JP5873534B2 - POSITION ESTIMATION DEVICE, POSITION ESTIMATION METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a position estimation technique.

  Conventionally, there is a technique for measuring the position of a communication device possessed by a user by using radio wave intensity. In the outdoors, there is a technique for measuring the position of a communication device using the radio field intensity of a GPS (Global Positioning System) satellite. There is a technique for measuring the position of a communication device indoors using the radio wave intensity of a wireless LAN access point (hereinafter referred to as “AP”). As a technique for measuring the position of a communication device indoors, for example, the technology of Place Engine (registered trademark) or the presence of a communication device within the reach of the radio wave of the AP using the radio wave intensity of one AP. There is a technique for discriminating (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2011-215001 A

  However, when the position of the communication device is measured indoors using the conventional technique, there are the following problems. When using the technology of Place Engine (registered trademark), the position of the communication device can be accurately measured by measuring the position by three-point positioning using three or more APs. Is necessary and costly. In addition, when using the radio field intensity of one AP, it is possible to obtain only rough position information indicating that the communication apparatus exists within the reach of the AP's radio wave, so the position of the communication apparatus must be accurately measured. I can't. As described above, the conventional technology has a problem in that the accuracy of the position measurement of the communication device cannot be improved while reducing the cost indoors. Such a problem occurs not only indoors but also in places where GPS satellite signal reception accuracy is poor even outdoors.

  In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a technique for improving the accuracy of position measurement while suppressing cost.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a search unit that searches for a route candidate that the communication device can move in response to a request from the communication device, and a route that determines the movement route of the communication device from the searched candidates An analysis unit, and a position estimation unit that estimates the position of the communication device based on the determined movement path, and the request includes coordinate information of an entrance in an area where the communication device has moved, The search unit refers to a storage unit that stores the coordinate information at each position in the region and the value of the radio wave intensity measured at each position in association with each other, from the position specified by the coordinate information of the entrance A search is made for a combination of routes that can be moved when the communication device has moved in a predetermined distance as candidates for a route that the communication device can move, and the request includes a predetermined distance within the region in the communication device. A radio field intensity value measured in the path when moving, and the path analysis unit calculates a radio field intensity value at each position in the movable path and a radio field intensity value included in the request. The path with the smallest sum of absolute values of the differences is determined as the movement path of the communication apparatus, and the position estimation unit estimates the position where the radio wave intensity is measured at the end of the determined movement path as the position of the communication apparatus. a position estimation device you.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a search unit that searches for a route candidate that the communication device can move in response to a request from the communication device, and a route that determines the movement route of the communication device from the searched candidates An analysis unit, and a position estimation unit that estimates the position of the communication device based on the determined movement path, and the request includes coordinate information of an entrance in an area where the communication device has moved, The search unit refers to a storage unit that stores the coordinate information at each position in the region and the value of the radio wave intensity measured at each position in association with each other, from the position specified by the coordinate information of the entrance A search is made for a combination of routes that can be moved when the communication device has moved in a predetermined distance as candidates for a route that the communication device can move, and the request includes a predetermined distance within the region in the communication device. A change value of the radio field intensity measured in the path when moving, and the path analysis unit includes a radio field intensity change value of each position in the movable path and the radio wave included in the request. The path having the smallest sum of absolute values of differences from the intensity change value is determined as the movement path of the communication device, and the position estimation unit is a position where the radio field intensity is measured at the end of the determined movement path. which is a position estimation device that be estimated as the position of the communication device.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a search step for searching for a route candidate on which the communication device can move in response to a request from the communication device, and a route for determining the movement route of the communication device from the searched candidates an analysis step, have a, a position estimation step of estimating a location of the communication device based on the determined movement path, wherein the request, the communication device includes coordinate information for entrance in the moving region In the search step, the position specified by the coordinate information of the entrance with reference to the storage unit that stores the coordinate information at each position in the region and the value of the radio wave intensity measured at each position in association with each other From the above, a combination of routes that can be moved when a predetermined distance is moved is searched for as a route candidate that the communication device can move. Further includes a value of the radio field intensity measured in the route when the distance traveled in advance within the path, and in the path analysis step, the value of the radio field intensity at each position in the movable path and included in the request A path having the smallest sum of absolute values of differences from the value of the received radio field strength is determined as the movement path of the communication device, and the position where the radio field intensity is measured at the end of the determined movement path in the position estimation step wherein the position estimating how to estimate a position of the communication device.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a search step for searching for a route candidate on which the communication device can move in response to a request from the communication device, and a route for determining the movement route of the communication device from the searched candidates an analysis step, have a, a position estimation step of estimating a location of the communication device based on the determined movement path, wherein the request, the communication device includes coordinate information for entrance in the moving region In the search step, the position specified by the coordinate information of the entrance with reference to the storage unit that stores the coordinate information at each position in the region and the value of the radio wave intensity measured at each position in association with each other From the above, a combination of routes that can be moved when a predetermined distance is moved is searched for as a route candidate that the communication device can move. Further includes a value of a change in radio field intensity measured in a path when moving within a predetermined distance, and a value of a change in radio field intensity at each position in the movable path in the path analysis step. And the path of the absolute value of the difference between the changes in the radio field intensity included in the request is determined as the movement path of the communication device, and in the position estimation step, at the end of the determined movement path the position where the radio wave intensity is measured is estimated to that position estimating method as the location of the communication device.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a search step for searching for a route candidate on which the communication device can move in response to a request from the communication device, and a route for determining the movement route of the communication device from the searched candidates An analysis step and a position estimation step for estimating the position of the communication device based on the determined movement route are executed by a computer, and the request includes coordinate information of an entrance in an area where the communication device has moved. In the search step, the coordinate information at each position in the area and the value of the radio wave intensity measured at each position are stored in association with each other and specified by the coordinate information at the entrance. A combination of routes that can be moved when a predetermined distance is moved from a predetermined position as a candidate route that the communication device can move, and the request includes A radio field intensity value measured in a path when the communication apparatus moves in the area for a predetermined distance; and in the path analysis step, a radio field intensity value at each position in the movable path and , Determining a route having the smallest sum of absolute values of differences from the value of the radio wave intensity included in the request as the movement path of the communication device, and in the position estimation step, the radio wave intensity is at the end of the determined movement path. the measured position is because computer program to estimate the location of the communication device.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a search step for searching for a route candidate on which the communication device can move in response to a request from the communication device, and a route for determining the movement route of the communication device from the searched candidates An analysis step and a position estimation step for estimating the position of the communication device based on the determined movement route are executed by a computer, and the request includes coordinate information of an entrance in an area where the communication device has moved. In the search step, the coordinate information at each position in the area and the value of the radio wave intensity measured at each position are stored in association with each other and specified by the coordinate information at the entrance. A combination of routes that can be moved when a predetermined distance is moved from a predetermined position as a candidate route that the communication device can move, and the request includes Further included is a value of a change amount of the radio wave intensity measured in the path when the communication apparatus moves in the area for a predetermined distance, and in the path analysis step, the radio wave intensity at each position in the movable path The path having the smallest sum of absolute values of the difference between the value of the change amount of the radio wave and the value of the change amount of the radio wave intensity included in the request is determined as the movement path of the communication device, and is determined in the position estimation step. the last radio field intensity is measured the position of the travel path is because computer program to estimate the location of the communication device.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the accuracy of position measurement while suppressing cost.

It is a figure which shows the system configuration | structure of the position estimation system 100 in this invention. It is a schematic block diagram showing the functional structure of the communication terminal 10 and the position estimation apparatus 30 in 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the specific example of a radio wave intensity master database. It is a figure for demonstrating a pre-process. It is a figure for demonstrating the outline of the position estimation process in 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a process of the communication terminal 10 in 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a process of the position estimation apparatus 30 in 1st Embodiment. 5 is a sequence diagram showing a flow of pre-processing in the position estimation system 100. FIG. It is a sequence diagram which shows the flow of the process at the time of the position estimation start in 1st Embodiment. It is a sequence diagram which shows the flow of the process at the time of the position estimation start in 1st Embodiment. It is a sequence diagram which shows the flow of the position estimation process in 1st Embodiment. It is a sequence diagram which shows the flow of the position estimation process in 1st Embodiment. It is a schematic block diagram showing the function structure of the communication terminal 10a and the position estimation apparatus 30a in 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the outline of the position estimation process in 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a process of the communication terminal 10a in 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a process of the position estimation apparatus 30a in 2nd Embodiment. It is a sequence diagram which shows the flow of the position estimation process in 2nd Embodiment. It is a sequence diagram which shows the flow of the position estimation process in 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of application of the position estimation system 100 in this invention. It is a figure which shows the example of application of the position estimation system 100 in this invention.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a system configuration of a position estimation system 100 according to the present invention. The position estimation system 100 of the present invention includes a communication terminal 10, an AP 20, a position estimation device 30, and an information registration device 40. Each of the communication terminal 10, the position estimation device 30, and the information registration device 40 is connected to be communicable via the network 50.

The position estimation system 100 in the present invention is used when estimating the position of the communication terminal 10 indoors. First, the preconditions in the following description will be described.
Condition 1: The radio waves of the AP 20 installed indoors do not leak to the outside. Here, the term “outside” refers to a floor that is different from the one floor when the indoor floor is targeted, or the outdoors, and the outdoor refers to the indoor floor.
Condition 2: Data (hereinafter referred to as “floor map”) in which the structure or coordinate position (for example, latitude (position in the X-axis direction) and longitude (position in the Y-axis direction)) of the indoor or one floor is known is obtained in advance. What you can do.
Condition 3: The identification information of the AP 20 is stored in the communication terminal 10. The identification information is, for example, the MAC address of the AP 20.
This is the end of the explanation of the preconditions.

When the user enters indoors, the communication terminal 10 receives radio waves from the AP 20 installed indoors and starts position estimation. Each time the user moves a predetermined distance, the communication terminal 10 stores the value of the received radio wave intensity of the radio wave transmitted from the AP 20 (hereinafter simply referred to as “radio wave intensity”). When the communication terminal 10 moves by a preset distance (hereinafter referred to as “set distance”), the communication terminal 10 transmits all the values of the radio wave intensity stored in the own device to the position estimation device 30. The position estimation device 30 moves the communication terminal 10 based on the value of the radio wave intensity received from the communication terminal 10 and the radio wave intensity value stored in advance in each position in the floor where the communication terminal 10 exists. A route is determined and the position of the communication terminal 10 is estimated.
Hereinafter, details of the position estimation system 100 will be described.

  The communication terminal 10 is a communication device carried by a user. The communication terminal 10 is configured using an information processing apparatus such as a smartphone, a mobile phone, a tablet terminal, a notebook computer, or a game machine. The communication terminal 10 stores the identification information of the AP 20. When the communication terminal 10 moves a set distance after receiving the radio wave from the AP 20, the communication terminal 10 transmits a position estimation request to the position estimation device 30. The position estimation request is a request for estimating the position of the communication terminal 10. In the position estimation request, information (hereinafter referred to as “initial position information”) regarding the position (hereinafter referred to as “initial position information”) at which the communication terminal 10 first received the radio wave from the AP 20, and until the set distance is moved. The value of the radio field intensity measured for each predetermined distance (hereinafter referred to as “predetermined position radio field intensity”) and set distance information are included. The set distance may be set by the user or may be set in advance by the communication terminal 10.

The AP 20 is a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) access point, and periodically outputs radio waves. The AP 20 is fixedly installed on the floor.
The position estimation device 30 estimates the position of the communication terminal 10 in response to a position estimation request from the communication terminal 10. The position estimation apparatus 30 is configured using an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer.

  The information registration device 40 registers information necessary for position estimation (hereinafter referred to as “position estimation essential information”) according to the operation of the service provider of the position estimation system 100. The position estimation essential information is, for example, the value of radio wave intensity at each position on the floor, coordinate information in the floor where the radio wave intensity is measured, entrance information, and the like. The entrance information is information indicating whether or not there is an entrance at the position where the radio wave intensity is measured.

The network 50 may be a network configured in any way. For example, the network 50 may be configured using the Internet.
Hereinafter, a specific configuration example (first embodiment and second embodiment) of the position estimation system 100 according to the present invention will be described.

[First Embodiment]
FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram illustrating functional configurations of the communication terminal 10 and the position estimation device 30 in the first embodiment.
First, the functional configuration of the communication terminal 10 will be described. The communication terminal 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a memory, an auxiliary storage device, and the like connected by a bus, and executes an information display program. By executing the information display program, the communication terminal 10 functions as a device including the communication unit 101, the control unit 102, the distance positioning unit 103, the history information storage unit 104, and the display unit 105. All or some of the functions of the communication terminal 10 may be realized using hardware such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), and a field programmable gate array (FPGA). The information display program may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. The computer-readable recording medium is, for example, a portable medium such as a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk, a ROM, a CD-ROM, or a storage device such as a hard disk built in the computer system. Further, the information display program may be transmitted / received via a telecommunication line.

  The communication unit 101 communicates with the AP 20. For example, the communication unit 101 receives a radio wave transmitted from the AP 20. The communication unit 101 communicates with the position estimation device 30 via the network 50. For example, the communication unit 101 receives position information from the position estimation device 30. For example, the communication unit 101 transmits a position estimation request to the position estimation device 30.

  The control unit 102 controls each functional unit of the communication terminal 10. The control unit 102 measures the radio field intensity of the received radio wave. Further, the control unit 102 determines whether or not the identification information of the AP 20 that is the transmission source of the received radio wave matches the identification information of the AP 20 that is stored in advance in the device itself. If the identification information of the AP 20 does not match, the control unit 102 does not perform control. On the other hand, when the identification information of the AP 20 matches, the control unit 102 controls the distance positioning unit 103 to measure the movement distance of the own device.

The distance positioning unit 103 is configured using a sensor capable of discriminating movement such as an acceleration sensor. The distance positioning unit 103 measures the moving distance of the communication terminal 10 according to the control of the control unit 102. The distance positioning unit 103 outputs, to the control unit 102, a notification indicating that the device has moved a predetermined distance (hereinafter referred to as “section movement notification”) every time it moves a predetermined distance.
The history information storage unit 104 is configured using a storage device such as a magnetic hard disk device or a semiconductor storage device. The history information storage unit 104 stores the initial position information and the value of the radio wave intensity measured by the control unit 102.

  The display unit 105 is an image display device such as a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) display, a liquid crystal display, or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display. The display unit 105 displays the position information received by the communication unit 101. The display unit 105 may be an interface for connecting the image display device to the communication terminal 10. In this case, the display unit 105 generates a video signal for displaying the position information, and outputs the video signal to an image display device connected to the display unit 105.

  Next, the functional configuration of the position estimation device 30 will be described. The position estimation device 30 includes a CPU, a memory, an auxiliary storage device, and the like connected by a bus, and executes an information transmission program. By executing the information transmission program, the position estimation device 30 functions as a device including a communication unit 301, an information acquisition unit 302, a radio wave intensity information storage unit 303, a search unit 304, a route analysis unit 305, and a position estimation unit 306. Note that all or some of the functions of the position estimation device 30 may be realized using hardware such as an ASIC, PLD, or FPGA. The information transmission program may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. The computer-readable recording medium is, for example, a portable medium such as a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk, a ROM, a CD-ROM, or a storage device such as a hard disk built in the computer system. Further, the information transmission program may be transmitted / received via a telecommunication line.

The communication unit 301 communicates with the communication terminal 10. For example, the communication unit 301 transmits position information to the communication terminal 10. For example, the communication unit 301 receives a position estimation request from the communication terminal 10. The communication unit 301 communicates with the information registration device 40. For example, the communication unit 301 receives the position estimation essential information transmitted from the information registration device 40.
The information acquisition unit 302 acquires position estimation essential information via the communication unit 301.

  The radio wave intensity information storage unit 303 is configured using a storage device such as a magnetic hard disk device or a semiconductor storage device. The radio wave intensity information storage unit 303 stores a radio wave intensity master database. In the radio wave intensity master database, position estimation essential information is stored in association with each floor ID. The value of the floor ID represents identification information for identifying an indoor floor.

The search unit 304 searches the radio wave intensity master database in response to a request from the communication terminal 10. For example, the search unit 304 searches for a route candidate (hereinafter referred to as “candidate route”) on which the communication terminal 10 can move in response to the received position estimation request.
The route analysis unit 305 communicates the communication terminal 10 among the candidate routes searched by the search unit 304 based on the value of the predetermined position radio wave intensity included in the received position estimation request and the value of the radio wave intensity in the candidate route. Determine the route that has moved.
The position estimation unit 306 estimates the position of the communication terminal 10 based on the route determined by the route analysis unit 305.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a specific example of the radio wave intensity master database stored in the position estimation device 30.
The radio wave intensity master database has a plurality of records 60 representing the position estimation essential information. The record 60 has values of floor ID, APID, X coordinate, Y coordinate, radio wave intensity, and presence / absence of an entrance flag. The value of the floor ID represents identification information for identifying an indoor floor. The value of APID represents the identification information of AP 20 installed on the floor identified by the floor ID of the same record 60. The APID is, for example, the MAC address of the AP 20. The value of the X coordinate represents the coordinate in the X axis direction in the floor map of the floor identified by the floor ID of the same record 60. The value of the Y coordinate represents the coordinate in the Y axis direction in the floor map of the floor identified by the floor ID of the same record 60. The value of the radio wave intensity represents the radio wave intensity measured at the position indicated by the X coordinate and the Y coordinate of the same record 60. The value of the presence / absence of the entrance flag indicates whether or not there is a floor entrance at the position indicated by the X coordinate and the Y coordinate of the same record 60. In the example of FIG. 3, the presence / absence of the entrance flag is indicated by “0” or “1”. When the value of the presence / absence of the entrance flag is “0”, it indicates that there is no floor entrance at the position indicated by the X coordinate and the Y coordinate of the same record 60. When the value of the presence / absence of the entrance flag is “1”, it indicates that the floor entrance exists at the position indicated by the X coordinate and the Y coordinate of the same record 60.

  In the example shown in FIG. 3, one floor ID is registered in the radio wave intensity master database. This floor ID is “floor 1”. In FIG. 3, the record 60 registered at the top of the radio wave intensity master database has a floor ID value “floor 1”, an APID value “aaa”, an X coordinate value “a”, and a Y coordinate value. The value is “b”, the field strength value is “c”, and the value of the presence / absence of the entrance flag is “0”. That is, the AP 20 with the MAC address “aaa” is installed on the floor identified by the floor ID “floor 1”, and measured at the position indicated by the floor map X coordinate “a” and Y coordinate “b”. The radio wave intensity of the radio wave of the AP 20 is “c”, indicating that there is no entrance at the position.

  In FIG. 3, the record 60 registered in the second row of the radio wave intensity master database has a floor ID value “floor 1”, an APID value “aaa”, an X coordinate value “a + 1”, The value of the Y coordinate is “b”, the value of the radio wave intensity is “d”, and the value of the presence / absence of the entrance flag is “1”. That is, the AP 20 with the MAC address “aaa” is installed on the floor identified by the floor ID “floor 1”, and measurement is performed at the position indicated by the floor map X coordinate “a + 1” and Y coordinate “b”. The radio wave intensity of the radio wave of the AP 20 is “d”, indicating that there is an entrance at the position.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining pre-processing.
In the pre-processing, the service provider measures the radio wave intensity at each position on each floor in advance, and the position estimation device 30 determines the radio wave intensity value at each position (position indicated by the X coordinate and the Y coordinate) for each floor. This is a process for registering the presence or absence of an entrance. Here, “previous” represents a state where there are as few people as possible on the floor. For example, there are as few people as possible on the floor before the store opens or after the store closes. This pre-processing need not be performed every day once processing is performed. However, if the floor structure changes, it is necessary to perform pre-processing each time. The case where the floor structure changes is, for example, a case where a partition is newly increased or decreased in a floor, or a case where a door is increased or decreased.

As a processing method of the pre-processing, as shown in FIG. 4, the floor is classified into predetermined sections, and each section is set as a measurement target of the radio wave intensity. In the following description, a case where the section for measuring the radio wave intensity (hereinafter referred to as “target section”) is a unit section (square) will be described as an example. Further, a case where one AP 20 is installed on the floor will be described as an example.
In FIG. 4, the horizontal direction is the X axis and the vertical direction is the Y axis. Coordinates are uniquely assigned to each target section with reference to the coordinate position (position 61-1 in FIG. 4) of any corner on the floor, and the coordinate value is represented by an integer. For example, in the example of FIG. 4, the coordinates of the position 61-2 are represented as (X, Y) = (3, 1), and the coordinates of the position 61-3 are represented as (X, Y) = (3, 2). The coordinates of the position 61-4 are expressed as (X, Y) = (4, 1). Thus, the value of the X coordinate or the Y coordinate is incremented or decremented by +1 for a certain target section and a target section adjacent to the target section.

  An area 71 shown in FIG. 4 represents an area where the radio wave intensity of the radio wave transmitted from the AP 20 becomes a predetermined value or more. That is, the area 71 is an area where a strong radio wave can be received from the AP 20. An area 72 represents an area where the radio wave intensity of the radio wave transmitted from the AP 20 is less than a predetermined value. That is, the area 72 is an area where a radio wave weaker than the radio wave received in the area 71 is received. In other areas (areas not included in areas 71 and 72), although radio waves from AP 20 can be received, weaker radio waves are received than radio waves received in areas 71 and 72.

The service provider 70 possesses a communication device (for example, a communication terminal) having a function capable of measuring the radio wave intensity, and measures the radio wave intensity for each target section on the floor. It should be noted that a section where the radio wave intensity cannot be measured due to an obstacle (for example, a black area in FIG. 4) is excluded from radio wave intensity acquisition and position measurement, and information is not stored in the radio wave intensity master database. In other words, sections where radio wave intensity cannot be measured due to obstacles or the like are not included in the radio wave intensity master database for each radio wave intensity or coordinate item. By repeatedly executing this process on the target section, the service provider 70 measures the radio wave intensity for each target section on the floor. When the measurement is completed, the service provider 70 operates the information registration device 40 to register the measured radio field intensity value. At this time, the identification information of the AP 20, the coordinate information of the target section whose radio field intensity is measured, and the entrance information are registered in association with each other. Information registered as described above is position estimation essential information.
This is the end of the description of the pre-processing.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the outline of the position estimation process in the first embodiment.
The position estimation process in the first embodiment is based on the value of the radio wave intensity of the radio wave from the AP 20 measured by the communication terminal 10 in the floor and the radio wave intensity value stored in the radio wave intensity master database. This is a process of estimating 10 positions. The position estimation process in the first embodiment will be specifically described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 5A is a diagram illustrating a moving path of a user 73 who has the communication terminal 10 that is a position measurement target, and a value (measurement value) of a radio wave intensity measured at each position. First, when the user 73 enters the floor from the position 74-0, the communication terminal 10 measures the radio wave intensity of the radio wave from the AP 20 at the position 74-0. Here, the value of the radio wave intensity measured at the position 74-0 is assumed to be E0 [dB]. The communication terminal 10 transmits the measured radio wave intensity E0 [dB] to the position estimation device 30 and acquires initial position information from the position estimation device 30. The communication terminal 10 records the radio field intensity E0 [dB] and the initial position information in the history information storage unit 104 in association with each other. Thereafter, the communication terminal 10 moves after a predetermined distance (for example, a distance of one section from the position 74-0 to the position 74-1), and then the value of the radio wave intensity (predetermined at the position (for example, the position 74-1)). (Location radio wave intensity) is measured and recorded in the history information storage unit 104. The communication terminal 10 repeatedly executes this process until it moves a set distance.

In the example shown in FIG. 5A, the case where the distance for four sections is set as the set distance is shown as an example. That is, the case where the user 73 has moved by four sections at positions 74-1 to 74-4 as indicated by arrows is shown as an example. The communication terminal 10 measures the radio wave intensity of the radio wave from the AP 20 at each position 74-1 to 74-4. Here, it is assumed that the radio wave intensity measured in this process is E1 [dB] to E4 [dB]. The communication terminal 10 records the radio field strengths E1 [dB] to E4 [dB] in the history information storage unit 104. The measured radio field intensities E1 [dB] to E4 [dB] are shown in the lower part of FIG. In the example shown in the lower part of FIG. 5A, the value of the radio wave intensity E1 measured at the position 74-1 is 8 [dB], and the value of the radio wave intensity E2 measured at the position 74-2 is 13 [dB]. The value of the radio wave intensity E3 measured at the position 74-3 is 14 [dB], and the value of the radio wave intensity E4 measured at the position 74-4 is 13 [dB].
As described above, the value of the radio wave intensity measured for each predetermined distance up to the set distance is used for position estimation of the communication terminal 10.

FIG. 5B is a diagram illustrating a specific example of candidate routes.
In the upper diagram of FIG. 5B, an example of the movement route up to two sections is shown among the movement routes when the user 73-1 moves from the initial position to the set distance. In the upper diagram of FIG. 5B, a dashed arrow represents a route that can be moved when the user 73-1 moves a predetermined distance from the initial position. In the upper diagram of FIG. 5B, three types of routes are shown as routes that can be moved when moving a predetermined distance from the initial position.

In the upper diagram of FIG. 5B, a solid arrow represents a route that can be moved when the user 73-1 moves a predetermined distance next from a position moved by the predetermined distance. In the upper diagram of FIG. 5 (B), 10 routes are shown as routes that can be moved when a predetermined distance is moved next from a position moved by a predetermined distance.
The position estimation device 30 searches the field intensity information storage unit 303 for the field intensity value of the combination of routes of the communication terminal 10 moving from the initial position as described above to the set distance. The lower value of FIG. 5B shows the value of the radio wave intensity of the route combination of the communication terminal 10 moving from the searched initial position to the set distance. In the lower diagram of FIG. 5B, as in the case of FIG. 5A, an example in which the distance for four sections is set as a set distance is shown.

  The routes 1 to 3 shown in the lower diagram of FIG. 5B are determined based on the initial position information and the set distance as described above. 5A will be described as an example. For example, E1 [dB] of the path 1 shown in FIG. 5B is a predetermined distance (for example, 1) from the initial position (74-0 in FIG. 5A). Indicates the value of the radio wave intensity measured in advance at the moved position, and E2 [dB] of path 1 is measured in advance at a position moved a predetermined distance from the position where E1 [dB] of path 1 was measured. E3 [dB] of the path 1 indicates the value of the radio field intensity measured in advance at a position moved by a predetermined distance from the position where E2 [dB] of the path 1 is measured. E4 [dB] indicates the value of the radio wave intensity measured in advance at a position moved by a predetermined distance from the position where E3 [dB] of the path 1 is measured. In this way, all the routes on which the communication terminal 10 can move when moving a set distance from the initial position are candidate routes shown in the lower diagram of FIG.

FIG. 5C is a diagram for explaining a method of determining a movement route in the first embodiment.
In FIG. 5C, the measured value of the radio field intensity shown in the lower diagram of FIG. 5A is associated with the value of the radio field intensity in the candidate path shown in the lower diagram of FIG. Yes. The position estimation device 30 determines the movement route of the communication terminal 10 based on a value calculated by performing a predetermined calculation on the measurement value shown in FIG. 5C and the value of the radio wave intensity in the candidate route. Specifically, the position estimation device 30 determines the movement route of the communication terminal 10 by the following process.

First, the position estimation device 30 calculates the sum of absolute values of the difference between the measured value and the value of the radio wave intensity in the candidate route for each candidate route. A specific calculation example is shown below.
For measured values and path 1,
| 8-4 | + | 13-10 | + | 14-25 | + | 13-15 | = 20
For measurements and path 2,
| 8-4 | + | 13-9 | + | 14-3 | + | 13-3 | = 29
For measured values and path 3,
| 8-9 | + | 13-13 | + | 14-15 | + | 13-14 | = 3

As described above, the position estimation device 30 calculates, for each candidate route, the sum of absolute values of the difference between the measured value and the value of the radio wave intensity in the candidate route. Then, the position estimation device 30 determines the route having the smallest sum of the absolute values of the differences calculated for each candidate route as the movement route of the communication terminal 10. In the example shown in FIG. 5C, the route 3 (thick frame in FIG. 5C) is determined as the movement route of the communication terminal 10.
Since the movement route of the communication terminal 10 is determined by the above processing, it is possible to determine where the communication terminal 10 is located, and the position of the communication terminal 10 can be estimated.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing of the communication terminal 10 in the first embodiment. In the description of FIG. 6, a process after the position estimation process is started will be described.
The distance positioning unit 103 determines whether or not a predetermined distance has been moved (step S101). When there is no movement of the predetermined distance (step 101-NO), the process of step S101 is repeatedly executed.
On the other hand, when there is a movement of a predetermined distance (step 101-YES), the control unit 102 measures the radio wave intensity of the radio wave received by the communication unit 101 at that position (step S102). The control unit 102 causes the history information storage unit 104 to store the measured radio field intensity value as a predetermined position radio field intensity (step S103).

Thereafter, the control unit 102 determines whether or not the set distance has been moved (step S104). When there is no movement of the set distance (step S104—NO), the communication terminal 10 repeatedly executes the processes after step S101.
On the other hand, when there is a movement of the set distance (step S104-YES), the control unit 102 reads all the predetermined position radio wave intensity and initial position information stored in the history information storage unit 104, and reads the read predetermined position radio wave intensity. Then, a position estimation request including the initial position information and the set distance information is generated (step S105). And the control part 102 transmits the produced | generated position estimation request | requirement to the position estimation apparatus 30 via the communication part 101 (step S106).

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing of the position estimation device 30 in the first embodiment.
The communication unit 301 receives the position estimation request transmitted from the communication terminal 10 (step S201). The search unit 304 searches for a candidate route based on the received position estimation request and the radio wave intensity master database stored in the radio wave intensity information storage unit 303 (step S202). Specifically, the search unit 304 reads out a combination of movable routes when moving a set distance from the position indicated by the initial position information included in the received position estimation request as a candidate route from the radio wave intensity master database ( (Bottom view of FIG. 5B).

  The route analysis unit 305 determines the moving route of the communication terminal 10 based on the read candidate route and the predetermined position radio wave intensity included in the position estimation request (step S203). The position estimation unit 306 estimates the position of the communication terminal 10 based on the determined movement route (step S204). Thereafter, the communication unit 301 transmits the estimated position information to the communication terminal 10 (step S205).

FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram showing a flow of pre-processing in the position estimation system 100.
The information registration device 40 accepts registration of position estimation essential information from the service provider (step S301). When the registration of the position estimation essential information is completed, the information registration apparatus 40 transmits the registered position estimation essential information to the position estimation apparatus 30 (step S302).
The communication unit 301 of the position estimation device 30 receives the position estimation essential information transmitted from the information registration device 40 (step S303). The information acquisition unit 302 acquires the position estimation essential information via the communication unit 301 (step S304). Thereafter, the information acquisition unit 302 stores the acquired position estimation essential information in the radio wave intensity master database of the radio wave intensity information storage unit 303 (step S305).

9 and 10 are sequence diagrams showing a flow of processing at the time of starting position estimation in the first embodiment.
The AP 20 periodically outputs radio waves (step S401).
The communication unit 101 of the communication terminal 10 receives the radio wave from the AP 20 (step S402). The communication unit 101 converts the received radio wave into a digital signal and outputs it to the control unit 102 (step S403). The control unit 102 measures the radio field intensity of the received radio wave (step S404). The control unit 102 determines whether or not the identification information of the AP 20 that is the transmission source of the received radio wave matches the identification information of the AP 20 stored in the own device (step S405).

  As a result of determination, since the identification information matches, the control unit 102 confirms activation with the distance positioning unit 103 (step S406). At this time, since the position estimation process is not started, the distance positioning unit 103 is not activated. Therefore, the distance positioning unit 103 does not return a response (step S407). The control unit 102 determines that the distance positioning unit 103 is not activated when there is no response from the distance positioning unit 103 for a certain period of time.

  When determining that the distance positioning unit 103 is not activated, the control unit 102 generates an entrance information search request including the value of the radio wave intensity measured in the process of step S404 and the identification information of the AP 20, and the generated entrance An information search request is output to the communication unit 101 (step S408). The communication unit 101 transmits an entrance information search request to the position estimation device 30 (step S409).

  The communication unit 301 of the position estimation device 30 receives the entrance information search request transmitted from the communication terminal 10. The communication unit 301 outputs the received entrance information search request to the search unit 304 (step S410). The search unit 304 searches the initial position from the radio wave intensity master database based on the radio wave intensity information included in the entrance information search request and the MAC address of the AP 20 (step S411).

  Specifically, the search unit 304 reads a radio wave intensity master database stored in the radio wave intensity information storage unit 303. The search unit 304 records, in the record 60 stored in the read radio wave intensity master database, the values of the items of APID and radio wave intensity match the radio wave intensity information included in the entrance information search request and the MAC address of the AP 20. 60 is selected. And the search part 304 acquires each value memorize | stored in the X coordinate and Y coordinate of the selected record 60 as an initial position (step S412).

The search unit 304 outputs the initial position to the communication unit 301 (step S413). The communication unit 301 transmits initial position information to the communication terminal 10 (step S414).
The communication unit 101 of the communication terminal 10 receives the initial position information transmitted from the position estimation device 30. The communication unit 101 outputs the received initial position information to the control unit 102 (step S415). The control unit 102 stores the initial position information and the value of the radio wave intensity measured in the process of step S404 in association with each other in the history information storage unit 104 (step S416). The history information storage unit 104 stores the initial position information and the value of the radio wave intensity in association with each other (step S417). Thereafter, the control unit 102 instructs the distance positioning unit 103 to measure the distance (step S418). The distance positioning unit 103 starts distance positioning according to the control of the control unit 102 (step S419).

11 and 12 are sequence diagrams showing the flow of position estimation processing in the first embodiment.
When the distance positioning unit 103 detects movement of a predetermined distance (step S501), the distance positioning unit 103 outputs a partition movement notification to the control unit 102 (step S502). When the section movement notification is output from the distance positioning unit 103, the control unit 102 measures the radio wave intensity of the radio wave received by the communication unit 101 at that position (step S503). The control unit 102 determines the measured radio field intensity value (predetermined position radio field intensity) and a count value obtained by incrementing the count by 1 as information indicating that a predetermined distance (for example, one section) has been advanced (for example, the count value “0”). In the case of “,” the information of the count value “1”) is associated and stored in the history information storage unit 104 (step S504). The history information storage unit 104 stores the radio wave intensity information and the count value in association with each other (step S505). Thereafter, the processing from step S501 to step S505 is repeatedly executed until the communication terminal 10 moves a set distance. That is, the count value is incremented by 1 every time the communication terminal 10 moves a predetermined distance from the initial position. This count value corresponds to E1 to E4 shown in FIG.

  When the communication terminal 10 moves a set distance, the control unit 102 reads the initial position information and all the predetermined position radio wave intensity values stored in the history information storage unit 104 (step S506). The control unit 102 generates a position estimation request including the read initial position information, all predetermined position radio wave intensity values, and set distance information, and outputs the generated position estimation request to the communication unit 101 (step S507). ). The communication unit 101 transmits a position estimation request to the position estimation device 30 (step S508).

  The communication unit 301 of the position estimation device 30 receives the position estimation request transmitted from the communication terminal 10. The communication unit 301 outputs the received position estimation request to the search unit 304 (step S509). The search unit 304 searches for candidate routes based on the initial position information and the set distance information included in the position estimation request (step S510). The search unit 304 acquires a plurality of candidate routes as search results (step S511). The search unit 304 outputs the acquired search result to the route analysis unit 305 (step S512). In addition, the search unit 304 outputs the value of the predetermined position radio wave intensity included in the position estimation request to the route analysis unit 305 (step S513).

The route analysis unit 305 performs a predetermined calculation on the search result and the value of the predetermined position radio wave intensity (step S514). The route analysis unit 305 determines the candidate route having the smallest value among the values calculated for each candidate route as the route traveled by the communication terminal 10 (step S515). The route analysis unit 305 outputs the determined route information to the position estimation unit 306 (step S516).
The position estimation unit 306 estimates the position of the communication terminal 10 from the determined route (step S517). For example, the position estimation unit 306 may estimate the position where the radio field intensity is measured at the end of the determined route as the position of the communication terminal 10. The position estimation unit 306 outputs position information indicating the estimated position of the communication terminal 10 to the communication unit 301 (step S518). The communication unit 301 transmits the position information to the communication terminal 10 (step S519). At this time, the communication unit 301 may transmit the floor map data including the position information.

  The communication unit 101 of the communication terminal 10 receives the position information transmitted from the position estimation device 30. The communication unit 101 outputs the received position information to the control unit 102 (step S520). The control unit 102 controls the display unit 105 to display position information (step S521). For example, the control unit 102 controls the display unit 105 to display (for example, plot display) the position information indicated by the position information on the floor map. The display unit 105 displays the position information according to the control of the control unit 102 (step S522). The control unit 102 deletes all information stored in the history information storage unit 104 (step S523).

  According to the position estimation system 100 configured as described above, the position estimation device 30 uses the communication terminal 10 based on the radio field intensity measured by the communication terminal 10 and the radio field intensity at each predetermined position on the floor measured in advance. The route traveled by 10 is determined, and the position estimated from the route is estimated as the position of the communication terminal 10. Therefore, even if it is one AP20, if the communication terminal 10 can receive an electromagnetic wave, the position of the communication terminal 10 can be estimated. Thereby, compared with the technology of Place Engine (registered trademark), the AP installation cost can be reduced. Further, since the position of the communication terminal 10 is estimated according to the result of estimating the route on which the communication terminal 10 actually traveled, communication is performed within the range of the AP's radio waves using the radio wave intensity of one AP. The position can be estimated with higher accuracy than a technique for determining whether or not a device is present (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  The radio wave intensity master database held by the position estimation device 30 is used for each position measurement. Therefore, once a radio wave intensity master database in which information on radio wave intensity at each predetermined position on a floor whose position is to be measured is stored is created, position measurement can be easily performed on that floor. Therefore, subsequent maintenance costs can be reduced.

<Modification>
In this embodiment, the MAC address of the AP 20 has been described as an example of the identification information of the AP 20, but the identification information of the AP 20 may be an SSID (Service Set IDentifier) or other information.
In the present embodiment, indoors has been described as an example, but the position estimation system 100 according to the present invention may be used outdoors. When comprised in this way, the communication terminal 10 memorize | stores the identification information of AP20 installed in the outdoors and utilized for the position estimation of the communication terminal 10. FIG. In the pre-processing, the value of the radio field intensity at each position on a predetermined outdoor floor is measured using a communication terminal that is installed outdoors and stores identification information of the AP 20 used for position estimation. Then, the service provider operates the information registration device 40 to register the measured radio field intensity value and the position information indicating the position where the radio field intensity is measured. Information registered in the information registration device 40 is stored in the radio wave intensity information storage unit 303 of the position estimation device 30. Hereinafter, a specific processing flow will be described.

The communication terminal 10 starts distance positioning when receiving a radio wave from the AP 20 that matches the identification information of the AP 20 stored in its own device. That is, the communication terminal 10 does not start the distance positioning when receiving a radio wave from the AP 20 that does not match the identification information of the AP 20 stored in the own device. Each time the communication terminal 10 moves a predetermined distance, the communication terminal 10 measures and stores only the radio wave intensity of the radio wave from the AP 20 that matches the identification information of the AP 20 stored in the own device. Then, when the communication terminal 10 moves the set distance, the communication terminal 10 transmits a position estimation request including the initial position information stored in the history information storage unit 104, all the values of the radio wave intensity, and the set distance information to the position estimation device 30. . The position estimation device 30 estimates the position of the communication terminal 10 based on the position estimation request transmitted from the communication terminal 10 and the radio wave intensity information storage unit 303.
By being configured in this way, it is possible to use the position estimation system 100 according to the present invention which may be not only indoors but also outdoors.

  The calculation method for determining the movement route of the communication terminal 10 does not have to be limited to the above-described method (the sum of absolute values of the difference between the measured value and the value of the radio wave intensity in the candidate route). For example, it may be information for calculating the sum of the squares of the difference between the measured value and the value of the radio field intensity in the candidate route, or other calculation methods.

In the present embodiment, the case where one AP 20 is installed on one floor has been described as an example, but a plurality of APs 20 may be installed on one floor. In this case, the communication terminal 10 stores identification information of a plurality of APs 20, respectively.
Further, in the pre-processing, the service provider measures the value of the radio wave intensity at each position on each floor for each AP 20. Then, the service provider operates the information registration device 40 to register the position estimation essential information for each AP 20. The radio wave intensity master database stored in the radio wave intensity information storage unit 303 of the position estimation device 30 stores the position estimation essential information for each AP 20.

In the position estimation process, the communication terminal 10 receives radio waves transmitted from a plurality of APs 20, and measures and stores the value of the radio field intensity for each AP 20. Then, when the communication terminal 10 moves a set distance, the communication terminal 10 transmits a position estimation request including the stored initial position information, all radio field intensity values for each AP 20, and set distance information to the position estimation device 30.
The position estimation device 30 estimates the position of the communication terminal 10 based on the value of the radio wave intensity for each AP 20 included in the position estimation request transmitted from the communication terminal 10.

[Second Embodiment]
FIG. 13 is a schematic block diagram illustrating functional configurations of the communication terminal 10a and the position estimation device 30a in the second embodiment.
First, the functional configuration of the communication terminal 10a will be described. The communication terminal 10a includes a CPU, a memory, an auxiliary storage device, and the like connected by a bus, and executes an information display program. By executing the information display program, the communication terminal 10a functions as an apparatus including the communication unit 101, the control unit 102, the distance positioning unit 103, the history information storage unit 104a, the display unit 105, and the change amount calculation unit 106. All or some of the functions of the communication terminal 10a may be realized using hardware such as ASIC, PLD, or FPGA. The information display program may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. The computer-readable recording medium is, for example, a portable medium such as a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk, a ROM, a CD-ROM, or a storage device such as a hard disk built in the computer system. Further, the information display program may be transmitted / received via a telecommunication line.

  The communication terminal 10a in the second embodiment is different in configuration from the communication terminal 10 in that it includes a history information storage unit 104a instead of the history information storage unit 104 and a change amount calculation unit 106 is newly provided. The communication terminal 10a is the same as the communication terminal 10 in other configurations. Therefore, the description of the entire communication terminal 10a is omitted, and the history information storage unit 104a and the change amount calculation unit 106 will be described.

The history information storage unit 104a is configured using a storage device such as a magnetic hard disk device or a semiconductor storage device. The history information storage unit 104a stores the value of the radio wave intensity measured by the control unit 102 and the value of the change amount of the radio wave intensity.
The change amount calculator 106 calculates a value of the change amount of the radio wave intensity.

  Next, the functional configuration of the position estimation device 30a will be described. The position estimation device 30a includes a CPU, a memory, an auxiliary storage device, and the like connected by a bus, and executes an information transmission program. By executing the information transmission program, the position estimation device 30a functions as a device including the communication unit 301, the information acquisition unit 302, the radio wave intensity information storage unit 303, the search unit 304a, the path analysis unit 305a, and the position estimation unit 306. Note that all or part of the functions of the position estimation device 30a may be realized using hardware such as an ASIC, PLD, or FPGA. The information transmission program may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. The computer-readable recording medium is, for example, a portable medium such as a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk, a ROM, a CD-ROM, or a storage device such as a hard disk built in the computer system. Further, the information transmission program may be transmitted / received via a telecommunication line.

  The position estimation device 30a according to the second embodiment is different from the position estimation device 30 in that a search unit 304a and a route analysis unit 305a are provided instead of the search unit 304 and the route analysis unit 305. The position estimation device 30a is the same as the position estimation device 30 in other configurations. Therefore, description of the whole position estimation apparatus 30a is abbreviate | omitted, and demonstrates the search part 304a and the route analysis part 305a.

The search unit 304a searches the radio wave intensity master database in response to a request from the communication terminal 10a. For example, the search unit 304a searches for a candidate route according to the received position estimation request.
The route analysis unit 305a includes the candidate route searched by the search unit 304a based on the value of the change amount of the radio wave strength included in the received position estimation request and the value of the change amount of the radio wave strength in the candidate route. The route on which the communication terminal 10a has moved is determined.

FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining the outline of the position estimation process in the second embodiment.
The position estimation process in the second embodiment is performed by calculating the radio field intensity calculated from the value of the change in radio field intensity of the AP 20 measured in the floor by the communication terminal 10a and the value of the radio field intensity stored in the radio field intensity master database. This is a process for estimating the position of the communication terminal 10a based on the value of the change amount. The position estimation process in the second embodiment will be specifically described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 14A is a diagram illustrating a moving path of the user 73a who owns the communication terminal 10a that is a position measurement target and the amount of change in radio wave intensity measured at each position. First, when the user 73a enters the floor from the position 74a-0, the communication terminal 10a measures the radio wave intensity of the radio wave from the AP 20 at the position 74a-0. Here, the radio wave intensity measured at the position 74a-0 is E0 [dB]. The communication terminal 10a transmits the measured radio wave intensity E0 [dB] to the position estimation device 30a, and acquires initial position information from the position estimation device 30a. The communication terminal 10a records the radio field intensity E0 [dB] and the initial position information in association with each other in the history information storage unit 104a. Thereafter, after the communication terminal 10a has moved a predetermined distance (for example, a distance of one section from the position 74a-0 to the position 74a-1), the value (predetermined value) of the radio wave intensity at that position (for example, the position 74a-1) (Position radio wave intensity) is measured and recorded in the history information storage unit 104a. And the communication terminal 10a calculates and memorize | stores the variation | change_quantity of the value of the field intensity measured last time, and the value of the field intensity measured this time. For example, the difference between the value of the radio wave intensity measured at the position 74a-0 and the value of the radio wave intensity measured at the position 74a-1 is calculated as the change amount of the radio wave intensity. The communication terminal 10a calculates and stores the amount of change between the measured radio field intensity value and the previously measured radio field intensity value for each predetermined distance until it moves a set distance.

  In the example shown in FIG. 14A, the case where the distance for four sections is set as the set distance is shown as an example. That is, the case where the user 73a has moved by four sections of the respective positions 74a-1 to 74a-4 as indicated by arrows is shown as an example. The communication terminal 10a measures the radio wave intensity of the radio wave from the AP 20 at each position 74a-1 to 74a-4. Here, it is assumed that the radio wave intensity measured in this process is E1 [dB] to E4 [dB]. The communication terminal 10a calculates the value of the change amount of the radio wave intensity measured for each predetermined distance and records it in the history information storage unit 104a. The calculated change amounts ΔE1 [dB] to ΔE4 [dB] of the radio wave intensity are shown in the lower diagram of FIG.

  In the example shown in the lower diagram of FIG. 14A, the value of the change amount ΔE1 (E1-E0) between the radio wave intensity E0 measured at the position 74a-0 and the radio wave intensity E1 measured at the position 74a-1 is 3. [dB], the value of change ΔE2 (E2-E1) between the radio wave intensity E1 and the radio wave intensity E2 is 5 [dB], and the value of change ΔE3 (E3-E2) between the radio wave intensity E2 and the radio wave intensity E3 is 1. It is indicated that the value of the change ΔE4 (E4-E3) between the radio wave intensity E3 and the radio wave intensity E4 is −1 [dB].

FIG. 14B is a diagram illustrating a specific example of candidate routes.
In the upper part of FIG. 14B, an example of a movement route up to two sections is shown among the movement routes when the user 73a-1 moves from the initial position to the set distance. In the upper diagram of FIG. 14B, a broken-line arrow represents a route that can be moved when the user 73a-1 moves a predetermined distance from the initial position (a distance corresponding to one section in FIG. 14B). . In the upper diagram of FIG. 14B, three routes are shown as the routes that can be moved when moving a predetermined distance from the initial position.

Further, in the upper diagram of FIG. 14B, a solid arrow represents a route that can be moved when the user 73-1 moves a predetermined distance next from a position moved by the predetermined distance. In the upper diagram of FIG. 14 (B), ten routes are shown as routes that can be moved when a predetermined distance is moved next from a position moved by a predetermined distance.
The position estimation device 30a searches the field intensity information storage unit 303 for the field intensity value of the combination of routes of the communication terminal 10a that moves from the initial position as described above to the set distance. And the position estimation apparatus 30a calculates the variation | change_quantity of the field intensity of the combination of the path | route of the communication terminal 10 which moves to the set distance from the searched initial position for every candidate path | route. The calculated amount of change in radio wave intensity for each candidate route is shown in the lower diagram of FIG. In the lower diagram of FIG. 14B, as in the case of FIG. 14A, a case where the distance for four sections is set as the set distance is shown as an example.

  The routes 1 to 3 shown in the lower diagram of FIG. 14B are determined based on the initial position information and the set distance as described above. Referring to FIG. 14A as an example, for example, ΔE1 [dB] of path 1 shown in FIG. 14B is a radio wave intensity E0 measured in advance at an initial position (74a-0 in FIG. 14A). And the value of the radio wave intensity E1 measured in advance at a position moved from the initial position by a predetermined distance (for example, a distance corresponding to one section), ΔE2 [dB] of the path 1 is the radio wave intensity E1 And the value of the radio field intensity E2 measured in advance at a position moved by a predetermined distance from the position where the radio field intensity E1 is measured in advance, ΔE3 [dB] of the path 1 is the value of the radio field intensity E2 And the amount of change from the value of the radio wave intensity E3 measured in advance at a position moved by a predetermined distance from the position where the radio wave intensity E2 is measured in advance, ΔE4 [dB] of the path 1 is the value of the radio wave intensity E3, From the position where the radio field intensity E3 is measured in advance, The amount of change from the value of the radio wave intensity E4 measured in advance at the position moved by the distance is shown. In this way, all the routes on which the communication terminal 10 can move when moving a set distance from the initial position are candidate routes shown in the lower diagram of FIG.

FIG. 14C is a diagram for explaining a method of determining a movement route in the second embodiment.
FIG. 14C shows the value of the change in the measured value of the radio wave intensity shown in the lower diagram of FIG. 14A and the value of the change in the radio wave intensity in the candidate path shown in the lower diagram of FIG. Are shown in association with each other. The position estimation device 30a uses the communication terminal based on a value calculated by performing a predetermined operation on the value of the change amount of the measured value shown in FIG. 14C and the value of the change amount of the radio wave intensity in the candidate route. The movement route of 10a is determined. Specifically, the position estimation device 30a determines the movement route of the communication terminal 10a by the following process.

First, the position estimation device 30a calculates, for each candidate route, the sum of absolute values of differences between the value of the change amount of the measured value and the value of the change amount of the radio wave intensity in the candidate route. A specific calculation example is shown below.
In the case of the change value of the measured value and the path 1,
| 3-2 | + | 5-1 | + | 1-14 | + | -1-1 | = 20
In the case of the change value of the measured value and the path 2,
| 3-0 | + | 5-3 | + | 1-(− 5) | + | −1−3 | = 15
In the case of the value of change amount of measured value and path 3,
| 3-3 | + | 5-4 | + | 1-1 | + | -1-0 | = 3

As described above, the position estimation device 30a calculates, for each candidate route, the sum of absolute values of differences between the change amount value and the radio field intensity change amount value in the candidate route. And the position estimation apparatus 30a determines the path | route with the smallest sum total of the absolute value of the difference calculated for every candidate path | route as the movement path | route of the communication terminal 10a. In the example shown in FIG. 14C, the position estimation device 30a determines the route 3 (thick frame in FIG. 14C) as the moving route of the communication terminal 10a.
Since the movement route of the communication terminal 10a is determined by the above processing, it is possible to determine where the communication terminal 10a is located, and the position of the communication terminal 10a can be estimated.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing of the communication terminal 10a in the second embodiment. In addition, about the process similar to FIG. 6, the code | symbol similar to FIG. 6 is attached | subjected in FIG. 15, and description is abbreviate | omitted.
When the processing up to step S102 is completed, the change amount calculation unit 106 calculates the amount of change in the radio field intensity between the value measured last time and the radio field intensity value measured in the process of step S102 (step S601). Specifically, the change amount calculation unit 106 uses the difference between the most recently recorded radio wave intensity value stored in the history information storage unit 104a and the radio wave intensity value measured in step S102 as the radio wave intensity change amount. calculate. The change amount calculation unit 106 stores the calculated change amount of the radio wave intensity in the history information storage unit 104a (step S602).

Thereafter, the control unit 102 determines whether or not the set distance has been moved (step S603). When there is no movement of the set distance (step S603 -NO), the communication terminal 10a repeatedly executes the processes after step S101.
On the other hand, if the set distance has been moved (YES in step S603), the control unit 102 reads out all radio field intensity change values and initial position information stored in the history information storage unit 104a, and read out the radio waves. A position estimation request including the intensity change value and the initial position information, and the set distance information is generated (step S604). And the control part 102 transmits the produced | generated position estimation request | requirement to the position estimation apparatus 30a via the communication part 101 (step S605).

FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating a process flow of the position estimation device 30a according to the second embodiment. In addition, about the process similar to FIG. 7, the code | symbol similar to FIG. 7 is attached | subjected in FIG. 16, and description is abbreviate | omitted.
When the processing up to step S202 is completed, the search unit 304a calculates the amount of change in radio wave intensity in the candidate route for each candidate route (step S701). The route analysis unit 305a determines the movement route of the communication terminal 10a based on the calculated amount of change in radio wave intensity for each candidate route (step S702). Thereafter, the processing after step S205 is executed.

17 and 18 are sequence diagrams showing the flow of position estimation processing in the second embodiment. In addition, about the process similar to FIG.11 and FIG.12, the code | symbol similar to FIG.11 and FIG.12 is attached | subjected in FIG.17 and FIG.18, and description is abbreviate | omitted.
When the process up to step S503 is completed, the control unit 102 outputs the section movement notification and the value of the radio wave intensity measured in the process of step S503 to the change amount calculation unit 106 (step S801). The change amount calculation unit 106 reads out the value of the radio wave intensity most recently recorded in the history information storage unit 104a (step S802). The change amount calculation unit 106 calculates a change amount of the radio wave intensity based on the read radio wave intensity value and the radio wave intensity value output in the process of step S801 (step S803).

  The change amount calculation unit 106 calculates the change value of the calculated radio wave intensity and the count value obtained by incrementing the count by 1 (for example, the count value “0”) as information indicating that a predetermined distance (for example, one section) has been advanced. In this case, the information of the count value “1”) is associated with and stored in the history information storage unit 104a (step S804). Further, the change amount calculation unit 106 stores the value of the radio wave intensity measured in the process of step S503 in the history information storage unit 104a. The history information storage unit 104a stores radio wave intensity information and a count value in association with each other (step S806). Further, the history information storage unit 104a newly stores the radio wave intensity value output in the process of step S805. Thereafter, the processing from step S501 to step S806 is repeatedly executed until the communication terminal 10a moves a set distance. In other words, the count value is incremented by one each time the communication terminal 10a moves a predetermined distance from the initial position. This count value corresponds to ΔE1 to ΔE4 shown in FIG.

  When the communication terminal 10a moves a set distance, the control unit 102 reads the initial position information and the values of all the changes in the radio field intensity stored in the history information storage unit 104a (step S807). The control unit 102 generates a position estimation request including the read initial position information, the values of all the changes in radio field intensity, and the set distance information, and outputs the generated position estimation request to the communication unit 101 (step S808). The communication unit 101 transmits a position estimation request to the position estimation device 30a (step S809).

  The communication unit 301 of the position estimation device 30a receives the position estimation request transmitted from the communication terminal 10a. The communication unit 301 outputs the received position estimation request to the search unit 304a (step S810). The search unit 304a searches for candidate routes based on the initial position information and the set distance information included in the position estimation request (step S811). The search unit 304a calculates the value of the change amount of the radio field strength for each candidate route, and acquires the calculated value of the change amount of the radio field strength for each candidate route as a search result (step S812). The search unit 304a outputs the acquired search result to the route analysis unit 305a (step S813).

  In addition, the search unit 304 outputs the value of the change amount of the radio wave intensity included in the position estimation request to the path analysis unit 305a (step S814). The path analysis unit 305a performs a predetermined calculation on the search result and the value of the change amount of the radio wave intensity included in the position estimation request (step S815). The route analysis unit 305a determines the candidate route having the smallest value among the values calculated for each candidate route as the route traveled by the communication terminal 10a (step S816). Thereafter, the processing after step S515 is executed.

  According to the position estimation system 100 configured as described above, the position estimation device 30a has the amount of change in the radio field intensity measured by the communication terminal 10a and the amount of change in the radio field intensity for each predetermined position on the floor measured in advance. And the position traveled by the communication terminal 10a is determined, and the position estimated from the path is estimated as the position of the communication terminal 10a. Therefore, even if it is one AP20, if the communication terminal 10a can receive an electromagnetic wave, the position of the communication terminal 10a can be estimated. Thereby, compared with the technology of Place Engine (registered trademark), the AP installation cost can be reduced. Furthermore, since the position of the communication terminal 10a is estimated according to the result of estimating the route on which the communication terminal 10a has actually moved, communication is performed within the reach of the radio wave of the AP using the radio field intensity of one AP. The position can be estimated with higher accuracy than a technique for determining whether or not a device is present (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  The radio wave intensity master database held by the position estimation device 30a is used for each position measurement. Therefore, once a radio wave intensity master database in which information on radio wave intensity at each predetermined position on a floor whose position is to be measured is stored is created, position measurement can be easily performed on that floor. Therefore, subsequent maintenance costs can be reduced.

<Modification>
In the present embodiment, indoors has been described as an example, but the position estimation system 100 according to the present invention may be used outdoors. When configured in this manner, the communication terminal 10a stores identification information (for example, a MAC address) of the AP 20a that is installed outdoors and is used for position estimation of the communication terminal 10a. In the pre-processing, the value of the radio field intensity at each position on a predetermined outdoor floor is measured using a communication terminal that is installed outdoors and stores identification information of the AP 20a used for position estimation. Then, the service provider operates the information registration device 40 to register the measured radio field intensity value and the position information indicating the position where the radio field intensity is measured. Information registered in the information registration device 40 is stored in the radio wave intensity information storage unit 303 of the position estimation device 30. Hereinafter, a specific processing flow will be described.

The communication terminal 10a starts distance positioning when receiving a radio wave from the AP 20a that matches the identification information of the AP 20a stored in the own device. That is, the communication terminal 10a does not start the distance positioning when receiving a radio wave from the AP 20a that does not match the identification information of the AP 20a stored in the own device. Each time the communication terminal 10a moves a predetermined distance, the communication terminal 10a measures only the radio wave intensity of the radio wave from the AP 20a that matches the identification information of the AP 20a stored in the own device. Then, the change amount calculation unit 106 of the communication terminal 10a calculates the difference between the most recently recorded radio wave intensity value in the history information storage unit 104a and the measured radio wave intensity value as the radio wave intensity change amount. The history information is stored in the history information storage unit 104a. Further, the change amount calculation unit 106 also stores the measured value of the radio wave intensity in the history information storage unit 104a. Then, when the communication terminal 10a moves the set distance, the position estimation request is sent to the position estimation device 30a including the initial position information stored in the history information storage unit 104a, the values of all radio field intensity changes, and the set distance information. Send to. The position estimation device 30a estimates the position of the communication terminal 10a based on the position estimation request transmitted from the communication terminal 10a and the radio wave intensity information storage unit 303a.
By being configured in this way, it is possible to use the position estimation system 100 according to the present invention which may be not only indoors but also outdoors.

  In the present embodiment, the configuration in which the communication terminal 10a calculates the value of the change in the radio wave intensity is shown. However, the position estimation device 30 is configured to calculate the change in the value of the radio wave intensity measured by the communication terminal 10a. May be. When configured in this way, the communication terminal 10a is configured not to include the change amount calculation unit 106, and the position estimation device 30 includes a change amount calculation unit. In this case, when the communication terminal 10a moves a set distance, the communication terminal 10a transmits a position estimation request including the initial position information stored in the history information storage unit 104a, all radio field intensity values, and set distance information to the position estimation device 30a. To do. The change amount calculation unit of the position estimation device 30a calculates the change amount of the radio field intensity based on the value of the radio field intensity included in the received position estimation request.

19 and 20 are diagrams showing application examples of the position estimation system 100 in the present invention.
As an application example of the position estimation system 100 in the present invention, there are services shown in FIG. 19 and FIG. Hereinafter, each service will be described with reference to the drawings.

  As shown in FIG. 19, as one application example of the position estimation system 100 in the present invention, a navigation service in a commercial facility such as a shopping center is assumed. For the navigation service, for example, the user position information estimated by the position estimation system 100 according to the present invention and the navigation system are used. The navigation system includes a user information storage unit and a route calculation function unit. In the navigation system, it is assumed that coordinate position information of each facility in the floor is registered in advance. Each facility in the floor is a facility used by the user, such as a store or a restroom.

  The user information storage unit stores a user database in which user location information is recorded and a destination database in which destination information preset by the user is recorded. The user database stores values of the user, time, in-floor coordinates (X coordinate), and in-floor coordinates (Y coordinate). The user value represents the name of the user whose position is estimated by the position estimation system 100. The time value represents the time when the position is estimated by the position estimation system 100. The value of the in-floor coordinate (X coordinate) represents the X coordinate in the floor estimated by the position estimation system 100 by the user of the same record. The value of the in-floor coordinate (Y coordinate) represents the Y coordinate in the floor estimated by the position estimation system 100 by the user of the same record.

The destination database stores each value of the user and the destination. The user value represents the name of the user who registered the destination. The value of the destination represents a store that is the destination of the user of the same record.
The route calculation function unit obtains the route from the estimated position of the user to the destination based on each database stored in the user information storage unit and the coordinate position information of each facility in the floor, It is a functional unit that presents a route to the user.

  Hereinafter, the flow of the navigation service will be described. In this description, navigation for the user A 75-1 will be described as an example. Further, the current position of the user A75-1 is already estimated by the position estimation system 100 and recorded in the user database of the navigation system.

  Suppose user A75-1 wants to go to store A on the floor. The user A75-1 operates the communication terminal that the user A75-1 has to register the destination information in the navigation system. When the destination information is registered in the navigation system, the route calculation function unit reads the destination database stored in the user information storage unit. The route calculation function unit acquires the newly registered destination and the name of the user (user A) who registered the destination from the read destination database. Next, the route calculation function unit reads a user database stored in the user information storage unit. The route calculation function unit refers to the read user database and selects a plurality of records corresponding to the user (user A) acquired from the destination database among the records recorded in the user database. The route calculation function unit selects a record having a value recorded in the time item closest to the current time from among the plurality of selected records. Then, the route calculation function unit acquires values recorded in the items of the in-floor coordinates (X coordinate) and the in-floor coordinates (Y coordinate) of the selected record.

  Next, the route calculation function unit refers to the coordinate position information of each facility in the floor that is stored in advance, and the in-floor coordinates (X coordinate) of the store (store A) that is the destination by the user A75-1; The value recorded in the item of in-floor coordinates (Y coordinate) is acquired. Thereafter, the route calculation function unit obtains the in-floor coordinates (X coordinate) and the in-floor coordinates (Y coordinate) obtained from the user database, and the in-floor coordinates (X The route from the current position of the user A75-1 to the destination is calculated based on the coordinates) and the in-floor coordinates (Y coordinate). An existing technique may be applied to the calculation of the route in the navigation system. Then, the route calculation function unit transmits the calculated route to the destination to the communication terminal of the user A75-1.

As described above, since the position estimation system 100 according to the present invention is applied to the navigation system, the position estimation system 100 can estimate the position of the user with high accuracy, so that navigation according to the position of the user can be realized with higher accuracy. .
Note that the above-described navigation system is an example, and need not be limited to this.

Next, the service shown in FIG. 20 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 20, as one application example of the position estimation system 100 in the present invention, a behavior analysis service based on a user's movement trajectory is assumed. For the behavior analysis service, for example, user position information estimated by the position estimation system 100 according to the present invention and a movement trajectory analysis system are used. The movement trajectory analysis system includes a position information storage unit, a flow line analysis function unit, and an information processing device.

  The position information storage unit stores values of the user, time, in-floor coordinates (X coordinate), and in-floor coordinates (Y coordinate). The user value represents the name of the user whose position is estimated by the position estimation system 100. The time value represents the time when the position is estimated by the position estimation system 100. The value of the in-floor coordinate (X coordinate) represents the X coordinate in the floor estimated by the position estimation system 100 by the user of the same record. The value of the in-floor coordinate (Y coordinate) represents the Y coordinate in the floor estimated by the position estimation system 100 by the user of the same record.

The flow line analysis function unit obtains the user's action history based on each value stored in the position information storage unit, and transmits the obtained action history to the information processing apparatus.
The information processing apparatus is operated by the service provider 76 of the behavior analysis service. The information processing apparatus is an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer. The information processing apparatus displays the user's action history obtained by the flow line analysis function unit according to the operation of the service provider 76. For example, the information processing apparatus may display the movement locus of the action history for each user, or may display the movement locus of the action history of all users.

As described above, since the position estimation system 100 according to the present invention is applied to the behavior analysis service, the position estimation system 100 can estimate the user's position with high accuracy, so that the user's behavior history can be grasped with higher accuracy. Information grasped in this way can be used for floor management such as “Place popular products on a route where people do not go so much and distribute the density” at commercial facilities.
Note that the behavior analysis service described above is an example, and is not necessarily limited to this.

  The embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and includes designs and the like that do not depart from the gist of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10, 10a ... Communication terminal, 20 ... AP, 30, 30a ... Position estimation apparatus, 40 ... Information registration apparatus, 50 ... Network, 101 ... Communication part, 102 ... Control part, 103 ... Distance positioning part, 104, 104a ... History Information storage section 105 ... Display section 106 ... Change amount calculation section 301 ... Communication section 302 ... Information acquisition section 303 ... Radio wave intensity information storage section 304, 304a ... Search section 305, 305a ... Path analysis section, 306: Position estimation unit

Claims (6)

In response to a request from a communication device, a search unit that searches for a candidate route that the communication device can move,
A route analysis unit for determining a movement route of the communication device from the retrieved candidates;
A position estimation unit that estimates the position of the communication device based on the determined movement path;
Equipped with a,
The request includes coordinate information of an entrance in an area where the communication device has moved,
The search unit refers to a storage unit that stores the coordinate information at each position in the region and the value of the radio wave intensity measured at each position in association with each other, from the position specified by the coordinate information of the entrance , Searching for a combination of routes that can be moved when moving a preset distance as a candidate route that the communication device can move,
The request further includes a value of a radio wave intensity measured in a route when the communication device moves in a predetermined distance within the area,
The path analysis unit sets the path having the smallest sum of absolute values of the difference between the radio field intensity value at each position in the movable path and the radio field intensity value included in the request as the travel path of the communication device. Decide
Wherein the position estimating unit, it estimated position estimating device last radio field intensity is measured positions of the determined moving path as the location of the communication device. In response to a request from a communication device, a search unit that searches for a candidate route that the communication device can move,
A route analysis unit for determining a movement route of the communication device from the retrieved candidates;
A position estimation unit that estimates the position of the communication device based on the determined movement path;
Equipped with a,
The request includes coordinate information of an entrance in an area where the communication device has moved,
The search unit refers to a storage unit that stores the coordinate information at each position in the region and the value of the radio wave intensity measured at each position in association with each other, from the position specified by the coordinate information of the entrance , Searching for a combination of routes that can be moved when moving a preset distance as a candidate route that the communication device can move,
The request further includes a value of a change amount of the radio wave intensity measured in a path when the communication apparatus moves in a predetermined distance within the area,
The path analysis unit selects a path having the smallest sum of absolute values of differences between the value of the change in radio field intensity at each position in the movable path and the value of the change in radio field intensity included in the request. Decide on the movement path of the device
Wherein the position estimating unit, it estimated position estimating device last radio field intensity is measured positions of the determined moving path as the position of the communication device. In response to a request from the communication device, a search step of searching for a route candidate that the communication device can move;
A route analysis step for determining a movement route of the communication device from the retrieved candidates;
A position estimating step for estimating the position of the communication device based on the determined moving path;
I have a,
The request includes coordinate information of an entrance in an area where the communication device has moved,
In the search step, referring to a storage unit that stores the coordinate information at each position in the region and the value of the radio wave intensity measured at each position in association with each other, from the position specified by the coordinate information of the entrance , Searching for a combination of routes that can be moved when moving a preset distance as a candidate route that the communication device can move,
The request further includes a value of a radio wave intensity measured in a route when the communication device moves in a predetermined distance within the area,
In the route analysis step, the route having the smallest sum of the absolute values of the difference between the value of the radio wave intensity at each position in the movable route and the value of the radio wave strength included in the request is set as the movement route of the communication device. Decide
In the position estimation step, the end position estimating how to estimate the position of the position where the radio wave intensity is measured the communication device of the determined moving path. In response to a request from the communication device, a search step of searching for a route candidate that the communication device can move;
A route analysis step for determining a movement route of the communication device from the retrieved candidates;
A position estimating step for estimating the position of the communication device based on the determined moving path;
I have a,
The request includes coordinate information of an entrance in an area where the communication device has moved,
In the search step, referring to a storage unit that stores the coordinate information at each position in the region and the value of the radio wave intensity measured at each position in association with each other, from the position specified by the coordinate information of the entrance , Searching for a combination of routes that can be moved when moving a preset distance as a candidate route that the communication device can move,
The request further includes a value of a change amount of the radio wave intensity measured in a path when the communication apparatus moves in a predetermined distance within the area,
In the route analysis step, a route having the smallest sum of absolute values of differences between the value of the change in radio wave intensity at each position in the movable route and the value of the change in radio wave strength included in the request is selected as the communication. Decide on the movement path of the device
In the position estimation step, the end position estimating how to estimate the position of the position where the radio wave intensity is measured the communication device of the determined moving path. In response to a request from the communication device, a search step of searching for a route candidate that the communication device can move;
A route analysis step for determining a movement route of the communication device from the retrieved candidates;
A position estimating step for estimating the position of the communication device based on the determined moving path;
To the computer ,
The request includes coordinate information of an entrance in an area where the communication device has moved,
In the search step, referring to a storage unit that stores the coordinate information at each position in the region and the value of the radio wave intensity measured at each position in association with each other, from the position specified by the coordinate information of the entrance , Searching for a combination of routes that can be moved when moving a preset distance as a candidate route that the communication device can move,
The request further includes a value of a radio wave intensity measured in a route when the communication device moves in a predetermined distance within the area,
In the route analysis step, the route having the smallest sum of the absolute values of the difference between the value of the radio wave intensity at each position in the movable route and the value of the radio wave strength included in the request is set as the movement route of the communication device. Decide
In the position estimation step, the estimation to order the computer program the last radio field intensity is the measurement position of the determined moving path as the position of the communication device. In response to a request from the communication device, a search step of searching for a route candidate that the communication device can move;
A route analysis step for determining a movement route of the communication device from the retrieved candidates;
A position estimating step for estimating the position of the communication device based on the determined moving path;
To the computer ,
The request includes coordinate information of an entrance in an area where the communication device has moved,
In the search step, referring to a storage unit that stores the coordinate information at each position in the region and the value of the radio wave intensity measured at each position in association with each other, from the position specified by the coordinate information of the entrance , Searching for a combination of routes that can be moved when moving a preset distance as a candidate route that the communication device can move,
The request further includes a value of a change amount of the radio wave intensity measured in a path when the communication apparatus moves in a predetermined distance within the area,
In the route analysis step, a route having the smallest sum of absolute values of differences between the value of the change in radio wave intensity at each position in the movable route and the value of the change in radio wave strength included in the request is selected as the communication. Decide on the movement path of the device,
In the position estimation step, the estimation to order the computer program the last radio field intensity is the measurement position of the determined moving path as the position of the communication device.

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