Server apparatus, information processing system, and operating method for system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11553575-B2
Application number	US-202117350017-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 17, 2021
Priority date	Jul 1, 2020
Publication date	Jan 10, 2023
Grant date	Jan 10, 2023

Abstract

A server apparatus includes a communication interface and a controller configured to transmit and receive information via the communication interface, wherein the controller is configured to transmit an instruction for controlling light emission by a plurality of floor coverings, each floor covering including a light emitting element, to the plurality of floor coverings based on positional information for a first point where a pedestrian is located in an area where the plurality of floor coverings are disposed and positional information for a second point different from the first point in the area.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A server apparatus comprising:
a communication interface; and
a controller configured to transmit and receive information via the communication interface, wherein:
the controller is configured to transmit an instruction for controlling light emission by a plurality of floor coverings, which are disposed in an area encompassing one or more blocks of an urban zone and each of which includes a light emitting element, the instruction being transmitted to the plurality of floor coverings based on (i) first positional information for a first point where a pedestrian is located in the area and (ii) second positional information for a second point different from the first point in the area;
the controller is configured to obtain the first positional information for the first point by (i) receiving the first positional information from a terminal apparatus of the pedestrian, (ii) deriving the first positional information based on a captured image of the area, (iii) deriving the first positional information based on information received by a floor covering of the plurality of floor coverings from the terminal apparatus of the pedestrian, or (iv) deriving the first positional information by taking into account a load detected by the floor covering of the plurality of floor coverings;
the controller is further configured to search for a route from the first point to the second point, the second point being input as a destination from the terminal apparatus of the pedestrian; and
the controller is further configured to generate the instruction for controlling light emission by the plurality of floor coverings such that a light emission pattern guides the pedestrian along the route from the first point to the second point.

2. The server apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to perform a process for granting authorization to the pedestrian when the pedestrian reaches the second point.

3. The server apparatus of claim 1 , wherein when generating the instruction for controlling light emission by the plurality of floor coverings, the controller is configured to generate the instruction by taking into account an attribute of the plurality of floor coverings in the area.

4. An information processing system comprising:
a server apparatus; and
a plurality of floor coverings disposed in an area encompassing one or more blocks of an urban zone, each floor covering being configured to communicate with the server apparatus and comprising a light emitting element, wherein:
the server apparatus is configured to transmit an instruction for controlling light emission by the plurality of floor coverings, the instruction being transmitted to the plurality of floor coverings based on (i) first positional information for a first point where a pedestrian is located in the area and (ii) second positional information for a second point different from the first point in the area;
the server apparatus is configured to obtain the first positional information for the first point by (i) receiving the first positional information from a terminal apparatus of the pedestrian, (ii) deriving the first positional information based on a captured image of the area, (iii) deriving the first positional information based on information received by a floor covering of the plurality of floor coverings from the terminal apparatus of the pedestrian, or (iv) deriving the first positional information by taking into account a load detected by the floor covering of the plurality of floor coverings;
the server apparatus is further configured to search for a route from the first point to the second point, the second point being input as a destination from the terminal apparatus of the pedestrian;
the server apparatus is further configured to generate the instruction for controlling light emission by the plurality of floor coverings such that a light emission pattern guides the pedestrian along the route from the first point to the second point; and
the plurality of floor coverings are configured to cause the light emitting elements to emit light in accordance with the instruction.

5. The information processing system of claim 4 , wherein the server apparatus is configured to perform a process for granting authorization to the pedestrian when the pedestrian reaches the second point.

6. An operating method for an information processing system comprising a server apparatus and a plurality of floor coverings disposed in an area encompassing one or more blocks of an urban zone, each floor covering being configured to communicate with the server apparatus and comprising a light emitting element, the operating method comprising:
transmitting, by the server apparatus, an instruction for controlling light emission by the plurality of floor coverings, the instruction being transmitted to the plurality of floor coverings based on (i) first positional information for a first point where a pedestrian is located in the area and (ii) second positional information for a second point different from the first point in the area;
obtaining, by the server apparatus, the first positional information for the first point by (i) receiving the first positional information from a terminal apparatus of the pedestrian, (ii) deriving the first positional information based on a captured image of the area, (iii) deriving the first positional information based on information received by a floor covering of the plurality of floor coverings from the terminal apparatus of the pedestrian, or (iv) deriving the first positional information by taking into account a load detected by the floor covering of the plurality of floor coverings;
searching, by the server apparatus, for a route from the first point to the second point, the second point being input as a destination from the terminal apparatus of the pedestrian;
generating, by the server apparatus, the instruction for controlling light emission by the plurality of floor coverings such that a light emission pattern guides the pedestrian along the route from the first point to the second point; and
causing, by the plurality of floor coverings, the light emitting elements to emit light in accordance with the instruction.

7. The operating method of claim 6 , further comprising performing, by the server apparatus, a process for granting authorization to the pedestrian when the pedestrian reaches the second point.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Oidemizu Takayuki
• Inoue Kazuyuki
• Kobayashi Ryosuke
• Tanaka Yurika
• Maya Tomokazu
• Komamine Satoshi

Classifications

• H04L67/12

  specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks · CPC title

• Y02B20/40

  Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection · CPC title

• E04F15/10

  of other materials, e.g. fibrous or chipped materials, organic plastics, magnesite {tiles}, hardboard {, or with a top layer of other materials} · CPC title

• H05B47/125

  by using cameras · CPC title

• F21S8/032

  the surface being a floor or like ground surface, e.g. pavement · CPC title