JP2012208109A - Three-dimensional positioning system, node, host, and operation method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a three-dimensional (3D) positioning system with a plurality of nodes and one host.SOLUTION: Nodes are constituted so as to transmit ultrasonic waves according to an ultrasonic wave ranging technology when the nodes are in an object mode, and to measure distance between the nodes and an object node which should be measured at present as measurement distance which should be provided to a host according to the ultrasonic wave ranging technology when the nodes are in a beacon mode. The host is constituted so as to calculate positions of the nodes in the object mode based on distance to be reported by the nodes in the beacon mode, and positions of the nodes in the beacon mode when the number of nodes in the beacon mode is equal to or more than the predetermined number. The nodes automatically switch between the object mode and the beacon mode according to their motion states.

Description

  The present invention relates to a positioning system. In particular, the present invention relates to a three-dimensional (3D) positioning system, and more particularly to a 3D positioning system that measures distance based on the arrival time or arrival time difference of ultrasonic waves.

  High-precision positioning information has become very important in modern life, and has been applied to many occasions such as human positioning and inventory management. These applications have high demands on the accuracy of the positioning information and typically have a tolerance of less than 1 meter. Some applications require tolerances on the order of centimeters.

  In addition to high accuracy, the scalability of positioning systems is becoming increasingly important. For example, during initial operation, the system typically requires manual setting for parameters such as some original nodes and locations. However, scalability requires and adopts an automatic process of automatic configuration without manual intervention. During system operation, changes in the position of the node to be positioned must be automatically detected and the system must be automatically calibrated. In addition, multi-object positioning in the system is an important aspect of scalability.

  Ultrasound-based positioning systems can provide relatively high positioning accuracy in a certain range, each of which has two main technologies: distance measurement based on ultrasonic arrival time and distance measurement based on ultrasonic arrival time difference There is.

  There are several related research achievements.

Non-Patent Document 1 (Hans Gellersen et al. “Cooperative relative positioning (Cooperative
Relative Positioning ”(IEEE, Pervasive Computing, October-December 2010)).

  Patent document 1 (US Patent Application Publication No. US 2008/0309556 A1) describes a system for calculating 3D position information of an object using relative coordinates by measuring distance information between network nodes.

  Patent Document 2 (PCT International Patent Application Publication No. WO2007 / 110626A2) describes a movable component carrying an ultrasonic transducer based on ultrasonic ranging and trigonometry between a movable component and a fixed component. A technique for calculating the position is provided.

Non-Patent Document 2 (Hubert Piontek et al. “Improving the Accuracy of Ultrasound-Based Localization System”) (Personal and Ubiquitous Computing (Personal
and Ubiquitous Computing), 2007)) provide improved solutions for ultrasound-based indoor positioning systems, focusing mainly on improving distance measurement accuracy and location information update frequency.

US Patent Application Publication No. US2008 / 0309556A1 PCT International Patent Application Publication No. WO2007 / 110626A2

Hans Gellersen et al. “Cooperative Relative Positioning” (IEEE, Pervasive Computing, October-December 2010) Huber Piontek et al. “Improving the Accuracy of Ultrasound-Based Localization System” (Personaland Ubiquitous Computing, 2007)

  Most of the related techniques described above are insufficient in scalability or must support scalability by sacrificing reduced system performance, eg, accuracy or positioning speed. In addition, current technology cannot adequately support multi-object positioning. It is also a problem to obtain highly accurate 3D position information with as short a waiting time as possible in a multi-object positioning system. Conventional systems lack scalability and adaptability, exhibit long latency and low accuracy, and cannot adequately support positioning of multiple moving objects.

  In view of the above disadvantages in the prior art, the present invention provides a three-dimensional (3D) positioning system comprising a plurality of nodes and a host. The node transmits the ultrasonic wave according to the ultrasonic ranging technology when the node is in the object mode, and the node and the current measurement according to the ultrasonic ranging technology as the measurement distance to be provided to the host when the node is in the beacon mode. It is configured to measure the distance to the object node to be. When the number of beacon mode nodes is equal to or greater than a predetermined number, the host calculates the object mode node position based on the distance reported by the beacon mode node and the beacon mode node position. The node automatically switches between object mode and beacon mode according to its motion state. The 3D positioning system according to the present invention can automatically adjust according to changes in the physical topology structure of the system and can support multi-object positioning with low latency and high accuracy.

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, a node configured to be used in a three-dimensional positioning system is provided, the node configured to communicate with a host to report a measurement distance to the host. When the communication unit and the node are in the object mode, the communication unit is configured to transmit an ultrasonic wave according to the ultrasonic ranging technique. When the node is in the beacon mode, the node and the object node to be currently measured according to the ultrasonic ranging technique And whether the node is currently in object mode or beacon mode, based on the ultrasonic ranging unit configured to measure the distance between And a mode switching unit configured to determine.

  In a preferred aspect, the communication unit is also configured to report the current mode of the node to the host. Also, in a preferred aspect, the communication unit is configured to receive transmission signaling determined by a time division multiplexing (TDM) method transmitted by the host when the node is in object mode, and the ultrasonic ranging unit Is configured to transmit ultrasound according to ultrasound ranging techniques in operational time slots assigned to the node based on transmission signaling.

  In a preferred embodiment, the mode switching unit is configured to determine that the node is in object mode when the node is in a movable state, and the mode switching unit is when the node is in a stationary state and its position is known. , Configured to determine that the node is in beacon mode.

  In a preferred aspect, the mode switching unit is configured to determine that the node is in the object mode when the node is in a movable state, and the mode switching unit is configured such that the node is stationary for a mode switching time threshold or more. When the location is known, the node is configured to determine that it is in beacon mode.

  In a preferred embodiment, the mode switching unit includes a motion detection subunit.

  In a preferred embodiment, the motion detection subunit is a motion sensor or an inertial sensor.

  In a preferred aspect, the node location is communicated by communication between the node and the host to determine that the node location is known. Alternatively, the node that receives the information communication including the distance from the node to the beacon mode node transmitted by the beacon mode node indicates that the position of the node is known.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of operating a node configured for use in a scalable three-dimensional (3D) positioning system, the method based on the motion state of the node. A mode determining step for determining the current mode of the node, a mode determining step for determining whether the determined mode of the node is the object mode or the beacon mode, and determining that the determined mode of the node is the object mode If the ultrasonic transmission step returns to the mode determination step after transmitting ultrasonic waves according to the ultrasonic ranging technology, and the determined mode of the node is determined to be beacon mode, As the measurement distance, according to ultrasonic ranging technology, between the node and the object node to be measured at present An ultrasonic ranging step of measuring the release, after reporting the measured distance to the host, and completed the distance reporting, and a distance report steps back to the mode decision step.

  In a preferred aspect, the method further comprises reporting the current mode of the node.

  In a preferred aspect, the method comprises receiving transmission signaling determined by a time division multiplexing (TDM) method transmitted by a host, wherein the transmission signaling includes a corresponding operational time slot. Configured to indicate that it is assigned to a node, and in the ultrasound transmission step, the ultrasound is transmitted according to an ultrasound ranging technique in an operational time slot assigned to the node based on received transmission signaling .

  In a preferred embodiment, when the node is in the movable state in the mode determination step, the node is determined to be in the object mode, and in the mode determination step, the node is in the stationary state and when the position is known, Determined to be.

  In a preferred mode, when the node is in a movable state in the mode determination step, the node is determined to be in an object mode, and in the mode determination step, the node is in a stationary state for a mode switching time threshold or more and its position is known , It is determined that the node is in beacon mode.

  In a preferred aspect, the node location is communicated by communication between the node and the host to determine that the node location is known. Alternatively, the node that receives the information communication including the distance from the node to the beacon mode node transmitted by the beacon mode node indicates that the position of the node is known.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a host configured to be used in a scalable three-dimensional (3D) positioning system, wherein the host communicates with a node to determine the current object mode to be measured. A communication unit configured to receive a distance between the node and the beacon mode node reported by the beacon mode node (this distance is measured by the beacon mode node according to an ultrasonic ranging technique) A node number determination unit configured to determine the number of beacon mode nodes based on reports received by the communication unit and to determine whether the number of beacon mode nodes is greater than or equal to a predetermined number; When the node number determination unit determines that the number of beacon mode nodes is equal to or greater than a predetermined number, A position calculation unit configured to calculate the position of the node in the object mode based on the distance reported by the node in the node mode and the position of the node in the beacon mode, and the number of nodes in the beacon mode is predetermined. When the node number determination unit determines that the number is less than the number of nodes, the position calculation unit does not calculate the position of the node in the object mode, but waits for the additional node in the object mode to switch from the object mode to the beacon mode. Configured as follows.

  Also in a preferred aspect, the communication unit is configured to receive the current mode of the node as reported by the node.

  In a preferred aspect, the host further comprises an object node coordination unit. The node number determination unit is configured to determine the number of nodes in the object mode. The object node coordination unit is based on the number of object mode nodes so that there is only one object mode node for transmitting ultrasound in each operation time slot in a time division multiplexing (TDM) manner. Configured to adjust the operation time slot of the node in the object mode and configured to generate transmission signaling to indicate that the corresponding operation time slot is assigned to the corresponding node in the object mode. The communication unit is also configured to transmit transmission signaling generated by the object node coordination unit.

  In a preferred embodiment, the predetermined number is 3 in the situation where one dimension of the three-dimensional coordinates has a constant coordinate, and the predetermined number is 4 in the situation of the three-dimensional coordinates.

  In a preferred embodiment, the beacon mode node is configured to switch from the beacon mode to the object mode when the beacon mode node transitions from the stationary state to the movable state, and the object mode node is configured so that the object mode node is movable. When the position is known and the position is known, the object mode is switched to the beacon mode.

  In a preferred embodiment, the beacon mode node is configured to switch from the beacon mode to the object mode when the beacon mode node transitions from a stationary state to a movable state, and the object mode node is mode switched by the object mode node. It is configured to switch from the object mode to the beacon mode when it is stationary for a time threshold or more and its position is known.

  In a preferred aspect, the position of a node in beacon mode is the position last acquired by the host when the node was in object mode before switching to beacon mode.

  According to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of operating a host configured for use in a scalable three-dimensional (3D) positioning system, the method comprising: an object mode node to be currently measured; And a report receiving step for receiving a distance between the beacon mode node and the beacon mode node (this distance is measured by the beacon mode node according to an ultrasonic ranging technique) A first node number determining step for determining the number of beacon mode nodes based on the report; a determination step for determining whether the number of beacon mode nodes is equal to or greater than a predetermined number; and the number of beacon mode nodes If the number is less than the predetermined number, additional nodes in object mode Waiting to switch to and the position of the object mode node based on the distance received in the report receiving step and the position of the beacon mode node if the number of beacon mode nodes is greater than or equal to a predetermined number And a positioning step for calculating.

  In a preferred embodiment, the current mode of the node reported by the node is also received in the report receiving step.

  In a preferred aspect, the method comprises a second node number determination step that determines the number of nodes in object mode based on the received reports, and a time division multiplexing (TDM) method, wherein the method is super The operation time slot of the object mode node is adjusted based on the number of object mode nodes so that there is only one object mode node for transmitting sound waves, and the corresponding operation time slot is set to the object mode node. The method further includes an adjusting step for generating transmission signaling for indicating that it is assigned to a corresponding node, and a signaling transmission step for transmitting the transmission signaling generated in the adjusting step.

  In a preferred embodiment, the predetermined number is 3 in the situation where one dimension of the three-dimensional coordinates has a constant coordinate, and the predetermined number is 4 in the situation of the three-dimensional coordinates.

  In a preferred embodiment, when the beacon mode node transitions from the stationary state to the movable state, the beacon mode node switches from the beacon mode to the object mode, the object mode node transitions from the movable state to the stationary state, and the position is When known, the node in object mode switches from object mode to beacon mode.

  In a preferred aspect, when a beacon mode node transitions from a stationary state to a movable state, the beacon mode node switches from the beacon mode to the object mode, and the object mode node is in a stationary state for a mode switching time threshold or more. When the position is known, the node in the object mode switches from the object mode to the beacon mode.

  In a preferred aspect, the position of a node in beacon mode is the position last acquired by the host when the node was in object mode before switching to beacon mode.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, a scalable three-dimensional (3D) positioning system is provided, comprising a node according to the first aspect of the present invention and a host according to the third aspect of the present invention.

An ultrasound-based three-dimensional (3D) positioning system according to the present invention can be automatically adjusted according to changes in the physical topology structure of the system to allow for scalability. Furthermore, ultrasound-based three-dimensional (3D) positioning systems can support multi-object positioning with low latency and high accuracy.

  The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of embodiments of the present invention taken in conjunction with the drawings.

1 is an overall block diagram of a three-dimensional (3D) positioning stem 100 according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic structural block diagram of a node 120 _i configured to be used in a three-dimensional (3D) positioning stem 100 according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a state switching diagram of a node 120 _i configured to be used in a three-dimensional (3D) positioning system 100 according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a state switching diagram of a node 120 _i configured to be used in a three-dimensional (3D) positioning system 100 according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is an example operational flowchart of a node 120 _i configured for use in a three-dimensional (3D) positioning system 100 according to the present invention. 4 is another example operational flowchart of a node 120 _i configured for use in a three-dimensional (3D) positioning system 100 according to the present invention. 1 is a schematic structural block diagram of a host 110 configured to be used in a three-dimensional (3D) positioning system 100 according to the present invention. 3 is an example operational flowchart of a host 110 configured to be used in a three-dimensional (3D) positioning system 100 according to the present invention. 4 is another example operational flowchart of a host 110 configured to be used in a three-dimensional (3D) positioning system 100 according to the present invention.

  Throughout the drawings, identical or similar structures or steps are identified by identical or similar reference numerals.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In order not to obscure an understanding of the present invention, details and functions that are not important to the present invention are omitted.

  FIG. 1 is an overall block diagram of a three-dimensional (3D) positioning stem 100 according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, a 3D positioning system 100 according to the present invention includes a host 110 and a plurality of nodes 120 _{1 to} 120 _N (generally referred to as nodes 120). Each node 120 _i (1 ≦ i ≦ N) has two modes, a beacon mode and an object mode. The beacon mode node is called a beacon node (shown as a black circle in FIG. 1), and the object mode node is called an object node (shown as a white circle in FIG. 1). Each node 120 _i communicates with the host 110. Communication between the node 120 and the host 110 can be wireless. Each node 120 _i can determine which mode it is currently in, switch between modes itself, and report the current mode to the host 110 by communicating with the host 110. Mode reporting may be explicit, in which case, for example, each node 120 _i reports to the host 110. The mode reporting may be implicit, in which case, for example, only the beacon node reports to the host 110 at a predetermined time interval, while the object node does not report the current mode. As another example, implicit reporting can be combined with distance reporting, as described in detail below. Since only the beacon node reports the measured distance to the host 110, not the object node, when the host 110 receives the distance reported by the node, this node can be determined to be a beacon node. The beacon node measures the distance between the beacon node and the object node to be currently measured according to the ultrasonic ranging technique, and reports the measured distance to the host 110 through communication with the host 110. The ultrasonic ranging technique may be a ranging technique based on an arrival time of ultrasonic waves or a ranging technique based on a difference in arrival times of ultrasonic waves. The object node transmits ultrasound according to the requirements of the ultrasound ranging technique for the measurement of the beacon node. Optionally, the object node can sequentially transmit ultrasound according to an operation time slot determined by communication with the host 110. At the same time, the host 110 determines the total number of object nodes, and in a time division multiplexing (TDM) method, the node 110 and the node 120 are arranged so that there is only one object node that transmits an ultrasonic wave in each operation time slot. The operation time slot of the object node is adjusted by communication. The advantage of TDM is that multiple object nodes use the same ultrasound channel so that the ultrasound channel is shared by TDM. Otherwise, if TDM is not used, multiple object nodes may transmit ultrasound simultaneously on the same ultrasound channel, thereby causing a reduction in system efficiency. The host 110 calculates the position of the object node in order to position the object node. This calculation is based on the distance between the beacon node and the object node that is currently to be measured (ie, the distance measured according to the ultrasonic ranging technique and reported by the beacon node) and the position of the beacon node. According to the ultrasonic ranging technique, the position of at least three beacon nodes is required for the host 110 to determine two-dimensional coordinates, and at least four beacon nodes are necessary for the host 110 to determine three-dimensional coordinates. Position is required. In the planar application of the present invention (two-dimensional or one-dimensional constant three-dimensional), if the host 110 determines that the number of beacon nodes is less than three, it waits for reports from further beacon nodes, ie Wait for some nodes to switch from object mode to beacon mode. When the host 110 determines that the number of beacon nodes is 3 or more, the host 110 calculates the position of the object node. In the stereo (three-dimensional) application of the present invention, when the host 110 determines that the number of beacon nodes is less than 4, it waits for reports from further beacon nodes, i.e., some nodes are in object mode to beacon mode. Wait for it to switch. When the host 110 determines that the number of beacon nodes is 4 or more, the host 110 calculates the position of the object node.

  Further, under certain conditions, there may be some nodes that are only used as beacon nodes, such nodes have only beacon mode and are always beacon mode. Such nodes that are only used as beacon nodes are called “pure” beacon nodes. In the presence of a pure beacon node, communication between the pure beacon node and the host 110 can be via wired or wireless.

In determining the location of the beacon node, the host 110 first performs an initialization process that includes establishing system coordinates, determining the location of the predetermined number of required first beacon nodes, and the like. The predetermined number is 3 for 2D and 4 for 3D. In determining the position of the first beacon node, a relative position method can be used. First, all the nodes 120 are switched to the beacon mode. Then, during the adjustment of the host 110, there is only one node 120 _i that operates in the object mode and transmits an ultrasonic signal at each time point, and each of the other nodes calculates its distance from the node 120 _i . After each node is used as an object node, the distance between any two nodes in the system can be obtained. The relative positions of all nodes with respect to an arbitrarily chosen coordinate system can be obtained by any method for solving overdetermined equations. Alternatively, the absolute position method can be used when determining the position of the first beacon node. First, all the nodes 120 are switched to the beacon mode. The user selects the node 120 _i operating in the object mode, and sequentially arranges the nodes at four points whose positions are known. For each of the four points, each of the beacon nodes calculates its distance from a known point (node 120 _i ). After the calculations for all four points are complete, the host 110 can calculate the absolute position of all nodes in the coordinate system indicated by the user by any method for solving the overdetermined equations.

  In the operating state after the initialization process, it is not necessary to calculate the position of the beacon node by the same method as in the initialization process. The position of the beacon node may be the position (correlated or absolute) when it is in the object mode last obtained by the host 110 before the node moves to beacon mode.

For convenience of explanation, the structure of the node 120 _i according to the present invention, the node 120 _i is by taking an example that has two modes, is described as follows. A pure beacon node can be interpreted as an example of node 120 _i that is always in beacon mode.

FIG. 2 is a schematic structural block diagram of a node 120 _i configured for use in a three-dimensional (3D) positioning system 100 according to the present invention. 3A and 3B are state switching diagrams of a node 120 _i configured to be used in a three-dimensional (3D) positioning system 100 according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 2, the node 120 _i includes a communication unit 121, an ultrasonic ranging unit 122, and a mode switching device 123.

The communication unit 121 communicates with the host 110 and reports (explicitly or implicitly) the current mode of the node 120 _i determined by the mode switching unit 123 to the host 110. Further, when the node 120 _i is in object mode, the communication unit 121 is also configured to receive transmission signaling determined by the TDM method and transmitted by the host 110.

When the node 120 _i is in the object mode, the ultrasonic ranging unit 122 transmits an ultrasonic wave according to an ultrasonic ranging technique. Furthermore, when the node 120 _i is in object mode, if the communication unit 121 receives transmission signaling sent by the host 110, the ultrasound ranging unit 122 is in an operating time slot assigned to the node 120 _i according to the transmission signaling. Transmit ultrasonic waves according to ultrasonic ranging technology.

When the node 120 _i is in the beacon mode, the ultrasonic ranging unit 122 measures the distance between the node 120 _i and the object node to be currently measured according to the ultrasonic ranging technique as the measurement distance. The measured distance is provided to the communication unit 121, which then reports the measured distance to the host 110.
[0055] mode switching unit 123, based on the motion state of the node 120 _i, configured to determine the current mode of the node 120 _i. When the node 120 _i is in the movable state, the mode switching unit 123 determines that the node 120 _i is in the object mode (indicated by the switching arrow 310 in FIGS. 3A and 3B). When node 120 _i is stationary and its position is known, mode switching unit 123 determines that node 120 _i is in beacon mode (indicated by switching arrow 320 in FIG. 3A). Optionally, a threshold for mode switching time can be set to avoid frequent switching between modes of node 120 _i . When node 120 _i is stationary for more than the mode switching time threshold and its position is known, mode switching unit 123 determines that node 120 _i is in beacon mode (as indicated by switching arrow 330 in FIG. 3B). To do. In order to determine the motion state of the node 120 _i , the mode switching unit 123 may comprise a motion detection subunit 1231 that may be implemented by a motion sensor or an inertial sensor. To position of the node 120 _i is determined to be known, the position of the node 120 _i, can be notified by the communication between the host 110 and node 120 _i. Alternatively, the position of the node 120 _i is determined to be known, node 120 _i includes a distance between the node 120 _i and another beacon node, it is transmitted to the host 110 by the another beacon node Information communication (information packets, data packets, signals, etc.) can be received (ie broadcast in the system).

FIG. 4A is an example operational flowchart of a node 120 _i configured for use in a three-dimensional (3D) positioning system 100 according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 4A, in step S410, the mode switching unit 123 determines the current mode of the node 120 _i .

In step S420, the communication unit 121 communicates with the host 110 and reports (explicitly or implicitly) the current mode of the node 120 _i determined by the mode switching unit 123 to the host 110.

In step S430, it is determined whether the current mode of the node 120 _i determined by the mode switching unit 123 is the beacon mode or the object mode.

If the current mode of the node 120 _i determined by the mode switching unit 123 is the object mode, in step S440, the ultrasound ranging unit 122 transmits ultrasound according to the ultrasound ranging technique. After transmission of the ultrasonic wave, the flow returns to step S410.

If the current mode of the node 120 _i determined by the mode switching unit 123 is the beacon mode, in step S450, the ultrasonic ranging unit 122 determines that the node 120 _i and the object node to be currently measured according to the ultrasonic ranging technique. The distance between is measured as a measurement distance. In step S460, the ultrasonic ranging unit 122 provides the measurement distance to the communication unit 121, and the communication unit 121 reports the distance to the host 110. After reporting the distance, the flow returns to step S410.

FIG. 4B is another example operational flowchart of node 120 _i configured for use in a three-dimensional (3D) positioning system 100 according to the present invention. FIG. 4B differs from FIG. 4A in that it introduces a method of TDM operation. For ease of explanation, the steps of FIG. 4B that are similar to those of FIG. 4A are identified by the same reference numerals and will not be described in detail.

  In step S470, the communication unit 121 receives transmission signaling determined by the TDM method and transmitted by the host 110.

In step S440 ′, the ultrasonic ranging unit 122 transmits the ultrasonic wave according to the ultrasonic ranging technique in the operation time slot assigned to the node 120 _i .

  Furthermore, it should be noted that FIGS. 4A and 4B are shown for explicit reporting. If implicit reporting is used, step S420 can be placed in the left branch (beacon branch) of step S430. Alternatively, step S430 can be omitted.

  FIG. 5 is a schematic structural block diagram of a host 110 configured for use with a three-dimensional (3D) positioning system 100 according to the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the host 110 includes a communication unit 111, a node number determination unit 112, and a position calculation unit 113. Furthermore, in a technical solution using the TDM method, the host 110 further comprises an object node coordination unit 114 (indicated by the dotted line in the figure).

  The communication unit 111 communicates with the node and receives the current mode of the node as reported by the node (explicitly or implicitly) and the distance between the beacon node and the object node to be measured, This distance is measured according to ultrasonic ranging techniques and reported by the node.

  The node number determination unit 112 determines the number of beacon nodes based on the mode report received by the communication unit 111, and determines whether the number of beacon nodes is equal to or greater than a predetermined number. In the case of two dimensions, the predetermined number is 3, and in the case of three dimensions, the predetermined number is four.

  When the node number determination unit 112 determines that the number of beacon nodes is equal to or greater than the required predetermined number, the position calculation unit 113 calculates the position of the object node in order to position the object node. This calculation is based on the distance between the beacon node and the object node to be currently measured (i.e., the distance measured according to the ultrasonic ranging technique and reported by the beacon node) and the position of the beacon node.

  If the node number determination unit 112 determines that the number of beacon nodes is less than the required predetermined number, the position calculation unit 113 does not calculate the position of the object node. Node number determination unit 112 waits for further reports from beacon nodes. That is, the node number determination unit 112 waits for some nodes to switch from the object mode to the beacon mode.

  In a technical solution using TDM, the node number determination unit 112 further determines the total number of object nodes. The object node adjustment unit 114 adjusts the operation time slot of the object node based on the total number of object nodes so that there is only one beacon mode for transmitting an ultrasonic wave in each operation time slot in the TDM method. The object node coordination unit 114 then generates transmission signaling to indicate that the corresponding operation time slot is assigned to the corresponding node. The communication unit 111 communicates with the node and transmits the transmission signaling generated by the object node coordination unit 114.

  Furthermore, the communication unit 111 can communicate with the beacon mode and transmit the position of the object node calculated by the position calculation unit 113.

  FIG. 6A is an example operational flowchart of a host 110 configured to be used in a three-dimensional (3D) positioning system 100 according to the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 6A, at step S600, the host 110 performs an initialization process that includes establishing system coordinates, determining the location of a predetermined number of initial beacon nodes required, and the like. The predetermined number is 3 for 2D and 4 for 3D.

  Steps S610 to S650 show the operating state after the initialization process.

  In step S610, the communication unit 111 communicates with the node and receives the current mode of the node reported (explicitly or implicitly) by the node.

  In step S620, the node number determination unit 112 determines the number of beacon nodes based on the received mode report.

  In step S630, it is determined whether or not the number of beacon nodes determined by the node number determination unit 112 is equal to or greater than a predetermined number.

  If it is determined that the number of beacon nodes determined by the node number determination unit 112 is less than the required predetermined number (“N” in step S630), the flow returns to the initialization step S600 and performs the initialization process. Wait for some nodes to switch from object mode to beacon mode to run again.

  If it is determined that the number of beacon nodes determined by the node number determination unit 112 is equal to or greater than a predetermined number (“Y” in step S630), the communication unit 111 communicates with the node in step S640. , Receiving the distance between the beacon node and the object node to be currently measured, measured according to the ultrasonic ranging technique and reported by the beacon node. In step S650, the position calculation unit 113 calculates the position of the object node to position the object node based on the position of the beacon node and the distance received by the communication unit 111.

  FIG. 6B is another example operational flowchart of the host 110 configured for use with the three-dimensional (3D) positioning system 100 according to the present invention. FIG. 6B differs from FIG. 6A in that it introduces a method of TDM operation. For ease of explanation, the steps of FIG. 6B that are similar to the steps of FIG. 6A are identified by the same reference numerals and will not be described in detail.

  In step S631, the node number determination unit 112 determines the total number of object nodes.

  In step S632, the object node adjustment unit 114 performs the operation of the object node based on the total number of object nodes so that there is only one beacon mode for transmitting an ultrasonic wave in each operation time slot in the TDM method. Adjusting the time slot, the object node adjustment unit 114 generates transmission signaling to indicate that the corresponding operational time slot is assigned to the corresponding node.

  In step S633, the communication unit 111 communicates with the node and transmits the transmission signaling generated by the object node coordination unit 114.

  Furthermore, it should be noted that FIGS. 6A and 6B are shown for explicit reporting. If implicit reporting is used, step S640 can be placed between step S610 and step S620, or between step S620 and step S630. If implicit reporting is used, ie if no mode is reported, step S610 can be replaced with step S640.

  Other configurations of the present invention include software programs that perform the steps and operations of the method embodiments (first outlined and detailed later). More particularly, a computer program product is one such embodiment comprising a computer readable medium that includes encoded computer program logic. When executed on a computing device, the computer program logic provides corresponding operations to provide the 3D positioning solution described above. The computer program logic, when executed on at least one processor, enables at least one processor of the computing system to perform the operations (methods) of the embodiments of the invention. Such an arrangement of the present invention typically includes optical media (eg, CD-ROM), floppy or hard disk, or other media such as firmware or microcode in one or more ROM, RAM, PROM chips, application specific ICs ( ASIC), or software, code, and / or other data structures provided or encoded on computer readable media, such as downloadable software images and shared databases in one or more modules. Software, hardware, or such a configuration can be implemented in a computing device such that one or more processors in the computing device can perform the techniques described by the embodiments of the present invention. . For example, software processes operating in combination with computing devices in a group of data communication devices or other entities can also provide the nodes and hosts of the present invention. Nodes and hosts in accordance with the present invention can comprise multiple software processes on multiple data communication devices, all software processes running on a group of small specific computers, or all software processes running on a single computer. It can also be distributed between.

  It should be noted that embodiments of the present invention can be implemented simply as a data processing device, or individual software, and / or software programs, software, and hardware on individual circuits.

  The present invention has been described above with reference to preferred embodiments. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the technical idea. it can.

  Further, a part or all of the above-described embodiment can be described as in the following supplementary notes, but is not limited thereto.

(Appendix 1)
A node configured to be used in a 3D positioning system,
A communication unit configured to communicate with the host to report the measurement distance to the host;
When the node is in the object mode, the node is configured to transmit an ultrasonic wave according to an ultrasonic ranging technique. When the node is in the beacon mode, the node and the object node to be currently measured are configured according to the ultrasonic ranging technique. An ultrasonic ranging unit configured to measure a distance between as a measurement distance to be provided to the communication unit;
A mode switching unit configured to determine whether the node is currently in an object mode or a beacon mode based on a motion state of the node.

(Appendix 2)
The communication unit is
The node of claim 1, further configured to report the current mode of the node to the host.

(Appendix 3)
The communication unit is
When the node is in object mode, the node is configured to receive transmission signaling determined by a time division multiplexing (TDM) method transmitted by the host;
The ultrasonic ranging unit is
The node according to appendix 2, wherein the node is configured to transmit an ultrasonic wave according to an ultrasonic ranging technique in an operation time slot assigned to the node based on transmission signaling.

(Appendix 4)
The mode switching unit is
Configured to determine that the node is in object mode when the node is in a movable state;
The mode switching unit is
Configured to determine that the node is in beacon mode when the node is stationary and its position is known;
Or the mode switching unit
Configured to determine that the node is in object mode when the node is in a movable state;
The mode switching unit is
Any one of appendix 1 to appendix 3, wherein the node is configured to determine that the node is in the beacon mode when the node is in a stationary state for a mode switching time threshold or more and the position is known. The node according to item 1.

(Appendix 5)
The mode switching unit is
The node according to claim 4, further comprising a motion detection subunit.

(Appendix 6)
The motion detection subunit comprises:
The node according to appendix 5, wherein the node is a motion sensor or an inertial sensor.

(Appendix 7)
In order to determine that the location of the node is known, the location of the node is communicated by communication between the node and the host;
Or
Alternatively, the node receiving the information communication including the distance from the node to the beacon mode node transmitted by the beacon mode node indicates that the position of the node is known. The node according to any one of the items.

(Appendix 8)
A host configured to be used in a 3D positioning system,
A communication unit configured to communicate with the node and receive a distance between the object mode node to be currently measured and the beacon mode node reported by the beacon mode node;
Node number determination unit configured to determine the number of nodes in the beacon mode based on a report received by the communication unit and to determine whether the number of nodes in the beacon mode is greater than or equal to a predetermined number When,
If the node number determining unit determines that the number of beacon mode nodes is greater than or equal to a predetermined number, based on the distance reported by the beacon mode nodes and the position of the beacon mode nodes, A position calculation unit configured to calculate the position of a node in object mode;
The position calculating unit is
If the node number determination unit determines that the number of nodes in the beacon mode is less than a predetermined number, the node of the object mode does not calculate the position of the node in the object mode, but the additional node in the object mode Configured to wait to switch to
The distance received by the communication unit is:
Measured by a node in the beacon mode according to an ultrasonic ranging technique.

(Appendix 9)
The communication unit is
The host of claim 8 configured to receive a current mode of the node reported by the node.

(Appendix 10)
An object node adjustment unit;
The node number determining unit is
Configured to determine the number of nodes in the object mode;
The object node coordination unit is
In the time division multiplexing (TDM) method, the object is based on the number of nodes in the object mode so that there is only one object mode node for transmitting ultrasonic waves in each operation time slot. Configured to adjust the operating time slot of the mode node and configured to generate transmit signaling to indicate that the corresponding operating time slot is assigned to the corresponding node in object mode;
The communication unit is
The host according to appendix 9, wherein the host is configured to transmit transmission signaling generated by the object node coordination unit.

(Appendix 11)
In the situation where one dimension of the three-dimensional coordinates has a certain coordinate, the predetermined number is 3, and in the situation of the three-dimensional coordinates, the predetermined number is 4. The host according to any one of the above.

(Appendix 12)
The beacon mode node is:
When the beacon mode node transitions from a stationary state to a movable state, the beacon mode is configured to switch to the object mode,
The object mode node is:
When the object mode node transitions from a movable state to a stationary state and its position is known, the object mode is configured to switch to the beacon mode,
Or
The beacon mode node is:
When the beacon mode node transitions from a stationary state to a movable state, the beacon mode is configured to switch to the object mode,
The object mode node is:
Any one of appendix 8 to appendix 11, wherein the object mode node is configured to switch from the object mode to the beacon mode when the node is stationary for a mode switching time threshold or more and the position is known. The host according to item 1.

(Appendix 13)
The position of the node in the beacon mode is
The host according to appendix 12, wherein the host is the position last acquired by the host when the node was in the object mode before switching to the beacon mode.

(Appendix 14)
A method of operating a host configured to be used in a 3D positioning system, comprising:
A report receiving step for receiving a distance between an object mode node to be measured and a beacon mode node reported by the beacon mode node;
A first node number determining step for determining the number of nodes in the beacon mode based on a received report;
A determination step of determining whether the number of nodes in the beacon mode is equal to or greater than a predetermined number;
If the number of nodes in the beacon mode is less than a predetermined number, waiting for additional nodes in the object mode to switch from the object mode to the beacon mode;
If the number of beacon mode nodes is equal to or greater than a predetermined number, a positioning step of calculating the position of the object mode node based on the distance received in the report reception step and the position of the beacon mode node Including
The distance received in the report receiving step is measured by the beacon mode node according to an ultrasonic ranging technique.

(Appendix 15)
In the report receiving step,
The method of claim 14, wherein the current mode of the node reported by the node is also received.

(Appendix 16)
A second node number determining step for determining the number of nodes in the object mode based on the received report;
In the time division multiplexing (TDM) method, the object is based on the number of nodes in the object mode so that there is only one object mode node for transmitting ultrasonic waves in each operation time slot. Adjusting the operation time slot of the mode node and generating transmission signaling to indicate that the corresponding operation time slot is assigned to the corresponding node in object mode;
The method according to claim 15, further comprising a signaling transmission step of transmitting the transmission signaling generated in the adjustment step.

(Appendix 17)
In the situation where one dimension of the three-dimensional coordinates has a certain coordinate, the predetermined number is 3, and in the situation of the three-dimensional coordinates, the predetermined number is 4. The method according to any one of the above.

(Appendix 18)
When the beacon mode node transitions from a stationary state to a movable state, the beacon mode node switches from beacon mode to object mode,
When the object mode node transitions from a movable state to a stationary state and its position is known, the object mode node switches from the object mode to the beacon mode; or
When the beacon mode node transitions from a stationary state to a movable state, the beacon mode node switches from beacon mode to object mode,
Appendices 14 to 17, wherein the object mode node switches from the object mode to the beacon mode when the object mode node is in a stationary state for a mode switching time threshold or more and its position is known. The method according to any one of the above.

(Appendix 19)
The method of claim 18, wherein the position of the node in the beacon mode is the position last acquired by the host when the node was in the object mode before switching to the beacon mode.

(Appendix 20)
The node according to any one of appendix 1 to appendix 7, and
A three-dimensional positioning system comprising: the host according to any one of appendix 8 to appendix 13.

120 _i : node 121: communication unit 122: ultrasonic ranging unit 123: mode switching unit 310: movable state 320: stationary state and known position 330: stationary state time ≥ mode switching time threshold and position known 110 : Host 111: Communication unit 112: Node number determination unit 113: Position calculation unit 114: Object node adjustment unit

Claims (10)

A node configured to be used in a 3D positioning system,
A communication unit configured to communicate with the host to report the measurement distance to the host;
When the node is in the object mode, the node is configured to transmit an ultrasonic wave according to an ultrasonic ranging technique. When the node is in the beacon mode, the node and the object node to be currently measured are configured according to the ultrasonic ranging technique. An ultrasonic ranging unit configured to measure a distance between as a measurement distance to be provided to the communication unit;
A mode switching unit configured to determine whether the node is currently in an object mode or a beacon mode based on a motion state of the node. The communication unit is
The node of claim 1, further configured to report the current mode of the node to the host. The communication unit is
When the node is in object mode, the node is configured to receive transmission signaling determined by a time division multiplexing (TDM) method transmitted by the host;
The ultrasonic ranging unit is
The node according to claim 2, wherein the node is configured to transmit an ultrasonic wave according to an ultrasonic ranging technique in an operation time slot assigned to the node based on transmission signaling. The mode switching unit is
Configured to determine that the node is in object mode when the node is in a movable state;
The mode switching unit is
Configured to determine that the node is in beacon mode when the node is stationary and its position is known;
Or the mode switching unit
Configured to determine that the node is in object mode when the node is in a movable state;
The mode switching unit is
The node is configured to determine that the node is in a beacon mode when the node is in a stationary state for a mode switching time threshold or more and its position is known. The node according to any one of the items. The mode switching unit is
The node of claim 4, comprising a motion detection subunit. The motion detection subunit comprises:
The node according to claim 5, wherein the node is a motion sensor or an inertial sensor. In order to determine that the location of the node is known, the location of the node is communicated by communication between the node and the host;
Or
The node receiving the information communication including the distance from the node to the node in the beacon mode transmitted by the node in the beacon mode indicates that the position of the node is known. The node according to any one of 6. A host configured to be used in a 3D positioning system,
A communication unit configured to communicate with the node and receive a distance between the object mode node to be currently measured and the beacon mode node reported by the beacon mode node;
Node number determination unit configured to determine the number of nodes in the beacon mode based on a report received by the communication unit and to determine whether the number of nodes in the beacon mode is greater than or equal to a predetermined number When,
If the node number determining unit determines that the number of beacon mode nodes is greater than or equal to a predetermined number, based on the distance reported by the beacon mode nodes and the position of the beacon mode nodes, A position calculation unit configured to calculate the position of a node in object mode;
The position calculating unit is
If the node number determination unit determines that the number of nodes in the beacon mode is less than a predetermined number, the node of the object mode does not calculate the position of the node in the object mode, but the additional node in the object mode Configured to wait to switch to
The distance received by the communication unit is:
Measured by a node in the beacon mode according to an ultrasonic ranging technique. A method of operating a host configured to be used in a 3D positioning system, comprising:
A report receiving step for receiving a distance between an object mode node to be measured and a beacon mode node reported by the beacon mode node;
A first node number determining step for determining the number of nodes in the beacon mode based on a received report;
A determination step of determining whether the number of nodes in the beacon mode is equal to or greater than a predetermined number;
If the number of nodes in the beacon mode is less than a predetermined number, waiting for additional nodes in the object mode to switch from the object mode to the beacon mode;
If the number of beacon mode nodes is equal to or greater than a predetermined number, a positioning step of calculating the position of the object mode node based on the distance received in the report reception step and the position of the beacon mode node Including
The distance received in the report receiving step is measured by the beacon mode node according to an ultrasonic ranging technique. The node according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
A three-dimensional positioning system comprising: the host according to claim 8.

Images