JP6675677B2 - Position detection system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a position detection system.

  In recent years, as a method for detecting the position of a terminal device such as a mobile terminal (hereinafter, simply referred to as a “terminal”), a method using positioning by a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) has been proposed ( For example, see Patent Literature 1).

JP 2013-221943 A JP 2013-19761 A

  In the case of detecting the position of a terminal using positioning by a wireless LAN, a cost for installing an infrastructure such as a wireless LAN access point (hereinafter, simply referred to as “infrastructure”) is required. In addition, since the terminal needs to transmit and receive a wireless LAN signal, power consumption increases.

  It is also conceivable to detect the position of the terminal by combining a method for detecting the walking of the terminal user (for example, see Patent Document 2). In this case, it is necessary to provide the terminal with an acceleration sensor or the like for detecting the walking. Therefore, the above problem becomes more apparent.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to provide a position detection system capable of suppressing infrastructure installation costs and reducing power consumption of terminals.

  A position detection system according to one embodiment of the present invention is a position detection system that includes a terminal, a magnetic field generation unit, and a server, and detects a position of the terminal. A magnetic field region is generated, the terminal includes an acquiring unit that acquires magnetic field information in the magnetic field region, and a transmitting unit that transmits a plurality of pieces of magnetic field information acquired by the acquiring unit by moving the terminal in space to the server. The server includes a receiving unit that receives a plurality of pieces of magnetic field information transmitted from a transmitting unit of the terminal, and a detecting unit that detects a position of the terminal based on the plurality of pieces of magnetic field information received by the receiving unit.

  In the above-described position detection system, by generating a plurality of magnetic field regions in a predetermined space, the position of the terminal is detected based on a plurality of pieces of magnetic field information obtained by the terminal moving in the space. . Thus, for example, the position of the terminal can be detected without using a wireless LAN, an acceleration sensor, or the like, so that it is possible to reduce infrastructure installation costs and power consumption of the terminal.

  The detecting unit may detect the position of the terminal based on a combination of the order in which the terminal acquires the plurality of pieces of magnetic field information and the plurality of pieces of magnetic field information. Thereby, the position of the terminal can be detected based on a lot of information obtained by combining the acquisition order of the plurality of pieces of magnetic field information and the magnetic field information. As a result, for example, the accuracy of detecting the position of the terminal can be improved.

  In this case, the detecting means may further detect the moving direction of the terminal. As described above, the moving direction of the terminal can be detected by using information including the order in which the terminal obtains a plurality of pieces of magnetic field information.

  The magnetic field generating means may generate a static magnetic field. A static magnetic field is a magnetic field that does not change over time. Thereby, for example, a plurality of magnetic field regions can be generated in the space only by arranging the magnets in the space.

  The magnetic field generating means may generate a dynamic magnetic field. A dynamic magnetic field is a magnetic field having a time change. Thereby, for example, information can also be given to the time change (frequency, etc.) of the magnetic field, so that the terminal position is detected based on more information, thereby improving the terminal position detection accuracy. be able to.

  The detecting means is based on space identifying means for identifying a space where the terminal is located in a wide area including a plurality of spaces, and a plurality of magnetic field information obtained by the terminal moving in the space identified by the space identifying means. And position specifying means for specifying the position of the terminal in the space. Thereby, even in a wide area including a plurality of spaces, the position of the terminal can be detected by specifying the space where the terminal is located and the position of the terminal in that space.

  A position detection system according to another aspect of the present invention is a position detection system that includes a terminal and a magnetic field generation unit, and detects a position of the terminal, wherein the magnetic field generation unit includes a plurality of magnetic field regions in a predetermined space. And the terminal is an acquisition unit that acquires magnetic field information in a magnetic field region, and a detection unit that detects the position of the terminal based on a plurality of pieces of magnetic field information acquired by the acquisition unit by moving the terminal in space. ,including.

  In the above-described position detection system, by generating a plurality of magnetic field regions in a predetermined space, the position of the terminal is detected based on a plurality of magnetic field information obtained by the terminal moving in the space. You.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, in a position detection system, it becomes possible to suppress the infrastructure installation cost and to reduce the power consumption of a terminal.

It is a figure showing the schematic structure of the position detecting system concerning a 1st embodiment. FIG. 3 is a first diagram for explaining the principle of position detection. FIG. 9 is a second diagram for describing the principle of position detection. FIG. 13 is a third diagram for describing the principle of position detection. FIG. 14 is a fourth diagram for describing the principle of position detection. It is the 5th figure for explaining the principle of position detection. It is a figure showing the functional block of the position detecting system concerning a 1st embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data table stored in a storage unit. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating hardware blocks of a server and a terminal. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the process performed in a position detection system. FIG. 14 is a sixth diagram for describing the principle of position detection. It is the 7th figure for explaining the principle of position detection. FIG. 16 is an eighth diagram for describing the principle of position detection. It is a figure showing the schematic structure of the position detection system concerning a 2nd embodiment. It is a figure showing a functional block of a terminal and a server contained in a position detection system concerning a 2nd embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data table stored in a storage unit. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the process performed in a position detection system.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements will be denoted by the same reference symbols, without redundant description.

[Overview of position detection system]
First, an overview of a position detection system according to an embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the position detection system 1. In the position detection system 1, the position of the terminal 10 is detected. Note that the position detection system 1 is also a position detection system according to a first embodiment described later.

  The terminal 10 is a mobile terminal such as a smartphone that is carried by the user and moves with the user. However, the type of the terminal 10 is not particularly limited. The terminal 10 can communicate with the server 40 via the communication network 30. In FIG. 1, an example of the moving direction of the terminal 10 is illustrated using an arrow as the moving direction AR1.

  In the space 3, a plurality of magnetic field regions (see FIGS. 4 to 6 described later) are generated by the magnetic field generation device 5. The terminal 10 acquires each magnetic field information in a plurality of magnetic field regions by moving in the space 3, and transmits the acquired plurality of magnetic field information to the server 40. The server 40 detects the position of the terminal 10 based on a plurality of pieces of magnetic field information transmitted from the terminal 10. The server 40 may transmit the position information of the terminal 10 to the terminal 10. The position information may be, for example, coordinate information on a map.

  In order to function as a magnetic field generation unit that generates a plurality of magnetic field regions in the space 3, the magnetic field generation device 5 includes a magnetic element group 20 including a plurality of magnetic elements. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the plurality of magnetic elements are realized as seven magnets 21 to 27. However, the example and number of magnetic elements are not limited to this.

  The space 3 is, for example, a predetermined space indoors or indoors. In FIG. 1, a floor 3a and walls 3b of the space 3 are shown. The magnets 21, 23, 25, 27 are arranged on the floor 3a, and the magnets 22, 24, 26 are arranged on the wall 3b. Each magnet may be embedded in the floor 3a or the wall 3b in consideration of the appearance. Further, each magnet may be fixed on the surface of the floor 3a or the wall 3b.

  The magnets 21, 22, 26, and 27 are arranged such that the portion on the N pole side is located inside the space 3 than the portion on the S pole side. The magnets 23 to 25 are arranged such that the portion on the S pole side is located inside the space 3 than the portion on the N pole side. The magnets 21 to 27 are arranged in this order along the movement direction AR1. The magnet 22 is located between the magnets 21 and 23, the magnet 24 is located between the magnets 22 and 23, and the magnet 26 is located between the magnets 25 and 27.

[Principle of position detection]
Next, the principle of position detection by the position detection system 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. In each of the figures, the upper side of the figures shows a state where the magnets 21 to 27 are arranged in the space 3, and the lower side of the figures shows a graph conceptually showing the magnetic field at each position.

  In FIG. 2, an XYZ coordinate system is set to explain each direction. In the XYZ coordinate system, the surface (floor surface) of the floor 3a of the space 3 is set as the XZ surface. The X axis and the Z axis are orthogonal to each other, and the Y axis is orthogonal to the XZ plane (that is, the floor). The movement direction AR1 is the positive direction of the Z axis.

  In the graph of FIG. 2, the horizontal axis indicates a position in the movement direction AR1 direction (Z-axis direction in FIG. 2). The vertical axis indicates the magnitude of the magnetic field in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. A magnetic field having a positive value and a magnetic field having a negative value on the vertical axis mean that the directions of the magnetic fields are opposite to each other.

  In this specification, when the magnetic field due to the N-pole portion of the magnet is dominant, the magnetic field indicates a positive value. Conversely, when the magnetic field due to the S-pole side portion of the magnet is dominant, the magnetic field indicates a negative value.

  The graph of FIG. 2 shows two curves, a curve A1 and a curve A2. Curve A1 shows the magnitude of the magnetic field in the Y-axis direction, and curve A2 shows the magnitude of the magnetic field in the X-axis direction. The magnitude of the magnetic field in the X-axis direction and the magnitude of the magnetic field in the Y-axis direction can be measured using, for example, a two-axis type magnetic sensor. As shown by the curves A1 and A2, by arranging the plurality of magnets 21 to 27, a magnetic field whose magnitude and direction change in the Z-axis direction is generated in the space 3.

  First, the magnetic field (magnitude of the magnetic field in the Y-axis direction) indicated by the curve A1 will be described with reference to FIGS. The magnetic field in the Y-axis direction indicated by the curve A1 mainly depends on the magnetic field generated by the magnets 21, 23, 25, 27 arranged on the floor 3a. As shown in FIG. 3, in the moving direction AR1, at the positions corresponding to the magnets 21, 23, 25, and 27 and in the vicinity thereof (hereinafter, sometimes simply referred to as “corresponding positions”), the magnitudes of the respective magnetic fields. Becomes the maximum value or the minimum value. Specifically, at the positions corresponding to the magnets 21 and 27, the magnetic field due to the N-pole side portion of each magnet is dominant, so the magnitude of the magnetic field has a maximum value. Conversely, at the positions corresponding to the magnets 23 and 25, the magnetic field due to the S-pole side portion of each magnet is dominant, and the magnitude of the magnetic field becomes a minimum value.

  Here, two threshold values TH1 and TH2 are set for the magnetic field indicated by the curve A1. The threshold value TH1 is set such that the magnitude of the magnetic field at a position corresponding to the magnets 21 and 27 is larger than the threshold value TH1. The threshold value TH2 is set such that the magnitude of the magnetic field at a position corresponding to the magnets 23 and 25 is smaller than the threshold value TH2. For example, a magnetic field generated in the space 3 can be distinguished into a plurality of magnetic field regions by threshold determination based on the thresholds TH1 and TH2.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, in the space 3, three magnetic field regions R1, R35, and R7 can be distinguished. The magnetic field region R1 is a magnetic field region generated at a position corresponding to the magnet 21. The magnetic field region R35 is a magnetic field region generated at a position corresponding to the magnets 23 and 25. The magnetic field region R7 is a magnetic field region generated at a position corresponding to the magnet 27.

  In the example shown in FIG. 4, the magnetic field regions generated by the magnets 21 and 27 can be distinguished as magnetic field regions R1 and R7, respectively. On the other hand, each magnetic field region generated by the magnets 23 and 25 is included in the magnetic field region R35, and is not distinguishable. Therefore, the magnetic field (magnitude of the magnetic field in the X-axis direction) indicated by the above-described curve A2 is used so that the respective magnetic field regions generated by the magnets 23 and 25 can be distinguished.

  The magnetic field in the X-axis direction indicated by the curve A2 mainly depends on the magnetic field generated by the magnets 22, 24, 26 arranged on the wall 3b. As shown in FIG. 5, in the movement direction AR1, at the positions corresponding to the magnets 22, 24, and 26, the magnitude of each magnetic field becomes a maximum value or a minimum value. Specifically, at the positions corresponding to the magnets 22 and 26, the magnetic field due to the N-pole side portion of each magnet is dominant, so that the magnitude of the magnetic field has a maximum value. Conversely, at the position corresponding to the magnet 24, the magnetic field due to the S-pole side portion of the magnet is dominant, so the magnitude of the magnetic field becomes a minimum value.

  Here, two threshold values TH3 and TH4 are set for the magnetic field indicated by the curve A2. The threshold value TH3 is set such that the magnitude of the magnetic field at a position corresponding to the magnets 22 and 26 is larger than the threshold value TH3. The threshold value TH4 is set such that the magnitude of the magnetic field at a position corresponding to the magnet 24 is smaller than the threshold value TH4.

  For example, a magnetic field generated in the space 3 can be distinguished into three magnetic field regions R2, R4, and R6 by threshold value determination based on the threshold values TH3 and TH4. The magnetic field region R2 is a magnetic field region generated at a position corresponding to the magnet 22. The magnetic field region R4 is a magnetic field region generated at a position corresponding to the magnet 24. The magnetic field region R6 is a magnetic field region generated at a position corresponding to the magnet 26.

  Here, since the magnetic field region R4 is a magnetic field region generated at a position corresponding to the magnet 24 located between the magnet 23 and the magnet 25 in the movement direction AR1, the magnetic field region R4 described above with reference to FIG. R35 can be divided into two magnetic field regions (magnetic field regions R3 and R5 in FIG. 6 described later). Thereby, in the magnetic field region R35, each magnetic field region generated by the magnets 23 and 25 can be further distinguished.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, in the space 3, the magnetic field regions R1 to R7 are generated in this order along the movement direction AR1. The magnetic field region R2 is located between the magnetic field region R1 and the magnetic field region R3. The magnetic field region R4 is located between the magnetic field region R3 and the magnetic field region R5. The magnetic field region R6 is located between the magnetic field region R5 and the magnetic field region R7. The magnetic field region R3 is a magnetic field region generated at a position corresponding to the magnet 23. The magnetic field region R5 is a magnetic field region generated at a position corresponding to the magnet 25.

  As described above, by arranging the plurality of magnets 21 to 27, information of the magnetic field (magnetic field information such as the magnitude and direction of the magnetic field) in the plurality of magnetic field regions R1 to R7 is provided in the space 3, for example. It is generated in a distinguishable state by combining the measurement result of the magnetic sensor or the like and the threshold judgment. Then, an identifier can be configured using the magnetic field information in these magnetic field regions R1 to R7.

  The method of constructing the identifier using the magnetic field information is not particularly limited. For example, it can be performed as follows. First, the magnitude of the magnetic field in the Y-axis direction (curve A1) is used as information indicating either a binary value “0” or “1”. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the magnetic field information in the magnetic field regions R1 and R7 including the local maximum value is defined as “1”, and the magnetic field information in the magnetic field regions R3 and R5 including the local minimum value is defined as “0”.

  The magnitude of the magnetic field in the X-axis direction (curve A2) is used as information for separating each digit of the above-mentioned binary number. In the present specification, such information for separating each digit of a binary number is represented as “/”. In the example shown in FIG. 6, both the magnetic field regions R2 and R6 including the local maximum value and the magnetic field region R4 including the local minimum value are defined as “/”.

  As described above, in the example shown in FIG. 6, a 4-digit binary number identifier "1001" is realized. By preparing in advance data that associates this identifier with the position information of the magnetic field regions R1 to R7, the position of the terminal 10 can be determined based on the identifier acquired by the terminal 10 moving in the space 3. It becomes possible to detect.

[First Embodiment]
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating functional blocks of the position detection system according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7, the position detection system 1 includes a terminal 10, a magnetic field generation device 5, and a server 40.

  The terminal 10 includes a communication unit 11, a control unit 12, a storage unit 13, a sensor 14, and a display unit 15.

  The communication unit 11 is a part for communicating with the server 40. The communication unit 11 is a part (transmission unit) for transmitting a plurality of pieces of magnetic field information (identifiers) acquired by the sensor 14 described below to the communication unit 41 of the server 40. Further, the communication unit 11 is also a part (receiving means) for receiving the position information of the terminal 10 transmitted from the communication unit 41 of the server 40.

  The control unit 12 is a part that performs overall control of the terminal 10 by controlling each element of the terminal 10. For example, the control unit 12 executes an application program for detecting the position of the terminal 10.

  The storage unit 13 is a unit that stores various types of information necessary for processing executed by the terminal 10. For example, the above-described application program may be stored in the storage unit 13. Further, magnetic field information acquired by a sensor 14 described later may be stored in the storage unit 13.

  The sensor 14 functions as an acquisition unit that acquires magnetic field information in a magnetic field region (for example, the magnetic field regions R1 to R7 in FIG. 6). The sensor 14 is, for example, a two-axis type or three-axis type magnetic sensor.

  The display unit 15 is a part for displaying various information to the user of the terminal 10. For example, the display unit 15 displays the position information of the terminal 10 detected by the server 40 and transmitted from the server 40.

  The magnetic field generation device 5 includes a magnetic element group 20. The magnetic field generation device 5 may further include a driving unit 28. The magnetic element group 20 includes a plurality of magnetic elements. The magnetic elements are, for example, the magnets 21 to 27 described above with reference to FIG. The drive unit 28 will be described later.

  The server 40 includes a communication unit 41, a detection unit 42, a control unit 43, and a storage unit 44.

  The communication unit 41 is a part for communicating with the terminal 10. The communication unit 41 is a part (receiving means) for receiving the identifier transmitted from the communication unit 11 of the terminal 10. The communication unit 41 is also a part (transmission unit) for transmitting the position information of the terminal 10 to the communication unit 11 of the terminal 10.

  The detecting unit 42 is a part (position detecting means) for detecting the position of the terminal 10. The detection unit 42 detects the position of the terminal 10 based on the identification information sent from the terminal 10. The detection of the position of the terminal 10 is performed by referring to a position information DB (DB: Data Base) stored in the storage unit 44 described later.

  The control unit 43 controls the components of the server 40, thereby performing overall control of the server 40. For example, a program for detecting the position of terminal 10 is executed by control unit 43.

  The storage unit 44 is a unit that stores various types of information necessary for processing performed by the server 40. In particular, the storage unit 44 stores a position information DB used for detecting the position of the terminal 10.

  Specifically, an example of the position information DB stored in the storage unit 44 will be described with reference to FIG. The position information DB in the example shown in FIG. 8 describes “identifier”, “position information”, and “direction information” in association with each other.

  The “identifier” is an identifier configured using the magnetic field information in the plurality of magnetic field regions R1 to R7 described above with reference to FIG. In this example, six identifiers “10”, “00”, “01”, “100”, “001”, and “1001” are shown as identifiers.

  The identifier “10” is an identifier acquired when the terminal 10 moves in the magnetic field regions R1 to R3 in this order. The position of the region including the magnetic field regions R1 to R3 is associated with the identifier “10” as the position information “L1”. The position information may be, for example, coordinate information in a predetermined area indicated by a map. The coordinate information may indicate one coordinate, or may indicate coordinates in a predetermined range. The direction (moving direction) passing through the magnetic field regions R1 to R3 in this order is associated with the identifier “10” as the direction information “P1”. The direction information may be, for example, information indicating a direction on a map. The map information may be stored in the storage unit 44, for example.

  The identifier “00” is an identifier acquired when the terminal 10 moves in the magnetic field regions R3 to R5 in this order. For the identifier “00”, the position of the region including the magnetic field regions R3 to R5 is associated as position information “L2”, and the direction passing through the magnetic field regions R3 to R5 in this order is associated as direction information “P2”. Can be

  The identifier “01” is an identifier acquired when the terminal 10 moves in the magnetic field regions R5 to R7 in this order. For the identifier “01”, the position of the region including the magnetic field regions R5 to R7 is associated as position information “L3”, and the direction passing through the magnetic field regions R5 to R7 in this order is associated as direction information “P3”. Can be

  The identifier “100” is an identifier acquired when the terminal 10 moves in the magnetic field regions R1 to R5 in this order. For the identifier “100”, the position of the region including the magnetic field regions R1 to R5 is associated with the position information “L4”, and the direction passing through the magnetic field regions R1 to R5 in this order is associated with the direction information “P4”. Can be

  The identifier “001” is an identifier acquired when the terminal 10 moves in the magnetic field regions R3 to R7 in this order. For the identifier “001”, the position of the region including the magnetic field regions R3 to R7 is associated with the position information “L5”, and the direction passing through the magnetic field regions R3 to R7 in this order is associated with the direction information “P5”. Can be

  The identifier “1001” is an identifier acquired when the terminal 10 moves in the magnetic field regions R1 to R7 in this order. For the identifier “1001”, the position of the region including the magnetic field regions R1 to R7 is associated as position information “L6”, and the direction passing through the magnetic field regions R1 to R7 in this order is associated as direction information “P6”. Can be The direction of P6 may correspond to the moving direction AR1 described above.

  By referring to the position information DB as shown in FIG. 8, the detecting unit 42 (FIG. 7) specifies the position information corresponding to the identifier transmitted from the terminal 10, and thereby detects the position of the terminal 10. Can be. Further, the detecting unit 42 can also specify the direction information corresponding to the identifier transmitted from the terminal 10 and detect the moving direction of the terminal 10.

  In the position information DB as shown in FIG. 8, the identifier is the acquisition order of the magnetic field information in the plurality of magnetic field regions R1 to R7 by the terminal 10 (that is, the arrangement of “1” and “0”) and the respective magnetic field information. (That is, values of “1” and “0”). Based on such a combination, the detecting unit 42 detects the position and / or the moving direction of the terminal 10.

  Here, the hardware configuration of the server 40 and the terminal 10 will be described with reference to FIG. First, the hardware configuration of the server 40 will be described. As shown in FIG. 9, the server 40 physically includes one or a plurality of CPUs (Central Processing Units) 91 and a RAM (Random Access Unit) serving as a main storage device. Memory) 92 and ROM (Read Only Memory) 93, a communication module 95 as a data transmission / reception device, an auxiliary storage device 96 such as a semiconductor memory, an input device 97 for receiving user input, an output device 98 such as a display, and the like. Can be configured. Each function of the server 40 shown in FIG. 7 includes, for example, one or a plurality of predetermined computer software loaded on hardware such as the CPU 91 and the RAM 92, so that the communication module 95, the input device 97, This can be realized by operating the output device 98 and the like and reading and writing data in the RAM 92 and the auxiliary storage device 96. Next, the hardware configuration of the terminal 10 will be described. The terminal 10 can be configured as a computer having the hardware configuration of the server 40 described above and further including hardware of a sensor 94 such as a magnetic sensor.

  FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process (a position detection method) executed in the position detection system 1. The process of this flowchart is started, for example, in response to activation of an application for detecting the position of terminal 10 on terminal 10. It is assumed that the magnetic field regions R1 to R7 have been generated in advance in the space 3 by the magnetic field generation device 5. In each process in the flowchart, unless otherwise described, the process in the terminal 10 can be executed by the control unit 12 of the terminal 10, and the process in the server 40 can be executed by the control unit 43 of the server 40.

  First, the terminal 10 acquires magnetic field information (Step S10). Specifically, the terminal 10 moves in the space 3, and at this time, the terminal 10 uses the sensor 14 to acquire magnetic field information in at least two or more of the magnetic field regions R1 to R7 as identifiers. I do.

  Next, the terminal 10 transmits the magnetic field information (Step S11). Specifically, the communication unit 11 of the terminal 10 transmits the identifier acquired in step S10 to the communication unit 41 of the server 40.

  On the other hand, the server 40 determines whether the magnetic field information has been received (Step S20). When the process of step S11 described above is executed by the terminal 10, the server 40 receives the magnetic field information from the terminal 10 (step S20: YES). Specifically, the communication unit 41 of the server 40 receives the identifier transmitted from the terminal 10. Then, the server 40 proceeds to step S21 described below. If the magnetic field information is not received (step S20: NO), the server 40 executes the process of step S20 again, for example, after waiting for a predetermined wait time process.

  Upon receiving the magnetic field information, the server 40 detects the position of the terminal (Step S21). Specifically, the detection unit 42 of the server 40 refers to the position information DB (FIG. 8) stored in the storage unit 44, and specifies the position information of the terminal 10 based on the identifier. Note that the direction information may be specified together with or instead of the position information.

  Then, the server 40 transmits the position information (Step S22). Specifically, the communication unit 41 of the server 40 transmits the position information of the terminal 10 detected in the previous step S21 to the communication unit 11 of the terminal 10. The direction information may be transmitted together with or instead of the position information. After the process of step S22 is completed, the server 40 returns the process to step S20 again.

  On the other hand, after the processing of step S11 is completed, the terminal 10 determines whether or not the position information has been received (step S12). When the processing in step S22 described above is executed by the server 40, the terminal 10 receives the position information (step S12: YES). Specifically, the communication unit 11 of the terminal 10 receives the position information transmitted from the communication unit 41 of the server 40. Then, the terminal 10 proceeds to step S13 described below. If the position information has not been received (step S12: NO), the terminal 10 returns the process to step S10 again. In step S12, direction information may be received together with or instead of the position information.

  Upon receiving the position information in step S12, the terminal 10 outputs the position information (step S13). For example, the display unit 15 of the terminal 10 displays the position information in such a manner that the user of the terminal 10 can recognize the position information of the terminal 10. The display mode of the display unit 15 is not particularly limited. For example, a display mode in which the position of the terminal 10 is indicated on a map is exemplified. When the route information is received in step S12, the direction information may be displayed.

  After the processing in step S13 is completed, the terminal 10 returns the processing to step S10 again.

  Next, the operation and effect of the position detection system 1 will be described. In the position detection system 1, a plurality of magnetic field regions R1 to R7 are generated in the space 3. Then, as the terminal 10 moves in the space 3, a plurality of pieces of magnetic field information are acquired as identifiers (Step S10). The identifier acquired by the terminal 10 is transmitted to the server 40 (Steps S11 and S20). On the server 40 side, the detection unit 42 detects the position of the terminal 10 by referring to the position information data table (FIG. 8) stored in the storage unit 44 (Step S21).

  According to the position detection system 1, if the plurality of magnetic field regions R1 to R7 are generated in the space 3 by the magnetic field generation device 5, the position of the terminal 10 can be detected. Therefore, the position of the terminal 10 can be detected without using a wireless LAN or the like as in the related art. As a result, for example, infrastructure installation costs for realizing the position detection system 1 can be reduced. When a wireless LAN or the like is used, the terminal 10 needs to transmit and receive a radio signal. However, the position detection system 1 does not need to transmit and receive the radio signal, so that the power consumption of the terminal 10 can be reduced.

  In the above-described position information DB illustrated in FIG. 8, the identifier includes the order in which the terminal 10 acquires the magnetic field information in the plurality of magnetic field regions R1 to R7 (that is, the arrangement of “1” and “0”). This can be said to be based on a combination with magnetic field information (that is, values of “1” and “0”). That is, the detection unit 42 can also detect the position of the terminal 10 based on a combination of the acquisition order of the magnetic field information in the magnetic field regions R1 to R7 by the terminal 10 and a plurality of pieces of magnetic field information. By detecting the position of the terminal 10 based on a lot of information obtained by combining such a plurality of acquisition orders of the magnetic field information and the magnetic field information, for example, the resolution of the position information on the map is increased, and the position of the terminal 10 is determined. Detection accuracy can be improved. Further, the detecting unit 42 can detect the moving direction of the terminal 10 by referring to the position information DB shown in FIG. 8 and specifying the direction information corresponding to the identifier.

  Further, as described above with reference to FIGS. 1 and 7 and the like, the magnetic element group 20 included in the magnetic field generation device 5 may be magnets 21 to 27. In that case, the magnetic field generation device 5 , A magnetic field region is generated in the space 3 by a plurality of static magnetic fields. Since the static magnetic field is a magnetic field that does not change over time, a plurality of magnetic field regions R1 to R7 are easily generated in the space 3 simply by appropriately arranging the magnets 21 to 27 in the space 3, for example. be able to.

  Next, the driving unit 28 included in the magnetic field generation device 5 will be described with reference to FIG. 7 again. The driving section 28 is a section for driving the magnetic element group 20 to rotate, and is used for generating a dynamic magnetic field. For example, when the magnetic element group 20 includes a plurality of magnets 21 to 27, each magnet is placed and fixed on a mounting member (not shown), or each magnet is stored and fixed in a housing member (not shown). Each magnet is rotated by the driving unit 28 together with the mounting member and the like. The rotational drive of each magnet can be controlled individually.

  When the driving unit 28 is used, the magnetic field generation device 5 generates a magnetic field region in the space 3 by a plurality of dynamic magnetic fields. The position of the terminal 10 can be detected also by the magnetic field region due to such a dynamic magnetic field.

  In the example shown in FIG. 11, two magnets 21 and 22 are rotatably arranged. When the magnets 21 and 22 rotate, three magnetic field regions R21 to R23 are generated. These three magnetic field regions R21 to R23 can be distinguished by the principle described later.

  FIG. 12 is a diagram showing measurement data of the magnitude of the magnetic field measured when the magnetic field regions R21 to R23 are moved in this order in the configuration shown in FIG. This measurement data was obtained under the conditions shown in FIG. 11 in which the rotation frequency of the magnet 21 was 15 Hz, the rotation frequency of the magnet 22 was 10 Hz, and the distance between the magnet 21 and the magnet 22 was 40 cm. 2 shows a measured magnetic field.

  The horizontal axis of the graph shown in FIG. 12 indicates time (time). The vertical axis indicates the magnitude of the magnetic field. Specifically, since the magnetic field is an AC magnetic field, for example, the magnitude of its effective value is indicated. The horizontal axis represents time, but at the time of measurement, since the magnetic field is detected by moving in the magnetic field regions R21 to R23 in this order, it can be said that the horizontal axis represents the position. However, the moving speed is not always constant.

  As shown in FIG. 12, a magnetic field that changes with a change in time t is measured. Here, when the frequency analysis is performed on the magnetic field measured in each of the time zones T1 to T3, a difference is found in the power spectrum. The frequency analysis is performed, for example, by executing a fast Fourier transform (FFT). The FFT may be executed, for example, by the detection unit 42 (FIG. 7) of the server 40.

  First, the power spectrum of the magnetic field measured from time t1 to t2 (time zone T1) has a large power spectrum in the range of 9 Hz to 12 Hz. On the other hand, the power spectrum of the magnetic field measured from time t3 to t4 (time zone T3) has a large power spectrum in a range of 15 Hz to 18 Hz. The power spectrum of the magnetic field measured at times t2 to t3 (time zone T2) therebetween has a large power spectrum in the range of 9 Hz to 12 Hz and in the range of 15 Hz to 18 Hz.

  Since it can be said that the horizontal axis of the graph indicates the position, the magnetic field measured in each time zone T1 to T3 is also the magnetic field measured in each corresponding region. Then, as described above, the magnetic field measured in each region (each time zone T1 to T3) has a different power spectrum of its frequency component, and thus can be distinguished based on the difference in the power spectrum. This distinction may be made, for example, by the detection unit 42 (FIG. 7) of the server 40.

  Therefore, regions corresponding to the respective time zones T1 to T3 can be assigned as, for example, magnetic field regions R21 to R23. Then, an identifier can be configured using the magnetic field information in such magnetic field regions R21 to R23. The method of configuring the identifier has already been described with reference to FIG. 6 and will not be described here.

  As described above, the magnetic field generation device 5 can also generate a magnetic field region by a plurality of dynamic magnetic fields in the space 3 by the magnetic element group 20 and the driving unit 28. Since the dynamic magnetic field can also have information over time (frequency, etc.), the position of the terminal 10 is detected based on more information (identifier), thereby detecting the position of the terminal 10 with accuracy. Can be improved.

  Specifically, in the example illustrated in FIG. 12, three different magnetic field regions R21 to R23, which are one more than the number of magnets, are generated by the two magnets 21 and 22 (FIG. 11). Further, by appropriately setting the distance between the respective magnets, it is possible to generate more different magnetic field regions. The graph shown in FIG. 13 shows the measured magnetic field under the condition that the distance between the magnet 21 and the magnet 22 is 20 cm in the configuration shown in FIG.

  In the example illustrated in FIG. 13, the power spectrum of the magnetic field measured at times t11 to t12 (time zone T11) and times t15 to t16 (time zone T15) has a large power spectrum in a range of 9 Hz to 12 Hz. On the other hand, the magnetic field measured from time t13 to t14 (time zone T13) has a large power spectrum in the range of 15 Hz to 18 Hz. The magnetic field measured at times t12 to t13 (time zone T12) and times t14 to t15 (time zone T14) therebetween has a power spectrum that increases in the range of 9 Hz to 12 Hz and in the range of 15 Hz to 18 Hz. I have. In this case, the two magnets 21 and 22 (FIG. 11) can generate five different magnetic field regions (three magnetic field regions corresponding to the time zones T11 to T15), three more than the number of magnets. .

[Second embodiment]
As described above, in the first embodiment, the method of generating a plurality of magnetic field regions in the space 3 and detecting the position of the terminal 10 using the magnetic field regions has been described. The position information of the terminal 10 may be, for example, coordinate information in a predetermined area indicated by a map, as described above with reference to FIG. Here, when the entire area that can be shown on the map becomes a wider area, more coordinate information is required. However, if a plurality of different magnetic field regions are generated over the entire wide area because the number of different magnetic field regions that can be generated in the space 3 is limited, the positional information of the terminal 10 in the wide area is obtained. There is a possibility that the number of digits of the identifier for indicating is insufficient. The position detection system according to the second embodiment described below solves such a problem.

  FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a position detection system 1A according to the second embodiment.

  In the position detection system 1 </ b> A, the wide area RL includes a plurality of spaces 3. Each space 3 is located at a corresponding access point (AP). The AP may be, for example, an access point of a wireless LAN or a base station supporting a wireless access technology such as a cellular system or LTE (Long Term Evolution). Alternatively, the AP may transmit a Beacon signal using BLE (Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy). Although not shown in FIG. 14, a plurality of magnetic field regions are generated in each space 3 by the magnetic field generation device 5 (FIGS. 1, 7) as in the first embodiment. In addition, in order to distinguish and describe each space 3, each space 3 is also denoted by reference numerals of spaces 31, 32, and 33.

  Position detecting system 1A is different from position detecting system 1 in that terminal 10A is included in place of terminal 10 and server 40A is included in place of server 40. This will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating functional blocks of the terminal 10A and the server 40A.

  The terminal 10A is different from the terminal 10 in that the terminal 10A further includes a spatial information acquisition unit 16. The spatial information acquisition unit is a unit that receives a signal emitted by the AP (FIG. 14) in which the terminal 10A is located. This signal contains, for example, ID information unique to the AP. In the present embodiment, the ID information is used as information (space ID) for specifying the space 3 corresponding to the AP. . The space ID obtained by the space information obtaining unit 16 is transmitted by the communication unit 11 to the communication unit 41 of the server 40A.

  The server 40A is different from the server 40, in particular, in that the server 40A includes a detection unit 42A instead of the detection unit 42 and includes a storage unit 44A instead of the storage unit 44.

  The detecting unit 42A includes a space specifying unit 46 and a position specifying unit 47. The space specifying unit 46 is a part (space specifying means) for specifying the space 3 (the space 31 in the example of FIG. 14) in which the terminal 10A is located in the wide area RL. The position specifying unit 47 is a part (position specifying unit) that specifies the position of the terminal 10A in the space 31 based on a plurality of pieces of magnetic field information acquired by the terminal 10A moving in the space 31 specified by the space specifying unit 46. is there.

  The storage unit 44A is a unit that stores various types of information necessary for processing executed by the server 40A. For example, the storage unit 44A is a part that stores a position information DB used for specifying the space 31 where the terminal 10A is located and for specifying the position of the terminal 10A in the space 3.

  Specifically, an example of the position information DB stored in the storage unit 44A will be described with reference to FIG. The position information DB in the example shown in FIG. 16 describes “space ID”, “spatial position information”, “identifier”, “position information”, and “direction information” in association with each other. The “identifier”, “position information”, and “direction information” are the same as those described above with reference to FIG.

  The “space ID” is information for specifying the space 3 corresponding to the AP in which the terminal 10A is located, as described above. In this example, three space IDs “XXX”, “YYY”, and “ZZZ” are shown as space IDs. Each space ID is associated with “spatial position information”. The spatial position information is “M1,” “M2,” and “M3,” and indicates, for example, position information (for example, coordinate information on a map) of each of the spaces 31, 32, and 33 shown in FIG. Each space ID and each space position information are respectively associated with the same data as the position information DB shown in FIG. 8, that is, "identifier", "position information", and "direction information". Note that, for easy distinction, the position information and the direction information are illustrated in different forms (“L11”, “P11”, etc.) for each space ID and space transfer information.

  By referring to the position information DB shown in FIG. 16, the space specifying unit 46 of the detecting unit 42A (FIG. 15) specifies the spatial position information corresponding to the space ID transmitted from the terminal 10A, and locates the terminal 10A. It is possible to specify the space 3 that is present. For example, when the spatial information is “XXX”, the spatial position information “M1” is specified by referring to the position information DB shown in FIG. The spatial position information “M1” is, for example, position information of the space 31 (FIG. 14).

  Also, by referring to the position information DB shown in FIG. 16, the position specifying unit 47 of the detecting unit 42A specifies the position information corresponding to the identifier transmitted from the terminal 10A, and thereby the space specifying unit 46 specifies the position information. The position of the terminal 10 </ b> A in the specified space 31 can be specified. As a result, the position of the terminal 10A in the wide area RL is detected. Further, the position specifying unit 47 can also specify the moving direction of the terminal 10A in the space 31 specified by the space specifying unit 46. As a result, the moving direction of the terminal 10A in the wide area RL is detected.

  FIG. 17 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process (a position detection method) executed in the position detection system 1A.

  First, the terminal 10A acquires spatial information (Step S30). Specifically, the space information acquiring unit 16 of the terminal 10A receives a signal emitted by the AP in which the terminal 10A is located, and includes the space 3 (the space 31 in the example of FIG. 14) corresponding to the AP. ) (“XXX” in the example of FIG. 16).

  Next, the terminal 10A transmits the spatial information (Step S31). Specifically, the communication unit 11 of the terminal 10A transmits the spatial information acquired in step S30 to the communication unit 41 of the server 40A.

  Steps S32 and S33 are the same as steps S10 and S11 described above with reference to FIG. That is, the terminal 10A acquires the magnetic field information (Step S32) and transmits the magnetic field information (Step S33).

  On the other hand, the server 40A determines whether spatial information and magnetic field information have been received (step S40). When the processes of steps S31 and S33 described above are executed by the terminal 10A, the server 40A receives the spatial information and the magnetic field information from the terminal 10A (step S40: YES). Then, the server 40A advances the process to step S41 described below. When the spatial information and the magnetic field information are not received (step S40: NO), the server 40A executes the process of step S40 again, for example, after waiting for a predetermined wait time process.

  Upon receiving the space information and the magnetic field information, the server 40A detects the position of the terminal (Step S41). Specifically, the space identification unit 46 of the detection unit 42A of the server 40 refers to the position information DB (FIG. 16) stored in the storage unit 44A and, based on the space ID, the space 31 in which the terminal 10A is located. To identify. Further, the position specifying unit 47 of the detecting unit 42A of the server 40 refers to the position information DB (FIG. 16) stored in the storage unit 44A, and based on the identifier, obtains the position information of the terminal 10A in the specified space 31 based on the identifier. Identify.

  The process in step S42 is the same as step S22 described above with reference to FIG. That is, the server 40A transmits the position information (Step S42).

  Steps S34 and S35 are the same as steps S12 and S13 described above with reference to FIG. That is, when receiving the position information (step S34: YES), the terminal 10A outputs the position information (step S35), and returns the process to step S30 again. If the position information has not been received (step S34: NO), the terminal 10A returns the process to step S30 again.

  According to the position detection system 1A described above, in order to detect the position of the terminal 10A in the wide area RL, the position information (such as “M1” in FIG. 16) of the space 3 where the terminal 10A is located and the space 3, the position of the terminal 10A is detected based on the combination of the position information (eg, “L11” in FIG. 16) of the terminal 10A. As described above, the position of the terminal 10A is detected using not only the position information (eg, “L11”) corresponding to the identifier composed of the magnetic field information in the plurality of magnetic field regions but also the spatial position information (“M1”). By doing so, it is possible to detect the position of the terminal 10A in the wide area RL while preventing the number of digits of the identifier from becoming too large.

  As mentioned above, although one Embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to the said Embodiment. For example, in the example illustrated in FIG. 14, a case has been described in which one space 3 is located in one AP, but the space 3 and the AP are not limited to a one-to-one relationship. A plurality of spaces 3 may be located for one AP, and even in such a case, the terminal 10A may be located in any of the spaces 3 depending on, for example, a reception state (reception strength or the like) of a signal generated by the AP. You can determine whether you are.

  Also, in the example illustrated in FIG. 17, the case where the terminal 10A transmits the spatial information to the server 40A (step S31) and then transmits the magnetic field information (step S33) has been described. The information transmission timing may be reversed or simultaneous.

  Further, in the above embodiment, the example in which the dynamic magnetic field is generated by rotating the magnets 21 and 22 has been described, but the method of generating the dynamic magnetic field is not limited to this. For example, a dynamic magnetic field may be generated using an electromagnet. In that case, a dynamic magnetic field can be generated by using a coil or the like as a magnetic element and supplying an alternating current to the coil.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, in the position detection system 1, an example has been described in which the processing for detecting the position of the terminal 10 is performed on the server 40 side, but the processing may be performed on the terminal 10 side. . In this case, for example, the control unit 12 of the terminal 10 is configured to have the function of the detection unit 42 of the server 40. Then, on the terminal 10 side, the position information DB shown in FIG. 8 or FIG. 14 may be obtained (downloaded) from the server 40 in advance and stored in the storage unit 13. This allows the control unit 12 of the terminal 10 to function as a detecting unit that detects the position of the terminal 10 based on a plurality of pieces of magnetic field information acquired by the sensor 14 when the terminal 10 moves in the space 3. .

  1, 1A: Position detection system, 3: Space, 5: Magnetic field generator, 10, 10A: Terminal, 11: Communication unit, 14: Sensor, 40, 40A: Server, 41: Communication unit, 42, 42A: Detection unit , 46: space specifying unit, 47: position specifying unit, R1 to R7, R21 to R23: magnetic field region.

Claims (5)

A terminal, a magnetic field generation unit, comprising a server, a position detection system for detecting the position of the terminal,
The magnetic field generating means generates a plurality of magnetic field regions in a predetermined space,
The terminal is
Acquisition means for acquiring magnetic field information in the magnetic field region,
A transmitting unit that transmits a plurality of pieces of magnetic field information obtained by the obtaining unit to the server by the terminal moving in the space,
Including
The server is
Receiving means for receiving the plurality of magnetic field information transmitted from the transmitting means of the terminal,
Based on the plurality of magnetic field information received by the receiving means, a detecting means for detecting the position of the terminal,
Including
The magnetic field generating means generates a dynamic magnetic field,
The plurality of magnetic field regions are a plurality of magnetic field regions that do not overlap each other and are distinguishable by a power spectrum of a magnetic field.
Position detection system. It said detecting means includes an acquisition order of the plurality of magnetic field information by the terminal, based on a combination of the plurality of magnetic field information, for detecting a position of the terminal, the position detecting system according to claim 1. The position detection system according to claim 2 , wherein the detection unit further detects a moving direction of the terminal. The detection means,
Space specifying means for specifying a space where the terminal is located in a wide area including a plurality of the spaces,
Based on a plurality of pieces of magnetic field information obtained by the terminal moving in the space specified by the space specifying means, position specifying means for specifying the position of the terminal in the space,
Including, the position detection system according to any one of claims 1 to 3. A terminal, comprising a magnetic field generating means, a position detection system for detecting the position of the terminal,
The magnetic field generating means generates a plurality of magnetic field regions in a predetermined space,
The terminal is
Acquisition means for acquiring magnetic field information in the magnetic field region,
Based on a plurality of pieces of magnetic field information obtained by the obtaining means by the terminal moving in the space, detecting means for detecting the position of the terminal,
Including
The magnetic field generating means generates a dynamic magnetic field,
The plurality of magnetic field regions are a plurality of magnetic field regions that do not overlap each other and are distinguishable by a power spectrum of a magnetic field.
Position detection system.

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