JP7276182B2 - Positioning method and positioning system - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a positioning method and a positioning system for measuring the position of a mobile object moving within a predetermined area.

A positioning system that measures the position of a moving object such as a trolley is an important technology for automating traveling. For example, when measuring the position of a mobile object indoors, the Global Positioning System (GPS) used outdoors cannot be used, so it is necessary to independently prepare an infrastructure. Indoor automatic trolleys used in steelmaking include inspection trolleys for various steel materials, coil trolleys for transporting thin-plate coils, and the like. Patent Document 1, which is an existing technique for indoor positioning, describes a technique for measuring the position of a moving object by obtaining the distances between three known points and the moving object using an ultrasonic rangefinder. Further, Patent Literature 2 describes a technique for measuring the position of a moving object by obtaining the distance from the radio wave intensity.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-337157 JP 2017-015562

However, when the distance is obtained by an ultrasonic range finder, the speed of sound changes according to the state of the gas in the propagation path (e.g. temperature), so the calculated distance also changes, and the position of the mobile object measured based on the distance changes. Measurement accuracy may deteriorate. Similarly, when the distance is calculated based on the radio wave intensity, the calculated distance changes depending on the state of the gas in the propagation path (e.g. humidity), and the measurement accuracy of the position of the mobile object measured based on the distance deteriorates. there is a risk of Thus, there is room for improvement in techniques for measuring the position of a moving object moving within a predetermined area.

An object of the present disclosure, which has been made in view of such circumstances, is to improve a technique for measuring the position of a moving body moving within a predetermined area.

A positioning method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes:
a step of transmitting electromagnetic waves or sound waves from a moving body at a constant rotational speed in a horizontal direction and in a plurality of directions at different times;
receiving the electromagnetic waves or sound waves at at least three different reference locations;
By calculating each rotation angle between the moving object and each reference position, or a reception pattern and estimating the position of the moving object by comparing the generated reception pattern with a reference reception pattern;
A positioning method comprising
The positioning method further includes arranging at least two adjacent reference positions among the at least three different reference positions at a specific interval, and based on the time at which the electromagnetic waves or sound waves are received at the adjacent reference positions, the adjacent reference positions. estimating an orientation of the moving object relative to a reference position;
a step of obtaining point cloud data based on reflected waves from walls of a predetermined shape existing within the region in which the moving object moves;
a step of correcting at least one of estimation results of the position of the moving body and the orientation of the moving body based on the point cloud data;
Including .

A positioning system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes:
A positioning system including a mobile body and an information processing device,
The moving body transmits electromagnetic waves or sound waves in a horizontal direction at a constant rotational speed and in a plurality of directions at different times,
The information processing device calculates each rotation angle between the moving object and each reference position based on at least three different reference positions and the times at which the electromagnetic waves or sound waves are received at the at least three different reference positions. or by generating a reception pattern and comparing the generated reception pattern with a reference reception pattern, estimating the position of the mobile body;
At least two adjacent reference positions out of the at least three different reference positions are arranged at a specific interval, and the information processing device determines, based on the time at which the electromagnetic waves or sound waves are received at the adjacent reference positions, the moving body Estimate the orientation of
Acquiring point cloud data based on reflected waves from walls of a predetermined shape existing in the area in which the moving object moves,
Based on the point cloud data, at least one of the estimation result of the position of the moving body and the orientation of the moving body is corrected .

According to the positioning system and positioning method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, it is possible to improve the technique of measuring the position of a mobile object moving within a predetermined area.

1 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of a positioning system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a first example of position estimation processing; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the positional relationship and rotation angles between a moving body and a plurality of reference bodies; It is a graph showing the reception time and intensity of laser light. 9 is a flowchart showing a second example of position estimation processing; FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a moving body and n reference bodies are arranged; It is a graph showing the reception time and intensity of laser light. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a third example of position estimation processing; FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a histogram of estimated positions of moving objects; It is a figure which shows an example of point cloud data.

A positioning system 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In each figure, the same reference numerals are given to the same or corresponding parts. In the description of this embodiment, the description of the same or corresponding parts will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

The configuration of a positioning system 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

A positioning system 10 according to this embodiment includes a mobile body 20 , a plurality of reference bodies 30 , and an information processing device 40 .

The moving body 20 is a vehicle or the like (for example, an inspection cart or a coil cart) that travels within a predetermined area (for example, indoors), and is an object whose position is to be measured in the positioning system 10 according to this embodiment. The moving body 20 has a transmitter 21 . The positioning system 10 according to this embodiment transmits electromagnetic waves or sound waves from the transmitter 21 of the moving body 20 toward the plurality of reference bodies 30 . Electromagnetic waves are, for example, laser light, infrared rays, radio waves, and the like. The sound waves are, for example, ultrasonic waves. The electromagnetic waves or sound waves transmitted by the transmitter 21 of the moving body 20 are transmitted in a plurality of directions at different times. For example, the transmission unit 21 may continuously transmit electromagnetic waves or sound waves from the position of the moving object 20 while rotating at a constant speed around the horizontal plane (360°). In this case, the transmission section 21 has a mechanism capable of changing the transmission direction by 360° on the horizontal plane.

The plurality of reference bodies 30 are arranged at different positions (hereinafter also referred to as reference positions) within a predetermined area. Although three reference bodies 30 are illustrated in FIG. 1, the number of reference bodies 30 is not limited to this and may be four or more. Each of the plurality of reference bodies 30 has a receiving section 31 . The receiving unit 31 receives electromagnetic waves or sound waves from the moving object 20 . The receiving unit 31 also outputs data related to the received electromagnetic wave or sound wave to the information processing device 40 . The data relating to the electromagnetic wave or sound wave includes, for example, the reception time of the received electromagnetic wave or sound wave, and information on the reception intensity or presence/absence of reception. The data may also include information identifying each fiducial 30 . Furthermore, the data may include information on the reference position where each reference body 30 is arranged. Information on the reference position is represented by, for example, latitude and longitude.

For example, a plurality of reference bodies 30 are arranged so as to surround a predetermined area. By arranging them in this way, each reference body 30 can receive an electromagnetic wave or a sound wave from any position within a predetermined area from which the moving body 20 transmits the electromagnetic wave or the sound wave.

The information processing device 40 estimates the position of the moving body 20 based on data related to electromagnetic waves or sound waves output by the plurality of reference bodies 30 . Here, the "position of the moving body 20" may be either a position in two-dimensional coordinates or a position in three-dimensional coordinates. Also, the "position of the moving body 20" may be a position in absolute coordinates or relative coordinates. Absolute coordinates are location information represented by, for example, latitude and longitude. The relative coordinates are, for example, positions of a plurality of reference bodies 30, that is, position information represented based on reference positions.

The information processing device 40 includes a control unit 41 , a storage unit 42 , a communication unit 43 and an output unit 44 . Control unit 41 includes at least one processor, at least one dedicated circuit, or a combination thereof. The processor is a general-purpose processor such as a CPU (central processing unit) or GPU (graphics processing unit), or a dedicated processor specialized for specific processing. A dedicated circuit is, for example, an FPGA (field-programmable gate array) or an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit). The control unit 41 executes processing related to the operation of the information processing device 40 while controlling each unit of the information processing device 40 .

The storage unit 42 includes at least one semiconductor memory, at least one magnetic memory, at least one optical memory, or a combination of at least two of these. A semiconductor memory is, for example, a RAM (random access memory) or a ROM (read only memory). RAM is, for example, SRAM (static random access memory) or DRAM (dynamic random access memory). The ROM is, for example, EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read only memory). The storage unit 42 functions, for example, as a main memory device, an auxiliary memory device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 42 stores data used for the operation of the information processing device 40 and data obtained by the operation of the information processing device 40 .

The communication unit 43 includes at least one communication interface. The communication interface is, for example, a LAN interface, a WAN interface, an interface compatible with mobile communication standards such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G (4th generation), or 5G (5th generation), or an interface such as Bluetooth (registered trademark). An interface that supports short-range wireless communication. The communication unit 43 receives data used for the operation of the information processing device 40 and transmits data obtained by the operation of the information processing device 40 .

The output unit 44 includes at least one output interface. The output interface is, for example, a display or speaker. The display is, for example, an LCD (liquid crystal display) or an organic EL (electro luminescence) display. The output unit 44 outputs data obtained by the operation of the information processing device 40 . The output unit 44 may be connected to the information processing device 40 as an external output device instead of being provided in the information processing device 40 . As a connection method, any method such as USB, HDMI (registered trademark), or Bluetooth (registered trademark) can be used.

The functions of the information processing device 40 are realized by executing a program according to this embodiment by a processor corresponding to the control unit 41 . That is, the functions of the information processing device 40 are realized by software. The program causes the computer to function as the information processing device 40 by causing the computer to execute the operation of the information processing device 40 . That is, the computer functions as the information processing device 40 by executing the operation of the information processing device 40 according to the program.

In this embodiment, the program can be recorded in a computer-readable recording medium. Computer-readable recording media include non-transitory computer-readable media, such as magnetic recording devices, optical discs, magneto-optical recording media, or semiconductor memories. The program is distributed by selling, assigning, or lending a portable recording medium such as a DVD (digital versatile disc) or a CD-ROM (compact disc read only memory) on which the program is recorded. Alternatively, the program may be distributed by storing the program in the storage of the server and transmitting the program from the server to other computers. A program may also be provided as a program product.

In this embodiment, the computer temporarily stores, for example, a program recorded on a portable recording medium or a program transmitted from a server in a main storage device. Then, the computer reads the program stored in the main storage device with the processor, and executes processing according to the read program with the processor. The computer may read the program directly from the portable recording medium and execute processing according to the program. Each time the computer receives the program from the server, the computer may sequentially execute processing according to the received program. Processing may be executed by a so-called ASP (Application Service Provider) type service that implements functions only by executing instructions and obtaining results without transmitting a program from a server to a computer. The program includes information that is used for processing by a computer and that conforms to the program. For example, data that is not a direct instruction to a computer but that has the property of prescribing the processing of the computer corresponds to "things equivalent to a program."

The control unit 41 of the information processing device 40 estimates the position of the mobile object 20 based on the times when the electromagnetic waves or sound waves are received at at least three different reference positions. In the positioning system 10 according to this embodiment, the position of the mobile object 20 is estimated based on the position coordinates of the reference position. Therefore, the positioning system 10 estimates the position of the moving body 20 after periodically calibrating the position coordinates of the reference position. Specific examples (first to third examples) of the process of estimating the position of the moving object 20 are shown below.

(First example of position estimation processing)
A first example of the positioning method by the positioning system 10 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. First, the receiver 31 of the reference body 30 receives electromagnetic waves or sound waves at each reference position (step S100). That is, the transmitter 21 of the moving body 20 transmits electromagnetic waves or sound waves, and the receivers 31 of at least three reference bodies 30 provided at each reference position receive the electromagnetic waves or sound waves. Next, the control unit 41 of the information processing device 40 calculates each rotation angle based on the times when electromagnetic waves or sound waves are received at at least three different reference positions (step S110). Here, the "rotational angle" is the angle between the straight lines connecting the moving body 20 and each reference position. The control unit 41 estimates the position of the moving body 20 based on the calculated rotation angle (step S120).

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the positional relationship and rotation angle between the moving body 20 and three reference bodies 30. As shown in FIG. It is assumed that the three reference bodies 30 are provided at reference positions D ₁ to D ₃ respectively. In FIG. 3, rotation angles θ ₁₂ , θ ₂₃ and θ ₃₁ are shown. The rotation angle _θ12 is the angle formed by a straight line connecting the reference body 30 placed at the reference position _D1 and the moving body 20 and a straight line connecting the reference body 30 placed at the reference position _D2 and the moving body 20. is the angle of The rotation angle _θ23 is the angle formed by a straight line connecting the reference body 30 placed at the reference position _D2 and the moving body 20 and a straight line connecting the reference body 30 placed at the reference position _D3 and the moving body 20. is the angle of The rotation angle _θ31 is the angle formed by a straight line connecting the reference body 30 placed at the reference position _D3 and the moving body 20 and a straight line connecting the reference body 30 placed at the reference position _D1 and the moving body 20. is the angle of Here, the position of the moving body 20 is a circle passing through the reference positions _D1 and _D2 , and the arc passing through the reference positions _D1 and _D2 has a circumference angle of _θ12 . be. Similarly, the position of the moving body 20 is either on the circumference of a circle that passes through the reference positions _D2 and _D3 and that the arc passing through the reference positions D2 and D3 has a circumference angle of _θ23 . . Similarly, the position of the moving body 20 is either on the circumference of a circle that passes through the reference positions _D3 and _D1 and that the arc passing through the reference positions _D3 and _D1 has a circumference angle of _θ31 . is. That is, the intersection of these three circles is the position of the moving body 20 . In other words, based on the reference positions D ₁ to D ₃ and the rotation angles θ ₁₂ , θ ₂₃ , and θ ₃₁ , an equation representing three circles that determine the position of the moving body 20 is determined, and the solution that satisfies the equation is the moving body 20 position. The control unit 41 calculates the rotation angles θ ₁₂ , θ ₂₃ , and θ ₃₁ , and adjusts the position of the moving body 20 based on the coordinates of the three reference positions D ₁ to D ₃ and the rotation angles θ ₁₂ , θ ₂₃ , and θ ₃₁ . Estimate location.

An example of calculation processing of the rotation angle by the control unit 41 is shown below. For example, the transmitter 21 of the moving body 20 may be a device capable of continuously radiating a laser beam having sharp directivity to the entire circumference of the horizontal plane. In this case, the transmitter 21 continuously irradiates the laser in the horizontal direction while rotating at a constant rotational speed. Each receiving unit 31 of the reference body 30 detects laser light emitted from the moving body 20 . Upon detecting the laser light, each receiving section 31 outputs data to the information processing device 40 . Specifically, each receiving unit 31 outputs data on the presence or absence of laser light irradiation or an intensity value to the information processing device 40 . For example, the control unit 41 of the information processing device 40 calculates each rotation angle based on the times when the laser light is received at three different reference positions. FIG. 4 is an example of a graph showing reception time and intensity of laser light. Here, the laser beam reception time at the reference body 30 installed at the reference position _D1 is _t1 , the laser beam reception time at the reference body 30 installed at the reference position _{D2 is t2} , and the reference position D Let _t3 be the reception time of the laser beam at the reference body 30 installed at ₃ . Furthermore, it is assumed that the second laser beam reception time at the reference body 30 placed at the reference position _D1 is _t4 .

Assuming that the rotation speed of the transmission unit 21 is P rotations/s, each rotation angle is calculated by the following equations (1) to (3).
θ ₁₂ =T ₁₂ ×2πP (1)
θ ₂₃ =T ₂₃ ×2πP (2)
θ ₃₁ =T ₃₁ ×2πP (3)
Here, T ₁₂ , T ₂₃ , and T ₃₁ are differences in reception time of light beams, and are represented by the following equations (4) to (6), respectively.
T ₁₂ = t ₂ - t ₁ (4)
T ₂₃ = t ₃ - t ₂ (5)
T ₃₁ = t ₄ - t ₃ (6)
Note that θ31 may be calculated by the following equation (7).
θ ₃₁ =2π−(θ ₁₂ +θ ₂₃ ) (7)

That is, as described above, the control unit 41 uses the data related to the electromagnetic wave or sound wave received by the communication unit 43 to calculate the rotation angle based on the time at which the laser light is received at at least three different reference positions. The position of the moving body 20 is estimated from the angle.

Here, when the laser beam has sharp directivity, one point of data is obtained at each time t ₁ to t ₄ as shown in the graph of FIG. On the other hand, if the directivity of the laser beam is not sharp, there is a possibility that multiple points of data will be output around each time t ₁ to t ₄ . In the case of such multiple points of data, for example, the rotation angle can be calculated using the time at which the maximum value of the intensity value is obtained as the reception time of the laser light.

Although an example in which the transmitter 21 continuously irradiates the laser in the horizontal direction while rotating at a constant rotational speed is shown here, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the transmission unit 21 may change the rotation speed and continuously irradiate the laser in the horizontal direction. In this case, the moving body 20 may grasp the rotation speed of the transmission unit 21 at each time, and obtain θ ₁₂ , θ ₂₃ , and θ ₃₁ based on the rotation speed. Alternatively, the moving body 20 may detect the rotation angle of the transmission unit 21 by a sensor or the like. In this case, θ ₁₂ , θ ₂₃ , and θ ₃₁ may be obtained by the sensor.

(Second example of position estimation processing)
A second example of the positioning method by the positioning system 10 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. First, the receiver 31 of the reference body 30 receives electromagnetic waves or sound waves at each reference position (step S200). That is, the transmitter 21 of the moving body 20 transmits electromagnetic waves or sound waves, and the receivers 31 of at least three reference bodies 30 provided at each reference position receive the electromagnetic waves or sound waves. Next, the control unit 41 of the information processing device 40 generates a reception pattern based on the times when electromagnetic waves or sound waves are received at at least three different reference positions (step S210). The reception pattern is, for example, a time-series signal pattern in which electromagnetic waves or sound waves are arranged in order of reception time at each reference position.

FIG. 6 shows an example in which a moving body 20 and n reference bodies 30 are arranged within a predetermined area. In the example shown in FIG. 6, n reference bodies 30 are provided at reference positions D ₁ to D _n respectively. As in the first example, for example, the transmitter 21 of the moving body 20 may be a device capable of continuously radiating a laser beam having sharp directivity over the entire circumference of the horizontal plane. In this case, the transmitter 21 continuously irradiates the laser in the horizontal direction while rotating at a constant rotational speed. Each receiving unit 31 of the reference body 30 detects laser light emitted from the moving body 20 . Upon detecting the laser light, each receiving section 31 outputs data to the information processing device 40 . FIG. 7 is a graph showing the reception time and intensity of the laser light, that is, the reception pattern determined from the time at which the laser light was received.

Referring to FIG. 5 again, the control unit 41 compares the generated reception pattern with reference reception pattern data (hereinafter referred to as reference reception pattern) obtained in advance at each position within a predetermined area (step S220). ). The storage unit 42 of the information processing device 40 stores in advance the reference reception pattern obtained at each position within the predetermined area. For example, if the predetermined area is a rectangular area of 10 m long and 5 m wide, an experiment or simulation is performed on the reception pattern obtained at each position when the position of the moving body 20 in the vertical direction or the horizontal direction is changed at intervals of 1 mm. etc., to generate in advance. Then, the reception pattern may be stored in the storage unit 42 as the reference reception pattern. The control unit 41 estimates the position of the moving body 20 based on the result of the comparison process (step S230). Specifically, the control unit 41 evaluates the difference between the reception pattern and each reference reception pattern in the storage unit 42 by the method of least squares, and determines the position corresponding to the reference reception pattern with the smallest error as the position of the moving body 20. presume.

(Third example of position estimation processing)
A third example of the positioning method by the positioning system 10 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. In the third example, as an outline, the position of the moving body 20 is estimated repeatedly by changing the reference position used in the calculation, and the position of the moving body is estimated based on the histogram of the estimated positions. First, the control unit 41 of the information processing device 40 initializes a variable i, which is a counter for repeated calculation, to 0 (step S300). Next, the receiver 31 of the reference body 30 receives electromagnetic waves or sound waves at each reference position (step S310). That is, the transmitter 21 of the moving body 20 transmits electromagnetic waves or sound waves, and the receivers 31 of four or more reference bodies 30 provided at each reference position receive the electromagnetic waves or sound waves. Next, the control unit 41 of the information processing device 40 randomly selects three reference objects 30 from the four or more reference objects 30 . In other words, the control unit 41 randomly selects three reference positions from four or more reference positions (step S320). Then, the control unit 41 calculates each rotation angle based on the time when the electromagnetic waves or sound waves are received by the selected three different reference bodies 30 (three different reference positions) (step S330). The control unit 41 stores the estimated position P _i of the moving object 20 estimated based on the calculated rotation angle in the storage unit 42 (step S340).

Subsequently, the control unit 41 determines whether the variable i exceeds the threshold _imax . If the variable i does not exceed the threshold i _max , the controller 41 increments the value of the variable i (step S350). The process then returns to step S320. Here, i _max is predetermined according to the number of reference bodies 30 (the number of reference positions) and the calculation load. For example, i _max may have a value equal to the number of combinations that select three from the reference position, or may have a value smaller than this number.

On the other hand, if the variable i exceeds the threshold i _max , the process continues to step S370. In this case, the control unit 41 estimates the position of the moving body 20 based on the histogram of the estimated positions P _i of the moving body 20 (step S370). FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a histogram of the estimated position P _i of the moving object 20. As shown in FIG. For example, the control unit 41 obtains the distribution center of gravity of the histogram and estimates the distribution center as the position of the moving object 20 . In other words, the control unit 41 can estimate the position of the moving body 20 by taking the center of gravity in the vicinity of the histogram with the highest frequency.

In this manner, the positioning system 10 according to this embodiment estimates the position of the mobile object 20 based on the times when electromagnetic waves or sound waves are received at at least three different reference positions. Specifically, for example, the positioning system 10 calculates the position of the moving object 20 by calculating the rotation angle based on the time when the electromagnetic waves or sound waves are received. Further, specifically, for example, the positioning system 10 calculates the position of the moving object 20 based on the reception pattern according to the time when the electromagnetic waves or sound waves are received. Alternatively, for example, the positioning system 10 calculates the position of the mobile object 20 based on a histogram of estimated positions. Therefore, highly accurate position estimation can be performed without being affected by the state of the gas (humidity, temperature, etc.) in the route. Further, according to the positioning system 10 according to the present embodiment, the position of the mobile object 20 can be estimated without the necessity of synchronizing the mobile object 20 and the reference object 30 .

For example, when estimating a position indoors, a method of estimating a position by recognizing an image provided on the ceiling or the like is also conceivable. However, it is not easy to implement. On the other hand, according to the positioning system 10 according to the present embodiment, highly accurate position estimation can be performed with a relatively simple configuration.

Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to figures and examples, it should be noted that various variations and modifications will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art based on the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these variations and modifications are included within the scope of this disclosure. For example, functions included in each configuration or each step can be rearranged so as not to be logically inconsistent, and multiple configurations or steps can be combined into one or divided. .

For example, the positioning system 10 may estimate the orientation of the mobile object 20 . For example, the positioning system 10 arranges at least two adjacent reference positions out of a plurality of reference positions at specific intervals, and estimates the orientation of the mobile object 20 based on the time when electromagnetic waves or sound waves are received at the adjacent reference positions. You may In other words, for example, by arranging a portion of the plurality of reference bodies 30 at a specific interval (hereinafter also referred to as a specific arrangement), the reception pattern of the electromagnetic wave or sound wave at the part of the reference body 30 can be distinguished from the other parts. It can be so. The specific arrangement is, for example, an arrangement that is closely spaced at equal intervals. Here, the specific arrangement does not have to be arranged at equal intervals, and may be a combination of patterns with two or more types of intervals. By doing so, the control unit 41 can estimate the orientation of the moving object 20 based on the position (time) at which the reception pattern corresponding to the specific arrangement appears in the reception pattern. For example, when a specific arrangement with an extremely narrow interval is provided, the control unit 41 determines the rotation origin direction based on three extremely narrow consecutive detection signals corresponding to this, and estimates the orientation of the moving body 20. can be done.

In addition, for example, the positioning system 10 further includes a laser rangefinder in the mobile body 20, and corrects the estimated result of at least one of the position and orientation of the mobile body 20 based on the measurement result of the laser rangefinder, thereby improving the estimation accuracy. You may let For example, the corners of some walls in a predetermined area may be given different feature shapes distinguishable from others in the predetermined area. The laser rangefinder of the moving body 20 can create a distance map within a predetermined area from point cloud data based on reflected waves from walls. FIG. 10 shows an example of point cloud data. The point cloud data 101 is data obtained from a wall to which no characteristic shape is added. On the other hand, the point cloud data 102 is data obtained from walls to which feature shapes are added. The positioning system 10 may correct the estimated result of at least one of the position and orientation of the moving body 20 based on the point cloud data 102 . The positioning system 10 may also create a distance map around the area by using the point cloud data. Techniques such as SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) can be employed in creating the distance map. The positioning system 10 may estimate the position of the moving object 20 by narrowing the search range, starting from the approximate position obtained by SLAM. By doing so, it is possible to increase the speed and accuracy of the position estimation process.

Further, for example, information for identifying the moving body 20 may be included in the electromagnetic waves or sound waves transmitted by the moving body 20 . Such information may be, for example, the frequency, amplitude, phase, or modulation scheme of the electromagnetic or acoustic waves. Alternatively, such information may be, for example, ID information contained in a transmission signal by electromagnetic waves or sound waves. By doing so, when a plurality of moving bodies 20 exist within a predetermined area, the position and orientation of each moving body 20 can be estimated.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 positioning system 20 moving object 21 transmitting unit 30 reference object 31 receiving unit 40 information processing device 41 control unit 42 storage unit 43 communication unit 44 output unit

Claims (4)

a step of transmitting electromagnetic waves or sound waves from a moving body at a constant rotational speed in a horizontal direction and in a plurality of directions at different times;
receiving the electromagnetic waves or sound waves at at least three different reference locations;
By calculating each rotation angle between the moving object and each reference position, or a reception pattern and estimating the position of the mobile object by comparing the generated reception pattern with a reference reception pattern ;
A positioning method comprising
The positioning method further includes arranging at least two adjacent reference positions among the at least three different reference positions at a specific interval, and based on the time at which the electromagnetic waves or sound waves are received at the adjacent reference positions, the adjacent reference positions. estimating an orientation of the moving object relative to a reference position ;
a step of obtaining point cloud data based on reflected waves from walls of a predetermined shape existing within the region in which the moving object moves;
a step of correcting at least one of estimation results of the position of the moving body and the orientation of the moving body based on the point cloud data;
Positioning method including. a step of transmitting electromagnetic waves or sound waves from a moving body at a constant rotational speed in a horizontal direction and in a plurality of directions at different times;
receiving the electromagnetic waves or sound waves at at least three different reference locations;
By calculating each rotation angle between the moving object and each reference position, or a reception pattern and estimating the position of the mobile object by comparing the generated reception pattern with a reference reception pattern ;
A positioning method comprising
The positioning method further comprises:
a step of obtaining point cloud data based on reflected waves from walls of a predetermined shape existing within the region in which the moving object moves;
a step of correcting the estimation result of the position of the moving object based on the point cloud data ;
Positioning method including. A positioning system including a mobile body and an information processing device,
The moving body transmits electromagnetic waves or sound waves in a horizontal direction at a constant rotational speed and in a plurality of directions at different times,
The information processing device calculates each rotation angle between the moving object and each reference position based on at least three different reference positions and the times at which the electromagnetic waves or sound waves are received at the at least three different reference positions. or by generating a reception pattern and comparing the generated reception pattern with a reference reception pattern, estimating the position of the mobile body;
At least two adjacent reference positions out of the at least three different reference positions are arranged at a specific interval, and the information processing device determines, based on the time at which the electromagnetic waves or sound waves are received at the adjacent reference positions, the moving body Estimate the orientation of
Acquiring point cloud data based on reflected waves from walls of a predetermined shape existing in the area in which the moving object moves,
A positioning system that corrects at least one of a position of the moving body and an orientation of the moving body based on the point cloud data . A positioning system including a mobile body and an information processing device,
The moving body transmits electromagnetic waves or sound waves in a horizontal direction at a constant rotational speed and in a plurality of directions at different times,
The information processing device calculates each rotation angle between the moving object and each reference position based on at least three different reference positions and the times at which the electromagnetic waves or sound waves are received at the at least three different reference positions. or by generating a reception pattern and comparing the generated reception pattern with a reference reception pattern, estimating the position of the mobile body;
Acquiring point cloud data based on reflected waves from walls of a predetermined shape existing in the area in which the moving object moves,
A positioning system that corrects a position estimation result of the moving object based on the point cloud data .

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