Movement notification method and movement notification device

Abstract

A movement notification device (21) is provided with a controller (23) that executes processing for notifying another user of information pertaining to the movement of an information apparatus (5) that moves together with a user. The controller (23) acquires the position information of the information apparatus (5), and determines on the basis of the position information and a preliminarily set notification area whether a notification condition for notifying information about the movement of the information apparatus (5) is satisfied. When the notification condition is satisfied, the controller (23) notifies notification destination terminals (7, 9) that present information to other users of information pertaining to the movement of the information apparatus (5).

Description

Movement notification method and movement notification device

[0001] The present invention relates to a movement notification method and a movement notification device.

[0002] An information notification device that notifies information to residents of a home that is compatible with a HEMS (Home Energy Management System) is disclosed in Patent Literature 1. The information notification device disclosed in Patent Literature 1 identifies home appliances that are operating in the home of each subscriber, and notifies the identified home appliances of information that should be communicated to the residents.

[0003] JP 2016-10001 A

[0004] However, the conventional information notification device described above does not notify information that allows users to grasp the movements of family members who are far from home, etc. Therefore, there is a problem that other users cannot grasp the movements of a user who is far away.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a movement notification method and movement notification device that allow other users to be aware of the movements of a user who is in a remote location.

[0006] A movement notification method and movement notification device according to one aspect of the present invention acquire location information of an information device that moves with a user, and if it determines that a notification condition is met based on the location information and a predetermined notification area, notifies a notification destination terminal that presents information to other users of information regarding the movement of the information device.

[0007] According to the present invention, other users are notified of information relating to the movement of an information device that travels with the user, so that other users can be aware of the movement of a user who is in a remote location.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a movement notification system including a movement notification device according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a timing chart illustrating the notification area setting process performed by the movement notification system according to this embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a notification area setting screen displayed on a mobile terminal. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a wide-area display displaying the set notification area. FIG. 5 is a timing chart illustrating the movement notification process performed by the movement notification device according to this embodiment. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the processing steps for vehicle movement detection processing performed by the movement notification device according to this embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a notification screen that notifies information related to vehicle movement. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a notification displayed on a television, which is an information terminal.

[0009] A movement notification method and a movement notification device according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same parts are given the same reference numerals and detailed description will be omitted.

[0010] The configuration of a movement notification system including a movement notification device according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 1, the movement notification system 1 includes a server 3, an in-vehicle device 5, a mobile terminal 7, an information terminal 9, and a service server 11.

[0011] The movement notification system 1 is a system that notifies other users of information regarding a user's movement through the movement of an information device that travels with the user. For example, consider a family of three including a father, a mother, and a child. In this case, the father is the notification target user traveling outside the home, and the information device traveling with the notification target user is an in-vehicle device 5 in the vehicle in which the father rides. This information device is not limited to the in-vehicle device 5, but may also be a mobile terminal carried by the father. Meanwhile, the other users who receive the notification are the mother and child, who are notification destination users. The notification destination users can receive the notification at the notification destination terminal where the information is presented. The notification destination terminal could be a mobile terminal 7 carried by the mother, or an information terminal 9 such as a television that the mother and child watch at home.

[0012] The server 3 is a communication device that transmits and receives information via a communication network between the in-vehicle device 5, the mobile terminal 7, the information terminal 9, and the service server 11. The server 3 includes a movement notification device 21, and also includes a database and a communication device (not shown).

[0013] The movement notification device 21 notifies a notification destination user of information relating to the movement of an information device that moves together with the notification target user. The movement notification device 21 includes a control unit 23 and a storage unit 25.

[0014] The control unit 23 is a controller that executes a process of notifying a notification destination user of information related to the movement of the information device. Specifically, the control unit 23 acquires location information of the information device, and determines whether a notification condition for notifying information related to the movement of the information device is met based on the acquired location information and a preset notification area. If the control unit 23 determines that the notification condition is met, the control unit 23 notifies the notification destination terminal that presents the information to the notification destination user of the information related to the movement of the information device.

[0015] In this embodiment, a case will be described in which a father, who is a user to be notified, travels in a vehicle. The control unit 23 acquires location information of the vehicle (in-vehicle device 5) in which the user to be notified is traveling. Based on the acquired location information, the control unit 23 determines whether the vehicle has entered or exited a notification area, thereby determining whether a notification condition is met. Then, when the vehicle has entered or exited the notification area (when the control unit 23 determines that the notification condition is met), it notifies the notification destination terminal of information related to the movement of the vehicle. For example, when the father, who is a user to be notified, leaves work in his vehicle, the movement notification device 21 notifies the mobile terminal 7 of the mother, who is a user to be notified, and an information terminal 9, such as a television at home, of information including that the vehicle in which the father is traveling has left work.

[0016] The storage unit 25 is a memory or database that stores information necessary for executing a process of notifying a notification destination user of information related to movement. In particular, the storage unit 25 stores setting information set for a notification area, additional information attached to the notification, and identification data for identifying a person riding in a vehicle.

[0017] Specifically, the setting information includes the name and setting position of the notification area, the size of the notification area, the notification time period, etc. The additional information includes data from the vehicle's seating sensor, the state of seat belt fastening, images from the in-vehicle camera, etc. Furthermore, the identification data includes the face and weight of the person riding in the vehicle.

[0018] The movement notification device 21 is a computer configured with general-purpose electronic circuits including a microcomputer, a microprocessor, and a CPU, as well as peripheral devices such as memory, and is installed with a computer program for executing movement notification processing. Each function of the movement notification device 21 can be implemented by one or more processing circuits. The processing circuit may include, for example, a programmed processing device including electrical circuits, and may also include devices such as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) or conventional circuit components arranged to perform the functions described in the embodiments.

[0019] The vehicle-mounted device 5 is a device that is mounted in a vehicle in which the notification target user rides and can access the movement notification system 1 via a communication network. The vehicle-mounted device 5 is mounted in the vehicle in which the notification target user's father rides, and is therefore an information device that moves with the notification target user. The vehicle-mounted device 5 can be considered the same as the vehicle itself. In addition to the vehicle-mounted device 5, the mobile terminal (not shown) carried by the father is also an information device that moves with the notification target user.

[0020] The mobile terminal 7 is a notification destination terminal that presents information to the mother, who is the notification destination user, and is a device that can access the movement notification system 1 via a communication network. For example, the mobile terminal 7 is a smartphone or tablet terminal owned by the mother. The mobile terminal 7 has a setting unit 31.

[0021] The setting unit 31 is a controller that executes a process of setting a notification area for detecting the movement of a notification target user. Specifically, the setting unit 31 executes a process of displaying a setting screen for setting the notification area and transmitting setting information input from the setting screen to the server 3. Note that the setting unit 31 may be provided in the movement notification device 21 instead of the mobile terminal 7, or may be provided in the information terminal 9 or the mobile terminal owned by the father.

[0022] The information terminal 9 is a notification destination terminal that presents information to the notification destination users, the mother and child, and is a device that can access the movement notification system 1 via a communication network. For example, the information terminal 9 is a home appliance such as a television that the mother and child watch, and in particular, a home appliance that is compatible with a HEMS (Home Energy Management System). Therefore, the information terminal 9 can display messages and output voice messages.

[0023] The service server 11 is a server that provides services such as weather forecasts, traffic congestion information, etc. The information provided by the service server 11 is notified to the notification destination user by the movement notification device 21 as additional information.

[0024] Next, the notification area setting process by the movement notification system 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 2, in step S101, the setting unit 31 displays a setting screen for setting the notification area on the mobile terminal 7. As described above, the mobile terminal 7 is a notification destination terminal that presents information, but can also function as a terminal that performs the notification area setting process.

[0025] In step S103, when the mother, who is the notification destination user, inputs setting information from the setting screen, the setting unit 31 transmits the input setting information to the server 3. For example, the setting screen shown in Fig. 3 is displayed on the mobile terminal 7, and the notification destination user sets the setting position of the notification area, the size of the notification area, the notification destination, and the notification time zone.

[0026] On the setting screen shown in FIG. 3, icons P1 and P2 are displayed at the setting positions of the notification areas, and notification areas A1 and A2 are displayed as circles centered on the positions of icons P1 and P2. The setting positions of the notification areas can be set by tapping on the map. The setting position display section 41 on the setting screen displays the address of the setting position, and the name can be entered. In FIG. 3, "Home" is entered as the name of the setting position.

[0027] The size of the notification areas A1 and A2 can be changed by moving the slide of the area setting unit 43. The size of the notification areas A1 and A2 can also be changed by pinching in or out on the map. However, the notification areas A1 and A2 cannot be set so that they overlap.

[0028] The notification destination setting unit 45 allows the user to input and set the notification destination, and in Fig. 3, the television in the living room, which is the information terminal 9, is set. The notification destination setting unit 45 also allows the user to input and set the notification time period, and in Fig. 3, the entire time period from Monday to Friday is set. When the notification destination is set, superimposed displays B1 and B2 are displayed on the map, and the superimposed displays B1 and B2 respectively display the icons of the notification destination, the mother, and the television, and the notification time period.

[0029] Once the notification areas are individually set in this manner, the multiple notification areas that have been set can be confirmed in a wide-area display, as shown in Fig. 4. In the wide-area display of Fig. 4, notification areas A1 to A3 are displayed. Of these, in notification area A3, an entry determination range A3a is set to determine whether the vehicle in which the notification target user is riding has entered the notification area A3, and an exit determination range A3b is set to determine whether the vehicle in which the notification target user is riding has exited the notification area A3.

[0030] The user sets the notification area A3 on the setting screen in Figure 3, and the exit determination range A3b is set to be larger than the notification area A3 by a predetermined width. Similarly, the entry determination range A3a is set to be smaller than the notification area A3 set by the user by a predetermined width. Therefore, as shown in Figure 4, the exit determination range A3b is set to be larger than the entry determination range A3a. Then, entry into the notification area A3 is determined based on the entry determination range A3a, and exit from the notification area A3 is determined based on the exit determination range A3b.

[0031] By making the exit determination range A3b larger than the entry determination range A3a, it is possible to prevent frequent notifications of entry or exit. For example, if entry and determination are determined based on a single boundary, as in the case of the notification area A1, a vehicle may cross the boundary multiple times depending on the shape of the road near the boundary of the notification area, resulting in a notification being sent each time. However, by setting the exit determination range A3b larger than the entry determination range A3a, it is possible to prevent such frequent notifications. Note that in FIG. 4, the other notification areas A1-A2 are depicted as single circles, and the entry determination range and exit determination range are omitted, but the entry determination range and exit determination range are set in the same way for the other notification areas A1-A2.

[0032] 4, superimposed displays C1 to C3 are displayed in each notification area to indicate the destination terminals registered therein. For example, in notification area A2, superimposed display C2 is displayed to indicate that the destination terminal is the television in the living room. Therefore, when a vehicle enters notification area A2, a notification is sent to the television in the living room. Similarly, in notification area A1, superimposed display C1 is displayed to indicate that the destination terminal is the mother's mobile terminal 7, and in notification area A3, superimposed display C3 is displayed to indicate that a notification will be sent to all registered destination terminals. In this way, destination terminals are registered in each notification area, and when a vehicle enters or exits a notification area, information regarding the movement of the information terminal is notified to the destination terminals registered for that notification area.

[0033] Since the notification area is set as a circle centered on the set location, the entry or exit of a vehicle is determined based on the straight-line distance from the set location. However, the determination may be based on the road travel distance instead of the straight-line distance. For example, when a vehicle is traveling on a highway, even if the straight-line distance from the vehicle's location to the set location is short, the vehicle must actually travel to an interchange, exit the highway, and then reach the set location, resulting in a longer travel distance. Therefore, when the difference between the straight-line distance and the travel distance is large, the entry or exit of a vehicle may be determined based on the travel distance.

[0034] In step S105, the control unit 23 receives the setting information transmitted in step S103 and sets the notification area. At this time, the control unit 23 determines whether there are any problems, such as whether the range of the notification area overlaps with the time period, before setting the notification area. The received setting information and the set notification area are recorded in the storage unit 25.

[0035] In step S107, the control unit 23 transmits information about the notification area set in step S105 to the mobile terminal 7. In step S109, the setting unit 31 receives the information about the notification area transmitted in step S107 and displays a setting completion screen. This completes the setting of the notification area, and the notification area setting process ends.

[0036] Next, the movement notification process by the movement notification device 21 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5. As shown in Fig. 5, in step S201, the vehicle (on-board device 5) transmits, at predetermined intervals, location information of the vehicle in which the notification target user is riding, i.e., the vehicle traveling with the notification target user. At the same time, data from the vehicle's seat sensor, the seat belt fastening status, video from the in-vehicle camera, and the like, which are used as additional information, are also transmitted.

[0037] In step S203, the control unit 23 acquires the vehicle position information transmitted in step S201. Then, the control unit 23 determines whether or not movement of the vehicle has been detected within a preset notification area based on the acquired position information. Specifically, in this embodiment, the control unit 23 determines whether or not the vehicle has entered or exited the notification area based on the acquired position information.

[0038] Here, the movement detection process for detecting the movement of a vehicle will be described with reference to Fig. 6. As shown in Fig. 6, in step S301, the control unit 23 determines whether the vehicle has crossed the boundary of a notification area based on a change in the vehicle's position information transmitted at predetermined time intervals, and if the vehicle has crossed the boundary of a notification area, the process proceeds to step S303. On the other hand, if the vehicle has not crossed the boundary of a notification area, the control unit 23 determines not to transmit a notification and ends the movement detection process.

[0039] In step S303, the control unit 23 determines whether the vehicle is within the notification area, and if it is within the notification area, the process proceeds to step S305, and if it is not within the notification area, the process proceeds to step S307.

[0040] In step S305, the control unit 23 determines that the vehicle has entered the notification area because the vehicle is within the entry judgment range, straddling the boundary of the entry judgment range. On the other hand, in step S307, the control unit 23 determines that the vehicle has exited the notification area because the vehicle is not within the exit judgment range, straddling the boundary of the exit judgment range.

[0041] In step S309, the control unit 23 acquires from the storage unit 25 setting information of the notification area into which the vehicle has entered or exited.

[0042] In step S311, the control unit 23 determines whether the current time is within the notification time period based on the setting information acquired in step S309. The setting information sets the time period for sending notifications for each notification area, so the control unit 23 determines whether the current time is within the notification time period, and if it is within the notification time period, proceeds to step S313. On the other hand, if the current time is not within the notification time period, the control unit 23 determines that a notification will not be sent and ends the movement detection process.

[0043] In step S313, the control unit 23 acquires additional information to be added to the notification to the notification destination user. Examples of the acquired additional information include vehicle location information, vehicle sensor information such as images from an in-vehicle camera and data from a seating sensor, and seat belt fastening status. Weather forecasts and traffic congestion information from the service server 11 are also acquired as additional information.

[0044] In step S315, the control unit 23 generates notification content for the notification destination user. When the vehicle enters the notification area, the control unit 23 generates a notification informing the notification destination user that the notification destination user has arrived. When the vehicle leaves the notification area, the control unit 23 generates a notification informing the notification destination user that the notification destination user has departed. These notifications also include the additional information acquired in step S313. Once the notification content for the notification destination user has been generated in this manner, the movement detection process ends.

[0045] 5 , in step S205, when the control unit 23 detects movement of the vehicle (on-board device 5), the control unit 23 notifies the notification destination terminal of information related to the movement of the vehicle. Specifically, in this embodiment, when the vehicle enters or leaves the notification area, the control unit 23 notifies the notification destination terminal of information related to the movement of the vehicle in which the father, who is the notification target user, is riding.

[0046] Specifically, when the vehicle enters the notification area, the control unit 23 notifies the user to be notified that the user has arrived at a set location within the notification area. On the other hand, when the vehicle leaves the notification area, the control unit 23 notifies the user to be notified that the user has departed from a set location within the notification area.

[0047] In addition, since notification destination terminals are registered in each notification area, the control unit 23 notifies information related to the movement of the vehicle to the notification destination terminals registered in the notification area that the vehicle has entered or exited. For example, in Fig. 5, a case will be described in which the mobile terminal 7 carried by the mother who is the notification destination user and the information terminal 9 such as a home appliance installed in the home of the notification destination user are registered as notification destination terminals.

[0048] At this time, the notification destination terminal can check multiple notification areas in a wide-area display as shown in Fig. 7. In the wide-area display of Fig. 7, notification areas A1 to A3 are displayed, and notification area A3, which the vehicle has entered or exited, is highlighted.

[0049] When notifying information about travel, information about whether or not there are passengers in the vehicle is also notified. For example, as shown in Fig. 7, a superimposed display D showing the vehicle's location is displayed, and this superimposed display D displays a vehicle icon, icons indicating occupants, and the number of occupants. The icons indicating occupants represent a father, mother, and child, respectively, and the number of occupants is displayed as "3."

[0050] To display passenger information in this way, the control unit 23 acquires vehicle sensor information, such as in-vehicle camera footage, seat occupancy sensor data, and seat belt fastening status, from the in-vehicle device 5, and also pre-records identification data, such as the faces and weights of the people riding in the vehicle. Therefore, the control unit 23 can identify and display the number of passengers and their corresponding numbers based on this information. However, if the passengers cannot be identified, only the number of passengers may be displayed, or only icons of the identified passengers may be displayed. In addition to the superimposed display D indicating the vehicle's location, the location of the father's mobile device may also be displayed in a superimposed display.

[0051] Furthermore, when a vehicle leaves a notification area, the time when the notification target user will arrive in another notification area can also be notified. For example, as shown in Fig. 7, when a vehicle leaves notification area A3, the arrival time of the notification target user, the father, is displayed in superimposed displays E1 and E2 in the other notification areas A1 and A2. In Fig. 7, the arrival time of the notification target user, the father, is displayed in superimposed display E1 in notification area A1 at 5:50 PM, and the arrival time of the notification target user, the father, is displayed in superimposed display E2 in notification area A2 at 6:00 PM. These arrival times are calculated taking into account traffic congestion information and weather information, which are supplementary information.

[0052] In step S207, the information terminal 9 receives a notification including information about the movement. Then, in step S209, the information terminal 9 displays the received notification. For example, if the information terminal 9 is a television, a message informing the user of the father's arrival is displayed on the screen, as shown in Fig. 8. At this time, the message may be not only displayed on the screen, but also notified by voice or an alert.

[0053] In step S211, the mobile device 7 receives the notification. Then, in step S213, the mobile device 7 presents the received notification. For example, when a push notification is sent to the mobile device 7 and the mother taps the notification, a message notifying the father of his arrival is displayed. When the notification is presented to the notification destination user in this manner, the movement notification process according to this embodiment ends.

[0054] As described above in detail, the movement notification device 21 according to the present embodiment determines whether the notification condition is met based on the location information of the vehicle (on-board device 5) and a preset notification area. If the movement notification device 21 determines that the notification condition is met, it notifies the notification destination terminal of information related to the movement of the vehicle (on-board device 5). This allows the notification destination terminal to be notified of information related to the movement of the vehicle (on-board device 5) traveling with the notification target user, allowing the notification target user, who is in a remote location, to be aware of the movement of the notification target user.

[0055] Furthermore, determining whether the notification condition is satisfied includes determining whether the vehicle has entered or exited the notification area. When the vehicle has entered or exited the notification area, the movement notification device 21 according to this embodiment notifies the notification destination terminal of information relating to the movement of the vehicle. This notifies the notification destination terminal of the movement of the vehicle, allowing the notification destination user, who is in a remote location, to be aware of the movement of the notification target user.

[0056] Furthermore, when the vehicle (on-board device 5) enters the notification area, the movement notification device 21 according to the present embodiment notifies the user that the vehicle has arrived at a set location within the notification area, thereby enabling the notification destination user to grasp the behavior of the notification target user who is in a remote location.

[0057] Furthermore, when the vehicle (on-board device 5) leaves the notification area, the movement notification device 21 according to the present embodiment notifies the user that the vehicle has departed from a set location within the notification area, thereby enabling the notification destination user to grasp the behavior of the notification target user who is in a distant location.

[0058] Furthermore, in the movement notification device 21 according to this embodiment, an entry determination range for determining whether a vehicle has entered the notification area and an exit determination range for determining whether the vehicle has exited the notification area are set in the notification area, and the exit determination range is set larger than the entry determination range. This makes it possible to prevent frequent notifications of entry or exit when a vehicle is traveling near the boundary of the notification area.

[0059] Furthermore, when the vehicle leaves the notification area, the movement notification device 21 according to the present embodiment notifies the notification target user of the time of arrival at another notification area, thereby enabling the notification target user to know in advance the arrival time of the notification target user.

[0060] Furthermore, when notifying information about movement, the movement notification device 21 according to the present embodiment notifies whether or not there are passengers in the vehicle, thereby enabling the notification destination user to know in advance how many passengers will be arriving.

[0061] Furthermore, in the movement notification device 21 according to this embodiment, notification destination terminals are registered in notification areas, and when a vehicle enters or leaves a notification area, information relating to the movement is notified to the registered notification destination terminals. This allows notification destination terminals that need to be notified to be registered for each notification area, so that notifications can be reliably sent to the necessary notification destination terminals.

[0062] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the descriptions and drawings that form part of this disclosure should not be understood to limit the present invention. Various alternative embodiments, examples, and operating techniques will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.

[0063] 1: Movement notification system, 3: Server, 5: In-vehicle device, 7: Portable terminal, 9: Information terminal, 11: Service server, 21: Movement notification device, 23: Control unit, 25: Storage unit, 31: Setting unit, 41: Set position display unit, 43: Area setting unit, 45: Notification destination setting unit, A1 to A3: Notification area, A3a: Entry determination range, A3b: Exit determination range, B1, B2, C1, C2, C3, D, E1, E2: Superimposed display, P1, P2: Icon

Claims

1. A movement notification method by a controller that executes a process to notify other users of information relating to the movement of an information device that moves with a user, the movement notification method comprising: acquiring location information of the information device; determining whether or not a notification condition for notifying information relating to the movement of the information device is met based on the location information and a preset notification area; and, if it is determined that the notification condition is met, notifying a notification destination terminal that presents information to the other users of the information relating to the movement of the information device.

2. The movement notification method according to claim 1, wherein determining whether the notification condition is met includes determining whether the information device has entered or exited the notification area, and when the information device has entered or exited the notification area, notifying the notification destination terminal of information relating to the movement of the information device.

3. The movement notification method according to claim 2, wherein when the information device enters the notification area, a notification is sent to a set position within the notification area that the information device has arrived.

4. A movement notification method according to claim 2 or 3, wherein when the information device leaves the notification area, notification is given that the information device has departed from a set position within the notification area.

5. A movement notification method as described in any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein an entry determination range for determining whether the information device has entered the notification area and an exit determination range for determining whether the information device has exited the notification area are set in the notification area, and the exit determination range is set larger than the entry determination range.

6. A movement notification method according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein when the information device leaves the notification area, notification is made of the time when the information device will arrive in another notification area.

7. A movement notification method according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the information device is an onboard device of a vehicle in which the user is riding, and when notifying information relating to the movement of the information device, notifies whether or not there is a passenger in the vehicle.

8. A movement notification method according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the notification destination terminal is registered in the notification area, and information relating to the movement of the information device is notified to the notification destination terminal registered for the notification area into which the information device has entered or exited.

9. A movement notification device having a controller that executes a process of notifying other users of information relating to the movement of an information device that moves with a user, wherein the controller: acquires location information of the information device; determines whether or not a notification condition for notifying information relating to the movement of the information device is met based on the location information and a preset notification area; and, if it determines that the notification condition is met, notifies a notification destination terminal that presents information to the other users of the information relating to the movement of the information device.

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