JP2003109180A - Method and system for detecting position information, loading device for moving object and server device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a position information detection system or the like, in which the position of a moving object can be detected without loading a database on the moving object and further, the search processing time can be shortened. SOLUTION: A database, on which position information and detection information is correspondently made into database, is placed in an information center 20, a vehicle 10 travels on a road 1 and transmits the detection information which is obtained by detecting a magnetic marker 2, to the information center 20. Then, the information center 20 finds the position information corresponding to the received detection information from the database and transmits this found position information to the vehicle 10.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a position information detection method for a mobile unit, a position information detection system, a mobile unit mounting device, and a server unit.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a method of acquiring position information of a vehicle using a GPS system has been known. Such GP
In the S system, it was difficult to obtain the position precisely.

Therefore, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-28095.
Markers are embedded in the road at predetermined intervals as shown in
A road traffic system that detects the marker and identifies the position of the vehicle has been proposed. In this road traffic system,
The database is provided with the database that holds the data corresponding to the detection signal and the position where the marker is detected, and the search means for searching the position from the detection signal is provided in the vehicle, and the position of the vehicle can be accurately obtained. .

[0004]

However, in this road traffic system, it is necessary to increase the number of characters of the M-sequence pattern in order to increase the number of position information to be specified. In this case, the data of the database is used. The amount is huge, the search processing time is long, and the vehicle (moving body)
The database installed in will become large. Further, the database must be updated when a road is newly installed, and it is practically difficult to update the database of each vehicle every time a road is newly installed. Therefore, there were many problems such as the inability to obtain the position on the newly constructed road.

An object of the present invention is to detect a position of a moving body without mounting a database on the moving body and to shorten a search processing time, a position information detecting system, a position information detecting system, and a moving body. It is to provide an on-board device and a server device.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 places a database, which is a database in which position information and detection information are associated with each other, in an information center, and a moving body runs. The obtained detection information is transmitted to the information center, the information center obtains position information corresponding to the received detection information from the database, and transmits the obtained position information to the mobile body.

The invention of claim 2 is characterized in that the detection information is a detection signal for detecting a marker attached to the road at predetermined intervals.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the markers are attached to the road one bit at a predetermined interval, and the detection signal has a predetermined number of bits and one information unit. And

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the detection signal is an M-sequence code, and different signals can be obtained by shifting by one bit.

In the invention of claim 5, the information center is
It is characterized in that other information is added to the position information and transmitted.

The invention of claim 6 is characterized in that other information is added only when there is a request from the mobile unit for other information.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, the information center is provided with a database in which the positional information and the detection information are associated with each other to form a database, and the detection information transmitting means for transmitting the detection information obtained when the moving body travels to the server is provided. Provided in a mobile body, the information center comprises a search means for searching the database for location information based on the detection information transmitted to the server, and a location information transmission means for transmitting the retrieved location information to the mobile body. The mobile body is provided with position information receiving means for receiving the position information transmitted from the position information transmitting means.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, the detection information is a detection signal for detecting a marker attached to the road at predetermined intervals, and the moving body is provided with detection means for detecting the marker. Is characterized by.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the detection information transmitting means and the position information receiving means according to the seventh aspect, which is mounted on the moving body.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, the detection information is a detection signal for detecting a marker attached to the road at predetermined intervals, and the marker is attached to the road one bit at a predetermined interval. It is characterized in that it comprises a detection means for detecting the marker.

An invention according to claim 11 comprises the database according to claim 7, a searching means, a position information transmitting means, and a detection information receiving means for receiving detection information transmitted from the moving body, It is characterized by being installed in an information center.

[0017]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment of a position information detecting system for carrying out a position information detecting method according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a highway on which a vehicle (moving body) 10 travels in this example. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the highway 1 is a magnet that is a magnet at predetermined intervals. A marker (marker) 2 is embedded. In the magnetic marker 2, one of the north pole and the south pole is directed to the road surface,
An array pattern of polarities consisting of N poles and S poles follows the M series pattern of the PN code. Here, the magnetic pole N corresponds to the bit information “0” of the M series pattern, and the magnetic pole S
Corresponds to bit information "1". Here, the magnetic marker 2 is embedded according to, for example, an M series pattern of m = 8. 1 of 8 consecutive bits of this magnetic marker 2
Considered as one binary code, it can correspond to 256 different positions.

That is, as shown in FIG. 2, continuous 8-bit array patterns that are shifted by 1 bit are different from each other, and 256 kinds of array patterns can be formed.

Then, for example, when m = 10, 10
It is possible to correspond to 23 positions, and when the magnetic markers 2 are embedded at intervals of 1 m, 10 m will be initially measured for 10 m.
After traveling, the position can be specified every 1 m. The larger the order m is, for example, the order m = 100, which is large enough to cover highways in Japan at intervals of 1 m.

Further, in FIG. 1, reference numeral 20 is an information center for providing traffic information to each vehicle 10. Then, the magnetic marker 2, the vehicle 10, the information center 20, etc.
A position information detection system for detecting the position of 0 is configured.

In the vehicle 10, as shown in FIG. 4, a magnetic sensor 11 for detecting the magnetic marker 2 and eight detection signals (m = 8) for which the magnetic sensor 11 is sequentially detected as the vehicle 10 travels. Pattern detection means 12 for detecting the 8-bit detection information based on the case), the control device 14 for transmitting the 8-bit detection information and the like detected by the pattern detection means 12 from the transmission means 13, and the information center 20. A vehicle side receiving means (positional information receiving means) 15 for receiving a positional information signal, and a map or the like is displayed on the display device 16 and the position of the vehicle 10 is determined based on the positional information received by the vehicle side receiving means 15. It has a navigation device 17 to be displayed above, an operation unit 18 for setting various service modes and the like. The magnetic sensor 11 is provided, for example, below the front part of the vehicle 10.

The magnetic sensor 11, the pattern detecting means 12, the transmitting means 13, the control device 14, the vehicle side receiving means 15 and the like constitute a vehicle (moving body) mounting device. The vehicle-mounted device may include a navigation device 17 and a display device 16.

The controller 14 controls the vehicle 1 as shown in FIG.
An ID signal indicating an ID code of 0, a 3-bit service mode signal indicating a service mode, and an 8-bit detection signal (detection information) are transmitted as one transmission data 19 from the transmission means 13. The ID code is represented by the number of bits according to the number of vehicles to be identified.

The service mode is set corresponding to, for example, a 3-bit signal pattern. For example, when the 3-bit signal is "000", it indicates that there is no service, when it is "001", it indicates the road name mode that requests road name information, and when it is "010", the speed limit information and accident information are shown. And the like, showing the speed limit mode for requesting, etc., showing the road name information and the speed limit mode requesting the speed limit information when the pattern is "011",
A store mode for requesting stores in the vicinity when the pattern is "100" is shown. Similar to the above, the other modes are also set corresponding to the 3-bit signal pattern. That is, when the service bit is 3 bits, the least significant bit is used as a bit for selecting a road name mode, the secondary bit is used as a speed limit mode, and the most significant bit is used as a bit for selecting a store mode.

The receiving means 15 outputs the position information signal to the navigation device when the ID code included in the position information signal transmitted from the information center 20 matches the ID code of the vehicle 10.

The information center 20, as shown in FIG.
A center side receiving means (detection information receiving means) 21 for receiving transmission data transmitted from the transmission means of the vehicle 10, and an ID signal, a service mode signal and a detection signal are extracted from the transmission data received by the center side receiving means 21. A database 2 that stores the signal extracting means 22 and the absolute position (north latitude, east longitude) indicating the current position (position information) of the vehicle 10 corresponding to each pattern of the 8-bit detection signal, the region name, and the like.
Road name database 24 in which road names (road name information) are stored in correspondence with 3 and 8 bit detection signal patterns
And a speed limit (road information) database 25 storing road information such as speed limits (speed limit information) and accident information corresponding to each pattern of 8-bit detection signals, and corresponding to each pattern of detection signals Store database 2 that stores stores (store information) near the position indicated by the detection signal
6, search means 27 for searching and reading each data from the databases 23 to 26 based on the pattern of each signal extracted by the signal extraction means 22, and each data read by this search means 27 together with the above ID code. And a transmitting means 28 for

The center side receiving means 21, the signal extracting means 22, the databases 23 to 26, the searching means 27, the transmitting means 28 and the like constitute a server device. This server device may not include the databases 24 to 26, and the databases 23 to 26 may be one database. [Operation] Next, the operation of the position information detection system configured as described above will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

1 and 2, it is assumed that the vehicle 10 is traveling from right to left, the road name mode is set by the operation of the operation unit 18, and the map is displayed on the display device 16.

Each time the magnetic sensor 11 detects the magnetic marker 2 as the vehicle 10 travels, a detection signal corresponding to the magnetic pole of the magnetic marker 2 is output. Pattern detection means 12
Generates a signal of "0" when the magnetic sensor 11 detects the N pole and a signal of "1" when it detects the S pole, based on the detection signal output by the magnetic sensor 11, and outputs the signal in units of 8 bits. Output it. For example, if the magnetic sensor 11 detects the magnetic poles of the magnetic marker 2 in the order of (S, N, N, N, N, N, S, S), the pattern detection means 12 outputs "1.
A detection information signal (detection information) of "0000011" is output.

Furthermore, when the magnetic sensor 11 detects the magnetic marker 2 of the N pole as the vehicle 10 travels, the magnetic sensor 11 outputs 8 in the order of (N, N, N, N, N, S, S, N). Since the two magnetic markers 2 have been detected, the pattern detecting means 12 outputs the detection information signal of "00000110". That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the pattern detection means 12 outputs a detection information signal of 8 bits each time the vehicle 10 travels by 1 bit.

The controller 14 judges in step 1 whether or not the 8-bit detection information signal is output from the pattern detection means 12, and if the result is NO, the process returns to step 1 and the 8-bit detection information signal is output. Will wait in step 1 until When the 8-bit detection information signal is output, YES is determined in step 1 and the process proceeds to step 2.

In step 2, as shown in FIG.
The transmission data 19 in which the signal and the 3-bit service mode signal are added to the 8-bit detection information signal is transmitted from the transmission means 13 to the information center 20 via the Internet. This transmission data 19 is transmitted from the pattern detecting means 12 to 8
It is output every time a bit detection information signal is output.

In the information center 20, the center side receiving means 21 receives the transmission data 19 transmitted from the transmitting means 13 of the vehicle 10 via the Internet and transmits it to the server 30 (step 3). The signal extraction means 22 of the server 30 extracts the ID signal, the 3-bit service mode signal, and the 8-bit detection information signal from the transmission data 19. The signal extraction means 22 extracts each signal each time the center side reception means 21 receives the transmission data 19.

The search means 27 searches the database 23 for the position corresponding to the pattern of the detection information signal, that is, the current position of the vehicle, every time the signal extraction means 22 extracts each signal. In step 4, it is judged whether or not there is a position corresponding to the pattern of the detection information signal, and if there is no position corresponding to the pattern, it is judged no in step 4 and the process proceeds to step 9. In step 9, an error signal is transmitted from the transmission means 28 and the process returns to step 1. If there is a position corresponding to the detection information signal, YES is determined in step 4 and the process proceeds to step 5.

In step 5, it is judged whether or not the pattern of the service mode signal is other than "000". If the result is no, that is, if the service mode is not set, the process proceeds to step 7, and if yes, the step Go to 6. Here, since the road name mode is set, the pattern of the service mode signal is "001", and the process proceeds to step 6.

In step 6, the databases 24, 25 and 26 corresponding to the patterns of the service mode signals are searched. This search is also performed each time the signal extracting means 22 extracts each signal. Here, since the road name mode is set, the road name is retrieved from the database 24.
The search for the road name is performed based on the pattern of the 8-bit detection information signal extracted by the signal extracting means 22.

When the speed limit mode or the store mode is set, the database 25 or the database 2 is set.
Speed limit information and store information are retrieved from 6. Further, when the service mode is not set, the databases 24 to 26 are not searched.

In step 7, the ID code extracted by the signal extraction means 22, the current position information of the vehicle obtained by the search of the database 23, and the road name information obtained by the search of the database 24 are one position information signal ( The position information) is transmitted from the transmission means 28 to the vehicle 10 via the Internet. This transmission is also performed every time the center side reception means 21 receives the transmission data 19. When the service mode is not set, the ID code and the current position information of the vehicle are transmitted from the transmission means 28 to the vehicle 10 via the Internet as one position information signal.

The vehicle side receiving means 15 of the vehicle 10 receives the position information signal transmitted from the transmitting means 28 and judges whether or not the ID code of the position information signal and the ID code of the vehicle 10 match. However, only when they match, the position information signal is output to the navigation device 17. The navigation device 17 displays the current position of the vehicle on the map displayed on the display device 16 based on the vehicle position information and the road name information of the position information signal, and displays the road name at that position. (Step 8).

Since the above operation is performed every time the vehicle 10 travels by one bit, the current position of the vehicle is indicated by the display device 1.
It will be displayed one by one on the map of 6. Further, since the current position of the vehicle 10 is obtained by detecting the magnetic marker 2, the position of the vehicle 10 can be specified accurately.

In the above embodiment, the databases 23 to 2
6 is provided in the information center 20 and the position of the vehicle 10 is searched for in the information center 20, so that it is possible to reduce the size and weight of the device for the position information detection system mounted on the vehicle. Moreover, since a large computer can be installed in the information center 20, the vehicle 1
The search process for the position 0 can be performed in a short time. Further, when a road is newly installed, it is only necessary to update the databases 23 to 26 of the information center 20, so that the new road can be dealt with immediately and the position on the new road can be easily acquired.

In the above embodiment, the databases 23-2 are used.
6 and the server 30 are separate, but the databases 23 to 26, the center side reception means 21, the transmission means 28 and the like may be incorporated in the server 30. Further, although the magnetic marker 2 is used in the above-described embodiment, it may be a radio wave generator, a light generator, a reflectance changer, or the like.

The road 1 may be a general road,
Further, the vehicle 10 may be an automated guided vehicle (AGV) or the like.
Further, although the ID code is used to identify the vehicle 10, if the individual vehicle 10 can be identified by the communication protocol, the ID code is unnecessary.

[0045]

According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the size and weight of a device mounted on a moving body. Moreover, since a large-sized computer can be installed in the information center, the search processing of the position of the moving body can be performed in a short time. Further, when a road is newly constructed, it is only necessary to update the database of the information center, so that the new road can be dealt with immediately and the position on the new road can be easily obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram schematically showing the configuration of a position information detection system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view conceptually showing an example of an array of polarities of magnetic markers embedded in a road.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a magnetic marker embedded in a road and a vehicle.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle-mounted device mounted on a vehicle.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing contents of transmission data.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an information center.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the position information detection system.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 highway (road) 2 Magnetic marker (marker) 10 vehicle (moving body) 20 Information Center

Claims (11)

[Claims] 1. A database in which position information and detection information are associated with each other is placed in an information center, and detection information obtained by a moving body is transmitted to the information center, and the information center uses the received detection information as a basis. A position information detecting method, characterized in that corresponding position information is obtained from a database and the obtained position information is transmitted to the mobile body. 2. The position information detecting method according to claim 1, wherein the detection information is a detection signal obtained by detecting a marker attached to the road at predetermined intervals. 3. The markers are attached to the road one bit at a predetermined interval, and the detection signal has a predetermined number of bits and one information unit. Location information detection method described in. 4. The position information detecting method according to claim 3, wherein the detection signal is an M-series code, and different signals are obtained by shifting by 1 bit. 5. The position information detecting method according to claim 1, wherein the information center adds other information to the position information and transmits the position information. 6. The position information detecting method according to claim 5, wherein the other information is added only when the mobile body requests the other information. 7. An information center is provided with a database in which position information and detection information are associated with each other to form a database, and detection information transmitting means for transmitting detection information obtained by traveling of the moving body to a server is provided in the moving body, The information center includes a search unit that searches the database for position information based on the detection information transmitted to the server, and a position information transmission unit that transmits the searched position information to the mobile body. A position information detection system comprising position information receiving means for receiving the position information transmitted from the position information transmitting means. 8. The detection information is a detection signal obtained by detecting a marker attached to a road at predetermined intervals, and the moving body is provided with a detecting means for detecting the marker. Item 7. The position information detection system according to item 7. 9. A moving body mounting apparatus, comprising the detection information transmitting means and the position information receiving means according to claim 7, and mounted on the moving body. 10. The detection information is a detection signal obtained by detecting a marker attached to a road at predetermined intervals, and the marker is attached to the road at 1 bit intervals at predetermined intervals to detect the marker. The moving body mounting apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising means. 11. The database according to claim 7, the search means, the position information transmission means, and the detection information receiving means for receiving the detection information transmitted from the moving body, and installed in the information center. A server device characterized by the above.