JP7706261B2 - Position identification support system and position identification support method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a location identification support system that generates information for identifying a location from a representation of a landscape.

Today, using the GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System), one can find out one's location. However, in urban areas (for example, between buildings), it is not possible to receive radio waves from the number of artificial satellites required for positioning calculations, and it may not be possible to determine one's location using GNSS. For this reason, there is a need to determine location using information on the landscape visible to the user. For example, in the case of a traffic accident or emergency, it is desirable to be able to accurately determine the location even when the caller is not familiar with the geography of the area, such as when away from home or traveling, and does not know the address or names of landmarks.

The following prior art is included as background technology in this technical field. Patent Document 1 (JP Patent Publication 2001-133283A) describes a navigation device equipped with a voice recognition means for inputting voice and outputting various instruction signals, an information search means for searching for information data from an information recording medium using a search instruction signal input from the voice recognition means, and a voice output means for outputting the search results by voice, characterized in that the information search means includes a search genre discrimination unit for discriminating a signal indicating a search genre from the input search instruction signal, a search direction discrimination unit for discriminating a search instruction signal indicating a search direction, a search range setting unit for setting a search range, and a search unit for searching the information data according to the discriminated search genre, search direction, and search range (see claim 1).

JP 2001-133283 A

Conventionally, location-related information (address, landmark name, GPS positioning information, etc.) is entered into the system, and the corresponding location is searched for in a map information system. However, if the caller or dispatcher is not familiar with the geography of the site (for example, they do not know the address or the name of the landmark), searching using landmarks becomes difficult. In this case, information about the scenery visible to the user (for example, "I can see a building with a red pointed roof" or "It's near a store with a blue sign") is effective in identifying the location, but such information is not registered in the map information system.

Even if the name of a landmark is known, the location can be further narrowed down if the information that the landmark is "visible" can also be used.

In addition, in the background art mentioned above, a navigation device can search map data using words indicating directions such as "left" or "right" used by the speaker. However, this is a method of adding variety to the way destinations are expressed in situations where the speaker's location information is known in advance, and is not a technology that can be used in situations where the reference location is unknown.

The present invention aims to realize a location identification support system that identifies a location based on information about the scenery seen by a person.

A representative example of the invention disclosed in this application is as follows. a reception unit that receives an input of a representation of a landscape from a user, the search key generation unit that identifies a search term for searching the 3D city model from the received representation of the landscape , the reception unit searches the 3D city model using the identified search term, and acquires object information for narrowing down a position from the received representation of the landscape, and when it is determined from the received representation of the landscape that the user and the object are in a proximal relationship, concentric circles are acquired with the position of the object as a center, and the screen generation unit outputs screen data for superimposing and displaying the acquired concentric circles on the map.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a position can be identified from information about the scenery seen by a person. Problems, configurations, and advantages other than those described above will become clear from the description of the following examples.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a solution concept of a position identification support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a solution concept of a position identification support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a block diagram showing a logical configuration of a location identification support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a physical configuration of the location identification assistance server according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a term dictionary according to the present embodiment; FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a 3D city model according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of visible point information according to the embodiment; 11 is a flowchart of a process executed by a location identification assistance server according to the embodiment; FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram of a process executed by the location identification assistance server according to the embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a search result screen displayed on a user terminal according to the present embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a search result screen displayed on a user terminal according to the present embodiment.

First, an overview of an embodiment of the present invention will be described. The location identification support system of this embodiment searches for objects from a 3D city model that represents landmarks using landmark attribute (shape, color, etc.) information (for example, "pointed roof is visible" or "near a store with a red sign"). The system then displays the area where the searched object is "visible" or "close" according to the type of recognition, such as "visible" or "close," superimposed on a map. When multiple keywords are entered, the accuracy of location identification is improved by superimposing multiple areas on the map.

Figures 1 and 2 show the solution concept of the location identification support system in this embodiment.

Figure 1 shows a solution that provides a location identification assistance service to individuals. In the solution shown in Figure 1, the user inputs information about the scenery they see (for example, "near a building with a pointed roof" or "I can see a red steel tower") into a user terminal 20 connected to a location identification assistance server 10, and the user's current location is displayed on a map. For example, when browsing a map on the Internet, if the user's location information cannot be obtained by GNSS, the user can use the location identification assistance service of this embodiment to display their own location on a map, allowing them to identify their location even if they are unfamiliar with the geography of the site.

Figure 2 shows a solution that provides a location identification support service to people or organizations that need to identify the location of others. In the solution shown in Figure 2, a user listens to information about the scenery seen by others (for example, "near a building with a pointed roof" or "a red steel tower is visible") and inputs it into a user terminal 20 connected to a location identification support server 10, which displays the location of the other person on a map. In a fire or police control room that receives an emergency call, the caller's location is narrowed down by the caller telling the caller an address or the name of a landmark to a caller. However, if the caller is unfamiliar with the geography of the scene, the caller's location is narrowed down by the caller's information about landmarks visible to the caller. However, such a method depends on the field knowledge and skills of the communication control staff. Therefore, the location identification support service of this embodiment makes it possible to display the caller's location on a map, and to quickly identify the location of the incident in response to an emergency call.

Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the logical configuration of the location identification support system of this embodiment.

The location identification support system of this embodiment is composed of a location identification support server 10 and a user terminal 20, and the location identification support server 10 and the user terminal 20 are connected via a network.

The location identification assistance server 10 has a search request reception unit 11, a search key generation unit 12, a target object search unit 13, a target area extraction unit 14, and a screen generation unit 19, and stores a term dictionary 15, a 3D city model 16, visible point information 17, and map information 18.

The search request reception unit 11 receives a search request sent from the user terminal 20, controls the processing by each functional unit of the location identification assistance server 10, and returns the processing results of each functional unit to the terminal. The search key generation unit 12 refers to the term dictionary 15 and generates a search query from the input content received by the search request reception unit 11. The target object search unit 13 refers to the 3D city model 16 and searches for the object for which a search is requested. The target area extraction unit 14 refers to the visible point information 17 and outputs information on points from which the object can be seen. The screen generation unit 19 generates display data to be displayed on the user terminal 20.

The terminology dictionary 15 is a database that classifies text entered for location identification and is referenced to identify search methods, and its details will be described with reference to FIG. 5. The 3D city model 16 is a database in which information on objects (e.g., buildings, roads, etc.) is recorded, and its details will be described with reference to FIG. 6. The visible point information 17 is data on objects that are visible for each mesh at regular intervals, and its details will be described with reference to FIG. 7. The map information 18 is information on the map of the area that supports location identification.

The user terminal 20 is configured by a computer having a processor (CPU), memory, auxiliary storage device, communication interface, input interface, and output interface, and provides a search request input function 21 and a screen display function 22. For example, the search request input function 21 and the screen display function 22 may be provided by a web browser executed by the user terminal 20, or by a dedicated application program executed by the user terminal 20.

Figure 4 is a block diagram showing the physical configuration of the location identification assistance server 10 in this embodiment.

The location identification assistance server 10 is configured by a computer having a processor (CPU) 1, a memory 2, an auxiliary storage device 3, and a communication interface 4. The location identification assistance server 10 may also have an input interface 5 and an output interface 6.

The processor 1 is a computing device that executes the programs stored in the memory 2. The processor 1 executes various programs to realize the functions of each functional unit of the location identification assistance server 10 (e.g., the search request receiving unit 11, the search key generating unit 12, the target object searching unit 13, the target area extracting unit 14, the screen generating unit 19, etc.). Note that some of the processing performed by the processor 1 by executing the programs may be executed by other computing devices (e.g., hardware such as an ASIC or FPGA).

The memory 2 includes a ROM, which is a non-volatile storage element, and a RAM, which is a volatile storage element. The ROM stores unchanging programs (e.g., BIOS) and the like. The RAM is a high-speed, volatile storage element such as a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), and temporarily stores programs executed by the processor 1 and data used when the programs are executed.

The auxiliary storage device 3 is, for example, a large-capacity, non-volatile storage device such as a magnetic storage device (HDD) or a flash memory (SSD). The auxiliary storage device 3 also stores data used by the processor 1 when executing the programs (e.g., a term dictionary 15, a 3D city model 16, visible point information 17, map information 18, etc.), and the programs executed by the processor 1. That is, the programs are read from the auxiliary storage device 3, loaded into the memory 2, and executed by the processor 1 to realize each function of the location identification assistance server 10.

The communication interface 4 is a network interface device that controls communication with other devices (e.g., the user terminal 20) according to a specified protocol.

The input interface 5 is an interface to which input devices such as a keyboard 7 and a mouse 8 are connected and which receives input from an operator. The output interface 6 is an interface to which output devices such as a display device 9 and a printer (not shown) are connected and which outputs the results of program execution in a format that can be viewed by the operator.

The program executed by the processor 1 is provided to the location identification assistance server 10 via removable media (CD-ROM, flash memory, etc.) or a network, and is stored in a non-volatile auxiliary storage device 3, which is a non-transitory storage medium. For this reason, the location identification assistance server 10 should have an interface for reading data from removable media.

The location identification assistance server 10 is a computer system configured on one physical computer, or on multiple logically or physically configured computers, and may operate on a virtual computer constructed on multiple physical computer resources. For example, the search request receiving unit 11, search key generating unit 12, target object searching unit 13, target area extracting unit 14, and screen generating unit 19 may each operate on separate physical or logical computers, or multiple units may be combined to operate on a single physical or logical computer.

Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the term dictionary 15. The term dictionary 15 is referred to in order to classify the text input for position identification and to identify the search method. The term dictionary 15 includes data on terms, types, derived expressions, and search methods. The type is a classification of the term, and includes attribute names, keywords, and recognition types. The attribute name indicates that the term is recorded in the 3D city model 16 as an attribute (shape, color, etc.) of an object. The keyword indicates that the term is recorded in the 3D city model 16 as a keyword of the object. The keyword is the type, use, feature, etc. of the object. The recognition type indicates that a target area specification method is determined due to the word. The derived expression is used to read the description in the term column of the entry if the word input for position identification is recorded in the derived expression. The search method is information for the target object search unit 13 to create a search query related to the term, and the search conditions for the object are recorded.

Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the 3D city model 16. The 3D city model 16 includes data on the name, keywords, and attributes (shape, color, etc.) for each object. Each piece of data is written in the format of data name = value. The value is recorded as a word registered in the terminology dictionary 15. The 3D city model 16 may store information hierarchically using XML or the like.

Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of visible point information 17. Visible point information 17 is data on objects visible for each mesh at regular intervals, and includes data on point ID, latitude, longitude, viewpoint height, and visible object. The point ID is unique identification information for a point divided into meshes at regular intervals. The latitude and longitude are the position of a point (e.g., a central point) within the mesh. The viewpoint height is the viewpoint height during landscape simulation from the mesh. The visible object is identification information for an object within the range visible from the mesh by landscape simulation from the mesh. When visible point information 17 is used, it is not necessary to perform a three-dimensional simulation each time a visible area is calculated, reducing the amount of calculations and allowing the visible area to be obtained quickly.

Figure 8 is a flowchart of the processing executed by the location identification assistance server 10, and Figure 9 is a sequence diagram of the processing executed by the location identification assistance server 10.

First, the search request receiving unit 11 determines whether or not an "end" input has been made (101). If the user has operated the "end" button, this process ends. On the other hand, if the "end" button has not been operated, the search request receiving unit 11 determines whether or not a "search" input has been made (102). If the user has not operated the "search" button, the process returns to step 101. On the other hand, if the "search" button has been operated, a search request is sent from the user terminal 20 to the location identification assistance server 10.

Then, the search request receiving unit 11 receives a search request sent from the user terminal 20 (103). For example, the user inputs text (free words such as keywords, attribute names, and recognition types) of information about the scenery visually recognized by the person into the search term input field 1011 on the search result screen displayed on the user terminal 20. The attribute names use derived expressions registered in the terminology dictionary 15. The recognition types are words that indicate the relationship between the user and the object, such as visible, close, and direction. Specifically, the user may input the scenery in a sentence such as "I can see a red steel tower" or may input the scenery by listing words such as "I can see a red steel tower". The user may input the text using a keyboard or touch panel, or may input the text by performing voice recognition of the user's speech.

A list of predefined keywords and attribute names may also be displayed to allow the user to select. The keywords may be those registered in the 3D city model 16, and the attribute names may be those words registered in the terminology dictionary 15.

In addition, when the input of the current location is accepted, a function for drawing an area showing "direction," described below, becomes available. The current location can be input by selecting a point on the map, inputting latitude and longitude, inputting an address, or inputting a nearby structure (e.g., a kilometer post on a road or the control number of a utility pole).

Next, the search key generation unit 12 performs morphological analysis on the text entered as the search request to extract key information (104). For example, if a user enters "I can see a red steel tower," the words "red," "steel tower," and "see" are extracted.

Next, the search key generation unit 12 obtains the word term and recognition type from the term dictionary 15 to generate an object search query (105). For example, "I can see a red steel tower" entered by the user is tagged with red: attribute name, steel tower: keyword, and visible: recognition type, and a search method according to the word is obtained. Then, a search query is generated to search (keyword = steel tower, red RGB range) using the word tagged with the keyword and the word tagged with the attribute name. By referring to the term dictionary 15, the variation of the word entered as a free word can be aggregated, and the search method for the 3D city model 16 (field to search the 3D city model 16) can be determined.

Next, the target object search unit 13 searches the 3D city model 16 using the generated object search query to obtain a list of target objects that match the search criteria (106). For example, objects whose keywords in the 3D city model 16 include "steel tower" and are in the red RGB range (255:0:0 to 200:50:50) are extracted.

Then, the search request receiving unit 11 starts processing each object in the acquired target object list (107) and extracts the target area for each recognition type.

If the recognition type = "near" is extracted from the input text, the method of specifying the target area is determined to be "nearby," and a circle centered on the target object is obtained (109). The circle to be obtained may be one (e.g., a circle with a radius of 20 m) or multiple (e.g., concentric circles with radii of 10 m, 50 m, and 100 m).

If the recognition type = "visible" is extracted from the input text, the method of specifying the target area is determined to be "visible", and the target area extraction unit 14 obtains the visible area of the object (110). For example, by referring to the visible point information 17, the point IDs at which the identification information of the object extracted in step 106 is visible are extracted, and the meshes of the extracted point IDs are connected to determine the visible area. In addition, a range in which the object is not hidden by the ground or other objects may be determined as the visible area of the object by simulation in a virtual three-dimensional space. By performing a simulation in a three-dimensional space each time, the visible point information 17 becomes unnecessary, and the amount of data to be prepared when the system starts operating can be reduced.

If the recognition type = "kata" (direction) is extracted from the input text, the method for specifying the target area is determined to be "direction", and an oval or elliptical area of a predetermined width between the current location and the target object is obtained (111). Note that if the current location is not input to the search request receiving unit 11, a target area based on direction cannot be obtained.

When the process of acquiring the target areas for all objects is completed (112), the screen generation unit 19 generates screen data that displays the acquired target areas superimposed on a map (113). For example, the search request reception unit 11 acquires map data including a target object list and target areas (circle, visible range, range indicating direction) from the map information 18 and sends it to the screen generation unit 19. The screen generation unit 19 generates screen data by superimposing the information on the target areas acquired from the search request reception unit 11 on the map information 18. When multiple target areas have been acquired, it is advisable to display them so that the degree of overlap of the target areas can be seen.

Figure 10 shows an example of a search result screen displayed on the user terminal 20.

The search result screen shown in FIG. 10 has a search term input field 1011, a search button 1012, and an end button 1013 in the upper right, a search term display area 1020 in the center right, a 3D city model display area 1030 in the lower right, and a map display area 1040 on the left.

The search term input field 1011 displays the text of the words entered as a search request into the user terminal 20 by keyboard input or voice recognition results. When the user operates the search button 1012, the text displayed in the search term input field 1011 is displayed in the search term display area 1020. In the search term display area 1020, the words used to search the 3D city model 16 are highlighted. To the left of the search term, a mark corresponding to the search term is displayed superimposed on the map in the map display area 1040. The 3D city model display area 1030 displays an image seen from a specified point on the map using data obtained from the 3D city model 16. The map display area 1040 displays a map with the area identified by the search superimposed.

When the user inputs a search term and operates the search button 1012, the input search term is sent to the location identification assistance server 10, one line of search conditions is additionally displayed in the search term display area 1020, and a display of the area identified by the search conditions is added to the map display area 1040. In addition, when the user operates the end button 1013, the search term display area 1020 is cleared, the area superimposed on the map display area 1040 is erased, and only the map is displayed.

Figure 11 shows another example of a search result screen displayed on the user terminal 20, which is a search result screen when the current location is input.

The search result screen shown in FIG. 11 has a search term input field 1011, a search button 1012, and an end button 1013 in the upper right, a search term display area 1020 in the middle right, a 3D city model display area 1030 in the lower right, and a map display area 1040 on the left. The search term input field 1011, the search button 1012, the end button 1013, and the search term display area 1020 are the same as those in the search result screen shown in FIG. 10. The 3D city model display area 1030 displays an image seen from a specified point on the map using data acquired from the 3D city model 16, and the current location. The map display area 1040 displays a map with an area identified by the search superimposed and the current location. When the current location is input, an area can be identified by a direction, and the area related to that direction is superimposed on the map.

As described above, the position identification support system of this embodiment can identify a position from information about the scenery seen by a person. In particular, by utilizing the 3D city model 16, which is being developed, it becomes possible to quickly identify a position using information about the scenery seen by a person.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but includes various modified examples and equivalent configurations within the spirit of the appended claims. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to having all of the configurations described. Furthermore, part of the configuration of one embodiment may be replaced with the configuration of another embodiment. Furthermore, the configuration of another embodiment may be added to the configuration of one embodiment. Furthermore, part of the configuration of each embodiment may be added, deleted, or replaced with other configurations.

Furthermore, each of the configurations, functions, processing units, processing means, etc. described above may be realized in part or in whole in hardware, for example by designing them as integrated circuits, or may be realized in software by a processor interpreting and executing a program that realizes each function.

Information such as programs, tables, and files that realize each function can be stored in a storage device such as a memory, hard disk, or SSD (Solid State Drive), or in a recording medium such as an IC card, SD card, or DVD.

In addition, the control lines and information lines shown are those considered necessary for explanation, and do not necessarily represent all control lines and information lines necessary for implementation. In reality, it is safe to assume that almost all components are interconnected.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Processor 2 Memory 3 Auxiliary storage device 4 Communication interface 5 Input interface 6 Output interface 7 Keyboard 8 Mouse 9 Display device 10 Location identification assistance server 11 Search request reception unit 12 Search key generation unit 13 Target object search unit 14 Target area extraction unit 15 Terminology dictionary 16 3D city model 17 Visible point information 18 Map information 19 Screen generation unit 20 User terminal 21 Search request input function 22 Screen display function

Claims (8)

A location identification support system that generates data for identifying a location,
A computing device that executes a predetermined process and a storage device that can be accessed by the computing device,
The storage device stores data of a 3D city model including attributes of objects and a map ;
a reception unit for receiving an input from a user of the arithmetic device;
a search key generation unit for identifying search terms for the computing device to search the 3D city model;
The computing device has a screen generating unit that outputs screen data for displaying a position,
The receiving unit receives an input of a representation of a landscape from a user;
the search key generation unit identifies a search term for searching the 3D city model from the received landscape representation;
The reception unit is
searching the 3D city model using the identified search terms to obtain object information for narrowing down locations from the received landscape representation;
If it is determined from the received representation of the landscape that the user and the object are in a neighborhood relationship, concentric circles are obtained with a center at the position of the object;
The position identification support system is characterized in that the screen generation unit outputs screen data for displaying the acquired concentric circles superimposed on the map. The position identification assistance system according to claim 1,
the computing device further comprises a target area extraction unit that, when it is determined from the received landscape representation that the user and the object are in a visible relationship, acquires an area in which the object is visible;
The position identification support system is characterized in that the screen generation unit outputs screen data for displaying the acquired area in which the object is visible by superimposing it on the map . 3. The position identification assistance system according to claim 2,
the storage device stores visible point information including information on positions at which objects included in the 3D city model are visible;
The target area extraction unit refers to the visible point information using the specified object as a key, and acquires an area in which the object is visible. 3. The position identification assistance system according to claim 2,
A position identification support system characterized in that the target area extraction unit uses the 3D city model to calculate whether the visibility of the identified object is obstructed by other objects, and obtains the area in which the object is visible. A location identification assistance method, comprising: a location identification assistance system generating data for identifying a plurality of locations, the method comprising:
the location identification support system is configured with a computer having an arithmetic unit that executes a predetermined process and a storage device that is accessible by the arithmetic unit;
The storage device stores data of a 3D city model including attributes of objects and a map;
The position identification assistance method includes:
The computing device accepts input of a representation of a landscape from a user;
the computing device identifying a search term for searching the 3D city model from the received representation of the landscape;
the computing device searches the 3D city model using the identified search term to obtain object information for narrowing down locations from the received landscape representation;
When the computing device determines that the user and the object are in a neighborhood relationship from the received landscape representation, it obtains concentric circles centered on the position of the object;
The position identification support method, wherein the arithmetic device generates and outputs screen data for displaying the acquired concentric circles superimposed on the map. The method for assisting in identifying a position according to claim 5,
The computing device further acquires an area in which the object is visible when it is determined that the user and the object are in a visible relationship from the received landscape representation;
The position identification support method, wherein the computing device outputs screen data for displaying the acquired area in which the object is visible, superimposed on the map. The method for assisting in identifying a position according to claim 6, further comprising the steps of:
the storage device stores visible point information including information on positions at which objects included in the 3D city model are visible;
The position identification assistance method includes:
The position identification support method, wherein the calculation device refers to the visible point information using the identified object as a key, and acquires an area in which the object is visible. The method for assisting in identifying a position according to claim 6, further comprising the steps of:
A method for assisting in identifying a location, comprising: using the 3D city model to calculate whether visibility of the identified object is obstructed by other objects, and obtaining an area in which the object is visible.

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