JP2010197188A - Moving terminal, positioning control method therefor, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To simply reduce power consumption in tracking positioning. <P>SOLUTION: A positioning part 10 constituting a moving terminal 1 measures a moving locus of own terminal 1 based on, for example, positioning radio signals SG received successively from a GPS satellite 2. When a measurement result RSLT by the positioning part 10 shows the unreceivable state of the positioning radio signal SG continuously in a fixed number of times, a control part 20 stops the operation of the positioning part 10. The control part 20 restarts the operation of the positioning part 10 when a fixed time elapses from the operation stop time of the positioning part 10. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a mobile terminal and its positioning control method and program, and more particularly to a mobile terminal suitable for performing tracking positioning, and its positioning control method and program.

  Examples of using the GPS (Global Positioning System) function include an example of displaying the current position together with a map on the display screen of the mobile terminal (current position confirmation), and measuring the position of the mobile terminal by continuously measuring the position. Examples of tracking (tracking positioning), and examples of responding to the current position of the mobile terminal in response to an inquiry from a third party (third-party search).

  Of these, tracking positioning is performed mainly for continuous positioning (tracking of the movement trajectory). For this reason, tracking positioning does not end even if a user with a mobile terminal moves to an environment where a GPS satellite such as a tunnel or underground mall cannot be captured, and the user moves again to an environment where the user can capture a GPS satellite such as outdoors. It is necessary to continue in the future.

  On the other hand, during tracking positioning, the GPS positioning circuit always operates regardless of the user environment (that is, whether or not GPS satellites can be captured), so unnecessary power consumption occurs, and the use of the mobile terminal There was a problem of shortening the possible time.

  A related technique for dealing with this problem is described in Patent Document 1, for example. The GPS receiver described in Patent Document 1 determines whether positioning is possible based on the reception attitude of the antenna, and stops the operation of the positioning circuit when it is determined that positioning is impossible.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-325862

  However, the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 has a problem that it is difficult to accurately realize the antenna posture detection circuit, and the installation cost of the detection circuit increases. Also, if the detection accuracy of the antenna attitude is poor, there is a possibility that the operation of the positioning circuit will stop even if a GPS satellite can be actually captured.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a mobile terminal capable of easily reducing power consumption during tracking positioning, and a positioning control method and program thereof.

  In order to achieve the above object, a mobile terminal according to an aspect of the present invention includes a positioning unit that measures a movement trajectory of its own terminal based on wireless signals sequentially received from the outside, and a measurement result by the positioning unit is constant. A control unit that stops the operation of the positioning unit when the wireless signal cannot be received consecutively.

  A positioning control method according to an aspect of the present invention provides a positioning control method in a mobile terminal. This positioning control method measures the movement trajectory of the mobile terminal based on radio signals sequentially received from the outside, and if the radio signal cannot be received continuously for a predetermined number of times as a result of the measurement, the positioning control method To stop.

  Furthermore, the positioning control program according to one aspect of the present invention is a method of measuring a movement locus of the mobile terminal based on radio signals sequentially received from the outside to the mobile terminal, and as a result of the measurement, continuously. If the radio signal cannot be received, a process for stopping the positioning is executed.

  In the present invention, by monitoring the tracking positioning result itself, the positioning in an environment where a GPS satellite or the like cannot be captured is stopped. For this reason, it is possible to easily reduce the power consumption without using the above-described special detection circuit, thereby extending the usable time of the mobile terminal.

It is the block diagram which showed the structural example of Embodiment 1 of the mobile terminal which concerns on this invention. It is the sequence diagram which showed the operation example of Embodiment 1 of the mobile terminal which concerns on this invention. It is the block diagram which showed the structural example of Embodiment 2 of the mobile terminal which concerns on this invention. It is the sequence diagram which showed the operation example of Embodiment 2 of the mobile terminal which concerns on this invention.

  Embodiments 1 and 2 of a mobile terminal according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. In the drawings, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted as necessary for the sake of clarity.

[Embodiment 1]
A mobile terminal 1 according to the present embodiment shown in FIG. 1 includes a positioning unit 10 that measures the movement trajectory of the mobile terminal 1, a control unit 20 that controls the positioning unit 10, and positioning via the control unit 20. It is comprised with the positioning application 30 using the positioning result RSLT by the part 10. FIG.

  The positioning unit 10 sequentially receives and demodulates the positioning radio signal SG from the GPS satellite 2, and the GPS engine 12 that performs a predetermined positioning calculation on the output signal (demodulated signal) from the GPS circuit 11. With. Note that the positioning unit 10 is not limited to the GPS circuit 11 and the GPS engine 12, and may measure the movement trajectory of the mobile terminal 1 using various radio navigations (for example, radio signals from a base station). 1 and 3 show only one GPS satellite, the mobile terminal 1 needs to capture four or more GPS satellites in order to succeed in positioning. Therefore, the illustrated GPS satellite 2 represents four or more GPS satellites collectively.

  In addition, the control unit 20 includes a positioning control unit 21 that functions as an interface between the positioning unit 10 and the positioning application 30, a tracking positioning control unit 22 that performs control related to operation suspension and resumption of the positioning unit 10 during tracking positioning, Is provided.

  Among these, the positioning control unit 21 generates a start instruction INS2 for the GPS engine 12 by using the positioning request RQ1 from the positioning application 30 or the restart instruction INS1 from the tracking positioning control unit 22 as a trigger, thereby causing the positioning unit 10 to operate. Make it work. In addition, the positioning control unit 21 generates a stop instruction INS4 for the GPS engine 12 using the temporary stop instruction INS3 from the tracking positioning control unit 22 as a trigger, thereby stopping the operation of the positioning unit 10. In addition, the positioning control unit 21 transfers the normal positioning result RSLTn among the positioning results RSLT output from the GPS engine 12 to the positioning application 30. In addition, when the positioning result RSLT indicates that the positioning radio signal SG cannot be received, the positioning control unit 21 generates a count instruction INS5 for the tracking positioning control unit 22, and thus the tracking positioning control unit 22 does not receive the signal. Count the number of occurrences. Furthermore, the positioning control unit 21 generates a timing instruction INS6 for the tracking positioning control unit 22 simultaneously with the stop instruction INS4, thereby causing the tracking positioning control unit 22 to count the operation stop time of the positioning unit 10.

  On the other hand, the tracking positioning control unit 22 includes a counter 221, a timer 222, and a pause / resume instruction unit 223. Each time the counter 221 receives the count instruction INS5, the counter 221 increments the counter value CNT by “1”. Further, the timer 222 issues a timer out notification NTF1 when a predetermined time has elapsed since the reception of the time measurement instruction INS6. Further, when the counter value CNT output from the counter 221 reaches a certain value, the pause / resume instruction unit 223 gives a pause instruction INS3 to the positioning control unit 21 and receives a timer out notification NTF1 from the timer 222. In the case where it has been performed, a restart instruction INS1 is given to the positioning control unit 21.

  That is, when the positioning result RSLT indicates that the positioning radio signal SG cannot be received continuously for a certain number of times, the control unit 20 determines that the mobile terminal 1 has moved to an environment where the GPS satellite 2 cannot be captured, and the positioning unit 10 Pause the operation. On the other hand, when a certain period of time has elapsed since the temporary stop point, the control unit 20 assumes that the mobile terminal 1 has returned to an environment in which the GPS satellite 2 can be captured, and resumes the operation of the positioning unit 10.

  Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 2, in the initial state, first, the positioning application 30 activated by a user (not shown) operation gives a positioning request RQ1 to the positioning control unit 21 in the control unit 20 (step S1). The positioning control unit 21 that has received the request RQ1 gives a start instruction INS2 to the GPS engine 12 in the positioning unit 10 (step S2).

  Thereby, the operation of the positioning unit 10 is started (the operation state STS is “ON”). Specifically, the GPS engine 12 causes the GPS circuit 11 to start receiving the positioning radio signal SG and waits for an output from the GPS circuit 11.

  Now, it is assumed that the user environment (environment in which the mobile terminal 1 is used) ENV is an environment in which the GPS satellite 2 can be captured as shown (that is, an environment in which the GPS circuit 11 can receive the positioning radio signal SG). . In this case, the GPS engine 12 performs a positioning operation on the output signal from the GPS circuit 11, and gives the positioning result RSLT obtained thereby to the positioning control unit 21 at a constant time interval (for example, every second) ( Step S3). However, until the GPS engine 12 succeeds in positioning, the positioning data of the GPS circuit 11 is output as it is as the positioning result RSLT. For this reason, the positioning control unit 21 discards the positioning data.

  On the other hand, once the positioning is successful, the GPS engine 12 uses the previous positioning result to give the normal positioning result RSLTn to the positioning control unit 21 at a constant time interval (for example, every second). And the positioning control part 21 transfers this normal positioning result RSLTn to the positioning application 30 (step S4).

  The positioning application 30 displays, for example, a map on a display screen (not shown) of the mobile terminal 1 and updates and displays the user's position on the map at regular time intervals using the normal positioning result RSLTn. Plot the movement trajectory of.

  Thereafter, it is assumed that the user environment ENV has changed to an environment in which the GPS satellite 2 cannot be captured (for example, the mobile terminal 1 has moved to a tunnel, an underground mall, or the like). In this case, the GPS engine 12 repeatedly gives the positioning control unit 21 the positioning result RSLT indicating that the positioning radio signal SG cannot be received by the GPS circuit 11 (step S5). At this time, the positioning control unit 21 repeatedly gives the count instruction INS5 to the counter 221 in the tracking positioning control unit 22 (step S6). Every time the instruction INS5 is received, the counter 221 increments the counter value CNT by “1” and gives it to the temporary stop / resume instruction unit 223 (step S7).

  As a result, when the counter value CNT reaches a threshold Th (for example, 10 times) (step S8), the pause / resume instruction unit 223 detects a change of the user environment ENV to an environment where the GPS satellite 2 cannot be captured. Then, a temporary stop instruction INS3 is given to the positioning control unit 21 (step S9). The positioning control unit 21 that has received the temporary stop instruction INS3 gives the stop instruction INS4 to the GPS engine 12 (step S10). Here, a fixed value may be set as the threshold Th, or a value specified by the user may be set.

  As a result, the operation of the positioning unit 10 is stopped (the operation state STS is “OFF”). Specifically, the GPS engine 12 causes the GPS circuit 11 to stop receiving the positioning radio signal SG and waits for re-reception of the start instruction INS2 from the positioning control unit 21.

  In parallel with step S10 described above, the positioning control unit 21 gives a time measurement instruction INS6 to the timer 222 in the tracking positioning control unit 22 (S11). When a predetermined time Tc (for example, 3 minutes) has elapsed since the reception of the instruction INS6, the timer 222 gives a timer-out notification NTF1 to the temporary stop / resume instruction unit 223 (step S12). Here, a fixed time value may be set as the fixed time Tc, or a time value specified by the user may be set.

  Receiving the timer-out notification NTF1, the temporary stop / restart instruction unit 223 assumes that the user environment ENV has returned to an environment in which the GPS satellite 2 can be captured, and gives a restart instruction INS1 to the positioning control unit 21 (step S13). ). The positioning control unit 21 that has received the restart instruction INS1 again gives the start instruction INS2 to the GPS engine 12 (step S14).

  As a result, the operation of the positioning unit 10 is resumed (the operation state STS is turned “ON” again). At this time, if the user environment ENV has actually returned to an environment in which the GPS satellite 2 can be captured, the normal positioning result RSLTn from the GPS engine 12 is transferred to the positioning application 30 via the positioning control unit 21. It will be.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the operation of the positioning unit 10 is automatically stopped by the simple configuration in which the positioning result RSLT that changes according to the user environment ENV is monitored by the counter 221, so that the tracking positioning is performed. Unnecessary power consumption can be reduced. In addition, since the operation of the positioning unit 10 is automatically resumed, the original functionality of tracking positioning can be maintained.

[Embodiment 2]
In addition to the configuration of the mobile terminal 1 shown in FIG. 1, the mobile terminal 1 a according to the present embodiment shown in FIG. 3 has a point that the positioning control unit 21 issues a positioning suspension notification NTF 2 for the positioning application 30, and positioning The point that the application 30 generates a positioning restart request RQ2 for the positioning control unit 21 is different from that of the first embodiment.

  Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In the figure, instead of the process of step S14 shown in FIG. 2, the operation resumption process of the measurement unit 10 corresponding to the user request shown in steps S15 to S17 is executed.

  More specifically, the positioning control unit 21 provides a positioning pause notification NTF2 to the positioning application 30 in parallel with the generation processing of the stop instruction INS4 and the timing instruction INS6 shown in steps S10 and S11, respectively. Thus, it is notified that the positioning unit 10 is in a pause state (step S15).

  The positioning application 30 displays, for example, a message such as “Pause positioning is temporarily suspended because GPS satellite cannot be captured” on the display screen (not shown) of the mobile terminal 1a and the user (not shown). Displays a “resume button” for selecting to resume the operation. When the user presses the “resume button”, the positioning application 30 gives a positioning restart request RQ2 to the positioning control unit 21 (step S16).

  The positioning control unit 21 that has received the positioning restart request RQ2 gives a start instruction INS2 to the GPS engine 12 in the positioning unit 10 as in step S2 (step S17).

  Thereby, the operation of the positioning unit 10 is resumed without waiting for the elapse of the predetermined time Tc (the operation state STS is turned “ON” again). At this time, if the user environment ENV has actually returned to an environment in which the GPS satellite 2 can be captured, the normal positioning result RSLTn from the GPS engine 12 is transferred to the positioning application 30 via the positioning control unit 21. It will be. Therefore, the non-acquisition time of the normal positioning result RSLTn can be shortened, and the functionality of tracking positioning can be further improved.

  After this, the positioning control unit 21 receives the restart instruction INS1 from the temporary stop / restart instruction unit 223 as the fixed time Tc elapses. However, since the operation of the positioning unit 10 has already been restarted, no processing is performed. do not do.

  Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and it is apparent that various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art based on the description of the scope of the claims. For example, each process shown in the above embodiment can be provided as a program for causing a mobile terminal to execute the process (for example, a plug-in to firmware incorporated in an existing GPS control circuit).

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 1a Mobile terminal 2 GPS satellite 10 Positioning part 11 GPS circuit 12 GPS engine 20 Control part 21 Positioning control part 22 Tracking positioning control part 30 Positioning application 221 Counter 222 Timer 223 Pause / resume instruction part CNT Counter value ENV User environment INS1 Restart instruction INS2 Start instruction INS3 Pause instruction INS4 Stop instruction INS5 Count instruction INS6 Time-out instruction NTF1 Timer out notification NTF2 Positioning stop notification RQ1 Positioning restart request RSLT Positioning result RSLTn Normal positioning result SGT Positioning signal S Fixed time Th threshold

Claims (9)

Based on wireless signals sequentially received from the outside, a positioning unit that measures the movement trajectory of the terminal,
When the measurement result by the positioning unit indicates that the wireless signal cannot be received continuously for a certain number of times, a control unit that stops the operation of the positioning unit;
Mobile terminal equipped with. In claim 1,
The mobile terminal characterized in that the control unit restarts the operation of the positioning unit when a certain time has elapsed since the operation stop time of the positioning unit. In claim 2,
The mobile terminal, wherein the control unit restarts the operation of the positioning unit in response to a user request even before the predetermined time has elapsed. In any one of Claims 1-3,
A mobile terminal characterized in that the radio signal is a positioning signal transmitted from a GPS (Global Positioning System) satellite. A positioning control method in a mobile terminal,
Based on wireless signals sequentially received from the outside, measure the movement trajectory of the mobile terminal,
As a result of the measurement, a positioning control method for stopping the positioning when the wireless signal cannot be received continuously for a certain number of times. In claim 5,
A positioning control method, wherein the positioning is resumed when a certain time has elapsed since the positioning was stopped. In claim 6,
In response to a user request, the positioning control method restarts the positioning even before the predetermined time has elapsed. In any one of Claims 5-7,
A positioning control method using a positioning signal transmitted from a GPS (Global Positioning System) satellite as the radio signal. On the mobile device,
A process of measuring a movement trajectory of the mobile terminal based on radio signals sequentially received from the outside;
As a result of the measurement, when it is impossible to receive the radio signal continuously for a certain number of times, a process of stopping the positioning;
Positioning control program to execute.

Images