Drowning detection system

Abstract

The present invention provides a drowning detection system that has a simple configuration, is inexpensive, and is easy to introduce.　This drowning detection system comprises: a power transmission module provided with a plurality of power transmission units for wireless power transfer spread all over the bottom of a pool; a wearable device, which is provided with a power reception unit for wireless power transfer that receives power by coming into proximity with the power transmission units, and which is worn by a swimmer in the pool; and a processing execution unit that executes prescribed processing related to drowning rescue on the assumption that drowning is occurring when the power reception unit receives power.

Description

Drowning Detection System

[0001] The present invention relates to a drowning detection system that enables prompt detection of drowning accidents in a pool.

[0002] News of deaths due to drowning during swimming is reported every year. According to a WHO report, the annual number of deaths due to drowning worldwide exceeds 370,000. The main causes include insufficient supervision, lack of appropriate safety measures, lack of appropriate swimming education, lack of knowledge and awareness of drowning, and lack of knowledge and training regarding emergency response.

[0003] As a specific accident that recently occurred, on April 22, 2023, a 5-year-old boy who was participating in a swimming school was found at the bottom of the pool and was taken to the hospital but died. The facility side revealed that the monitoring situation was insufficient. On this day, in addition to the said boy, 18 elementary and middle school students participated. Regarding the monitoring situation, the facility side assigned 3 adult coaches to monitor 19 students, monitoring from inside and outside the pool, but no one noticed that the boy had sunk. Especially children often quietly sink into the water without developing the no-panic syndrome and thrashing around, and in that case, it is difficult to be noticed by those around them.

[0004] In order to reduce such drowning accidents, it is essential to have sufficient supervision, introduce safety measures, and improve the emergency response ability. However, in modern society where the social issue of labor shortage continues, there is a limit to increasing the number of monitors with emergency response ability. Also, even if the number of monitors is increased, it cannot be denied that there is a possibility of overlooking a drowning person as in the above case.

[0005] As a scientific measure to prevent overlooking a drowning person, typically the installation of cameras can be mentioned. For example, the automatic monitoring system "Poseidon" of MG International Poseidon Co., Ltd. described in Non-Patent Document 1 is a system that arranges a plurality of monitoring cameras on the ceiling above the pool to detect and notify swimmers who may be drowning.

[0006] There are also systems that use sensors instead of cameras. Orwell's location tracking system "nagi," described in Non-Patent Literature 1, attaches radio-emitting tags to swimmers' swimming caps or goggles. If the tags sink into the water and the signal is lost for more than 30 seconds, the system notifies a supervisor that the swimmer may be drowning.

[0007] Furthermore, the "Shanshui Xiaobai" from Shianshui Technology Co., Ltd., described in Non-Patent Literature 2, is a wearable smart device for children (attachable to swimming goggles or swimming caps) that can identify various drowning scenarios, transmit the situation through pressure values ​​and signals, estimate whether the wearer is regularly surfacing to breathe, and notifies lifeguards and monitors with lights and alarms if there is danger.

[0008] Asahi Shimbun Digital, "Sensors in swimming caps, AI for video analysis... 'Machine eyes' to prevent pool accidents," [online], June 17, 2023, [Retrieved September 24, 2024], Internet<URL: https: / / www.asahi.com / articles / ASR6J4SDRR6DOXIE02D.html>

[0009] 36Kr Japan, "Warning the Risk of Drowning in Advance: Preventing Drowning in Children with Wearable Devices," [online], July 29, 2019, [Retrieved September 24, 2024], Internet<URL: https: / / 36kr.jp / 22943 / >

[0010] "Poseidon" was introduced in 11 swimming pools in Japan 20 years ago, but despite insufficient detection accuracy, its high installation cost of 26 million yen and annual maintenance costs of 2 million yen have led to a decrease in the number of facilities using it to just 5.

[0011] Furthermore, "nagi" is expensive and bulky, making it difficult for swimming schools and public or private pools to easily adopt. "Shallow Water White" uses wireless transmission technology, which makes it prone to errors such as radio interference and blockage, and the system tends to be complex.

[0012] The objective of this invention is to provide a drowning detection system that has a simple configuration, is inexpensive, and is easy to implement.

[0013] The drowning detection system of the present invention comprises a power transmission module equipped with wireless power transmission units, which are laid out in multiple locations on the bottom of the pool; a wearable device worn by swimmers in the pool, which is equipped with a wireless power receiving unit that receives power when it approaches the power transmission unit; and a processing execution unit that, upon detection of power reception by the receiving unit, determines that drowning has occurred and performs predetermined processing related to drowning rescue.

[0014] The processing execution unit may include a first light-emitting unit provided in a wearable device that emits light using power received by a power receiving unit, an imaging unit that continuously or periodically images the light emission state of the first light-emitting unit, a determination unit that determines whether or not light is emitted by analyzing the images captured by the imaging unit, and an operation execution unit that performs a predetermined operation related to drowning rescue if the determination unit determines that light is emitted.

[0015] The processing execution unit may include: a power reception detection unit provided in the power transmission module that detects when the power receiving unit receives power; a second light-emitting unit provided in the power transmission module that emits light when power is detected by the power reception detection unit; an imaging unit that continuously or periodically images the light emission state of the second light-emitting unit; a determination unit that determines whether or not light is emitted by analyzing the images captured by the imaging unit; and an operation execution unit that, if the determination unit determines that light is emitted, performs a predetermined operation related to drowning rescue.

[0016] When the power reception detection unit of a certain power transmission module detects power reception, the second light-emitting units of other power transmission modules in the vicinity may be further illuminated.

[0017] The wearable device may further include a first light-emitting unit that emits light using power received by a power receiving unit, and an imaging unit may capture images of the light-emitting state of the first light-emitting unit and the second light-emitting unit.

[0018] The prescribed action may also be an action that causes someone other than the swimmer to perceive the occurrence of drowning through at least one of their five senses.

[0019] The specified operation may also be an operation to drain water from the pool.

[0020] The predetermined operation may also be an operation in which, when the power receiving unit receives power, the bottom of the pool is raised so that the swimmer is lifted towards the water surface.

[0021] The processing unit may also include a float that inflates when the power receiving unit receives power in the wearable device.

[0022] According to the present invention, a drowning detection system can be realized with a simple configuration, low cost, and easy installation.

[0023] This is a functional block diagram of the drowning detection system 100 (first embodiment of the processing execution unit). This diagram shows an example of the arrangement of multiple power transmission modules 110 at the bottom 11 of the pool 10. This diagram illustrates how the wearable device 120 approaches the power transmission module 110 due to the swimmer 20 drowning. This is a functional block diagram of the drowning detection system 100 (second embodiment of the processing execution unit). This is a functional block diagram of the drowning detection system 100 (third embodiment of the processing execution unit).

[0024] Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same functional parts will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and functional parts that have already been described will be omitted from the description as appropriate.

[0025] Figure 1 shows a functional block diagram of the drowning detection system 100 of the present invention. The drowning detection system 100 comprises a power transmission module 110, a wearable device 120, and a processing execution unit 130.

[0026] The power transmission module 110 is equipped with a wireless power transmission unit 111 and multiple modules are laid out on the bottom 11 of the pool 10. The power transmission module 110 may be configured in a tile-like shape, for example, as shown in Figure 2. By attaching a sheet 12 made of PVC or the like to the laid-out power transmission module 110, water ingress into the power transmission module 110 can be prevented.

[0027] The power transmission unit 111 is connected to a power supply and amplifier (not shown) to enable power transmission. The amplification of the amplifier is set according to the wireless power supply method and the power required by the wearable device 120.

[0028] The wearable device 120 is equipped with a wireless power receiving unit 121 that receives power by approaching the power transmitting unit 111, and is worn by swimmers in the pool 10. The wearable device 120 may be configured, for example, as a band that can be wrapped around the arm. In that case, it is best to wrap it around the upper arm, which does not sink to a deep depth during normal swimming. Alternatively, it may be configured to be wrapped around the waist, where there is less movement than the arm, or it may be sewn onto the swimsuit beforehand to prevent it from falling off.

[0029] Various known wireless power transfer methods can be employed, such as electromagnetic induction (magnetic field coupling method, magnetic field resonance method) and electric field coupling method. Generally, the density of the human body is higher than that of water, so drowning individuals tend to sink to the bottom. Normally, a person's weight is greater than the same volume of water, so when someone drowns, their body is pulled downwards in the water and sinks towards the bottom. As shown in Figure 3, when a swimmer 20 wearing the wearable device 120 drowns, the power transmission unit 111 of the power transmission module 110 and the power receiving unit 121 of the wearable device 120 come into contact or are very close to each other. Therefore, it is preferable to determine the wireless power transfer method and the amplification factor of the amplifier connected to the power transmission unit 111 so that power necessary for illumination, etc., is transmitted and received when the distance approaches below a predetermined distance that is judged to be drowning. For example, the electromagnetic induction method is suitable for the present invention because it has a high power transfer efficiency of 70 to 90%, a power transfer distance of a few mm to 10 cm, and a transmitted and received power of a few watts to a few kilowatts.

[0030] The power transmission unit 111 and the power receiving unit 121 can be configured according to the specific method adopted. For example, in the case of a magnetic field coupling method, both can be composed of coils. Furthermore, since the swimmer 20 may sink on their back or on their stomach when drowning, it is more desirable to provide multiple power receiving units 121 at different locations on the wearable device 120 to improve power reception.

[0031] The processing execution unit 130 determines that a drowning has occurred when the power receiving unit 121 receives power, and then performs predetermined processing related to drowning rescue.

[0032] The following describes in detail an embodiment of the processing execution unit 130.

[0033] <First Embodiment> The processing execution unit 130 is composed of a first light-emitting unit 131, an imaging unit 132, a determination unit 133, and an operation execution unit 134. Figure 1 is a functional block diagram.

[0034] The first light-emitting unit 131 is a light source provided on the wearable device 120 that emits light using power received by the power receiving unit 121. As described in the explanation of the power receiving unit 121, since the posture of a person drowning varies, it is more desirable to provide multiple first light-emitting units 131 at different locations on the wearable device 120 in order to improve visibility. The type of light-emitting element of the first light-emitting unit 131 can be arbitrarily determined within the range that can be supplied by the power received by the power receiving unit 121. For example, LEDs are suitable for the present invention because they are low-power and high-brightness.

[0035] It is difficult to monitor the light emission of the first light-emitting unit 131 in the water of the pool 10 from the outside without missing it with the naked eye. Therefore, in this invention, the light emission state of the first light-emitting unit 131 is imaged, and the presence or absence of light emission is determined by analyzing the imaged image.

[0036] The imaging unit 132 continuously or periodically images the light emission state of the first light emission unit 131. The imaging unit 132 may be placed in the water of the pool 10 or outside of it, as long as it can capture images to an extent that does not hinder the determination of the light emission state of the first light emission unit 131.

[0037] The determination unit 133 analyzes the captured image of the emission state of the first light-emitting unit 131 to determine whether or not emission is present. The determination of whether or not emission is present based on the captured image may be performed based on a threshold value of the pixel, or it may be performed by inputting the captured image into a trained model trained using training images.

[0038] Alternatively, an edge AI-equipped camera may be used as the imaging unit 132 and the determination unit 133. The difference between the light from the first light-emitting unit 131 and the ambient light can be analyzed by AI, and if the light does not move for a certain period of time (for example, 30 seconds to 1 minute), it may be determined that light is being emitted. Since the edge AI-equipped camera performs AI processing at the edge without going through the cloud or the internet, it can make a determination immediately without delay.

[0039] The operation execution unit 134 performs a predetermined operation related to drowning rescue when the determination unit 133 determines that there is light emission.

[0040] The prescribed action may be an action that causes others other than the swimmer 20 to perceive the occurrence of drowning through at least one of their five senses. For example, this could include displaying a message on a display device indicating that drowning has occurred, turning on or flashing a high-intensity light that is easily recognizable by others, emitting a sound from a sound-emitting device, or causing a vibration device worn by another person to vibrate. This makes it easier for others to notice that drowning is occurring.

[0041] The predetermined operation may be an operation to drain water from the pool 10. Alternatively, when the power receiving unit 121 receives power, it may be an operation to raise the bottom 11 of the pool 10 so that the swimmer 20 is lifted towards the water surface 13. This allows the drowning swimmer 20 to be lifted and rescued from the outside. In this operation to raise the bottom 11, the bottom 11 itself may be raised, or a mesh-like floor may be placed on top of the power transmission module 110 (sheet 12) and that may be raised.

[0042] Each of the above predetermined actions may be executed in combination.

[0043] Furthermore, the wearable device 120 may be provided with an input unit 138, such as a button or switch, for the swimmer 20 to stop the first light-emitting unit 131 from emitting light when the swimmer 20 is not drowning. In this case, when an instruction to stop the light emission is input to the input means, the state in which the light emission has stopped is captured by the imaging unit 132, and based on the captured image, the determination unit 133 determines that there is no light emission, and the operation of the operation execution unit 134 is stopped.

[0044] In addition, the wearable device 120 may further include a sensor unit 139 such as a piezo sensor that detects vibrations. The detection of vibrations may be started triggered by the power reception by the power reception unit 121, and the first light emitting unit 131 may be caused to emit light when a vibration pattern peculiar to drowning is detected. For example, by wearing the wearable device 120 on the upper arm, the vibration state of the chest due to breathing is detected, and a vibration pattern peculiar to drowning is detected. Thereby, the occurrence of false detection in non-drowning cases can be reduced.

[0045] <Second Embodiment> The processing execution unit 130 is composed of a power reception detection unit 135, a second light emitting unit 136, an imaging unit 132, a determination unit 133, and an operation execution unit 134. A functional block diagram is shown in FIG. 4.

[0046] The power reception detection unit 135 is provided in the power transmission module 110 and detects that the power reception unit 121 has received power. As a method of detecting power reception by the power reception unit 121 in the power reception detection unit 135, for example, a method of monitoring the current and voltage of the power transmission unit 111 by utilizing the change in the load on the power transmission side due to the start of power reception can be mentioned. Also, a method in which the power reception unit 121 wirelessly transmits a feedback signal upon power reception and receives it can be mentioned. Further, when the coil on the power transmission side and the coil on the power reception side are in resonance, a method of monitoring the resonance frequency by utilizing the change in the resonance frequency due to power reception can be mentioned.

[0047] The second light emitting unit 136 is a light source provided in the power transmission module 110 that emits light when the power reception detection unit 135 detects power reception. The type of the light emitting element of the second light emitting unit 136 may be arbitrarily determined within the range of power that can be covered on the power transmission side. For example, an LED is suitable for the present invention because it has low power and high brightness. The second light emitting unit 136 may be configured as a point light source, or when the power transmission module 110 is configured in a tile shape, it may be configured to cause the entire tile to emit light. Also, in order to increase the possibility of detection by the naked eye, for example, it may be configured to emit light with characters such as HELP or an arrow indicating a position.

[0048] In order to improve the visibility during light emission, the second light emitting units 136 of other power transmission modules 110 around a predetermined area of the power transmission module 110 that has detected power reception may also be caused to emit light in conjunction. Further, a first light emitting unit 131 that emits light by the power received by the power receiving unit 121 may be provided in the wearable device 120, and may be caused to emit light together with the second light emitting unit 136.

[0049] The imaging unit 132 continuously or periodically images the light emission state of the second light emitting unit 136. When the first light emitting unit 131 also emits light, the light emission state of the first light emitting unit 131 is also imaged together.

[0050] The determination unit 133 and the operation execution unit 134 are basically the same as those in the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, it is specified which power reception detection unit 135 of the power transmission module 110 at which position has detected the power reception of the wearable device 120, that is, at which position of the power transmission module 110 the drowning swimmer 20 is located. Therefore, when causing the bottom 11 of the pool 10 to rise as a predetermined operation of the operation execution unit 134, the range of the bottom 11 to be raised may be limited to a predetermined range including the power transmission module 110 at the specified position.

[0051] <Third Embodiment> The processing execution unit 130 may be configured as a float bag unit 137 that inflates a float bag when the power receiving unit 121 of the wearable device 120 receives power. A functional block diagram is shown in FIG. 5. Thereby, the drowning swimmer 20 can be raised by the float bag. This configuration may be implemented in combination with the operation execution unit 134 of the first embodiment and the second embodiment.

[0052] In a pool, it is not easy to distinguish between a swimmer and a drowning person, and when trying to detect drowning, the system tends to be large-scale. However, in the drowning detection system of the present invention described above, since it has a simple configuration in which a light source emits light when a swimmer submerges in the bottom surface of the pool, the system can be realized at a low cost, and since a drowning person can be discriminated by light, early detection is possible. In particular, by applying an edge AI-equipped camera to the imaging and image analysis of the light emitted from a drowning person or the like, the occurrence of drowning can be detected with high accuracy.

[0053] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. The embodiments described above are illustrative, and any configuration that is substantially identical to the technical idea described in the claims of the present invention and produces similar effects is included within the technical scope of the present invention. In other words, modifications can be made as appropriate within the scope of the technical idea expressed in the present invention, and such modified or improved forms are also included within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0054] 10 Pool 11 Bottom 12 Sheet 13 Water surface 20 Swimmer 100 Drowning detection system 110 Power transmission module 111 Power transmission unit 120 Wearable device 121 Power receiving unit 130 Processing execution unit 131 First light-emitting unit 132 Imaging unit 133 Judgment unit 134 Operation execution unit 135 Power reception detection unit 136 Second light-emitting unit 137 Buoyancy device unit 138 Input unit 139 Sensor unit

Claims

1. A drowning detection system comprising: a power transmission module equipped with wireless power transmission units that are laid out in multiple locations on the bottom of a pool; a wearable device worn by swimmers in the pool, equipped with a wireless power receiving unit that receives power when it approaches the power transmission unit; and a processing execution unit that performs predetermined procedures related to drowning rescue when it is determined that drowning has occurred as a result of the receiving unit receiving power.

2. The drowning detection system according to claim 1, comprising: a processing execution unit provided in the wearable device and emitting light by power received by the power receiving unit; an imaging unit that continuously or periodically images the luminescence state of the first luminescent unit; a determination unit that determines whether or not light is emitted by analyzing the images captured by the imaging unit; and an operation execution unit that, if the determination unit determines that light is emitted, performs a predetermined operation related to drowning rescue.

3. The drowning detection system according to claim 1, comprising: a power receiving detection unit provided in the power transmission module for detecting that the power receiving unit has received power; a second light-emitting unit provided in the power transmission module for emitting light in response to the detection of power by the power receiving detection unit; an imaging unit for continuously or periodically imaging the light-emitting state of the second light-emitting unit; a determination unit for determining the presence or absence of light emission by analyzing the image captured by the imaging unit; and an operation execution unit for executing a predetermined operation related to drowning rescue when the determination unit determines that light emission is present.

4. The drowning detection system according to claim 3, characterized in that when the power reception detection unit of a certain power transmission module detects power reception, the second light-emitting units of other power transmission modules in a predetermined vicinity also emit light.

5. The drowning detection system according to claim 3, further comprising a first light-emitting unit provided in the wearable device, which emits light using power received by the power receiving unit, wherein the imaging unit captures images of the light-emitting state of the first light-emitting unit and the second light-emitting unit.

6. The drowning detection system according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that the predetermined action is an action that causes a person other than the swimmer to perceive the occurrence of drowning through at least one of the five senses.

7. The drowning detection system according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that the predetermined operation is an operation to drain water from the pool.

8. The drowning detection system according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that the predetermined operation is an operation in which the bottom of the pool is raised so that the swimmer is lifted towards the water surface when the power receiving unit receives power.

9. The drowning detection system according to claim 1, characterized in that the processing execution unit is equipped with a flotation device that inflates when the power receiving unit receives power.

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