JP2000298034A - Infrared communication system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize a system providing navigation information which is usable for a pedestrian by using infrared signal under special conditions such as in- house. SOLUTION: A transmission side controller 15 transmits position information by IrDA signal to a plurality of transmission module parts 11 arranged in a station yard. When a pedestrian having a PDA moves in the station yard, PDA receives the position information transmitted from the transmission module parts 11. Then, a reception side controller informs the received position information and the map information of the station house stored in the memory with LCD and speaker/earphone.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an infrared communication system for transmitting position information using an infrared signal when a user carrying a portable information terminal moves within a predetermined area.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art At present, PHS and GPS (Global Position
PDA (Personal Digital Assistan)
(ts: portable information terminal), services such as introduction of shops in the area of the PHS base station or around the current position and extraction of map information are provided. Such a service provided by the PHS is based on the fact that the service area covered by one base station is smaller than that of a mobile phone device or the like, and aims to provide more detailed information in a narrow range.

For example, FIG. 16 shows a PHS transmission / reception system applied to an underground shopping mall. In this case, PH
The service is provided by installing a plurality of S base stations 1 in the underground mall 2. However, FIG.
In the system of No. 6, since the area covered by one base station 1 is about several hundreds of meters, the user carrying the PDA 3 cannot specify the position within the large area.

On the other hand, as a service using the GPS, there is a car navigation system (car navigation) as shown in FIG. In car navigation, GP in satellite orbit
In order to correct the error included in the GPS signal transmitted from the S satellite 4, the base station 5 on the ground transmits the error, and the mobile station 6 receives the error information transmitted from the beacon or the FM character multiplex radio in real time. I am trying to do it. Then, DGPS (Differential GlobalPositive) that improves accuracy by canceling errors included in GPS data
tioning System). In addition, the accuracy of the navigation information is further improved by determining the traveling direction of the mobile station using a gyro compass and performing map matching.

[0005] However, there are cases where a GPS signal cannot be received because it is shielded in a tunnel or indoors. In addition, the navigation information may be erroneously recognized as having an adjacent road, etc. In addition, since the accuracy of the position information is limited, the route search only corresponds to the main road, and the optimal It is not always possible to search for a route (the shortest route).

Accordingly, assuming that a navigation system (portable navigation system) that can be used by pedestrians is realized using such a system,
Choosing the best route for pedestrians is difficult,
In addition, it is necessary to carry a relatively large device, which is not practical.

[0007]

As described above, in order to realize portable navigation, it is necessary to know the current position with an accuracy of about several meters.
The system using S does not provide the required accuracy. The communication frequency used in PHS and GPS is 1.
Since the frequency is 9 GHz and 1.5 GHz, an RF unit for processing a high-frequency signal is required, and a modulation / demodulation circuit is generally complicated, and functions such as power control and frequency control are also required. It is unavoidable to increase the size, and it has been difficult to reduce the size and power consumption.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a system for providing navigation information that can be used by pedestrians using infrared signals under specific conditions, for example, indoors. The realization is at cost.

[0009]

According to the infrared communication system according to the first aspect, the transmitting-side control means transmits the position of each transmitting means in the predetermined area to a plurality of transmitting means arranged in the predetermined area. Information is transmitted by an infrared signal.
When the user carrying the portable information terminal moves within the predetermined area, the receiving means of the portable information terminal receives the position information transmitted by the plurality of transmitting means. Then
The receiving side control means causes the notifying means to notify the received position information and the map information in the predetermined area stored in the storage means.

Therefore, the user can easily grasp where in the predetermined area he or she is currently located, by using the map information and the position information. By arranging a large number of transmitting means in the predetermined area, it is possible to give a resolution (for example, about several meters) sufficient for pedestrians to use the position information. In addition, the use of the infrared signal simplifies the configuration on the transmission side and the reception side, so that a system for providing navigation information can be configured at low cost.

[0011] According to the infrared communication system of the second aspect, the receiving side control means causes the notifying means to notify the specific position information on the store and the like together with the map information. Position setting and the like can be performed more easily. In addition, stores and the like that exist in the predetermined area are often replaced within a relatively short period of time, so by holding such information separately from the map information as specific position information and updating as necessary, It is possible to obtain information on the inside of the predetermined area as close to the current state as possible.

According to the infrared communication system of the third aspect, when the target position information is set,
Since the route data is read from the storage means, the route from the current position to the destination position is determined, and the notification is performed based on the determined route, the user may follow any route to the destination position. Can be known in detail.

According to the infrared communication system of the fourth aspect, the portable information terminal does not have a compass, or even if it has a compass, it cannot be used due to the influence of a magnetic field formed in the surrounding environment. Even in this case, the direction determining means can determine the moving direction based on the reception history of the position information. Then, the receiving side control means causes the notifying means to perform notification based on the determined moving direction, so that the user can more specifically know how to move to the target position. Become.

According to the infrared communication system of the present invention, the data stored in the storage means is transmitted by the transmission-side control means and written by the reception-side control means. State can be updated. Therefore, the user can cope with a change in a store or the like within the predetermined area without hesitation.

According to the infrared communication system of the present invention, since the infrared signal is an IrDA signal, the system can be easily configured using a communication standard widely used for personal computers and the like.

According to the infrared communication system of the present invention, the plurality of transmitting means may be configured such that at least a part of the irradiation area of the infrared signal emitted from each of the plurality of transmitting means is at least in contact with a part of the irradiation area of the adjacent transmitting means. , The user moving within the predetermined area can receive the position information almost without interruption, and can always grasp his / her current position clearly.

According to the infrared communication system of the present invention, for example, in an area having a wide space such as a plaza in a predetermined area, the moving direction of a user having a portable information terminal, for example, a pedestrian, varies. Therefore, by disposing a plurality of transmitting means at relatively narrow intervals, it is possible to increase the resolution for position grasp and grasp various moving directions in detail. Conversely, in an area where the direction of movement of a pedestrian is expected to be limited, such as a passage in a predetermined area, the number of transmitters is reduced by arranging a plurality of transmission means at relatively wide intervals. An increase in cost can be suppressed.

According to the infrared communication system of the ninth aspect, the transmission-side control means is configured as a single unit that performs transmission control for a plurality of transmission means in an integrated manner.
The control means can be shared and configured at low cost.

In the infrared communication system according to the tenth aspect, the transmitting side control means controls the plurality of transmitting means to transmit position information including the absolute position detected by the GPS position detecting means. That is, when the transmission means is set as a predetermined area inside a moving body such as a train or a ship,
The position information transmitted by each of the plurality of transmission means is synthesized by combining absolute position information on the earth obtained from a GPS signal with the unique position information held by each transmission means and relative position information within a predetermined area. By creating, even when the moving body is moving, it is possible to provide the navigation information including the absolute position information.

[0020]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS First Embodiment Hereinafter, a first embodiment in which the infrared communication system of the present invention is applied to a system for navigating a station area as a predetermined area will be described with reference to FIGS. I will explain. 1 and 2 are schematic plan views of a station (for example, Tokyo Station) premises. In these FIGS. 1 and 2, the symbol "O" indicates IrDA (Infrared Data Associati
on) A transmission module (transmitting means) 11 for transmitting a signal (infrared signal), which indicates a position arranged on a ceiling in a station yard.

FIG. 3 shows an effective range in which an IrDA signal can be received. Since the infrared signal has higher rectilinearity than the radio wave signal, even if the arrangement interval of the transmission module units 11 is relatively narrow, the signals do not easily interfere with each other. For example, IrDA signal standards IrDA1.0, IrDA
According to DA1.1 and IrMC, the radiation angle of the infrared signal is specified as 30 °, and the effective range when receiving the IrDA signal at a position of about 2 m to 5 m from the ceiling is about 1.1 m to 2.7 m in diameter. Becomes Therefore, if the arrangement interval of the transmission module units 11 is set to 1.1 m to 2.7 m, the resolution of the position information obtained from each transmission module unit 11 is set to the same value.

At this time, a part of the effective reception range of each transmission module unit 11 is
Is arranged so as to be at least in contact with the effective reception range, the receiving side can obtain position information almost without interruption.

In the actual IrDA signal standard, since the transmission distance is specified to be up to 1 m, the transmission distance is about 2 m from the ceiling.
In order to receive an IrDA signal at a position of about 5 m, the transmission power of the transmission module unit 11 needs to be higher than the standard. Therefore, although the IrDA signal of the present embodiment is not the same signal as the IrDA standard (the signal format and the like are the same as the standard), the IrDA signal will be referred to hereinafter for convenience.

The position information is expressed using latitude and longitude. That is, for example, north latitude AB degree CD minute EF. GH seconds, east longitude IJK degrees LM minutes N
O. By expressing as PQ seconds, position information having a resolution of about 1 m can be provided. The expression using the latitude and longitude is used to cope with the case where a GPS signal is used, as will be described in detail in a later embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the transmitting side including the transmitting module unit 11. The transmission module 14, the transmission control unit 12 and the memory 13 constitute a transmission device 14. The memory 13 stores position information (1,
2, ...), map information on the station premises, shop information (specific location information) that is information on various shops on the station premises, image information (photos, etc.) about specific points on the station premises, and route search For example, route search data and the like to be used for the search are stored.

The transmission control unit 12 is composed mainly of a microcomputer. Data stored in the memory 13 is multiplexed by a data multiplexing unit 15a and transmitted by a transmission side control unit (transmission side control means) 15. The data multiplexing unit 15a
This function may be regarded as an externalization of a function realized by software by the transmission side control unit 15). The transmission-side control unit 15 supplies the data read from the memory 13 at a constant period to the transmission module unit 11 via the modulation unit 16 and modulates the carrier of the infrared signal to transmit the Ir signal as an IrDA signal to the outside. I have.

Each transmission control unit 12 is connected to a main computer 19 via communication function units 17 and 18. The main computer 19 is connected to each transmitting device 1
When it becomes necessary to change the data stored in the memory 13 of No. 4, new data is transmitted to each transmission control unit 12. Then, the transmission side control unit 15 of each transmission control unit 12 writes the transmitted data in the memory 13 and updates it.

FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) 20 as a receiving device. The PDA 20 includes a receiving module unit (receiving means) 21 for receiving an IrDA signal and a receiving control unit 2.
2, a memory (storage means) 23 such as a RAM or an EEPROM, and the like. The reception module unit 21 receives the IrDA signal transmitted from the transmission module unit 11 of the transmission device 14 and outputs the IrDA signal to the demodulation unit 24 of the reception control unit 22.

The demodulation unit 24 demodulates and outputs information data of a position, a moving image / image, a shop, a map, and a route search from the received IrDA signal. The reception module 21 and the demodulation unit 24 are IrD
It goes without saying that the configuration of the A signal standard can be adopted as it is. The demodulated position information is provided to a reception-side control unit (reception-side control means) 25 and a speed calculation unit 26
And the azimuth calculation unit 27. Then, the position information is written and stored in the memory 23 by the reception-side control unit 25 as data on the trajectory of the actual movement of the pedestrian.

The speed calculation unit 26 measures the reception intervals of different position information data, measures the moving speed of the user (pedestrian) walking with the PDA 20, and outputs the calculation result to the reception-side control unit 25. It is supposed to.

The azimuth calculation unit (direction determination means) 27a of the azimuth calculation unit 27 calculates (determines) the movement azimuth of the pedestrian by analyzing the history of the position information data received by the reception module unit 21. ing. The azimuth calculation unit 27 is provided with azimuth information output from the electronic compass 28 as data via an azimuth information input unit 27b. And the azimuth calculation unit 2
Moving direction and direction information input unit 2 calculated by 7a
Any orientation information obtained through the interface 7b is provided to the orientation data switching unit 27c. The azimuth data switching unit 27c selects the azimuth information when the azimuth information of the electronic compass 28 is valid, and selects the moving azimuth obtained from the azimuth calculation unit 27a when the azimuth information is invalid. Output to the unit 25.

The azimuth calculation unit 27 can be connected to a portable telephone device 29. Then, when the power is turned on, the mobile phone device 29 performs position registration, and from the base station 30 whose position is registered (or from a service center to which a line is connected via the base station 30), the vicinity of the current position. It is possible to download and obtain images, shops, maps, and route search information data.

[0033] The version checking unit 31 is configured to transmit images, shops, maps, and the like obtained from the transmitting device 14 or the portable telephone device 29.
The version attached to each piece of information data of the route search is compared with the version of each piece of data already stored in the memory 23. Then, when the version of the data received this time is newer (or in the case of version 0 in which the data has not been stored yet), the received data is written in the memory 23 to be updated. . Further, the version checking unit 31 sends the latest version of data to the receiving side control unit 25 and the route calculation unit 3.
2 is output.

The receiving side control unit 25 superimposes shop information on the given map information of the station premises,
The current position information in the map is superimposed by a marker or the like and displayed on an LCD (notification means) 33 by an image or characters, and a speaker / earphone (notification means) 34
To notify the pedestrian as voice.
In addition, at the point where the image information is provided, the image data is displayed on the LCD 33.

An operation signal from an input key 35 operated by a pedestrian is given to the receiving side control unit 25,
A voice data signal is provided from the microphone 36 via the voice recognition unit 37. And the pedestrian is L
When the destination (destination position) in the station yard is determined by looking at the display of the map or the shop list on the CD 33 or listening to the information by the sound of the speaker / earphone 34, the destination is designated by the input key 35 ( Alternatively, it is designated by voice using the microphone 36). The data of the designated destination is written and stored in the memory 23 by the receiving side control unit 25.

When the pedestrian wants to incorporate the current position into the route to the destination as a waypoint, the pedestrian can designate the waypoint with the input key 35 or the like. The data is written and stored in the memory 23 by the control unit 25. This route data is used, for example, when a user wants to go through a route via a small road that is leaked from the route search information. Also, the present invention can be used in a case where a user once arrives at a destination and wishes to return the current route in a reverse direction and return.

The route calculation unit 3 of the route calculation unit 32
2a calculates the route from the current position to the destination by referring to the position information, the destination data, and the route data if set, in addition to the information obtained from the version checking unit 31. It has become. The calculated route is written and stored in the memory 23 as route data.

When the setting is made to use the route data already stored in the memory 23, the route switching unit 32b reads out the stored data and outputs the data to the reception-side control unit 25, and If not, the route data calculated this time by the route calculation unit 32a is output to the reception-side control unit 25.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
This will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the control contents of the reception control unit 22. In FIG. 6, the reception control unit 22
When receiving the IrDA signal transmitted from the
It is determined as "YES" in 1 and each information is acquired (step S2). Here, the acquisition of each information means that the data of the IrDA signal demodulated by the demodulation unit 24 is arranged in a reception data buffer (not shown).

Next, the reception-side control unit 25 of the reception control unit 22 determines whether or not the pedestrian has performed a marking operation using the input key 35 to make the current position into transit data (step S3). When the operation is performed, the position information is written and stored in the memory 23 as locus data and route data (step S4). Also,
If the marking operation has not been performed, the position information is written and stored in the memory 23 only as the transit data (step S5).

Subsequently, the receiving side controller 25 determines whether or not each information of the map, the shop, the route, and the image is already stored in the memory 23 (step S6), and the data is still stored. If not, all the data of each information received this time is written into the memory 23 (step S8).
If such data has already been stored, the version of the data stored in the memory 23 is compared with the version of the data of each information received this time, and the information of the new version of the received data is compared. Only memory 23
And update (step S7).

Then, the reception-side control section 25 selects and reads the one with the new version from the received data and the data in the memory 23 as in step S7 (step S9). If the versions are the same, the data in the memory 23 is read. That is, since the version data is added as a header of the information data, it is only necessary to first read only the header part from the demodulation circuit 24 and compare the versions. When the versions are the same, it is preferable to obtain data from the memory 23 from which data can be read faster.

Next, the azimuth calculation unit 27 determines the traveling direction of the pedestrian (step S10). The azimuth calculation unit 27a determines the traveling direction based on the trajectory data in the memory 23. For example, in FIG. 1, if the trajectory of the pedestrian changes from “10”, “20”,... Starting from the position “00” to the north (for example, it can be determined from the map information), “ 01 ”,“ 02 ”,... East,“ 11 ”,“ 22 ”,.
"10", "21", ... or "11", "21", ...
If it changes, it can be determined as north-northeast, etc.

The azimuth data switching unit 27c compares the data obtained from the azimuth calculation unit 27a and the azimuth information input unit 27b, for example, and determines that the electronic compass 28 has output appropriate azimuth information. In this case, information from the electronic compass 28 from which a more detailed orientation can be obtained is employed. In addition, the electronic compass 28 is affected by the magnetic field formed in the surrounding environment, so that the direction information input unit 27b
In the case where the azimuth information obtained from the azimuth calculation unit 27a is significantly different from the azimuth obtained from the azimuth calculation unit 27a, the information from the azimuth calculation unit 27a is adopted.

Next, the reception-side control unit 25 determines whether or not the pedestrian has performed a marking operation for setting a destination on a map or a list displayed on the LCD 33 with the input key 35, or It is determined by a flag or the like whether a destination has already been set (step S1).
1). When the marking operation is performed, the data of the set destination is written and stored in the memory 23. Subsequently, the route calculating unit 32a of the route calculating unit 32
A route search from the current position to the destination position is performed (step S12). If the destination has already been set, the process directly proceeds to step S12, and if the destination has not been set at that time, “NO” is determined and the process proceeds to step S13.

In step S12, the route calculation unit 3
As described above, 2a uses the route data already stored in the memory 23 or outputs the newly calculated route data to the reception-side control unit 25. The calculation of the route data (route search) is performed by using the current position or the route data and the destination stored in the memory 23, and the route search information existing between them, so as to optimize the route from the current position to the destination. The route (eg, the shortest) is searched for and determined.

When the route is determined in step S12, the data of the determined route is transmitted to the receiving side controller 2.
5 is output. Then, the receiving-side control unit 25
33, the shop information and the like are superimposed and displayed on the map information centered on the current position, and the route based on the determined route is displayed so as to be instructed by a marker or a character (step S13). If there is image information corresponding to the current position, the image (photo data or the like) is displayed as a still image or a moving image. When displaying as a moving image, the receiving side control unit 25
The image is switched according to the calculated pedestrian moving speed.

Subsequently, when route guidance (navigation guidance) is performed by voice using the speaker / earphone 34 (step S14), the process shifts to step S1 and waits until the next new position information is received.

Here, the pedestrian carrying the PDA 20
An example in which navigation guidance is performed when moving along courses 1 and 2 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 will be described. <Course 1> In Course 1, starting from position "00" (underground), pedestrians set the platform No. 2 of Tokyo Station line 5 (bound for Nagoya Shinkansen) (position "CA", see FIG. 2) as the destination. This is the case. Then, the route calculation unit 32
The route indicated by the arrow of course 1 is calculated based on the route search information. Then, the receiving-side control unit 25 provides navigation guidance based on the calculated route.

In the vicinity of the platform in the station yard, there is a place where a high-voltage current flows, so that the electronic compass 28
Is disabled. When the PDA 20 detects the position “0”
When the position information transmitted from the transmitting device 14 corresponding to 1 ”,“ 02 ”,... Has been received, the direction calculation unit 27 determines that the traveling direction of the pedestrian is east,
The receiving-side control unit 25 includes, for example, a speaker / earphone 34
Gives guidance by voice saying "Please go straight."
In addition, an arrow or the like is displayed on the screen of the LCD 33 to visually notify the traveling direction.

When the PDA 20 receives the position information corresponding to the position “07”, the receiving side control unit 25 gives a guidance “Please turn left”. Next, PD
When A20 receives the position information corresponding to the positions “17”, “27”,..., The direction calculation unit 27 determines that the traveling direction of the pedestrian is north. , "Please go straight" and give guidance by voice.

When the PDA 20 receives the position information corresponding to the position “47” in front of the ticket gate, the receiving side control unit 25
"Shinkansen ticket gate, please prepare a Shinkansen ticket"
And give guidance. Pedestrians go straight to the north,
When receiving the position information corresponding to the position "B7" having the fifth and sixth lines, the receiving-side control unit 25 provides guidance such as "Please climb the right stairs". Then, when the pedestrian climbs the stairs and receives the position information corresponding to the position "BA", the receiving-side control unit 25 provides guidance that "the vehicle has arrived at the No. 5, No. 2 car Nagoya platform".

When the traveling direction of the pedestrian changes from, for example, north to east, the PD carried by the pedestrian is
The direction of A20 also changes by 90 °.
As shown in (a) and (b), the receiving side control unit 25
The control is performed so that the azimuth on the map of the CD 33 is displayed in a state in which it matches the actual azimuth. By performing such display,
Pedestrians may change their PDA20 when their direction of travel changes.
Without changing the destination, the destination is located ahead of the traveling direction on the LCD 33 screen, so that the situation can be easily determined.

<Course 2> Course 2 is located at position "-19".
XX is located in the underground shopping area where pedestrians continue to the station premises, starting from
X Shop Tokyo store (position "-82") is set as the destination. In this case, the memory 23 stores photo data for each point in the underground shopping mall, and the receiving-side control unit 25 causes the LCD 33 to display the photo data as follows.

The route calculation unit 32 calculates a route of the course 2 indicated by an arrow. When it is determined from the azimuth information of the electronic compass 28 that the traveling direction of the pedestrian is west, the receiving-side control unit 25 gives a voice guidance “Please go straight” using the speaker / earphone 34. And PD
A20 is a position "-" in front of a corner (position "-12").
When receiving the position information corresponding to 13 ", the reception-side control unit 25 provides guidance such as" Please turn left at the next corner ". Also, when it comes to the turning position “−12”, the receiving-side control unit 25 causes the LCD 33 to display the photograph data of the XXX shop Tokyo store entrance read from the memory 23.

Subsequently, when the direction of travel of the pedestrian is determined to be south based on the azimuth information of the electronic compass 28, the receiving side control unit 25
Gives guidance by voice saying "Please go straight." When the position reaches “−62”, the receiving side control unit 25
Gives the guidance that "the XXX shop Tokyo store will soon be seen on the left side", and causes the LCD 33 to display the photograph data near the XXX shop.

Then, when reaching the position "-82",
The receiving-side control unit 25 provides guidance such as “XXX shop Tokyo store” and causes the LCD 33 to display photograph data of the XXX shop.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the transmission-side control section 15 causes the plurality of transmission module sections 11 arranged in the station yard to transmit the position information by the IrDA signal.
When the pedestrian carrying the PDA 20 moves within the station premises, when the PDA 20 receives the position information transmitted from the transmission module section 11, the reception-side control section 25 stores the received position information and the memory 23 in the memory 23. The stored map information of the station premises and the LCD 33 and the speaker / earphone 34
To be notified.

Therefore, the pedestrian can easily grasp where he or she is currently located in the station premises by combining the map information and the position information. By arranging a large number of transmission module units 11 in the station premises, it is possible to give a resolution of about 1 m sufficient for pedestrians to the position information. Further, since an infrared signal having the same format as the IrDA signal standardized for use in a personal computer or the like is used, the PHS
The circuit configuration on the transmission side and the reception side is simpler than that using radio wave signals as described above, so that miniaturization and low power consumption can be easily achieved. Can be configured at cost.

Further, since the azimuth calculating unit 27a calculates the azimuth of the pedestrian by analyzing the history of the position information data received by the receiving module unit 21, the electronic compass 28 is formed in the surrounding environment. The moving direction can be determined based on the reception history of the position information data even when the moving direction cannot be used due to the influence of the magnetic field. Then, the receiving-side control unit 25 causes the LCD 33 and the speaker / earphone 34 to perform a notification such as “Please turn left” based on the determined moving direction.
Pedestrians can more specifically know how to move to the destination.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the plurality of transmitting module units 11 are arranged such that a part of the irradiation region of the infrared signal emitted from each of the transmitting module units 11 is in contact with a part of the irradiation region of the adjacent transmitting module unit 11. Since the pedestrians are located, the pedestrian who moves in the station premises can receive the position information almost without interruption, and can always grasp his / her current position clearly.

When the destination is set, the receiving-side control unit 25 reads the route data from the memory 23, determines a route from the current position to the destination position, and issues a notification based on the determined route. Therefore, the pedestrian can know in detail what route should be followed to the destination position.

Further, since the reception-side control unit 25 causes the shop information to be displayed on the LCD 33 together with the map information, the pedestrian can more easily specify his / her current position and set the destination position. Further, since the shops are often replaced within a relatively short period of time, the shop information is stored in the memory 23 separately from the map information,
Is transmitted from the transmitting device 14, and the receiving-side control unit 25 writes and stores the information data.
The data on the PDA 20 can be updated to the latest state.

Therefore, the PDA 20 can hold the information on the station premises including the map information as close to the current state as possible, so that the pedestrian is not required to change the shop or the premises itself in the station premises. But we can respond without hesitation.

(Second Embodiment) FIG. 8 shows a second embodiment of the present invention, in which the same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted. I do. In the second embodiment, the transmission device 1 in the first embodiment
4, the memory 13 and the transmission side control unit 15 are shared.
Memory 38 and transmission side control unit (transmission side control means) 3
9 to form the transmission device 40.

The memory 38 stores position information (1, 2,..., N) corresponding to each position of the transmission module unit 11. Each transmission module 1
1 is provided with a port for outputting a signal, and the transmission-side control unit 39 sends the position information (1,
2,..., N) are read out and output to the corresponding transmission module units 11 via the respective modulation units 16.

According to the second embodiment configured as described above, by sharing the memory 38 and the transmission side control unit 39, the transmission device 40 can be configured at a smaller scale and at lower cost.

(Third Embodiment) FIG. 9 shows a third embodiment of the present invention. The same parts as those of the second embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description will be omitted. I do. In the third embodiment, the transmitting device 4 in the second embodiment is used.
The transmission device 43 is configured by replacing the 0 modulation unit 16 with a common modulation unit 41 and disposing a switching unit 42 such as a switch between the modulation unit 41 and each transmission module unit 11. It is. Also, the transmission side control unit 3
Reference numeral 9 is replaced by a transmission-side control unit (transmission-side control unit) 39a having one output port connected to the modulation unit 41.

According to the third embodiment configured as described above, by using the common modulating unit 41, the transmitting device 4
3 can be made smaller and at lower cost.

(Fourth Embodiment) FIG. 10 shows a fourth embodiment of the present invention, in which the infrared communication system of the present invention is applied to an indoor parking lot. That is, the transmission module units 11 are arranged in a lattice on the ceiling of the parking lot as in the first embodiment, and the transmission module units (transmission units) are provided not only for the path of the automobile 44 but also for the position corresponding to the parking space 45. Means) 11 'are arranged.

The transmitting module 11 'corresponding to the position of each parking space 45 includes a light receiving element, not specifically shown. When the vehicle 44 is parked in the parking space 45 and the transmitted IrDA signal is reflected by the vehicle 44 and the light is received by the light receiving element, the transmission module 11 ′ transmits the detection signal to the transmission side controller 15.
, And the transmission-side control unit 15 is configured to be able to determine the vacant state of each parking space 45. Then, when the vehicle arrives at the entrance (position) of the parking lot (for example, it can be determined by the transmission module unit 11 ′), the transmission side control unit 15 also transmits the empty information to the PDA 2.
The data is transmitted to the 0 side.

Next, an example of navigation guidance (guidance of the automobile 44) in the fourth embodiment will be described. Now, it is assumed that there is an empty space in the parking space 45A (position). When the car 44A arrives at the entrance (position) of the parking lot, the PDA brought into the car 44A
Based on the information obtained from the transmitting device 14, the receiving-side control unit 25 of 20 notifies the driver by voice such as "There is a space for one vehicle".

When the vehicle 44A travels straight from the entrance and reaches the position, the receiving-side control section 25 informs the user that "turn left". Further, the receiving side control unit 25 controls the vehicle 4
When the 4A reaches the position, "turn right" and when the car 44A reaches the position, "turn left"
When the vehicle 44A reaches the position, it notifies that "there is a space on the fourth vehicle on the right".

As described above, according to the fourth embodiment, the infrared communication system of the present invention can
, It is possible to accurately guide the automobile 44A to the vacant parking space 45A. That is, since the parking interval of the automobile 44 is usually about several meters, it is extremely difficult to configure such a system using PHS or GPS signals, but it is necessary to use IrDA signals excellent in straightness. Thus, a system configuration as in the fourth embodiment can be realized.

The transmission module 11 'is provided with a light receiving element, and the transmission control unit 15 is configured to be able to determine the vacant state of each parking space 45, so that the car 44 can be guided more efficiently. Can be.

(Fifth Embodiment) FIGS. 11 and 12 show a fifth embodiment of the present invention. In the first embodiment, the transmitting module units 11 are arranged in a grid at equal intervals L1, but
In the fifth embodiment, the arrangement interval of the transmission module units 11 is changed between a place where the space is relatively large and a place where the space is narrow.

That is, for example, even in a station yard, in a place with a large space such as a concourse, the direction of movement of a pedestrian is diversified, and therefore, as shown in FIG. The radiation angle is reduced to about 20 °. In this case, at a position approximately 2 to 5 m from the ceiling,
The effective range when receiving rDA signal is about 0.7m in diameter
~ 1.8m. Therefore, it is possible to further narrow the interval between the arrangement of the transmission module units 11 (L2), and it is possible to grasp various moving directions of the pedestrian in detail.

On the other hand, in a narrow passage or the like for going through the ticket gate to the platform, the moving direction of the pedestrian is often limited to the direction along the passage. Interval L1 when about 30 °
Place with

As described above, according to the fifth embodiment, the arrangement interval of the transmission module units 11 is set to L2 which is relatively short in a place having a large space such as a concourse, and conversely, in a passage or the like, Since it is arranged with a relatively long L1, PD
In an area where the moving direction of the pedestrian carrying the A20 is expected to be diverse, it is possible to increase the resolution for grasping the position and grasp the various moving directions in detail. In an area where the direction is assumed to be limited, the number of installations can be reduced, so that an increase in cost can be suppressed.

(Sixth Embodiment) FIG. 13 shows a sixth embodiment of the present invention. In the sixth embodiment, the arrangement state of the transmission module unit 11 in the first embodiment is set to L every other row.
By displacing by １ ／, they are arranged in a so-called zigzag pattern. That is, based on an even column in the north direction,
The arrangement of the odd rows is shifted by L1 / 2 to the north. Even in such a case, the same effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained.

(Seventh Embodiment) FIGS. 14 and 15 show a seventh embodiment of the present invention. In the seventh embodiment, the transmission device 14 is arranged on the ceiling of a vehicle on the Shinkansen 46, with the predetermined area being inside a moving body such as the Shinkansen 46, for example. A GPS for receiving a GPS signal transmitted from a GPS satellite 47 is provided on the vehicle roof of the Shinkansen 46.
An antenna (GPS signal receiving means) 48 is provided, and the received GPS signal is provided to a GPS receiving device (GPS position detecting means) 49.

The GPS receiver 49 demodulates GPS signals received from three GPS satellites 47 in satellite orbit (three are sufficient if there is no need to detect altitude), and indicates the absolute position on the earth. Latitude and longitude are calculated. The GPS receiver 49 is communicably connected to the main computer 19 (not shown in FIG. 14), and transmits the calculated latitude and longitude data to the main computer 19 side.

Then, the main computer 19 receives the GP
The absolute position obtained from the S receiving device 49 plus the relative position in the vehicle in which each transmitting module unit 11 is arranged is used as the position information and transmitted by each transmitting device 14 via the communication function units 18 and 17. Transmit to the control unit 12. Therefore, the passenger carrying the PDA 20 in the vehicle of the Shinkansen 46 can grasp his / her current absolute position even while the Shinkansen 46 is running.

Also, by setting a destination station as a destination or a passing point in the PDA 20, when the destination station approaches, the receiving-side control unit 25 will say, "We will arrive at the XX station soon. Please prepare for getting off. ", And guidance (alarm) can be performed, and overtaking can be prevented.

Next, a guidance example (course 3) in the case where the Shinkansen 46 arrives at Tokyo Station Line 5 and changes to a conventional line will be described with reference to FIG. <Course 3> First, a destination and a timetable of a route having a destination are registered in the PDA 20 in advance (for example, a communication line is connected to the JR service center by the mobile phone device 29, and timetable data is downloaded). Then, when the receiving-side control unit 25 determines that the Shinkansen 46 has approached Tokyo Station based on the position information based on the GPS signal, "Soon is Tokyo Station, the next Tokaido Line Atami area is 7:30, 2:30.
It's a departure. "

When the Shinkansen 46 arrives at Tokyo Station, the route calculation unit 32 sets the route indicated by the arrow of course 3 based on the route search information, starting from the exit position of the No. 10 car and starting at the 7th line (position). After the calculation, the reception-side control circuit 25 provides navigation guidance based on the calculated route.

At the position, the receiving-side control unit 25 provides guidance such as "go to the right", and at the position, provide guidance "soon to be the stairs, please be careful down". When the pedestrian carrying the PDA 20 descends the stairs and reaches the position, the reception-side control unit 25 provides guidance such as "Please turn left" and "Please climb the left stairs" at the position. Then, when the pedestrian climbs the stairs and reaches the position, the reception-side control unit 25 sets the “left side, 7
We arrived at the line, the Tokaido line going down at 2:30, we have 5 minutes later. "

As described above, according to the seventh embodiment, the transmitting-side control unit 15 transmits the position information to the transmitting device 14 disposed in the vehicle of the Shinkansen 46 based on the GPS signal received by the GPS receiving device 49. Is transmitted, the position information transmitted by each transmission module 11 is used as the GPS signal, the absolute position information on the earth, and the unique position information held by each transmission module 11 as relative position information of the vehicle. By combining and creating, it is possible to provide navigation information that allows the absolute position to be grasped even when the Shinkansen 46 is traveling.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above and shown in the drawings, and the following modifications or extensions are possible. In the first embodiment, when it is not assumed that a GPS signal is used as in the seventh embodiment, the position information transmitted from the transmission device 14 may be relative position information in a station yard. In such a case, the data amount can be reduced. The portable telephone device 29 can be connected to the PDA 20 only if necessary. Alternatively, the function of the PDA 20 may be incorporated in the mobile phone device. Each transmission module unit 11 is not necessarily Ir
Transmission module unit 1 in which the effective reception range of DA signal is adjacent
It is not necessary to arrange at an interval such that a part thereof overlaps or touches the effective range (particularly, a region such as a passage where there is no problem even if the resolution of the position information is reduced).

The information stored in the memory 23 may be at least only the map information, and the other information may be stored as needed. The information stored in the memory 23 is
Not necessarily received from the transmitting device 14 or the mobile phone device 29
, And may be fixed data.
Further, when other information is received from the transmitting device 14 together with the position information, the information in the memory 23 may be unconditionally updated. In addition, when other information is received from the transmitting device 14 together with the position information, the information is normally determined to be the latest version without any problem. Only when only position information is obtained from, the memory 23 may be accessed to obtain such information. In the flowchart of FIG. 6, the part for performing the azimuth calculation is described as being serially executed for convenience of description.
If the function for performing the azimuth calculation is independent, it may be executed in parallel with the other functions.

The display direction switching of the map as shown in FIG.
It may be performed when a setting operation is performed by the input key 35. If the infrared signal transmission distance is 1 m and a sufficient use form or use environment is assumed, an IrDA signal according to the standard may be used. The infrared signal is IrD
The signal is not limited to the A signal, and may be a signal of another standard. The portable information terminal may be a moving direction determining means or an electronic compass 2
Either one of them may be provided, or one for performing these direction determinations may be provided as necessary. The moving object may be an automobile or a ship.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a station yard, showing a first embodiment when the present invention is applied to a navigation system in a station yard (part 1).

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of a station yard (part 2).

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an effective range in which an IrDA signal can be received;

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a transmission side.

FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the PDA.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing control contents of a reception control unit.

FIG. 7 shows a map display of the LCD on the PDA, (a) when the PDA is facing north, (b) when the PDA is facing east from the state of (a).

FIG. 8 is a view corresponding to FIG. 4, showing a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a view corresponding to FIG. 4, showing a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a plan view of an indoor parking lot showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a view corresponding to FIG. 1, showing a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 3;

FIG. 13 illustrates a sixth embodiment of the present invention, and illustrates an arrangement state of a transmission module unit.

FIG. 14 is a view showing a seventh embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a Shinkansen vehicle.

FIG. 15 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 1;

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a conventional technique (part 1);

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a conventional technique (part 2);

[Explanation of symbols]

11, 11 'are transmission module units (transmission means), 15 is a transmission side control unit (transmission side control means), 20 is a PDA (portable information terminal), 21 is a reception module unit (reception means),
23 is a memory (storage means), 25 is a reception-side control unit (reception-side control means), 27a is an azimuth calculation unit (direction determination means),
33 is an LCD (notifying means), 34 is a speaker / earphone (notifying means), 39 and 39a are transmitting control units (transmitting control means), 48 is a GPS antenna (GPS signal receiving means), and 49 is a GPS receiving device ( (GPS position detecting means).

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification code FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) H04M 11/08 F term (Reference) 2F029 AA02 AA04 AA07 AB07 AB13 AC02 AC04 AC08 AC13 AC14 AC18 AC20 5H180 AA01 AA21 AA25 AA30 BB02 CC02 FF05 FF10 FF22 FF25 FF27 FF33 KK07 5K002 AA01 AA03 FA03 GA00 GA05 GA06 5K101 LL12 LL16 NN18 9A001 CC05 JJ11 JJ77 JZ72 JZ78

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of transmitting means arranged in a predetermined area for transmitting an infrared signal, and transmission for controlling each of the plurality of transmitting means to transmit position information of each transmitting means in the predetermined area. Side control means, notifying means for notifying a user, receiving means for receiving position information transmitted by the plurality of transmitting means, and storage means for storing map information in the predetermined area. A portable information terminal comprising: a receiving side control unit that controls the notifying unit to notify the position information received by the receiving unit and the map information in the predetermined area stored in the storage unit. And an infrared communication system. 2. The storage means further stores specific position information of a store or the like existing in the predetermined area, and the receiving side control means also notifies the specific position information together with the map information. The infrared communication system according to claim 1, wherein the control is performed so as to be notified by the following. 3. The storage means stores route data for route search, and the receiving-side control means sets target position information,
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the route data is read from the storage unit to determine a route from a current position to the destination position, and the notifying unit performs notification based on the determined route. Infrared communication system. 4. The portable information terminal further includes a direction determining unit that determines a moving direction based on a history of the position information received by the receiving unit, wherein the receiving side control unit determines the moving direction. The infrared communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the notification is performed by the notification unit based on a moving direction. 5. The data stored in the storage means is transmitted by the transmission-side control means, and is written into the storage means by the reception-side control means having received the transmitted data. The infrared communication system according to claim 1. 6. The infrared communication system according to claim 1, wherein the infrared signal is an IrDA signal. 7. The plurality of transmitting units are arranged such that at least a part of an irradiation region of an infrared signal emitted from each of the plurality of transmitting units is at least in contact with a part of an irradiation region of an adjacent transmitting unit. The infrared communication system according to claim 1. 8. The plurality of transmitting means are arranged at relatively narrow intervals in an area where diversity is assumed in the moving direction of the person holding the portable information terminal, and the moving direction of the holder is limited. The infrared communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the infrared communication system is arranged at a relatively wide interval in an area assumed to be. 9. The infrared device according to claim 1, wherein the transmission-side control unit is configured as one unit that performs transmission control for the plurality of transmission units in an integrated manner. Communications system. 10. A GPS signal receiving means for receiving a GPS signal, and a GPS position detecting means for detecting an absolute position on the earth based on the GPS signal received by the GPS signal receiving means, 10. The side control unit according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the plurality of transmission units to transmit position information including an absolute position detected by the GPS position detection unit. Infrared communication system.