JP4770831B2 - LOCATION DEVICE, COMPUTER PROGRAM, AND LOCATION METHOD - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a position specifying technique, and in particular, to a position specifying apparatus that can accurately specify the position of a pedestrian when carried by a pedestrian, a computer program and a position specifying method for realizing the position specifying apparatus. .

  Examples of position detection methods widely used in navigation for detecting the position of a moving body such as a vehicle include self-contained navigation, satellite navigation, map matching, and hybrid navigation. Self-contained navigation uses a distance sensor, an azimuth sensor, an angular velocity sensor, etc., for example, based on the azimuth angle of the vehicle traveling with respect to an orthogonal coordinate system based on the longitude-latitude coordinate system and the traveling distance per unit time. Although it is calculated, consistency with the road is not taken into consideration, and there is a problem that errors in the vehicle position accumulate as the travel distance increases.

  Satellite navigation uses GPS (Global Positioning System), and the detected position includes an error of about 10 to 20 m. Since GPS is used, an in-vehicle sensor such as a distance sensor, an azimuth sensor, or an angular velocity sensor is unnecessary. However, on roads under elevated roads, roads between buildings, mountain roads, roadside trees, etc., radio waves cannot be received from a predetermined number of GPS satellites, and the detection accuracy is greatly degraded. is there. In addition, there is also a problem that the traveling road is wrong in a narrow street with a narrow road interval.

  In addition, the map matching method detects the position of the vehicle in consideration of the consistency (matching) between the travel locus by the self-contained navigation and the road map (see Patent Document 1). That is, the most probable road is selected from a plurality of road candidates considered to be traveling while comparing the trajectory obtained by the self-contained navigation with the road map data. Then, when the number of candidate roads is limited to one, the traveling locus of the vehicle obtained by the self-contained navigation is matched with the road. However, if the limited road is wrong, there is a problem that position detection after that becomes impossible.

  Hybrid navigation is a combination of satellite navigation and map matching, and it rationally estimates the position of the vehicle and identifies the road on which it is traveling, taking into account the errors between autonomous navigation and satellite navigation. (See Patent Document 2). In hybrid navigation, for example, the position of a vehicle is detected using a map matching method in normal times. When the vehicle position cannot be detected by the map matching method, the vehicle position and direction are detected by satellite navigation to estimate the vehicle position, and the vehicle position is detected in consideration of consistency with the road map data. To do. With hybrid navigation, except for special cases, there is almost no possibility of mistaken roads on which vehicles are traveling, and the positional accuracy in the direction of the road is within an error range of about 10 m on average. In the target navigation, the accuracy level is almost no problem in practical use.

On the other hand, in the pedestrian position detection method, position detection is performed using a portable device such as a mobile phone or a simple navigation device carried by the pedestrian. In such portable devices, for example, a method for detecting the current position of a pedestrian by radio waves from GPS satellites or communication with a base station has been put into practical use.
JP-A-63-148115 JP-A-2-275310

  However, when detecting the position by receiving radio waves from GPS satellites, the position error is about 10 to 20 m when the reception state of the GPS satellites is good, but the roads in the valleys of buildings such as buildings in the city center or under the overpass In such cases, it may be impossible to detect the position, or the position error may be about several hundred meters due to the influence of multipath or the like, and an accurate position may not be obtained. In particular, in the case of pedestrians, unlike mobile objects such as vehicles, there is a tendency to walk near buildings along the buildings, so the reception level of radio waves from GPS satellites decreases.

  In a portable device carried by a pedestrian, a distance sensor used to detect the position of the pedestrian is a device that counts the number of steps of the pedestrian or an acceleration sensor, and is used in the case of a vehicle. The detection accuracy is low compared to a distance sensor (for example, a vehicle speed sensor, a wheel speed sensor, etc.). Furthermore, when the posture changes in accordance with the walking of the pedestrian, the position or inclination of the mobile device also changes, so that the detection accuracy may further decrease. Therefore, with the conventional position detection method, it is difficult to accurately detect the position of the pedestrian.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and a position specifying device capable of specifying (detecting) the position of a pedestrian with high accuracy, a computer program and a position specifying method for realizing the position specifying device. The purpose is to provide.

The position specifying device according to the first invention is a position specifying device that can be carried by a pedestrian and specifies its own position, and stores position information of feature points on a road including position information of an intersection having a pedestrian crossing. Storage means, walking behavior determination means for determining the walking behavior of the pedestrian, and a green signal lighting start time (or red signal start time) of the traffic light installed at the intersection as unique information specific to the feature point from the outside Receiving means for receiving, and position specifying means for specifying the position of the user by associating the walking behavior determined by the walking behavior determining means with the specific information received by the receiving means , wherein the position specifying means includes the traffic light When the walking behavior determined by the walking behavior determination means is the start of walking (or the stop of walking) at the starting point of lighting of the green light (or starting point of the red signal), the pedestrian crossing at the intersection Wherein the configuration Tare Rukoto to identify the location of the near as its own position.

A position specifying device according to a second aspect of the present invention is a position specifying device that can be carried by a pedestrian and specifies its own position, and stores position information of feature points on a road including position information of an intersection having a pedestrian crossing. Storage means for determining, walking behavior determining means for determining walking behavior of a pedestrian, receiving means for receiving a green signal lighting time of a traffic light installed at the intersection as unique information specific to the feature point, and the walking A position specifying unit that specifies the position of the walking by associating the walking behavior determined by the behavior determining unit with the specific information received by the receiving unit, and the position specifying unit is provided when the traffic light is lit in green. When the walking behavior determined by the walking behavior determination means is a walking speed greater than a predetermined threshold, the position near the pedestrian crossing at the intersection is specified as its own position. Characterized in that are configured.

A position specifying device according to a third aspect of the present invention is a position specifying device that can be carried by a pedestrian and specifies its own position, and stores position information of feature points on a road including position information of an intersection having a pedestrian crossing. Storage means, walking behavior determination means for determining the walking behavior of the pedestrian, and a blue signal blinking start time or a red signal lighting start time of the pedestrian traffic light installed at the intersection as unique information specific to the feature point Receiving means for receiving from the outside, a position specifying means for specifying the position of the walking behavior determined by the walking behavior determining means and the specific information received by the receiving means in association with each other , the position specifying means, When the walking behavior determined by the walking behavior determination means is greater than a predetermined threshold at the start of blinking blue signal or the start of red signal lighting of the pedestrian traffic light, Characterized in that is arranged to identify the location of the crossing near the sidewalk of the serial intersection as its own position.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the second or third aspect , when the walking behavior further determined by the walking behavior determining means is a decrease in walking speed, the position specifying means is a pedestrian crossing at the intersection. The position in the vicinity of the traveling direction side is specified as its own position.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, the storage means stores position information of a crossing, and the receiving means is installed at the crossing. It is configured to receive an alarm end time of an alarm device, and the position specifying means is configured to receive the crossing when the walking behavior determined by the walking behavior determination means is the start of walking at the alarm end time of the alarm device. The present invention is characterized in that a nearby position is specified as its own position.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, the storage means stores position information of a crossing, and the receiving means is an alarm installed at the crossing. The alarm stop time from the alarm end time of the machine to the alarm start time is further received, and the position specifying means is determined by the walking behavior determining means when the alarm is stopped. When the walking behavior is a walking speed greater than a predetermined threshold, the position near the railroad crossing is specified as its own position.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, the storage means stores position information of a crossing, and the receiving means is an alarm installed at the crossing. The position specifying means is a walking speed at which the walking behavior determined by the walking behavior determination means is greater than a predetermined threshold at the alarm start time of the alarm. In this case, the position near the railroad crossing is specified as its own position.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to seventh aspects, the positioning means for positioning its own position and an error indicating a range of positioning error of the positioning position measured by the positioning means. An error range calculating means for calculating a range, wherein the position specifying means is configured to specify its own position based on unique information of feature points within the error range calculated by the error range calculating means. It is characterized by being.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to eighth aspects, the position specifying device includes a receivable range specifying unit that specifies a range in which the receiving unit can receive the specific information, and the position specifying unit. Is configured to specify its own position based on the unique information of the characteristic points within the receivable range specified by the receivable range specifying means.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to ninth aspects, when there are a plurality of positions specified by the position specifying means, the position specifying apparatus includes display means for displaying all positions. And

In any one of the first to ninth inventions, the position specifying device according to an eleventh aspect of the invention is an evaluation coefficient calculating means for calculating an evaluation coefficient for evaluating the probability of the position specified by the position specifying means; When there are a plurality of positions specified by the position specifying means, a selecting means for selecting one position according to the evaluation coefficient calculated by the evaluation coefficient calculating means, and a display means for displaying the position selected by the selecting means; It is characterized by providing.

A computer program according to a twelfth aspect of the invention is a computer program for causing a computer to specify its own position. The computer is characterized by a walking behavior determination means for determining a walking behavior of a pedestrian and a characteristic point specific to a feature point on a road. As information, the green signal lighting start time (or red signal start time) of the traffic light installed at the intersection, the green signal lighting time of the traffic light installed at the intersection, or the green signal blinking start of the pedestrian traffic light installed at the intersection in association with any one the determined walking behavior kinematic point or red lights beginning to function as a position specifying means for specifying its own position, the position specifying means, green light lighting start time point of the traffic (or red At the start of the signal), the walking behavior determined by the walking behavior determination means is the start of walking (or walking stop). When the walking behavior determined by the walking behavior determination means is a walking speed greater than a predetermined threshold when the traffic light is lit in green when the traffic light is lit in green, the intersection vicinity of the intersection Near the pedestrian crossing at the intersection when the walking behavior determined by the walking behavior determination means is at a walking speed greater than a predetermined threshold at the start of blinking of the green light of the pedestrian traffic light or the start of lighting of the red signal It characterized that you identify one of position as its position.

Location method according to the thirteenth invention is a location method for identifying its own position, it stores the position information of the feature point on the road including the position information of the intersection with crosswalk, walking behavior of the walker a step of determining, said as specific information specific to the feature point, a green light lighting start time point (or red beginning) of the installed traffic in the intersection, green light emission time of the installed traffic in the intersection, or the A step of receiving from the outside one of the pedestrian traffic lights installed at the intersection, either the blinking start point of the green light or the start point of lighting of the red light, and the determined walking behavior and the received specific information are associated with each other. and a step of specifying, the specific steps are green-lit lighting start time point of the traffic (or red start time), the walking behavior determination When the walking behavior determined at the stage is the start of walking (or walking stop), the walking behavior determined by the walking behavior determination means is predetermined when the traffic light is lit in green at a position near the pedestrian crossing at the intersection. The walking behavior determined by the walking behavior determination means is predetermined at a position near the pedestrian crossing at the intersection, or when a green signal blinking start time or a red signal lighting start time of the pedestrian traffic light is predetermined. When the walking speed is greater than the threshold value, any one of the positions near the pedestrian crossing of the intersection is specified as its own position .

In the first invention, the second invention, the third invention, the twelfth invention and the thirteenth invention, the position specifying device is portable by a pedestrian and stores position information of feature points on the road. is there. The characteristic point is, for example, an intersection having a pedestrian crossing or a railroad crossing. The position specifying device receives unique information specific to the feature point from the outside, and determines the walking behavior of the pedestrian. For example, when the characteristic point is an intersection, the unique information includes an identifier for identifying the intersection, the position of the intersection (pedestrian crossing), and signal information (for vehicles, for pedestrians, etc.) , Lighting start time of each lamp color, lighting time, blue lamp color flashing start time in the case of a pedestrian traffic light, etc.). When the feature point is a level crossing, the unique information includes, for example, an identifier for identifying the level crossing, the position of the level crossing, alarm information (for example, alarm start time, alarm operation time, alarm end time, alarm stop time of the level crossing alarm) Time). The walking behavior indicates, for example, walking characteristics of a pedestrian and includes traveling characteristics when riding a bicycle. The walking behavior includes, for example, the start of walking, walking speed, fluctuation in walking speed, the number of steps per unit time (in the case of a bicycle, the number of times of pedaling), fluctuation in the number of steps, walking direction, walking stop, and the like. Here, a walking pace (time required for one step) may be used instead of the walking speed. Hereinafter, the walking speed is used without distinguishing between the walking speed and the walking pace, but the meaning of the walking pace is also included. The walking behavior can be acquired by a distance sensor such as an acceleration sensor or a step number sensor, and an azimuth sensor such as an angular velocity sensor, an angular acceleration sensor, or a geomagnetic sensor.

  The position specifying device specifies its own position by associating the determined walking behavior with the received specific information. For example, the position specifying device determines whether or not the walking behavior may be a pedestrian crossing walk or a crossing walk. Presence / absence of the possibility can be determined by, for example, starting walking, stopping walking, fluctuation in walking speed, and the like. When there is a possibility of walking on a crosswalk or a crossing, the positioning device determines whether the walking behavior matches the signal switching timing of the traffic light or the alarm timing of the warning device. The position of (pedestrian) is specified near the pedestrian crossing or the railroad crossing. The determination of the presence / absence of the match is, for example, when walking stops at the start of lighting a red signal, or when walking starts at the start of lighting a green signal. As a result, when it is difficult to detect the position of a pedestrian with high accuracy using conventional self-contained navigation, map matching, satellite navigation, or hybrid navigation, unique information unique to feature points on the road The pedestrian's position can be accurately identified by associating the pedestrian with the walking behavior, and the pedestrian's position is automatically corrected to a high-accuracy position in real time without requiring any operation by the pedestrian. It is possible to improve the accuracy of position detection of pedestrians thereafter.

In the first invention , the twelfth invention, and the thirteenth invention , the position specifying device is a blue signal lighting start point (or red signal) of a traffic light (including a vehicle and a pedestrian) installed at an intersection having a pedestrian crossing. When the walking behavior is the start of walking (or stop walking) at the start time), the position of the person (pedestrian) is specified near the pedestrian crossing. The position of the pedestrian can be specified in the vicinity of the pedestrian crossing by determining the simultaneous start of the green light and the start of walking or the simultaneous start of the red light and the stop of walking. In particular, if the accuracy of the position of the pedestrian that was detected most recently is low and the position of the pedestrian is not accurate, the error of subsequent position detection becomes large, and even if there is a possibility of detecting an incorrect position, the accurate position is The position of the pedestrian can be detected (specified) with high accuracy by automatically correcting.

In the second invention , the twelfth invention and the thirteenth invention , the position specifying device is configured such that traffic lights (including vehicles and pedestrians) installed at intersections having a pedestrian crossing are lit in green. When the walking behavior is greater than a predetermined threshold, the position of the person (pedestrian) is specified near the pedestrian crossing. This is because the pedestrian crosses the pedestrian crossing while the green light is on, using the tendency that the walking speed is faster than when walking on a normal sidewalk. For example, it can be determined that the pedestrian is walking on the pedestrian crossing if the time required for one step is slightly faster than other time zones. Note that whether or not the traffic light is in the green state can be determined based on the start time of the green signal and the green signal lighting time. By determining the relationship between the green light and walking speed, the position of the pedestrian can be specified near the pedestrian crossing, and the correct position is automatically corrected to detect the position of the pedestrian with high accuracy (specification). )can do.

In the third invention , the twelfth invention, and the thirteenth invention , the position specifying device has a walking behavior that exceeds a predetermined threshold at a start point of a green light blinking or a red signal lighting start time of a traffic light for a pedestrian installed at an intersection. When the walking speed is high, the position of the person (pedestrian) is specified near the pedestrian crossing. This is because the pedestrian crosses the pedestrian crossing at the time when the pedestrian traffic light starts blinking green or when the red signal lights up, using the tendency that the walking speed is faster than when walking on a normal sidewalk. If the walking speed or walking pace of the pedestrian is faster than in other time zones, it can be determined that the pedestrian is walking on the pedestrian crossing. The pedestrian's position can be specified near the pedestrian crossing by determining the relationship between the blinking blue light of the pedestrian traffic light or the start of the red signal and the walking speed, and the correct position is automatically corrected to walk The position of the person can be detected (specified) with high accuracy. When the vehicle traffic signal also serves as a pedestrian traffic light, the green signal blinking start time of the pedestrian traffic light corresponds to the yellow signal start time.

In the fourth invention, when the walking behavior is a decrease in walking speed, for example, when the walking speed returns to a normal speed, the position specifying device determines the position of itself (pedestrian) in the traveling direction of the pedestrian crossing. The position near the side (for example, from the vicinity of the center of the pedestrian crossing to the vicinity of the end position) is specified. This is because when a pedestrian crosses a pedestrian crossing, the pedestrian can safely cross the pedestrian crossing when passing the middle of the pedestrian crossing. It takes advantage of what is considered to return. By determining the relationship between the signal information of the traffic light and the walking speed, the position of the pedestrian can be specified near the pedestrian crossing, and the position of the pedestrian can be accurately corrected by automatically correcting the accurate position. It can be detected (identified).

In the fifth invention, the position specifying device specifies the position of itself (pedestrian) in the vicinity of the level crossing when the walking behavior is the start of walking at the alarm end time of the alarm set installed at the level crossing. The position of the pedestrian can be specified in the vicinity of the level crossing by determining the synchronism between the alarm end of the level crossing alarm and the start of walking. In particular, if the accuracy of the position of the pedestrian that was detected most recently is low and the position of the pedestrian is not accurate, the error of subsequent position detection becomes large, and even if there is a possibility of detecting an incorrect position, the accurate position is The position of the pedestrian can be detected (specified) with high accuracy by automatically correcting.

In the sixth aspect of the invention, the position specifying device detects the position of itself (pedestrian) when the walking behavior is greater than a predetermined threshold when the alarm installed at the railroad crossing is stopped. Is specified near the railroad crossing. This is because the pedestrian walks at the railroad crossing by using the tendency that the walking speed becomes faster than when walking on a normal sidewalk. If it is slightly faster than, it can be determined that the pedestrian is walking on the crossing. Whether or not the alarm is in an alarm stop state can be determined from the alarm end time and the alarm start time. By determining the relationship between the alarm stop of the alarm and the walking speed, the position of the pedestrian can be specified near the railroad crossing, and the accurate position is automatically corrected to accurately position the pedestrian. It can be detected (identified).

In the seventh invention, the position specifying device determines the position of itself (pedestrian) in the vicinity of the level crossing when the walking behavior is higher than a predetermined threshold at the alarm start time of the alarm installed at the level crossing. To be specific. This is because the pedestrian crosses the railroad crossing at the start of the alarm and uses the tendency that the walking speed becomes faster than when walking on a normal sidewalk. However, if it is faster than other time zones, it can be determined that the pedestrian is walking on the crossing. By determining the relationship between the alarm start of the alarm and the walking speed, the position of the pedestrian can be specified near the railroad crossing, and the accurate position is automatically corrected to make the position of the pedestrian highly accurate. It can be detected (identified).

In the eighth invention, the position specifying device measures the position of itself (pedestrian) and calculates an error range indicating the range of the positioning error of the measured positioning position. In order to measure the position of itself, for example, positioning data such as GPS, base station communication, a distance sensor, and a direction sensor can be used. In addition, positioning can be performed by communication such as an optical beacon or a radio beacon. Further, the error range varies depending on the accuracy of the positioning data, and for example, the standard deviation of the positioning position error can be used. The position specifying device specifies its own position based on the unique information of the feature points within the calculated error range. By limiting the feature points within the error range, the unique information of the feature points outside the error range is excluded, unnecessary processing for position detection (specification) is omitted, processing effort is reduced, and the position can be shortened. Can be detected.

In the ninth invention, the position specifying device specifies a range in which the specific information can be received, and specifies the position of itself (pedestrian) based on the specific information of the characteristic point within the specified receivable range. To do. When receiving specific information from an external communication device or the like, the receivable range can be a communication range with the communication device, for example, a communication range of mid-range communication such as a wireless LAN. By limiting the unique information within the receivable range, the unique information of feature points outside the receivable range is excluded, unnecessary processing for position detection (specification) is omitted, and processing effort is reduced. The position can be detected in a short time.

In the tenth invention, when there are a plurality of specified positions, the position specifying device displays all the positions. Thereby, the pedestrian can easily determine his / her position and can also know a possible position.

In the eleventh aspect , the position specifying device calculates an evaluation coefficient for evaluating the certainty of the specified position. The evaluation coefficient is a coefficient for evaluating the likelihood of the position of the pedestrian. For example, the smaller the evaluation coefficient, the greater the probability (probability) of the position. The evaluation coefficient can be calculated, for example, according to the positional deviation between the walking trajectory of the pedestrian before specifying the position and the road on the map. Alternatively, as another example of the evaluation coefficient, it can be calculated according to the distance between the position of the pedestrian detected most recently and the specified position. When there are a plurality of specified positions, the position specifying device selects one position according to the evaluation coefficient calculated for each position (specific position), and displays the selected position. Thereby, the pedestrian can easily determine his / her position and know the most likely position.

  In the present invention, the position detection accuracy of the pedestrian can be improved by automatically correcting the position of the pedestrian to a highly accurate position in real time without requiring any operation by the pedestrian.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings illustrating embodiments. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a position detection apparatus 10 according to the present invention. The position detection device 10 according to the present invention measures the position of itself (pedestrian) in time series, estimates its position based on positioning data obtained by positioning, and uses the estimated position as the position of the pedestrian. Is detected and displayed. Further, the position detecting device 10 corrects the position of the pedestrian by specifying the position of the pedestrian by associating the specific information unique to the feature point on the road described later and the walking behavior of the pedestrian, thereby specifying the position of the pedestrian. The (corrected) position is detected and displayed as the position of the pedestrian. In this case, specifying the own position means detecting the own position with higher accuracy than the measured position.

  The position detection device 10 can be carried by a pedestrian (including a pedestrian traveling by bicycle), and includes a control unit 11, a communication unit 12, a positioning unit 13, a map database 14, a storage unit 15, and the like that control the entire device. An operation unit 16, a position detection processing unit 17, a display unit 18, an audio output unit 19, and the like are provided. The positioning unit 13 includes a GPS 131, a distance sensor 132, an orientation sensor 133, and the like. The position detection processing unit 17 includes a position estimation unit 171, an error calculation unit 172, a walking behavior determination unit 173, a position specification unit 174, an evaluation unit 175, and the like.

  The communication unit 12 includes an optical beacon, a radio beacon, an RFID or a DSRC, a narrow area communication function for communicating with a road device, a mid-range communication function such as a wireless LAN such as a UHF band or a VHF band, or a mobile phone, A wide-area communication function such as PHS, multiple FM broadcasting, or Internet communication is provided. The communication unit 12 uses, for example, a midpoint communication such as a wireless LAN in the vicinity of an intersection having a pedestrian crossing or a railroad crossing having an alarm as a feature point on a road, and between roadside devices. Map information communicated by road-to-road communication, road-to-vehicle communication between a road device and a vehicle, or vehicle-to-vehicle communication, characteristic information (for example, intersection information, crossing information, etc.) of a feature point, and the like are acquired. The road device may be, for example, a traffic information collection device such as an ultrasonic sensor, an optical beacon, or an image sensor, an information board device that provides traffic information in characters or figures, a signal control device, or the like. In addition, the communication unit 12 uses a wide area communication such as a mobile phone to obtain map information around a pedestrian, intersection information at a crossing, or crossing information at a crossing from a center device such as an information processing center or a traffic control center. It can also be acquired.

  Intersection information as specific information includes, for example, an identifier for identifying the intersection, the position of the pedestrian crossing at the intersection, and signal information (for example, for vehicles, pedestrians) installed at the intersection (for example, for each lamp color) Lighting start time, lighting time, blue light blinking start time in the case of a pedestrian traffic light, etc.). Further, the level crossing information as the specific information includes, for example, an identifier for identifying the level crossing, a position of the level crossing, alarm information (for example, alarm start time, alarm operation time, alarm end time, alarm stop time, etc. of the level crossing alarm) It is.

  The communication unit 12 has a communication function for communicating with a base station, receives radio waves from a plurality of base stations, and outputs reception results to the positioning unit 13. In addition, the communication unit 12 outputs the position information of the communication point obtained by the narrow area communication with the road device to the positioning unit 13.

  The positioning unit 13 measures the position of the pedestrian from time to time (for example, every time 0.5 seconds, 1 second, etc., every 1 m, 2 m, etc.) (determines the positioning position) The moving distance and moving direction (positioning direction) are stored in the storage unit 15 together with the time as a walking trajectory of the pedestrian.

  The GPS 131 receives radio waves from a plurality of GPS satellites and measures the position of the pedestrian. In addition to the GPS 131, a DGPS (differential GPS) can be mounted. DGPS can receive FM broadcasts or medium waves transmitted from a reference station whose position is known in advance, and can correct the displacement of the positioning position obtained by GPS 131, thereby improving the accuracy of the position of the pedestrian. . Note that it is also possible to perform positioning in a form that combines a method of roughly positioning a position with radio waves from a plurality of base stations of a mobile phone and GPS. Note that it is also possible to perform positioning in a form that combines a method of roughly positioning a position with radio waves from a plurality of base stations of a mobile phone and GPS. As a result, even if it is difficult to receive radio waves from GPS satellites indoors, the probability that a position with poor position accuracy can be obtained is increased.

  The distance sensor 132 includes a speed in a very short time, an acceleration sensor that can detect a moving distance, a step number sensor that can detect a relatively long moving distance, and the like. Here, for example, if an acceleration sensor is used as the step sensor, steep data generated in accordance with the walking pitch can be obtained, and the number of steps and the walking speed can be obtained by counting this number. Also, in this case, when riding a bicycle and stroking the pedal, or when going up and down the stairs of a pedestrian bridge or an underground crossing passage, the characteristics of steep data, for example, peak values (walking strength) are different. Therefore, it is possible to specify a walking place to some extent. Thereby, the position of a pedestrian can be detected for each short-distance and short-distance walk in self-contained navigation. If the GPS satellite positioning accuracy is very good and there are no buildings or the like outside the metropolitan area, the walking distance is calculated based on the difference in GPS positioning without using the step sensor. Also good. In the present application, the walking speed is used as a concept including a walking pitch (the number of steps per unit time).

  The azimuth sensor 133 includes an angular velocity sensor or an angular acceleration sensor (relative azimuth sensor), a two-dimensional or three-dimensional geomagnetic sensor (absolute azimuth sensor), and the like. Thereby, in the self-contained navigation, the moving direction of the pedestrian can be detected for each short time and short distance walking. Note that the GPS 131, the distance sensor 132, and the azimuth sensor 133 are not necessarily provided.

  The positioning unit 13 is based on the measured positioning data, the reception result of the radio wave from the base station obtained via the communication unit 12, or the position information of the communication point obtained by the narrow area communication with the road device. The positioning position and the positioning position error are calculated. Hereinafter, a positioning position and a calculation method of the error will be described.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the error range of the positioning position. In the orthogonal coordinate system (x direction and y direction), as an example, a position error range detected by narrow-range communication with GPS, a base station, or a road device is a rectangular area (x direction length is 4a, y direction). Is set as 4b). That is, the positioning position is the center position of the rectangular area, and the error range extends from the center position by a range of ± 2a in the x direction and by a range of ± 2b in the y direction. For example, when 2a is set to 2 sigma, the variance in the x direction is a ² and the standard deviation can be set to a. When 2b is set to 2 sigma, the variance in the y direction is b ² and the standard deviation can be set to b2.

  When GPS is used to measure the position of a pedestrian, the error range is an environmental condition, more specifically, the GPS reception level, the number of captured satellites, 2D or 3D positioning, or CEP ( It changes with time due to circular error probability. In the case of base station communication, the error range varies with time depending on the communication level with the base station, the communication range of the base station, and the like. A predetermined constant in which the error range is set to be large in advance, a constant determined in advance according to the place or time, or the like may be used. The shape of the error range is not limited to a rectangular shape, and may be an arbitrary shape such as a circle or an ellipse. For example, when positioning is performed using only GPS, when the environmental conditions are favorable, an error range of about 10 to 20 m can be set.

  Hereinafter, a method for calculating the positioning position of the pedestrian will be described. The positioning position is expressed by a two-dimensional vector in an orthogonal coordinate system, but in three dimensions, only altitude information is added and can be easily expanded. Further, in the following description, it is formulated by time, but in actual processing, processing may be performed for each unit travel distance instead of processing for each unit time. In the following, capital letters are assumed to be vectors or matrices.

  Assuming that the position P (t) of the pedestrian at time t is Equation (1), walking at time t + 1 (the interval between times t and t + 1 is a predetermined time, for example, 1 second, 0.5 seconds, etc.) The person's position P (t + 1) can be expressed by Expression (2). Alternatively, the time at which the pedestrian has traveled a predetermined travel distance (eg, 1 m, 2 m, etc.) from time t can be set as time t + 1. Note that “T” added to the vector means transposition. Moreover, Formula (2) shows a pedestrian's dynamic characteristic. Note that the position P (t) of the pedestrian at time t is the true position (actual position) of the pedestrian, and is an unobservable position due to the presence of an unknown error. That is, the positioning position of the pedestrian is to obtain an optimum estimated position with respect to the true position P (t).

  Here, D (t) is expressed by Equation (3), d (t) is the distance that the pedestrian has moved (walked) from time t to time t + 1, and θ (t) is relative to the orthogonal coordinate system. This is the azimuth angle of pedestrian movement (walking). E (t) is expressed by equation (4), and e (t) is an error of the moving distance d (t). Further, the variance Q (t) of the error E (t) is expressed by the equation (5), and q is the error variance in the unit distance movement and can be a constant value.

  In addition, the position S (t) detected by GPS, base station communication, or communication with a road device at time t can be expressed by Equation (6). Here, G (t) is an error of the position S (t), and the covariance matrix R (t) of the error G (t) can be expressed by Expression (7). In Expression (7), a and b are each one-fourth of the length in the x direction and the y direction of the rectangular region that is the error range shown in FIG. That is, the covariance matrix R (t) is composed of variances in the x and y directions when 2a and 2b are 2 sigma. Even if the average value of E (t) and G (t) is 0, generality is not lost.

  The optimum estimated position H (t) of the pedestrian position P (t) at time t is expressed by a recurrence formula as shown in Expression (8) by the Kalman filter.

Here, Γ (t) is a variance of the estimation error of the estimated position H (t), and can be expressed by a recurrence formula like Formula (9). Further, “−1” attached to a matrix means an inverse matrix of the matrix. Further, the estimated position H (0) at the initial time 0 and the variance Γ (0) of the estimation error can be expressed by Expression (10) and Expression (11), respectively. Here, M is a priori information on the initial position of the pedestrian, and Σ is its error variance. If there is no a priori information, M = 0 and Σ ⁻¹ = 0, and the estimated position H (0) at initial time 0 and the variance Γ (0) of the estimated error are respectively expressed by equations (12) and (13). ).

Equation (6) is obtained when a position is detected by GPS, base station communication, or communication with a road device, and therefore, while GPS, base station communication, or communication with a road device is not performed, equation (6) is obtained. Assuming that the errors a and b in (7) are sufficiently large, in Equation (8), if R ⁻¹ (t) = 0, the estimated position is repeatedly calculated using Equation (8) as it is. Can do. That is, in this case, it is equivalent to measuring the position only by the self-contained navigation. In the above mathematical formula, it is formulated as two-dimensional position detection, but it may be formulated in three dimensions by adding a height dimension.

  The map database 14 stores a wide range of map information. In addition, according to the position of a pedestrian, the map information of the vicinity can also be acquired by communication from the outside, such as a center apparatus or a road device, and memorize | stored.

  FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of map information. When detecting the position of a pedestrian, it becomes more complicated and difficult than when detecting the position of a vehicle. In other words, in the case of a vehicle, the position of the vehicle can be detected by map matching between the estimated position and the roadway on the map, whereas in the case of a pedestrian, walking other than the pedestrian sidewalk is possible. There are various areas where a person can walk. Moreover, the necessity of detecting the position of a pedestrian is high not only outdoors but indoors. Therefore, when detecting the position of a pedestrian, detailed map matching such as separation of a sidewalk and a roadway is required, and therefore detailed data is also required as map information. However, it is not necessary to store a wide range of map information in the storage unit 15 of the position detection device 10, and may be acquired by communication from the outside such as an information center device or a road device as appropriate according to the position of the pedestrian. .

  There are various areas on the map, such as pedestrian roads (sidewalks), roadways, pedestrian crossings, buildings, retail stores, parks, ponds, and railroad crossings. Therefore, a walking passage (road) can be set in an indoor area such as a building, an underground passage, a station building, a store, a retail store, a house, a factory, an underground shopping area, or the inside of a building.

  FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of setting a road on a map. The example of FIG. 4 shows an example of setting a road around an intersection as a feature point on the road. As shown in FIG. 4, in the case of a main road where a sidewalk and a roadway are separated, a pedestrian road (sidewalk) and a pedestrian crossing can be set as roads. In the example of FIG. 4, the road is shown in two dimensions and the width of the road is set.

  FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of setting a road on a map. The example of FIG. 5 also shows an example of setting a road around an intersection as a feature point on the road. As shown in FIG. 5, in the case of a main road where a sidewalk and a roadway are separated, a pedestrian road (sidewalk) and a pedestrian crossing can be set as roads. In the example of FIG. 5, the road is shown in one dimension, and the road is set as a line segment. In this case, the width of the road can be set.

  The storage unit 15 stores various information received via the communication unit 12, positioning data measured by the positioning unit 13, processing results processed by the position detection processing unit 17, and the like. When the control unit 11, the position detection processing unit 17 and the like are constituted by a CPU, a RAM, and the like, a computer program that defines the processing procedures of the control unit 11 and the position detection processing unit 17 can be stored.

  The operation unit 16 includes various operation buttons and functions as a user interface between the pedestrian and the position detection device 10. For example, the operation unit 16 receives an operation for starting or stopping the operation of the position detection device 10 by an operation of a pedestrian.

  The position detection processing unit 17 may be configured by a dedicated hardware circuit, or may be configured to execute a computer program having a predetermined processing procedure.

  The position estimation unit 171 calculates the estimated position and walking locus of the pedestrian on the map based on the locus of the positioning position (positioning locus) calculated by the positioning unit 13.

  The error calculation unit 172 calculates the error range of the estimated position calculated by the position estimation unit 171 based on the error range of the positioning position calculated by the positioning unit 13. For example, the error range of the estimated position can be an error range of the positioning position (for example, 20 to 200 m, which varies depending on the length of the positioning locus). When the position specifying unit 174 specifies the position of the pedestrian, an error range of the specific position is set. The error range when the position of the pedestrian is specified can be, for example, a minimum error (for example, a range about the length of a pedestrian crossing, a range about the length of a railroad crossing, etc.).

  After the position of the pedestrian is specified, the error calculation unit 172 considers that the positioning error increases in accordance with the moving distance or moving direction of the pedestrian from the specified position. An error range is calculated by adding a value corresponding to the distance or moving direction (for example, an increase in positioning error). Note that the error range can always be set to an appropriate predetermined constant value (for example, 100 m) regardless of the moving distance or moving direction of the pedestrian.

  The walking behavior determination unit 173 determines the walking behavior of the pedestrian based on the positioning data obtained by the positioning unit 13. The walking behavior indicates a walking characteristic of a pedestrian and includes a traveling characteristic when riding a bicycle. The walking behavior is, for example, the start of walking, walking speed, fluctuation in walking speed, walking strength (for example, the level intensity indicated by acceleration by the step sensor), fluctuation in walking strength, per unit time The number of steps (in the case of a bicycle, the number of pedaling), the variation in the number of steps, the walking direction, the walking stop, and the like. Here, a walking pace (time required for one step) may be used instead of the walking speed. Hereinafter, the walking speed is used without distinguishing between the walking speed and the walking pace, but the meaning of the walking pace is also included.

  More specifically, the walking behavior determination unit 173 determines whether or not the walking behavior of the pedestrian is likely to be a pedestrian crosswalk or a crossing walk. Presence / absence of the possibility can be determined by, for example, starting walking, stopping walking, fluctuation in walking speed, and the like.

  The position specifying unit 174 specifies the position of the pedestrian by associating the walking behavior determined by the walking behavior determining unit 173 with the specific information (for example, intersection information, crossing information, etc.) received by the communication unit 12. That is, when the walking behavior of the pedestrian is likely to be a pedestrian crossing walk or a level crossing walk, the position specifying unit 174 alerts the walking behavior and the signal switching timing of the traffic light installed at the intersection or the alarm device installed at the level crossing. It is determined whether or not the timing matches, and if it matches, the position of the person (pedestrian) is specified near the pedestrian crossing or near the crossing. Hereinafter, a method for specifying the position of the pedestrian will be described.

  The position specifying unit 174 specifies the position of the pedestrian based on the simultaneous start of the green signal and the start of walking. That is, when the walking behavior is the start of walking at the time when the traffic light installed at the intersection having a pedestrian crossing starts to walk, the position of the pedestrian is specified near the pedestrian crossing. In this case, the position of the pedestrian can be specified in the vicinity of the upstream side in the walking direction of the pedestrian crossing. In particular, if the position accuracy of the pedestrian detected last time (for example, the most recent time or two or three times before) may be low and the position of the pedestrian is not accurate, errors in subsequent position detection Even when there is a possibility of detecting an incorrect position, the correct position is automatically corrected and the position of the pedestrian can be detected (specified) with high accuracy.

  The position specifying unit 174 specifies the position of the pedestrian based on the simultaneous start and stop of the traffic light. That is, when the walking behavior is the stop of walking at the time when the traffic light installed at the intersection having a pedestrian crossing starts to turn on the red light, the position of the pedestrian is specified near the pedestrian crossing. In this case, the position of the pedestrian can be specified in the vicinity of the upstream side in the walking direction of the pedestrian crossing. Thereby, it is possible to automatically correct the accurate position and detect (specify) the position of the pedestrian with high accuracy.

  The position specifying unit 174 specifies the position of the pedestrian based on the relationship between the green light and the walking speed. That is, when a traffic light installed at an intersection having a pedestrian crossing is lit green, when the walking behavior is a walking speed greater than a predetermined threshold, the position of the pedestrian is specified near the pedestrian crossing. This is because the pedestrian crosses the pedestrian crossing while the green light is on, using the tendency that the walking speed is faster than when walking on a normal sidewalk. For example, it can be determined that the pedestrian is walking on the pedestrian crossing if the time required for one step is slightly faster than other time zones. Note that whether or not the traffic light is in the green state can be determined based on the start time of the green signal and the green signal lighting time. By determining the relationship between the green light and walking speed, the position of the pedestrian can be specified near the pedestrian crossing, and the correct position is automatically corrected to detect the position of the pedestrian with high accuracy (specification). )can do.

  The position specifying unit 174 specifies the position of the pedestrian based on the relationship between the blinking blue signal of the pedestrian traffic light or the start of the red signal and the walking speed. That is, the position of the pedestrian is specified in the vicinity of the pedestrian crossing when the walking behavior is higher than the predetermined threshold at the start of blinking of the green light or the start of lighting of the red light of the pedestrian traffic light installed at the intersection. This is because the pedestrian crosses the pedestrian crossing at the time when the pedestrian traffic light starts blinking green or when the red signal lights up, using the tendency that the walking speed is faster than when walking on a normal sidewalk. If the walking speed or walking pace of the pedestrian is faster than in other time zones, it can be determined that the pedestrian is walking on the pedestrian crossing. The pedestrian's position can be specified near the pedestrian crossing by determining the relationship between the blinking blue light of the pedestrian traffic light or the start of the red signal and the walking speed, and the correct position is automatically corrected to walk The position of the person can be detected (specified) with high accuracy. When the vehicle traffic signal also serves as a pedestrian traffic light, the green signal blinking start time of the pedestrian traffic light corresponds to the yellow signal start time.

  The position specifying unit 174 specifies the position of the pedestrian based on the relationship between the signal information of the traffic light and the walking speed. That is, when it is determined that the pedestrian is near the pedestrian crossing, when the walking behavior is a decrease in walking speed, for example, when the walking speed returns to the normal speed, the position of the pedestrian is changed to the walking direction of the pedestrian crossing. It is specified in the vicinity of the downstream side (for example, from the vicinity of the center of the pedestrian crossing to the vicinity of the end position). This is because when a pedestrian crosses a pedestrian crossing, the pedestrian can safely cross the pedestrian crossing when passing the middle of the pedestrian crossing. It takes advantage of what is considered to return. By determining the relationship between the signal information of the traffic light and the walking speed, the position of the pedestrian can be specified near the pedestrian crossing, and the position of the pedestrian can be accurately corrected by automatically correcting the accurate position. It can be detected (identified).

  The position specifying unit 174 specifies the position of the pedestrian based on the simultaneous completion of the alarm end of the railroad crossing alarm and the start of walking. That is, when the walking behavior is the start of walking at the alarm end time of the alarm installed at the railroad crossing, the position of the pedestrian is specified near the railroad crossing. The position of the pedestrian can be specified in the vicinity of the level crossing by determining the synchronism between the alarm end of the level crossing alarm and the start of walking. In particular, if the accuracy of the position of the pedestrian that was detected most recently is low and the position of the pedestrian is not accurate, the error of subsequent position detection becomes large, and even if there is a possibility of detecting an incorrect position, the accurate position is The position of the pedestrian can be detected (specified) with high accuracy by automatically correcting.

  The position specifying unit 174 specifies the position of the pedestrian based on the relationship between the alarm stop of the alarm device and the walking speed. That is, when the alarm installed at the level crossing is in the alarm stop state, if the walking behavior is a walking speed greater than a predetermined threshold, the position of the pedestrian is specified near the level crossing. This is because the pedestrian walks at the railroad crossing by using the tendency that the walking speed becomes faster than when walking on a normal sidewalk. If it is slightly faster than, it can be determined that the pedestrian is walking on the crossing. Whether or not the alarm is in an alarm stop state can be determined from the alarm end time and the alarm start time. By determining the relationship between the alarm stop of the alarm and the walking speed, the position of the pedestrian can be specified near the railroad crossing, and the accurate position is automatically corrected to accurately position the pedestrian. It can be detected (identified).

  The position specifying unit 174 specifies the position of the pedestrian based on the relationship between the alarm start of the alarm device and the walking speed. That is, the position of the pedestrian is specified in the vicinity of the level crossing when the walking behavior is greater than the predetermined threshold at the alarm start time of the alarm set installed at the level crossing. This is because the pedestrian crosses the railroad crossing at the start of the alarm and uses the tendency that the walking speed becomes faster than when walking on a normal sidewalk. However, if it is faster than other time zones, it can be determined that the pedestrian is walking on the crossing. By determining the relationship between the alarm start of the alarm and the walking speed, the position of the pedestrian can be specified near the railroad crossing, and the accurate position is automatically corrected to make the position of the pedestrian highly accurate. It can be detected (identified).

  In the above example, when a breaker is installed at the railroad crossing together with an alarm, or when a breaker is installed instead of the alarm, the breaker information can be used instead of the alarm information. The circuit breaker information is, for example, the alarm start time of the alarm device as the start time of descent of the circuit breaker, the alarm end time as the start time of rise of the breaker, and the alarm operation time from the start time of descent of the breaker to the start time of ascent The alarm stop time may be the time from when the circuit breaker starts to rise to when it starts to descend. In addition, the red signal lighting start point of the traffic light can be made to correspond to the end point of descent of the circuit breaker.

  Further, in the above-described example, when only the signal information of the traffic signal for the vehicle can be received from the outside, the relationship between the signal switching timing of the traffic signal for the pedestrian and the signal switching timing of the traffic signal for the vehicle (for example, time difference) By acquiring, it is possible to estimate the start of the blue blinking signal of the pedestrian traffic light or the start of the red signal. For example, it can be estimated that a blue blinking signal or a red signal of a pedestrian traffic light starts a predetermined time (for example, 5 seconds) before the yellow traffic light start time of the vehicle traffic light. Further, in order to identify the intersection information received by the communication unit 12, an intersection identifier with a matching identifier may be received from the intersection database recorded in the map database 14. Or you may make it receive the position (position of a stop line, a crosswalk, etc.) of an intersection with the road information (map information) in which the road, the intersection, etc. were set.

  When the position specifying unit 174 specifies the position of the pedestrian, specific information (for example, intersection information, crossing information, etc.) of feature points (for example, intersections, crossings, etc.) within the error range calculated by the error calculation unit 172 To determine the position of the pedestrian. By limiting the feature points within the error range, the unique information of the feature points outside the error range is excluded, unnecessary processing for position detection (specification) is omitted, processing effort is reduced, and the position can be shortened. Can be detected.

  In addition, the position specifying unit 174 specifies a range in which the communication unit 12 can receive the specific information, and specifies the position of the pedestrian based on the specific information of the characteristic points within the specified range. The receivable range is, for example, a communication range for mid-range communication such as a wireless LAN. By limiting the unique information within the receivable range, the unique information of feature points outside the receivable range is excluded, unnecessary processing for position detection (specification) is omitted, and processing effort is reduced. The position can be detected in a short time.

  The evaluation unit 175 calculates an evaluation coefficient for evaluating the likelihood of the position specified by the position specifying unit 174. The evaluation coefficient is a coefficient for evaluating the likelihood of the position of the pedestrian. For example, the smaller the evaluation coefficient, the greater the probability (probability) of the position. The evaluation coefficient can be calculated, for example, according to the positional deviation between the walking trajectory of the pedestrian before specifying the position and the road on the map. Alternatively, as another example of the evaluation coefficient, it can be calculated according to the distance between the position of the pedestrian detected most recently and the specified position. Thereby, for example, when the specified position is in the vicinity of the pedestrian crossing at the intersection, the pedestrian crossing at the intersection can be specified based on the evaluation coefficient. Details of the method for identifying the pedestrian crossing will be described later. Note that the reciprocal of the evaluation coefficient can be defined as the degree of correlation, and the greater the degree of correlation, the greater the probability (probability) of the position.

  The display unit 18 is a liquid crystal display panel, for example, and displays its position on a map to a pedestrian.

  When the pedestrian's position is displayed on the display unit 18, the audio output unit 19 outputs audio or sound to notify the pedestrian of necessary information or to call attention.

  Next, the position detection process of the position detection device 10 will be described. When it is determined that there is a possibility that the pedestrian is walking on a pedestrian crossing due to the walking behavior of the pedestrian, the position specifying unit 174 determines whether the walking behavior matches the signal switching timing of the traffic light. To identify the location of the pedestrian near the pedestrian crossing. At this time, there may be a case where a plurality of intersections are included in the error range of the position of the pedestrian detected in the previous time (for example, the most recent time or two or three times before). Identifies the intersection that most likely has a pedestrian among the plurality of intersections.

  FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of specifying an intersection within an error range. In FIG. 6, an intersection A and an intersection B are within an error range of the immediately preceding detection position X or within a communicable range (a range in which unique information can be received, for example, a communication range of mid-range communication such as a wireless LAN). There is a possibility that the pedestrian is near the intersection. On the other hand, the intersection C is an intersection outside the error range of the immediately preceding detection position X or outside the communicable (capable of receiving unique information) range, and is excluded. By limiting the feature points within the error range or within the range where the unique information can be received, the unique information of the feature points outside the error range or outside the receivable range is excluded, and unnecessary for position detection (specification) The position can be detected in a short time by omitting an unnecessary process and reducing the processing effort.

  Usually, since an offset is set for a traffic light between intersections, signal switching timing such as a green light start time is different between the intersection A and the intersection B. Therefore, the above mentioned green signal start and walking start synchronization, red signal start and walking stop synchronization, the relationship between the blue signal and walking speed, or the pedestrian traffic light flashing or red signal starting and walking speed Conditions such as relevance do not hold at both the intersection A and the intersection B, and only one intersection can be specified and the other intersections can be excluded. If there is no offset, a plurality of intersections may be targeted.

  Next, a method for specifying a pedestrian crossing will be described. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of specifying a pedestrian crossing. As shown in FIG. 7, four pedestrian crossings a, b, c, and d are provided at the intersection where two roads intersect. When the traffic lights for pedestrian crossings a and c are green, the traffic lights for pedestrian crossings b and d are red. Therefore, the above mentioned green signal start and walking start synchronization, red signal start and walking stop synchronization, the relationship between the blue signal and walking speed, or the pedestrian traffic light flashing or red signal starting and walking speed Conditions such as relevance do not hold in both the pedestrian crossings a and c and the pedestrian crossings b and d, and either the pedestrian crossing a and the pedestrian crossing c or the pedestrian crossing b and the pedestrian crossing d Can be specified. In the example of FIG. 7, for example, the pedestrian crossings a and c can be specified and the pedestrian crossings b and d can be excluded. In addition, the walking direction at the pedestrian crossing can be easily determined from the direction in which walking is started with a green light. In the example of FIG. 7, for example, the positions P and R can be specified, and the positions Q and S can be excluded. From the above, the position of the pedestrian can be specified as the positions P and Q.

  In the case of position detection by map matching, after the position is specified, position detection is performed according to the walking of the pedestrian, and when there are a plurality of specified positions, those other than the correct specific position are pedestrians. Rejected as you walk. Therefore, the normal position detection can be continued with both points P and R as candidates.

  Also, when a pedestrian crossing is specified, the pedestrian's walking trajectory is compared with the road map, and the superiority or inferiority of the evaluation coefficient (which is an evaluation point for matching and represents the accuracy of the position) is set. In addition, one position can be specified according to superiority or inferiority. In this case, the smaller the evaluation coefficient, the higher the probability of the position.

  For example, in the example of FIG. 7, when a pedestrian actually walks from the position P to the pedestrian crossing a, if the pedestrian walks from the position P to the pedestrian crossing d, the position R, and then the pedestrian crossing c, the road The walking direction becomes unstable at the connecting part (for example, the connecting point between pedestrian crossings). Therefore, the evaluation coefficient can be increased for walking in the order from the position P to the pedestrian crossing d, the position R, and the pedestrian crossing c. Alternatively, the walking trajectory in order from the position P to the pedestrian crossing d, the position R, and the pedestrian crossing c can be rejected.

  As an example of the evaluation coefficient, a numerical value inversely proportional to the distance can be used on the basis of the proximity (distance) between the immediately preceding detection position X and the specific positions P and R. For example, the reciprocal of the distance between the position X and the position P is mp, the reciprocal of the distance between the position X and the position R is mr, and the evaluation coefficients Ep and Er of the positions P and R are mp / (mp + mr) and mr / ( mp + mr).

  FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the error range of the position immediately before the position of the pedestrian is specified. As shown in FIG. 8, since the positioning error of the positioning position is accumulated according to the past traveling locus, the error range of the immediately preceding detection position X is relatively wide. In particular, in a portable device carried by a pedestrian, the distance sensor used to detect the position of the pedestrian is a device that counts the number of steps of the pedestrian or an acceleration sensor, and is used in the case of a vehicle. The detection accuracy is lower than the distance sensor. Furthermore, when the posture changes in accordance with the walking of the pedestrian, the position or inclination of the mobile device also changes, so that the detection accuracy may further decrease. Therefore, the accuracy of the pedestrian detection position X is not high.

  FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the error range of the specific position after specifying the position of the pedestrian. As described above, walking near the pedestrian crossing (for example, near the pedestrian crossing in the walking direction, near the downstream, or near the center of the pedestrian crossing) by associating pedestrian walking behavior with intersection information A person's position can be specified. For example, the error range of the specific position can be narrowed down to a range of about the length and width of the pedestrian crossing, and the detection position X shown in the example of FIG. 8 can be corrected to an accurate position. Thereby, it is possible to solve the problem that it is difficult to accurately detect the position of the pedestrian in the conventional self-contained navigation, map matching method, satellite navigation, hybrid navigation, etc. And it becomes possible to correct | amend a pedestrian's position to a highly accurate position automatically, without requiring any operation by a pedestrian, and the accuracy of the subsequent pedestrian's position detection can also be improved.

  FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the error range of the position immediately before specifying the position of the pedestrian. In the example of FIG. 10, the example in the case where a feature point is a railroad crossing instead of an intersection is shown. The error range of the detection position X is the same as that in the example of FIG.

  FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the error range of the specific position after specifying the position of the pedestrian. As described above, by associating the walking behavior of the pedestrian and the crossing information, the position of the pedestrian can be specified in the vicinity of the crossing. For example, the error range of the specific position can be narrowed down to a range about the length of the railroad crossing, and the detection position X shown in the example of FIG. 10 can be corrected to an accurate position. As a result, as in the case of the example of FIG. 9, the conventional self-contained navigation method, map matching method, satellite navigation method, hybrid navigation method, or the like solves the problem that it is difficult to accurately detect the position of the pedestrian. In addition, it is possible to automatically correct the pedestrian's position to a high-accuracy position in real time without requiring any operation by the pedestrian, and the accuracy of subsequent pedestrian position detection Can also be improved.

  Next, a display example for displaying the position of a pedestrian on a map will be described. Hereinafter, the display examples show the case of an intersection, but the same applies to the case of a railroad crossing.

  FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the display of the position of the pedestrian. When there is one specific position, the position is displayed on the map, and the error range of the displayed specific position is also displayed. In addition, when there are a plurality of specific positions, one specific position with the smallest evaluation coefficient can be displayed.

  FIG. 13 is an explanatory view showing another example of the display of the position of the pedestrian. When there are a plurality of specific positions, an area including the plurality of specific positions is displayed as the specific position. In this case, a range including the error range of each specific position may be displayed. In addition, the estimated position and its error range can be displayed at the same time after expanding or reducing the size of the error range of the estimated position in accordance with the magnitude of the evaluation coefficient of the estimated position. When there are a plurality, a range including an error range of each estimated position may be displayed. Moreover, you may display the gravity center position of several specific positions.

  FIG. 14 is an explanatory view showing another example of the display of the position of the pedestrian. When there are a plurality of specific positions, each specific position is displayed, and then the error range of each specific position or the rank of probability is displayed at the same time. In FIG. 14, the specific position of the first candidate is the position of the pedestrian with the highest probability, and the specific position of the second candidate indicates the position of the pedestrian with the next highest probability. In addition, when there are a plurality of estimated positions and there are a plurality of estimated positions of evaluation coefficients smaller than the predetermined threshold, only the positions where the evaluation coefficients are smaller than the threshold can be displayed. Thereby, the pedestrian can easily determine his / her position and can know not only the most likely position but also a possible position.

  FIG. 15 is an explanatory view showing another example of the display of the position of the pedestrian. In FIG. 15, when the display surface of the display unit 18 is small and the map information cannot be displayed in detail (for example, when the scale of the map cannot be increased), the road is displayed as a line segment. The position of the pedestrian can also be displayed as a single point.

  As described above, when the specified (detected) position is displayed as the position of the pedestrian, when there are a plurality of specified positions, the most likely specific position can be displayed according to the magnitude of the evaluation coefficient, or All of the plurality of specific positions may be displayed, or some of the specified positions may be selected and displayed. Also, at a certain point in the process of detecting the position of the pedestrian, the position cannot be detected temporarily with high accuracy, and if the evaluation coefficient increases and the detected position is displayed, the pedestrian Even if there is a possibility that the wrong position is displayed, if the accuracy of the specific position is sufficiently secured as a result of the subsequent positioning, the position will be identified after the time when the certainty of the position can be secured. The position can also be displayed.

  Next, the procedure of the position detection process will be described. 16 and 17 are flowcharts showing the procedure of the position detection process. The control unit 11 performs position detection processing in cooperation with each unit in the position detection device 10. The control unit 11 measures the position of the pedestrian (S11), and estimates the position of the pedestrian based on the positioning data obtained by the positioning (S12). The control unit 11 calculates the error range of the estimated position based on the positioning error (S13), and displays the estimated position as the detected position of the pedestrian (S14).

  The control unit 11 determines whether or not intersection information or crossing information has been received from the outside (S15), and if received (YES in S15), an identifier for identifying the intersection or crossing, an intersection (including a crosswalk) or The crossing position, signal information or alarm information is stored (S16). When the intersection information or the crossing information is not received (NO in S15), the control unit 11 performs the process of step S17 described later without performing the process of step S16.

  The control unit 11 deletes the intersection information and the crossing information outside the error range from the information stored in the storage unit 15 (S17), and acquires the walking behavior of the pedestrian (S18). The control unit 11 determines whether or not the acquired walking behavior is likely to be a pedestrian crossing walk or a crossing walk (S19). If there is a possibility (YES in S19), the walking behavior and the signal switching timing are determined. It is determined whether or not they match (S20).

  When the walking behavior coincides with the signal switching timing of the traffic light (YES in S20), the control unit 11 specifies the position of the pedestrian on the pedestrian crossing (S21). In this case, when there are a plurality of intersections within the error range, the intersection that most likely has a pedestrian is identified. In addition, the most likely pedestrian crossing is identified among the plurality of pedestrian crossings at the specified intersection.

  When the walking behavior does not match the signal switching timing (NO in S20), the control unit 11 determines whether the walking behavior matches the alarm timing of the alarm (S22). When the walking behavior matches the alarm timing of the alarm (YES in S22), the control unit 11 specifies the position of the pedestrian at the level crossing (S23).

  The control unit 11 sets an error range and an evaluation coefficient for the specified position (S24), and displays the specific position as a detection position (S25). The control unit 11 determines whether or not there is a process end instruction (S26). If there is no process end instruction (NO in S26), the specified position, the set error range, and the evaluation coefficient are set as initial values for subsequent position detection ( S27), the process after step S11 is continued.

  When the walking behavior is not likely to be a pedestrian crossing walk or a crossing walk (NO in S19), or when the walking behavior does not match the alarm timing of the alarm (NO in S22), the control unit 11 performs step S11 and subsequent steps. Continue processing. If there is a process end instruction (YES in S26), the control unit 11 ends the process.

  As described above, according to the present invention, when it is difficult to accurately detect the position of a pedestrian by conventional autonomous navigation, map matching method, satellite navigation, hybrid navigation, or the like, the road The pedestrian's position can be accurately identified by associating the peculiar information peculiar to the upper feature point and the walking behavior. Furthermore, the pedestrian is automatically identified in real time without any operation by the pedestrian. Can be corrected to a highly accurate position, and the accuracy of position detection of pedestrians thereafter can be improved.

  In the above example, it is assumed that the pedestrian wears the position detection device during normal walking or bicycle riding, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the pedestrian does not wear the position detection device directly, but the bag, wheel Can be stored in temporary travel cases, carts, baby carriages, wheelchairs, etc., temporarily installed or temporarily placed, carried by pedestrians, pushed or pulled, or rotated by hand, allowing pedestrians to pass It may be a case of passing through an area.

  The position detection device described above can be applied to an information terminal device such as a mobile phone, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a PHS, a notebook personal computer, a music player, and a mobile game device, or a mobile terminal device.

  In the above-described embodiment, the position detection device may include an inclination angle sensor. As a result, when the position detection device tilts due to vibration or posture change of the position detection device accompanying walking, taking out, operation, etc. of the pedestrian, the function stops or the performance deteriorates depending on the type of the direction sensor or the distance sensor. There are things to do. Accordingly, the tilt angle can be detected by the tilt angle sensor, and the azimuth sensor or the distance sensor can be corrected.

  The mathematical formulas for estimating the position of the pedestrian shown in the above-described embodiment are merely examples, and the mathematical formulas are not limited thereto, and mathematical formulas appropriately modified can be used.

  In the above-described embodiment, an intersection and a crossing having a pedestrian crossing as an example of a feature point on the road are described as an example, and the intersection information and the crossing information are described as specific information. However, the feature point and the specific information are limited to these. The present invention can be applied to any point or event that can be associated with the characteristic point and the specific information.

  In the above-described embodiment, an intersection where two roads intersect has been described as an example. However, the present invention can also be applied to a point where a pedestrian crossing is installed on one road.

  The disclosed embodiments are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, rather than the description above, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the terms of the claims.

It is a block diagram which shows an example of a structure of the position detection apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the example of the error range of a positioning position. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of map information. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the setting of the road on a map. It is explanatory drawing which shows the other example of the setting of the road on a map. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example which specifies the intersection within an error range. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example which specifies a pedestrian crossing. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the error range of the position immediately before specifying the position of a pedestrian. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the error range of the specific position after specifying the position of a pedestrian. It is explanatory drawing which shows the other example of the error range of the position immediately before specifying the position of a pedestrian. It is explanatory drawing which shows the other example of the error range of the specific position after specifying the position of a pedestrian. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the display of a pedestrian's position. It is explanatory drawing which shows the other example of a display of the position of a pedestrian. It is explanatory drawing which shows the other example of a display of the position of a pedestrian. It is explanatory drawing which shows the other example of a display of the position of a pedestrian. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of a position detection process. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of a position detection process.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Position detection apparatus 11 Control part 12 Communication part 13 Positioning part 131 GPS
132 distance sensor 133 direction sensor 14 map database 15 storage unit 16 operation unit 17 position detection processing unit 171 position estimation unit 172 error calculation unit 173 walking behavior determination unit 174 position specification unit 175 evaluation unit 18 display unit 19 audio output unit

Claims (13)

In a position identification device that can be carried by a pedestrian and identifies its own position,
Storage means for storing position information of feature points on the road including position information of intersections having pedestrian crossings ;
Walking behavior determination means for determining the walking behavior of a pedestrian;
Receiving means for receiving from the outside the green signal lighting start time (or red signal start time) of the traffic light installed at the intersection as specific information specific to the feature point;
A position specifying means for specifying the position of the person by associating the walking behavior determined by the walking behavior determining means with the specific information received by the receiving means ;
The position specifying means includes
When the walking behavior determined by the walking behavior determination means is the start of walking (or stop walking) at the time when the traffic light starts to turn on (or when the red signal starts), the position near the pedestrian crossing at the intersection is its own position. localization device, wherein the configuration tare Rukoto to identify as. In a position identification device that can be carried by a pedestrian and identifies its own position,
Storage means for storing position information of feature points on the road including position information of intersections having pedestrian crossings;
Walking behavior determination means for determining the walking behavior of a pedestrian;
Receiving means for receiving from the outside the green light lighting time of the traffic light installed at the intersection as the specific information unique to the feature point;
A position specifying means for specifying the position of the person by associating the walking behavior determined by the walking behavior determining means with the specific information received by the receiving means;
With
The position specifying means includes
When the traffic light is lit in green, when the walking behavior determined by the walking behavior determination means has a walking speed greater than a predetermined threshold, the position near the pedestrian crossing at the intersection is specified as its own position. configured position specifying device you wherein the are. In a position identification device that can be carried by a pedestrian and identifies its own position,
Storage means for storing position information of feature points on the road including position information of intersections having pedestrian crossings;
Walking behavior determination means for determining the walking behavior of a pedestrian;
Receiving means for receiving from the outside the blue signal blinking start time or red signal lighting start time of the traffic light for pedestrians installed at the intersection as unique information specific to the feature point;
A position specifying means for specifying the position of the person by associating the walking behavior determined by the walking behavior determining means with the specific information received by the receiving means;
With
The position specifying means includes
When the walking behavior determined by the walking behavior determination means is a walking speed greater than a predetermined threshold at the start of flashing of the green light or the start of red signal lighting of the pedestrian traffic light, the position near the pedestrian crossing at the intersection itself position specifying device you characterized in that is arranged to identify as location. The position specifying means includes
When the walking behavior further determined by the walking behavior determination means is a decrease in walking speed, the position near the direction of travel of the crosswalk at the intersection is specified as its own position. The position specifying device according to claim 2 or claim 3 . The storage means
It stores the location information of the railroad crossing,
The receiving means includes
It is configured to receive an alarm end time of an alarm installed at the railroad crossing,
The position specifying means includes
When the walking behavior determined by the walking behavior determination means is the start of walking at the alarm end time of the alarm device, the position near the level crossing is specified as its own position. The position specifying device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 . The storage means
It stores the location information of the railroad crossing,
The receiving means includes
It is configured to further receive the alarm stop time from the alarm end time of the alarm installed at the railroad crossing to the alarm start time,
The position specifying means includes
When the alarm is stopped, when the walking behavior determined by the walking behavior determination means is a walking speed greater than a predetermined threshold, the position near the level crossing is specified as its own position. The position specifying device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the position specifying device is provided. The storage means
It stores the location information of the railroad crossing,
The receiving means includes
It is configured to receive the alarm start time of the alarm installed at the level crossing,
The position specifying means includes
When the walking behavior determined by the walking behavior determination means is a walking speed greater than a predetermined threshold at the alarm start time of the alarm device, the position near the railroad crossing is specified as its own position. localization device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in. A positioning means for positioning its own position;
Error range calculating means for calculating an error range indicating a range of positioning error of the positioning position measured by the positioning means,
The position specifying means includes
It any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that is arranged to identify its location based on the specific information characteristic point within the error range calculated by the error range calculation means The positioning device described in 1. Receivable range specifying means for specifying a range in which the receiving means can receive the specific information,
The position specifying means includes
Any of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that is arranged to identify its location based on the specific information characteristic point is within the receivable range specified in the coverage identification means The position specifying device according to any one of the above. The position specifying device according to any one of claims 1 to 9 , further comprising display means for displaying all positions when there are a plurality of positions specified by the position specifying means. Evaluation coefficient calculating means for calculating an evaluation coefficient for evaluating the probability of the position specified by the position specifying means;
When there are a plurality of positions specified by the position specifying means, a selecting means for selecting one position according to the evaluation coefficient calculated by the evaluation coefficient calculating means,
The position specifying device according to any one of claims 1 to 9 , further comprising display means for displaying a position selected by the selecting means. In a computer program for causing a computer to identify its own position,
A walking behavior determination means for determining a walking behavior of a pedestrian;
As specific information specific to feature points on the road,
The green signal lighting start time (or red signal start time) of the traffic light installed at the intersection,
Green light lighting time of traffic lights installed at the intersection,
Or the green signal blinking start time or red signal lighting start time of the pedestrian traffic light installed at the intersection
To function as a position specifying means for specifying its position in association with any one determined gait elevation movement of
The position specifying means includes
When the walking behavior determined by the walking behavior determination means is the start of walking (or the stop of walking) at the start of lighting of the green light (or the start of red signal) of the traffic light, the position near the pedestrian crossing at the intersection,
When the traffic light is lit in green, when the walking behavior determined by the walking behavior determination means is a walking speed greater than a predetermined threshold, the position of the intersection near the pedestrian crossing,
Alternatively, when the walking behavior determined by the walking behavior determination means is a walking speed greater than a predetermined threshold at the start of blinking of the green light or the start of lighting of the red signal of the pedestrian traffic light, the position near the pedestrian crossing at the intersection
Specific to the computer program characterized Rukoto any one as its position. In the position specifying method for specifying its own position,
Stores the position information of the feature point on the road including the position information of the intersection with crosswalk,
The method comprising the steps of: determining the walking behavior of pedestrians,
As unique information specific to the feature point ,
The green signal lighting start time (or red signal start time) of the traffic light installed at the intersection,
Green light lighting time of traffic lights installed at the intersection,
Or the green signal blinking start time or red signal lighting start time of the pedestrian traffic light installed at the intersection
Receiving any one from the outside of,
Correlating the determined walking behavior with the received unique information to identify its own position ,
The identifying step includes:
When the walking behavior determined by the walking behavior determination means is the start of walking (or the stop of walking) at the start of lighting of the green light of the traffic light (or the start of red signal), the position near the pedestrian crossing at the intersection,
When the traffic light is lit in green, when the walking behavior determined by the walking behavior determination means is a walking speed greater than a predetermined threshold, the position of the intersection near the pedestrian crossing,
Alternatively, when the walking behavior determined by the walking behavior determination means is a walking speed greater than a predetermined threshold at the start of blinking of the green light or the start of lighting of the red signal of the pedestrian traffic light, the position near the crosswalk of the intersection
Any one of the above is specified as its own position .

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