Self-driving life vests using GPS and gyro sensors

Abstract

The present invention relates to an autonomous life vest utilizing GPS and a gyroscope sensor, and more specifically, to an autonomous life vest utilizing GPS and a gyroscope sensor that can determine the location and status of a wearer in real time and rapidly move them to a safe place via an optimal route.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an autonomous life vest utilizing GPS and a gyroscope sensor, and more specifically, to an autonomous life vest utilizing GPS and a gyroscope sensor that can determine the location and status of a wearer in real time and rapidly move them to a safe place via an optimal route. Background Technology

[0002] Drowning accidents during water activities are a serious problem that recurs every year. In the last three years (2018–2020), 1,433 drowning accidents occurred in Korea alone. The main causes of these accidents include safety negligence (32.4%), poor swimming skills (30.1%), and swimming while intoxicated (16.2%).

[0003] Although wearing a life jacket is strongly recommended to prevent drowning accidents, the survival rate for drowning accidents is only 69% even when wearing a life jacket. This is because while a life jacket allows the wearer to float to the surface and temporarily breathe, it does not guarantee ultimate survival.

[0004] A person who drowns while wearing a life jacket must either swim to safety on their own or wait for the arrival of a rescue team. However, since most drowning accidents occur in open waters such as oceans or lakes, it is difficult to expect the rapid arrival of rescue teams. Furthermore, there are physical limitations to the wearer's ability to swim to safety on their own.

[0005] Furthermore, if a drowning situation persists for a long time, the risk of hypothermia increases. Hypothermia is one of the leading causes of drowning death, and if body temperature drops below 35 degrees, dangerous symptoms such as cardiac arrest, arrhythmia, and confusion occur.

[0006] In addition, dangers such as attacks by harmful marine organisms like jellyfish, sudden changes in ocean currents, and high waves are ever-present in the ocean. These factors further reduce the wearer's chances of survival.

[0007] In the past, various attempts have been made to solve these problems. For example, technologies have been proposed to attach a location tracking device to a life vest to determine the wearer's location and facilitate rapid rescue, and to connect an automatic inflatable life raft to the life vest to move the wearer to a safe place.

[0008] However, these existing technologies still have limitations. While location tracking devices help determine the wearer's location, they do not have the ability to directly rescue the wearer. Automatic inflatable lifeboats provide a certain level of automatic movement, but they have the disadvantage of being difficult to control accurately and slow.

[0009] Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a more advanced automatic rescue system to respond to accidents such as those shown in Table 1. It has become necessary to determine the wearer's location in real time using GPS and an inertial navigation system.

[0010] The problem to be solved

[0012] The problem that the present invention aims to solve is as follows.

[0013] First, it provides an automatic rescue system that utilizes GPS and gyroscope sensors to determine the wearer's location and status in real time and can rapidly move them to a safe location via the optimal route.

[0014] Second, the goal is to develop a high-output underwater propulsion system capable of independently controlling direction and speed, thereby enabling accurate and rapid movement.

[0015] Third, the automatic rescue device is designed to be easily attached to and detached from existing life vests, thereby enhancing user convenience.

[0016] Fourth, it is to organically link with the land-based control system to detect drowning situations early and take appropriate responses.

[0017] Fifth, the goal is to develop convergence technology that extends beyond simply responding to drowning accidents to various fields such as swimming education and marine leisure. means of solving the problem

[0018] To achieve the above objectives, one embodiment of the present invention relates to an automatic rescue life vest capable of determining the position and status of a wearer in real time using a GPS and a gyroscope sensor (210) and automatically moving to a safe place using a plurality of propulsion devices capable of independently controlling direction and speed. The automatic rescue device is designed to be detachably attached to the torso of the life vest, and the automatic rescue device includes a housing installed on the back of the life vest, a control unit installed inside the housing, a battery, a GPS (220), and a gyroscope sensor (410). A pair of propulsion devices equipped with propellers are installed on both the left and right sides of the housing, and the propulsion devices are driven independently according to a control signal from the control unit. The control unit includes a microprocessor, a memory, and an input / output interface. The memory stores an algorithm that calculates an optimal path to a destination and controls the propulsion devices using position information received from a GPS module and attitude information received from a gyroscope sensor.

[0019] An automatic rescue life vest comprises: a housing installed in a detachable manner on the back plate of the life vest; a control unit installed inside the housing to control the automatic rescue function of the life vest according to a programmed algorithm; a pair of propulsion devices driven according to a control signal from the control unit to generate propulsion force for the life vest; and a plurality of sensors installed on the outer surface of the housing to collect underwater environment information. The sensors include an illuminance sensor for detecting the brightness of the underwater environment to determine time, weather, water depth, etc.; a water temperature sensor for detecting water temperature to determine the risk of hypothermia of the wearer and to determine an appropriate return speed; and an ultrasonic sensor for detecting the distance and direction to underwater obstacles to generate a collision avoidance path.

[0020] In an automatic rescue life vest, the device comprises a housing that is detachably installed on the life vest, a control unit installed inside the housing to control the operation of the life vest, a GPS module connected to the control unit to determine the current location of the life vest, a gyroscope sensor (210) connected to the control unit to determine the posture and direction of the life vest, and an antenna and a wireless communication module installed on the outside of the housing to perform wireless communication. The wireless communication module simultaneously includes a first communication channel for short-range wireless communication with a vest storage box installed on a beach or waterfront and a second communication channel for long-range wireless communication with a control system located at a distance. Through the first communication channel, when the power of the life vest is turned on, the device receives location information of the storage box from the vest storage box and transmits the current location information of the life vest obtained from the GPS module to the vest storage box, thereby determining the relative distance and direction between the life vest and the vest storage box in real time. Through the second communication channel, the device receives search and rescue commands and safety point information from the control system. The control unit receives the current location and status information of the life vest and transmits it to the control system, thereby enabling remote control and monitoring of the life vest. The control unit compares the location information of the storage box received from the vest storage box with the current location information of the life vest obtained from the GPS module, sets the location of the vest storage box as a destination for automatic rescue, calculates the shortest distance and optimal path to the destination based on the attitude and direction information of the life vest obtained from the gyroscope sensor (210), and controls the direction and speed of the life vest according to the calculation result to automatically return to the destination.

[0021] In a method for establishing a safe communication channel between an automatic rescue life vest and a control system and for automatic rescue assistance,

[0022] (a) A step of establishing a wireless connection between a wireless communication module embedded in the above-mentioned automatic rescue life vest and a communication module of a control system installed on a beach or lakeside;

[0023] (b) a step of exchanging unique identification codes between the life vest and the control system and performing mutual authentication through a pre-designated authentication procedure;

[0024] (c) A step of establishing a secure communication channel between the life vest and the control system after the above authentication is completed;

[0025] (d) receiving location information and status information of the wearer from the life vest through the above-mentioned secure communication channel and displaying it on the monitoring screen of the control system;

[0026] (e) a step of analyzing the received location information and status information to determine the level of risk to the wearer and determining the necessity of initiating an automatic rescue operation or a forced return operation;

[0027] (f) a step of remotely controlling a Level 3 autonomous driving function mounted on the life vest to initiate an automatic rescue operation or instruct a forced return, based on the above judgment result;

[0028] (g) A step of continuously repeating steps (d) to (f) to monitor the safety status of the wearer even while the automatic rescue operation of the life vest is being performed;

[0029] (h) A step of terminating the autonomous driving function of the life vest and instructing it to return after confirming that the wearer has arrived at a safe point and been rescued; is included. Effects of the invention

[0031] By solving these problems, the present invention can provide the following outstanding effects.

[0032] 1. It can dramatically increase the wearer's chances of survival in the event of a drowning accident. Conventional life vests only guarantee temporary survival and have limitations in ultimate rescue. However, the automatic rescue system of the present invention can rescue the wearer quickly and safely, thereby significantly reducing the risk of drowning.

[0033] 2. The manpower and time required for rescue operations can be significantly reduced. Conventionally, when a drowning accident occurred, a large number of personnel had to be deployed to carry out search and rescue operations. However, by utilizing the present invention, the initial response time can be shortened and the number of personnel deployed can be minimized. This has the advantage of increasing the efficiency of rescue operations and ensuring the safety of rescue workers.

[0034] 3. It can change the paradigm of swimming education. By creating a safe educational environment free from the risk of drowning, the psychological burden on beginners can be significantly reduced. In addition, various educational programs utilizing features such as automatic return functions can be developed, which is expected to improve the quality of swimming education.

[0035] 4. It can enhance the safety of marine leisure sports and promote the revitalization of related industries. The present invention is not limited to simply responding to drowning accidents but can be utilized as safety equipment in various marine leisure activities. Through this, it will be possible to increase public accessibility and enjoyment of marine leisure sports and drive the continuous growth of related industries. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0036] FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the relationship between components implementing an autonomous life vest utilizing GPS and a gyroscope sensor according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing the relationship between components implementing an autonomous life vest utilizing GPS and a gyroscope sensor according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing the relationship between components implementing an autonomous life vest utilizing GPS and a gyroscope sensor according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing the relationship between components implementing an autonomous life vest utilizing GPS and a gyroscope sensor according to one embodiment of the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0037] The present invention as described above will be explained in detail through the attached drawings and embodiments.

[0038] When a technical term used in this invention is a technical term that similarly expresses the concept of this invention, it should be understood as being replaced with a technical term that can be correctly understood by a person skilled in the art (e.g., ~ module, ~ server, ~ part).

[0039] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings, wherein identical or similar components and functions, regardless of the drawing symbols, are given the same reference number and function as modules, servers, parts, means, devices, etc. having specific functions.

[0040] Furthermore, in describing the present invention, detailed descriptions of related prior art are omitted if it is determined that such descriptions could obscure the essence of the invention. Additionally, it should be noted that the attached drawings are intended only to facilitate an understanding of the concept of the present invention and should not be interpreted as limiting the concept of the invention.

[0041] In this case, each functional description divided by a distinguishing number describing each embodiment implies that it includes a function or module according to such description. Furthermore, these functions or modules are organically connected to the present invention via a network.

[0042] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Identical or similar components are given the same reference number regardless of the drawing symbols, and redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0043] In this case, each functional description divided by a distinguishing number describing each embodiment implies that it includes a function or module according to such description. Furthermore, these functions or modules are organically connected to the present invention via a network.

[0044] As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the present invention relates to an automatic rescue life vest (100) that can determine the location and condition of a wearer in real time using a GPS (220) and a gyroscope sensor (410), and automatically move to a safe place using a plurality of propulsion devices (200) capable of independently controlling direction and speed.

[0045] The present invention comprises an automatic rescue device designed to be detachably attached to the torso of the life vest (100), and the automatic rescue device comprises a housing installed on the back of the life vest (100), a control unit (300), a battery (230), a GPS module (420), and a gyroscope sensor (410) installed inside the housing.

[0046] A pair of propulsion devices (200) equipped with propellers are installed on both the left and right sides of the above housing, and the propulsion devices (200) are driven independently according to a control signal from the control unit (300).

[0047] The above control unit (300) includes a microprocessor, a memory, and an input / output interface, and the memory stores an algorithm that calculates the optimal path to a destination using location information received from a GPS and attitude information received from a gyroscope sensor and controls the propulsion device (200).

[0048] The above propulsion device (200) includes a DC motor, a motor driver, and a propeller, and the DC motor is of the brushless type, and the motor driver controls the rotational speed and direction of the DC motor using a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) method.

[0049] The above battery (230) is a lithium polymer type secondary battery and consists of a first battery (230) that supplies power to the control unit (300), GPS (220), and gyro sensor (410), a second battery (230) that supplies power to the propulsion device (200), and an additional third battery (230).

[0050] Here, as shown in FIG. 3, the battery, etc. can be charged in advance to the charging terminal (120) via a commercial power source (110).

[0051] The housing of the above automatic rescue device is detachably coupled to a pocket formed on the back of the life vest (100) and is injection molded from ABS resin having waterproof, dustproof, and shock protection functions. Inside, there is a space for housing the control unit (300), battery (230), GPS (220), gyro sensor (410), etc., and a pair of through holes are formed that are connected to the space and through which a part of the propulsion device passes. A waterproof connector is installed in the space to connect the inside of the housing and the outside of the life vest (100), and through the waterproof connector, a power switch, an emergency stop switch (225), an external sensor, etc. are connected to the control unit (300).

[0052] In one embodiment, the present invention relates to an automatic rescue life vest (100), wherein a power switch and an emergency stop switch (225) are installed in the torso portion of the life vest (100), and the power switch is

[0053] It serves to initiate the operation of an automatic rescue device mounted on a life vest (100) by manual operation by the user, and is implemented in the form of a physical switch or touch sensor so that the user can intuitively recognize and operate it. It includes a safety device that requires pressing for a certain period of time or multiple times to operate in order to prevent malfunction, and includes an LED lamp for visual feedback and a buzzer for auditory feedback when the switch is operated so that the user can check whether it is operating normally. The emergency stop switch (225) serves to immediately stop the automatic rescue function in an emergency, such as in the event of a malfunction of the automatic rescue device or an emergency situation for the user, and is implemented in the form of a physical switch or touch sensor so that it has a color and shape distinct from the power switch. It includes a wireless communication function that transmits an emergency signal to a land control system along with the immediate cessation of the automatic rescue function when the switch is operated, and includes a physical blocking device such as a safety cap to prevent accidental firing, and requires pressing for a certain period of time or multiple times to operate. The power switch and the emergency stop switch (225) can be selectively installed at various locations on the torso of the life vest (100) so that they are placed in optimal positions according to the user's body dimensions and wearing condition. To prevent malfunction of the switch and ensure waterproof performance, it has a sealed structure such as a rubber packing or a silicone cover, is connected to a battery pack (230) via wires for power supply, and is linked to a main controller and a communication module for transmitting control signals.

[0054] The above power switch is implemented as a touch-type capacitive sensor and detects changes in capacitance of a finger contacting the surface of the switch to determine whether the switch is operated. It also analyzes the pattern of capacitance change according to the contact area and contact time of the finger to prevent malfunctions caused by unintended contact, and additionally provides tactile feedback through a vibration motor when the switch is operated, enabling multi-sensory feedback such as visual, auditory, and tactile feedback. The above emergency stop switch (225) is implemented as a mechanical push-button switch and operates in multiple stages according to the strength and speed of the force applied to the switch. When pressed slowly with a weak force, it operates in stage 1 to notify the user of the emergency situation by generating an emergency warning sound and illuminating a flashing light. When pressed quickly with a strong force, it operates in stage 2 to perform emergency response procedures such as transmitting an emergency signal, requesting rescue, and immediately stopping automatic rescue. The above power switch and emergency stop switch (225) are equipped with luminous paint or luminous tape to improve nighttime visibility and include LED lights that automatically turn on and off according to ambient light levels.

[0055] A power switch is installed on each of the left and right shoulder straps of the torso part of the life vest (100) and the center of the front panel, allowing the user to selectively operate the switch at a convenient location. The power switch installed on the shoulder strap is protected from being submerged in water through a neck-type safety hook, and the power switch installed on the front panel is protected from external impact through a zipper-type cover. An emergency stop switch (225) is installed on each of the center of the bottom of the front panel and the center of the top of the back panel of the life vest (100), allowing the wearer to operate the switch at the most accessible location. A safety cap is connected to the top of the emergency stop switch (225) at the bottom of the front panel via a hinge structure to allow 180-degree rotation, and a handle-type safety pin is attached to the top of the emergency stop switch (225) at the top of the back panel so that the switch can be operated by pulling out the safety pin in an emergency. The power switch and the emergency stop switch (225) are made of a material having waterproof performance and impact resistance of a waterproof rating of IPX8 or higher, and the connecting wiring for power and signal transmission is It is embedded inside the life vest (100) to minimize external exposure.

[0056] It includes a non-volatile memory connected to the power switch to store the switch operation status, and the memory stores information such as switch operation history, operation time, and operation location. The stored information is transmitted to a land control system via wireless communication to be used for accident situation analysis and prevention of recurrence. It also includes a black box function connected to the emergency stop switch (225) to collect various status information such as GPS information, attitude information, and impact detection information when an emergency occurs. The collected status information is stored in the non-volatile memory and simultaneously transmitted in real time via wireless communication to enable rapid situation assessment and response. In the event that the power switch or the emergency stop switch (225) is submerged in water, a sensor detecting the conductivity of seawater prevents switch malfunction. In the event that water penetrates into the switch, a sensor detecting leakage current immediately cuts off the power to prevent short circuits and electric shock accidents.

[0057] The present invention comprises a housing that is detachably installed on the back plate of the life vest (100), a control unit (300) installed inside the housing and controlling the automatic rescue function of the life vest (100) according to a programmed algorithm, a pair of propulsion devices (200) that are driven according to a control signal of the control unit (300) and generate propulsion force of the life vest (100), and a plurality of sensors installed on the outer surface of the housing to collect underwater environment information, wherein the sensors include an illuminance sensor for detecting the brightness of the underwater environment to determine time, weather, water depth, etc., a water temperature sensor for detecting the water temperature to determine the risk of hypothermia of the wearer and to determine an appropriate return speed, and an ultrasonic sensor for detecting the distance and direction to underwater obstacles to generate a collision avoidance path, wherein the control unit (300) comprehensively analyzes the information received from the illuminance sensor, the water temperature sensor, and the ultrasonic sensor to generate an optimal automatic return path, and propulsion force of the left and right propulsion devices (200) along the generated return path The direction and speed of movement of the life vest (100) are controlled by differential control, and the life vest (100) has a lightweight and compact structure so that it can be worn during everyday leisure activities, and can be used as an auxiliary tool for water play or safety equipment for water sports, and can be used as an auxiliary teaching aid for swimming instruction or marine activity education, and the housing is made of a material with waterproof and dustproof performance so that it can operate stably even under various underwater environmental conditions, and reliability and safety are ensured in both mechanical coupling and electrical connection methods so that it can be used for a long time, and after use for leisure and educational purposes is finished, it can be easily removed so that the original function of the life vest (100) can be restored.

[0058] An underwater camera is further installed on the outer surface of the housing, and the underwater camera acquires clear images through a wide-angle lens having a forward 180-degree field of view. The captured image information is transmitted in real time to a control system on land or a user's mobile device via wireless communication, allowing for monitoring of automatic rescue situations or vivid indirect experience of the underwater environment. A direction indicator is further installed on the outer surface of the housing or on the front plate of the life vest (100). The direction indicator has five lighting patterns: forward, left turn, right turn, stop, and reverse. It visually indicates changes in the direction of travel according to the automatic return path to promote user understanding and attention. A display window is provided on the front plate of the life vest (100) to display information such as the current location, target point, and remaining battery (230). The display window is composed of an e-ink display and operates for a long time with low power, but is further equipped with a backlight to improve night visibility.

[0059] The above housing is further equipped with a GPS (220) and an inertial navigation unit (IMU) to detect the user's absolute position information and relative position information in real time, and to accurately determine the current position relative to the target point based on the detected position information, thereby enabling return to the target point even in situations of deviation from the path or drifting. The above housing or life vest (100) is further equipped with a portable air pump and an inflatable chamber. The portable air pump is configured to be manual or electric and injects air into the inflatable chamber to increase buoyancy. The inflatable chamber is positioned at least one of the front panel, back panel, and left and right sides of the life vest (100), so that the shape and volume of the life vest (100) can be adjusted to fit the user's body shape according to the amount of air injected.

[0060] A solar panel is further provided on the outer side of the above housing to convert natural light into electrical energy to charge the battery (230), and a piezoelectric element is further provided on the shoulder strap or front plate of the above life vest (100) to convert shape changes according to the user's movement into electrical energy to charge the battery (230).

[0061] The above life vest (100) is further equipped with an acoustic alarm device, which includes a speaker, a microphone, and a voice recognition module. It outputs voice guidance and warning sounds to notify the user when situations such as automatic rescue initiation, deviation from the path, arrival at a target point, or low battery (230) occur, and recognizes the user's voice commands to control the automatic rescue function. The back of the above life vest (100) is further equipped with a buoyancy control device, which includes an air bladder, a pump, and an exhaust valve. It varies the volume of the air bladder through air injection / exhaust to provide optimal buoyancy according to the user's weight or posture, and automatically exhausts the air when the pressure exceeds a certain level to prevent the risk of capsizing due to excessive air injection. The inside of the above life vest (100) is further equipped with a temperature control device, which includes a Peltier element, a heat sink, and a temperature sensor. It performs heating or heat dissipation functions to actively maintain the user's body temperature according to the water temperature or air temperature.

[0062] The present invention relates to an automatic rescue life vest (100), comprising: a housing installed in a detachable manner on the life vest (100); a control unit (300) installed inside the housing to control the operation of the life vest (100); a GPS (220) connected to the control unit (300) to determine the current location of the life vest (100); a gyroscope sensor (410) connected to the control unit (300) to determine the posture and direction of the life vest (100); and an antenna and a wireless communication module installed on the outside of the housing to perform wireless communication.

[0063] The above wireless communication module is simultaneously equipped with a first communication channel for short-range wireless communication with a vest (100) storage box installed on a beach or waterfront and a second communication channel for long-range wireless communication with a control system located at a distance, and through the first communication channel, when the power of the life vest (100) is turned on, it receives location information of the storage box from the vest (100) storage box and transmits the current location information of the life vest (100) obtained from the GPS (220) to the vest (100) storage box, thereby determining the relative distance and direction between the life vest (100) and the vest (100) storage box in real time, and through the second communication channel, it receives search and rescue commands and safety point information from the control system and transmits the current location and status information of the life vest (100) to the control system, thereby enabling remote control and monitoring of the life vest (100), and the control unit (300) is the vest (100) By comparing the location information of the storage box received from the storage box with the current location information of the life vest (100) obtained from the GPS (220), the location of the vest (100) storage box is set as a destination for automatic rescue, and

[0064] Based on the attitude and direction information of the life vest (100) obtained from the above gyro sensor (410), the shortest distance and optimal path to the destination are calculated, and the direction and speed of the life vest (100) are controlled according to the calculation result to automatically return to the destination, and the safety point information received from the above control system is reflected in the destination setting, or the destination can be changed according to the search and rescue command received from the above control system.

[0065] The first communication channel enables stable data transmission and reception at a maximum distance of 240m using a Bluetooth version of 5.0 or higher, and the second communication channel enables stable data transmission and reception at a maximum distance of 5km using a LoRa modulation / demodulation method, and the wireless communication module operates in a dual-mode manner capable of simultaneously performing Bluetooth communication and LoRa communication, and the wireless communication module includes an RSSI function that measures the strength of radio waves received through the antenna.

[0066] The control unit (300) estimates the distance to the vest (100) storage box or control system based on radio wave strength information measured through the RSSI function, and adjusts automatic rescue operations in preparation for communication interruption when the radio wave strength drops below a preset threshold, and maintains data security by applying AES encryption of 128 bits or more to at least one of the first communication channel and the second communication channel, and uses the Diffie-Hellman key exchange protocol for the exchange of encryption keys, and the control unit (300) strengthens security by automatically changing the encryption key at preset time intervals.

[0067] The above vest (100) storage box has a plurality of storage compartments capable of storing and charging a plurality of life vests (100), and a short-range wireless communication antenna for pairing with the wireless communication module of the life vest (100) is installed in the storage compartment, and when the life vest (100) is mounted in the storage compartment, pairing is automatically performed and the battery (230) of the life vest (100) that is completely discharged can be charged, and the vest (100) storage box includes a long-range wireless communication antenna for communication with the control system and an IoT gateway function, and has its own data processing and storage function to process data received from the life vest (100) and transmit it to the control system, and performs a relay function to transmit control commands received from the control system to the life vest (100), and the vest (100) storage box includes a solar panel and a large-capacity battery (230) to enable independent power supply, and the control unit (300) from the vest (100) storage box The battery (230) remaining amount information is received and reflected in the automatic return path setting.

[0068] The above control system is established in an integrated control center to comprehensively control and monitor the operation of the automatic rescue life vest (100), and multiple control systems are connected via wired and wireless networks to form a wide-area control network. The integrated control center operates a big data system that integrates, analyzes, and displays data collected through individual control systems. The control system includes a communication function with a GPS satellite to track the location of the automatic rescue life vest (100) in real time. It maps the GPS coordinates of the life vest (100) received from the wireless communication module onto a Geographic Information System (GIS) to display them intuitively. Based on the displayed location information, it predicts the movement path and speed and detects abnormal signs early. The control system is linked with the Korea Meteorological Administration and the National Disaster Management System to collect environmental information such as weather warnings, tide information, and water temperature distribution. Based on the collected environmental information, it sets safety points and danger zones and transmits them to the control unit (300), thereby providing a more reliable automatic rescue route.

[0069] The present invention relates to a method for establishing a secure communication channel between an automatic rescue life vest (100) and a control system and for assisting in automatic rescue, comprising: (a) establishing a wireless connection between a wireless communication module embedded in the automatic rescue life vest (100) and a communication module of a control system installed on a beach or lakeside; (b) exchanging unique identification codes between the life vest (100) and the control system and performing mutual authentication through a predetermined authentication procedure; (c) establishing a secure communication channel between the life vest (100) and the control system after the authentication is completed; (d) receiving location information and status information of a wearer from the life vest (100) through the secure communication channel and displaying them on a monitoring screen of the control system; (e) analyzing the received location information and status information to determine the level of danger to the wearer and determining the necessity of initiating an automatic rescue operation or a forced return operation. (f) a step of remotely controlling a Level 3 autonomous driving function mounted on the life vest (100) to initiate an automatic rescue operation or instruct a forced return based on the above judgment result; (g) a step of continuously repeating steps (d) to (f) while the automatic rescue operation of the life vest (100) is being performed to monitor the safety status of the wearer; (h) a step of terminating the autonomous driving function of the life vest (100) and instructing a return after confirming that the wearer has arrived at a safe point and been rescued; wherein steps (a) to (c) perform initial pairing and secure connection using a communication protocol of Bluetooth version 5.0 or higher, and

[0070] Steps (d) through (h) above enable stable data transmission and reception over a maximum distance of 5 km using the LoRa wireless communication protocol, and the secure communication channel ensures data confidentiality by applying an encryption algorithm of AES 128 bits or higher, and enhances security by updating the encryption key for every communication session using the Diffie-Hellman key exchange algorithm, and in step (e), the determination of the wearer's risk level is achieved by applying an artificial intelligence-based drowning detection algorithm to comprehensively analyze the wearer's posture information, movement information, and biosignal information received from the life vest (100), and in step (f), the control of the automatic rescue operation is achieved by transmitting destination coordinates and movement path information from the control system to the life vest (100), and controlling the drive unit by deriving the optimal path based on the information received from the autonomous driving module of the life vest (100).

[0071] In step (b) above, the life vest (100) and the control system generate a BLE Long Term Key (LTK) during the Bluetooth pairing process and generate a session key using the LTK in all subsequent communication sessions, thereby enabling secure communication without additional authentication or key exchange; in step (d) above, the control system maps and displays the received location information of the wearer on an Electronic Navigational Chart in real time and displays the locations of surrounding vessels using AIS (Automatic Identification System) information, thereby enabling the identification of the optimal movement path for the rescue of the wearer; in step (e) above, the artificial intelligence-based risk analysis algorithm is implemented using a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) recurrent neural network, which is one of the deep learning techniques, and predicts the drowning situation in real time by analyzing the wearer's biosignal time-series data, while continuously improving prediction accuracy by utilizing big data extracted from past accident cases as training data; and in step (f) above, marine weather information such as tides, waves, and wind is reflected in the destination coordinates and movement path information transmitted by the control system, thereby ensuring the wearer's safety Enables return.

[0072] In step (d) above, the life vest (100) periodically transmits the wearer's biometric data collected through various biometric signal detection sensors, such as a water pressure sensor, a heart rate sensor, and an accelerometer, to the control system. The control system analyzes this data to predict the wearer's health status and survival probability. The control system comprehensively considers the wearer's location information along with surrounding terrain information, water temperature, and weather information to induce the wearer's life vest (100) to perform optimal automatic rescue operations. However, if an emergency situation is detected, such as the wearer's health status rapidly deteriorating, the control system induces a rapid forced return through more active intervention. The control system maintains a constant connection with relevant agencies, such as 119 and the Coast Guard, via a hot-line. It disseminates accident information immediately upon detection of a drowning accident and establishes a system to secure a golden time by linking with local fire departments, nearby police substations, and emergency medical institutions as needed. Furthermore, the integrated control center of the control system is equipped with an Executive Information System (EIS) that supports rapid decision-making in the event of various situations, and the accident history and rescue resources of the jurisdictional sea area By compiling and providing status and environmental information to decision-makers, we ensure thorough initial response and follow-up measures to minimize casualties.

[0073] The life vest (100), having completed its return to a safe point in step (h) above, charges its battery (230) from a wireless charging pad installed at the location using a self-built wireless charging module, and after charging is complete, switches to an automatic power-saving mode to standby until the next use, and the control system operates a number of mobile control units under the command of the integrated control center, wherein the mobile control units are manufactured in a form that can be mounted on a vehicle or a ship so as to enable rapid deployment to the accident area, and

[0074] The above-mentioned mobile control unit includes a portable control terminal, a small wireless base station, and an auxiliary battery (230), and is capable of performing independent communication and control functions. The control system periodically checks the operation history, battery status, and whether there are any malfunctions of the automatic rescue life vest (100) during normal times and maintains a constant operation system by conducting regular simulated drills according to an accredited test protocol. However, for periods or sea areas prone to accidents, special management is implemented, such as deploying additional control personnel or shortening the pre-inspection cycle of the life vest (100), to focus on accident prevention.

[0075] Hereinafter, a method for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail.

[0076] The present invention comprises: (a) receiving current location information of the wearer from a GPS (220) installed in the life vest (100); (b) receiving posture information of the wearer from a gyro sensor (410) installed in the life vest (100); (c) determining the state of the wearer using the location information and posture information; (d) reading a plurality of pre-set safety point information from memory; (e) comparing the location information and safety point information to select the safety point closest to the current location; (f) setting the selected safety point as a destination; (g) calculating a movement path to the destination using the location information and destination information; (h) controlling a propulsion device (200) installed in the life vest (100) along the movement path to move the wearer to the destination; (i) periodically repeating steps (a) to (c) during the movement to update the wearer's location and state; (j) stopping the operation of the propulsion device (200) when the updated location reaches the destination.

[0077] In step (d) above, the safety point information includes location information of multiple vest (100) storage boxes installed on a beach or waterfront; in step (e) above, wireless communication between the life vest (100) and the vest (100) storage box is used to calculate the distance and direction to the vest (100) storage box, and at this time, the life vest (100) and the vest (100) storage box exchange identification information and location information with each other using a short-range wireless communication protocol such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or LoRa; in step (f) above, if the destination is manually changed by the wearer, the safety point selected by the wearer is reset as the destination instead of the safety point automatically selected in step (e); and by transmitting the wearer's location and status information updated through step (i) to the vest (100) storage box using the wireless communication, monitoring of the wearer is possible even on land.

[0078] Step (c) above determines the wearer to be in a drowning state if it is determined that the wearer's face is below the water surface based on the posture information, and determines the wearer to be in an active movement state if it is determined that the wearer is moving forward based on the posture information; in Step (i), if the wearer is determined to be in a drowning state, the wearer is forcibly moved to a destination through the control of the propulsion device (200) in Step (h), and if the wearer is determined to be in an active movement state, the output of the propulsion device (200) is controlled according to the wearer's intention to assist the wearer in moving in the desired direction.

[0079] The movement path calculated in step (g) above includes a shortest path and a safe path, wherein the shortest path is the path with the shortest straight-line distance from the current location to the destination, and the safe path is a path established with the highest priority on the wearer's safety by considering environmental information such as waves, currents, and wind, and topographical information such as reefs, stranded ships, and seashore rocks, and in step (h) above,

[0080] The propulsion device (200) is controlled to move along a safe path when determined to be in a drowning state, and to move along the shortest path when determined to be in an active movement state.

[0081] The safety point information read in step (d) above includes at least one of the location coordinates of the safety point, the direction and distance to the safety point, the capacity of the safety point, and the current usage status of the safety point; in step (e) above, the distance to the safety point is calculated to select the optimal safety point, and the usage status of the selected safety point is updated in real time via wireless communication; and in step (j) above, if the wearer does not detach from the life vest (100) until a certain amount of time has elapsed after arriving at the destination, an alarm is sent to the manager through the vest (100) storage box to notify the wearer of an abnormal condition. Explanation of the symbols

[0082] 100: Life vest 110: Commercial power 120: Charging terminal 200: Propulsion device 220: GPS 225: Emergency stop switch 230: Battery 300: Control unit 410: Gyro sensor 420: GPS module

Claims

Claim 1 In an automatic rescue life vest capable of determining the wearer's location and status in real time using GPS and a gyroscope sensor (410) and automatically moving to a safe place using multiple propulsion devices capable of independently controlling direction and speed, the automatic rescue device is designed to be detachably attached to the torso of the automatic rescue life vest, and the automatic rescue device includes a housing installed on the back of the life vest, a control unit installed inside the housing, a battery, a GPS (220), and a gyroscope sensor (410). A pair of propulsion devices equipped with propellers are installed on both the left and right sides of the housing, and the propulsion devices are driven independently according to a control signal from the control unit. The control unit includes a microprocessor, a memory, and an input / output interface. The memory stores an algorithm that calculates the optimal path to a destination and controls the propulsion devices using location information received from a GPS module and attitude information received from a gyroscope sensor. It also includes a black box function that collects various status information, including GPS information, attitude information, and impact detection information, in conjunction with an emergency stop switch (225) when an emergency occurs, and the collected status information An automatic rescue life vest characterized by being stored in non-volatile memory and simultaneously transmitted in real time via wireless communication to enable rapid situation assessment and response, preventing switch malfunction through a sensor that detects the conductivity of seawater when the power switch or emergency stop switch (225) is submerged in water, and immediately cutting off the power through a sensor that detects leakage current when water penetrates into the switch to prevent short circuits and electric shock accidents. Claim 2 In claim 1, the control unit includes a water temperature sensor for detecting water temperature to determine the risk of hypothermia of the wearer and determining an appropriate return speed, and an ultrasonic sensor for detecting the distance and direction to an underwater obstacle to generate a collision avoidance path, and the control unit (300) analyzes information received from an illuminance sensor, a water temperature sensor, and an ultrasonic sensor to generate an automatic return path, and controls the direction and speed of movement of the life vest (100) by differentially controlling the propulsion force of the left and right propulsion devices (200) along the generated return path, and the direction indicator light indicating the direction of movement has five lighting patterns of forward, left turn, right turn, stop, and reverse, and visually indicates the change in the direction of travel according to the automatic return path. Claim 3 delete Claim 4 delete Claim 5 A method for controlling an automatic rescue life vest according to claim 1, comprising: (a) receiving current location information of a wearer from a GPS module installed in the life vest; (b) receiving posture information of a wearer from a gyroscope sensor installed in the life vest; (c) determining the state of a wearer using the location information and posture information; (d) reading a plurality of pre-set safety point information from memory; (e) comparing the location information and safety point information to select the safety point closest to the current location; (f) setting the selected safety point as a destination; (g) calculating a movement path to a destination using the location information and destination information; (h) controlling a propulsion device installed in the life vest along the movement path to move the wearer to the destination; (i) periodically repeating steps (a) to (c) during the movement to update the wearer's location and state; (j) stopping the operation of the propulsion device when the updated location reaches the destination; a method for controlling an automatic rescue life vest using a GPS and a gyroscope sensor (410). Claim 6 A method for controlling an automatic rescue life vest according to claim 5, characterized in that, in step (i), if the wearer is determined to be in a drowning state, the wearer is forcibly moved to a destination through the control of the propulsion device in step (h), and if the wearer is determined to be in an active movement state, the output of the propulsion device is controlled according to the wearer's intention to assist the wearer in moving in the direction desired. Claim 7 delete Claim 8 A method for controlling an automatic rescue life vest according to claim 5, characterized in that, in step (e) above, the distance to a safety point is calculated to select an optimal safety point, and the usage status of the selected safety point is updated in real time through a wireless communication device attached to the automatic rescue life vest. Claim 9 delete Claim 10 An automatic rescue life vest according to claim 1, wherein the emergency stop switch is implemented as a mechanical push-button switch and operates in multiple stages according to the strength and speed of the force applied to the switch, wherein when pressed slowly with a weak force, it operates in stage 1 to notify the user of an emergency situation by generating an emergency warning sound and illuminating a flashing light, and when pressed quickly with a strong force, it operates in stage 2 to perform emergency response procedures such as transmitting an emergency signal, requesting rescue, and immediately stopping automatic rescue. Claim 11 An automatic rescue life vest according to claim 1, wherein a power switch is installed on each of the left and right shoulder strap portions of the torso portion of the life vest and the central portion of the front plate, allowing the user to selectively operate the switch at a convenient location, the power switch installed on the shoulder strap is protected from being submerged in water through a neck-type safety hook, and the power switch installed on the front plate is protected from external impact through a zipper-type cover. Claim 12 An automatic rescue life vest according to claim 1, comprising a non-volatile memory connected to the power switch and storing the switch operation status, wherein the non-volatile memory stores information on the switch operation history, operation time, and operation location, and wherein the stored information is transmitted to a land control system via wireless communication and utilized for accident situation analysis and prevention of recurrence. Claim 13 An automatic rescue life vest of claim 1, comprising a plurality of sensors installed on the outer surface of the housing to collect underwater environment information, wherein the sensors include an illuminance sensor for detecting the brightness of the underwater environment to determine the time, weather, and depth, a water temperature sensor for detecting the water temperature to determine the risk of hypothermia of the wearer and to determine an appropriate return speed, and an ultrasonic sensor for detecting the distance and direction to an underwater obstacle to generate a collision avoidance path. Claim 14 delete Claim 15 An automatic rescue life vest according to claim 13, wherein the housing is further equipped with a GPS module and an inertial navigation unit (IMU) to detect the user's absolute position information and relative position information in real time, and to accurately determine the current position relative to the target point based on the detected position information, thereby enabling return to the target point even in situations of deviation from the path or drifting. Claim 16 An automatic rescue life vest according to claim 13, wherein the life vest is further equipped with an acoustic alarm device, and the acoustic alarm device includes a speaker, a microphone, and a voice recognition module, and outputs voice guidance and warning sounds to notify the user when situations such as automatic rescue start, deviation from the path, arrival at a target point, or low battery occur, and recognizes the user's voice commands to control the automatic rescue function. Claim 17 The automatic rescue life vest of claim 1 comprises an antenna installed on the outer side of the housing for performing wireless communication and a wireless communication module, wherein the wireless communication module simultaneously comprises a first communication channel for short-range wireless communication with a vest storage box installed on a beach or waterfront and a second communication channel for long-range wireless communication with a control system located at a distance, wherein through the first communication channel, when the power of the life vest is turned on, location information of the storage box is received from the vest storage box and current location information of the life vest obtained from the GPS module is transmitted to the vest storage box, thereby determining the relative distance and direction between the life vest and the vest storage box in real time, and through the second communication channel, search and rescue commands and safety point information are received from the control system and current location and status information of the life vest is transmitted to the control system, thereby enabling remote control and monitoring of the life vest, and the control unit compares the location information of the storage box received from the vest storage box and the current location information of the life vest obtained from the GPS module, An automatic rescue life vest that sets the location of the above-mentioned vest storage box as a destination for automatic rescue, calculates the shortest distance and optimal path to the destination based on the attitude and direction information of the life vest obtained from the gyroscope sensor (410), and controls the direction and speed of the life vest according to the calculation result to automatically return to the destination. Claim 18 In claim 17, the wireless communication module includes an RSSI function that measures the strength of radio waves received through the antenna, and the control unit estimates the distance to the vest storage box or control system based on the radio wave strength information measured through the RSSI function, and adjusts an automatic rescue operation in preparation for communication loss when the radio wave strength drops below a preset threshold, an automatic rescue life vest. Claim 19 In claim 17, the vest storage box has a plurality of storage compartments capable of storing and charging a plurality of life vests, and a short-range wireless communication antenna is installed in each storage compartment for pairing with a wireless communication module of the life vest, and when the life vest is mounted in the storage compartment, pairing is automatically performed and the battery of the life vest that has been completely discharged can be charged, an automatic rescue life vest. Claim 20 In claim 17, the control system is established in an integrated control center for overall control and monitoring of the operation of automatic rescue life vests, and multiple control systems are connected via wired and wireless networks to form a wide-area control network, and the integrated control center operates a big data system that integrates, analyzes, and displays data collected through individual control systems, and the control system includes a communication function with a GPS satellite to track the location of the automatic rescue life vest in real time, and is characterized by intuitively displaying the GPS coordinates of the life vest received from the wireless communication module by mapping them to a Geographic Information System (GIS). Claim 21 A method for controlling an automatic rescue life vest according to claim 1, comprising: (a) establishing a wireless connection between a wireless communication module embedded in the automatic rescue life vest and a communication module of a control system installed on a beach or lakeside; (b) exchanging unique identification codes between the life vest and the control system and performing mutual authentication through a predetermined authentication procedure; (c) establishing a secure communication channel between the life vest and the control system after the mutual authentication is completed; (d) receiving location information and status information of the wearer from the life vest through the security communication channel and displaying them on a monitoring screen of a control system; (e) analyzing the location information and status information received in the step of displaying them on the monitoring screen to determine the level of danger of the wearer and determining whether to initiate an automatic rescue operation or a forced return operation; (f) remotely controlling a Level 3 autonomous driving function mounted on the life vest according to the result of determining the level of danger to initiate an automatic rescue operation or instruct a forced return; (g) continuously repeating steps (d) to (f) while the automatic rescue operation of the life vest is being performed to monitor the safety status of the wearer; (h) after confirming that the wearer has arrived at a safe point and been rescued, terminating the autonomous driving function of the life vest and instructing a return; comprising a method for controlling an automatic rescue life vest. Claim 22 A method for controlling an automatic rescue life vest according to claim 21, wherein in step (d) above, the control system maps and displays the received location information of the wearer on an Electronic Navigational Chart in real time and displays the locations of surrounding vessels together using Automatic Identification System (AIS) information, thereby enabling the identification of the optimal route for the rescue of the wearer. Claim 23 A method for controlling an automatic rescue life vest according to claim 21, wherein in step (d) above, the life vest periodically transmits the wearer's biometric data collected through various biometric signal detection sensors including a hydrostatic pressure sensor, a heart rate sensor, and an accelerometer to the control system. Claim 24 A method for controlling an automatic rescue life vest according to claim 21, wherein the control system operates a plurality of mobile control units under the command of an integrated control center, and the mobile control units are manufactured in a form that can be mounted on a vehicle or a vessel and can be rapidly deployed to an accident area.

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