JP2003248892A - Position information processing device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a position information processing device which deletes position data, etc., according to deletion conditions and then can record position data, etc., when free space for recording the position data, etc., becomes zero. <P>SOLUTION: The position information processing device comprises an antenna 11 which receives radio waves, a position data generation part 12 which generates position data according to the radio waves, a timer part 13 which clocks the time, a recording part 15 including a 1st data recording part 17 which records recording condition data and deletion condition data and a 2nd data recording part 18 which records position data, etc., a control part 14 which makes the 2nd data recording part 18 record the position data according to recording conditions while making them correspond to time data and deletes the position data recorded in the 2nd data recording part 18 according to the deletion conditions when the free capacity of the 2nd data recording part 18 becomes zero, and an interface part 16 which sends and receives data to and from a computer 1. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a position information processing device for recording position data representing a current position.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a GPS (Global Positioning System) device that receives radio waves from an artificial satellite and generates position data representing a position (longitude, latitude, altitude) has been used. This GPS device measures the time required for each of the radio waves transmitted from a plurality of artificial satellites to reach the GPS device, and based on these required times, measures the distance from each artificial satellite to the GPS device (reception point). Then, the position of the GPS device is calculated based on these distances.

In recent years, RAM (Random Access Memo)
ry) and the like, and a GPS device that sequentially records position data and time data representing time in a RAM or the like according to a predetermined condition has also been used. However,
In such a GPS device, since the recording capacity of the RAM or the like is limited, if the free capacity of the RAM or the like is exhausted by recording the position data or the like, the position data or the like cannot be recorded thereafter. It was

By the way, Japanese Patent Application Publication (JP-A) 2
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 001-91278 (hereinafter, also referred to as "Document 1") discloses a position calculating means for calculating the position of a moving body using at least one of an absolute position detecting sensor, a distance sensor and an angular velocity sensor, and a position calculating means. The position recording means for recording a plurality of position data calculated in step 1, the accuracy calculation means for calculating the accuracy relating to the position data, and the position record determining means for determining the position data to be recorded by the position recording means by the accuracy. The characteristic position data thinning device is listed.

The position data thinning device disclosed in Document 1 is intended to reduce the recording capacity of the position recording means for recording position data. However, the position data thinning device disclosed in Document 1 records in the position recording means the position data determined to be recorded by the position recording means out of the position data calculated by the position calculating means, When the free space of the position recording means is exhausted, the position data recorded in the position recording means is not deleted under a predetermined condition.

Further, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-113601 (hereinafter, also referred to as "Document 2"), time and position information from a satellite is received at a sampling time for each arbitrary period and compared with own time information. GP that recognizes its own position and transfers it to the processing system in the subsequent stage or outputs it to a storage medium
S In the receiver, compare and calculate the data string of the time and the position when the data string composed of the recognized time and position information was transferred to the operation unit in the subsequent stage or written in the storage unit immediately before it. With the function to calculate the movement distance from the time immediately before output or transfer, and the information in the latter stage of information including the data string of recognition time and position when the distance reaches a certain distance or when a write command is received from the outside A GPS receiver is described which is characterized by being transferred to a unit or written to a storage unit.

The GPS receiver described in Document 2 is intended to reduce the amount of data output to a storage unit for writing a data string composed of recognized time and position information. However, the GPS receiver described in Reference 2 performs a comparison operation on the data string of the time and position immediately before the data string composed of the recognized time and position information is written in the storage unit in the subsequent stage. By doing so, the moving distance from the immediately preceding output or transfer time is calculated, and when the distance reaches a certain distance or when an external write command is received, information including the recognition time and position data string is stored in the storage unit. This is for writing, and does not delete the data string written in the storage unit and including the recognized time and position information under a predetermined condition when the free space in the storage unit runs out.

[0008]

Therefore, in view of the above points, the present invention provides a method for recording the position data according to the first condition, when the free capacity of the RAM or the like is exhausted,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a position information processing device capable of recording position data thereafter by deleting position data recorded in a RAM or the like according to the second condition.

[0009]

In order to solve the above problems, a position information processing apparatus according to the present invention is an apparatus for recording position data representing a position, and a receiving means for receiving a signal from the outside. Position data generating means for sequentially generating position data indicating a position based on the signal, timing means for sequentially measuring time and time data, and recording condition data indicating a condition for recording the time data and the position data, And a first data recording means for recording deletion condition data representing a condition for deleting the time data and the position data, a second data recording means for recording the position data in correspondence with the time data, and a recording condition data. According to the conditions
The position data generated by the position data generating means is made to correspond to the time data generated by the time measuring means.
Of the position data and the time data recorded in the second data recording means according to the condition represented by the deletion condition data when the second data recording means has no free space. And a control means for deleting a part or all of the above.

Here, the recording condition data represents the time interval, the deletion condition data represents the distance, and the control means controls the position data and the time data to the second data recording means at the time interval represented by the recording condition data. When the empty area of the second data recording means is exhausted, the position data whose distance to the position represented by the immediately preceding position data is less than or equal to the distance represented by the deletion condition data is recorded. Along with the deletion, the time data corresponding to the position data may be deleted. Further, it is further provided with an interface means for transmitting and receiving data to and from an external device, and the first data recording means receives the recording condition data or the deletion condition data from the external device via the interface means and records the data. Is also good. Further, the receiving means may receive the radio wave from the artificial satellite.
Further, the control means may generate movement direction data indicating a movement direction or movement speed data indicating a movement speed based on the position data, and transmit the movement direction data to the external device via the interface means.

According to the present invention, when the free space of the second data recording means is exhausted by recording the time data and the position data according to the recording condition, the time data and the position data are recorded in the second data recording means according to the deletion condition. By deleting the existing time data and position data, the time data and position data can be recorded thereafter.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a system using a position information processing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 1, this system
A notebook-type personal computer 1 and a position information processing device 2 are provided.

The personal computer 1 is a PCMCI.
A (Personal Computer Memory Card International As
SCIATION) and the Japan Electronic Industry Development Association (JEIDA) jointly establish a PC card slot for mounting a PC card according to the PC card standard, which is a standard for card type peripherals for personal computers. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an appearance of the position information processing device 2. Figure 2
As shown in, the position information processing device 2 has a PC card type shape. Then, as shown in FIG. 1, the position information processing device 2 is mounted in the PC card slot of the personal computer 1 and used.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an internal configuration of the position information processing apparatus 2. As shown in FIG. 3, the position information processing device 2
Includes an antenna 11, a position data generation unit 12, a clock unit 13, a control unit 14, a recording unit 15, and an interface unit 16. The antenna 11 is a GPS (Global
A plurality of artificial satellites for the Positioning System) receive radio waves that are constantly output and output them to the position data generation unit 12.

The position data generator 12 measures the time required for the radio waves transmitted from each of the plurality of artificial satellites to reach the position information processing device 2, and the position information from each artificial satellite is calculated based on these required times. The distance to the processing device 2 is calculated, and the position data representing the position of the position information processing device 2 is generated at predetermined time intervals based on these distances. The clock unit 13 measures time and generates time data.

The recording unit 15 is a RAM (Random Access Me
mory) etc., and includes a first data recording unit 17 and a second data recording unit 18, as shown in FIG. The second data recording unit 18 records the position data generated by the position data generation unit 12 in association with the time data generated by the clock unit 13. The first data recording unit 17 is the second
Recording condition data representing recording conditions for recording time data and position data in the data recording unit 18, and deletion condition data representing deletion conditions for deleting time data and position data recorded in the second data recording unit 18 Record. Here, the recording condition data represents a recording condition of “recording time data and position data every one minute”, and the deletion condition data represents “moving distance from the position represented by the immediately preceding position data”. The delete condition is to delete the position data of 10 km or less and delete the time data corresponding to the position data. Referring again to FIG. 3, the interface unit 16 sends and receives data to and from the PC card bus of the personal computer 1.

The control unit 14 follows the recording condition represented by the recording condition data (here, the condition of "recording time data and position data every one minute") and the position generated by the position data generating unit 12. The data is made to correspond to the time data generated by the time counting unit 13,
The data is recorded in the data recording unit 18. In addition, the control unit 14
When the free space of the second data recording unit 18 is exhausted, the deletion condition represented by the deletion condition data (here, "the position where the movement distance from the position represented by the previous position data is 10 km or less The data will be deleted and the time data corresponding to the location data will be deleted. "
Condition), the time data and position data recorded in the second data recording unit 18 are deleted.

As described above, according to the position information processing apparatus 2, when the second data recording section 18 runs out of free space, according to the deletion condition represented by the deletion condition data,
Since the time data and the position data recorded in the second data recording unit 18 are deleted, it becomes possible to record the time data and the position data in the second data recording unit 18 thereafter.

The first data recording section 17 may receive (download) the recording condition data or the deletion condition data from the personal computer 1 and record them.

The control unit 14 also generates moving direction data and moving speed data representing the moving direction and moving speed of the position information processing device 2 based on the position data, and records the second data in correspondence with the time data. It may be recorded in the section 18. The moving direction and the moving speed of the position information processing device 2 can be calculated by measuring the change in the wavelength or frequency of the radio wave from the artificial satellite caused by the Doppler effect. Further, when the antenna 11 receives radio waves from the base station of the mobile phone instead of radio waves from the artificial satellite, for example, the position data generation unit 1
It is possible to calculate the moving direction and the moving speed based on the difference between the position data previously generated by 2 and the position data generated this time by the position data generator 12.

Although the position information processing device 2 is mounted on the personal computer 1, it may be mounted on a PDA (personal digital assistant) or the like. Although the position information processing device 2 and the personal computer 1 are connected to each other via a PC card bus, a USB (Universal Seri
al Bus) or the like.

[0022]

As described above, according to the present invention, when the time data and the position data are recorded according to the recording condition and the free space of the second data recording means is exhausted, the second data recording means is recorded according to the deletion condition. By deleting the time data and the position data recorded in the data recording means, it becomes possible to record the time data and the position data thereafter.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a system using a position information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an appearance of a position information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an internal configuration of a position information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an internal configuration of a recording unit in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 personal computer 2 Position information processing device 11 antenna 12 Position data generator 13 Timekeeping section 14 Control unit 15 Recording section 16 Interface part 17 First data recording section 18 Second data recording section

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Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. An apparatus for recording position data representing a position, comprising: receiving means for receiving a signal from the outside; position data generating means for sequentially generating position data representing a position based on the signal; And a recording means for recording the time data and the position data, and a delete condition data representing a condition for deleting the time data and the position data. Generated by the position data generating means according to the first data recording means, the second data recording means for recording the position data in association with the time data, and the condition represented by the recording condition data. The position data is recorded in the second data recording means in association with the time data generated by the time measuring means, When there is no free space in the second data recording means, a part or all of the position data and time data recorded in the second data recording means are recorded according to the condition represented by the deletion condition data. A position information processing device, comprising: a control unit for deleting. 2. The recording condition data represents a time interval,
The deletion condition data represents a distance, and the control unit causes the second data recording unit to record the position data and the time data at a time interval represented by the recording condition data. When there is no free space in the recording means, the position data whose distance to the position represented by the previous position data is equal to or less than the distance represented by the deletion condition data is deleted, and the position data is deleted. The position information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the time data corresponding to is deleted. 3. The apparatus further comprises interface means for transmitting and receiving data to and from an external device, wherein the first data recording means uses the recording condition data or the deletion condition data via the interface means. The position information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the position information processing apparatus receives the information from the apparatus and records it. 4. The position information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the receiving unit receives a radio wave from an artificial satellite. 5. The control means generates movement direction data indicating a movement direction or movement speed data indicating a movement speed, based on the position data, and transmits the movement direction data to the external device via the interface means. The position information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which is characterized in that.