KR102720322B1 - Location tracking system and operation methode thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The operating method of the location tracking system according to the present disclosure includes a step in which a user terminal periodically transmits the user's location information to a server, a step in which the server obtains the user's movement vector based on the user's previous location information and current location information, a step in which the server obtains a predetermined safety line based on the current date, a step in which the server obtains a predetermined high tide speed at high tide based on the current date, a step in which at least one of a plurality of notification modes is selected based on the user's current location information, the current time, the user's movement vector, the safety line, and the high tide speed, a step in which the user terminal transmits the selected notification mode, and a step in which the user terminal outputs a notification signal corresponding to the selected notification mode.

Description

LOCATION TRACKING SYSTEM AND OPERATION METHODE THEREOF

The present disclosure relates to a position tracking system and an operating method of the position tracking system. More specifically, the position tracking system is a system that informs a user of the time to go to a safe area and the direction of the safe area.

The tidal flats of the West Sea of our country are about 1,400 km long, and the number of people engaged in tourism and fishing activities is increasing in a wide area. In particular, according to statistics from the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, the number of fishermen who make a living from tidal flat work is estimated at about 50,000, and the number of tourists is estimated at about 100,000, and the number is continuously increasing.

Due to the increase in leisure activities and the depletion of fishery resources, tourism and fishing operations are increasingly being conducted in farther and farther places than nearby areas. In addition, due to the rise in water temperature caused by climate change, fog frequently occurs, reducing visibility and increasing the risk of coastal accidents. For example, fog occurs on average for about 100 days per year in the West Sea.

Accordingly, looking at recent incidents and accidents reported in the media, there are frequent cases where tourists or workers harvesting seafood in the tidal flats are so absorbed in their work or sightseeing that they do not notice the incoming tide, encounter fog, or are unable to properly discern the direction toward the land, resulting in accidents. In addition, the tidal flats are not easy to move around, so tourists or workers move on wooden sleds or on foot, moving at a speed of about 1 to 1.5 km/h per hour, while the speed of the high tide is 10 to 15 km/h, so even if workers or tourists discover the incoming tide late, it is often too late. In particular, due to the aging of fishermen, the probability of workers being in a crisis situation is high, and in the event of an emergency, there is a high possibility that it will lead to a fatal accident. In fact, about 50 accidents occur every year, and about 20 of them result in loss of life.

As such, although the risk in the tidal flats is increasing, there seems to be no equipment for the safety of tourists and workers. In addition, although there has been development of equipment that warns of dangerous situations in the tidal flats in advance, the accuracy is low, and users sometimes do not trust the equipment. For workers working in the tidal flats, it is important to ensure sufficient working hours in order to increase productivity, but existing equipment sometimes sounds alarms too early due to excessive emphasis on safety. As a result, there were cases where workers did not receive sufficient working hours, and in order to maintain productivity, workers sometimes ignored the alarms from the equipment and worked more, relying on their own experience. In other words, there were cases where users did not trust the machines because they felt that they had suffered losses because they trusted the machines. Therefore, the development of accurate equipment to prevent casualties among tourists and workers is urgently needed.

A position tracking system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a user terminal and a server that perform two-way communication, and an operating method of the position tracking system includes a step in which the user terminal periodically transmits the user's position information to the server, a step in which the server obtains the user's movement vector based on the user's previous position information and current position information, a step in which the server obtains a safety line determined in advance based on a current date, a step in which the server obtains a tide speed determined in advance at high tide based on the current date, a step in which at least one of a plurality of notification modes is selected based on the user's current position information, the current time, the user's movement vector, the safety line, and the tide speed, a step in which the selected notification mode is transmitted to the user terminal, a step in which the user terminal outputs a notification signal corresponding to the selected notification mode, a step in which, when the server selects the evacuation notification mode as the notification mode, the step in which the server obtains an escape vector based on the position information of a beacon fixedly positioned at a point among the safety lines and the user's current position information, a step in which the server transmits a movement direction correction signal to the user terminal when an angle between the movement vector and the escape vector is equal to or greater than a first threshold angle determined in advance, and a step in which the user terminal outputs the movement direction correction signal.

A plurality of notification modes of an operating method of a position tracking system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure include at least one of a work safety mode, a work completion mode, and an evacuation notification mode, wherein the work safety mode indicates that the current time is within a time period in which there is no restriction on work, the work completion mode indicates that it is time to stop work or move to a safe area while working, and the evacuation notification mode indicates that work should be stopped immediately and moved to a safe area.

The step of selecting one of the plurality of notification modes of the operating method of the position tracking system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes the step of the server selecting a work safety mode if the current time is included in the high tide time to the low tide time of the current date, the step of the server selecting a work completion mode if the current time is after the low tide time and before the next high tide time and the minimum distance between the current location information and the safety line is less than or equal to a threshold distance, and the step of the server selecting an evacuation notification mode if the current time is after the low tide time and before the next high tide time and the minimum distance between the current location information and the safety line exceeds the threshold distance, and the step of the user terminal outputting a notification signal corresponding to the selected notification mode includes the step of the server transmitting a high tide start time signal to the user terminal if the current time is the same as the low tide time, and the step of the server transmitting a non-work area signal to the user terminal if the current location information of the user is not included in a predetermined work area, and if the server selects the evacuation notification mode, before the user's current location information reaches the safety line, When the work safety mode and work finish mode are not selected, the high tide start time signal is a signal output at the time the high tide starts, the movement direction correction signal indicates that the user's movement direction is heading toward a danger zone, and the non-work area signal indicates that the user's location is not an area where work is possible.

The server of the operating method of the positioning system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure determines the threshold distance as a*D-b meters, where a is a predetermined number inversely proportional to the tide speed, b is a predetermined constant proportional to the safe distance of the user from the shoreline, and D is the maximum distance the user can be from the safe line.

An operating method of a position tracking system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a step of the server transmitting a movement direction correction signal to a user terminal when an angle between a movement vector and an escape vector is equal to or greater than a second threshold angle when the server selects a work finishing mode, and a step of the user terminal outputting the movement direction correction signal, wherein the first threshold angle is smaller than the second threshold angle.

A positioning system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a first beacon and a second beacon, and a distance (L) between the first beacon and the second beacon is k*D or less, where k is a predetermined constant and D is a maximum distance that a user can be away from a safety line.

The step of obtaining an escape vector of the operating method of the position tracking system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes the step of obtaining a first escape vector based on location information of a first beacon and current location information of the user, and the step of obtaining a second escape vector based on location information of a second beacon and current location information of the user, and the step of transmitting a movement direction correction signal by the server to the user terminal includes the step of transmitting the movement direction correction signal by the server to the user terminal when an angle between the movement vector and the first escape vector is equal to or greater than a first threshold angle and when an angle between the movement vector and the second escape vector is equal to or greater than the first threshold angle.

An operating method of a position tracking system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a step of the server transmitting a movement direction correction signal to a user terminal when the server selects a work finishing mode, an angle between a movement vector and a first escape vector is equal to or greater than a second threshold angle, and an angle between the movement vector and a second escape vector is equal to or greater than a second threshold angle, and a step of the user terminal outputting a movement direction correction signal, wherein the first threshold angle is smaller than the second threshold angle.

Additionally, a program for implementing the operating method of the position tracking system as described above can be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a position tracking system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the hardware of a position tracking system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an operation method of a position tracking system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 4 is a drawing of a coastline viewed from above to explain the operation of a position tracking system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the operation of a position tracking system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of a position tracking system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the operation of a position tracking system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an operation method of a position tracking system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 9 is a drawing for explaining an operation method of a position tracking system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the operation of a position tracking system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

The advantages and features of the disclosed embodiments, and the methods for achieving them, will become clear with reference to the embodiments described below together with the accompanying drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but may be implemented in various different forms, and these embodiments are only provided to make the present disclosure complete and to fully inform a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure belongs of the scope of the invention.

The terms used in this specification will be briefly described, and the disclosed embodiments will be described in detail.

The terms used in this specification are selected from the most widely used general terms possible while considering the functions in the present disclosure, but they may vary depending on the intention of engineers working in the relevant field, precedents, the emergence of new technologies, etc. In addition, in certain cases, there are terms arbitrarily selected by the applicant, and in this case, the meanings thereof will be described in detail in the description of the relevant invention. Therefore, the terms used in this disclosure should be defined based on the meanings of the terms and the overall contents of the present disclosure, rather than simply the names of the terms.

In this specification, singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly specifies that they are singular. In addition, plural expressions include singular expressions unless the context clearly specifies that they are plural.

When a part of a specification is said to "include" a component, this does not mean that it excludes other components, but rather that it may include other components, unless otherwise stated.

Also, the term "part" used in the specification means a software or hardware component, and the "part" performs certain functions. However, the "part" is not limited to software or hardware. The "part" may be configured to be on an addressable storage medium and may be configured to execute one or more processors. Thus, by way of example, the "part" includes components such as software components, object-oriented software components, class components, and task components, and processes, functions, attributes, procedures, subroutines, segments of program code, drivers, firmware, microcode, circuitry, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays, and variables. The functionality provided in the components and "parts" may be combined into a smaller number of components and "parts" or further separated into additional components and "parts."

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a "unit" may be implemented as a processor and a memory. The term "processor" should be construed broadly to include a general purpose processor, a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a controller, a microcontroller, a state machine, and the like. In some environments, a "processor" may also refer to an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and the like. The term "processor" may also refer to a combination of processing devices, such as, for example, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a combination of a plurality of microprocessors, a combination of one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

The term "memory" should be interpreted broadly to include any electronic component capable of storing electronic information. The term memory may also refer to various types of processor-readable media, such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM), flash memory, magnetic or optical data storage, registers, etc. A memory is said to be in electronic communication with the processor if the processor can read information from and/or write information to the memory. Memory integrated in a processor is in electronic communication with the processor.

Below, with reference to the attached drawings, an embodiment is described in detail so that a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains can easily practice the present disclosure. In addition, in order to clearly explain the present disclosure in the drawings, parts that are not related to the description are omitted.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a position tracking system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

The location tracking system (100) may include a server (110) and a user terminal (120). The server (110) is a device in which various data of the location tracking system are stored and software of the location tracking system is installed. The server (110) may be wirelessly connected to the user terminal (120). The user terminal (120) may transmit and receive data with the server (110). The server (110) may be connected to at least one user terminal (120). The server (110) or the user terminal (120) may perform two-way communication. However, this is not limited thereto, and the server (110) or the user terminal (120) may also perform one-way communication. The server (110) may communicate with the user terminal (120) through a beacon. The server (110) and the beacon may be connected wired or wirelessly. The server (110) may communicate with the user terminal (120) through a communication unit other than a beacon. In addition, the server (110) may communicate with the user terminal (120) using LTE, WIFI, BLUETOOTH, RF communication, etc. without a separate device. The server (110) may be located in a management office inland or near the coast. However, it is not limited thereto. The server (110) may include a terminal located in a management office, or a server in a data center.

The server (110) can receive and store data from at least one user terminal (120). In addition, the server (110) can determine whether the user is in danger based on the data received from the user terminal (120) and the data previously stored by the server (110), and transmit information related to the determination result to the user terminal (120).

The user terminal (120) may be a terminal issued to a tourist or a worker. The user terminal (120) may be small and easily portable. The user terminal (20) may be a dedicated terminal of the location tracking system (100) or a general-purpose terminal. The user terminal (120) may include software of the location tracking system (100). The user terminal (120) may include at least one of a PC, a tablet, a smart phone, and a wearable device. The user terminal (120) may provide information to the user based on information received from the server (110). The user terminal (120) may provide information to the user using an output unit such as a speaker or a display. The user may safely move from a dangerous area to a safe area based on the information provided by the user terminal (120).

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the hardware of a position tracking system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

The server (110) and the user terminal (120) included in the location tracking system (100) may include a processor (210) and a memory (220). The processor (210) may perform an operation based on a command stored in the memory (220). However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the server (110) and the user terminal (120) may not include a memory and may include only the processor (210). The processor (210) may be set to output a preset signal to an output line for a preset period of time based on an input signal. Each component of the server (110) and the user terminal (120) may perform a preset operation according to the signal.

Below, the operation of the server (110) and user terminal (120) will be described in more detail.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an operation method of a position tracking system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

The user terminal (120) may perform a step (310) of periodically transmitting the user's location information to the server. The user terminal (120) may perform a step of periodically transmitting the user's location information and the user's identification information to the server. The user terminal (120) may include a location sensor and may obtain the user's location information using the location sensor. The location sensor may support a GNSS (Global navigation satellite system) such as GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou, QZSS, etc. The user's location information may be expressed as GPS coordinates, latitude values, or longitude values.

The server (110) may obtain the user's location information without receiving the user's location information from the user terminal (120). The server (110) may include at least two beacons. The at least two beacons may be arranged along the coastline. The user terminal (120) may transmit a signal of a specific pattern to the server (110) at a predetermined time. The specific pattern may correspond to the identification information of the user terminal (120). The server (110) may obtain the time at which the at least two beacons received the signal of the specific pattern. The server (110) may obtain the distance between each of the at least two beacons and the user terminal (120) based on the time at which the at least two beacons received the signal of the specific pattern. This is because the speed of the signal is predetermined. The server (110) may obtain the location information of the user terminal (120) based on the distance between each of the at least two beacons and the user terminal (120). That is, the server (110) can obtain the user's location information.

The server (110) can periodically obtain the user's location information. The period can be, for example, 1 second or more and 1 minute or less. The period can vary depending on the mode. For example, the period in the work safety mode can be longer than or equal to the period in the work finishing mode. In addition, the period in the work finishing mode can be longer than or equal to the period in the evacuation notification mode.

The multiple notification modes of the position tracking system (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include at least one of a work safety mode, a work completion mode, and an evacuation notification mode.

The work safety mode may indicate that the current time is included in a time when there is no restriction on the work. In addition, the work finish mode may indicate that the work should be stopped or that the work should be done while moving to a safe area. The evacuation notification mode may indicate that the work should be stopped immediately and moved to a safe area. The process of selecting one of the multiple notification modes will be described later. Here, the safe area may mean an area where the sea does not enter. For example, the safe area may be an area indicated by land in FIG. 4 or FIG. 5. More specifically, the safe area may mean an area facing land from a safety line (431, 530).

The server (110) can perform a step (320) of obtaining a user's movement vector based on the user's previous location information and current location information. To explain step (320), reference is made to FIG. 4.

FIG. 4 is a drawing of a coastline viewed from above to explain the operation of a position tracking system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

The server (110) can periodically receive the user's location from the user terminal (120). The server (110) can obtain the user's previous location information (411) and the user's current location information (412). The server (110) can obtain the user's movement vector (420) based on the user's location obtained periodically. The server (110) can obtain the user's movement vector (420) by subtracting the previous location information (411) from the user's current location information (412). The size of the movement vector (420) can indicate the user's moving speed. Additionally, the direction of the movement vector (420) can indicate the user's moving direction. The server (110) can periodically obtain the user's moving speed. The server (110) can obtain a representative moving speed based on the user's moving speed. The representative moving speed can indicate one of the average, maximum, and minimum values of the user's moving speed. The representative moving speed can be different for each user. However, it is not limited to this, and the representative movement speed can be determined equally for each user.

Referring back to FIG. 3, the server (110) may perform a step (330) of obtaining a predefined safety line based on the current date. Referring to FIG. 4, the predefined safety line may be a coastline (431) at high tide. The coastline at high tide may vary depending on the date. Therefore, the server (110) may obtain a predefined coastline (431) at high tide corresponding to the current date. However, it is not limited thereto, and the server (110) may obtain the same coastline (431) at high tide even if the date is different. The coastline (431) at high tide may be obtained through a surveying operation in the corresponding area. Hereinafter, a process of obtaining a virtual coastline as a safety line instead of the coastline (431) at high tide will be described.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the operation of a position tracking system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

The server (110) may also use a straight virtual coastline (530) instead of the coastline (431) at high tide as a safety line. For example, the server (110) may obtain a reference point (510). The reference point (510) may be the user's current location or a predetermined virtual location. The reference point (510) may be a predetermined virtual location, and may be a location selected by a designer on a line between the coastline at high tide and the coastline at low tide. The line in between may not be in contact with the coastline at high tide and the coastline at low tide.

The server (110) can draw a circle (520) having a predetermined radius based on the reference point (510). The predetermined radius can be obtained based on the maximum value of the distance between the coastline at high tide and the coastline at low tide. For example, it can be determined as a value that is 1 to 1.5 times the maximum value of the distance. The server (110) can obtain the intersection (531, 532) of the circle (520) and the coastline (431) at high tide. In addition, the server (110) can use the virtual coastline (530) connecting the intersections (531, 532) as a safety line. The server (110) can perform this process in advance to obtain at least one virtual coastline (530, 540) and then store it in advance in the memory. In addition, the server (110) can obtain the virtual coastline (530) closest to the user's location information as a safety line. When the virtual coastline is used, the subsequent processing process can be simplified and the burden on the server can be reduced.

Referring back to FIG. 3, the server (110) may perform a step (340) of obtaining a predetermined high tide speed based on the current date. The server (110) may store a high tide speed measured in advance by an administrator. Or, the server (110) may store a high tide speed set by an administrator. The high tide speed may vary depending on the current date. However, it is not limited thereto, and the server (110) may obtain a high tide speed that does not vary depending on the date. The high tide speed may mean the maximum speed of the high tide. The high tide speed may be the speed of the high tide in a direction parallel to the ground. Since the high tide speed varies depending on the region, a measured value may need to be used. The high tide speed may be a value measured by reflecting the advice of an experienced person in an area where a location tracking system is installed.

The server (110) can obtain a step (350) of selecting at least one of a plurality of notification modes based on the user's current location information, the current time, the user's movement vector, the safety line, and the high tide speed. In this way, the server (110) can select at least one of a plurality of notification modes based on the user's current location information, the current time, the user's movement vector, the safety line, and the high tide speed, and can set an evacuation notification time more accurately according to the selected notification mode.

The work safety mode can indicate that the current time is within a time period in which there are no restrictions on the work. In addition, the work completion mode can indicate that it is time to stop the work or move to a safe area while working. The evacuation notification mode can indicate that the work should be stopped immediately and moved to a safe area. The process of selecting one of the multiple notification modes is described with reference to FIG. 8.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an operation method of a position tracking system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

The step (350) of selecting one of the multiple notification modes may include the following process. If the current time is included in the high tide time to the low tide time of the current date, the server (110) may perform the step (810) of selecting the work safety mode. The server (110) may store the high tide time and the low tide time according to the date in advance. If the current time is after the high tide time and before the low tide time, the server (110) may select the work safety mode from the multiple notification modes. In the case of the work safety mode, the user terminal (120) may not output a separate alarm.

The user terminal (120) may output a notification signal corresponding to the work completion mode even in the work safety mode if the battery of the user terminal (120) is below a threshold value. The user terminal (120) may receive the notification mode of the work safety mode, but if the battery signal is below a predetermined threshold value, the notification mode may be determined as the work completion mode. The user terminal (120) may transmit the notification mode of the work completion mode to the server (110). The server (110) may switch the notification mode of the corresponding user terminal (120) to the work completion mode. The notification mode may be different for each user terminal (120).

In addition, the server (110) may perform a step of selecting a work completion mode when the current time is after the low tide time and before the next high tide time, and the minimum distance (910) between the current location information and the safety line (431, 530) is less than or equal to the threshold distance. This will be described with reference to FIG. 9. In the work completion mode, the server (110) may make the communication cycle with the user terminal (120) faster than in the work safety mode. The server (110) may acquire the user's location from the user terminal (120) more frequently than in the work safety mode. By changing the communication cycle in this way, the battery consumption of the user terminal may be reduced while ensuring the user's safety. In addition, in the work completion mode, the user terminal (120) may output a message indicating that the user will work while moving to a safe area through sound or image. In addition, when the user's location moves away from the safe area, an alarm may be sounded to guide the user to move to the safe area.

The user terminal (120) may output a notification signal corresponding to the evacuation notification mode even in the work completion mode if the battery of the user terminal (120) is below a threshold value. The user terminal (120) may receive the notification mode of the work completion mode, but if the battery signal is below a predetermined threshold value, the notification mode may be determined as the evacuation notification mode. The user terminal (120) may transmit the notification mode of the evacuation notification mode to the server (110). The server (110) may switch the notification mode of the corresponding user terminal (120) to the evacuation notification mode. The notification mode may be different for each user terminal (120).

FIG. 9 is a drawing for explaining an operation method of a position tracking system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

The server (110) can obtain the user's current location information (412) and the minimum distance (910) of the safety line (431, 530). In addition, the server (110) can compare the predetermined threshold distance with the minimum distance (910). The threshold distance may be a preset value and may be stored in the memory. In addition, the server (110) may be the same for all users, but may be different for each user.

The server (110) may perform the following process to determine the critical distance. The server (110) may determine the critical distance as a*D-b meters. Here, a may be a predetermined variable that is inversely proportional to the high tide speed. a may be a predetermined constant that is proportional to the user's representative moving speed. The representative moving speed may mean one of the average, maximum, and minimum values of the user's moving speed. The representative moving speed may be different for each user. However, it is not limited thereto, and the representative moving speed may be determined to be the same for each user. The server (110) may store the high tide speed by date. The server (110) may select the high tide speed based on the current date. a may be (user's representative moving speed)/(high tide moving speed). In addition, a may be a fixed constant. For example, a may have a value greater than or equal to 6/25 and less than or equal to 1/3.

The user terminal (120) can transmit the user's identification information together with the user's location information to the server (110). The server (110) can obtain at least one of the user's identification information, the user's age, and the moving speed based on the identification information of the user terminal (120). The server (110) can store the moving speed corresponding to at least one of the user's identification information and the user's age in advance. The server (110) can obtain the user's representative moving speed based on at least one of the user's identification information and the user's age.

b may be a predetermined constant proportional to the safety distance of the user from the coastline. b may be 100 meters or more and 200 meters or less. D may be a maximum distance (920) that the user may be away from the safety line (431, 530). The maximum distance (920) that the user may be away from the safety line (431, 530) may mean the distance between the coastline at high tide and the coastline at low tide on a date basis. The server (110) may store the maximum distance that the user may be away from the safety line (431, 530) on a date basis. The server (110) may determine the maximum distance (920) that the user may be away from the safety line (431, 530) based on the current date.

In order to perform the process as described above, using a virtual coastline (530) as a safety line rather than using the coastline (431) at high tide can use less processing power of the server (110). However, in order to obtain the escape time and critical distance accurately, it may be better to use the coastline (431) at high tide.

Referring back to FIG. 8, if the current time is after the low tide time and before the next high tide time, and if the minimum distance between the current location information and the safety line exceeds the threshold distance, the server (110) may perform the step (830) of selecting the evacuation notification mode. In the evacuation notification mode, the server (110) may make the communication cycle with the user terminal (120) faster or the same as that of the work completion mode. The server (110) may acquire the user's location from the user terminal (120) more frequently or at the same level than in the work completion mode. By changing the communication cycle in this way, the battery consumption of the user terminal may be reduced while ensuring the user's safety. In the evacuation notification mode, the user terminal (120) may acquire the user's moving speed based on the change in the user's location over time. The user terminal (120) can output a notification through sound or image to the user to evacuate quickly when the user's location is moving away from the safe area or the user's moving speed is below the critical speed. Accordingly, the user can be guided to quickly move to the safe area.

The step (370) of the user terminal (120) outputting a notification signal corresponding to the selected notification mode may include the following processes.

If the current time is the same as the low tide time, the server (110) may perform a step of transmitting a high tide start time signal to the user terminal. The high tide start time signal may be a signal to inform the user that the high tide has started. The high tide start time signal may be a signal output at the time when the high tide starts. The high tide start time signal may be output at the start time of the work finishing mode. The user may hear this and know that the high tide has started, and may be alerted.

In addition, if the user's current location information is not included in the predetermined work area, the server (110) may perform a step of transmitting a non-work area signal to the user terminal. The non-work area signal may indicate that the user's location is not an area where work can be done. The non-work area signal may be a signal indicating that the user is working in a place that is not a safe work area. The predetermined work area may be determined by an administrator. The server (110) may store the predetermined work areas according to the weather. The server (110) may automatically set the predetermined work area based on the current weather. For example, the predetermined work area may be determined to be narrower as the waves are high, and may be determined to be higher as the waves are low. The position tracking system (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may guide the user to be within a safe work area. The non-work area signal may be a signal that may be output at any time regardless of the mode. A non-work area signal may be output when the user has reached the maximum distance (920) (D) from the safety line (431, 530) or has moved beyond the maximum distance.

According to a location tracking system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the server (110) selects the evacuation notification mode, the work safety mode and the work completion mode may not be selected until the user's current location information reaches the safety line.

The direction correction signal may be a signal indicating that the user's direction of movement is heading toward a danger zone. The direction correction signal may be a signal that can be output in the work completion mode and the evacuation notification mode.

Referring to FIG. 3, the server (110) may perform a step (360) of transmitting the selected notification mode to the user terminal. In addition, the user terminal (120) may perform a step (370) of outputting a notification signal corresponding to the selected notification mode. The user terminal (120) may store the notification signal corresponding to the notification mode in advance. The user terminal (120) may select and output a notification signal corresponding to the notification mode. The notification signal may include a message for explaining an action that the user should currently take. The notification signal may be output as a video or sound. The notification signal may include a siren or beep sound for alerting the user. The notification signal may be output periodically. The output cycle of the notification signal may be determined according to the level of urgency. For example, the notification signal in the work completion mode and the evacuation notification mode may be output more frequently than the notification signal in the work safety mode.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of a position tracking system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the operation of a position tracking system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 7, if the server (110) selects the work finishing mode in step (350), if the angle (741) between the movement vector (420) and the escape vector (710) is equal to or greater than a predetermined second threshold angle, the server (110) may perform a step of transmitting a movement direction correction signal to the user terminal. The process of obtaining the escape vector (710) will be described later. The second threshold angle may be used in the work finishing mode, and the first threshold angle may be used in the evacuation notification mode. The step of transmitting the movement direction correction signal to the user terminal in the work finishing mode may correspond to step (620) in the evacuation notification mode. The cycle at which the server (110) transmits the movement direction correction signal to the user terminal in the work finishing mode may be slower than or equal to the cycle at which the server (110) transmits the movement direction correction signal to the user terminal in the evacuation notification mode. That is, the server (110) can transmit a direction correction signal to the user terminal (120) more frequently or at the same cycle in the evacuation notification mode than in the work completion mode.

The user terminal (120) may perform a step of outputting a direction correction signal. This step may correspond to the step (630) in the evacuation notification mode of FIG. 6. The user terminal (120) may output the direction correction signal in the work finishing mode at a cycle that is slower than or equal to the cycle of outputting the direction correction signal in the evacuation notification mode. That is, the user terminal (120) may output the direction correction signal in the evacuation notification mode at a frequency or with the same cycle as the work finishing mode. In addition, the first critical angle may be smaller than the second critical angle. The first critical angle may be about 10 degrees or more and 45 degrees or less, and the second critical angle may be about 45 degrees or more and 90 degrees or less. The position tracking system (100) of the present disclosure may guide the user to move to a safe area faster in the evacuation notification mode than in the work finishing mode.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, when the server (110) selects the evacuation notification mode as the notification mode, it may perform a step (610) of obtaining an escape vector based on the location information of a beacon fixedly positioned at a point among the safety lines and the current location information of the user. The location tracking system (100) may include at least one beacon (731, 732, 733). The beacon may be fixedly positioned at a point among the safety lines. However, it is not limited thereto, and the beacon may be positioned near the safety line. As previously described, the safety line may be a virtual coastline (530, 540) or a coastline (431) at high tide. The location of the server may be the same as the location of the beacon, but is not limited thereto. The beacons (731, 732, 733) may serve as a point for the user to reach the safety line.

The server (110) may obtain an escape vector using the location information of the beacon to simplify the processing method, but is not limited thereto. The server (110) may determine an escape vector using the vector (750) of the minimum length of the safety line (530, 431) and the user's current location information (412). In this case, an escape vector having a minimum distance may be provided to the user, but the calculation may become somewhat complicated. In addition, when a virtual coastline (530) is used, there may be a difference from the actual safe area. Since the user's current location information (412) continuously changes, the escape vector may continuously change.

The server (110) may obtain an escape vector using the location information of the beacon to simplify the processing method, but is not limited thereto. The server (110) may determine the closest intersection to the user's current location information at the intersection of the virtual coastline (530) and the coastline (431) at high tide. The server (110) may obtain an escape vector based on the closest intersection and the user's current location information. The server (110) may obtain an escape vector by subtracting the user's current location information (412) from the coordinates of the closest intersection. Since the user's current location information (412) is continuously changed, the escape vector may be continuously changed.

The following description is based on the presence of a beacon, but it may be implemented without at least one beacon among a plurality of beacons. The position tracking system of the present disclosure may be implemented without a beacon at all, in which case the server (110) may determine the position of a virtual beacon, and then the embodiments of the present disclosure may be described. As for the first beacon and the second beacon, the server (110) may only determine the position information, and the first beacon and the second beacon may not exist.

The server (110) may store the location information of the predetermined beacon. The server (110) may select the closest beacon based on the user's location information. The server (110) may obtain an escape vector by subtracting the user's current location information from the location information of the closest beacon. Since the user's current location information continuously changes, the escape vector may continuously change. In addition, since the location information of the closest beacon may also change according to the user's current location information, the escape vector may continuously change. However, it is not limited thereto, and only the user's current location information may change, and the location information of the closest beacon may not change once determined.

There may be a plurality of beacons (731, 732, 733). The server (110) can select at least two beacons from among the plurality of beacons (731, 732, 733). The server (110) can select at least two closest beacons from among the plurality of beacons. In addition, the server (110) can select a predetermined number of beacons from among the plurality of beacons. The server (110) can obtain an escape vector for all of the plurality of beacons. When obtaining an escape vector using a beacon, the processing can be simple because it can be obtained by simple subtraction. In addition, since the escape vector is obtained based on a hardware beacon, there is an effect of providing a more reliable escape vector.

For example, the server (110) may select two beacons among the plurality of beacons. The beacon (731) may be located closest to the user's current location information (412). Therefore, the server (110) may select the beacon (731). The beacon (732) and the beacon (733) may be located at the same distance from the user's current location information (412). When there are beacons located at the same distance, the server (110) may select the beacon (731) that is located closest to the user. The server (110) may select the beacon (732) that is closest to the beacon (731) among the beacons (732) and (733).

If there are multiple beacons closest to the user's current location information (412), the server (110) can select the beacon having the smallest angle between the user's movement vector (420) and the direction from the user's current location information (412) to the beacon. Here, the direction from the user's current location information (412) to the beacon can mean the direction of the escape vector. If there are multiple beacons closest to the user's current location information (412) and multiple beacons having the smallest angle between the movement vector (420) and the escape vector, the server (110) can first select the beacon that is next closest to the user's current location information (412). In addition, the server (110) can select the beacon that is closest from the "next closest beacon" among the multiple beacons that are closest to the user's current location information (412).

In order to obtain an escape vector (710) for a beacon (731), the server (110) can obtain an escape vector (710) by subtracting the user's current location information (412) from the location information of the beacon (731). In addition, in order to obtain an escape vector (720) for a beacon (732), the server (110) can obtain an escape vector (720) by subtracting the user's current location information (412) from the location information of the beacon (732).

Referring back to FIG. 6, if the angle between the movement vector (420) and the escape vector (710, 720) is greater than or equal to a first threshold angle that is predetermined, the server (110) may perform step (620) of transmitting a movement direction correction signal to the user terminal (120). The user terminal may perform step (630) of outputting the movement direction correction signal. The user terminal (120) may output a message in the form of voice or image to help the user move in the correct direction. The user terminal (120) may display the user's movement vector and escape vector on the screen so that the user may match his or her movement vector to the escape vector. As described above, the server (110) may periodically obtain the user's location information, and may update the movement vector based on the user's location information that is periodically obtained. If the angle between the updated movement vector and the escape vector is greater than or equal to a predetermined first threshold angle, the server (110) may perform a step (620) of transmitting a movement direction correction signal to the user terminal (120). The movement direction correction signal may be output in the work completion mode and the evacuation notification mode.

In addition, the user terminal (120) can be guided to follow a specific light. The beacons of the present disclosure can include a light-emitting element of a specific color. The light-emitting element included in the beacon can be turned on and off in a specific pattern. The server (110) can control the light-emitting element of the beacon to turn on or off in a specific pattern after transmitting a direction correction signal to the user terminal (120). In addition, the user terminal (120) can be guided to follow a specific pattern of light when outputting the direction correction signal. The user can determine the direction by looking at the light emitted by the light-emitting element of the beacon according to the guidance of the user terminal (120).

The user terminal (120) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a physical button for emitting light from a light-emitting element of a beacon. In addition, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the user terminal (120) may display a button for emitting light from a light-emitting element of a beacon on a touch display. When the user terminal (120) receives a direction correction signal, the button for emitting light from a light-emitting element of a beacon may be displayed on the touch display. The user terminal (120) may receive a user's input and transmit a signal indicating that the beacon will emit light to the server (110). The server (110) may emit light from the light-emitting element of the beacon based on the signal received from the user terminal (120). The light-emitting element of the beacon may be turned on or off in a specific pattern, and when the user presses the button, the light-emitting element of the beacon may remain on. Therefore, the position tracking system of the present disclosure may guide a user to an optimal route for escaping from a tidal flat, and prevent tidal flat accidents.

FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the operation of a position tracking system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 10 can represent the next cycle of Fig. 7. Fig. 10 can represent the current location information (1020) of the user of the next cycle of Fig. 7. The current location information (412) of the user of Fig. 7 can correspond to the previous location information (1010) of the user of Fig. 10. The following description is based on Fig. 10, but is not limited thereto, and can be equally described based on Fig. 7. The reason for illustrating Figs. 7 and 10 is to show that the server (110) continuously monitors the user's direction in the work finishing mode and the evacuation notification mode based on the user's movement vector that continuously changes.

In the next cycle of FIG. 7, FIG. 10, the server (110) can obtain a movement vector (1030) based on the user's location information (1010, 1020). The server (110) may not update the escape vector (710, 720). However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the server (110) may update the escape vector (710). Since the updating process has already been described in the step (610) of generating the escape vector, a duplicate description will be omitted.

In step (350), if the server (110) selects the work finishing mode, if the angle (1040) between the movement vector (1030) and the escape vector (710) is equal to or greater than a predetermined second threshold angle, the server (110) may perform a step of transmitting a movement direction correction signal to the user terminal. The second threshold angle may be used in the work finishing mode, and the first threshold angle may be used in the evacuation notification mode. The step of transmitting the movement direction correction signal to the user terminal in the work finishing mode may correspond to step (620) in the evacuation notification mode. The cycle of the server (110) transmitting the movement direction correction signal to the user terminal in the work finishing mode may be slower than or equal to the cycle of transmitting the movement direction correction signal to the user terminal in the evacuation notification mode. That is, the server (110) can transmit a direction correction signal to the user terminal (120) more frequently or at the same cycle in the evacuation notification mode than in the work completion mode.

The user terminal (120) may perform a step of outputting a direction correction signal. This step may correspond to the step (630) in the evacuation notification mode of FIG. 6. The user terminal (120) may output the direction correction signal in the work finishing mode at a cycle that is slower than or equal to the cycle of outputting the direction correction signal in the evacuation notification mode. That is, the user terminal (120) may output the direction correction signal in the evacuation notification mode at a frequency or with the same cycle as the work finishing mode. In addition, the first critical angle may be smaller than the second critical angle. The first critical angle may be about 10 degrees or more and 45 degrees or less, and the second critical angle may be about 45 degrees or more and 90 degrees or less. The position tracking system (100) of the present disclosure may guide the user to move to a safe area faster in the evacuation notification mode than in the work finishing mode. Therefore, the user's safety may be compensated.

Referring to FIGS. 7 and 9, the position tracking system (100) may include a first beacon and a second beacon. The distance (L) between the first beacon (731) and the second beacon (732) may be less than or equal to k*D. Here, k may be a predetermined constant. For example, k may be 2/(3)^(1/2). D may be a maximum distance (920) that a user may be separated from a safety line (431, 530). The maximum distance (920) that a user may be separated from a safety line (431, 530) may mean the distance between a coastline at high tide and a coastline at low tide for each date. The server (110) may store the maximum distance that a user may be separated from a safety line (431, 530) for each date. The server (110) can determine the maximum distance (920) that can be separated from the safety line (431, 530) based on the current date. In this way, since the distance between beacons is maintained below a certain value, the user's escape route can be accurately guided.

Below, the case where there are at least two beacons is described. The case where there are at least two beacons has already been described, and some of the already described content may be omitted. The step (630) of obtaining an escape vector may further include the following process.

Referring to FIG. 7, the server (110) may perform a step of obtaining a first escape vector (710) based on the location information of the first beacon (731) and the user's current location information (412). In addition, the server (110) may perform a step of obtaining a second escape vector (720) based on the location information of the second beacon (732) and the user's current location information (412). The step (630) of the server (110) transmitting a direction correction signal to the user terminal may further include the following process. If the angle (741) between the movement vector (420) and the first escape vector (710) is greater than or equal to a first threshold angle that is predetermined, and if the angle (742) between the movement vector (420) and the second escape vector (720) is greater than or equal to the first threshold angle that is predetermined, the server (110) may perform a step of transmitting a movement direction correction signal to the user terminal (120). That is, if the angle (741) is less than or equal to the first threshold angle that is predetermined, or if the angle (742) is less than or equal to the first threshold angle that is predetermined, the server (110) may not transmit the movement direction correction signal to the user terminal (120).

In addition, if the server (110) selects the work finishing mode, if the angle (741) between the movement vector (420) and the first escape vector (710) is greater than or equal to a second threshold angle, and if the angle (742) between the movement vector (420) and the second escape vector (720) is greater than or equal to a second threshold angle, the server (110) may perform a step of transmitting a movement direction correction signal to the user terminal. That is, if the angle (741) is less than or equal to the second threshold angle or if the angle (742) is less than or equal to the second threshold angle, the server (110) may not transmit the movement direction correction signal to the user terminal (120). The user terminal (120) may perform a step of outputting a movement direction correction signal. Here, the first threshold angle may be smaller than the second threshold angle.

Referring to FIG. 10, the step (630) of transmitting a direction correction signal to a user terminal by the server (110) may further include the following process. If the angle (1040) between the movement vector (1030) and the first escape vector (710) is equal to or greater than a first threshold angle that is predetermined, and if the angle (1050) between the movement vector (1030) and the second escape vector (720) is equal to or greater than the first threshold angle that is predetermined, the server (110) may perform the step of transmitting the direction correction signal to the user terminal (120). That is, if the angle (1040) is less than the first threshold angle that is predetermined, or if the angle (1050) is less than the first threshold angle that is predetermined, the server (110) may not transmit the direction correction signal to the user terminal (120).

In addition, if the server (110) selects the work finishing mode, if the angle (1040) between the movement vector (1030) and the first escape vector (710) is greater than or equal to a second threshold angle that is predetermined, and if the angle (1050) between the movement vector (1030) and the second escape vector (720) is greater than or equal to a second threshold angle that is predetermined, the server (110) may perform a step of transmitting a movement direction correction signal to the user terminal. That is, if the angle (1040) is less than or equal to the second threshold angle that is predetermined, or if the angle (1050) is less than or equal to the second threshold angle that is predetermined, the server (110) may not transmit the movement direction correction signal to the user terminal (120). The user terminal (120) may perform a step of outputting a movement direction correction signal. Here, the first threshold angle may be smaller than the second threshold angle.

The above description is made for the case where the first escape vector (710) and the second escape vector (720) are not updated, but is not limited thereto. In Fig. 10, the location tracking system (100) can perform the above process after the first escape vector (710) and the second escape vector (720) are updated based on the user's current location information (1020).

The server (110) can obtain the high tide time based on the current date. If the user's current location information is located in an area seaward of the safety line (431, 530) at the high tide time, the server (110) can generate a distress signal. If the user's current location information is not in the safety area at the high tide time, the server (110) can generate a distress signal.

If a user does not move for a predetermined period of time despite being in work completion mode or evacuation notification mode, the server (110) can generate a notification signal including the user's identification information corresponding to the user's current location information. That is, if a user does not move for a predetermined period of time despite being between low tide and high tide, the server (110) can generate a notification signal including the user's identification information. Based on the notification generated by the server (110), the manager can broadcast a warning or take necessary measures.

In this way, the location tracking system of the present disclosure can quickly process information, quickly provide accurate information to the user, and guide the user to move to a safe area.

We have looked at various embodiments so far. Those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention can be implemented in modified forms without departing from the essential characteristics of the present invention. Therefore, the disclosed embodiments should be considered from an illustrative rather than a restrictive perspective. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, not the above description, and all differences within the scope equivalent thereto should be interpreted as being included in the present invention.

Meanwhile, the embodiments of the present invention described above can be written as a program that can be executed on a computer, and can be implemented in a general-purpose digital computer that operates the program using a computer-readable recording medium. The computer-readable recording medium includes a storage medium such as a magnetic storage medium (e.g., a ROM, a floppy disk, a hard disk, etc.) and an optical reading medium (e.g., a CD-ROM, a DVD, etc.).

Claims (8)

In the operating method of a location tracking system including a user terminal and a server performing two-way communication,
A step in which the user terminal periodically transmits the user's location information to the server;
A step in which the server obtains the user's movement vector based on the user's previous location information and current location information;
A step in which the server obtains a pre-determined safety line based on the current date;
A step in which the server obtains a predetermined high tide speed at high tide based on the current date;
A step of selecting at least one of a plurality of notification modes based on the user's current location information, current time, the user's movement vector, the safety line, and the tide speed;
A step of transmitting the selected notification mode to the user terminal;
A step in which the user terminal outputs a notification signal corresponding to the selected notification mode;
When the server selects the evacuation notification mode as the notification mode, a step of obtaining an escape vector based on the location information of a beacon fixedly positioned at one point of the safety line and the current location information of the user;
A step of the server transmitting a movement direction correction signal to the user terminal when the angle between the movement vector and the escape vector is greater than or equal to a first threshold angle that is predetermined; and
A method of operating a position tracking system, comprising a step of the user terminal outputting the movement direction correction signal.
In paragraph 1,
The above multiple notification modes include at least one of a work safety mode, a work completion mode, and the evacuation notification mode,
The above work safety mode indicates that the current time is included in the time when there are no restrictions on work,
The above work finishing mode indicates the time when work must be stopped or moved to a safe area.
The above evacuation notification mode is a method of operation of a location tracking system that indicates that work must be stopped immediately and movement to a safe area.
In the second paragraph,
The step of selecting one of the above multiple notification modes is:
The above server selects the work safety mode when the current time is included in the high tide time to low tide time of the current date;
The above server selects the work completion mode when the current time is after the low tide time and before the next high tide time, and the minimum distance between the current location information and the safety line is less than or equal to the threshold distance; and
The above server includes a step of selecting the evacuation notification mode when the current time is after the low tide time and before the next high tide time, and the minimum distance between the current location information and the safety line exceeds the threshold distance.
The step of the above user terminal outputting a notification signal corresponding to the selected notification mode is:
If the current time is the same as the low tide time, the server transmits a high tide start time signal to the user terminal; and
If the current location information of the user is not included in a predetermined work area, the server includes a step of transmitting a non-work area signal to the user terminal,
If the above server selects the above evacuation notification mode, the work safety mode and work completion mode are not selected until the user's current location information reaches the above safety line.
The above high tide start time signal is a signal output at the time when the high tide starts.
The above movement direction correction signal indicates that the user's movement direction is heading toward a danger zone.
The above non-work area signal is a method of operation of a position tracking system that indicates that the user's location is not a workable area.
In the third paragraph,
The above server determines the threshold distance as a*Db meters, wherein a is a predetermined number inversely proportional to the tide speed, b is a predetermined constant proportional to the safe distance of the user from the coastline, and D is the maximum distance the user can be from the safe line. A method of operating a positioning system.
In paragraph 4,
When the server selects the work completion mode, if the angle between the movement vector and the escape vector is greater than or equal to a second threshold angle, the server transmits a movement direction correction signal to the user terminal; and
The above user terminal includes a step of outputting the movement direction correction signal,
A method of operating a position tracking system, wherein the first critical angle is smaller than the second critical angle.
In paragraph 1,
The above position tracking system includes a first beacon and a second beacon, and the distance (L) between the first beacon and the second beacon is k*D or less,
A method of operating a position tracking system, wherein k is a predetermined constant and D is the maximum distance that the user can be away from the safety line.
In paragraph 6,
The step of obtaining the above escape vector is:
A step of obtaining a first escape vector based on the location information of the first beacon and the current location information of the user; and
A step of obtaining a second escape vector based on the location information of the second beacon and the current location information of the user,
The step of the above server transmitting a direction correction signal to the user terminal is:
A method of operating a position tracking system, comprising a step of the server transmitting a movement direction correction signal to the user terminal when the angle between the movement vector and the first escape vector is greater than or equal to a first threshold angle and the angle between the movement vector and the second escape vector is greater than or equal to a first threshold angle.
In paragraph 7,
When the server selects the work finishing mode, if the angle between the movement vector and the first escape vector is greater than or equal to a second threshold angle and if the angle between the movement vector and the second escape vector is greater than or equal to a second threshold angle, the server transmits a movement direction correction signal to the user terminal; and
The above user terminal includes a step of outputting the movement direction correction signal,
A method of operating a position tracking system, wherein the first critical angle is smaller than the second critical angle.