JP6279021B2 - Portable electronic device, network server, location name providing method, and computer program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to the construction of a data base that can be used in a position positioning system using a beacon, and further relates to the association of a position name corresponding to a beacon.

  A portable electronic device such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a laptop personal computer can specify a position outdoors using GPS. The application program converts the longitude and latitude on the earth provided by GPS into a location name that is easy for the user to understand and provides. In an environment where GPS cannot be used, such as in a building or a subway home, the position is estimated using wireless communication such as wireless LAN or Bluetooth (registered trademark).

  Patent Document 1 discloses a campaign of a retail store in which a mobile device that transmits a beacon including a message from a beacon device provided near each of a plurality of retail stores and receives a specific beacon is associated with the beacon. Disclose an invention for displaying a message. This document describes the use of Bluetooth (registered trademark) low energy (BLE) technology as a beacon device.

  Patent Document 2 discloses a server device that detects radio wave beacons emitted from access point devices arranged in a city, accumulates SSID history, and transmits the history to the server device at a predetermined timing. However, the advertisement provision system which provides the advertisement of the content according to a user's place and a user's moving direction by transmitting the advertisement information matched with SSID contained in the said log | history to a terminal device is disclosed.

  Non-Patent Document 1 discloses a method for estimating the position of a mobile terminal in real time using a Gaussian Mixture Model. This document describes that the data amount of wireless LAN information can be reduced by expressing a wireless LAN data base using BSSID, floor image name, observation point coordinates, and radio wave intensity by Gaussian Mixture Model.

US Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0148270 JP 2009-188922 A

Satoshi Fujita and two others, “Wireless LAN location estimation method using Gaussian Mixture Model”, Information Processing Society of Japan vol.52 No3 Mar.2011 [online], [Search June 12, 2016], Internet <URL: https://ipsj.ixsq.nii.ac.jp/ej/index.php?action=pages_view_main&active_action=repository_action_common_download&item_id=73604&item_no=1&attribute_id=1&file_no=1&page_id=13&block_id=8>

  As a positioning system using a wireless LAN, a proximity method, a triangulation method, a scene analysis method, and the like are known. In any case, the area where the mobile device exists based on the received signal strength or transmission range based on the identification information of the reference point, with the beacon transmitting device (beacon device) or the communicating access point as a known reference point Is estimated. Since the reference point identification information is difficult to use as it is, the area is associated with a name (position name) that the user can recognize.

  For example, the position name given to the area divided in the building can be an organization name or conference room number in an office building, a work name or a work room name in a factory, and a store name in a tenant building. However, incorporating location name information into a beacon is not only constraining the packet size of the beacon, but also places a heavy burden on the administrator. It is also a burden for the administrator to construct a database that associates the identification information of the beacon device with the location name.

  In addition, once the data base is constructed, the location of the beacon device is changed, the location name around the beacon device is changed, the area of the area corresponding to the location name is changed, the radio wave propagation environment due to partitions, etc. It becomes more burdensome to update the database every time there is a change. In addition, when receiving a plurality of beacons in an area corresponding to one position name, it is difficult to specify an accurate position name. An object of the present invention is to be able to acquire a location name from a beacon without imposing a burden on an administrator.

  One aspect of the invention relates to a method for providing a location name corresponding to a beacon. The portable electronic device acquires the identifier of the beacon received in the area belonging to the predetermined position name by the portable electronic device, and the estimated position name for estimating the position name of the region where the portable electronic device that received the beacon exists Then, the identifier and the estimated position name are associated and registered in the data base, and the position name corresponding to the beacon received by the portable electronic device is specified based on the data base.

  Another aspect of the invention relates to a method for associating a beacon with a location name. The portable electronic device acquires the identifier of the beacon received in the area belonging to the predetermined position name, estimates the position name of the area where the portable electronic device that received the beacon exists, and based on the estimated position name The estimated position name is associated with the identifier.

  Still another aspect of the present invention relates to a portable electronic device capable of generating data associating a beacon with a location name. The portable electronic device has a beacon detection unit that receives a beacon in an area that belongs to a predetermined position name, and a position name estimation that acquires an estimated position name that estimates the position name of the area where the portable electronic device that has received the beacon exists. A user information transfer unit that outputs a beacon identifier and an estimated position name.

  Yet another aspect of the present invention relates to a network server capable of communicating with a client that receives a beacon. The NetSir server acquires a beacon identifier and an estimated position name for estimating a position name of an area where the portable electronic device that has received the beacon from a client and associates the identifier with the position name, and the associated position It has a database for registering names and identifiers.

  According to the present invention, the administrator can associate the beacon and the position name without performing any special work. Further, according to the present invention, when the beacon and the position name are associated with each other, the administrator can adapt the change of the position name and the beacon device without performing any special work. Furthermore, according to the present invention, a correct position name can be acquired from a plurality of detected beacons.

It is a figure for demonstrating a mode when the client 10 moves the user space 100 which has arrange | positioned several beacon devices 101. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram for explaining an example of a configuration of a position positioning system 200. FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram for explaining an example of a configuration of a client 10. FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating an example of the data structure of the location database 201b. It is a figure for demonstrating an example of the data structure of the association table 203b. It is a figure for demonstrating an example of the data structure of the association table 203b. It is a figure for demonstrating an example of the data structure of the association table 203b. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement procedure when the position-positioning system 200 constructs | assembles the association table 203b and provides a position name.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a situation when a client 10 moves in a user space 100 in which a plurality of beacon devices 101 are arranged. The user space 100 corresponds to an area where the client is assumed to move. The client 10 can receive any or a plurality of beacons transmitted from a plurality of beacon devices 101 arranged in or near the user space 100. The client 10 may be a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a laptop personal computer capable of detecting a beacon in one example.

  In the figure, the beacon device 101 is indicated by a black circle, and the beacon transmission distance is indicated by a round dotted line surrounding the beacon device 101. The shorter the beacon transmission distance, the higher the accuracy of position estimation, but the number of beacon devices 101 for covering the entire user space 100 increases. Therefore, the number, position, transmission output, and the like of the beacon device 101 can be appropriately selected according to the area of the area corresponding to the position name and the required positioning accuracy.

  The user space 100 may be outdoors, but in the present embodiment, the inside of an office building will be described as an example. The user space 100 is divided into a plurality of areas each having a position name. In the figure, specific position names # 1 to # 3 are shown for explanation. The client 10 receives a beacon transmitted by the beacon devices 101a and 101g in the area belonging to the position name # 1, receives a beacon transmitted by the beacon devices 101b to 101e in the area belonging to the position name # 2, and receives the position name. The beacon transmitted by the beacon device 101f in the area belonging to # 3 is received.

  The position name refers to a name that can be easily recognized by a user assigned to a certain area of the user space 100. An area belonging to each position name may be partitioned by an adjacent area and a partition, but may be open. In one example, the location name in the office building may be a name such as a self-seat, a conference room, an organization name, a canteen, and a hall. A beacon includes an identifier of a beacon device and refers to information periodically transmitted through a wireless medium such as radio waves, voice, or light. The format and size of the beacon need not be particularly limited, and information other than the identifier may be included. The beacon device 101 may be a dedicated device for informing its position or a device that communicates with a portable electronic device.

  When the client 10 receives beacons at various positions in the user space 100, the client 10 generates information for estimating the position name. In the data base, the location name associated with the identifier is registered based on information for estimating the location name generated by the client 10. When the client 10 receives a beacon at a predetermined position, the client 10 can acquire the position name corresponding to the beacon from the data base. The location name acquired by the client 10 can be used in various services as information on the location where the client 10 actually exists.

  FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram for explaining an example of the configuration of the position positioning system 200 applied to the user space 100. FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram for explaining an example of the configuration of the client 10 representing the clients 10a to 10c. FIG. 2 illustrates beacon devices 101a to 101g, clients 10a to 10c, a network 205, an office server 201, and an association server 203 as the positioning system 200. The beacon devices 101a to 101g transmit beacons at a constant cycle. The transmission output of the beacon devices 101a to 101g may be the same or different.

  In FIG. 3, the client 10 includes a beacon detection unit 11, a system 12, a location name estimation unit 13, a user information transfer unit 15, a location name provision unit 17, and a network interface 19. The location name estimation unit 13, the user information transfer unit 15, and the location name provision unit 17 can be configured by a part of hardware constituting the system 12 and software.

The beacon detector 11 sends the beacon identifier to the user information transfer unit 15 every time it receives a beacon such as a radio wave, voice, or light. When requested by the user information transfer unit 15, the location name estimation unit 13 inquires of the office server 201 through the network interface 19, and the location name of the region that can be estimated that a user holding the client 10 exists at that time ( Get the estimated position name). The position name estimation unit 13 also acquires an estimated position name of an area where it can be estimated that the client 1 exists at that time from the operating state or operating environment of the system 12.

  For example, when the number of inputs from the keyboard exceeds a predetermined value as the operating state of the system 12, the position name estimation unit 13 can set the estimated position name as a seat when an external display or an external mouse is connected. . Alternatively, the position name estimation unit 13 can set the estimated position name as the seat when the client 10 is connected to the AC / DC adapter or connected to the wired LAN as the operating environment of the system 12.

  The position name estimation unit 13 also estimates the position name given to the area near the specific access point of the wireless LAN where the client 10 has detected the ESSID when the wireless LAN is not used for the beacon for position estimation. It can be a name. The position name estimation unit 13 may acquire an estimated position name associated with GPS position information when the user space 100 can use GPS.

  The user information transfer unit 15 obtains an estimated position name from the position name estimation unit 13 each time a beacon is received or when a predetermined number of beacons are received, and the position information configured by the beacon identifier and the estimated position name. Create a tuple. The user information transfer unit 15 outputs the set of position information to the association server 203 through the network interface 19. The user information transfer unit 15 can output the received beacon identifier to the location name providing unit 17 in the use stage of the association server 203. The location name provider 17 can acquire and store the location name corresponding to the beacon identifier from the association server 303 every time a beacon is received.

  In one example, the location name provider 17 provides the location name that the client 10 has existed at a predetermined time through the network interface 19 when requested by another system. In another example, the position name providing unit 17 provides the movement history of the client 10 in the user space 100 as the position name. The specific method of using the location name is not particularly limited in the present invention, and can be provided for various uses. For example, the location name where the user currently exists can be sent to the office server 201 to allow other users to browse. Alternatively, the route actually visited by the security guard can be recorded as the position name.

  Returning to FIG. 2, the office server 201 includes a scheduler 201a and a location database 201b. The scheduler 201a writes the user's action schedule received from the clients 10a to 10c in the location database 201b. FIG. 4 shows an example of an action schedule registered in the location database 201. The user's action schedule corresponds to a position name for estimating that the user exists in a predetermined time zone. When requested by the clients 10a to 10c, the office server 201 obtains the position name of the user's action schedule corresponding to the time from the location database 201b and sends it to the clients 10a to 10c.

  The association server 203 includes an association manager 203a and an association table 203b. The association manager 203a is composed of hardware and software, and receives a set of position information from the plurality of clients 10a to 10c to construct an association table 203b. When the user takes an unscheduled action, the estimated position name included in the set of position information is different from the position name of the area where the user actually existed.

  However, the association manager 203a can extract a set of position information including a correct position name by acquiring a large number of sets of position information. When the association manager 203a reaches a predetermined number of a plurality of sets of position information acquired from the plurality of clients 10a to 10c, the association manager 203a associates the identifier of the position information set with the estimated position name. Can be judged correct. The association manager 203a registers the set of position information determined to be correct in the association table 203b. When the association manager 203a registers in the association table 203b, the estimated position name is treated as a fixed position name.

  The user space 100 can assume that the position and number of beacon devices 101, the area of a region belonging to a specific position name, the position of a partition, the position name itself, and the like dynamically change. The association manager 203a updates the association table 203b as necessary when it determines that the set of position information periodically received from each of the clients 10a to 10c is correct even after registering the set of position information. It adapts dynamically to such changes.

  FIG. 5 shows an example of beacon identifiers (B1 to B4) and location names (conference rooms # 1 and # 2) registered in the association table 203b. In the process of building the association table 203b, a plurality of clients 10a to 10c existing at various positions in the conference room # 1 or a single client moving in the conference room # 1 is sent to the beacons B1 to B3. When a single or any plurality of beacons are detected from the list, a set of position information is registered in the association table 203b. In the conference room # 1, the beacon B4 may be detected, but the association manager 203a does not associate and register the conference room # 1 and the beacon B4 when the number of sets of location information is not sufficient.

  Since the client 10 existing in the conference room # 2 always detects only the beacon B4, the conference table # 2 and the beacon B4 are associated with the association table 203b. After the association table 203b is constructed, when the client 10 receives one or a plurality of arbitrary beacons from the beacons B1 to B3, the association manager 203a assigns the location name of the client 10 to the conference room #. You can reply as 1.

  When the client 10 detects the beacon B4, the association manager 203a can return the location name as conference room # 2. When the client 10 detects the beacons B2, B3, and B4 at the same time, there is a possibility that both of the conference rooms # 1 and # 2 have the correct location names. However, the association manager 203a assigns the location names to the conference rooms using the majority method. You can reply as # 1.

  FIG. 6 shows another example of the association table 203b. FIG. 5 illustrates an example in which the position name is specified by the majority method when one beacon is detected in a plurality of position name areas. Here, the position is used instead of the majority method or in combination with the majority method. A method for specifying the name will be described. As shown in FIG. 6, in meeting rooms # 1 and # 2, either or both of beacons B5 and B6 are detected depending on the position of the client 10, respectively.

  Expression (1) indicates the probability that the position name at that time is the conference room r when a set B of beacons consisting of beacons B5 and B6 is detected, as P (r | B). In Equation (1), | B | is the concentration or number of the set B, bi is the i-th detected beacon, r is the location name (conference room # 1, # 2), and P (r | bi) is The probability that the position name is r when the beacon bi is detected is shown.

  The association manager 203a calculates the probability of the position name from the set of position information received from each of the clients 10a to 10c using the formula (1) and registers it in the association table 203b. In FIG. 6, when the clients 10a to 10c receive only the beacon B5, the probabilities of the conference rooms # 1 and # 2 are 60% and 30%, respectively, and when only the beacon B6 is received, the conference room # 1 and It shows that the probability of # 2 is 40% and 100%, respectively.

When beacons B5 and B6 are received within a predetermined time, it indicates that the probabilities of meeting rooms # 1 and # 2 are 50% and 65%, respectively. The difference in probability depends on the beacon transmission distance and the positions of the clients 10a to 10c in the conference rooms # 1 and # 2. After the association table 203b is constructed, if the client 10 receives an inquiry about the location name from the client 10 that has received either or both of the beacons B5 and B6, the association manager 203a uses the expression (2). The specified position name can be returned.
r = arg · maxP (r | B) (2)

  Association manager 203a identifies conference room # 1 with a probability of 60% (> 30%) for client 10 that has received only beacon B5, and a probability of 100% for client 10 that has received only beacon B6. (> 40%) conference room # 2 can be identified, and conference room # 2 with a probability of 65% (> 50%) can be identified for client 10 that has received beacons B5 and B6.

  FIG. 7 shows still another example of the association table 203b. When one beacon is detected in an area having a plurality of position names, FIG. 6 illustrates an example of specifying from the probability of a predetermined position name. However, the beacon is used instead of the probability method or in combination with the probability method. Explain the specific method by multi-class supervised learning. Here, an example of modeling with a normal distribution is shown, but other multi-class supervised learning methods such as kNN (k-Nearest Neighbor), SVM (Support Vector Machine), and NN (Neural Net) may be adopted. Good.

  The client 10 detects the received signal strength indicators (RSSI) of the beacons B7 to B10 in the conference rooms # 1 and # 2, respectively, and includes the RSSI in a set of position information including the identifier and the estimated position name. Send to association server 203. The association manager 203a registers a set of position information received from the client 10 in the association table 203b and constructs a class for each position name.

FIG. 7 shows three data groups belonging to the class of conference room # 1. Equation (3) indicates a probability P (r | S) that is a conference room r modeled by a Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) when the RSSI set S of the beacons B7 to B10 is detected. N (si | μr, Σr) is a probability density function of a two-dimensional normal distribution corresponding to RSSI of beacons B7 to B10, μr represents an average, and Σr represents a variance-covariance matrix. Further, πr is a mixing coefficient and indicates the weight of the normal distribution of each beacon, and r indicates the position name (conference room # 1, # 2).
P (r | S) = πrN (si | μr, Σr) (3)

  The shape of the two-dimensional GMM is determined by the average of individual normal distributions, the variance-covariance matrix, and the mixing coefficient. The association manager 203a estimates the shape of the GMM from the data group constituting the class. After the association table 203b is constructed, when the association manager 203a receives a set of location information from the client 10 that has detected the RSSI of the beacons B7 to B10, the class identified by calculating the probability based on the equation (3) Returns the location name of.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure when the positioning system 200 provides the position name by constructing the association table 203b. In block 301, the association table 203b is not registered or a set of position information is registered. In block 303, when the clients 10a to 10c move in the user space 100, an identifier of a beacon transmitted by any one or more of the beacon devices 101a to 101g is acquired.

  In block 305, the clients 10a to 10c acquire the estimated position name from the office server 201 or the system 12 at the timing when the beacon is acquired, and output a set of position information to the association server 203. In block 307, the association manager 203a registers a new set of position information in the association table 203b or has already been registered in block 309 when the number of the same set of position information exceeds a predetermined number. Update the location information set. In block 311, when the association manager 203 a receives a predetermined beacon identifier from the client 10 or another client and an RSSI as necessary, the association manager 203 a refers to the association table 203 b in the manner described with reference to FIGS. Get the corresponding location name and reply.

  According to the above procedure, since it is not necessary to include information indicating the position name in the beacon, the administrator is not burdened with writing the position name. Further, the association table 203b is constructed by associating the location name with the beacon device 101 simply by moving the client 10 in the user space 100, so that it is not necessary for the administrator to construct the association table 203b manually. Further, even if the position of the beacon device 101 is changed, newly installed or removed, the client 10 sends a set of position information to the association server 203, so that the association table 203b automatically includes the user. Updated to adapt to space 100.

  Further, even if there is a change in the area corresponding to the position name, the association table 203b is automatically updated with the set of position information generated by the client 10. The changed location name is automatically reflected in the association table 203b when the user registers it in the scheduler 201a or sets it in the client 10, so that it is necessary for the administrator to perform maintenance manually. Absent. In the area defined by the position name, the partition between the adjacent areas may be changed. Although the partition affects the propagation distance of the radio wave, according to the present embodiment, the association table 203b is automatically updated according to the change of the beacon by the partition.

  Even when a plurality of beacons are detected in an area corresponding to one position name, the position name can be estimated from the majority method, the probability method, the probability density of the radio wave intensity, and the like. Although an example in which the association table 203b is constructed with a set of position information sent by a plurality of clients 10 has been shown, an association manager 203a and an association table 203b are provided in a specific client 10, and the association The table 203b may be constructed. For example, an administrator holding the client 10a can move the user space 100 according to the scheduler 201a to build an association table in the client 10a, and then send the data to the association server 203.

  The position name associated with the beacon identifier can be used in various position estimation techniques. For example, the proximity method that estimates the position of the nearest beacon device from the strength of the beacon (proximity), the triangulation method that estimates the location by the strength of the beacon from multiple reference points, and multiple scenes For the scenes that have not been learned, the environmental analysis method (scene analysis) method or the location fingerprinting method that uses the distance characteristics of the beacons to estimate and complement the scenes from nearby observation points. Etc.

  Although the present invention has been described with the specific embodiments shown in the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown in the drawings, and is known so far as long as the effects of the present invention are achieved. It goes without saying that any configuration can be adopted.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Client 100 User space 101, 101a-101g Beacon device 200 Positioning system 201 Office server 201b Location database 203 Association server 20a Association manager 203b Association table

Claims (11)

A method for providing a location name corresponding to a beacon,
Obtaining an identifier of a beacon received by a portable electronic device in an area belonging to a predetermined position name;
The portable electronic device acquires an estimated position name for estimating a position name of an area where the portable electronic device that has received the beacon exists from an operating state of the input device; and
Registering the identifier and the location name in a database based on the identifier and the estimated location name; and
Identifying the location name corresponding to the beacon received by the portable electronic device based on the data base. A method for providing a location name corresponding to a beacon,
Obtaining an identifier of a beacon received by a portable electronic device in an area belonging to a predetermined position name;
The portable electronic device acquires an estimated position name for estimating a position name of an area where the portable electronic device that has received a beacon exists; and
Based on the identifier and the estimated location name, associating the identifiers of a plurality of beacons with one location name and registering them in a database;
Identifying the location name corresponding to the beacon received by the portable electronic device based on the data base when receiving a plurality of beacons using a majority method. A method for providing a location name corresponding to a beacon,
Obtaining an identifier of a beacon received by a portable electronic device in an area belonging to a predetermined position name;
The portable electronic device acquires an estimated position name for estimating a position name of an area where the portable electronic device that has received a beacon exists; and
Registering in the database the probability that the location name corresponds to the identifier based on the identifier and the estimated location name;
Identifying the location name with the highest probability of corresponding to a beacon received by a portable electronic device based on the data base. A method for providing a location name corresponding to a beacon,
Obtaining an identifier of a beacon received by a portable electronic device in an area belonging to a predetermined position name;
The portable electronic device acquires an estimated position name for estimating a position name of an area where the portable electronic device that has received a beacon exists; and
Registering a reception strength class of a plurality of beacons for the predetermined position name in a data base based on the identifier and the estimated position name;
Identifying the location name of the class to which the portable electronic device belongs based on the received intensity of a plurality of beacons received by the portable electronic device based on the data base. A portable electronic device capable of generating data for associating a beacon with a location name,
A beacon detector that receives a beacon in an area belonging to a predetermined position name;
A position name estimator for acquiring an estimated position name for estimating a position name of an area where the portable electronic device that has received the beacon exists from an operation state of the input device;
A portable electronic device having a beacon identifier and a user information transfer unit that outputs the estimated position name.   The portable electronic device according to claim 5, wherein the location name estimation unit acquires the estimated location name that can be estimated that a user holding the portable electronic device exists at the time from an office server that manages a user's schedule. machine.   The portable electronic device according to claim 5, wherein the position name estimation unit determines that the estimated position name is a seat from a connection state of an input / output device to the system.   The portable electronic device according to claim 5, wherein the position name estimating unit determines that the estimated position name is a seat from a device connected to the portable electronic device. A network server capable of communicating with a client receiving a beacon,
A management unit that acquires an estimated position name and a beacon identifier for estimating a position name of an area where the client that has received a beacon exists from the client, and associates the identifiers of a plurality of beacons with one position name;
A database for registering the associated identifier and the location name;
The management unit is a network server that replies to the client with the location name determined by a majority method with reference to the data base when the client receives a plurality of beacons. A network server capable of communicating with a client receiving a beacon,
The estimated position name for estimating the position name of the area where the client that received the beacon exists and the beacon identifier are obtained from the client, and the probability of receiving one or more beacons in the area of the predetermined position name is calculated. A management department to
A database that registers the probability that the location name corresponds to the identifier;
The management unit is a network server that returns the location name having the maximum probability to the client by referring to the data base when the client receives a beacon. A network server capable of communicating with a client receiving a beacon,
The estimated position name, the beacon identifier, and the beacon reception intensity for estimating the position name of the area where the client that has received the beacon is estimated are acquired from the client, and the reception intensity class for each predetermined position name is constructed. The management department,
A database for registering the received strength class of a plurality of beacons for the predetermined location name;
The management unit is a network server that identifies the location name of the class belonging to the reception strength of a plurality of beacons received by the client with reference to the data base and responds to the client.

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