JP2014060466A - Location information management server, location information management method, and location information management system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an efficient location information management system.SOLUTION: A location information management server manages location information on a radio terminal that receives a positioning signal from a communication device installed indoor. The location information management server includes: floor map display means for displaying markers representing installed positions of the one or more communication devices together with a map; selection means for letting a user select the marker; identification means for identifying a radio terminal that receives the positioning signal from the communication device corresponding to the selected marker; and terminal information display means for displaying the information on the identified radio terminal.

Description

  The present invention relates to a location information management server, a location information management method, and a location information management system.

  Various location information management systems have been proposed in order to grasp and manage the position of a wireless terminal or a person having a wireless terminal or an article in a facility where accurate positioning using GPS or the like is difficult.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a system that reads a passive RF tag attached to a person with a fixed RF reader / writer and notifies the position to another wireless terminal or the like.

  Patent Document 2 discloses a system in which a wireless terminal specifies its own position by replacing an identifier wirelessly transmitted from a nearby transmitter with position specifying information.

  Patent Document 3 discloses a system in which a wireless terminal receives specific information transmitted from a lighting device, and transmits the specific information to a server to identify the position of the wireless terminal.

  However, in the system of Patent Document 1, it is necessary to install a large number of RF readers / writers in order to read passive RF tags having a narrow communication range, which may increase the cost of introducing infrastructure.

  Further, in the system of Patent Document 2, the power consumption of the wireless terminal may increase depending on the communication method between the wireless terminal and the server.

  Further, in the system of Patent Document 3, as in Patent Document 2, power consumption of the wireless terminal is not taken into consideration. In addition, in the server, in order to specify the position of the wireless terminal, it is necessary to search for a position associated with the unique information, which may increase the calculation cost.

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and an object thereof is to provide an efficient position information management system.

In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, the location information management server in the present invention is:
A location information management server that manages location information of a wireless terminal that receives a positioning signal from a communication device installed indoors,
Floor map display means for displaying a marker representing the installation position of one or more of the communication devices together with a map;
Selection means for allowing the user to select the marker;
Identifying means for identifying a wireless terminal that receives the positioning signal from the communication device corresponding to the selected marker;
Terminal information display means for displaying information of the specified wireless terminal;
Have

Further, the location information management method in the present invention includes:
A location information management method for managing location information of a wireless terminal that receives a positioning signal from a communication device installed indoors,
A first display step of displaying a marker representing the installation position of one or more of the communication devices together with a map;
A selection step for allowing the user to select the marker;
A specifying step of specifying a wireless terminal that receives the positioning signal from the communication device corresponding to the selected marker;
A second display step of displaying information of the identified wireless terminal;
Have

The location information management system in the present invention is
A position information management system having a wireless terminal that receives a positioning signal from a communication device installed indoors, and a position information management server that manages position information of the wireless terminal,
The location information management server includes:
Floor map display means for displaying a marker representing the installation position of one or more of the communication devices together with a map;
Selection means for allowing the user to select the marker;
Identifying means for identifying a wireless terminal that receives the positioning signal from the communication device corresponding to the selected marker;
Terminal information display means for displaying information of the specified wireless terminal;
Have
The wireless terminal is
Transmitting means for transmitting the position information acquired by the positioning to the position information management server;
Have

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a position information management system that efficiently manages position information.

The figure showing the positional infomation management system in one Embodiment of this invention. The figure showing the network which comprises the positional infomation management system in one Embodiment of this invention. The hardware block diagram of the communication apparatus in one Embodiment of this invention. The hardware block diagram of the radio | wireless terminal in one Embodiment of this invention. The hardware block diagram of the management apparatus in one Embodiment of this invention. The hardware block diagram of the management server in one Embodiment of this invention. The functional block diagram of the communication apparatus in one Embodiment of this invention. The functional block diagram of the radio | wireless terminal in one Embodiment of this invention. The functional block diagram of the management apparatus in one Embodiment of this invention. The functional block diagram of the management server in one Embodiment of this invention. The figure showing the example of the information which the communication apparatus in one Embodiment of this invention hold | maintains. The figure showing the example of the information which the radio | wireless terminal in one Embodiment of this invention hold | maintains. The figure showing the example of the format of the positional information which the radio | wireless terminal in one Embodiment of this invention transmits. The figure showing the example of the information which the management server in one Embodiment of this invention hold | maintains. The figure showing the operation | movement sequence of the positional infomation management system in one Embodiment of this invention. The figure showing the example of the search screen of the management server in one Embodiment of this invention. The figure showing the example of the search result screen of the management server in one Embodiment of this invention. The functional block diagram of the management server in one Embodiment of this invention. The figure showing the example of the communication apparatus installation position information in one Embodiment of this invention. The figure showing the example of the location management information in one Embodiment of this invention. The figure showing the example of the screen display in one Embodiment of this invention. The figure showing the example of the screen display in one Embodiment of this invention. The figure showing the example of the screen display in one Embodiment of this invention. The flowchart showing the process of the management server in one Embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

1. System 2. 2. Hardware configuration example Function 4. 4. Operation sequence Location search of wireless terminal 5.1 Additional functions of management server 5.2 Processing flow of management server

(1. System)
FIG. 1A shows a location information management system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1A includes communication apparatuses 100, 102, 104, and 106, wireless terminals 120, 122, and 124, a management apparatus 140, a management server 160, and a network 180 and a network 190 that include the communication apparatus, the wireless terminal, and the management apparatus. . Here, the network 180 is a wireless network managed by the management device 140. FIG. 1B shows the communication devices 100, 102, 104, and 106, the wireless terminals 120, 122, and 124, and the management device 140 that constitute the wireless network in FIG. 1A.

  The communication devices 100, 102, 104, and 106 are fixed to, for example, a ceiling of a room, and position information (hereinafter referred to as “position information”) such as history information, the number of floors of a building, and a building number related to the fixed position. This is transmitted wirelessly continuously or intermittently. Each communication device has an independent casing and operates by being supplied with power from a previously installed power source, or is incorporated in a lighting fixture such as an LED fluorescent tube and operates with power supplied from the lighting fixture. Each of the communication devices 100, 102, 104, and 106 transmits position information held by each of the communication devices 100, 102, 104, and 106 to a predetermined range using a radio signal. The predetermined range is determined by the signal strength of the radio signal used. The communication device is arranged so as to cover an area that is a position management target, and is configured so that the respective areas do not overlap. Or even if it is a case where it overlaps, in the side which receives a positional information, it is comprised so that any one communication apparatus can be determined based on the intensity | strength of a received radio wave. In the example of FIG. 1A, a conical dotted line shown below each communication device represents a predetermined range. As a communication method for transmitting position information, for example, a ground complementary signal (Indoor Messaging System; IMES) can be used.

  The wireless terminals 120, 122, and 124 can receive wireless signals transmitted by the nearest communication device among the communication devices 100, 102, 104, and 106. In the example of FIG. 1A, each wireless terminal is attached to a rectangular parallelepiped managed object that is a target whose position is to be managed. The wireless terminals 120, 122, and 124 are terminals that can transmit radio waves themselves, such as active tags. Hereinafter, the wireless terminal 120 will be described.

  The wireless terminal 120 is within a range in which a wireless signal from the communication device 100 can be received, and receives position information of the communication device 100. The position information of the communication device 100 is received using, for example, IMES. The wireless terminal 120 transmits information including its own identification information such as a network address to the communication apparatus 100 together with the received position information. The transmission is performed through a network 180 by short-range wireless communication such as IEEE802.15.4 and ZigBee (registered trademark). In this case, IEEE802.15.4 abbreviated address or IEEE extended (MAC) address can be used as identification information of the wireless terminal 120. The identification information and position information transmitted to the communication device 100 are then transmitted to the management device 140 via the adjacent communication device 102. The transmission / reception operation in the wireless terminal 120 is performed at a timing determined in advance in the wireless terminal 120 or at a timing when a change in acceleration by the acceleration sensor included in the wireless terminal 120 is detected.

  The management device 140 connects the network 180 and the network 190 to each other, and bridges data transmitted from the network 180 side to the network 190. The management device 140 is installed, for example, for each floor of a building or for each room partitioned by walls. When the network 180 is a PAN (Personal Area Network) based on IEEE802.15.4 and ZigBee (registered trademark) and the network 190 is a LAN based on the IEEE802.3 standard, the communication system is converted between them. If the identification information of the wireless terminal 120 is represented by an IEEE 802.15.4 abbreviated address, it is converted into an IEEE extended address based on the information at the time of PAN configuration and transmitted to the management server 160.

  The management server 160 records the identification information and position information received via the management apparatus 140 together with the reception date and time, and manages the position of the communication apparatus. In the management server 160, management objects related to wireless terminals are recorded in advance. Therefore, the location of the management target can be searched using these pieces of information.

  The network 180 connects the respective communication devices 100, 102, 104, 106, the wireless terminals 120, 122, 124, and the management device 140, for example, a PAN configured by IEEE802.15.4 and ZigBee (registered trademark) standards. It is. When the PAN is configured with IEEE802.15.4 and ZigBee (registered trademark) standards, the wireless terminal, the communication device, and the management device each have an end device function, a router function, and a coordinator function defined by the ZigBee (registered trademark) standard. . Each communication device and wireless terminal enters the management of the management device at the time of activation, forms a PAN, and determines the minimum path to the management device.

  The network 190 is a network that connects the management apparatus 140 and the management server 160, and is, for example, a LAN defined by the IEEE 802.3 standard.

  As described above, in the location information management system 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the wireless terminal can transmit the identification information and the location information to the management server using power that can be communicated with the nearest communication device. it can. In addition, it is not necessary to install a new infrastructure for installing the communication device, and the introduction cost can be reduced.

  Note that the location information of the communication device may be provided through the network 180. This eliminates the need for transmission means for transmitting position information such as IMES.

  Further, the wireless terminal may transmit the identification information and the position information to the management apparatus 140 when the management apparatus is present in the vicinity of the communication apparatus that transmitted the position information. Thereby, identification information and position information can be transmitted to the management server by the shortest path.

  Further, the management server function may be integrated into the management server. This eliminates the need for a separate management device.

  The wireless terminal may be a wireless terminal having a function equivalent to an active tag, such as a smartphone, PDA, PC, or smart meter. As a result, it is possible to manage the position information of the existing wireless terminal without attaching a tag.

  Further, in addition to the above-described position information, information for specifying a finer position, such as information representing a section in the room, may be included. As a result, finer location management is possible.

  The location management target may be a person. Thereby, the location of a person can be managed by the system 1.

  The network 180 may be configured using short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth LE, ANT, Z-Wave, and the like. This makes it possible to manage position information of various wireless terminals.

  The network 190 may include a plurality of types of networks such as the Internet. This makes it possible to manage the location information of the wireless terminal regardless of the physical location between the network 180 and the management server 160.

(2. Hardware configuration example)
Next, the hardware configuration of the communication device 100, the wireless terminal 120, the management device 140, and the management server 160 included in the location information management system 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D.

  FIG. 2A shows a hardware configuration of the communication apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The communication device 100 includes a CPU 200, a RAM 202, a ROM 204, a position signal transmission control unit 206, a position signal transmission unit 208, a wireless communication control unit 210, a wireless communication unit 212, and a bus 214.

  The CPU 200 executes a program that controls the operation of the communication device 100. The RAM 202 constitutes a work area of the CPU 200 and the like. The ROM 204 stores position information of the communication device 100 in addition to the program executed by the CPU 200. The position signal transmission control unit 206 executes processing for transmitting a positioning signal representing the position information of the communication device 100 via the position signal transmission unit 208. The position signal transmission unit 208 is a device including an antenna that transmits a positioning signal such as IMES. The wireless communication control unit 210 performs wireless communication processing via the wireless communication unit 212. The wireless communication unit 212 is a device that includes an antenna capable of transmitting and receiving radio waves conforming to the IEEE802.15.4 standard, for example. A bus 214 electrically connects the above devices.

  With the above configuration, the communication apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention transmits position information to the wireless terminal 120, receives identification information and position information from the wireless terminal 120, and transmits these information via the management apparatus. Can be sent to the management server.

  As described above, when the position information is transmitted by wireless communication, the position signal transmission control unit 206 and the position signal transmission unit 208 are not necessary.

  FIG. 2B shows a hardware configuration of the wireless terminal 120 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The communication terminal 120 includes a CPU 220, a RAM 222, a ROM 224, a position signal reception control unit 226, a position signal reception unit 228, a wireless communication control unit 230, a wireless communication unit 232, an acceleration detection control unit 234, an acceleration detection unit 236, and a bus 238. .

  The CPU 220 executes a program that controls the operation of the wireless terminal 120. The RAM 222 constitutes a work area of the CPU 220 and the like. The ROM 224 stores identification information of the wireless terminal 120 and position information received from the communication device 100 in addition to the program executed by the CPU 220. The position signal reception control unit 226 performs processing for receiving a positioning signal representing position information via the position signal reception unit 228. The position signal receiving unit 228 is a device including an antenna that receives a positioning signal such as IMES. The wireless communication control unit 230 executes wireless communication processing via the wireless communication unit 232. The wireless communication unit 232 is a device that includes an antenna capable of transmitting and receiving radio waves conforming to, for example, IEEE 802.15.4 standard. The acceleration detection control unit 234 detects a change in acceleration via the acceleration detection unit 236. The acceleration detector 236 is, for example, an acceleration sensor or a motion sensor using inertial force or magnetism. A bus 238 electrically connects the above devices.

  With the above configuration, the wireless terminal 120 according to an embodiment of the present invention can receive location information from the communication device 100 and transmit its own identification information to the communication device 100 together with the location information. In particular, identification information and position information can be efficiently transmitted by performing a transmission or reception operation at a timing when the wireless terminal is moved.

  In addition, when the wireless terminal 120 is an information terminal such as a smartphone or a PC, the wireless terminal 120 includes an input device such as a touch panel, a dial key, a keyboard, and a mouse and a corresponding input control unit that receives input from the user. Also good. Furthermore, a display device such as a screen and a corresponding display control unit may be provided.

  In addition, when the wireless terminal 120 includes a GPS antenna and a corresponding control unit, it is possible to receive a positioning signal by IMES using the antenna, and it is possible to correspond to the position information management system 1 only by software modification.

  Further, the acceleration detection control unit 234 and the acceleration detection unit 236 are arbitrary components. When the acceleration detection control unit 234 and the acceleration detection unit 236 are not provided, the transmission or reception operation of the wireless terminal 120 is performed at a predetermined interval or time.

  Further, as described above, when the position information is received by wireless communication, the position signal reception control unit 226 and the position signal reception unit 228 are not necessary.

  FIG. 2C shows the hardware configuration of the management apparatus 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The management device 140 includes a CPU 240, a RAM 242, a ROM 244, a wireless communication control unit 246, a wireless communication device 248, a wired communication control unit 250, a wired communication device 252, and a bus 254.

  The CPU 240 executes a program that controls the operation of the management apparatus 140. The RAM 242 constitutes a work area of the CPU 240 and the like. The ROM 244 stores programs executed by the CPU 240 and data used by the programs. The wireless communication control unit 246 executes wireless communication processing via the wireless communication device 248. The wireless communication device 248 is a device including an antenna capable of transmitting and receiving radio waves conforming to IEEE802.15.4 standard, for example. The wired communication control unit 250 executes wired communication processing via the wired communication device 252. The wired communication device 252 is a device having a network interface that conforms to, for example, the IEEE 802.3 standard. A bus 254 electrically connects the above devices.

  With the above configuration, the management apparatus 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention can convert a signal from the network 180 including the communication apparatus 100 and the wireless terminal 120 into a network 190 including the management server 160. When the network 180 configuring the PAN is ZigBee (registered trademark), it can have a coordinator function for managing devices participating in the PAN.

  FIG. 2D shows the hardware configuration of the management server 160 in one embodiment of the present invention. The management server 160 includes a CPU 260, a RAM 262, a ROM 264, an HDD 266, a communication control unit 268, a communication unit 270, a display control unit 272, a display unit 274, an input control unit 276, an input unit 278, and a bus 280.

  The CPU 260 executes a program that controls the operation of the management server 160. The RAM 262 constitutes a work area for the CPU 260 and the like. The ROM 264 stores a program executed by the CPU 260 and data used by the program. The HDD 266 stores information for managing the position of the wireless terminal 120 used in the position information management system 1. The communication control unit 268 executes communication processing via the communication unit 270. The communication unit 270 is a device having a network interface that conforms to, for example, the IEEE 802.3 standard. The display control unit 272 controls the content displayed on the display unit 274 in accordance with the processing content of the location management program executed on the management server 160. The display unit 274 includes a display such as a liquid crystal display or a CRT display. The input control unit 276 processes a signal from the input unit 278 such as a keyboard and a mouse that receives an input from the user. A bus 280 electrically connects the above devices.

  With the above configuration, the management server 160 in one embodiment of the present invention can manage the location of the wireless terminal 120 and search for the location of the wireless terminal 120.

  The HDD 266 may be any storage device including a tape drive, or may be a storage area accessible via a network.

  In addition, the management server 160 may include a wireless communication control unit and a wireless communication device included in the management device 140 described above, and may perform processing instead of the management device 140. Thereby, it is not necessary to provide the management device 140 separately.

(3. Function)
FIG. 3A shows a functional block diagram of the communication apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The communication apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a storage unit 300, a communication unit 304, and a control unit 312.

  The storage unit 300 stores the position information 302 of the communication device 100. An example of a table for storing the position information 302 is shown in FIG. FIG. 4 includes items of floor number, latitude, longitude, and building number. The floor number represents the floor number of the building where the communication device 100 is installed. The latitude and longitude represent the latitude and longitude of the position where the communication device 100 is located. The building number represents the building number of the building where the communication device 100 is installed. In the example of FIG. 4, the communication device 100 is located on the 16th floor of a building C of a certain building, and is located at a point where the latitude is 35.459555 and the longitude is 139.3387110.

  The communication unit 304 includes a position information transmission unit 306, a terminal information reception unit 308, and a terminal information transmission unit 310.

  The position information transmitting unit 306 wirelessly transmits the position information 302 including information such as the history information, the number of floors of the building, and the building number continuously or intermittently to the wireless terminal 120 within a predetermined range. The position information 302 is transmitted using, for example, a format defined in IMES.

  The terminal information receiving unit 308 receives identification information and position information transmitted from the wireless terminal 120.

  The terminal information transmission unit 310 transmits the identification information and position information transmitted from the wireless terminal 120 to the management server 160 via the management device 140. When the network 180 is made using the ZigBee (registered trademark) standard, the transmission is performed using routing information held by the communication apparatus 100.

  The control unit 312 controls the operation of the communication device 100. When the communication apparatus 100 configures a PAN using the wireless terminal 120 and the management apparatus 140 and ZigBee (registered trademark), the communication apparatus 100 is controlled to provide a router function.

  With the above configuration, the communication apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention holds the position information 302, transmits the position information 302 to the wireless terminal 120, receives the identification information and the position information of the wireless terminal 120, and The identification information can be transmitted to the management server through the management device 140.

  Note that the position information 302 may include additional information such as the name of the building where the communication apparatus 100 is installed and information indicating a section in the room. As a result, finer location management is possible.

  FIG. 3B shows a functional block diagram of the wireless terminal 120 in an embodiment of the present invention. The wireless terminal 120 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a storage unit 320, a communication unit 326, an acceleration detection unit 332, and a control unit 334.

  The storage unit 320 includes identification information 322 and position information 324. The identification information 322 includes information such as the network address of the wireless terminal 120 that can identify the wireless terminal 120 on the location information management system 1. For example, when the network 180 is based on the IEEE 802.15.4 and ZigBee (registered trademark) standards, an IEEE 802.15.4 abbreviated address or an IEEE extended (MAC) address can be used. The position information 324 is the position information 302 transmitted from the communication apparatus 100. An example of a table for storing the position information 324 is shown in FIG. The configuration is the same as in FIG.

  The communication unit 326 includes a position information receiving unit 328 and an identification information transmitting unit 330.

  The position information receiving unit 328 receives the position information 302 transmitted from the communication device 100. The received position information 302 is held in the storage unit 320 of the wireless terminal 120.

  The identification information transmitting unit 330 transmits the position information 324 together with the identification information 322 of the wireless terminal 120 to the communication device 100. The position information 322 is transmitted to the wireless terminal 120 in a format as shown in FIG. 6, for example. In the format of FIG. 5, the floor, latitude, longitude, and building number fields are represented by 9 bits, 21 bits, 21 bits, and 8 bits, respectively, and the corresponding fields of the message received according to the IMES standard are connected. . The representation format of each field conforms to the IMES standard. Actually, in addition to this format, a header and checksum information defined by the communication method are added and transmitted. As a communication method, for example, IEEE802.15.4 and ZigBee (registered trademark) standards are used.

  The acceleration detection unit 332 detects a change in acceleration of the wireless terminal 120. The change in acceleration is detected, for example, when the wireless terminal 120 starts moving, when the movement stops, or when a tilt is detected. The detected change in acceleration is used to determine the timing of the transmission or reception operation of the wireless terminal 120. The acceleration detection means 332 is an arbitrary component.

  The control unit 334 controls the reception timing of the position information by the position information reception unit 238 and the transmission timing of the identification information 322 and the position information 324 by the identification information transmission unit 330. The transmission / reception timing is determined based on the detection of a change in acceleration by the acceleration detection means 332. Alternatively, it may be determined based on an interval or time preset in the wireless terminal 120. Also, transmission and reception timings may be determined independently of each other. Further, when the wireless terminal 120 forms a PAN with ZigBee (registered trademark) together with the communication device 100 and the management device 140, the control unit 334 controls the wireless terminal 120 to provide an endpoint function.

  With the configuration described above, the wireless terminal 120 according to an embodiment of the present invention can efficiently receive location information from a communication device and efficiently transmit the location information together with the location information to an identification information communication device.

  When the wireless terminal 120 is an information terminal such as a smartphone or a PC, an input unit that receives an input from the user or a display unit that presents information to the user may be provided. Accordingly, it is possible to present identification information or position information to the user, and to input or modify identification information or position information from the user.

  FIG. 3C is a functional block diagram of the management apparatus 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The management apparatus 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a communication unit 340, a conversion unit 346, and a control unit 348.

  The communication unit 340 includes a reception unit 342 and a transmission unit 344. The receiving unit 342 receives data transmitted from a communication device or a wireless terminal belonging to the network 180. The transmission unit 344 transmits the data converted by the management apparatus 140 to the management server 160 belonging to the network 190. The network 180 is a PAN based on IEEE802.15.4 and ZigBee (registered trademark) standards, for example. The network 190 is a LAN based on the IEEE802.3 standard, for example.

  The converting unit 346 converts the data received by the receiving unit 342 from the network 180 into a format compatible with the network 190. The converted data is transmitted to the management server 160 via the network 190 by the transmission unit 344. Here, when the identification information of the wireless terminal 120 included in the data is represented by an IEEE 802.15.4 abbreviated address, it is converted into an IEEE extended address based on the information at the time of PAN configuration.

  The control unit 348 controls the operation of the management device 140. When the management device 140 configures a PAN according to the ZigBee (registered trademark) standard together with the communication device 100 and the wireless terminal 120, the management device 140 is controlled to provide a coordinator function.

  With the above configuration, the management apparatus 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention can bridge communication between the network 180 to which the communication apparatus 100 and the wireless terminal 120 belong and the network 190 to which the management server belongs.

  FIG. 3D shows a functional block diagram of the management server 160 in one embodiment of the present invention. The management server 160 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a communication unit 360, a storage unit 366, an input unit 370, a display unit 372, and a control unit 374.

  The communication unit 360 includes a reception unit 362 and a transmission unit 364. The receiving unit 362 receives the identification information and the position information transmitted from the wireless terminal through the management device 140. The received identification information and position information are stored in the storage means 366. When the transmission unit 364 is requested to provide location information to an external server or the like, the transmission unit 364 transmits the location information to the external server or the like.

  The storage unit 366 has location management information 368. The location management information 368 is information obtained by adding management information such as a reception time to the identification information and location information received from the wireless terminal 120. An example of a table storing the information is shown in FIG. FIG. 7 includes items of identification information, device name, owned department, latitude, longitude, floor number, building, and reception date and time. The identification information is information such as an IEEE extended address of the wireless terminal 120 that has transmitted the identification information. The latitude, longitude, number of floors, and building correspond to the positional information received together with the identification information. The reception date and time is the date and time when the management server 160 received the information. The device name is the name of the management target to which the wireless terminal 120 that transmitted the information is attached or the device name of the wireless terminal 120. The owned department is a department name that owns the wireless terminal 120 that has transmitted the information. Information on the device name and the owned department is associated with identification information by the management server 160 in advance.

  The input unit 370 accepts an input from the user so that the user searches for position information.

  The display unit 372 displays a GUI related to a search screen for the user to search for position information on the screen. An example of the search screen is shown in FIG. 9A. In the “location search system” shown in FIG. 9A, based on the information stored in the storage unit 366, the department and device name related to the wireless terminal are displayed in a list on the screen. When the user selects a check box of a device to be searched through the input unit 370, a check mark is added. When all the devices to be searched are checked and the “Execute Search” button is selected, the search is executed and the screen is switched to a result display screen. In the example of FIG. 9A, an example is shown in which the user performs a search for a device “UCS P3000” owned by “Sales Section 1”. FIG. 9B is an example of the search result screen. When the “execute search” button is selected, the display unit 372 displays a floor plan of “A building 4th floor” where “UCS P3000” is located based on the data stored in the storage unit 366, the device name, Displays the reception date and time.

  The control unit 374 controls the operation of the management server.

  With the above configuration, the management server 160 according to an embodiment of the present invention can manage the location of the wireless terminal and search for the location. In particular, information representing the position of the wireless terminal itself can be directly received and managed, and the amount of calculation for searching for the position can be reduced.

  The management server 160 has the same functions as the conversion unit 346, the control unit 348, and the reception unit 342 included in the management device 160, and may have the same functions as the management device 160. This eliminates the need to provide the management device 160 individually.

  Further, the location management information 368 stored by the management server 160 includes the date and time when the wireless terminal transmits the information together with the information shown in FIG. Information including time taken for arrival of information or electric field strength may be stored. Thereby, position information can be managed under more detailed conditions.

  In addition, the management server 160 may record past location information of the wireless terminal. Thereby, the movement of the wireless terminal can be tracked.

(4. Operation sequence)
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an operation sequence of the location information management system 1 in the embodiment of the present invention in the configuration of FIG. In FIG. 8, when a change in acceleration is detected, the communication apparatus 100 that receives position information and transmits identification information, the wireless terminal 120 that transmits position information to a region to which the communication apparatus 100 belongs, PAN (IEEE802.15.4 and An example of a management apparatus 140 that bridges ZigBee (registered trademark) and a LAN (IEEE802.3) and a management server 160 will be described. It is assumed that the PAN among the communication device 100, the wireless terminal 120, and the management device 140 has already been established.

  In step S800, the communication apparatus 100 transmits the position information continuously or intermittently using IMES or the like.

  In step S802, the wireless terminal 120 detects a change in acceleration.

  In step S804, the wireless terminal 120 receives the position information transmitted from the communication device 100.

  In step S806, the wireless terminal 120 stores the received position information.

  In step S808, the wireless terminal 120 transmits identification information and position information to the communication apparatus 100.

  In step S810, the communication apparatus 100 transmits the identification information and the position information received from the wireless terminal 120 to the management apparatus through the minimum path.

  In step S812, the management apparatus 140 converts the data transmitted from the network 180 including the identification information and the position information received from the communication apparatus 100 into a format compatible with the network 190.

  In step S <b> 814, the management apparatus 140 transmits the identification information and position information converted into a format compatible with the network 190 to the management server 160.

  In step S816, the management server 160 registers the identification information and the position information received from the management device together with information on the wireless terminal corresponding to the identification information.

  Through the above procedure, the location information management system 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention efficiently transmits the identification information and the location information to the nearest communication device by the radio terminal, thereby reducing the power consumption of the radio terminal. Can be suppressed.

  As described above, the management server 160 may execute the functions of the management apparatus 140 in an integrated manner. In this case, it is not necessary to install a separate management device 140.

  If the wireless terminal does not include the acceleration detection unit 332, step S802 is not executed, and the reception of the position information in step S804 can be performed at a predetermined time or at a predetermined interval. The subsequent processing is the same as steps S806 to S816.

(5. Location search for wireless terminals)
As described above, the management server 160 according to an embodiment of the present invention appropriately acquires position information of a wireless terminal to be managed, and the acquired position information is shown in FIG. Store in a table like Then, the user of the management server 160 can search for the location of each wireless terminal using a search screen as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B. In the following, further embodiments for expanding the range of the search method for wireless terminals will be described. The management server 1060 in the embodiment can cause the user to select an arbitrary area on the floor map, search for the location of the wireless terminal belonging to the area, and display information on the corresponding terminal.

(5.1 Additional functions of the management server)
The management server 1060 in this embodiment has the functional blocks shown in FIG. In FIG. 10, several functional blocks are added as compared with the functional blocks of the management server 160 shown in FIG. 3D. Hereinafter, the added functional block will be described.

  The management server 1060 in this embodiment further includes a floor map display unit 1002, a marker selection unit 1004, a wireless terminal identification unit 1006, a terminal information display unit 1008, and a location information acquisition unit 1010. From the client PC used by the user, It can accept requests and send responses over the network. The request from the user may be made using a known protocol such as HTTP, or may be made using a unique protocol. Further, the storage unit 366 already described includes the communication apparatus installation position information 1000. In the communication device installation position information 1000, identification information and position information of all communication devices installed in an area to be managed by the management server 1060 are recorded. FIG. 11 shows an example of a table storing these pieces of information. In the table of FIG. 11, identification information such as the MAC address of each communication device and position information such as latitude, longitude, floor number, and building number are stored in advance.

  The floor map display unit 1002 displays a map of the floor to be managed by the management server 1060 on the display screen of the client PC in response to a request from the client PC of the user. The floor map is expressed by, for example, image data prepared in advance, and is displayed on the browser of the client PC through an existing protocol such as HTTP. The floor map is mapped with latitude and longitude information representing each point on the actual floor, and information necessary for this is stored in the storage means 366, for example.

  The floor displayed on the client PC is specified in the request from the user client PC. For example, FIG. 13 shows an example in which a floor map of “C Building 16th Floor” designated by the user is displayed. Further, on the floor map shown in FIG. 13, in addition to the conference room and desk arrangement information in the floor, a marker (hereinafter referred to as communication device) that indicates the position of the communication device installed on the floor on the map. Is displayed as a marker). Information on the position where the communication device is installed (communication device installation position information 1000) is stored in advance in the storage unit 366 as described above. The floor map display means 1002 displays the communication device marker appropriately arranged based on the latitude and longitude mapping information on the floor map.

The marker selection unit 1004 causes the user to select a communication device marker displayed on the floor map, and acquires identification information of the communication device corresponding to the communication device marker. For this reason, the marker selection unit 1004 can designate an arbitrary area on the displayed floor map through the input device of the client PC. For example, when the input device is a mouse, the user performs a drag operation on the floor map displayed on the screen and draws a free figure such as a rectangle or a circle to specify a certain area. can do. In this case, the communication device marker included in the area is selected. The communication device marker selection method is not limited to this method. For example, an arbitrary communication device marker may be selected one by one, or a communication having a shape of an arbitrary shape and belonging to an area inside the communication device marker may be drawn. Device markers may be selected at once. The marker selection unit 1004 identifies the communication device marker included in the area designated in the floor map, and passes the identification information to the wireless terminal identification unit 1006. FIG. 13 shows an example in which six communication devices 1400-1410 shown in the upper right on the screen are selected. The identification information of these six communication devices is as follows.
-Communication device 1400: Identification information "10101abcdef01"
-Communication device 1402: Identification information “10101abcdef03”
-Communication device 1404: Identification information “10101abcdef05”
-Communication device 1406: Identification information "10101abcdef02"
-Communication device 1408: Identification information “10101abcdef04”
-Communication device 1410: Identification information "10101abcdef06"
The wireless terminal specifying unit 1006 specifies a wireless terminal (identification information) having the same position information as the communication device corresponding to the communication device marker selected through the marker selection unit 1004. The wireless terminal specifying unit 1006 acquires identification information of one or more selected communication devices, and acquires each position information using the communication device installation position information 1000 as shown in FIG. Then, in order to identify the wireless terminal having each acquired location information, the location management information 368 shown in FIG. 12 is referred to. The location management information 368 shown in FIG. 12 has the same configuration as that shown in FIG. 7, but the stored information has been changed for the purpose of describing this embodiment. In the example of FIG. 12, identification information of the following five wireless terminals 1200-1208 is specified as wireless terminals having the same position information as the selected six communication devices 1400-1410 (the same position is shown in parentheses). Represents a communication device having information).
Wireless terminal 1200: identification information “002673abcdef01” (communication device 1400)
-Wireless terminal 1202: Identification information "002700abcdef02" (communication device 1400)
-Wireless terminal 1204: Identification information “002800abcdef03” (communication device 1402)
-Wireless terminal 1206: Identification information "002800abcdef04" (communication device 1408)
-Wireless terminal 1208: identification information "002800abcdef05" (communication device 1410)
Note that the wireless terminal specifying unit 1006 acquires part or all of the position information of the wireless terminals to be managed from the position information acquisition unit 1010 described later before referring to the position management information 368 shown in FIG. You may let them. In this case, the wireless terminal specifying unit 1006 can specify the identification information of the wireless terminal after the location information is transmitted from each wireless terminal and the location management information 368 is updated.

  The terminal information display unit 1008 displays the terminal information of the wireless terminal specified by the wireless terminal specifying unit 1006 on the display screen of the client PC used by the user. The display examples are shown in FIGS. FIG. 14 illustrates an example in which the device names of the specified wireless terminals are grouped for each owned department and displayed in a table format. Information representing the device name of the wireless terminal and the owned department is stored in the location management information 368 shown in FIG. 12 together with the identification information of the wireless terminal. By such display, the user can grasp the wireless terminals belonging to the area selected on the map. FIG. 15 shows an example in which the position of the specified wireless terminal is displayed in parallel with the floor map as shown in FIG. In FIG. 15, the device name and the owned department of the specified wireless terminal are displayed in a list on the left side of the screen, and a marker indicating the position of the wireless terminal (hereinafter referred to as “wireless terminal marker”) is Displayed on the map. At this time, the wireless terminal information on the list and the wireless terminal marker are displayed in association with each other. As a result, the user can intuitively confirm the information of the wireless terminals belonging to the selected area on the map.

  The location information acquisition unit 1010 acquires location information from a wireless terminal that is managed by the management server 1060 according to an instruction from the wireless terminal identification unit 1006. The wireless terminal managed by the management server 1060 is, for example, a wireless terminal recorded in the position management information 368 as shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the position information acquisition unit 1010 can request the wireless terminal that has already transmitted the position information once to retransmit the position information, and acquire the latest position information. The request is transmitted to each wireless terminal through the communication conversion processing by the gateway 140 and the relay processing by each communication device, as described with reference to FIGS. 1A and 1B. Upon receiving the request, each wireless terminal retransmits its identification information and position information to the management server 1060 via the network 180 as described above. The position information acquisition unit 1010 updates the position management information 368 using the acquired identification information and position information.

  With the above function, the management server 1060 in the present embodiment can present information of the wireless terminal in the area designated by the user.

  In the above example, an example has been described in which the management server 1060 receives a request from the client PC used by the user and inputs / outputs information using the display screen or the input device. However, the user may be configured to perform similar processing using the display unit 274 and the input unit 278 that the management server 1060 itself has.

  Further, in the above example, the information on the department owned by the wireless terminal and the information on the device name are used as the information on the wireless terminal, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, information such as the owner of the wireless terminal and a unique ID may be included. These pieces of information may be defined in the location management information 368 or may be defined by a separately provided table.

(5.2 Management server processing flow)
Next, the processing flow of the management server 1060 will be described with reference to FIG. Here, the communication apparatus installation position information 1000 shown in FIG. 11 and the position management information 368 shown in FIG. 12 will be specifically described.

  In step S1600, the process of the management server 1060 starts.

  In step S1602, the floor map display unit 1002 displays a map of the floor designated in advance by the user on the display screen of the client PC in response to a request from the client PC used by the user.

  In step S1604, the floor map display unit 1002 displays a communication device marker indicating the position of the communication device installed on the designated floor on the map. The communication device installation position is stored in advance in the storage unit 366 as communication device installation position information 1000. FIG. 13 is an example of a screen that displays a floor map and a communication device marker.

In step S1606, the marker selection unit 1004 causes the user to select a communication device marker displayed on the floor map. The user can designate an arbitrary area by drawing an arbitrary figure on the displayed floor map using, for example, a mouse provided in the client PC. The marker selecting unit 1004 specifies identification information of the communication device marker included in the area designated by the user, and passes the information to the wireless terminal specifying unit 1006. FIG. 13 shows an example in which six communication device markers surrounded by a rectangle designated by the user are selected. The identification information of the selected communication device is as follows.
-Communication device 1400: Identification information "10101abcdef01"
-Communication device 1402: Identification information “10101abcdef03”
-Communication device 1404: Identification information “10101abcdef05”
-Communication device 1406: Identification information "10101abcdef02"
-Communication device 1408: Identification information “10101abcdef04”
-Communication device 1410: Identification information "10101abcdef06"
In step S1608, when the position information of the wireless terminal is acquired, the process proceeds to S1610. Otherwise, the process proceeds to S1612. Whether or not the position information of the wireless terminal is reacquired can be set in advance by the administrator of the management server 1060.

  In step S1610, the wireless terminal specifying unit 1006 instructs the position information acquiring unit 1010 to re-acquire position information from each wireless terminal. In response to this, the position information acquisition unit 1010 requests each wireless terminal to transmit the position information using the wireless terminal identification information recorded in the position management information 368. The request is transmitted to each wireless terminal through the communication conversion processing by the gateway 140 and the relay processing by each communication device, as described with reference to FIGS. 1A and 1B. When each wireless terminal receives the request, it retransmits its identification information and position information according to the procedure already described. The position information acquisition unit 1010 updates the position management information 368 using the acquired identification information and position information.

In step S <b> 1612, the wireless terminal specifying unit 1006 refers to the communication device installation position information 1000 illustrated in FIG. 11 and acquires the position information of one or more selected communication devices. The acquired position information is as follows.
-Communication device 1400: Latitude “35.459555” Longitude “139.387110” Floor number “16” Building “C”
-Communication device 1402: Latitude “35.459595” Longitude “139.387110” Floor number “16” Building “C”
-Communication device 1404: Latitude “35.459635” Longitude “139.387110” Floor number “16” Building “C”
-Communication device 1406: Latitude “35.459555” Longitude “139.387160” Floor number “16” Building “C”
-Communication device 1408: Latitude “35.459595” Longitude “139.387160” Floor number “16” Building “C”
-Communication device 1410: Latitude "35.459635" Longitude "139.387160" Floor number "16" Building "C"
In step S1614, the wireless terminal specifying unit 1006 refers to the position management information 368 illustrated in FIG. 12, and specifies a wireless terminal having the same position information as the position information of the selected communication device. The following is identification information of the wireless terminal specified by the wireless terminal specifying means 1006 (the parentheses indicate communication apparatuses having the same position information).
Wireless terminal 1200: identification information “002673abcdef01” (communication device 1400)
-Wireless terminal 1202: Identification information "002700abcdef02" (communication device 1400)
-Wireless terminal 1204: Identification information “002800abcdef03” (communication device 1402)
-Wireless terminal 1206: Identification information "002800abcdef04" (communication device 1408)
-Wireless terminal 1208: identification information "002800abcdef05" (communication device 1410)
In step S1616, the terminal information display unit 1008 displays the terminal information of the wireless terminal specified by the wireless terminal specifying unit 1006 on the display screen of the client PC used by the user. 14 and 15 show display examples. FIG. 14 illustrates an example in which the device names of the specified wireless terminals are grouped for each owned department and displayed in a table format. FIG. 15 shows an example in which the position of the specified wireless terminal is displayed on the floor map as shown in FIG.

  In step S1618, the process ends.

  With the above processing, the management server 1060 in the present embodiment is within the reach of the positioning signal of the communication device by causing the user to select the marker that represents the installation position of the communication device displayed on the floor map. The wireless terminal can be specified and the information can be displayed.

100, 102, 104, 106 Communication device 120, 122, 124 Wireless terminal 140 Management device 160, 1060 Management server 180 Network 190 Network

Japanese Patent No. 4620410 JP 2010-159980 A International Publication No. 2005/086375

Claims (8)

A location information management server that manages location information of a wireless terminal that receives a positioning signal from a communication device installed indoors,
Floor map display means for displaying a marker representing the installation position of one or more of the communication devices together with a map;
Selection means for allowing the user to select the marker;
Identifying means for identifying a wireless terminal that receives the positioning signal from the communication device corresponding to the selected marker;
Terminal information display means for displaying information of the specified wireless terminal;
A location information management server. The information is displayed with the map.
The location information management server according to claim 1. The information includes information on a department that owns the wireless terminal and information indicating a device name of the wireless terminal.
The location information management server according to claim 1 or 2. After the selection in the selection means, further comprising position information acquisition means for acquiring position information from each of the wireless terminals managed by the management server,
The specifying unit specifies the wireless terminal using the acquired location information of each wireless terminal.
The location information management server according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The selection means causes the marker to be selected by drawing a figure on the map;
The location information management server according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The positioning signal includes information representing the background coordinates of the communication device,
The location information management server according to any one of claims 1 to 5. A location information management method for managing location information of a wireless terminal that receives a positioning signal from a communication device installed indoors,
A floor map display step of displaying a marker representing the installation position of one or more of the communication devices together with a map;
A selection step for allowing the user to select the marker;
A specifying step of specifying a wireless terminal that receives the positioning signal from the communication device corresponding to the selected marker;
A terminal information display step for displaying information of the identified wireless terminal;
A location information management method. A position information management system having a wireless terminal that receives a positioning signal from a communication device installed indoors, and a position information management server that manages position information of the wireless terminal,
The location information management server includes:
Floor map display means for displaying a marker representing the installation position of one or more of the communication devices together with a map;
Selection means for allowing the user to select the marker;
Identifying means for identifying a wireless terminal that receives the positioning signal from the communication device corresponding to the selected marker;
Terminal information display means for displaying information of the specified wireless terminal;
Have
The wireless terminal is
Transmitting means for transmitting the position information acquired by the positioning to the position information management server;
Having
Location information management system.

Images