JP7660975B2 - Pedestrian Autonomous Navigation System - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a pedestrian autonomous navigation system, and in particular to a pedestrian autonomous navigation system capable of correcting errors from a pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor used in the pedestrian autonomous navigation system.

There is an increasing need to obtain and confirm the location information of subjects and objects both indoors and outdoors. For example, by obtaining location information from a sensor device and displaying the location of a pedestrian carrying the sensor device on a map, it is possible to ascertain the subject's location, route, activity status, etc.

When outdoors, it is possible to receive radio waves from the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and obtain the subject's location information by using the received radio waves to determine the position. The subject's location can be confirmed by plotting the obtained location information on a map displayed on the display device.

Indoors, it is possible to measure the location of a person using a mobile terminal with a system that uses UWB (Ultra Wide Band), wireless LAN, etc. The target person's location within the building can be confirmed by plotting the measured location information on a floor plan of the building displayed on a display device.

On the other hand, when acquiring the location information of an object, it is known to use a PDR (Pedestrian Dead Reckoning) sensor to determine the position, without using radio waves from a satellite, transceiver, etc.

The PDR sensor uses an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) that calculates movement in three axes (X, Y, and Z) and obtains position information based on the track from a reference point.

Pedestrian dead reckoning is an independent method of positioning using a sensor worn by the subject, so it can be used even in environments where it is difficult to receive satellite or transmitter/receiver signals, such as indoors, and is therefore unaffected by the radio wave environment.

Patent Document 1 discloses a mobile terminal and a current position correction system that uses the current positions of nearby short-range communication devices to correct the current position of the terminal itself to reduce errors when determining the current position using PDR (pedestrian dead reckoning) using a mobile terminal carried by the user.

It also discloses a method for correcting the current location to reduce errors by using location information of a user carrying a mobile terminal, received from the user's schedule information.

Patent No. 6775707

In Patent Document 1, positioning is performed according to PDR (pedestrian dead reckoning) based on measurements from various sensors, and the current location is estimated by calculating the distance traveled and the direction of travel. However, when acquiring position information of a subject using PDR (pedestrian dead reckoning) indoors and outdoors, the subject carries or wears a positioning sensor and independently measures the distance and direction traveled using an acceleration sensor, magnetic sensor, etc., so the positioning accuracy depends on the accuracy of the positioning sensor.

In addition, when walking for long periods of time or long distances, there is a risk that positioning errors will accumulate in the positioning sensor, causing a decrease in positioning accuracy. Therefore, it is necessary to set up reference points on the walking route and start positioning from new reference points, and to periodically reset the display device of the walking trajectory, etc.

Furthermore, if the reset operation is performed by the subject himself, it can be tedious and he or she may forget to reset the device.

It is also possible to use a reset device that issues a reset signal to the positioning sensor instead of having the subject perform the reset operation. When using a reset device, it is necessary to clearly specify the location where the positioning sensor is to be reset. If the location information of the location where the positioning sensor is to be reset cannot be reliably obtained, there is a risk that the walking trajectory cannot be displayed accurately on the map or floor plan, or that the walking trajectory is displayed in an incorrect location on the map or floor plan.

In addition, indoors, the detection of direction and orientation using geomagnetism may be unstable due to the influence of pillars, walls, and installed objects, which may reduce the reliability of direction detection.

As such, when obtaining location information using PDR (pedestrian dead reckoning), there are issues with reduced positioning accuracy due to accumulated positioning errors from the positioning sensor, and low reliability of azimuth detection.

The present invention aims to provide a pedestrian autonomous navigation system that can obtain highly accurate pedestrian position data by providing a point on the route that the subject always passes through in the system that manages the positioning sensor to reset the position information of the positioning sensor, thereby reducing the accumulated error of the positioning sensor and maintaining positioning accuracy, and by correcting the orientation by keeping the orientation of the route that the subject passes through constant.

In order to achieve the above object, the pedestrian autonomous navigation system of the present invention is a pedestrian autonomous navigation system that uses a pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor to calculate a moving distance in at least the XY direction from the measured values of an acceleration sensor and an angular velocity sensor, and calculates a moving direction from the measured values of a geomagnetic sensor to calculate a relative moving position, and includes the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor having the acceleration sensor, the angular velocity sensor, and the geomagnetic sensor, an external sensor capable of detecting that a pedestrian carrying the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor has passed a specific point whose position information has been specified in advance, and a pedestrian's position at the specific point. The device is characterized by comprising a walking direction restriction means for restricting the passing direction, a geomagnetic error calculation means for calculating the difference between the traveling direction detected by the geomagnetic sensor when the pedestrian passes through the specific point and the restricted passing direction, which is the passing direction restricted by the walking direction restriction means, as the error of the geomagnetic sensor, and a position calculation means for calculating the position of the pedestrian based on the position information of the specific point from the external sensor, the error calculated by the geomagnetic error calculation means, and information related to the relative moving position from the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor upon determining that the pedestrian has passed through the specific point.

The external sensor of the present invention is capable of detecting the actual traveling direction and/or actual passing position of the pedestrian when the pedestrian passes through the specific point, and the pedestrian autonomous navigation system further includes a passing error calculation means for calculating the difference between information relating to the actual traveling direction and/or the actual passing position of the pedestrian and the regulated passing direction and/or the position information of the specific point as passing error information, and the position calculation means calculates the position of the pedestrian by also utilizing the passing error information.

The walking direction restriction means of the present invention is characterized in that it is a gate, door, or sign indicating the walking direction through which the pedestrian can pass, and/or a wheel track that restricts the movement of the pedestrian's shoes.

The pedestrian autonomous navigation system of the present invention is characterized in that the external sensor is a sensor disposed at the specific point, a sensor disposed around the specific point, a sensor that detects the opening and closing of a flapper gate, and/or a sensor that detects the opening and closing of a door, and the sensor detects the passage of the pedestrian and transmits the position information of the specific point to the position calculation means.

The external sensor of the present invention is characterized in that it is composed of a plurality of sensors arranged at the specific point and around the specific point and divided into a matrix, and the sensors transmit information related to the actual direction of travel of the pedestrian and/or the actual passing position to the passing error calculation means.

The pedestrian dead-reckoning sensor of the present invention is also characterized in that it is attached to the foot of the pedestrian and corrects the speed error by assuming that the speed detected when the pedestrian is stationary is an error.

The position calculation means of the present invention is characterized in that, upon receiving a determination from the external sensor that the pedestrian has passed through a new specific point, it resets the position information of the specific point that was previously passed through, and newly calculates the position of the pedestrian from the position information of the newly passed specific point, the error related to the newly passed specific point, and information related to the relative moving position from the newly passed specific point from the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor.

According to the present invention, when it is determined that a pedestrian has passed a specific point, the pedestrian's position is calculated from the position information of the specific point from an external sensor, the error calculated by the geomagnetic error calculation means, and information related to the relative moving position from the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor, so that it is possible to eliminate the accumulated error of the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor and obtain highly accurate pedestrian position data.

In addition, the geomagnetic error calculation means restricts the direction in which a target person passes through a specific point, and correction is performed based on the difference between the restricted direction and the direction of the geomagnetic sensor that measures the position, making it possible to detect the pedestrian's orientation with high accuracy.

In addition, since the location where the pedestrian dead-reckoning sensor is reset is specified in advance, the location of the place where the pedestrian dead-reckoning sensor is reset is clear, making it easy to plot on a floor map, etc., and the reset operation of the pedestrian dead-reckoning sensor is performed reliably, allowing for accurate positioning.

In addition, according to the present invention, by setting specific points that serve as reference points on the walking route, the position information of the specific points is reset and a new position is calculated using the position information of the new specific points, eliminating the need to manually reset the walking trajectory display device, etc., and since it is reset automatically, it is possible to prevent a decrease in positioning accuracy due to the accumulation of positioning errors in the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor when walking for long periods of time and long distances.

In addition, according to the present invention, even if the traffic flow area is changed, if an external sensor system consisting of multiple sensors such as floor mats is used, sensors can be easily added or their positions changed. Therefore, it can be used in exhibitions and temporary sales areas where the layout is frequently changed. Furthermore, it is also effective for managing the positions of workers in construction sites such as tunnels, underground, and above ground where many people work in a dispersed manner.

In addition, according to the present invention, external sensors can be installed in restricted areas within a venue, etc., which is effective in implementing security measures such as detecting entry into restricted areas.

The present invention can also be used to calculate the positions of police, fire, and other personnel during training, and collect data to analyze the effectiveness of training provided by police, fire, and other personnel.

In addition, according to the present invention, the external sensor calculates the difference between information related to the actual direction of travel and actual passing position of the pedestrian when the pedestrian passes through a specific point, and information on the regulated passing direction and position of the specific point, as passing error information, and it becomes possible to obtain highly accurate pedestrian position data using the passing error information, thereby enabling more accurate positioning of the moving position.

1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a pedestrian autonomous navigation system according to the present invention. 1A is an oblique view of a pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor and a diagram showing the coordinate system of the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor; FIG. 1B is an oblique view showing the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor attached to shoes worn by a pedestrian; and FIG. 1C is a diagram showing the movement position of the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor displayed on a mobile device. FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a walking direction restriction means for restricting the direction in which pedestrians can pass at a specific point. (a) shows a gate through which pedestrians can pass as the walking direction restriction means, and (b) shows a walking method guide display unit that displays the walking direction with paint marks on the floor as the walking direction restriction means. 1A and 1B are diagrams for explaining the correction of geomagnetic error in a pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor, in which (a) is a diagram showing fundamental vectors at a gate, (b) is a diagram showing the relationship between the fundamental vectors and walking vectors measured by the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor, and (c) is a diagram showing walking vectors after correction in which the walking vectors measured by the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor are corrected for geomagnetic error. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a detection sensor for an external sensor that is composed of a plurality of pressure sensors arranged at specific points and divided into a matrix. 7A is a diagram explaining passing error information, which is the difference between information relating to a pedestrian's actual traveling direction and actual passing position in the detection sensor shown in FIG. 5 and information on the regulated passing direction and position information of a specific point, and FIG. 7B is a diagram explaining correction of a pedestrian passing error in an external sensor. 10 is a flowchart showing the processing of the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor, the external sensor, and the monitoring PC in the pedestrian autonomous navigation system when a pedestrian passes by using a detection sensor provided in the external sensor. 13A and 13B are diagrams showing a walking trajectory by a pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor when an external sensor is set as a specific point on a walking route displayed on the display unit of a monitoring PC in a pedestrian autonomous navigation system, and a walking trajectory when no external sensor is set on the walking route.

The following describes an embodiment of the pedestrian autonomous navigation system according to the present invention with reference to the drawings. The pedestrian autonomous navigation system according to the present invention calculates the pedestrian's position with high accuracy and eliminates accumulated errors in the pedestrian's walking trajectory by calculating the pedestrian's position from information on the relative movement position from a pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor having an acceleration sensor and an angular velocity sensor that calculate the movement distance in at least the XY directions and a geomagnetic sensor that detects the direction of travel, and by calculating the pedestrian's position based on the position information of the specific point from an external sensor and the error calculated by a geomagnetic error calculation means upon determining that the pedestrian has passed through the specific point.

[Configuration of Pedestrian Autonomous Navigation System]
First, the configuration of the pedestrian autonomous navigation system according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the pedestrian autonomous navigation system according to the present invention. As shown in Fig. 1, the pedestrian autonomous navigation system 1 includes a pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor 5, a mobile terminal 20, an external sensor 50, a WiFi router 40, and a monitoring PC 30.

The pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor 5 in the pedestrian autonomous navigation system 1 is a positioning sensor that calculates the movement position of a pedestrian from information related to the relative movement position, and has a sensor unit 6, a calculation unit 13, a wireless unit 14, and a control unit 12.

The sensor unit 6 of the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor 5 includes an acceleration sensor 7 that detects acceleration, an angular velocity sensor 8 that detects angular velocity, and a geomagnetic sensor 9 that detects the geomagnetic direction. The calculation unit 13 calculates the travel distance from the acceleration data and angular velocity data from the sensor unit 6, and calculates the direction from the signal from the geomagnetic sensor 9. The wireless unit 14 communicates with an external mobile terminal 20 via an antenna 15 using Bluetooth or the like. The control unit 12 controls the wireless unit 14 and the calculation unit 13. The pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor 5 is supplied with power by a built-in battery 16. The calculation unit 13 may be provided in the control unit 12.

The mobile device 20 in the pedestrian autonomous navigation system 1 displays the pedestrian's movement trajectory on the display unit 25 based on the data measured by the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor 5, and also communicates with the external sensor 50 and the monitoring PC 30.

The mobile terminal 20 includes a wireless unit 26 that performs wireless communication with the wireless unit 14 of the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor 5 via an antenna 27 using Bluetooth or the like, a wireless unit 28 that performs wireless communication with a WiFi router 40 via an antenna 29, a calculation unit 22 that performs various calculations, a control unit 21 that performs various controls, a memory unit 23 that stores programs and data for the CPU of the control unit 21, a display unit 25 that controls the liquid crystal panel to perform display, and an operation unit 24 that sets, operates, and gives instructions for various data. The mobile terminal 20 also stores pedestrian (monitored person) ID information and the like that identifies the pedestrian who owns the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor 5 in the memory unit 23.

The pedestrian autonomous navigation system 1 is configured to be able to detect, by the external sensor 50, that a pedestrian carrying a pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor 5 has passed through a specific point whose position information has been specified in advance. That is, the external sensor 50 in the pedestrian autonomous navigation system 1 is arranged at or around the specific point, detects the passage of a pedestrian, and notifies the user by sending a signal.

As shown in FIG. 1, the external sensor 50 is provided at a specific point whose position information has been specified in advance, and as an example, takes the form of a floor mat provided on the floor of a passageway along which pedestrians walk, and the floor mat has a built-in detection sensor 51. When a pedestrian steps on the floor mat, for example, the detection sensor 51 turns ON and outputs an ON state to the control unit 54. This confirms that the pedestrian has passed over the floor mat.

The external sensor 50 has a wireless unit 57 that wirelessly communicates data with the mobile terminal 20 via an antenna 58. The wireless unit 57 of the external sensor 50 communicates data such as the monitored person (pedestrian) ID, floor mat ID, notification of a reset control signal, and correction values with the mobile terminal 20. The external sensor 50 has a calculation unit 55 that calculates a correction value according to the operating state of the detection sensor 51, and a memory unit 56 that stores the program and data of the CPU of the control unit 54. The external sensor 50 also has a wireless unit 59 with an antenna 60 that wirelessly communicates with the monitoring PC 30 via the WiFi router 40, and communicates data such as the monitored person (pedestrian) ID, floor mat ID, notification of a reset control signal, and correction values with the monitoring PC 30. Note that wireless communication between the external sensor 50 and the monitoring PC 30 can also be performed from the wireless unit 57 via the mobile terminal 20 and the WiFi router 40. This allows the wireless unit 59 of the external sensor 50 to be substituted with the wireless unit 57.

The WiFi router 40 in the pedestrian autonomous navigation system 1 has a wireless unit 41 that performs WiFi wireless communication with the mobile terminal 20 or the external sensor 50 via an antenna 44, a communication unit 43 that connects to the monitoring PC 30 via Ethernet, and a control unit 42 that controls the wireless unit 41 and the communication unit 43.

The monitoring PC 30 in the pedestrian autonomous navigation system 1 processes the pedestrian's movement trajectory based on the data such as the movement position of the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor, the monitored person (pedestrian) ID, the floor mat ID, the notification of the reset control signal, and the correction value transmitted from the mobile terminal 20, and displays the pedestrian's movement position and movement trajectory on a map on the display unit 33. The monitoring PC 30 is a computer having a CPU, and has a control unit 31 that performs control, a calculation unit 32 that performs calculations, a memory unit 34 that stores the programs and data of the CPU of the control unit 31, a display unit 33 that is made of an LCD monitor or the like and displays maps, floor layouts of buildings, and the like, and a communication unit 35 that communicates with the Wi-Fi router 40 via Ethernet. The memory unit 34 also stores position information of specific points, information such as the direction of the external sensor 50, floor layout data, map data, and the like.

[Attachment of pedestrian dead-reckoning sensor]
First, the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2(a) is a perspective view of the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor and a diagram showing the coordinate system of the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor, Fig. 2(b) is a perspective view showing the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor attached to a shoe worn by a pedestrian, and Fig. 2(c) is a diagram showing the moving position of the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor displayed on a mobile terminal.

As shown in FIG. 2(a), the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor 5 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape and is large enough to be attached to the upper surface of a shoe. The coordinate axes of the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor 5 are composed of three axes, the XYZ axes, which are formed so that each axis intersects at a right angle. When the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor 5 is placed on a horizontal plane, the surface of the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor 5 facing the horizontal plane is specified so that the XY axes are on the horizontal plane and the axis perpendicular to the horizontal plane is the Z axis, and the pedestrian is attached to the pedestrian so that the axes of the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor 5 are in the specified positions during positioning.

As shown in FIG. 2(b), the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor 5 is fixed by a band or the like to the top surface of the toe side of a shoe worn on one foot of a pedestrian. Here, foot means below the ankle. The pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor 5 attached to the toe of the shoe detects the pedestrian's movement position in coordinate values of three axes, the X, Y and Z axes. As shown in FIG. 2(b), the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor 5 attached to the shoe is attached to the toe side of the shoe so that it is on the + side of the Y axis, and the length direction of the shoe forms the Y axis. In addition, the X axis, which is perpendicular to the Y axis, is on the + side to the left in the pedestrian's traveling direction. In addition, the Z axis is set perpendicular to the ground.

The pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor 5 uses ZUPT (Zero Velocity Potential Update), which records the relative position when the foot stops. That is, the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor 5 uses the acceleration sensor 7 and angular velocity sensor 8 to detect one step's worth of data, which is the difference between the current foot stop position and the previous foot stop position, in the coordinate values (x, y, z) of the XYZ coordinate system.

The pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor 5 also detects the angle θ between the Y axis at the previous foot's stopping position and the Y axis at the current foot's stopping position, i.e., the amount of displacement in the angle of the toe of the shoe before and after one step.

As a result, the pedestrian's walking trajectory is displayed on the display unit 25 of the mobile device 20 from the coordinate values and angles detected by the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor 5, as shown in FIG. 2(c). The pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor 5 begins detection with the starting point set as the reference point with coordinate values (0,0,0) and an angle of 0 degrees. The detected coordinate values and angles are output to the mobile device 20 by the wireless unit 14. The display example of the display unit 25 shown in FIG. 2(c) uses data of XY coordinate values and angle θ from the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor 5.

In addition, since the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor 5 measures the distance traveled from the positioning start position based on the difference between the current foot stop position and the previous foot stop position, it is necessary to determine the positioning start position and positioning start direction.

The pedestrian dead-reckoning sensor 5 is attached to the foot of the pedestrian, and the speed data detected when the pedestrian is stationary is usually 0 (zero). However, when speed data other than 0 is detected when the pedestrian is stationary, the speed data can be considered to be an error. For this reason, it is possible to correct the speed error in the speed data while walking using the error obtained when the pedestrian is stationary.

Note that, although an embodiment in which the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor 5 is attached to the foot has been described, the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor 5 is not limited to a sensor attached to the foot, but may be a smartphone, mobile terminal device, etc., stored in a pocket of the pedestrian's clothing and incorporating an acceleration sensor, an angular velocity sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, etc.

[Methods for restricting walking direction at specific locations]
Next, the walking direction restriction means at a specific point of the pedestrian autonomous navigation system 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a diagram for explaining the walking direction restriction means that restricts the passing direction of pedestrians at a specific point, Fig. 3(a) shows a gate through which pedestrians can pass as the walking direction restriction means, and Fig. 3(b) shows a walking method guide display unit that displays the walking direction by paint marks on the floor as the walking direction restriction means.

As shown in FIG. 3(a), gate 70, which serves as a walking direction regulation means and is installed at a specific point whose position information has been specified in advance, has a width necessary for pedestrians to pass through, and has side panels 73 on both sides along the direction in which pedestrians pass. Pedestrians enter gate 70 from the entrance side, pass through gate 70, and exit from the exit side.

As shown in FIG. 3(a), the floor of the gate 70 is marked with an arrow to indicate the direction of travel. Furthermore, the direction of travel may be indicated by footprints on the floor, with black footprints indicating the positions of the feet wearing the pedestrian dead-reckoning sensor.

In this way, the direction of passage through the gate 70 is specified in advance, and the direction of passage is stored in the monitoring PC 30 together with the position information of the gate 70. The gate 70 that regulates the walking direction at a specific point is set up at a location that corresponds to a reference point, such as the building where pedestrian positioning begins, near the door at the indoor entrance, or near the exit of the building elevator.

A bar 71 that rotates in only one direction is provided on the upper part of the side panel 73 of the gate 70 to prevent pedestrians from mistakenly entering from the exit side. The bar 71 shown by the dotted line indicates the gate 70 in a closed state. The gate 70 is also provided with an external sensor 50 that detects when a pedestrian passes through the gate 70.

The detection sensor 51 of the external sensor 50 has a light-emitting element attached to one side of the side panel 73 of the gate 70, and an optical sensor consisting of a light-receiving element that receives light from the light-emitting element is placed on the other side panel, and detects the ON/OFF state of the light-receiving element to detect when a pedestrian has passed through the gate 70.

Also, when the bar 71 rotates while a pedestrian is passing through, a switch may be turned ON to confirm the passage. This allows detection of the pedestrian passing through the gate 70 in the walking direction that was set in advance at the specific point.

Figure 3(b) shows a walking direction guidance display unit 75 that displays the walking direction indicated by arrows and footprints on the floor with paint marks as a walking direction regulation means, and pedestrians are to walk according to the walking direction and footprints. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3(b), the moving direction may be displayed with footprints on the floor, and black footprints indicate the position of the feet wearing the pedestrian dead-reckoning sensor. In order for pedestrians to pass through, optical sensors are provided at both ends of the passage, and mats with built-in pressure sensors on the floor or pass gates formed in a frame shape that detects passage within the frame are provided. Also, instead of paint marks, wheel tracks may be provided. Furthermore, by using the walking direction guidance display unit 75 displayed with paint marks as shown in Figure 3(b), there is no need to install large-scale equipment such as gates 70, so it can be used in venues where the layout is frequently changed indoors.

In this way, the location information and passing direction of gates and other devices that regulate walking direction at specific locations are specified in advance, and when a pedestrian passes through a gate or other device that regulates walking direction, it can be detected by an external sensor.

[Geomagnetic error of geomagnetic sensor]
Next, the geomagnetic error in the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor 5 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a diagram for explaining the correction of the geomagnetic error in the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor, in which Fig. 4(a) is a diagram showing fundamental vectors at the gate 70, Fig. 4(b) is a diagram showing the relationship between the fundamental vectors and the walking vectors measured by the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor, and Fig. 4(c) is a diagram showing the relationship between the walking vectors measured by the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor and the walking vectors after the geomagnetic error has been corrected.

Inside a building, walls, pillars, and installed objects can disrupt the geomagnetic field and make it unstable. This can cause errors in the direction data detected by the geomagnetic sensor 9 of the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor 5, causing the pedestrian's direction of travel to deviate from the actual direction. For this reason, it is necessary to correct the direction data detected by the geomagnetic sensor 9.

The correction of the orientation data of the geomagnetic sensor 9 is intended to determine the orientation at the specific point where positioning of the pedestrian first begins, and after the orientation (direction) at the initial specific point has been determined, the pedestrian's position is calculated using data from the acceleration sensor 7 and angular velocity sensor 8 without using the orientation data from the geomagnetic sensor 9. For this reason, the geomagnetic sensor 9 is usually only used initially to determine the orientation at the positioning start point.

The geomagnetic error of the geomagnetic sensor 9 is the difference between the direction of travel, which indicates the orientation detected by the geomagnetic sensor 9 when a pedestrian passes through a specific point such as a gate 70, and the regulated passing direction, which is the passing direction regulated by a gate or other walking direction regulating means. The error of the geomagnetic sensor is calculated as shown below, and the orientation data is corrected.

As shown in FIG. 4(a), the restricted passing direction, which is the passing direction restricted by the gate 70 serving as the walking direction restricting means, is set as the base vector Vb.

For example, the north direction on the map or floor plan of the building to be shown is used as the base, the north direction is the Y axis, the axis perpendicular to this is the X axis, the point where the X and Y axes intersect is the base point, the direction to the right of the base point on the X axis is defined as east, and the direction below the base point on the Y axis is defined as south, the base vector Vb of the east direction is defined as (1,0) on the XY axis, and the base vector Vb of the north direction is defined as (0,1) on the XY axis.

As shown in FIG. 4(b), for example, the fundamental vector Vb indicated by the dotted line is (1,0), the direction of travel detected by the geomagnetic sensor 9 when a pedestrian passes a specific point is the walking vector Vg, and when the walking vector Vg is (xa,ya) on the XY axis, the angle θa of the walking vector Vg with the X axis is determined. The difference θ between the angle θa of the walking vector Vg and the angle θs of the fundamental vector Vb with the X axis is calculated. The calculated angle θ is the geomagnetic error. Note that the angle θs with the X axis of the fundamental vector Vb shown in FIG. 4(b) is 0 degrees.

As shown in Figure 4(c), the walking vector Vg is rotated by an angle of -θ around the reference point so that the walking vector Vg coincides with the direction of the base vector Vb based on the geomagnetic error θ. By rotating the coordinate axes, corrected coordinate data (xb, yb) is calculated from the walking vector Vg (xa, ya), and (xb, yb) becomes the geomagnetically corrected corrected walking vector Vh.

In this way, the position of the pedestrian can be calculated more accurately by calculating the difference between the direction of travel detected by the geomagnetic sensor when the pedestrian passes through a specific point and the regulated passing direction, which is the passing direction regulated by the gate, which is a walking direction regulating means, as the error of the geomagnetic sensor.

In addition, without using a geomagnetic sensor to measure the direction of pedestrian movement, it is also possible to use the position of gate 70, which is a directional control means at a specific location, as a reference point, and use the direction in which gate 70 is installed as the direction of travel of pedestrians at the reference point.

[Operation of external sensors divided into a matrix]
Next, an external sensor 50 in which a plurality of pressure sensors are divided and arranged in a matrix will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a diagram for explaining a detection sensor of an external sensor that is arranged at a specific point and is made up of pressure sensors divided into a matrix.

As shown in FIG. 5, the detection sensor 51 of the external sensor 50 is shaped like a floor mat, has a rectangular shape in a plan view, and is composed of pressure sensors 53 arranged in a matrix. For example, it has a mesh-like 3x3 (53a to 53i) area formed by dividing one of the outer vertical and horizontal sides into thirds. Each area contains a circular pressure sensor 53a to 53i. When pressure is applied to the upper surface of the pressure sensor 53, it becomes conductive.

The multiple pressure sensors 53 of the detection sensor 51 are each connected to the control unit 54, and the control unit 54 can detect which pressure sensors are in a conductive state. The control unit 54 also stores in advance information regarding the arrangement state of each pressure sensor 53 in the detection sensor 51, such as the installation angle of the detection sensor 51 relative to the N (north) direction shown by the arrow in Figure 5 as the reference direction, the mounting pitches Px and Py of the pressure sensors 53 of the detection sensor 51, and the absolute position of the pressure sensor 53e located at the center of the detection sensor 51.

The control unit 54 can calculate the walking angle with respect to the basic walking direction Wd (shown in FIG. 6) and the relative position of the pressure sensor 53 that became conductive at the second step from the number of the pressure sensor 53 that became conductive when the pedestrian passed over the floor mat and the order of the conductive state of the pressure sensors 53. This allows the control unit 54 of the external sensor 50 to grasp the passing direction on the floor mat and the position of the pedestrian.

In this way, a floor mat consisting of multiple pressure sensors 53 is arranged two-dimensionally on the floor at a specific point, making it possible to calculate the actual direction of travel and the actual passing position of a pedestrian at a specific point.

The floor mat in the external sensor 50 shown in FIG. 5 is an example and is not limited to this. For example, the external sensor 50 is not limited to a floor mat-shaped detection sensor 51 installed on the floor, but may be a non-contact type sensor such as an optical sensor or video camera installed on the ceiling. Furthermore, the external sensor 50 is not limited to a 3×3 configuration, and may be a pressure or electrostatic sensor that forms a dot matrix in which the sensors are arranged in an m×n matrix (e.g., m and n are 100 or more), as long as it is capable of calculating the passing position and passing direction of a pedestrian.

[Calculation of passing error information (directional deviation correction at reset)]
Next, passage error information, which is the difference between information related to the actual direction of travel and actual passing position of a pedestrian in the detection sensor shown in Fig. 5 and information on the regulated passing direction and position of a specific point, will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6(a) is a diagram for explaining passage error information, which is the difference between information related to the actual direction of travel and actual passing position of a pedestrian in the detection sensor shown in Fig. 5 and information on the regulated passing direction and position of a specific point, and Fig. 6(b) is a diagram for explaining correction of a pedestrian passage error in an external sensor.

The walking direction restriction means shown in FIG. 3 assumes that pedestrians walk in the restricted direction, and the mobile terminal 20 assumes that they have passed the specific point in the restricted passing direction after passing the specific point. However, when a pedestrian passes through a specific point, there is a possibility that they will not pass through in the restricted direction, which may result in an error in the passing direction, making correction necessary.

As shown in FIG. 6(a), a basic walking pattern is set on the floor mat of the detection sensor 51 as a regulated passing direction for pedestrians. In the diagram shown in FIG. 6(a), the basic walking pattern is that the pedestrian moves from the pressure sensor 53d located on the left side of the floor mat to the pressure sensor 53f located on the right side.

The basic walking direction is composed of a basic walking direction and a basic axis line corresponding to the basic vector Vb shown in FIG. 4(a). For example, as shown in FIG. 6(a), one side of the outer periphery of a rectangular floor mat is parallel to the X-axis, the reference point of the XY coordinate axis is set at the center position of pressure sensor 53d, the axis passing through the centers of pressure sensors 53d and 53f is the X-axis, and the axis passing through the centers of pressure sensors 53a and 53g is the Y-axis. The basic walking direction Wd is a straight line connecting the center positions of pressure sensors 53d and 53f, is parallel to the X-axis, and its angle with respect to the X-axis is 0 degrees.

As shown in FIG. 6(a), the basic axis line We is a straight line connecting the center positions of pressure sensors 53d and 53f. As a result, the angle of the straight line connecting the center positions of pressure sensors 53a and 53c, and the straight line connecting the center positions of pressure sensors 53g and 53i with respect to the X-axis is 0 degrees, but the axes are misaligned with respect to the basic axis line We, resulting in so-called axial misalignment.

The actual direction of travel and actual passing position of the pedestrian are calculated based on the position where the floor mat pressure sensor 53 of the external sensor 50 reacts to the foot wearing the pedestrian dead-reckoning sensor 5.

For example, as shown in FIG. 6(a), when the pressure sensor 53d reacts and conducts with the first step of the foot wearing the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor 5, and the pressure sensor 53i reacts with the second step of the foot wearing the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor 5, the actual moving direction of the pedestrian is indicated by Sd, and the passing direction deviation angle θc of the actual moving direction Sd of the pedestrian relative to the basic walking direction Wd is calculated. The calculated angle θc is calculated as the angle error. At this time, the center position of the pressure sensor 53i is set as the actual passing position Se as a new reference point of the specific point.

This allows calculation of passing error information, which is the difference between the information relating to the pedestrian's actual travel direction Sd and actual passing position Se obtained by the external sensor 50 and the regulated passing direction and position information of the specific point.

Furthermore, for example, as shown in FIG. 6(a), when the pressure sensor 53a reacts and conducts with the first step of the foot wearing the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor 5, and the pressure sensor 53c reacts and conducts with the second step of the foot wearing the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor 5, the actual moving direction of the pedestrian is indicated by Sf, an axis deviation occurs with respect to the basic axis line We, and the amount of axis deviation corresponds to the pitch Py shown in FIG. 5 between the center positions of the pressure sensors 53a and 53d in the Y-axis direction, and at this time, the center position of the pressure sensor 53c is set as a new reference point of the specific point. Note that the passing direction deviation angle formed by the actual moving direction of the pedestrian with respect to the basic walking direction Wd at this time is 0 (zero).

As shown in FIG. 6(b), the angle θc, which is the passing error (information) calculated from the basic walking direction Wd, which is the regulated passing direction, and the pedestrian's actual walking direction, is the actual traveling direction Sd relative to the regulated passing direction. This allows for more accurate position detection because the passing error is calculated and the pedestrian's position is calculated by correcting the calculated passing error.

In addition, the actual travel direction Sf shown in Figure 6(a) is misaligned, and as shown in Figure 6(b), the passage error is misaligned by a pitch Py in the negative Y-axis direction relative to the basic axis We, and is at an angle of 0 (zero) relative to the basic walking direction Wd.

In this way, the basic walking direction, which is the direction in which the pedestrian passes through the regulated area, is the direction specified by the pedestrian autonomous navigation system, and by calculating the direction in which the pedestrian actually passed through the floor mat, it is possible to detect the position with higher accuracy.

In addition, the external sensor 50 corrects the passing error at the first and second steps of the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor 5 within the floor mat, but the monitoring PC 30 resets the position information of the specific point after confirming the passage of the pedestrian at the second step on the floor mat, and calculates the pedestrian's new position information.

In addition, in cases where the number of steps detected exceeds two, such as in the case of a large floor mat, the last step detected on the floor mat is regarded as the final step, and the pedestrian's new position information is calculated from the final step.

Error correction for the pedestrian's direction of travel is performed by first correcting the geomagnetic error in the direction of travel detected by the geomagnetic sensor, then calculating the passing direction deviation angle, and correcting the passing direction deviation of the corrected walking vector Vh (shown in Figure 4(c)) obtained by correcting the geomagnetic error, to obtain a walking vector with the passing direction deviation corrected.

In addition, error correction for the pedestrian's traveling direction may be performed by first calculating the passing direction deviation angle, correcting the passing direction deviation, and then correcting the geomagnetic error in the traveling direction detected by the geomagnetic sensor.

[Processing Operation of Pedestrian Autonomous Navigation System]
Next, the process when a pedestrian passes through a specific point in the pedestrian autonomous navigation system 1 will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a flow chart showing the process of the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor 5, the mobile terminal 20, the external sensor 50, and the monitoring PC 30 in the pedestrian autonomous navigation system 1 when a pedestrian passes through detected by a detection sensor provided in the external sensor. Note that the detection sensor 51 of the external sensor 50 provided at the specific point is made up of a plurality of pressure sensors 53 shown in Fig. 5, which are divided into a matrix shape.

As shown in FIG. 7, when a pedestrian passes an external sensor 50 installed at a specific point, the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor 5 checks whether the pedestrian has taken a first step on the floor mat of the external sensor 50 (S1). After the pedestrian lands on the floor mat (Yes in S1), the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor 5 transmits walking data (X, Y, Z, θ) to the mobile terminal 20 via the wireless unit 14 (S2). The walking data (X, Y, Z, θ) is data of the difference between the position where the pedestrian steps on the floor mat of the external sensor 50 and the landing point one step before stepping on the floor mat.

The external sensor 50 checks whether the pressure sensor 53 is ON (S20), and if the pressure sensor 53 is ON (Yes in S20), the external sensor 50 identifies the position of the pressure sensor 53 where the foot landed and stores that position as the first position (S21). In addition, the mobile terminal 20 carried by the pedestrian transmits walking data (X, Y, Z, θ) of the first step on the floor mat to the monitoring PC 30 via the WiFi router 40 (S3).

After the foot lands and the pressure sensor 53 turns ON, the external sensor 50 transmits the ID of the external sensor 50 (hereafter referred to as F-ID), which is identification information of the external sensor 50, and a reset control signal to the mobile terminal 20 as shown by the solid line (S22).

The mobile terminal 20 receives the F-ID and the reset control signal from the external sensor 50 (S4), and after receiving the signal, sets a flag in the memory unit 23 indicating that the reset control signal has been received. The mobile terminal 20 also transmits a pedestrian ID (hereinafter referred to as P-ID) that identifies the pedestrian and a reset response signal to the external sensor 50 (S5).

The external sensor 50 checks whether the P-ID and reset response signal have been output from the mobile terminal 20 (S23). If the external sensor 50 confirms that the P-ID and reset response signal have been input from the mobile terminal 20 (Yes in S23), it stores the P-ID from the mobile terminal 20 in the memory unit 56 (S24).

On the other hand, if the foot that stepped on the floor mat in S20 of the external sensor 50 is not wearing the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor 5, the F-ID and reset control signal are sent to the mobile terminal 20 in S22 as shown by the dotted line, but the mobile terminal 20 is in a state of checking whether the first step has been taken on the floor mat of the external sensor 50 as shown in S1, and is therefore unable to receive a signal from the external sensor 50.

As a result, the external sensor 50 cannot confirm receipt of the P-ID signal within the specified time in S23 (No in S23), so the time expires and the process moves to S20. This enables the external sensor 50 to determine whether the foot that stepped on the floor mat is a foot equipped with a pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor 5 or a foot not equipped with a pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor 5.

Next, the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor 5 checks whether the pedestrian has taken a second step while passing over the floor mat of the external sensor 50 (S6). After landing on the floor mat (Yes in S6), the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor 5 transmits walking data (X, Y, Z, θ) to the mobile device 20 via the wireless unit 14. The walking data (X, Y, Z, θ) is data of the difference between the position where the floor mat was stepped on with the first step and the landing point of the floor mat with the second step. In addition, the mobile device 20 held by the pedestrian transmits the walking data (X, Y, Z, θ) of the second step on the floor mat and the acceptance of a reset control signal to the monitoring PC 30 (S8).

The external sensor 50 checks whether the pressure sensor 53 is ON (S25), and if the pressure sensor 53 is ON (Yes in S25), the external sensor 50 identifies the position of the pressure sensor 53 where the foot landed and stores that position as the second position (S26). The external sensor 50 transmits an F-ID, which is identification information of the external sensor 50, to the mobile terminal 20 (S27). The mobile terminal 20 receives the F-ID from the external sensor 50 as shown by the solid line (S9). It also transmits a P-ID, which is identification information of the pedestrian, to the external sensor 50 (S10).

The external sensor 50 checks whether a P-ID has been output from the mobile terminal 20 (S28). If the external sensor 50 confirms that P-ID data has been input from the mobile terminal 20 (Yes in S28), it receives the P-ID from the mobile terminal 20 and stores the P-ID in the memory unit 56 (S29).

On the other hand, if the foot that stepped on the floor mat in S25 in the external sensor 50 is not wearing the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor 5, the F-ID data is sent to the mobile terminal 20 in S27 as shown by the dotted line, but the mobile terminal 20 is in a state of checking whether a second step has been taken on the floor mat as shown in S6, and is therefore unable to receive a signal from the external sensor 50.

As a result, the external sensor 50 cannot confirm receipt of the P-ID signal within the specified time in S28 (No in S28), so the time runs out and the process moves to S25. This enables the external sensor 50 to determine whether the foot that stepped on the floor mat is a foot equipped with a pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor 5 or a foot not equipped with a pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor 5.

After receiving the P-ID from the mobile terminal 20, the external sensor 50 determines the direction of travel of the pedestrian (P-ID) from the first and second positions of the pressure sensor 53, and performs a correction value calculation to calculate the deviation from the reference direction (angle error) and the passing position (S30). The external sensor 50 outputs the F-ID, P-ID, and correction value to the mobile terminal 20 and the monitoring PC 30 (S31).

After receiving the F-ID, P-ID, and correction value from the external sensor 50, the mobile terminal 20 checks whether a flag indicating that a reset control signal has been received is ON in the memory unit 23 (S11).

After receiving the F-ID, P-ID, and correction value from the floor mat, the mobile terminal 20 resets the walking trajectory displayed on the display unit 25 of the mobile terminal 20 (S12). The mobile terminal 20 then performs a correction calculation for display, corrects the trajectory display, and resumes displaying the walking trajectory from the new reference point (S13).

The monitoring PC 30 receives the walking data (X, Y, Z, θ) for the first step on the floor mat from the mobile terminal 20 from S3 shown in FIG. 7 (S40), and displays the pedestrian's trajectory on the display unit 25 based on the received walking data (X, Y, Z, θ) (S41).

Next, the monitoring PC 30 receives the walking data (X, Y, Z, θ) for the second step on the floor mat and a reset signal from the mobile terminal 20 from S8 shown in FIG. 7 (S42). After receiving the walking data (X, Y, Z, θ), the display of the pedestrian trajectory on the display unit 33 is temporarily halted (S43).

After receiving the reset signal from the mobile terminal 20, the monitoring PC 30 determines the position of the pressure sensor 53 on the floor mat that has been energized by the second step as the position of the specific point. The position of the pressure sensor 53 on the floor mat that has been energized by the second step is acquired via the mobile terminal 20.

Next, the monitoring PC 30 receives the F-ID, P-IF, and correction value from the external sensor 50 in S31 shown in FIG. 7 (S44), and resets the walking trajectory displayed on the display unit 33. After that, a correction process for display is performed (S45). The monitoring PC 30 corrects the walking data from the mobile terminal 20 through the correction process, and displays the pedestrian's trajectory on the display unit 33 (S46).

In this way, the pedestrian autonomous navigation system receives a determination from an external sensor that the pedestrian has passed through a new specific point, resets the position information of the specific point that was previously passed through, and calculates a new position of the pedestrian from the position information of the newly passed specific point, the error related to the newly passed specific point, and information from the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor related to the relative movement position from the newly passed specific point.

[Pedestrian trajectory using pedestrian dead-reckoning sensor]
Next, a walking trajectory by the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor in a case where an external sensor is provided as a specific point on a walking route in the pedestrian autonomous navigation system will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing a walking trajectory by the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor 5 in a case where an external sensor 50 is provided as a specific point on a walking route displayed on the display unit 33 of the monitoring PC 30 in the pedestrian autonomous navigation system, and a walking trajectory in a case where no external sensor is provided on the walking route.

Note that a pedestrian wearing a pedestrian dead-reckoning sensor actually walks along the walking route shown by the solid line, the dashed line shows the pedestrian's walking trajectory when no external sensor is installed on the walking route, and the dotted line shows the pedestrian's walking trajectory when an external sensor is installed on the walking route. The actual walking route shown by the solid line is from the starting point S to the end point E.

As shown in Figure 8, if an external sensor 50 is not installed on the walking route, the display unit 33 of the monitoring PC 30 gradually accumulates error from the starting point S, as shown by the dashed line, and Figure 8 shows that the error becomes larger at the point where the walker makes a right-angle turn.

On the other hand, if an external sensor 50 is installed on the walking route, error gradually accumulates from the starting point S to the first specific point, external sensor 50a, but when passing external sensor 50a, the error is corrected by the deviation amount shown by e1 and corrected to the position of external sensor 50a, which is the new specific point, and is positioned on the actual walking route shown by the solid line.

Furthermore, errors gradually accumulate until the next specific point, external sensor 50b, but when passing external sensor 50b, the error is corrected by the deviation amount shown by e2 and corrected to the position of external sensor 50b, the new specific point, and positioned on the actual walking route shown by the solid line. Similarly, each time external sensors 50c, 50d, 50d, and 50e are passed, the error is corrected by deviation amounts e3, e4, and e5, and the position is displayed as being on the actual walking route shown by the solid line.

Note that to facilitate understanding of the diagram, the walking trajectory is depicted diagrammatically, but it is of course possible to plot each step in detail and display the walking trajectory in reality.

In this way, by providing an external sensor 50 as a specific point on the walking route, the accumulation of errors is eliminated, and the walking trajectory of the pedestrian is displayed on the display unit 33 of the monitoring PC 30 along the actual walking route.

This invention can be embodied in many forms without departing from its essential characteristics. Therefore, it goes without saying that the above-described embodiments are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the present invention.

The functional block diagram shown in FIG. 1 shows the functional configuration of the pedestrian autonomous navigation system 1 of the present invention, and does not limit the specific implementation form. In other words, it is not necessary to implement hardware corresponding to the functional blocks in the diagram, and it is of course possible to configure the system so that one processor executes a program to realize the functions of multiple functional units. In addition, some of the functions realized by software in the embodiment may be realized by hardware, and furthermore, some of the functions realized by hardware may be realized by software.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Pedestrian autonomous navigation system 5 Pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor 6 Sensor unit 7 Acceleration sensor 8 Angular velocity sensor 9 Geomagnetic sensor 12 Control unit 13 Calculation unit 14 Wireless unit 15 Antenna 16 Battery 20 Mobile terminal (smartphone)
21 Control unit 22 Calculation unit 23 Memory unit 24 Operation unit 25 Display unit 26 Wireless unit (Bluetooth)
27 Antenna 28 Wireless section (WiFi)
29 Antenna 30 Monitoring PC
31 Control unit 32 Calculation unit 33 Display unit 34 Memory unit 35 Communication unit (Ethernet)
40 WiFi router 41 Wireless section (WiFi)
42 Control unit 43 Communication unit (Ethernet)
44 Antenna
50, 50a, 50b, 50c, 50d, 50e External sensor 51 Detection sensor 53, 53a, 53b, 53c, 53d, 53e, 53f, 53g, 53h, 53i Pressure sensor 54 Control unit 55 Calculation unit 56 Memory unit 57 Wireless unit (Bluetooth)
58 Antenna 59 Wireless unit (Wi-Fi)
60 Antenna
70 Gate 71 Bar 73 Side panel 75 Walking direction guide display unit Vb Basic vector Vg Walking vector Vh Corrected walking vector Wd Basic walking direction We Basic axis Sd Actual traveling direction Se Actual passing position

Claims (4)

A pedestrian autonomous navigation system using a pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor that calculates a relative moving position by calculating a moving distance in at least an XY direction from measurements of an acceleration sensor and an angular velocity sensor, and calculating a traveling direction from measurements of a geomagnetic sensor,
a pedestrian dead navigation sensor having the acceleration sensor, the angular velocity sensor, and the geomagnetic sensor;
an external sensor capable of detecting that a pedestrian carrying the pedestrian dead-reckoning sensor has passed through a specific point whose position information has been specified in advance, and detecting an actual traveling direction and/or an actual passing position of the pedestrian when the pedestrian passed through the specific point ;
a walking direction regulation means for regulating a passing direction of the pedestrian at the specific point;
a geomagnetic error calculation means for calculating, as an error of the geomagnetic sensor, a difference between a moving direction detected by the geomagnetic sensor when the pedestrian passes through the specific point and a regulated passing direction, which is a passing direction regulated by the walking direction regulating means;
a passing error calculation means for calculating a difference between information relating to an actual moving direction and/or an actual passing position of the pedestrian and the regulated passing direction and/or the position information of the specific point as passing error information;
a position calculation means for calculating a position of the pedestrian based on, upon receipt of a determination that the pedestrian has passed through the specific point, the position information of the specific point from the external sensor, the error calculated by the geomagnetic error calculation means, the passage error information calculated by the passage error calculation means, and information relating to the relative moving position from the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor,
The external sensor comprises a plurality of sensors arranged at and around the specific point and divided into a matrix, and the sensors transmit information relating to the actual traveling direction and/or the actual passing position of the pedestrian to the passing error calculation means. 2. The pedestrian autonomous navigation system according to claim 1 , wherein the walking direction regulating means is a gate, a door, a sign indicating a walking direction through which the pedestrian can pass, and/or a wheel track for regulating the movement of the pedestrian's shoes. 3. The pedestrian autonomous navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor is attached to a foot of the pedestrian, and corrects a speed error by assuming that a speed detected when the pedestrian is stationary is an error. The position calculation means receives a new passage determination of the pedestrian at the specific point from the external sensor, and resets the position information of the specific point previously determined to have been passed by the pedestrian;
4. The pedestrian autonomous navigation system according to claim 1, wherein a new position of the pedestrian is calculated from the position information of the newly passed specific point, the error related to the newly passed specific point, and information related to the relative movement position from the newly passed specific point obtained from the pedestrian autonomous navigation sensor.

Images