JP2011239339A - Position estimation apparatus, position estimation method, and position estimation program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a position estimation apparatus, a position estimation method, and a position estimation program capable of offering direction information that is less likely to confuse a user.SOLUTION: A position estimation method comprises: a step for estimating a location of a user; a step for inquiring, based on the estimated location of the user, in which direction existing objects such as arbitrarily buildings and stations are located with respect to the direction in which the user is facing; and a step for estimating the direction in which the user is facing based on the results of the inquiry and the direction from the user's location to the locations of the existing objects.

Description

  The present invention relates to a position estimation device, a position estimation method, and a position estimation program.

  Some portable terminal devices such as cellular phones display the position where the device is located on a display or the like together with map data. Such a portable terminal device estimates the location based on, for example, a signal transmitted from a GPS (Global Positioning System) satellite, or based on the radio field intensity of a signal transmitted to or received from a base station Or estimate.

  In recent years, a technique for displaying not only the location of the device itself but also the direction in which the device is facing on map data is known. In such a technique, for example, the direction in which the apparatus is facing is acquired by an electronic compass, or the direction in which the apparatus is facing is acquired based on a direction information mark photographed by a camera. The direction information mark is, for example, an optically readable mark drawn on a surface such as a road surface through which the mobile terminal device passes. A user using such a portable terminal device can recognize the position where the user is located and the direction in which the user is facing.

JP 2007-164441 A JP 2005-308456 A

  However, the above-described conventional technology sometimes fails to provide accurate azimuth information and may confuse the user. For example, the electronic compass cannot be obtained in the vicinity of a ferromagnetic material due to the influence of magnetic disturbance, so that accurate orientation information may not be provided to the user with the conventional technology using the electronic compass described above. It was. In addition, for example, in the related art using the above-mentioned azimuth information mark, since azimuth information cannot be acquired unless the azimuth information mark is present, information on the direction cannot always be provided to the user. For this reason, in the above-described prior art, there are cases where accurate orientation information cannot be provided to the user, and as a result, the user may be confused.

  The disclosed technique has been made in view of the above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a position estimation device, a position estimation method, and a position estimation program that can provide azimuth information that does not easily confuse a user.

  In one aspect, the position estimation apparatus disclosed in the present application is a position estimation unit that estimates a position where a user who uses the apparatus is located, and a direction in which an existing object whose position is known is facing the user. An inquiry unit that inquires in which direction to be located, a direction from the position estimated by the position estimation unit to the location of the existing object, and a user obtained by an inquiry from the inquiry unit A direction estimating unit that estimates a direction in which the user is facing based on a direction in which the existing object is located with respect to a direction in which the user is facing.

  According to one aspect of the position estimation device disclosed in the present application, there is an effect that it is possible to provide azimuth information that does not easily confuse the user.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of the position estimation apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the map display system according to the second embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of the map information management apparatus according to the second embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of map information acquired by the communication processing unit according to the second embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of an existing object angle calculation process performed by the feature object extraction unit according to the second embodiment. FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of the mobile terminal device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of an inquiry screen whose display is controlled by the query generation unit according to the second embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of direction estimation processing by the direction estimation unit according to the second embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of map information whose display is controlled by the direction estimation unit according to the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure performed by the map information management apparatus according to the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure performed by the mobile terminal device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of an inquiry screen whose display is controlled by the query generation unit according to the third embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of an inquiry screen whose display is controlled by the query generation unit according to the third embodiment. FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of direction estimation processing by the direction estimation unit according to the third embodiment. FIG. 15 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of the mobile terminal device according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of an inquiry screen whose display is controlled by the query generation unit according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 17 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of the map information management apparatus according to the fifth embodiment. FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the mobile terminal device according to the fifth embodiment. FIG. 19 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure performed by the mobile terminal device according to the fifth embodiment. FIG. 20 is a diagram illustrating a computer that executes a position estimation program.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of a position estimation device, a position estimation method, and a position estimation program disclosed in the present application will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, the position estimation apparatus, the position estimation method, and the position estimation program disclosed in the present application are not limited by this embodiment.

  First, the position estimation apparatus according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of the position estimation apparatus according to the first embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the position estimation device 1 according to the first embodiment includes a position estimation unit 2, an inquiry unit 3, and a direction estimation unit 4.

  The position estimation unit 2 estimates a position where a user who uses the position estimation device 1 is located. In other words, the position estimation unit 2 estimates the location of the position estimation device 1. The inquiry unit 3 inquires in which direction an existing object whose location is known is located with respect to the direction in which the user is facing. Note that the “existing object” is at least a known position from the position estimated by the position estimating unit 2 and indicates, for example, a building or the like.

  The direction estimator 4 includes a direction from the position estimated by the position estimator 2 to a location where the existing object is located, and a location direction of the existing object with respect to the direction of the user obtained by the inquiry by the inquiry unit 3. Based on the above, the direction in which the user is facing is estimated. For example, the direction estimation unit 4 can acquire the angle formed by the direction in which the user is facing and the direction from the user to the existing object by an inquiry from the inquiry unit 3. Since the location of the existing object is known, the direction estimation unit 4 estimates the direction in which the user is facing based on the angle between the direction the user is facing and the direction from the user to the existing object. can do.

  As described above, the position estimation apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment estimates the user's location, and inquires in which direction the existing object is located with respect to the direction in which the user is facing. And the position estimation apparatus 1 estimates the direction which the user is facing based on the result of this inquiry. Thereby, the position estimation apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment can provide the direction in which the user is facing.

  Moreover, since the position estimation apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment estimates the direction in which the user is facing based on the result of an inquiry to the user, even if a ferromagnetic material exists in the vicinity of the user. The direction in which the user is facing can be estimated with high accuracy. Further, for the same reason, the position estimation device 1 can estimate the direction in which the user is facing with high accuracy even when the direction information mark or the like is not present. That is, the position estimation device 1 can accurately estimate the direction in which the user is facing and provide the direction even when the ferromagnetic material is present or when the direction information mark is not present. Can prevent the user from being confused.

  In the second embodiment, a case where the position estimation device 1 described in the first embodiment is applied to a map display system will be described as an example. In the map display system according to the second embodiment, the processing in the position estimation device 1 according to the first embodiment is realized by the map information management device and the mobile terminal device. Specifically, in the second embodiment, the map information management device holds the map information, and the mobile terminal device displays the location information indicating the location of the user and the direction in which the user is facing together with the map information. A case of displaying on a display will be described as an example.

[System configuration]
First, the map display system according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the map display system according to the second embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the map display system SY <b> 1 according to the second embodiment includes a map information management device 10 and a mobile terminal device 100. The map information management device 10 and the mobile terminal device 100 communicate with each other via the network N1. In the example illustrated in FIG. 2, a case where one mobile terminal device 100 exists in the map display system SY <b> 1 is illustrated, but a plurality of mobile terminal devices may exist in the map display system SY <b> 1. .

  The map information management device 10 holds various map information. When the map information management apparatus 10 receives a map acquisition request including position information from the mobile terminal apparatus 100, the map information management apparatus 10 acquires map information in the vicinity of the position indicated by the position information, and is characteristic from the acquired map information. Extract existing products. Then, the map information management apparatus 10 transmits to the mobile terminal device 100 information regarding the name of the characteristic existing object and the location of the existing object together with the map information.

  The above-mentioned “characteristic existing object” indicates, for example, a building, a store, a station, a bus stop, a station exit, a mountain name, and the like. It is desirable for the map information management device 10 to extract a well-known building or the like that is visible to the user as a characteristic existing object. This is because a characteristic existing object can be visually recognized, and a user can easily find a characteristic existing object if it is a well-known building or the like. However, the map information management apparatus 10 may extract an existing thing at random, without extracting a famous existing thing as a characteristic existing thing. Below, the characteristic existing thing extracted by the map information management apparatus 10 may be described as "characteristic existing thing".

  The mobile terminal device 100 is a mobile phone or the like, for example, and estimates the position where the device itself is located using GPS or the like when an operation for displaying map information is performed by a user. In other words, the mobile terminal device 100 estimates the location of the user. Then, the mobile terminal device 100 transmits a map acquisition request including the position information of the device itself to the map information management device 10. As a result, the mobile terminal device 100 receives from the map information management device 10 various types of information related to the map information and the existing features. And the portable terminal device 100 carries out display control of map information on display parts, such as a display.

  Here, the mobile terminal device 100 according to the second embodiment estimates the direction in which the user is facing, using various information related to the existing feature received from the map information management device 10. Specifically, the mobile terminal device 100 inquires of the user as to which direction the existing feature is located with respect to the direction in which the user is facing. Then, the mobile terminal device 100 acquires an angle formed by the direction in which the user is facing and the direction from the user to the existing feature based on the answer result to the inquiry. And the portable terminal device 100 estimates the direction which the user is facing based on the angle which both directions make. Hereinafter, the map information management device 10 and the mobile terminal device 100 illustrated in FIG. 2 will be described in detail.

[Configuration of Map Information Management Device in Embodiment 2]
Next, the map information management apparatus 10 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of the map information management apparatus 10 according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, the map information management apparatus 10 includes a map information storage unit 11, an IF (Interface) unit 12, a communication processing unit 13, and a feature object extraction unit 14.

  The map information storage unit 11 stores map information. For example, the map information storage unit 11 stores map information in which a building, a store, a road, a route, a station name, a bus stop, a river, a mountain, and the like are represented by graphics. For example, the map information storage unit 11 stores an aerial image taken from the sky as map information. The IF unit 12 transmits and receives signals to and from the outside. For example, the IF unit 12 transmits and receives signals to and from the mobile terminal device 100 via the network N1 illustrated in FIG.

  The communication processing unit 13 processes various signals and controls signal transmission / reception. For example, when the communication processing unit 13 receives a map acquisition request including position information from the mobile terminal device 100, the communication processing unit 13 acquires map information in the vicinity of the position indicated by the position information from the map information storage unit 11. Then, the communication processing unit 13 outputs the acquired map information to the feature object extraction unit 14. Note that the position information included in the map acquisition request indicates the location of the user estimated by the mobile terminal device 100. Therefore, the communication processing unit 13 acquires map information in the vicinity of the user's location.

  The feature object extraction unit 14 extracts an existing feature object from the map information acquired by the communication processing unit 13. Furthermore, the feature extraction unit 14 calculates an angle formed by the direction from the user location estimated by the mobile terminal device 100 to the existing feature and a predetermined reference orientation. Here, the “predetermined reference azimuth” indicates, for example, any one direction from the user's location to the east, west, south, and north. Hereinafter, an angle formed by the direction from the user's location to the feature existing object and a predetermined reference orientation may be referred to as an “existing object angle”.

  Then, the feature extraction unit 14 outputs the name of the feature existing object, the existing object angle, and the like to the communication processing unit 13. The communication processing unit 13 transmits the name of the feature existing object and the existing object angle received from the feature object extracting unit 14 and the map information acquired from the map information storage unit 11 to the mobile terminal device 100.

  Here, the feature extraction processing by the feature extraction unit 14 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of map information acquired by the communication processing unit 13 according to the second embodiment. In the map information M11 shown in FIG. 4, the map centered on the user U1 shows buildings, roads, and the like located in the vicinity of the user U1 with graphics such as rectangles and straight lines. In the example shown in FIG. 4, a humanoid mark indicating the user U1 is displayed in the map information M11. However, the map information acquired from the map information storage unit 11 by the communication processing unit 13 is related to the map information M11. The human type mark may not be included.

  When the map information M11 illustrated in FIG. 4 is acquired by the communication processing unit 13, the feature extraction unit 14 extracts a feature existing object from the map information M11. Here, it is assumed that the feature extraction unit 14 extracts “A building”, “B hall”, and “C building” as existing features. In such a case, the feature extraction unit 14 calculates an existing object angle that is an angle formed by the feature existing objects “A building”, “B hall”, and “C building” and a predetermined reference direction. Note that the feature extraction unit 14 in the second embodiment assumes that the north direction from the user's position is a predetermined reference orientation. That is, in the example illustrated in FIG. 4, the feature object extraction unit 14 calculates an angle formed between the north direction from the user U1 and the feature existing object “A building” or the like as the existing object angle.

  When calculating the existing object angle, the feature extraction unit 14 sets, for example, the north-south direction as the x-axis and the east-west direction as the y-axis. In addition, the feature extraction unit 14 uses the location of the user U1 estimated by the mobile terminal device 100 as coordinates (x0, y0) and the location of the existing feature as coordinates (xn, yn) on the xy plane. And Then, the feature extraction unit 14 calculates the existing object angle “Φn” of the feature existing object by calculating the following expression (1).

  Φn = arctan ((yn−y0) / (xn−x0)) + α (1)

  In the above equation (1), α is a value that varies depending on the location of the existing feature, and is one of “0”, “90”, “180”, and “270”. Specifically, α is “0” when the existing feature is located in the first quadrant of the xy plane. Α is “90” when the existing feature is located in the second quadrant of the xy plane, and “180” when the existing feature is located in the third quadrant of the xy plane. Becomes “270” in the fourth quadrant of the xy plane.

  The existing object angle calculation processing by the feature extraction unit 14 will be described using the example illustrated in FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of an existing object angle calculation process performed by the feature object extraction unit 14 according to the second embodiment. Here, the case where the feature object extraction unit 14 calculates the existing object angles of the feature existing objects “A building”, “B hall”, and “C building” illustrated in FIG. 4 will be described as an example. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the location of the feature existing object “A building” is the coordinates (x1, y1), and the location of the feature existing object “B hall” is the coordinates (x2, y2). Assume that the location of the object “C building” is coordinates (x3, y3).

  In this case, the feature extraction unit 14 calculates the existing object angle “Φ1” of the feature existing object “A building” by calculating the following equation (2). Since the feature existing object “A building” is located in the first quadrant of the xy plane, α in the above formula (1) is “0”.

  Φ1 = arctan ((y1-y0) / (x1-x0)) (2)

  Further, the feature extraction unit 14 calculates the existing object angle “Φ2” of the feature existing object “B Kaikan” by calculating the following equation (3). Since the characteristic existing product “B Kaikan” is located in the second quadrant of the xy plane, α in the above formula (1) is “90”.

  Φ2 = arctan ((y2−y0) / (x2−x0)) + 90 (3)

  Further, the feature extraction unit 14 calculates the existing object angle “Φ3” of the feature existing object “C building” by calculating the following expression (4). Since the existing feature “C building” is located in the fourth quadrant of the xy plane, α in the above formula (1) is “270”.

  Φ3 = arctan ((y3−y0) / (x3−x0)) + 270 (4)

  In this manner, the feature extraction unit 14 calculates the existing object angle of the feature existing object. Then, the map information management device 10 transmits the name of the existing feature and the existing angle extracted by the feature extraction unit 14 to the mobile terminal device 100 together with the map information. In the example shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the map information management apparatus 10 includes the map information M <b> 11 illustrated in FIG. 4, the names of feature existing objects “A building”, “B hall”, “C building”, The existing object angles “Φ1”, “Φ2”, and “Φ3” of the characteristic existing object are transmitted.

[Configuration of Mobile Terminal Device in Embodiment 2]
Next, the portable terminal device 100 in Example 2 is demonstrated using FIG. FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of the mobile terminal device 100 according to the second embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the mobile terminal device 100 includes an input unit 110, a display unit 120, an IF unit 130, a communication processing unit 140, a position estimation unit 150, a query generation unit 160, and a direction estimation unit 170. And have.

  The input unit 110 is an input device for inputting various information and operation instructions, and is, for example, a numeric keypad for inputting numbers and characters, a cursor key used for menu selection, display scrolling, and the like. The display unit 120 is an output device that outputs various types of information, and is, for example, a liquid crystal display or a speaker. The input unit 110 and the display unit 120 may be realized by a single device having both functions such as a touch panel, for example.

  The IF unit 130 transmits and receives signals to and from the outside. For example, the IF unit 130 transmits and receives signals to and from the map information management apparatus 10 via the network N1 illustrated in FIG. The communication processing unit 140 processes various signals and controls transmission / reception of signals. For example, when receiving the map information, the name of the feature existing object, the existing object angle, and the like from the map information management apparatus 10, the communication processing unit 140 outputs such various information to the query generation unit 160.

  The position estimation unit 150 estimates a position where the mobile terminal device 100 is located, for example, when an operation for displaying map information is performed via the input unit 110. For example, the position estimation unit 150 includes a GPS receiver and the like, and estimates the location of the mobile terminal device 100 based on a signal transmitted from a GPS satellite. Further, for example, the position estimation unit 150 estimates the location of the mobile terminal device 100 based on the radio field intensity of signals transmitted to and received from the base station.

  Then, the position estimation unit 150 transmits a map acquisition request including the position information of the mobile terminal device 100 to the map information management device 10 via the communication processing unit 140 and the IF unit 130. As a result, the mobile terminal device 100 acquires from the map information management device 10 the map information in the vicinity of the position estimated by the position estimation unit 150 and various types of information related to the feature existing objects included in the map information. The position estimation unit 150 corresponds to, for example, the position estimation unit 2 illustrated in FIG.

  When receiving the map information, the name of the feature existing object, the existing object angle, and the like from the map information management device 10, the query generation unit 160 displays the map information on the display unit 120. For example, when the query generation unit 160 receives the map information M11 illustrated in FIG. 4, the query generation unit 160 displays the map information M11 on the display unit 120. At this point, since the direction in which the user is facing is unknown, the query generation unit 160 displays the map information M11 on the display unit 120 such that, for example, the north side of the map information M11 is above the display unit 120. To display.

  Subsequently, the query generation unit 160 inquires of the user as to which direction the existing feature is located. Specifically, when there are a plurality of feature existing objects received from the map information management apparatus 10, the query generation unit 160 selects an arbitrary feature existing object, and the selected feature existing object is suitable for the user. The display unit 120 is controlled to display a screen for inquiring which direction it is located with respect to the current direction. In the following, a screen for inquiring about the location direction of the feature existing object may be referred to as an “inquiry screen”.

  FIG. 7 illustrates an example of an inquiry screen whose display is controlled by the query generation unit 160 according to the second embodiment. In the example illustrated in FIG. 7, the query generation unit 160 displays an inquiry screen G11 for inquiring in which direction from 1 o'clock to 12 o'clock the existing feature “A building” is displayed on the display unit 120. For example, when the user selects “1 o'clock direction” on the inquiry screen G11, the feature existing object “A building” is located in the direction of about 30 degrees on the east side from the direction in which the user is facing. Become. Further, for example, when the user selects “8 o'clock direction” on the inquiry screen G11, the feature existing object “A building” is located in a direction about 240 degrees east from the direction in which the user is facing. Will do. In this way, the query generation unit 160 acquires the angle formed by the direction in which the user is facing and the direction from the user to the feature existing object. Hereinafter, an angle formed by the direction in which the user is facing and the direction from the user to the existing feature is sometimes referred to as a “relative angle”.

  In addition, when an operation indicating that the location direction of the feature existing object is unknown is performed on the inquiry screen, the query generation unit 160 displays the location direction of the feature existing object different from the feature existing object whose location is unknown. Display the inquiry screen for inquiries. For example, in the inquiry screen G11 illustrated in FIG. 7, it is assumed that an operation indicating that the location direction of the feature existing object “A building” is unknown is performed. In such a case, for example, the query generation unit 160 displays, on the display unit 120, an inquiry screen that inquires in which direction the existing feature “B Kaikan” is located. In this way, even if the user cannot find the feature existing object, the query generation unit 160 can change the content of the inquiry to change the direction the user is facing and the user to the feature existing object. The probability of acquiring the angle formed with the direction can be increased.

  In the above description, an example is shown in which the query generation unit 160 performs processing for inquiring the direction in which the existing feature is located after displaying the map information. However, the query generation unit 160 may perform a process of inquiring about the direction in which the existing feature is located without displaying the map information on the display unit 120. The query generation unit 160 described above corresponds to, for example, the inquiry unit 3 illustrated in FIG.

  The direction estimation unit 170 estimates the direction in which the user is facing using the relative angle acquired by the query generation unit 160 and the existing feature angle of the feature existing product transmitted from the map information management device 10. Then, the direction estimation unit 170 displays the map information on the display unit 120 such that the direction in which the user is facing is above the display unit 120.

  The direction estimation process by the direction estimation unit 170 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a direction estimation process performed by the direction estimation unit 170 according to the second embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 8, it is assumed that the user U1 is facing the direction D1. Further, it is assumed that the query generation unit 160 has acquired the relative angle “Φ11” between the direction D1 facing the user U1 and the direction from the user U1 to the feature existing object “A building”. Further, it is assumed that the mobile terminal device 100 has received the existing object angle “Φ1” of the characteristic existing object “A building” from the map information management apparatus 10.

  In such a case, the direction estimation unit 170 subtracts the relative angle “Φ11” from the existing object angle “Φ1” of the feature existing object, thereby making an angle “θ” between the reference orientation and the direction in which the user U1 is facing. = "Φ1-Φ11" is obtained. For example, when the existing object angle “Φ1” of the characteristic existing object is “45” degrees and the relative angle “Φ11” is “30” degrees, the reference direction “north” and the direction in which the user U1 faces The formed angle “θ” = “15” degrees. That is, in the case of this example, the user U1 is facing the direction of about “15” degrees on the east side from the reference orientation “north”.

  Further, as in the example illustrated in FIG. 8, the query generation unit 160 causes the relative angle “Φ13” between the direction D1 facing the user U1 and the direction from the user U1 to the feature existing object “C building”. Is acquired. Further, it is assumed that the mobile terminal device 100 has received the existing object angle “Φ3” of the characteristic existing object “C building” from the map information management apparatus 10. At this time, even if the relative angle “Φ13” is subtracted from the existing object angle “Φ3” of the characteristic existing object, the angle “θ” formed by the reference direction and the direction in which the user U1 is facing cannot be obtained.

  In such a case, the direction estimation unit 170 calculates the angle “θ” after adding or subtracting a predetermined angle to the existing angle of the feature existing object or the relative angle. For example, when the existing angle of the feature existing object is larger than “180” degrees and the relative angle is smaller than “180” degrees, the direction estimating unit 170 causes the query generating unit 160 to start from “360” degrees. The acquired relative angle is subtracted, and the subtraction result is used as the relative angle. That is, in the example shown in FIG. 8, by subtracting the relative angle “360−Φ13” from the existing object angle “Φ3” of the feature existing object, the angle “between the reference orientation and the direction in which the user U1 is facing” θ ”=“ Φ3- (360−Φ13) ”is obtained. For example, when the existing object angle “Φ3” of the characteristic existing object is “300” degrees and the relative angle “Φ13” is “75” degrees, the reference direction “north” and the direction in which the user U1 faces The formed angle “θ” = “300− (360−75)” = “15” degrees.

  Although not described here, the direction estimation unit 170 uses the relative angle between the user U1 and the feature existing object “B Hall” and the existing angle of the feature existing object “B Hall” as a reference. An angle “θ” between the direction “north” and the direction in which the user U1 is facing can be calculated. As described above, the direction estimation unit 170 can estimate the direction in which the user is facing, regardless of whether the feature existing object “A building”, “B hall”, or “C building” is used.

  Then, the direction estimation unit 170 rotates the map information M11 by “15” degrees to the west (left side) and displays the map information M11 on the display unit 120. FIG. 9 shows an example of map information whose display is controlled by the direction estimation unit 170 in the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9, the map information M11 displayed by the direction estimation unit 170 has the direction in which the user U1 is facing above the display unit 120. Thereby, the direction estimation part 170 can make the direction which the user U1 faces, and the display direction of map information correspond. In the following, an angle formed between a predetermined reference direction and the direction in which the user U1 is facing may be referred to as a “rotation angle”. The above-described direction estimation unit 170 corresponds to, for example, the direction estimation unit 4 illustrated in FIG.

[Processing Procedure by Map Information Management Device in Embodiment 2]
Next, the procedure of processing by the map information management apparatus 10 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure performed by the map information management apparatus 10 according to the second embodiment.

  As illustrated in FIG. 10, when the communication processing unit 13 receives a map acquisition request from the mobile terminal device 100 (Yes in step S101), the communication processing unit 13 displays map information in the vicinity of the position indicated by the position information included in the map acquisition request as map information. Obtained from the storage unit 11 (step S102).

  Subsequently, the feature extraction unit 14 extracts an existing feature from the map information acquired by the communication processing unit 13 (step S103). Subsequently, the feature object extraction unit 14 calculates an existing object angle of the feature existing object (step S104). Note that, when a plurality of feature existing objects are extracted in step S103, the feature object extracting unit 14 calculates an existing object angle of each feature existing object.

  And the communication processing part 13 transmits the map information acquired in step S102, the name of the feature existing object extracted in steps S103 and S104, the existing object angle, etc. to the portable terminal device 100 (step S105).

[Processing Procedure by Portable Terminal Device in Embodiment 2]
Next, a procedure of processing performed by the mobile terminal device 100 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure performed by the mobile terminal device 100 according to the second embodiment.

  As illustrated in FIG. 11, the position estimation unit 150 estimates the location of the mobile terminal device 100 (step S202) when an operation for displaying map information is performed (Yes in step S201). And the position estimation part 150 transmits the map acquisition request containing the position information estimated in step S202 to the map information management apparatus 10 (step S203).

  And the portable terminal device 100 waits, while not receiving map information etc. from the map information management apparatus 10 (step S204 negative). On the other hand, when the map information or the like is received from the map information management apparatus 10 (Yes at Step S204), the query generation unit 160 displays the map information on the display unit 120 in a fixed direction (Step S205). For example, the query generation unit 160 displays the map information on the display unit 120 such that the north side of the map information is above the display unit 120.

  Subsequently, the query generation unit 160 displays an inquiry screen for inquiring in which direction the existing feature is located with respect to the direction in which the user is facing (step S206). For example, the query generation unit 160 displays the inquiry screen G11 illustrated in FIG. 7 on the display unit 120.

  Here, when an operation indicating that the location direction of the feature existing object is unknown is performed by the user (Yes in step S207), the query generation unit 160 determines whether the feature existing object is different from the feature existing object described above. An inquiry screen for inquiring the location direction is displayed (step S206).

  Subsequently, when an answer is received from the user on the inquiry screen (Yes at Step S208), the direction estimation unit 170 uses the relative angle calculated from the answer and the existing angle of the characteristic existing object, A rotation angle is calculated (step S209). Then, the direction estimation unit 170 displays the map information displayed on the display unit 120 by rotating it by the rotation angle (step S210). On the other hand, when an answer is not received from the user on the inquiry screen (No at Step S208), the mobile terminal device 100 ends the process without rotating the map information displayed on the display unit 120 at Step S205.

[Effect of Example 2]
As described above, when the map information management apparatus 10 according to the second embodiment receives a map acquisition request from the mobile terminal apparatus 100, the map information management apparatus 10 acquires map information and extracts feature existing objects from the map information. Then, the mobile terminal device 100 according to the second embodiment estimates the location of the user, and inquires in which direction the feature existing object is located in the direction in which the user is facing. Thereby, the portable terminal device 100 in Example 2 can estimate the direction in which the user is facing based on the result of the inquiry.

  In addition, the mobile terminal device 100 according to the second embodiment displays the map information on the display unit 120 so that the direction in which the user is facing is above the display unit 120. Thereby, the portable terminal device 100 in Example 2 can make the direction which the user faces, and the display direction of map information correspond. As a result, the user of the mobile terminal device 100 can browse, for example, map information whose own traveling direction and display direction match.

  In the third embodiment, an example of a portable terminal device that displays an inquiry screen for inquiring a direction in which a feature existing object is located after designating a direction in which the user faces in advance will be described. The configuration of the mobile terminal device in the third embodiment is the same as the configuration of the mobile terminal device 100 in the second embodiment. Therefore, below, description is abbreviate | omitted about the structure of the portable terminal device in Example 3. FIG.

[Example of inquiry screen]
First, an example of an inquiry screen that is displayed and controlled by the query generation unit 160 according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13. 12 and 13 are diagrams illustrating an example of an inquiry screen whose display is controlled by the query generation unit 160 according to the third embodiment. In the following description, it is assumed that the mobile terminal device 100 has acquired the map information M11 illustrated in FIG. 4 from the map information management device 10.

  The query generation unit 160 according to the third embodiment inquires about the direction in which the existing feature is located after designating the direction in which the user faces the road near the position estimated by the position estimation unit 150. . For example, as in the example illustrated in FIG. 12, the query generation unit 160 specifies the user to stand along “AAA street” and then the direction in which the feature existing object “A building” is located. Is displayed on the display unit 120. In other words, the query generation unit 160 inquires the user of the location direction of the feature existing object “A building” after designating the user to face the moving direction on “AAA street”.

  In the example illustrated in FIG. 12, the query generation unit 160 acquires the direction in which the existing feature “A building” is located by causing the arrow button displayed on the inquiry screen G21 to be selected. However, the interface for designating the direction on the inquiry screen G21 is not limited to the example of FIG. 12, but in the form of selecting any direction from 1 o'clock to 12 o'clock by pull-down as in the inquiry screen G11 illustrated in FIG. There may be.

  Further, for example, as in the example illustrated in FIG. 13, the query generation unit 160 may display an inquiry screen for selecting a building located ahead after designating the direction in which the user faces. For example, as shown in the example illustrated in FIG. 13, the query generation unit 160 designates the building standing along “AAA street”, and the building located in front is “A building”, “B hall”, or “ You may display the inquiry screen G22 which makes it select which is "C building".

  In the above, an example is shown in which the user stands along the road so that the direction in which the user is facing and the road are parallel. However, the query generation unit 160 may designate the linear existing object other than the road so as to face a predetermined direction. Specifically, the query generation unit 160 may specify the existing linear object indicated by the linear graphic included in the map information so as to face a predetermined direction. For example, the query generation unit 160 may specify the direction of 45 degrees on the east side with respect to a linear existing object such as “XXX river” or “XXX bridge”.

  Moreover, the query production | generation part 160 changes the question content displayed on an inquiry screen, when operation which shows that the characteristic existing thing cannot be found in said inquiry screen G21 and inquiry screen G22 is performed. For example, when the “?” Button displayed on the inquiry screen G21 illustrated in FIG. 12 or the “Unknown” button displayed on the inquiry screen G22 illustrated in FIG. , It may be specified to stand along a road other than “AAA Street”.

  In this way, the query generation unit 160 specifies the direction in which the user is facing in advance and inquires about the direction in which the existing feature is located, so that the direction in which the user is facing and the existing feature from the user. Get the relative angle to the direction.

  The direction estimation unit 170 according to the third embodiment uses the relative angle acquired by the query generation unit 160 according to the third embodiment and the existing object angle of the feature existing object transmitted from the map information management device 10. Estimate the direction you are facing. Then, the direction estimation unit 170 calculates a rotation angle between a predetermined reference azimuth and the direction in which the user is facing, and maps information so that the direction in which the user is facing is above the display unit 120. It is displayed on the display unit 120.

  Here, the direction estimation process by the direction estimation unit 170 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of a direction estimation process performed by the direction estimation unit 170 according to the third embodiment. As described with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13, the query generation unit 160 specifies in advance the direction in which the user is facing. In the case of the example shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the user U1 is designated to face in the direction along “AAA street”, and therefore the user U1 in the direction “D11” or “D12” shown in FIG. It will point in either direction. In other words, when the direction in which the user U1 faces is specified by the query generation unit 160, the direction estimation unit 170 indicates that the direction in which the user U1 is facing is either “D11” or “D12”. You can narrow down.

  Therefore, the direction estimation unit 170 according to the third embodiment determines that the user U1 has a direction when the relative angle acquired by the query generation unit 160 is on the west side (left side) with respect to the direction in which the user U1 is facing. Estimated to be facing “D11”. In addition, the direction estimation unit 170 determines that the user U1 changes the direction “D12” when the relative angle acquired by the query generation unit 160 is on the east side (right side) with respect to the direction in which the user U1 is facing. Estimated to be suitable.

  In the example illustrated in FIGS. 12 and 13, the query generation unit 160 specifies the user U1 to face the user U1 in a direction parallel to “AAA street”. It may be specified to face in a direction parallel to or perpendicular to “”. In such a case, the direction estimation unit 170 can narrow down that the direction in which the user U1 is facing is any one of “D11” to “D14”.

  Next, the rotation angle calculation processing by the direction estimation unit 170 will be described using the example shown in FIG. Here, it is assumed that the direction in which the user U1 is facing is any one of “D11” to “D14”, and the user U1 is facing the direction “D11”. The angles formed by the reference azimuth and the directions “D11”, “D12”, “D13”, and “D14” are “Ψ11”, “Ψ12”, “Ψ13”, and “Ψ14”, respectively. The angles “Ψ11” to “Ψ14” are known values because the location of “AAA street” is known.

  As illustrated in FIG. 14, the query generation unit 160 determines the direction “D11” that the user U1 is facing and the direction from the user U1 to the feature existing object “A building” in response to an inquiry to the user U1. The relative angle “Φ11” formed can be acquired. In addition, the mobile terminal device 100 receives the existing object angle “Φ1” of the characteristic existing object “A building” from the map information management apparatus 10. At this time, as in the example illustrated in FIG. 14, the angle “Ψ11” formed by the reference orientation and the direction “D11” facing the user U1 is the existing object angle “Φ1” of the characteristic existing object “A building”. Is approximated to a value obtained by subtracting the relative angle “Φ11”.

  That is, the direction estimation unit 170 can estimate that the direction corresponding to the angle “ΨN” at which the value Ω obtained by the following equation (5) is minimum is the direction in which the user U1 is facing. “ΨN” corresponds to any one of “Ψ11”, “Ψ12”, “Ψ13”, and “Ψ14”.

  Ω = (Φ1-Φ11-ΨN) (5)

  Then, the direction estimation unit 170 uses the angle “ΨN” that minimizes the value Ω obtained by the above equation (5) as the rotation angle. In the example illustrated in FIG. 14, the angle “ΨN” that minimizes the value Ω obtained by the above equation (5) is “Ψ11”, and thus the direction estimation unit 170 obtains the rotation angle “Ψ11”.

[Effect of Example 3]
As described above, the mobile terminal device 100 according to the third embodiment inquires about the direction in which the existing feature is located after designating the direction in which the user faces in advance. Thereby, the portable terminal device 100 can narrow down the direction in which the user is facing. As a result, the mobile terminal device 100 can estimate the direction in which the user is facing with high accuracy. For example, the mobile terminal device 100 can estimate the direction in which the user is facing with high accuracy even when there is an error in the relative angle calculated from the user's answer.

  Note that the mobile terminal device 100 according to the third embodiment designates the user to face the road or the like in the horizontal direction without considering the direction in which the user is currently facing. Here, the user generally moves along the road. Therefore, even if the portable terminal device 100 according to the third embodiment is designated to face the road or the like in the horizontal direction, it is unlikely that the user is directed toward the unintended direction.

  In the fourth embodiment, an example of a portable terminal device that selects a landscape image similar to a landscape that looks in the direction that the user is facing and estimates the direction that the user is facing based on the selected landscape image will be described. .

[Configuration of Mobile Terminal Device in Embodiment 4]
First, the portable terminal device 200 in Example 4 is demonstrated using FIG. FIG. 15 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of the mobile terminal device 200 according to the fourth embodiment. In addition, below, the detailed description is abbreviate | omitted as attaching | subjecting the same code | symbol to the site | part which has the function similar to the already shown component part.

  As illustrated in FIG. 15, the mobile terminal device 200 according to the fourth embodiment includes an imaging unit 210, a landscape image storage unit 220, a query generation unit 260, and a direction estimation unit 270. The imaging unit 210 is, for example, a camera or the like, and performs imaging processing when an operation for performing imaging processing is performed by a user. Specifically, the imaging unit 210 displays the subject on the display unit 120 through a lens or the like. The imaging unit 210 generates landscape image data by imaging light emitted from the subject when an operation to perform imaging processing is performed by the user.

  The landscape image storage unit 220 stores, for each specific point on the map, a plurality of landscape images captured in any direction from the specific point. Further, the landscape image storage unit 220 stores, for each landscape image, an angle formed by a direction in which the landscape is captured from a specific point and a predetermined reference direction. Note that the landscape image storage unit 220 may store image data of a two-dimensional or three-dimensional landscape schematically represented by a figure or the like instead of image data obtained by capturing a landscape.

  The query generation unit 260 inquires of the user to select a landscape image similar to the landscape seen in the direction the user is facing. Specifically, the query generation unit 260 acquires a plurality of landscape images in the vicinity of the position estimated by the position estimation unit 150 from the landscape image storage unit 220. Then, the query generation unit 260 makes an inquiry screen for inquiring the user to select a landscape image similar to the landscape in the direction the user is facing from among the landscape images acquired from the landscape image storage unit 220. Is displayed on the display unit 120.

  An example of an inquiry screen whose display is controlled by the query generation unit 260 according to the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of an inquiry screen whose display is controlled by the query generation unit 260 according to the fourth embodiment. In the example illustrated in FIG. 16, the query generation unit 260 displays the landscape image acquired from the landscape image storage unit 220 in the display frame F31. Then, when the scroll buttons Sc31 and Sc32 in the display frame F31 are pressed, the query generation unit 260 changes the landscape image displayed in the display frame F31. At this time, the query generation unit 260 changes the landscape image displayed on the display frame F31 so that the landscape moves in the direction of the arrow indicated by the scroll buttons Sc31 and Sc32.

  In addition, the query generation unit 260 displays a landscape on the display frame F32 through the lens of the imaging unit 210 or the like. Then, the query generation unit 260 presses the button B31 to the user when the landscape image displayed in the display frame F31 matches the landscape image displayed in the display frame F32. Instruct.

  That is, the user of the mobile terminal device 200 according to the fourth embodiment points the imaging unit 210 that is a camera in the direction in which the user is facing. As a result, the user causes the display frame F32 of the inquiry screen G31 to display the landscape in the direction in which he is facing. Then, the user changes the landscape image displayed in the display frame F31 by pressing the scroll button Sc31 or Sc32. In addition, the user may change the scenery displayed in the display frame F32 by changing his / her direction. Then, the user presses the button B31 when the landscape image displayed in the display frame F31 matches the landscape image displayed in the display frame F32.

  The direction estimation unit 270 estimates that the direction corresponding to the landscape image selected by the user is the direction in which the user is facing. Specifically, the direction estimation unit 270 acquires a direction corresponding to the landscape image selected by the user from the landscape image storage unit 220. As described above, the landscape image storage unit 220 stores an angle formed by the direction in which the landscape image is captured and the predetermined reference direction. Therefore, the direction estimation unit 270 can acquire the relative angle between the direction in which the user is facing and the reference orientation from the landscape image storage unit 220 based on the landscape image selected by the user.

[Effect of Example 4]
As described above, the mobile terminal device 200 according to the fourth embodiment causes the user to select a landscape image similar to the landscape that appears in the direction that the user is facing. Thereby, the mobile terminal device 200 according to the fourth embodiment can estimate the direction in which the user is facing. As a result, since the mobile terminal device 200 can provide the direction in which the user is facing even when the ferromagnetic material is present or the direction information mark is not present, the user is confused. Can be prevented.

  In the fifth embodiment, the direction in which the user is facing is estimated based on the similarity between the feature amount of the landscape image around the position where the user is located and the feature amount of the landscape image in the direction in which the user is facing. An example of the mobile terminal device that performs the operation will be described.

[Configuration of Map Information Management Device in Embodiment 5]
First, the map information management apparatus 20 according to the fifth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 17 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of the map information management apparatus according to the fifth embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 17, the map information management apparatus 20 in the fifth embodiment includes a map information storage unit 21 and a feature amount calculation unit 24.

  The map information storage unit 21 stores a plurality of landscape images picked up for each arbitrary direction from the specific point in association with the specific point on the map. Further, the map information storage unit 21 stores, for each landscape image, an angle formed by a direction in which the landscape is captured from a specific point and a predetermined reference direction. Note that the map information storage unit 21 may store image data of a two-dimensional or three-dimensional landscape schematically represented by a figure or the like instead of a landscape image.

  The feature amount calculation unit 24 calculates the feature amounts of a plurality of landscape images in the vicinity of the user's location in the map information acquired by the communication processing unit 13. Specifically, the feature amount calculation unit 24 acquires, from the map information storage unit 21, a plurality of landscape images captured from the location of the user estimated by the mobile terminal device. Then, the feature amount calculation unit 24 calculates the feature amounts of the plurality of landscape images acquired from the map information storage unit 21. Then, the feature amount calculation unit 24 transmits the feature amounts of the plurality of landscape images to the mobile terminal device via the communication processing unit 13 and the IF unit 12.

  That is, the map information management apparatus 20 according to the fifth embodiment transmits the map information in the vicinity of the user's location and the feature amounts of the plurality of landscape images calculated by the feature amount calculation unit 24 to the mobile terminal device. .

[Configuration of Mobile Terminal Device in Embodiment 5]
Next, the portable terminal device in Example 5 is demonstrated using FIG. FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the mobile terminal device according to the fifth embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 18, the mobile terminal device 300 according to the fifth embodiment includes an instruction unit 310, an imaging unit 320, a specifying unit 330, and a direction estimation unit 340.

  The instruction unit 310 instructs the user to take an image of a landscape in the direction that the user is facing. The imaging unit 320 performs imaging processing when an operation for performing imaging processing is performed by the user. Note that the imaging unit 320 may perform an imaging process in accordance with an instruction from the instruction unit 310. That is, for example, when an operation for displaying map information is performed via the input unit 110, the mobile terminal device 300 may automatically capture a landscape in a direction in which the user is facing.

  The specifying unit 330 specifies a landscape image similar to the landscape image captured by the imaging unit 320 from the plurality of landscape images received from the map information management device 20. Specifically, when the image capturing unit 320 captures a landscape in the direction in which the user is facing, the specifying unit 330 includes a plurality of landscapes received from the feature amount of the captured image and the map information management device 20. Compare with the feature amount of the image. Then, the specifying unit 330 specifies a landscape image whose similarity with the feature amount of the landscape image in the direction in which the user is facing is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold from among the plurality of landscape images.

  The direction estimating unit 340 estimates the direction in which the user is facing based on the landscape image specified by the specifying unit 330. Specifically, it is known in which direction the plurality of landscape images received from the map information management device 20 are taken from the location of the user. Therefore, the direction estimation unit 340 estimates the direction in which the user is facing based on information regarding the direction in which the landscape image identified by the identification unit 330 is captured.

[Processing Procedure by Portable Terminal Device in Example 5]
Next, a processing procedure performed by the mobile terminal device 300 according to the fifth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 19 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure performed by the mobile terminal device 300 according to the fifth embodiment. Note that the processing procedure in steps S301 to S303 shown in FIG. 19 is the same as the processing procedure in steps S101 to S103 shown in FIG.

  As illustrated in FIG. 19, when the mobile terminal device 300 receives map information, feature amounts of a plurality of landscape images, and the like from the map information management device 20 (Yes in step S304), the mobile terminal device 300 displays the map information in a fixed direction. The information is displayed on the unit 120 (step S305).

  Subsequently, the instruction unit 310 instructs the user to take an image of a landscape in the direction in which the user is facing (step S306). Then, when the landscape is captured by the user (Yes at Step S307), the specifying unit 330 calculates the feature amount of the captured image captured by the imaging unit 320 (Step S308). Then, the specifying unit 330 compares the feature amount of the captured image with the feature amounts of the plurality of landscape images received from the map information management device 20 (step S309).

  Subsequently, the direction estimation unit 340 includes, in a plurality of landscape images, when there is a landscape image whose similarity with the feature amount of the captured image is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold (Yes in step S310). Based on this, a rotation angle is calculated (step S311). Then, the direction estimation unit 340 displays the map information displayed on the display unit 120 by rotating it by the rotation angle (step S312).

  In the case where the user does not perform an imaging operation (No at Step S307) or when there is no landscape image with a similarity equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold (No at Step S310), the mobile terminal device 300 displays the display unit. The processing ends without rotating the map information displayed on 120.

[Effect of Example 5]
As described above, the mobile terminal device 300 according to the fifth embodiment instructs the user to take an image of the landscape in the direction in which the user is facing. Then, the mobile terminal device 300 compares the feature amount of the captured image with the feature amounts of a plurality of landscape images captured in advance from the user's location. Thereby, the mobile terminal device 300 according to the fifth embodiment can estimate the direction in which the user is facing. As a result, since the mobile terminal device 300 can provide the direction in which the user is facing even when the ferromagnetic material is present or the direction information mark is not present, the user is confused. Can be prevented.

  By the way, the position estimation apparatus, the position estimation method, and the position estimation program disclosed in the present application may be implemented in various different forms other than the above-described embodiments. Therefore, in the sixth embodiment, another embodiment of the position estimation device, the position estimation method, and the position estimation program disclosed in the present application will be described.

[System configuration, etc.]
Each component of each device illustrated in the above embodiment is functionally conceptual and does not necessarily need to be physically configured as illustrated. In other words, the specific form of distribution / integration of each device is not limited to that shown in the figure, and all or a part thereof may be functionally or physically distributed or arbitrarily distributed in arbitrary units according to various loads or usage conditions. Can be integrated and configured.

  For example, in the second and third embodiments, the mobile terminal device 100 illustrated in FIG. 6 may include the map information storage unit 11 and the feature object extraction unit 14 illustrated in FIG. In such a case, the mobile terminal device 100 according to the second embodiment does not transmit a map acquisition request including position information to the map information management device 10 and does not acquire map information, existing object angles, or the like from the map information management device 10. It's okay.

  For example, in Example 4, the map information management apparatus 10 may include the landscape image storage unit 220 included in the mobile terminal device 200 illustrated in FIG. In such a case, the mobile terminal device 200 according to the fourth embodiment receives a landscape image from the map information management device 10.

  Further, for example, in the fifth embodiment, the mobile terminal device 300 illustrated in FIG. 18 may include the map information storage unit 21 and the feature amount calculation unit 24 illustrated in FIG. In such a case, the mobile terminal device 300 according to the fifth embodiment does not transmit a map acquisition request including position information to the map information management device 20 or acquire map information, feature amounts, or the like from the map information management device 20. Good.

[Inquiry start timing]
In the said Example, when operation to the effect of displaying map information was performed, the portable terminal device 200 etc. acquired map information from the map information management apparatus 10 or 20, and displayed the acquired map information An example of displaying an inquiry screen was shown. However, the mobile terminal device 200 or the like may display the inquiry screen, for example, when triggered by the following (A) to (D).

(A) When the mobile terminal device has an electronic compass, when it is detected that the error of the electronic compass has increased (B) When the user moves from the basement to the ground or from the ground to the basement (C ) When the user moves from inside or outside the building, or when moving from inside or outside the building to inside the building (D) When the user performs an operation to display the inquiry screen

[Inquiry screen]
In the above-described embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 7 and the like, an example is shown in which one feature existing object is inquired in which direction. However, the mobile terminal device 200 or the like may simultaneously inquire in which direction the plurality of feature existing objects are located. At this time, when the positional relationship of the plurality of feature existing objects indicated by the response from the user is different from the map information, the mobile terminal device 200 or the like may notify the user to that effect, or may display the inquiry screen again. May be displayed.

[Applicable device example]
The position estimation device 1 and the like shown in the above embodiment can be applied to, for example, a mobile phone, a car navigation system, a dead reckoning device, and the like. For example, the dead reckoning device may use, as the initial value, the direction in which the user faces calculated by the position estimation device 1 or the like shown in the above embodiment.

[Feature existing products]
In the said Example, the building, the store, the station, the bus stop, the exit of the station, the name of the mountain etc. were shown as an example of the characteristic existing thing. However, the feature existing object used in the above embodiment may be a celestial body such as the sun, the moon, or a star. Since celestial bodies are generally likely to be viewed from any place, the position estimation device 1 or the like uses the celestial bodies to extract feature existing objects from map information and process to calculate existing object angles. Can be omitted. Note that the relative position of the celestial body and the user varies with time, but the relative position does not vary greatly in a short time. Therefore, there is no problem even if the position estimation apparatus 1 or the like uses a celestial body as a feature existing object.

[program]
Various processes described in the above embodiments can be realized by executing a program prepared in advance on a computer such as a personal computer or a workstation. Therefore, in the following, an example of a computer that executes a position estimation program having the same function as that of the position estimation device 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 20 is a diagram illustrating a computer that executes a position estimation program. As shown in FIG. 20, the computer 1000 includes a RAM (Random Access Memory) 1010, a cache 1020, an HDD 1030, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 1040, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 1050, and a bus 1060. The RAM 1010, cache 1020, HDD 1030, ROM 1040, and CPU 1050 are connected by a bus 1060.

  The ROM 1040 stores in advance a position estimation program that performs the same function as the position estimation apparatus 1 shown in FIG. Specifically, the ROM 1040 stores a position estimation program 1041, an inquiry program 1042, and a direction estimation program 1043. The CPU 1050 reads out the position estimation program 1041, the inquiry program 1042, and the direction estimation program 1043 from the ROM 1040 and executes them.

  As a result, the position estimation program 1041 becomes a position estimation process 1051 as shown in FIG. Further, the inquiry program 1042 becomes an inquiry process 1052. Further, the direction estimation program 1043 becomes a direction estimation process 1053. The position estimation process 1051 corresponds to the position estimation unit 2 shown in FIG. The inquiry process 1052 corresponds to the inquiry unit 3 shown in FIG. The direction estimation process 1053 corresponds to the direction estimation unit 4 illustrated in FIG.

  Note that the programs 1041 to 1043 described above are not necessarily stored in the ROM 1040. For example, the program 1041 is stored in a “portable physical medium” such as a flexible disk (FD), a CD-ROM, an MO disk, a DVD disk, a magneto-optical disk, an IC card, or a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory inserted in the computer 1000. -1043 may be stored. Alternatively, the programs 1041 to 1043 may be stored in a “fixed physical medium” such as a hard disk drive (HDD) provided inside or outside the computer 1000. Alternatively, the programs 1041 to 1043 may be stored in “another computer (or server)” connected to the computer 1000 via a public line, the Internet, a LAN, a WAN, or the like. Then, the computer 1000 may read and execute each program from the above-described flexible disk or the like.

  The following supplementary notes are further disclosed with respect to the embodiments including the above examples.

(Supplementary note 1) a position estimation unit that estimates a position where a user who uses the device is located;
An inquiry unit that inquires in which direction an existing object whose location is known is located with respect to the direction of the user;
Based on the direction from the position estimated by the position estimation unit to the location of the existing object, and the existing direction of the existing object with respect to the direction of the user obtained by the inquiry by the inquiry unit, And a direction estimation unit that estimates a direction in which the user is facing.

(Supplementary note 2) The supplementary note 1, further comprising: a display unit that displays map information in the vicinity of the position estimated by the position estimation unit so that a direction estimated by the direction estimation unit is upward. Position estimation device.

(Appendix 3) The inquiry section
For the user, after designating the direction in which the user faces the existing straight object indicated by the linear figure included in the map information in the vicinity of the position estimated by the position estimating unit, the existing object Query in which direction is
The direction estimator is
Based on the direction of the existing object obtained by the inquiry by the inquiry unit and the direction from the position estimated by the position estimating unit to the location of the existing object, the user may It is estimated which direction it is pointing. The position estimation apparatus according to appendix 1 or 2, characterized in that:

(Appendix 4) The inquiry section
Inquiring to the user to select a landscape image similar to the landscape in the direction the user is facing from among a plurality of landscape images in the vicinity of the position estimated by the position estimation unit,
The direction estimator is
The position estimation device according to any one of appendices 1 to 3, wherein a direction of the user is estimated from a landscape image selected by the user as a result of an inquiry by the inquiry unit.

(Additional remark 5) The position estimation part which estimates the position where the user using the own apparatus is located,
A feature amount calculation unit that calculates feature amounts of a plurality of landscape images in the vicinity of the position estimated by the position estimation unit;
An instruction unit for instructing to image a landscape in a direction in which the user is facing;
An imaging unit that images a landscape in a direction in which the user is facing in accordance with an instruction from the instruction unit;
A specifying unit for specifying a landscape image similar to the captured image obtained by the imaging unit from the plurality of landscape images;
A position estimation unit comprising: a direction estimation unit that estimates a direction in which the user is facing from a landscape image identified by the identification unit.

(Appendix 6) The position estimation device is
A position estimation step for estimating a position where a user using the position estimation device is located;
An inquiry step for inquiring in which direction an existing object whose location is known is located with respect to the direction of the user;
Based on the direction from the position estimated by the position estimation step to the location of the existing object, and the location direction of the existing object with respect to the direction of the user that is obtained by the inquiry by the inquiry step, And a direction estimating step for estimating a direction in which the user is facing.

(Appendix 7) A position estimation program executed by the position estimation device,
In the position estimation device,
A position estimation procedure for estimating a position where a user using the position estimation device is located;
An inquiry procedure for inquiring in which direction an existing object whose location is known is located relative to the direction of the user;
Based on the direction from the position estimated by the position estimation procedure to the location of the existing object, and the existing direction of the existing object with respect to the direction of the user obtained by the inquiry by the inquiry procedure, A position estimation program for executing a direction estimation procedure for estimating a direction in which the user is facing.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Position estimation apparatus SY1 Map display system N1 Network 2 Position estimation part 3 Query part 4 Direction estimation part 10, 20 Map information management apparatus 11 Map information storage part 12 IF part 13 Communication processing part 14 Feature object extraction part 21 Map information storage Unit 24 feature amount calculation unit 100, 200, 300 portable terminal device 110 input unit 120 display unit 130 IF unit 140 communication processing unit 150 position estimation unit 160 query generation unit 170 direction estimation unit 210 imaging unit 220 landscape image storage unit 260 query generation Unit 270 direction estimation unit 310 instruction unit 320 imaging unit 330 identification unit 340 direction estimation unit 1000 computer 1010 RAM
1020 Cache 1030 HDD
1040 ROM
1041 Position estimation program 1042 Query program 1043 Direction estimation program 1050 CPU
1051 Position estimation process 1052 Query process 1053 Direction estimation process 1060 Bus

Claims (6)

A position estimation unit that estimates a position where a user using the device is located;
An inquiry unit that inquires in which direction an existing object whose location is known is located with respect to the direction of the user;
Based on the direction from the position estimated by the position estimation unit to the location of the existing object, and the existing direction of the existing object with respect to the direction of the user obtained by the inquiry by the inquiry unit, And a direction estimation unit that estimates a direction in which the user is facing. The position estimation according to claim 1, further comprising: a display unit configured to display map information in the vicinity of the position estimated by the position estimation unit so that a direction estimated by the direction estimation unit is upward. apparatus. The inquiry section
For the user, after designating the direction in which the user faces the existing straight object indicated by the linear figure included in the map information in the vicinity of the position estimated by the position estimating unit, the existing object Query in which direction is
The direction estimator is
Based on the direction of the existing object obtained by the inquiry by the inquiry unit and the direction from the position estimated by the position estimating unit to the location of the existing object, the user may The position estimation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the position estimation apparatus estimates which direction the camera is facing. The inquiry section
Inquiring to the user to select a landscape image similar to the landscape in the direction the user is facing from among a plurality of landscape images in the vicinity of the position estimated by the position estimation unit,
The direction estimator is
The position estimation device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a direction of the user is estimated from a landscape image selected by the user as a result of an inquiry by the inquiry unit. . The position estimation device is
A position estimation step for estimating a position where a user using the position estimation device is located;
An inquiry step for inquiring in which direction an existing object whose location is known is located with respect to the direction of the user;
Based on the direction from the position estimated by the position estimation step to the location of the existing object, and the location direction of the existing object with respect to the direction of the user that is obtained by the inquiry by the inquiry step, And a direction estimating step for estimating a direction in which the user is facing. A position estimation program executed by the position estimation device,
In the position estimation device,
A position estimation procedure for estimating a position where a user using the position estimation device is located;
An inquiry procedure for inquiring in which direction an existing object whose location is known is located relative to the direction of the user;
Based on the direction from the position estimated by the position estimation procedure to the location of the existing object, and the existing direction of the existing object with respect to the direction of the user obtained by the inquiry by the inquiry procedure, A position estimation program for executing a direction estimation procedure for estimating a direction in which the user is facing.

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