Route guidance method and apparatus for visually impaired using visible light communication inside subway station

An apparatus for generating a route history information for guiding a route to a visually impaired in a subway station, the apparatus comprising:

• a communication unit configured to receive an optical signal including a guidance information from a plurality of visible light illumination devices installed in the subway station;
• and
• a computing unit configured to generate a travel route for each of subway stations based on the guidance information and an interval between communications with the plurality of visible light illumination devices and to generate the route history information by summing respective travel routes for the subway stations;
• wherein the computing unit is configured to generate an information on a departure point for each subway station, a destination information, and a travel route from the departure point to the destination based on the guidance information and the interval between the communications and to generate the information on the departure point, the destination information, and the travel route from the departure point to the destination having been generated as the travel route for each subway station;
• and
• wherein the computing unit is configured, when the visually impaired is determined to have stopped by a predetermined route-exempt area based on the guidance information, to exclude a path corresponding to the predetermined route-exempt area from the travel route from the departure point to the destination.

A method of guiding a visually impaired in a subway station by an apparatus for guiding the visually impaired by using a visible light communication, the method comprising:

• receiving an optical signal from a visible light illumination device installed in the subway station and extracting a guidance information from the optical signal;
• and
• providing at least one of the guidance information or a recommended route from the subway station to a destination based on the guidance information and a pre-stored route history information;
• and
• analogizing a final destination of the visually impaired based on the route history information, generating the recommended route starting from a current location of the visually impaired and ending at the final destination, and providing the visually impaired with a generated recommended route with an analysis unit when the number of the visits of the visually impaired to the subway station is confirmed to be equal to or greater than a predetermined number of times based on the information on the visits of the visually impaired to the subway station.

A method of generating, performed by an apparatus for generating a route history information, the route history information for providing a visually impaired a route guidance in a subway station, the method comprising:

• receiving an optical signal including a guidance information from a plurality of visible light illumination devices installed in the subway station;
• generating a travel route for each of subway stations based on the guidance information and an interval between communications with the plurality of visible light illumination devices and generating the route history information by summing respective travel routes for the subway stations;
• and
• generating information on a departure point for each subway station, destination information, and a travel route from the departure point to the destination based on the guidance information and the interval between the communications and generating the information on the departure point, the destination information, and the travel route from the departure point to the destination having been generated as the travel route for each subway station with a computing unit;
• wherein the computing unit is configured, when an interval between a communication event with a preceding visible light illumination device and a resumed communication event with a subsequent visible light illumination device is determined to exceed a predetermined threshold based on the interval between the communications, to generate a point of the preceding visible light illumination device as the destination information based on the guidance information received from the preceding guidance information.

An apparatus for guiding a visually impaired in a subway station by using a visible light communication, the apparatus comprising:

• a reception unit configured to receive an optical signal from a visible light illumination device installed in the subway station and to extract a guidance information included in the optical signal;
• a storage unit configured to store a route history information;
• and
• an analysis unit configured to provide at least one of the guidance information or a recommended route from the subway station to a destination based on the guidance information and the route history information;
• wherein the analysis unit is configured to confirm an information on visits of the visually impaired to the subway station based on the guidance information and the route history information, and to accordingly provide the visually impaired with at least one of the recommended route or the guidance information;
• and
• wherein the analysis unit is configured, when it is confirmed that the number of the visits of the visually impaired to the subway station is confirmed to be less than a predetermined number of times based on information on visit of the visually impaired to the subway station, to provide the visually impaired with the guidance information.