JP2001136561A - Method and system for position retrieval - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem of a slave device fitted to a moving body becoming large-sized, is fitted inconveniently to the moving body and increases in cost, since the slave device is so constituted as to conduct two-way communication with a master device for a conventional position retrieval system. SOLUTION: Base stations are installed at prescribed intervals in a specific area where position retrieval is carried out and the specific area is divided into polygonal cells having the base stations at their vertexes; and a base station having received a signal of intensity equal to or larger than a specific threshold among base stations, having received a signal specifying a call made by a transmission device fitted to a moving body moving in the specific area is retrieved, cells having the retrieved base station at their vertexes are selected and it is decided that the moving body is present in the cell having the highest appearance frequency among the selected cells.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a position search method and a position search system for searching for a position of a person or an object moving in a specific area.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, when a child gets lost in a facility such as an amusement park or an event hall, generally, a call is made by broadcasting, or a guardian or facility staff walks around the facility to search. Was. However, recently, facilities such as amusement parks and event venues have become larger,
With the above search method, it takes time to find a lost child. Therefore, from the viewpoint of reducing the workload of facility staff and the mental burden of parents and the safety of children, a position search system (position display system) for searching for a lost child in a short time is disclosed in No. 186622.

In this position search system, a plurality of slave units (transmitting devices) attached to a lost child are distinguished from each other by codes that can be distinguished from other slave units. Then, the code (address number) of the slave unit is transmitted from the communication repeater, and the slave unit receiving the code transmits a response to the communication repeater. This confirms that the location of the lost child is near the communication repeater.

[0004]

However, in the above-described conventional position search system, the slave unit (transmitting device) attached to the lost child is configured to be capable of two-way communication with the master unit. However, the size of the slave unit is increased, which is inconvenient to attach to a child or the like, and the manufacturing cost of the slave unit also increases.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and can search the position of a person or an object in a short time, and can reduce the size of a transmitting device attached to the person or an object. It is an object of the present invention to obtain a position search method and a position search system capable of achieving the following.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a position search method, wherein a plurality of base stations are installed at a predetermined interval in a specific area for performing a position search, and a plurality of base stations are located at the top of the specific area. Among the base stations that have received a signal specifying an individual transmitted from a transmitting device attached to a moving object moving within a specific area, The base station that has received the signal of the strength is searched, a cell having the searched base station at the top is selected, and it is determined that the mobile is present in the cell having the highest appearance frequency among the selected cells. .

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a position search method, wherein a plurality of base stations are installed at predetermined intervals in a specific area for performing a position search, and the specific area is a polygonal cell having a plurality of base stations as vertices. Search for a base station that has received a signal specifying an individual transmitted from a transmitting device attached to a mobile body moving within a specific area, and select a cell having the searched base station at the top. Then, it is determined that the moving object exists in the cell having the highest appearance frequency among the selected cells.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a position search system which is attached to a moving body moving in a specific area for performing a position search and transmits a signal for specifying an individual.
A plurality of base stations installed at predetermined intervals in a specific area, and a specific area divided into polygonal cells having a plurality of base stations as vertices, and a base station that has received a signal transmitted from a transmitting device. Among them, search for a base station that has received a signal having a strength equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold, select a cell having the searched base station as a vertex, and move to a cell having the highest appearance frequency among the selected cells. And a control device for determining that the body is present.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a position search system which is attached to a moving body moving in a specific area for performing a position search and transmits a signal for specifying an individual.
A plurality of base stations installed at predetermined intervals in a specific area, and the specific area is divided into polygonal cells having a plurality of base stations as vertices, and a base station that has received a signal transmitted from the transmitting device is And a control device for selecting a cell having the searched base station as a vertex, and determining that the mobile is present in a cell having the highest appearance frequency among the selected cells.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a position search system according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the position search system according to the embodiment of the present invention. In FIGS. 1 and 2, a transmitting device 1 is attached to a mobile object (for example, a child) such as a person or an object to be searched, and periodically transmits a specific signal (an individual signal) determined for each transmitting device 1. (Specifying signal). The transmitting device 1 includes a signal generator 1a that periodically generates a signal.
And a transmission section 1b for transmitting the signal generated by the signal generation section 1a. The transmitting device 1 is, for example, formed in a batch or in a batch shape and attached to a moving body.

A plurality of receiving apparatuses (base stations) 2-1 to 2-N
Are installed at predetermined intervals in a specific area (for example, an amusement park or event venue) where the location of a mobile object is searched.
This is for receiving a signal periodically transmitted from the transmitting device 1 through a wireless line. The plurality of receiving devices 2-1 to 2-1
Each of the 2-N includes a receiving unit 2a that receives a signal transmitted from the transmitting device 1.

The control device 3 includes a plurality of receiving devices 2-1 to 2
-N and a plurality of receiving devices 2-1 to 2-N
Is to search for the position of the moving object based on the received signal. The control device 3 responds to a search request from the input / output device 4 with a signal analysis unit 3a that analyzes signals received by the plurality of reception devices 2-1 to 2-N to search for the position of the moving object. And a control unit 3b for controlling the signal analysis of the signal analysis unit 3a. The input / output device 4 is connected to the control device 3 and, when searching for the position of the moving object,
A search request is output to the control device 3 by an operation of an operator, and a search result answer to the search request searched by the control device 3 is input (received).

Next, the operation will be described. FIG. 3 is a sequence diagram for explaining the operation (position search method) of the position search system according to the embodiment of the present invention. First, assuming that the position of a moving object such as a person or an object is searched,
The transmitting device 1 is attached to a moving body. Here, when attaching the transmitting device 1 to the moving object, it is necessary to associate the moving object and the transmitting device 1 one-to-one so as to search for the position of the moving object later. As a method of associating the mobile unit with the transmitting device 1, for example, when lending the transmitting device 1,
For example, it is conceivable to have a related person of the moving object (the person or the guardian if the moving object is a person, or the owner if the moving object is a thing) write a loan report.

The transmitting device 1 attached to the mobile body periodically transmits a specific signal determined for each transmitting device 1, and the plurality of receiving devices 2-1 to 2-N transmit the signal. It is always being received ((1) in FIG. 3).

When a person concerned with the moving object wants to search for the position of the moving object, for example, when a parent wants to search for a lost child, the operator operates the input / output device 4 to request the search. Data for specifying the transmitting device 1 attached to the moving object is input. When the data specifying the transmitting device 1 is input, the input / output device 4 outputs a search request for the transmitting device 1 to the control device 3.
Upon receiving the notification of the search request from the input / output device 4, the control unit 3b of the control device 3 sends the plurality of receiving devices 2 to the signal analysis unit 3a.
-1 to 2-N perform analysis of the received signal (FIG. 3
(2)).

Here, a method of searching for the position of the moving object by the signal analysis unit 3a (signal analysis method) will be described. FIG.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a relationship between a plurality of receiving devices and cells. As shown in FIG. 4, the specific area where the position of the moving object is searched is
A plurality of receiving devices 2-1 to 2 installed in the specific area
Divide into ranges with -N as the vertices. This range is called a cell. Also, a number is assigned to each of the plurality of cells. For example, a rectangular range surrounded by the receiving devices 2-1, 2, 5, 6, and 6 is determined as a cell A, and a rectangular range surrounded by the receiving devices 2-2, 3, 6, and 7 is determined as a cell B. deep.

In FIG. 4, a plurality of receiving devices 2-1 to 2-2 are provided.
-16 are installed at equal intervals in a specific area,
The cells A to I have a rectangular (square or rectangular) range having the vertexes of the plurality of receiving devices 2-1 to 2-16, but are not limited thereto.
1-2-16 may be installed at different intervals depending on the situation in the specific area (for example, an obstacle or the like),
Also, the cells A to I may be in a range of a triangle, a pentagon, or the like as long as the range is a polygon.

The signal analyzing unit 3a determines, among the plurality of receiving apparatuses 2 that have received a specific signal transmitted from the transmitting apparatus 1 for position search, the receiving apparatus 2 that has received a signal having a strength equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value. Search for. Incidentally, the strength of the threshold value of the reception signal of the receiving device 2 is determined in advance by examining the relationship between the signal receiving intensity of the receiving device 2 and the distance between the transmitting device 1 and the receiving device 2. When a signal having a strength equal to or larger than the threshold value is received, the setting is made so that the transmitting device 1 always exists in the cell to which the receiving device 2 contacts.

Next, the signal analyzing unit 3a determines that the transmitting device 1 to be searched exists in the cell in contact with the receiving device 2 that has received the signal having the strength equal to or higher than the predetermined threshold value, and Is created ((3) in FIG. 3). FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the position estimation list. As shown in FIG.
For example, assuming that the receiving devices 2-6, 7, 10, and 11 receive a signal having a strength equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold, the receiving devices 2-6, 7, 10, and 11 are in contact with the receiving devices 2-6, 7, 10, and 11 (the receiving device 2). −
A plurality of cells (with the vertices at 6, 7, 10, 11) are selected.

As shown in FIG. 4, a receiver 2-6 contacts cells A, B, D, and E, and a receiver 2-7 connects cells B,
C, E, and F, the receiving device 2-10 includes cells D, E,
G, H, and the receiving device 2-11 includes cells E, F, H,
In contact with I. The signal analysis unit 3a creates a position estimation list from the numbers (6, 7, 10, 11) of the receiving device 2 and the numbers (A to I) of the cells in contact with the receiving device 2.

The signal analysis unit 3a adds the cells with the same number among the plurality of cells in the created position estimation list, and searches for the cell that has been voted the most (the cell with the highest frequency of appearance). It is determined that the transmitting device 1 is located. In the example of FIG. 5, since the cell E has voted the most in four votes, it is determined that the transmitting device 1 searched for exists in the cell E.

If there is an obstacle or the like in the cell in which the transmitting device 1 to be interrogated exists, and one of the receiving devices 2 in contact with the cell cannot receive a signal having a strength equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold (for example, There is an obstacle in the cell E and the receiving device 2
Even if -6 cannot receive a signal having a strength equal to or higher than the predetermined threshold value), since the cell E has been voted the most in three votes, it can be determined that the searched transmitting device 1 exists in the cell E.

The control section 3b outputs the result of the cell (E) at the location of the moving body determined by the signal analysis section 3a to the input / output device 4 as a search result answer ((4) in FIG. 3). When the input / output device 4 receives the search result answer, the operator confirms the result, and then a clerk or the like searches for the moving body based on the search result answer.

As described above, according to this embodiment,
The receiving device 2 receives a specific signal transmitted from the transmitting device 1, and the signal analyzing unit 3 a of the control device 3 analyzes the signal to search for the position of the transmitting device 1. The position of the moving object attached to the device 1 can be searched in a short time. In addition, since the transmitting device 1 attached to the moving body only transmits the individually determined signal, the configuration of the transmitting device 1 can be reduced in size, and as a result, the transmitting device 1 can be transmitted to the moving body. The attachment becomes easy, and the manufacturing cost of the transmitting device 1 can be reduced.

Further, since the signals transmitted from the transmitting device 1 are received by the plurality of receiving devices 2-1 to 2-N, the transmitting output of the transmitting device 1 can be suppressed low. As a result, the transmitting device 1 Can be extended, and even if the reception state (reception environment) of the reception device 2 is deteriorated due to the influence of an obstacle or the like, the position of the moving object can be searched.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where the transmitting apparatus 1 is attached to a moving body by, for example, being incorporated in a batch has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Absent.

Also, as a method of using the present system, a case where a lost child is searched has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this case. And in a large parking lot, the transmitter 1
By attaching to the dashboard of a car, it can be used for managing the number of parked vehicles in each parking section.

Further, in the above embodiment, the receiving device 2
Receives a signal with a strength equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold,
Although the transmitting device 1 is determined to be present in the cell in contact with the receiving device 2, if the receiving device 2 receives a signal transmitted from the transmitting device 1, the receiving device 2 contacts the receiving device 2. You may comprise so that it may judge that the transmission device 1 exists in a cell. In this case, the transmitting device 1
Is set so that when the transmitting device 1 enters the cell in contact with the receiving device 2, the receiving device 2 can receive the signal from the transmitting device 1.

[0029]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, a plurality of base stations are installed at a predetermined interval in a specific area where a location search is performed, and the specific area has a plurality of base stations as vertices. Divided into polygonal cells, and among base stations that have received a signal specifying an individual transmitted from a transmitting device attached to a moving object moving within a specific area, a base station having a strength equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value The base station that has received the signal is searched, a cell having the searched base station at the top is selected, and it is determined that the mobile is present in the cell having the highest appearance frequency among the selected cells. The position of the mounted mobile unit can be searched in a short time, and the size of the transmitting device can be reduced. As a result, the mounting of the transmitting device to the mobile unit becomes easy, and Reduce manufacturing costs An effect that can be.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a location search method, wherein a plurality of base stations are installed at predetermined intervals in a specific area for performing a location search, and the specific area is a polygonal cell having a plurality of base stations as vertices. Search for a base station that has received a signal specifying an individual transmitted from a transmitting device attached to a mobile body moving within a specific area, and select a cell having the searched base station at the top. Then, since it is determined that the mobile unit exists in the cell having the highest appearance frequency among the selected cells, the position of the mobile unit attached to the transmitting device is searched for in a short time as in the first aspect of the present invention. And the size of the transmitting device can be reduced.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a position search system which is attached to a moving body moving in a specific area for performing a position search and transmits a signal for specifying an individual.
A plurality of base stations installed at predetermined intervals in a specific area, and a specific area divided into polygonal cells having a plurality of base stations as vertices, and a base station that has received a signal transmitted from a transmitting device. Among them, search for a base station that has received a signal having a strength equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold, select a cell having the searched base station as a vertex, and move to a cell having the highest appearance frequency among the selected cells. Since a control device for judging that a body is present is provided, the position of the moving object attached to the transmitting device can be searched in a short time, and the structure of the transmitting device can be reduced. This has the effect of realizing the conversion.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a position search system which is attached to a moving body moving in a specific area for performing a position search, and transmits a signal for specifying an individual.
A plurality of base stations installed at predetermined intervals in a specific area, and the specific area is divided into polygonal cells having a plurality of base stations as vertices, and a base station that has received a signal transmitted from the transmitting device is 2. A control device for searching, selecting a cell having the searched base station as a vertex, and determining that a mobile unit exists in a cell having the highest appearance frequency among the selected cells. As in the invention of the third aspect, the position of the moving object attached to the transmitting device can be searched in a short time, and the configuration of the transmitting device can be reduced in size.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a position search system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a position search system according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sequence diagram for explaining an operation of the position search system according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a relationship between a plurality of receiving devices and cells.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a position estimation list.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Sending device 2-1-2-N Receiving device (base station) 3 Control device

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A mobile station in which a plurality of base stations are installed at predetermined intervals in a specific area where a position search is performed, the specific area is divided into polygonal cells having a plurality of base stations as vertices, and the mobile station moves in the specific area. Search for a base station that has received a signal having a strength equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold among base stations that have received a signal specifying an individual transmitted from a transmitter attached to the body, and locate the searched base station as a vertex. A position search method characterized in that a selected cell is selected, and it is determined that a moving object exists in a cell having the highest appearance frequency among the selected cells. 2. A mobile station in which a plurality of base stations are installed at predetermined intervals in a specific area where a position search is performed, the specific area is divided into polygonal cells having a plurality of base stations as vertices, and the mobile station moves in the specific area. Search for a base station that has received a signal specifying an individual transmitted from a transmitter attached to the body, select a cell with the searched base station at the top, and select the most frequently occurring cell among the selected cells. A position search method characterized by determining that a moving object exists in a cell. 3. A transmitting device attached to a mobile body moving in a specific area for performing a position search and transmitting a signal for specifying an individual, a plurality of base stations installed at predetermined intervals in the specific area, The area is divided into polygonal cells having a plurality of base stations as vertices, and among the base stations that have received the signal transmitted from the transmitting device, the base station that has received a signal having a strength equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value And a control device for determining that a mobile is present in a cell having the highest frequency of appearance among the selected cells. Location search system. 4. A transmitting device attached to a mobile body moving in a specific area for performing a location search and transmitting a signal for specifying an individual, a plurality of base stations installed at predetermined intervals in the specific area, Dividing the area into polygonal cells with a plurality of base stations as vertices, searching for a base station that has received a signal transmitted from the transmitting device, selecting a cell with the searched base station as a vertex, A control device for determining that a moving object exists in a cell having the highest appearance frequency among the selected cells.