets 2622 are provided on the umbrella portion 21312 of the third housing 213. For example, the multiple magnets 2622 are positioned at equal intervals on a coaxial circle coaxial with the axis of the shaft portion 21313 of the third housing 213. For example, four magnets 2622 are provided, and the magnets 2622 are positioned at 90-degree intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0080] The notification device 27 notifies the outside of information by sound or vibration. For example, the notification device 27 may be a speaker or a vibrator. The notification device 27 outputs sound and vibration in different patterns (notification patterns). For example, if the notification device 27 is a speaker and notifies information by sound, the notification device 27 notifies by sound based on different parameters such as sound type, volume, and length of sound that are set in accordance with the information to be notified. Here, sound includes voice. Also, if the notification device 27 is a vibrator and notifies information by vibration, the notification device 27 notifies by vibration based on different parameters such as vibration type, vibration intensity, and vibration length that are set in accordance with the information to be notified. The notification device 27 may notify information by sound and vibration alone, or by both sound and vibration.

[0081] In this configuration, the white cane 1 has a third housing 213 of the case 21, and the lid portion 2133 is rotatably formed on the umbrella portion 21312 via a bearing member 2132. Therefore, when a user holds the white cane 1 and moves the tip 12 from side to side with the tip in contact with the ground, the case 21 of the tip 12 slides along the ground while rotating around the central axis of the shaft portion 21313 of the third housing 213 as the center of rotation.

[0082] When the first housing 211 of case 21 rotates, the antenna 23 housed inside the first housing 211 also rotates. Therefore, the tip 12 can change the direction of polarization even if the antenna 23 is linearly polarized.

[0083] Next, communication system 2 will be explained using Figures 1 and 2. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the communication system 2 consists of a white cane 1 having a tip 12 as an RFID device, a terminal 5, and an RFID tag 6.

[0084] Terminal 5 is a device that can be worn or carried by the user of the white cane 1. Terminal 5 may be, for example, a mobile device such as a smartphone, a wearable device such as a smartwatch, an audio device such as earphones, or a dedicated terminal that can notify information by sound or vibration. Terminal 5 may also be built into the grip 111 of the white cane body 11.

[0085] Terminal 5 includes, for example, an input unit 51, a display unit 52, a communication unit 53, a notification unit 54, a storage unit 55, and a control unit 56.

[0086] The input unit 51 is a device that accepts user input, such as buttons, operation panels, or touch panels.

[0087] The display unit 52 is, for example, a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display.

[0088] The communication unit 53 is controlled by the control unit 56. The communication unit 53 is a receiving unit that receives information from the communication unit 254 of the tip 12. The communication unit 53 is any communication interface capable of communicating with the communication unit 254 of the tip 12 using wireless communication technology. The communication unit 53 may also be configured to communicate with terminals or networks other than the communication unit 254 of the tip 12 using wired communication technology or wireless communication technology.

[0089] The communication unit 53 may be implemented as, for example, a communication module or a communication board. The communication unit 53 transmits and receives information with the communication unit 254 of the tip 12 using, for example, a short-range wireless communication technology such as Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), which is a standard of Bluetooth (registered trademark). The communication unit 53 can also connect to a network via a base station using, for example, a short-range wireless communication technology such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or a long-range wireless communication technology such as LTE (Long Term Evolution) (registered trademark), which includes cellular network connections.

[0090] The notification unit 54 notifies the outside of information by sound or vibration. For example, the notification unit 54 may be a speaker or a vibrator. The notification unit 54 outputs sound and vibration in different patterns (notification patterns). For example, if the notification unit 54 is a speaker and notifies information by sound, the notification unit 54 notifies by sound based on different sound types, volume levels, and length of sound parameters set in accordance with the information to be notified. Here, sound includes voice. Also, if the notification unit 54 is a vibrator and notifies information by vibration, the notification unit 54 notifies by vibration based on different vibration types, vibration intensity levels, and length of vibration parameters set in accordance with the information to be notified. The notification unit 54 may notify information by sound and vibration alone, or by both sound and vibration.

[0091] The memory unit 55 is a so-called memory or storage unit. The memory unit 55 stores various types of data. For example, the memory unit 55 stores various control programs and control data. The memory unit 55 temporarily stores data being processed by the control unit 56. The memory unit 55 acts as a database, storing setting values ​​necessary for the execution of application programs. The memory unit 55 also stores the execution results of application programs. Furthermore, the memory unit 55 stores information from the RFID tag 6 received by the communication unit 53. The memory unit 55 also stores parameters of the notification unit 54 corresponding to the information from the RFID tag 6.

[0092] Such a memory unit 55 includes, for example, EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory) (registered trademark), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), NAND flash memory, SSD (Solid State Drive), etc.

[0093] The control unit 56 is a processor having a processing circuit. The control unit 56 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The processor may be an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or other general-purpose or dedicated processor. One or more processors are mounted on a circuit board such as a motherboard or graphics card.

[0094] The control unit 56 performs various functions, such as input processing of external commands input by the input unit 51, display processing to display information on the display unit 52, communication processing by the communication unit 53, and notification processing by the notification unit 54, according to control programs and control data stored in the memory unit 55.

[0095] RFID tags 6 are installed, for example, in stations, roads, and buildings. For example, in the example shown in Figure 1, RFID tags 6 are embedded under tactile paving on station platforms and in the tracks on platforms, and are also installed in railway vehicles. RFID tags 6 may be passive tags or active tags. RFID tags 6 include a tag antenna 61 with a matching circuit and an IC chip 62. If RFID tags 6 are active tags, they have a battery and a power supply circuit, etc.

[0096] In the communication system 2 configured in this way, one of the memory units provided in the tip 12 and / or the memory unit 55 of the terminal 5 stores a threshold value for determining the ground conditions. In addition, one of the control units (processors) of the tip 12 and / or the control unit (processor) 56 of the terminal 5 causes the information detected by the sensor 26 to be stored in at least one of the memory units.

[0097] Furthermore, either of the control units (processors) of the tip 12 and / or the control unit (processor) 56 of the terminal 5 determines the ground information based on the information detected by the sensor 26 and the threshold value stored in the storage unit 55.

[0098] Furthermore, either the control unit (processor) on the tip 12 and / or the control unit (processor) 56 on the terminal 5 notifies the user of the white cane 1 of the determined ground conditions using the notification device 27 and notification unit 54 in the form of vibrations, sounds, or voices based on the ground conditions. That is, either processor analyzes the information detected by the motion sensor and notifies the user of the white cane 1 of the results of this analysis, which correspond to the ground conditions.

[0099] For example, thresholds are set based on the condition or type of ground being judged. Multiple thresholds may be used. In this embodiment, an example of judging the ground condition using two thresholds, threshold 1 and threshold 2, will be described.

[0100] For example, an example of a memory unit provided in the tip 12 is a memory unit 2532 provided in the RFID module 253, but the memory unit may also be a memory unit provided in the communication unit 254, or a separate memory unit may be provided on the control board 25. Furthermore, various types of memory and storage can be used for the memory unit provided in the tip 12. Also, an example of a control unit provided in the tip 12 is a memory unit 2532 provided in the RFID module 253, but the control unit may also be a control unit provided in the communication unit 254, or a separate control unit (processor) may be provided on the control board 25. Furthermore, various types of processors can be used for the control unit provided in the tip 12.

[0101] Examples of ground conditions to be judged include non-slip ground with a suitable coefficient of friction for walking, where there is adequate friction when a pedestrian walks; slippery ground with a suitable coefficient of friction for walking, where there is little friction when walking, such as in rainy weather; and uneven ground where there is a risk of tripping when walking.

[0102] For example, as shown in Figure 19, when the tip 12 is rotated on the ground, the detection results detected by the first sensor 261 will have different waveforms depending on the ground conditions. Therefore, the threshold is set to a value that can determine these ground conditions.

[0103] That is, threshold 1 and threshold 2 are, for example, information detected by the first sensor 261, such as angular velocity and / or acceleration. In this embodiment, an example using acceleration acquired by the first sensor 261 will be described below.

[0104] Threshold 1 is, for example, a value that is smaller than the lower limit of acceleration detected on slippery ground and larger than the lower limit of acceleration detected on non-slippery ground, as shown in Figure 19.

[0105] Threshold 2 is a value that is greater than the upper limit of acceleration detected on a smooth surface (e.g., the non-slippery and slippery surfaces in Figure 19), and less than the upper limit of acceleration detected on an uneven surface, as shown in Figure 19.

[0106] Next, an example of a method for determining and reporting the ground conditions using such a white cane 1 and / or communication system 2 will be explained using the flowchart shown in Figure 20. In this embodiment, an example using the communication system 2 will be explained, but the determination and reporting of the ground conditions may also be performed using only the white cane 1.

[0107] First, as shown in Figure 1, the user walks while swinging the white cane 1 from side to side with the tip 12 in contact with the ground. By swinging the white cane 1 from side to side, the sensor 26 acquires various information with the first sensor 261 and transmits it to one of the control units. This flow will be explained using Figure 20. For example, when acceleration data is acquired with the first sensor 261 (ACT1), the control unit 2531 controls the communication unit 254 to transmit the acceleration data to the communication unit 53 of the terminal 5 (ACT2).

[0108] When the communication unit 53 receives acceleration data, the control unit 56 stores the acceleration data in the storage unit 55. The tip 12 and terminal 5 continue to acquire acceleration data and store the acquired acceleration data in the storage unit 55.

[0109] For example, the control unit 56 determines whether or not acceleration data has been acquired for a predetermined time t that is pre-stored in the storage unit 55 (ACT3). Here, the predetermined time t is the amount of information from the acquired acceleration data that is sufficient to determine the ground conditions, and is set as appropriate. Alternatively, the control unit 56 may determine whether or not the amount of information from the acquired acceleration data is sufficient to determine the ground conditions based on the amount of information (number of data points) acquired, rather than the predetermined time t.

[0110] If acceleration data has not been acquired for a predetermined time t (NO in ACT3), the control unit 56 continues to acquire acceleration data (ACT1). If acceleration data has been acquired for a predetermined time t (NO in ACT3), the control unit 56 determines whether the acquired acceleration data has fallen below threshold 1 a predetermined number of times (A times) or more (ACT4).

[0111] For example, if the number of times the detected acceleration data falls below threshold 1 is less than A (NO in ACT4), the control unit 56 determines that the ground is slippery (ACT5). The control unit 56 then controls the notification device 27 or notification unit 54 to notify the user of the ground conditions (ACT6). For example, in the case of audible notification, a buzzer sounds or voice guidance is given, and in the case of vibrational notification, a vibrator (vibration device) vibrates.

[0112] For example, if the number of times the detected acceleration data falls below threshold 1 is A or more (YES in ACT4), the control unit 56 determines whether the acquired acceleration data has exceeded threshold 2 by a predetermined number of times (B times) or more (ACT7).

[0113] For example, if the number of times the detected acceleration data exceeds threshold 2 is B or more (YES in ACT7), the control unit 56 determines that there are irregularities on the ground surface (ACT8). The control unit 56 then controls the notification device 27 or notification unit 54 to notify the user of the ground conditions (ACT6).

[0114] For example, if the number of times the detected acceleration data exceeds threshold 2 is less than B (NO in ACT7), the control unit 56 determines that the ground is not slippery, i.e., there are no special points to note when walking (ACT9). Based on the determination that there are no special points to note, the control unit 56 does not notify the ground condition via the notification device 27 or notification unit 54. Alternatively, the control unit 56 may be configured to control the notification device 27 or notification unit 54 to notify that the ground is not slippery. Each control unit then repeats the above process until the use of the white cane 1 is finished.

[0115] Furthermore, when using the white cane 1, if an RFID tag 6 is placed on or near the walking path, in addition to the above process, the tip 12 receives information transmitted from the placed RFID tag 6 with its antenna 23 and reads it with its RFID module 253. The communication unit 254 of the tip 12 then transmits the information from the RFID tag 6 to the communication unit 53 of the terminal 5, and the terminal 5, using its notification unit 54, makes a notification corresponding to the information from the RFID tag 6.

[0116] For example, if the RFID tag 6 is installed on the track side of a station platform, the terminal 5 will notify the user that the tip of the cane is located on the track side of the platform based on the information from the RFID tag 6. Also, if the RFID tag 6 is installed on a railway vehicle, the terminal 5 will notify the user of the location of the railway vehicle, such as the location of the train vehicle's doors or other vehicle information. In this way, the communication system 2 can read the information from the RFID tags 6 on the walking path using the white cane, which is an RFID device, and notify the user of this information via the terminal 5.

[0117] Next, the contactless charging system 3 will be explained using Figure 21. As shown in Figure 21, the contactless charging system 3 consists of a tip 12 which acts as a power receiving device having a power receiving unit 255 and a power receiving coil 24, and a power transmitting device 7. The contactless charging system 3 performs contactless charging of the tip 12 by the power transmitting device 7.

[0118] As shown in Figure 21, the power transmission device 7 comprises a transmission platform, a power supply circuit 72, a power transmission circuit 73, a power transmission coil 74, a control circuit 75, a notification unit 76, a resonant capacitor 77, and a power supply unit 78.

[0119] The transmission base 71 is formed to allow the tip 12 to be inserted. The transmission base 71 holds the white cane 1 in an upright position by inserting the tip 12, for example. The transmission base 71 is formed, for example, in a cylindrical shape. The inner diameter of the transmission base 71 is formed to allow the tip 12 to be inserted and to hold the position of the white cane 1. The inner diameter of the transmission base 71 is the same as, or slightly smaller than, the outer diameter of the first housing 211 of the tip 12.

[0120] The power transmission platform 71 houses the power supply circuit 72, the power transmission circuit 73, the power transmission coil 74, the control circuit 75, the notification unit 76, and the resonant capacitor 77. The power transmission platform 71 only needs to be capable of housing at least the power transmission coil 74; for example, the power supply circuit 72, the power transmission circuit 73, the control circuit 75, the notification unit 76, etc., may be housed in separate cases.

[0121] The power supply circuit 72 converts the voltage of an external DC power supply into a voltage suitable for the operation of each circuit. The power supply circuit 72 generates and supplies power to the power transmission circuit 73 to transmit power. The power supply circuit 72 also generates and supplies power to the control circuit 75 to operate it.

[0122] The power transmission circuit 73 generates power for transmission from the power transmission coil 74. The power transmission circuit 73 supplies the generated power to the power transmission coil 74. For example, the power transmission circuit 73 generates AC power as power for transmission by switching the DC power supplied from the power supply circuit 72 based on the control of the control circuit 75.

[0123] The transmitting coil 74 outputs power that the receiving coil 24 can receive, according to the power supplied from the power transmission circuit 73. The transmitting coil 74 is formed in a cylindrical shape. The receiving surface of the transmitting coil 74 is formed in a cylindrical shape. The transmitting coil 74 is positioned on the power transmission stand 71 such that its transmitting surface faces the receiving surface of the receiving coil 24, which is located in the second housing 212 of the foot 12 inserted into the power transmission stand 71. That is, the transmitting coil 74 is positioned on the power transmission stand 71 at a height radially opposite to the receiving coil 24 inserted into the power transmission stand 71. For example, the transmitting coil 74 is housed in the power transmission stand 71.

[0124] For example, the power transmission coil 74 is connected in series or in parallel with the resonant capacitor 77 to form a resonant circuit (power transmission resonant circuit). When AC power is supplied from the power transmission circuit 73, the power transmission coil 74, as a power transmission resonant circuit, generates a magnetic field corresponding to the supplied AC power. The power transmission coil 74 may be configured as a wound structure in which insulated wires are wound, or it may be configured by forming a coil pattern on a printed circuit board.

[0125] The control circuit 75 controls the operation of the power transmission circuit 73 and the notification unit 76. The control circuit 75 comprises, for example, a control unit and a memory unit. The control unit performs arithmetic processing. The control unit is a processor as a processing circuit. The control unit performs various processes based on the program and data used in the program stored in the memory unit. The memory unit stores the program and data used in the program, etc. The memory unit is a memory and storage. The memory unit is, for example, ROM (Read Only Memory) or RAM (Random Access Memory). The control circuit 75 may be composed of a microcontroller and / or an oscillator circuit, etc.

[0126] For example, the control circuit 75 switches the notification of the notification unit 76 according to the power transmission status of the power transmission device 7 or the charging status of the battery 22. The control circuit 75 also controls the frequency of the AC power output from the power transmission circuit 73 and the on / off operation of the power transmission circuit 73. For example, the control circuit 75 switches between a state in which a magnetic field is generated in the power transmission coil 74 (power transmission state) and a state in which a magnetic field is not generated in the power transmission coil 74 (standby state) by controlling the power transmission circuit 73. Alternatively, the control circuit 75 may perform control to change the timing of power transmission by intermittently generating a magnetic field in the power transmission coil 74.

[0127] The notification unit 76 includes an indicator showing the status of the power transmission device 7, and a speaker that notifies the status of the power transmission device 7 by sound. The notification unit 76 switches its display according to the control of the control circuit 75. For example, the notification unit 76 has an LED and a speaker, and switches between lighting, turning off, or changing the display color, and notifies the operating status of the power transmission device 7 with different patterns of sound or voice.

[0128] The power supply unit 78 is, for example, an AC adapter or a mobile battery. The power supply unit 78 supplies power to the power supply circuit 72.

[0129] With the white cane 1 having the tip 12 configured in this way, the ground condition can be determined and obtained based on information detected by the sensor 26 when the first housing 211 forming the exterior of the tip 12 rotates on the ground. Furthermore, the determined ground condition can be notified to the user by the notification device 27 and / or notification unit 54. For this reason, for example, if the device is the white cane 1, even a visually impaired person can obtain the ground condition by using the white cane 1.

[0130] As described above, according to one embodiment of the white cane 1 and tip 12, ground information can be obtained based on information detected by the sensor.

[0131] It should be noted that the white cane 1 and the tip 12 are not limited to the examples of the embodiments described above. For example, in the example described above, an example was given in which the electronic devices are provided in the second housing 212 of the case 21, but it is sufficient that the case 21 houses at least the antenna 23, the receiving coil 24, and the sensor 26, and the other electronic devices may be housed in the white cane body 11 or the grip 111. Alternatively, the above-mentioned electronic devices may be housed in the second housing 212.

[0132] Furthermore, in the example described above, the RFID device 12 is configured to include a first sensor 261, which is a motion sensor, and a second sensor 262, which is a Hall sensor, as sensors 26, but it is not limited to this configuration. The sensor 26 may have only one of the first sensor 261 and the second sensor 262, or other sensors, as long as it can detect the rotation of the first housing 211 and the lid 2133 of the third housing 213, which are the rotating parts of the white cane 1, when the white cane 1 is in use, and obtain information necessary to determine the ground conditions from this rotation.

[0133] Furthermore, while the above examples described several examples of thresholds and ground conditions, the types of thresholds and ground conditions are not limited to those described above.

[0134] Furthermore, although the example described above uses a white cane 1 (tip 12) as an example of a device that uses the RFID device 12, the device is not limited to this, and other devices besides the white cane 1 may be used.

[0135] With any of the white cane 1, communication system 2, contactless charging system 3, and RFID device 12 configured as described above, ground information can be obtained based on information detected by the sensor.

[0136] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified in various ways during implementation without departing from its essence. Furthermore, each embodiment may be combined as appropriate, and in that case, the combined effects can be obtained. Moreover, the above embodiments include various inventions, and various inventions can be extracted by selecting combinations from the multiple constituent elements disclosed. For example, if the problem can be solved and effects obtained even if some constituent elements are deleted from all the constituent elements shown in the embodiment, then the configuration with these deleted constituent elements can be extracted as an invention. The following is a description equivalent to the invention described in the original claims of this application. [1] Base and, A rotating body provided on the base and rotating relative to the base, The housing provided on the rotating body, A motion sensor provided inside the aforementioned housing, A processor that analyzes the information detected by the motion sensor, A memory that stores information detected by the motion sensor, A notification device that notifies the outside of information corresponding to the results analyzed by the aforementioned processor, in the form of vibration and sound, A device equipped with the following features. [2] The motion sensor detects the angular velocity or acceleration of the housing, The device according to [1], wherein the processor determines one of the ground conditions among a plurality of ground conditions stored in the memory based on the angular velocity or acceleration detected by the motion sensor. [3] The memory stores multiple notification patterns based on ground conditions, The device according to [1] or [2], wherein the processor controls the notification device based on a notification pattern determined based on the ground condition to notify the ground condition. [4] A device having a base, a rotating body provided on the base and rotating relative to the base, a housing provided on the rotating body, a motion sensor provided inside the housing, and a communication unit that transmits information detected by the motion sensor, A terminal having a receiving unit that receives information transmitted from the communication unit, a processor that analyzes the information detected by the motion sensor received by the receiving unit, a memory that stores the information detected by the motion sensor, and a notification unit that notifies the outside of information corresponding to the results of the analysis by the processor by vibration and sound, A communication system equipped with [the following features]. [5] The communication system according to [4], comprising a notification device that notifies the outside of information corresponding to the results analyzed by the processor by vibration and sound. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0137] 1…White cane (device), 2…Communication system, 3…Contactless charging system, 5…Terminal, 6…RFID tag, 7…Power transmission device, 11…White cane body, 12…Tip (RFID device, device), 21…Case, 22…Battery, 23…Antenna, 24…Power receiving coil, 25…Control board, 26…Sensor, 27…Notification device, 51…Input unit, 52…Display unit, 53…Communication unit (receiver), 54…Notification unit, 55…Storage unit, 56…Control unit, 61…Tag antenna, 62…IC chip, 71…Power transmission base, 7 2...Power supply circuit, 73...Power transmission circuit, 74...Power transmission coil, 75...Control circuit, 76...Notification unit, 77...Resonant capacitor, 78...Power supply unit, 111...Grip, 211...First housing (housing), 212...Second housing, 213...Third housing, 231...Base, 232...Ground layer, 233...Antenna pattern, 234...Power supply point, 251...Circuit board, 252...Terminal, 253...RFID module, 254...Communication unit, 255...Power receiving unit, 256...Charging circuit, 258...Shut-off circuit, 261...First sensor, 262...Second sensor, 2111...Rib, 2112...Protrusion, 2113...Insertion part, 2114...First projection, 2115...Second projection, 2116...Guidance display part, 2121...Notch, 2122...First part, 2123...Second part, 2131...Base, 2132...Bearing member, 2133...Lid (rotating body), 2311...Through hole, 2511...First substrate, 2512...Second substrate, 2521...Positive terminal, 2522...Negative terminal, 2531...Control unit, 2532...Memory unit, 2551...Power receiving circuit, 25 52...Control circuit, 2553...Resonant capacitor, 2621...Hall sensor, 2622...Magnet, 21231...Holding part, 21232...Restricting part, 21311...Fixed part, 21312...Umbrella part, 21313...Shaft part, 21314...Bolt, 21331...Top plate part, 21332...Outer peripheral wall part, 21333...Inner peripheral wall part, 21335...First groove, 21336...Second groove, 25211...First terminal, 25212...Second terminal, 25521...Control unit, 25522...Voltage conversion circuit, 25523...Logical OR circuit.

Claims

1. The base and, A rotating body provided on the base and rotating relative to the base, A housing provided on the rotating body, which slides on the ground by sliding it from side to side on the ground while in contact with the ground during use, A motion sensor is provided inside the housing that detects at least one of angular velocity and acceleration as information, A processor that analyzes the information detected by the motion sensor, A memory that stores information detected by the motion sensor, A notification device that notifies the outside of information corresponding to the results analyzed by the aforementioned processor, in the form of vibration and sound, Equipped with, The memory stores a first threshold and a second threshold for determining multiple ground conditions, including non-slip ground with a friction coefficient suitable for walking, slippery ground with a friction coefficient unsuitable for walking, and ground with uneven surfaces that cause stumbling while walking. The first threshold is a value that is smaller than the lower limit of the information detected by the motion sensor on slippery ground, and larger than the lower limit of the information detected by the motion sensor on non-slippery ground. The second threshold is a value greater than the upper limit of the information detected by the motion sensor on the non-slippery ground and the slippery ground, and less than the upper limit of the information detected by the motion sensor on the uneven ground. The processor determines that the ground is slippery if the number of times the information detected by the motion sensor falls below the first threshold is less than a predetermined number of times, determines that the ground is not slippery if the number of times the information falls below the first threshold is greater than or equal to a predetermined number of times and the number of times the information detected by the motion sensor exceeds the second threshold is less than a predetermined number of times, and determines that the ground is uneven if the number of times the information falls below the first threshold is greater than or equal to a predetermined number of times and the number of times the information detected by the motion sensor exceeds the second threshold is greater than or equal to a predetermined number of times.

2. The memory stores notification patterns based on the multiple ground conditions, The device according to claim 1, wherein the processor controls the notification device based on a notification pattern determined based on the ground conditions to notify the ground conditions.

3. A device comprising: a base; a rotating body provided on the base and rotating relative to the base; a housing provided on the rotating body that slides on the ground by sliding it left and right on the ground while in contact with the ground during use; a motion sensor provided inside the housing that detects at least one of angular velocity and acceleration as information; and a communication unit that transmits the information detected by the motion sensor. A terminal having a receiving unit that receives information transmitted from the communication unit, a processor that analyzes the information detected by the motion sensor received by the receiving unit, a memory that stores the information detected by the motion sensor, and a notification unit that notifies the outside of information corresponding to the results of the analysis by the processor by vibration and sound, Equipped with, The memory stores a first threshold and a second threshold for determining multiple ground conditions, including non-slip ground with a friction coefficient suitable for walking, slippery ground with a friction coefficient unsuitable for walking, and ground with uneven surfaces that cause stumbling while walking. The first threshold is a value that is smaller than the lower limit of the information detected by the motion sensor on slippery ground, and larger than the lower limit of the information detected by the motion sensor on non-slippery ground. The second threshold is a value greater than the upper limit of the information detected by the motion sensor on the non-slippery ground and the slippery ground, and less than the upper limit of the information detected by the motion sensor on the uneven ground. A communication system in which the processor determines that the ground is slippery if the number of times the information detected by the motion sensor falls below the first threshold is less than a predetermined number of times, determines that the ground is not slippery if the number of times the information falls below the first threshold is greater than or equal to a predetermined number of times and the number of times the information detected by the motion sensor exceeds the second threshold is less than a predetermined number of times, and determines that the ground is uneven if the number of times the information falls below the first threshold is greater than or equal to a predetermined number of times and the number of times the information detected by the motion sensor exceeds the second threshold is greater than or equal to a predetermined number of times.

4. The communication system according to claim 3, further comprising a notification device that notifies the outside of information corresponding to the results analyzed by the processor, in the form of vibration and sound.

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