JP2020008476A - Device, method, and program for processing information - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a device, method and program for processing information, which enhance orientation detection accuracy.SOLUTION: An information processing device is provided, comprising an orientation detection processing unit configured to perform orientation detection processing using detection results of a plurality of angular velocity sensors on the basis of a shape of a deformable object equipped with the plurality of angular velocity sensors.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 13

Description

  The present technology relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, and an information processing program.

  In recent years, various devices such as a terminal device such as a smartphone and a so-called wearable device worn by a user at all times have a function of detecting a direction for a map function, a guidance function, an information providing function around a current position, and the like. Things are becoming commonplace.

  Various proposals have been made, such as using a gyro sensor to detect angular velocity for azimuth detection, and using a plurality of gyro sensors to improve the accuracy of angular velocity detection (Patent Document 1).

US Published Patent Publication US2016 / 0047675

  However, the gyro sensor used for angular velocity detection is used by being mounted on devices of various shapes, so when using a plurality of gyro sensors, an error occurs in the detection result for each gyro sensor due to the shape of the device and the like. There is a problem that an error occurs in azimuth detection.

  The present technology has been made in view of such a point, and an object of the present technology is to provide an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and an information processing program that can increase the accuracy of azimuth detection.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, a first technique is based on a shape of a deformable object provided with a plurality of angular velocity sensors, and an azimuth detection processing unit that performs azimuth detection processing from detection results of the plurality of angular velocity sensors. An information processing apparatus comprising:

  A second technique is an information processing method for performing azimuth detection processing based on detection results of a plurality of angular velocity sensors based on the shape of a deformable object provided with the plurality of angular velocity sensors.

  Further, a third technique is an information processing program for causing a computer to execute an information processing method of performing an azimuth detection process from detection results of a plurality of angular velocity sensors based on a shape of a deformable object provided with the plurality of angular velocity sensors. It is.

  According to the present technology, it is possible to improve the accuracy of the azimuth detection. Note that the effects described here are not necessarily limited, and may be any of the effects described in the specification.

It is a block diagram showing composition of a terminal unit and an information processor concerning a 1st embodiment. FIG. 2A is a diagram illustrating an arrangement of a gyro sensor, and FIG. 2B is a diagram illustrating an appearance of a terminal device. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of a first technique of the azimuth detection process. FIG. 4A is a diagram illustrating an arrangement of a gyro sensor, and FIG. 4B is a diagram illustrating an example of a user interface. It is a graph which shows the theoretical value of the angular velocity acquired by a gyro sensor. It is a graph which shows the actual measurement value acquired by a gyro sensor. It is a figure showing other examples of arrangement of a gyro sensor. It is explanatory drawing of DCM. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of a second method of the azimuth detection process. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a second technique of the azimuth detection processing. 13 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of a third technique of the azimuth detection process. FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram of a third technique of the direction detection processing. FIG. 10 is an external view of a gyro sensor and a flexible substrate according to a second embodiment. It is a block diagram showing composition of a terminal unit and an information processor concerning a 2nd embodiment. It is a figure showing the example of use of the flexible substrate to which the gyro sensor was attached. It is a figure showing the example of use of the flexible substrate to which the gyro sensor was attached. It is a figure showing the example of use of the flexible substrate to which the gyro sensor was attached. It is a figure showing the example of use of the flexible substrate to which the gyro sensor was attached. It is a figure showing the example of use of the flexible substrate to which the gyro sensor was attached. It is a figure showing the example of use of the flexible substrate to which the gyro sensor was attached.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present technology will be described with reference to the drawings. The description will be made in the following order.
<1. First Embodiment>
[1-1. Configuration of Terminal Equipment]
[1-2. Configuration of Information Processing Apparatus]
[1-3. Direction detection processing]
<2. Second Embodiment>
[2-1. Configuration of Terminal Device, Information Processing Device, and Flexible Board]
[2-2. Example of mounting gyro sensor]
<3. Modification>

<1. First Embodiment>
[1-1. Configuration of Terminal Equipment]
A configuration of a terminal device 100 on which an information processing device 200 according to the present technology operates will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. The information processing device 200 operates in a terminal device 100 such as a smartphone or a wearable device. The terminal device 100 corresponds to the device in the claims.

  The terminal device 100 includes at least a control unit 101, a gyro sensor 102, a communication unit 103, an output unit 104, and an input unit 105.

  The control unit 101 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and the like. The CPU controls the entire terminal device 100 and each unit by executing various processes in accordance with the programs stored in the ROM and issuing commands.

  The gyro sensor 102 is an angular velocity sensor in three axial directions (x, y, z), and detects an angular velocity used for azimuth detection. The gyro sensor 102 supplies the detected angular velocity to the information processing device 200. A plurality of gyro sensors 102 are provided, and in the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of gyro sensors 102 are annularly arranged at regular intervals inside the terminal device 100. In the present embodiment, eight gyro sensors 102 have different postures (U: upper, UR: upper right, R: right, DR: right) facing in eight directions at 45 ° intervals from 0 ° to 360 °. Lower, D: lower, DL: lower left, L: left, UL: upper left) are provided in the terminal device 100, respectively.

  The communication unit 103 is a communication module for performing communication with another device or the Internet. Communication methods for the Internet include wired communication, wireless LAN (Local Area Network), WAN (Wide Area Network), WiFi (Wireless Fidelity), and 4G (4th generation mobile communication system). As a method of communicating with another device, for example, there are methods such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), ZigBee, NFC (Near Field Communication), and infrared communication.

  The output unit 104 is, for example, a display configured by an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), a PDP (Plasma Display Panel), an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) panel, or the like. The output unit 104 displays the user interface of the terminal device 100, contents such as images and videos, and the like. Note that the output unit 104 may be a speaker that outputs sound.

  The input unit 105 is for a user to input various instructions to the terminal device 100. When a user inputs to the input unit 105, a control signal corresponding to the input is generated and supplied to the control unit 101. Then, the control unit 101 performs various processes corresponding to the control signal. The input unit 105 may be a physical button, a touch panel, a touch screen integrated with a display, a microphone for voice input, or the like.

  The terminal device 100 is configured as described above. In the present embodiment, the terminal device 100 is configured as a wristwatch-type wearable device as shown in FIG.

[1-2. Configuration of Information Processing Apparatus]
Next, the configuration of the information processing apparatus 200 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the information processing device 200 includes a direction detection processing unit 201 and an output control unit 202.

  The azimuth detection processing unit 201 detects an azimuth using the angular velocity supplied from the gyro sensor 102. Details of the azimuth detection will be described later.

  The output control unit 202 controls the output unit 104 of the terminal device 100 to output a state of azimuth detection using a plurality of gyro sensors 102 and a user interface for azimuth detection. The output control unit 202 may output the azimuth information detected by the output unit 104 of the terminal device 100.

  When the output unit 104 of the terminal device 100 is a display, the output control unit 202 performs display control on the display so as to display the detection status using icons, images, videos, and the like. When the output unit 104 of the terminal device 100 is a microphone, control is performed so that the detection status is output as sound from the microphone.

  The terminal device 100 and the information processing device 200 are configured as described above. The information processing apparatus 200 is configured by a program, and the program may be installed in the terminal device 100 in advance, or may be downloaded, distributed on a storage medium or the like, and may be installed in the terminal device 100 by the user. Good. The information processing apparatus 200 may be realized not only by a program but also by a combination of a dedicated device, a circuit, and the like using hardware having the function. Further, the terminal device 100 may not have the function of the information processing device 200 but may have the function of the direction detection processing unit 201 and the function of the output control unit 202.

[1-3. Direction detection processing]
Next, azimuth detection processing by the gyro sensor 102 and the information processing device 200 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The flowchart of FIG. 3 shows a first method of the direction detection processing.

  First, in step S101, angular velocities are detected in all gyro sensors 102 in each direction. The detection of angular velocity by all the gyro sensors 102 is performed by first turning on one (active state) with one gyro sensor 102 turned off (inactive state). After the end, the one gyro sensor 102 is turned off. Next, one of the gyro sensors 102 that has not been detected yet is turned on to perform detection, and after the detection is completed, the gyro sensor 102 is turned off. By performing this series of flows in all the gyro sensors 102, the gyro sensors 102 are turned on one by one, and angular velocities are detected at different timings. Finally, all the gyro sensors 102 detect the angular velocities.

  When the angular velocity is sequentially detected by all the gyro sensors 102, a user interface that indicates the detection status may be displayed on the output unit 104 of the terminal device 100 as shown in FIG.

  In the example of FIG. 4, an arrow-shaped icon representing each of the plurality of gyro sensors 102 and a message notifying the user that the terminal device 100 is currently performing azimuth detection are displayed on the display as the output unit 104. ing. In this user interface, the icon corresponding to the gyro sensor 102 that has performed angular velocity detection is highlighted, the icon corresponding to the gyro sensor 102 for which angular velocity detection has been completed is lightly displayed, and the icon corresponding to the gyro sensor 102 that has not yet performed angular velocity detection is displayed. The icons that have been identified are hidden. By distinguishing the display of the icons in this manner, the user can easily confirm the progress of the azimuth detection. In the state shown in FIG. 4, the angular velocity detection by the gyro sensor 102 in the directions U, UR, R, DR, and D has been completed, the gyro sensor 102 in the current direction DL has performed the angular velocity detection, and in the directions L and UL. The gyro sensor 102 indicates that the angular velocity has not been detected yet.

  Return to the description of the flowchart. After the angular velocities are detected by all the gyro sensors 102 in step S101, a predetermined noise filtering process is performed on all the angular velocities in step S102.

  Next, in step S103, all the angular velocities are analyzed and compared. The analysis and comparison processing will be described later.

  Next, in step S104, a specific azimuth (in the present embodiment, north) is detected by analyzing and comparing the angular velocities of all the gyro sensors 102 in step S103.

  Next, in step S105, the output control unit 202 outputs information (direction information) indicating the detected direction to the output unit 104 of the terminal device 100. This allows the user to obtain highly accurate direction information.

  Here, a process of detecting a specific azimuth (north in the present embodiment) in the present technology will be described.

  First, the angular velocity will be described. The angular velocity ωe of the earth's rotation can be calculated as in Equation 1 using 24 hours, which is the time required for the earth's rotation to make one rotation. Note that dps is an abbreviation for degree per sec.

[Equation 1]
ωe = 360 (deg) / 24 (h) / 3600 (sec) = 0.0042 (dps)

Here, an angular velocity at 35 degrees north latitude of Tokyo is considered as an example. Assuming that 35 degrees north latitude is P and the angular velocity is Ω, the angular velocity Ω _P of the earth's rotation at 35 degrees north latitude can be calculated as in equations 2 and 3.

[Equation 2]
Ω _P = ωe · cos (θ _P ) = 0.0042 (dps) · cos 35 ° = 0.0034 (dps)

[Equation 3]
Ω _P = −1 · ωe · cos (θ _P ) = 0.0042 (dps) · cos 35 ° = −0.0034 (dps)

[Equation 4]
Ω _P = ωe · sin (θ _P ) = 0.0042 (dps) · sin 35 ° = 0.024 (dps)

  As described above, the gyro sensor 102 is a gyro sensor in three axial directions (x, y, z), and detects an angular velocity in each axis. When the three-axis gyro sensor 102 is placed horizontally, the angular velocities of the x-axis and the y-axis become 0 in the east-west direction and have a maximum value of +/- in the north-south direction. The angular velocity is constant on the z-axis.

  For example, when the gyro sensor 102 is changed in attitude at a substantially constant speed in units of 45 degrees and is rotated by 360 degrees, a sin wave is drawn on the x-axis and the y-axis of the three axes of the gyro sensor 102.

  The theoretical values of the detection results of the three axes obtained by the gyro sensor 102 obtained as described above are as shown in FIG. In the graph of FIG. 5, the vertical axis represents the angular velocity (dps), the horizontal axis represents the angle indicating the attitude of the gyro sensor 102, Gx represents the detected value of the gyro sensor 102 on the x axis, and Gy represents the detected value of the gyro sensor 102 on the y axis. , Gz are detected values of the gyro sensor 102 on the z-axis. Then, as shown in FIG. 5, the azimuths of east, west, north and south correspond to the detected values of the angular velocities. Theoretical values represent absolute values.

  On the other hand, the actual angular velocity detection result of the gyro sensor 102 is, for example, as shown in FIG. The actual measurement value is obtained by subtracting the average value of the observation values observed in each posture of the gyro sensor 102 from the angular velocity as Bias. Ideally, the detection results on the x-axis and the y-axis coincide with the theoretical values, but since they include errors, they are as shown in FIG. 6, for example. Ideally, the value of the z-axis does not change, and the change is slight even if an error is included.

  Then, the detection result is compared with the theoretical value, and the direction having the angular velocity closest to the north direction in the theoretical value can be detected as the north direction.

  The processing of the information processing device 200 is performed as described above.

  The arrangement of the gyro sensor 102 in the terminal device 100 is not limited to the annular shape shown in FIG. 2, but may be arranged on a non-circular straight line as shown in FIG. However, it is necessary to arrange the plurality of gyro sensors 102 in a state corresponding to different directions similarly to the annular arrangement shown in FIG. By arranging as shown in FIG. 7, the installation space of the gyro sensor 102 in the terminal device 100 can be reduced. Accordingly, a plurality of gyro sensors 102 can be mounted on a terminal device having a small housing.

  Here, a second method of azimuth detection by the plurality of gyro sensors 102 and the information processing device 200 will be described. Also in the second method, the arrangement and the number of the gyro sensors 102 in the terminal device 100 are the same as those shown in FIG.

  In the second method, the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis of all the gyro sensors 102 are assigned DCM (Direct Cosine) to the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis of the gyro sensor 102 in one posture (detection direction). Matrix) to detect angular velocity in one posture as one virtual gyro sensor.

  Then, even in another posture, the x-axis, the y-axis, and the z-axis of all the gyro sensors 102 are made coincident by DCM or the like, and as one virtual gyro sensor, the angular velocity in the other posture is detected. The detection of the angular velocity by the virtual gyro sensor is performed in all postures.

  The DCM is a matrix used to rotate the axis. When the rotation angle of the axis is R, the three axes of the gyro sensor 102, that is, the x axis, the y axis, and the z axis, are as shown in FIG. The present technology detects angular velocity in a plurality of postures by virtually rotating the gyro sensor 102 by using DCM.

  The processing of the second method will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 9 and FIG. First, in step S201, angular velocities are detected in all the gyro sensors 102 in each posture. The detection by the gyro sensors 102 is repeated for each gyro sensor 102 in the same manner as in step S101 in the first method, so that the angular velocity is sequentially detected in all the gyro sensors 102.

Then, in step S202, a predetermined noise filtering process is performed on all angular velocities.

  Next, in step S203, the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis of all the gyro sensors 102 are made to coincide in the n-th attitude among all the attitudes by the axis adjustment processing by the DCM. The initial value of n is 1. Then, in step S204, synthesis is performed so that the angular velocities of all the gyro sensors 102 become one virtual gyro sensor in the n-th posture. Here, as shown in FIG. 10A, U is the first and ninth, UR is the second, R is the third, DR is the fourth, D is the fifth, DL is the sixth, L is the seventh, and UL is the first. 8 posture. The reason why U is set to the first and ninth is that it is necessary to perform detection twice at the position of U as a start point and an end point in order to detect the angular velocity for one rotation.

  In the case of n = 1, as shown in FIG. 10B, the angular velocities of all the gyro sensors 102 are combined as the angular velocities detected by one virtual gyro sensor in the first posture U (1).

  Next, in step S205, it is determined whether or not the angular velocity has been detected by the virtual gyro sensor in all postures. If the angular velocity has not been detected in all postures, the process proceeds to step S206, and increments to n.

  Next, in step S203, as shown in FIG. 10C, the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis of all the gyro sensors 102 are set to n = 2, that is, the second posture (the posture of UR in FIG. 10C) by the axis adjustment using DCM. To match. Then, in step S204, the angular velocities of all the gyro sensors 102 are combined as the angular velocities detected by one virtual gyro sensor in the second posture.

  By repeating steps S203 to S206, the angular velocities of the virtual gyro sensor in all postures are detected.

  When the angular velocities of the virtual gyro sensor in all the postures are detected in step S205, the process proceeds to step S207 (Yes in step S205).

  Next, in step S207, the analysis and comparison processing of the respective angular velocities of all the virtual gyro sensors are performed, and in step S208, a predetermined direction is detected from the analysis and comparison processing result. The method of specifying the predetermined azimuth based on the angular velocity is the same as the first method.

  Next, in step S209, the output control unit 202 outputs predetermined direction information to the output unit 104 of the terminal device 100. This allows the user to obtain highly accurate direction information.

  The processing in the second method is performed as described above.

  Further, a third method of azimuth detection by the plurality of gyro sensors 102 and the information processing device 200 will be described. The third method is to combine all the gyro sensors 102 into one virtual gyro sensor, adjust the axis of the virtual gyro sensor, detect angular velocities in all postures, and detect the azimuth. . Also in the third method, the arrangement and the number of the gyro sensors 102 in the terminal device 100 are the same as those shown in FIG.

  The processing of the third technique will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 11 and FIG. First, in step S301, the angular velocities are detected in all the gyro sensors 102 in each posture. The detection by the gyro sensors 102 is repeated for each gyro sensor 102 in the same manner as in step S101 in the first method, so that all the gyro sensors 102 detect the angular velocity.

  Next, in step S302, a predetermined noise filtering process is performed on all angular velocities.

  Next, in step S303, the x-, y-, and z-axes of all the gyro sensors 102 shown in FIG. 12A are matched in one of all the postures as shown in FIG. Let it. Then, in step S304, the angular velocities of all the gyro sensors 102 are combined as the angular velocities of one virtual gyro sensor in one posture.

  Next, in step S305, as shown in FIG. 12C, the posture of the virtual gyro sensor is adjusted by axis adjustment processing using DCM. FIG. 12C shows a state where the posture of U is adjusted to the posture of UR. This is performed for all postures, and the angular velocity by the virtual gyro sensor is detected in all postures.

  Next, in step S306, analysis and comparison processing of the angular velocities of the virtual gyro sensor in all postures are performed, and in step S307, a predetermined azimuth is detected from the analysis and comparison processing results.

  Next, in step S308, the output control unit 202 outputs predetermined direction information to the output unit 104 of the terminal device 100. This allows the user to obtain highly accurate direction information.

  The processing in the third method is performed as described above.

  The first embodiment of the present technology is configured as described above. According to the first embodiment, a user who uses the terminal device 100 without rotating the terminal device 100 or holding and wearing the terminal device 100 uses the angular velocity detected by the gyro sensor 102 in a different posture without rotating. Direction can be detected.

  Further, since it is not necessary to use a geomagnetic sensor or GPS for azimuth detection, azimuth detection can be performed even in a situation or place where a problem such as the geomagnetic sensor or GPS not functioning, malfunctioning, or deteriorating accuracy occurs. Furthermore, by using a small gyro sensor instead of using a large gyro sensor with high accuracy, mounting on a terminal device such as a smartphone or a wearable device becomes easy. Even if a small and inexpensive gyro sensor having lower accuracy than a large gyro sensor is used, the accuracy of azimuth detection can be improved by synthesizing the angular velocities of a plurality of gyro sensors.

<2. Second Embodiment>
[2-1. Configuration of Terminal Device, Information Processing Device, and Flexible Board]
Next, a second embodiment of the present technology will be described. In the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13, a plurality of gyro sensors 301 as an angular velocity sensor are provided on a flexible substrate 300 as a deformable object such as a bend, and various devices and objects (hereinafter, referred to as objects and the like) are provided. ). The gyro sensor 301 can be operated by external power supply via wiring provided in the flexible substrate 300. As shown in the plan view of FIG. 13B, the plurality of gyro sensors 301 are arranged on the flexible substrate 300 such that the x-axis, the y-axis, and the z-axis are in the same direction. By deforming the flexible substrate 300 and attaching it to an object or the like, the plurality of gyro sensors 301 detect angular velocities in different postures.

  In the second embodiment, a plurality of gyro sensors 301 can be mounted on objects having various shapes by deforming the flexible substrate 300 according to the shape of the object on which the gyro sensor 301 is mounted.

  Next, the configurations of the terminal device 120, the information processing device 220, and the flexible substrate 300 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG. The terminal device 120 is the same as the first embodiment except that the gyro sensor 301 is provided on the flexible substrate 300 and that the flexible substrate 300 is connected.

  In the second embodiment, the flexible substrate 300 is connected to the terminal device 120 by a connection terminal (not shown) such as a predetermined connector, and the flexible substrate 300 has a plurality of gyro sensors 301 and a shape recognition sensor 302. Is provided.

  The gyro sensor 301 as the angular velocity sensor is the same as that in the first embodiment. The shape recognition sensor 302 is a stress / force sensor or a strain sensor that recognizes the shape of the flexible substrate 300. The shape recognition sensor 302 can detect information indicating the shape of the deformed flexible substrate 300 (hereinafter, referred to as shape information). The shape information detected by the shape recognition sensor 302 is supplied to the shape information acquisition unit 203 of the information processing device 220, and is supplied from the shape information acquisition unit 203 to the azimuth detection processing unit 201. Note that the shape recognition sensor 302 is not necessary when the shape of the flexible substrate 300 can be obtained by another method, which will be described in detail later.

  The information processing device 220 includes an orientation detection processing unit 201, an output control unit 202, and a shape information acquisition unit 203. Since the azimuth detection processing unit 201 and the output control unit 202 are the same as those in the first embodiment, the description is omitted.

  The shape information acquisition unit 203 acquires shape information indicating a deformed shape such as a bent state of the flexible substrate 300 from the shape recognition sensor 302 or the like, and calculates a rotation angle R used for DCM. The acquired rotation angle R is supplied to the direction detection processing unit 201. This rotation angle R is used in the DCM of the azimuth detection processing in the azimuth detection processing unit 201.

  When the flexible substrate 300 is attached to a device or an object of which the shape is specified in advance such as a commercially available product, the manufacturer of the device or the object provides information on the attachment location (length, curvature, etc.) to which the flexible substrate 300 is attached in advance. Obtainable. Therefore, the maker or the like can store the attachment location information in the information processing device 220 in advance, disclose the information on the Internet, and the like.

  The shape information obtaining unit 203 obtains the information of the mounting location that exists as described above and supplies the obtained information to the azimuth detection processing unit 201. When the attachment point information is disclosed on the Internet, the attachment point information is acquired using the communication function of the terminal device 120. In addition, when the user acquires the attachment location information on the Internet or the like, the attachment location information may be directly supplied to the shape information acquisition unit 203 by inputting to the input unit 105 of the terminal device 120.

  When such mounting location information that exists in advance is obtained, the azimuth detection processing unit 201 compares the rotation angle R obtained from the mounting location information with the sensor information of the inertial sensor, and performs predetermined calculation and analysis. Thus, the axis adjustment processing using DCM or the like can be performed.

  On the other hand, if the shape of the place where the flexible board 300 is to be attached to the device or the object is not known in advance, a stress / force sensor or a strain sensor as the shape recognition sensor 302 is mounted on the flexible board 300, and the shape information acquisition unit 203 The shape information of the flexible substrate 300 is obtained from the shape recognition sensor 302.

  Also in the second embodiment, azimuth detection using the angular velocities detected by the plurality of gyro sensors 301 can be performed in the same manner as the first to third techniques in the first embodiment.

  However, the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the location of the gyro sensor 301 differs for each device or object on which the flexible substrate 300 is provided. Therefore, in the second embodiment, a process of calculating the rotation angle R for the axis adjustment process from the shape information of the location where the flexible substrate 300 is attached is performed before the azimuth detection process.

[2-2. Example of mounting gyro sensor]
Next, a specific example of mounting the gyro sensor 102 on an object or the like using the flexible substrate 300 will be described. By deforming the flexible substrate 300, a plurality of gyro sensors 102 can be provided on objects having various shapes. For example, as shown in FIG. 15A, a plurality of gyro sensors are annularly formed along the outer peripheral surface of the circular object 400 by deforming the flexible substrate 300 in a ring shape along the outer peripheral surface of the circular object 400 in plan view. 301 can be arranged.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 15B, by deforming the flexible substrate 300 into a ring shape along the inner peripheral surface of the ring-shaped object 450, a plurality of gyro sensors 301 are annularly formed along the inner peripheral surface of the ring-shaped object 450. Can also be arranged. Such a circular object includes, for example, a coin-type battery, a case for storing a circular object, and a ring-shaped object such as a belt-shaped object. With such an arrangement of the gyro sensor 301, a highly sensitive z-axis sensor can be used efficiently.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 15C, a plurality of gyro sensors 301 can be arranged in a curved shape along a part of the outer peripheral surface of the circular object 400. Further, as shown in FIG. 15D, a plurality of gyro sensors 301 may be arranged in a curved shape along a part of the inner peripheral surface of the ring-shaped object 450.

  As shown in FIG. 16, the gyro sensor 301 may be provided in the terminal device 120 by storing the flexible substrate 300 by sliding it inside the rail 500 and attaching the rail 500 to the terminal device 120.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 17, the flexible substrate 300 to which the gyro sensor 301 is attached may be spirally deformed and attached to a device or an object.

  As a specific example, as shown in FIG. 18, the gyro sensor 301 can be easily and compactly mounted by winding the flexible substrate 300 around a camera lens 600 of a device such as a smartphone.

  In addition, the gyro sensor 301 is mounted on the device by deforming and attaching the flexible substrate 300 to the curved surface around the lens and glass inside the VR (Virtual Reality) headset 700 as shown in FIG. Can be. In addition, the gyro sensor 301 can be similarly mounted on a glasses-type AR device or the like. In addition, the gyro sensor 301 can be mounted by deforming and attaching the flexible substrate 300 according to the internal shape of the controller for VR and AR, and the controller of the game.

  As described above, according to the second embodiment, by providing the plurality of gyro sensors 301 on the flexible substrate 300 which is a deformable object, it is possible to easily and compactly mount the plurality of gyro sensors on various objects and devices. Can be. Note that, as the deformable object provided with the gyro sensor, a plastic plate or a substrate having a curved shape with a hardness equal to or higher than a predetermined reference may be used in addition to the flexible substrate.

  According to the present technology, it is possible to perform high-accuracy azimuth detection by using a plurality of gyro sensors that are inexpensive and do not necessarily have high accuracy by itself.

<3. Modification>
Although the embodiments of the present technology have been specifically described above, the present technology is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications based on the technical idea of the present technology are possible.

  As shown in FIG. 20, a direction detection device 800 equipped with a plurality of gyro sensors 301 may be configured, and the direction detection device 800 may be connected to a smartphone 900 as a terminal device as an external device. The information processing device that performs the azimuth detection processing may operate in the azimuth detection device 700 or may operate in a terminal device such as the smartphone 900.

  The present technology is also useful for azimuth detection on planets other than the earth, for example, Mars. For example, the magnetic field characteristics of planets differ from one planet to another, and a geomagnetic sensor that uses the earth's geomagnetism cannot always be used successfully on other planets. Therefore, there is a possibility that the geomagnetic sensor cannot be used for azimuth detection on a planet other than the earth. On the other hand, since the present technology performs azimuth detection using the gyro sensor 301 as an angular velocity sensor, it can be used for azimuth detection on a planet other than the earth.

  The present technology can be applied to information acquired by other sensors such as position information by GPS or the like in addition to the azimuth information.

  The information processing apparatus is not limited to the wristwatch-type wearable device described in the embodiment, but may be applied to any wristband-type wearable device, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a notebook computer, or any other device that needs to perform direction detection. May be.

  In the embodiment, angular velocities are sequentially detected by repeatedly turning on and off a plurality of gyro sensors. However, angular velocities may be simultaneously detected by all gyro sensors. Even when the angular velocities are detected simultaneously by all the gyro sensors, the azimuth information can be obtained by the first to third methods described in the embodiment. When the angular velocity is individually detected by the gyro sensor, the processing is light, but it takes time because the gyro sensor performs the detection one by one. On the other hand, when the angular velocity is detected by all the gyro sensors at the same time, the processing becomes heavy, but the angular velocity can be detected quickly because the processing is performed simultaneously.

The present technology can also have the following configurations.
(1)
An information processing apparatus comprising: an azimuth detection processing unit that performs azimuth detection processing based on detection results of the plurality of angular velocity sensors based on a shape of a deformable object provided with the plurality of angular velocity sensors.
(2)
The information processing apparatus according to (1), wherein the shape of the object is acquired in advance from information on a shape of a device to which the object is attached.
(3)
The information processing device according to (1) or (2), wherein the shape of the object is acquired by a shape recognition sensor.
(4)
The information processing apparatus according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein each of the plurality of angular velocity sensors performs detection in a different posture.
(5)
The azimuth detection processing unit performs azimuth detection processing by comparing the plurality of angular velocities detected by the plurality of angular velocity sensors with a theoretical value of the angular velocity corresponding to the azimuth (1) to (4). An information processing device according to any one of the above.
(6)
The information processing device according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein the plurality of angular velocities are detected by the plurality of angular velocity sensors at different timings.
(7)
The information processing apparatus according to any one of (1) to (6), wherein the object is a flexible substrate.
(8)
The information processing device according to any one of (1) to (6), wherein the object is a plastic plate.
(9)
The information processing apparatus according to any one of (1) to (8), further including: an output control unit configured to output a detection status of the plurality of angular velocity sensors in an output unit included in a device to which the object is attached.
(10)
An information processing apparatus including an azimuth detection processing unit that performs azimuth detection processing from detection results of a plurality of angular velocity sensors provided in a device in different postures.
(11)
The information processing apparatus according to (10), wherein the azimuth detection processing unit performs azimuth detection processing by comparing the average of the angular velocities with a theoretical value of the angular velocity corresponding to the azimuth.
(12)
The information processing device according to (10) or (11), further including: an output control unit configured to output detection states of the plurality of angular velocity sensors in an output unit included in the device.
(13)
An information processing method for performing an azimuth detection process based on a detection result of the plurality of angular velocity sensors based on a shape of a deformable object provided with the plurality of angular velocity sensors.
(14)
An information processing program for causing a computer to execute an information processing method of performing an azimuth detection process based on a detection result of the plurality of angular velocity sensors based on a shape of a deformable object provided with the plurality of angular velocity sensors.

100 terminal device 102, 301 gyro sensor 200 information processing device 201 direction detection processing unit 300 flexible substrate 302 ... Shape recognition sensors

Claims (14)

An information processing apparatus comprising: an azimuth detection processing unit that performs azimuth detection processing based on detection results of the plurality of angular velocity sensors based on a shape of a deformable object provided with the plurality of angular velocity sensors. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the shape of the object is obtained in advance from information on a shape of a device to which the object is attached. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the shape of the object is acquired by a shape recognition sensor. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of angular velocity sensors performs detection in a different posture. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the azimuth detection processing unit performs azimuth detection processing by comparing a plurality of the angular velocities detected by the plurality of angular velocity sensors with a theoretical value of the angular velocity corresponding to the azimuth. . The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of angular velocities are detected by the plurality of angular velocity sensors at different timings. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the object is a flexible substrate. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the object is a plastic plate. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: an output control unit configured to output detection states of the plurality of angular velocity sensors in an output unit included in a device to which the object is attached. An information processing apparatus including an azimuth detection processing unit that performs azimuth detection processing from detection results of a plurality of angular velocity sensors provided in a device in different postures. The information processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the azimuth detection processing unit performs azimuth detection processing by comparing a plurality of the angular velocities detected by the plurality of angular velocity sensors with a theoretical value of the angular velocity corresponding to the azimuth. . The information processing apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising: an output control unit configured to output detection states of the plurality of angular velocity sensors in an output unit included in the device. An information processing method for performing an azimuth detection process based on a detection result of the plurality of angular velocity sensors based on a shape of a deformable object provided with the plurality of angular velocity sensors. An information processing program for causing a computer to execute an information processing method of performing an azimuth detection process based on a detection result of the plurality of angular velocity sensors based on a shape of a deformable object provided with the plurality of angular velocity sensors.

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