JP7391138B1 - Location estimation communication device, location estimation communication system, and location estimation method - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a position estimation communication device that can easily estimate the position of a wireless communication device in three-dimensional space using a miniaturized array antenna configuration. A position estimation communication device 1 of the present disclosure includes a plurality of antenna elements 31, 32, and 33 that transmit and receive radio waves arranged in an array so that the distance between them is 1/2 or less of the wavelength of the radio waves. The antenna unit 3 corresponds to each of the plurality of antenna elements 31, 32, and 33, and performs two-way communication using radio waves with the wireless communication device 2, and communicates the phase information of the received radio waves and the wireless communication device 2. It has radio circuits 41, 42, 43 that output time information when transmitting and receiving radio waves, and a synchronization circuit 44 that outputs a synchronization signal that synchronizes the operation of the radio circuits 41, 42, 43. The wireless communication processing unit 4 includes a wireless communication processing unit 4 that outputs time information at the time of the hour, and a position estimating unit 5 that estimates the position of the wireless communication device 2 based on the phase information of received radio waves and the time information at the time of transmission and reception. [Selection diagram] Figure 1

Description

The present application relates to a position estimation communication device, a position estimation communication system, and a position estimation method.

Conventionally, there are various systems that estimate the position of a wireless communication device using radio waves or an object on which a wireless communication device is installed and utilize the estimated position information. For example, an example of such a system is a smart entry/smart start system (hereinafter referred to as a smart system). In addition, in recent years, smart systems called digital keys that use smartphones as keys have become commercially available.

In such smart systems, even if the user keeps the key in his or her pocket or bag, the door light on the user's side turns on when the user approaches the vehicle within a certain distance, and the door unlocks when the user approaches the vehicle further. Additionally, the doors are automatically locked when the user leaves the vehicle a certain distance. When the user gets into the vehicle, the engine is started by pressing the engine start button installed inside the vehicle, without inserting the key into the keyhole as in the conventional case.

Another example is a remote parking system. This is used as a controller that allows the vehicle to drive autonomously to the parking location using a smartphone or a special key from outside the vehicle. In this case, the operation permission condition for the safety function is that the user holding the controller stays within a certain distance or in a certain positional relationship with the vehicle.

Furthermore, the deployment of smart systems to vehicles other than vehicles is also conceivable. For example, if you want to control the flight by estimating the positional relationship between the drone and the pilot, it is possible to install a wireless communication device on each of the drone and the controller, and estimate the positional relationship through two-way communication between the wireless communication devices. Therefore, the use of location information is expected to improve the safety and services of smart systems.

Further, as a system for estimating the position of vehicles, people, etc. indoors and outdoors, there is a Real Time Location System (RTLS). As a generally known system, there is a system to which the Global Positioning System (GPS) is applied. GPS is widely used for navigation purposes in vehicles and smartphone users. In the case of RTLS to which GPS is applied, it is necessary to receive radio waves from multiple satellites for position estimation.

However, it may be difficult to receive GPS radio waves when shielded by buildings or inside structures such as tunnels, especially indoor locations. For this reason, instead of GPS satellites, there is an RTLS system in which a wireless communication device is installed and the position is estimated based on the coordinate position and distance information regarding the wireless communication device. Various RTLS systems have been proposed, such as automatic valet packing, which automatically parks vehicles entrusted by users at predetermined locations, and provides information on indoor wireless terminal owners and vehicle locations that are reflected on a map. , is also provided.

The vehicle position estimation system disclosed in Patent Document 1 is related to a smart system that estimates the distance and positional relationship between a vehicle and a mobile terminal, which is a type of wireless terminal, by wireless communication. The disclosed vehicle position estimation system calculates the distance between the mobile terminal and the vehicle based on the propagation time of radio waves between the wireless communication device installed in the vehicle and the mobile terminal carried by the user. Estimate the location of your mobile device based on distance. Ultra Wide Band (UWB) is used as the communication method between the in-vehicle wireless communication device and the mobile terminal, and the distance between the two is calculated based on the propagation time from when the impulse signal is sent until it is received. calculate. The relative position of the mobile terminal with respect to the vehicle is estimated using a trilateration method based on the distance between the two. High positional accuracy can be obtained by using the UWB communication method.

In the vehicle position estimation system disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to install three or more wireless communication devices at long intervals. In order to estimate the position all around the inside and outside of the vehicle, it is necessary to install a large number of in-vehicle wireless communication devices.

Similar to Patent Document 1, the mobile device position estimation system disclosed in Patent Document 2 is a system that estimates the distance and positional relationship between a vehicle and a mobile terminal by wireless communication, and is not limited to smart systems. The communication procedure for distance measurement has been devised so that it can be easily applied to parking systems, etc.

Similar to Patent Document 1, the portable device position estimation system disclosed in Patent Document 2 executes distance measurement by communicating with a plurality of wireless communication devices in order to estimate the position of a portable terminal. Generally, in order to improve measurement accuracy, it is desirable to measure distance by communicating with more wireless communication devices; however, as the number of wireless communication devices increases, the number of communications required to measure distance increases. Therefore, the disclosed mobile device position estimation system devises a communication procedure to suppress the increase in the number of communications, shortens the time required for position estimation, and reduces the power consumed during communication. ing.

The position estimation method disclosed in Patent Document 3 is related to RTLS, and similarly to Patent Documents 1 and 2, the UWB communication method is used. The disclosed position estimation method is a distance-based trilateration method similar to Patent Documents 1 and 2, and is based on the premise that a plurality of wireless communication devices communicating with a mobile terminal are installed in an area where position estimation is desired. There are variations in communications for distance measurement, and these variations reduce positional accuracy. Therefore, the position estimation method disclosed in Patent Document 3 takes this variation into consideration and attempts to improve the accuracy of the estimated position due to variation factors by weighting the measured distance depending on the size of the variation. It is.

JP2020-122727A International Publication 2020/031550 Patent No. 4567093

In any of the position estimation systems disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 3, in order to estimate the position of a mobile terminal, a plurality of wireless communication devices that communicate with the mobile terminal are required, so the number of wireless communication devices increases. The cost of building the system increases with each change. Further, since there are measurement variations in distance measurement through communication, there is a problem in that when a plurality of wireless communication devices are placed close to each other, the estimated position fluctuates greatly due to measurement variations.

In order to solve this problem, since a plurality of wireless communication devices cannot be placed close to each other, it is necessary to take measurement variations into consideration and place the wireless communication devices at intervals. Therefore, installing a plurality of wireless communication devices requires a spatial area of a certain size, which poses a problem in that layout is restricted. When trying to mount a position estimation system on a mobile device smaller than a vehicle, such as a drone, there are also problems such as the inability to mount multiple wireless communication devices.

In addition, in a method of communicating with a plurality of wireless communication devices, it is necessary to perform communication for the number of wireless communication devices for one position estimation, which increases the measurement time for position estimation. In order to estimate and track the position of a mobile object such as a mobile terminal without delay, it is necessary to reduce the measurement time required for position estimation as much as possible. Although the communication procedure described in Patent Document 2 describes a method of shortening the measurement time for position estimation, it is desired to further shorten the measurement time.

The present disclosure has been made to solve the above problems, and includes a miniaturized wireless communication processing unit when estimating the relative position of an object using wireless communication, and It is an object of the present invention to provide a position estimation communication device, a position estimation communication system, and a position estimation method that can estimate a position in a short processing time.

The position estimation communication device according to the present disclosure includes:
A plurality of antenna elements that transmit and receive radio waves are arranged at each vertex of a regular polygon, and arranged in an array so that the distance between two adjacent antenna elements is 1/2 or less of the wavelength of the radio waves. an antenna section,
One antenna element is provided corresponding to each of the plurality of antenna elements, and the plurality of antenna elements are used to perform two-way communication using the radio waves with an external wireless communication device, and reception by the plurality of antenna elements is performed. a plurality of radio circuits that output phase information of radio waves and time information at the time of transmission and reception between the plurality of antenna elements and the radio communication device; a synchronization circuit that outputs a synchronization signal that synchronizes the operation of the plurality of radio circuits; , and outputs phase information of the received radio waves in the plurality of antenna elements and time information at the time of the transmission and reception;
Using the phase information of the received radio wave, calculate the arrival angle of the radio wave with respect to the antenna axis of the one-dimensional array antenna constituted by the two adjacent antenna elements, and use the time information at the time of transmission and reception to calculate the angle of arrival of the radio wave between the antenna elements. a position estimation unit that calculates a distance to the wireless communication device and estimates a three-dimensional position of the wireless communication device based on the arrival angle of the radio wave and the distance;
The position estimating unit is
a phase difference measurement unit that measures the phase difference of received radio waves between adjacent antenna elements using the phase information of the received radio waves;
an arrival angle calculation unit that calculates an arrival angle of the radio wave with respect to an antenna axis of a one-dimensional array antenna configured by the two adjacent antenna elements, using a phase difference of the received radio wave;
a propagation time measuring unit that measures the propagation time of the radio waves between the plurality of antenna elements and the wireless communication device based on the time information at the time of the transmission and reception outputted by the wireless communication processing unit;
a distance calculation unit that calculates the distance between the antenna element and the wireless communication device based on the propagation time of the radio wave;
Based on the angle of the antenna axis of each of the plurality of one-dimensional array antennas with respect to the coordinate system, and the arrival angle and distance of the radio wave for each one-dimensional array antenna, one point on the antenna axis is set as the apex of the cone, and the radio wave is As an estimated area where the radio communication device exists, an area on the circle on the conical base of the cone where the arrival angle is 1/2 of the apex angle and the generatrix length of the cone with the antenna axis as the rotation axis is the distance. The three-dimensional position of the wireless communication device is determined by calculating the estimated area for each of the one-dimensional array antennas and calculating a three-dimensional spatial coordinate position that minimizes the distance error from the plurality of estimated areas. and a three-dimensional position estimating unit.

The position estimation communication system according to the present disclosure includes:
A position estimation communication system that estimates the position of the wireless communication device with respect to the position estimation communication device by performing two-way communication using radio waves between the position estimation communication device and the wireless communication device,
The position estimation communication device is the above-mentioned position estimation communication device,
The wireless communication device includes:
a terminal antenna unit that performs bidirectional communication with the position estimation communication device using the radio waves;
A terminal wireless communication processing section that processes the radio waves transmitted and received by the terminal antenna section.

The position estimation method according to the present disclosure includes:
A position estimation method for estimating the position of the wireless communication device with respect to the position estimation communication device by performing two-way communication using radio waves between the position estimation communication device and the wireless communication device, the method comprising:
A plurality of antenna elements that transmit and receive radio waves are arranged at each vertex of a regular polygon, and arranged in an array so that the distance between two adjacent antenna elements is 1/2 or less of the wavelength of the radio waves. selecting one antenna element from the plurality of antenna elements of the position estimation communication device;
outputting a radio signal using radio waves from a radio circuit corresponding to the selected antenna element to the radio communication device;
receiving the wireless signal returned from the wireless communication device by a one-dimensional array antenna constituted by two of the plurality of antenna elements;
measuring the propagation time of the radio wave using time information at the time of transmission and reception outputted by the radio circuit;
calculating a distance between the position estimation communication device and the wireless communication device using the propagation time of the radio waves;
measuring the phase difference of the received radio waves at the one-dimensional array antenna based on the phase information of the received radio waves output by the radio circuit;
calculating an arrival angle of the radio waves based on the phase difference of the received radio waves;
Based on the angle of the antenna axis of each of the plurality of one-dimensional array antennas with respect to the coordinate system, and the arrival angle and distance of the radio wave for each one-dimensional array antenna, one point on the antenna axis is set as the apex of the cone, and the radio wave is As an estimated area where the radio communication device exists, an area on the circle on the conical base of the cone where the arrival angle is 1/2 of the apex angle and the generatrix length of the cone with the antenna axis as the rotation axis is the distance. The three-dimensional position of the wireless communication device is determined by calculating the estimated area for each of the one-dimensional array antennas and calculating a three-dimensional spatial coordinate position that minimizes the distance error from the plurality of estimated areas. estimating the method.

According to the position estimating communication device, the position estimating communication system, and the position estimating method according to the present disclosure, wireless communication is performed using an array antenna made up of a plurality of antenna elements mounted on a substrate, and Since the time required to measure the phase difference is shortened, it is possible to downsize the device and system, and the position can be estimated in a short processing time.

1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a position estimation communication device and a position estimation communication system according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method of measuring the arrival angle of radio waves based on the phase difference of received radio waves between antenna elements in the position estimation communication device and the position estimation communication system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method of measuring distance based on propagation time in the position estimation communication device and the position estimation communication system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the basic configuration of an array antenna for measuring the arrival angle and distance of radio waves in the position estimation communication device and the position estimation communication system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing how a circumferential area is derived as an estimated position of a wireless communication device based on the arrival angle and distance of a radio wave in the position estimation communication device and the position estimation communication system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing how the three-dimensional position of a wireless communication device is estimated based on the arrival angle and distance of radio waves from a two-dimensional array antenna in the position estimation communication device and the position estimation communication system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a case where a three-dimensional position of a wireless communication device is estimated by a two-dimensional array antenna in the position estimation communication device and the position estimation communication system according to the first embodiment. 3 is a flowchart showing a process flow of position estimation in the position estimation method according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram comparing an example of a position estimation communication system according to Embodiment 1 for smart keyless and a conventional position estimation communication system. FIG. 2 is a diagram comparing an example of a position estimation communication system according to Embodiment 1 for RTLS and a conventional position estimation communication system. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a position estimation communication device and a position estimation communication system according to a second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing how the position of a wireless communication device is estimated based on the arrival angle and distance of radio waves when a one-dimensional array antenna is rotated in a position estimation communication device and a position estimation communication system according to a second embodiment. 7 is a flowchart showing a process flow of position estimation in the position estimation method according to the second embodiment. 1 is a diagram showing a hardware configuration for realizing a position estimation communication device and a position estimation communication system according to Embodiments 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a hardware configuration for realizing a position estimation communication device and a position estimation communication system according to Embodiments 1 and 2. FIG.

Embodiment 1.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a position estimation communication device and a position estimation communication system according to the first embodiment.

<Configuration of position estimation communication system 100 according to Embodiment 1>
The position estimation communication system 100 includes a position estimation communication device 1 and a wireless communication device 2. The position estimation communication device 1 includes an antenna section 3, a wireless communication processing section 4, and a position estimation section 5.

The wireless communication device 2 includes a terminal antenna section 21 and a terminal wireless communication processing section 22. The wireless communication device 2 receives the radio waves transmitted from the position estimation communication device 1 using the terminal antenna section 21, performs reception processing on the radio waves at the terminal radio communication processing section 22, generates a transmission signal, and transmits the radio waves to the terminal antenna. A reply process using radio waves is carried out via the unit 21.

<Configuration of position estimation communication device 1 according to Embodiment 1>
Each configuration of the position estimation communication device 1 will be explained below.
As shown in FIG. 1, the antenna section 3 is constructed by pattern-mounting three antenna elements, a first antenna element 31, a second antenna element 32, and a third antenna element 33, on a substrate. Note that the antenna section 3 shown in FIG. 1 is an example of the minimum configuration of the antenna section.

As shown in FIG. 1, each antenna element of the antenna section 3 is arranged at each vertex of an equilateral triangle, each side of which is equal to or less than half the wavelength of radio waves in the UWB communication system. Two antenna elements on each side of the equilateral triangle can function as one one-dimensional array antenna. In other words, each antenna element placed at each vertex of an equilateral triangle functions as one one-dimensional array antenna for each side of the equilateral triangle, and three one-dimensional array antennas each having their respective antenna axes at an angle of 60 degrees to each other. Form an array antenna.

Specifically, the three one-dimensional array antennas include a first antenna element 31 and a second antenna element 32, a second antenna element 32 and a third antenna element 33, and a third antenna element 33 and the first antenna element 31. formed by each combination. The position estimation communication device 1 performs transmission and reception for the purpose of positioning with respect to the wireless communication device 2 via each antenna element.

The wireless communication device 2 receives radio waves emitted from the antenna element of the position estimation communication device 1 by the terminal antenna unit 21, performs reception processing on the radio waves by the terminal wireless communication processing unit 22, and then generates a reply signal. A reply process is performed via the terminal antenna section 21.

The wireless communication processing unit 4 includes a first wireless circuit 41, a second wireless circuit 42, which are three wireless circuits, one each corresponding to the first antenna element 31, the second antenna element 32, and the third antenna element 33, and It is composed of a third radio circuit 43 and a synchronization circuit 44 that causes all radio circuits to operate synchronously. When transmitting radio waves from the position estimation communication device 1, any one radio circuit is selected, and radio waves are transmitted from the antenna element corresponding to the selected radio circuit.

Furthermore, when receiving radio waves, in the radio communication processing unit 4, the synchronization circuit 44 outputs a synchronization signal, and while all the radio circuits are synchronized, the radio waveforms received by the antenna elements corresponding to each radio circuit are processed. When receiving a radio wave, the wireless communication processing unit 4 outputs the phase of the radio wave waveform as phase information φ of the received radio wave at exactly the same timing. That is, the wireless communication processing unit 4 simultaneously outputs the phases φn (n=1, 2, 3) of the received radio waves corresponding to the first antenna element 31, the second antenna element 32, and the third antenna element 33, respectively. Furthermore, when transmitting and receiving radio waves, the wireless communication processing unit 4 outputs the transmission time and reception time regarding any one of the three antenna elements as time information at the time of transmission and reception.

The position estimating unit 5 determines the distance between two antenna elements constituting a one-dimensional array antenna based on phase information φ of received radio waves output by the first radio circuit 41, the second radio circuit 42, and the third radio circuit 43, respectively. a phase difference measurement unit 51 that measures the phase difference Δφ of received radio waves; an arrival angle calculation unit 52 that calculates the arrival angle θ of the radio waves with respect to the antenna axis based on the phase difference Δφ; the first radio circuit 41, the second radio A propagation time calculation unit 53 that calculates the propagation time TOF (Time of Flight) during which radio waves travel back and forth based on time information at the time of transmission and reception outputted by either the circuit 42 or the third radio circuit 43; a distance calculation unit 54 that calculates the distance R, and a three-dimensional position estimation unit that calculates the three-dimensional spatial position of the wireless communication device 2 with respect to the position estimation communication device 1 by inputting the arrival angle θ of the radio wave with respect to all antenna axes and the distance R. 55.

<Operation principle of position estimation communication device 1 and position estimation communication system 100 according to Embodiment 1>
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method of measuring the arrival angle θ of radio waves based on the phase difference Δφ of received radio waves between antenna elements in the position estimation communication device 1 and the position estimation communication system 100 according to the first embodiment. . A method of measuring the arrival angle θ of a radio wave using the phase difference Δφ of received radio waves between antenna elements by the arrival angle calculation unit 52 included in the position estimating unit 5 will be described with reference to FIG.

Two antenna elements among the three antenna elements, for example, the first antenna element 31 and the second antenna element 32, are spaced apart from each other so that the distance D is less than or equal to 1/2 of the wavelength λ of the radio wave. As shown in Fig. 2, when radio waves arrive from a direction at an angle θ to the antenna axis, the transmission A distance difference P occurs. The distance difference P in propagation distance is observed as a phase difference Δφ between the received radio waves received by the first antenna element 31 and the second antenna element 32 at the same time. The phase difference measurement unit 51 measures the phase difference Δφ of the received radio waves between the antenna elements based on the phase φn of the radio waveforms received by the first radio circuit 41 and the second radio circuit 42 . The following equation (1) holds true between the phase difference Δφ of the received radio waves and the arrival angle θ of the radio waves.

したがって、到来角度計算部５２は、以下の式（２）に基づき、電波の到来角度θを算出することができる。

Therefore, the arrival angle calculating section 52 can calculate the arrival angle θ of the radio wave based on the following equation (2).

As can be seen from equation (2), in order to make the mapping from the phase difference Δφ of the received radio waves to the arrival angle θ of the radio waves one-to-one in [0, π], for the distance D, D≦λ /2 is set. That is, the first antenna element 31 and the second antenna element 32, which are part of the configuration of the antenna section 3, are arranged in an array on a plane, and the distance D between adjacent antenna elements, that is, the first antenna element 31 and the second antenna element 32 is set to 1/2 or less of the wavelength λ of the radio wave.

Using FIG. 3, regarding the distance R between the first antenna element 31 of the position estimation communication device 1 and the terminal antenna section 21 of the wireless communication device 2, the radio waves between the position estimation communication device 1 and the wireless communication device 2 are used. An example of a method for calculating the distance R between the position estimation communication device 1 and the wireless communication device 2 will be explained based on the propagation time TOF generated by two-way communication.

The first radio circuit 41 in the position estimation communication device 1 transmits radio waves from the first antenna element 31 to the radio communication device 2 . The terminal antenna unit 21 of the wireless communication device 2 receives the radio wave transmitted from the position estimation communication device 1, receives the radio wave in the terminal wireless communication processing unit 22, and then transmits a reply signal from the terminal antenna unit 21. When replying, information on the processing time TB required for the reception process in the wireless communication device 2 is added.

In the position estimation communication device 1 , the first radio circuit 41 receives and processes the radio waves received by the first antenna element 31 . The propagation time calculation unit 53 uses the following equation (3) using the delay time TA calculated from the transmission time and reception time in the first radio circuit 41 and the processing time TB transmitted from the radio communication device 2. to calculate the propagation time TOF. Note that the delay time between each antenna element and each radio circuit is measured in advance and reflected in the delay time TA and processing time TB.

距離計算部５４は、伝搬時間ＴＯＦから、位置推定通信装置１の第１アンテナ素子３１と無線通信機２の端末アンテナ部２１との距離Ｒを算出する。光速をｃとすると、伝搬時間ＴＯＦを用いて距離Ｒを、式（４）を用いて算出することが可能である。すなわち、距離計算部５４は、以下の式（４）を用いて、距離Ｒを算出する。

The distance calculation unit 54 calculates the distance R between the first antenna element 31 of the position estimation communication device 1 and the terminal antenna unit 21 of the wireless communication device 2 from the propagation time TOF. When the speed of light is c, it is possible to calculate the distance R using the propagation time TOF using equation (4). That is, the distance calculation unit 54 calculates the distance R using the following equation (4).

Similarly, for the other two antenna elements, the respective distances R can be acquired through communication with the terminal antenna section 21 of the wireless communication device 2. However, in a normal measurement range, if the distance D between the antenna elements is very small compared to the distance R, any distance R can be used as the representative value.

<Operating principle of position estimation method according to Embodiment 1>
The position estimation method in the three-dimensional position estimation section 55 will be explained using FIGS. 4 to 7. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the basic configuration of an array antenna for measuring the arrival angle θ and distance R of radio waves in the position estimation communication device 1 and the position estimation communication system 100 according to the first embodiment. The antenna section 3 is a one-dimensional array antenna in which two antenna elements, a first antenna element 31 and a second antenna element 32, are pattern-mounted on a substrate at an interval of a distance D, which is less than or equal to 1/2 of the wavelength λ of a radio wave. It has a configuration.

The two antenna elements shown in FIG. 4 are the first antenna element 31 and the second antenna element described in FIG. 2. The phase difference Δφ between the received radio waves between the two antenna elements makes it possible to measure the arrival angle θ of the radio waves with respect to the antenna axis X. In addition, as explained in FIG. 3, the distance between the wireless communication device 2 and one of the two antenna elements, or the average value of the distance between the wireless communication device 2 and both antenna elements, is calculated as the distance. It can be calculated as R.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating how the position of the wireless communication device 2 is estimated based on the arrival angle θ and the distance R of the radio waves measured by the one-dimensional array antenna shown in FIG. In FIG. 2, the arrival angle θ of the radio wave is expressed in a two-dimensional manner, but in FIG. 5, the arrival angle θ of the radio wave in a three-dimensional space is assumed. Furthermore, for convenience, three orthogonal axes (X, Y, Z) will be considered as shown in FIG. 5, with the linear axis X connecting the first antenna element 31 and the second antenna element 32 as a reference.

The arrival angle θ of the radio waves transmitted by the wireless communication device 2 is defined as the arrival angle θ of the radio waves in a three-dimensional space, where the arrival path of the radio waves is one point on the antenna axis X with the apex T as shown in FIG. , which means that it is a generatrix on the conical side surface S of a cone with the arrival angle θ of the radio wave being 1/2 of the apex angle and the antenna axis X being the rotation axis. Furthermore, since the distance between the antenna section 3 and the wireless communication device 2 is represented by the distance R, the position of the wireless communication device 2 is further limited. That is, in a cone whose generatrix length determined by the arrival angle θ of the radio wave is the distance R, the position of the wireless communication device 2 exists at any position on the circumference C at the cone base U. Then it can be estimated.

FIG. 6 shows a two-dimensional array antenna in which three antenna elements, a first antenna element 31, a second antenna element 32, and a third antenna element 33, are mounted at each vertex position of an equilateral triangle on a substrate. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating how the three-dimensional position of the wireless communication device 2 is estimated by the antenna unit 3 using a top view and a side view.

As shown in FIG. 6, the two-dimensional array antenna includes three one-dimensional array antennas: a one-dimensional first array antenna 12A consisting of a first antenna element 31 and a second antenna element 32; It can be considered to be composed of a one-dimensional second array antenna 23A made up of three antenna elements 33, and a one-dimensional third array antenna 31A made up of a third antenna element 33 and a first antenna element 31.

As described above, the received radio waves for each of the one-dimensional first array antenna 12A, one-dimensional second array antenna 23A, and one-dimensional third array antenna 31A are determined based on the phase information φ of the received radio waves for all the measured antenna elements. It is possible to calculate the phase difference Δφ of the radio waves, and also calculate the arrival angle θ of the radio waves. Furthermore, since the distance R between the antenna unit 3 and the wireless communication device 2 is also calculated at the same time, wireless communication by the one-dimensional first array antenna 12A, the one-dimensional second array antenna 23A, and the one-dimensional third array antenna 31A is performed. As the estimated regions in which the aircraft 2 exists, the surrounding regions of the cone base U of the cone, such as the estimated region C12, the estimated region C23, and the estimated region C31, can be calculated.

As shown in FIG. 6, the three-dimensional position estimating unit 55 calculates a three-dimensional spatial coordinate position that minimizes the distance error from the three estimated areas C12, C23, and C31, and uses the calculated position. It is output as the estimated position of the wireless communication device 2. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram when the three-dimensional position of the wireless communication device 2 is estimated in the first embodiment, and the position in the entire sky with the antenna section 3 as the bottom surface is estimated.

<Processing flow of position estimation method according to Embodiment 1>
An overview of the processing flow of the position estimation method according to the first embodiment will be described using the flowchart shown in FIG. 8. When the position estimation communication device 1 starts position estimation, the wireless communication processing unit 4 is activated in step S101. At startup, the synchronization circuit 44 outputs a synchronization signal, and the synchronization circuit 44 outputs a synchronization signal, and the first radio circuit, which is three radio circuits, corresponds to the first antenna element 31, the second antenna element 32, and the third antenna element 33, which are the three antenna elements. A synchronization signal is input to each of the radio circuit 41, the second radio circuit 42, and the third radio circuit 43 to start a synchronization operation, and the process proceeds to step S102.

In step S102, any one antenna element is selected from the three antenna elements, the first antenna element 31, the second antenna element 32, and the third antenna element 33, and the radio corresponding to the selected antenna element is A wireless signal using radio waves is transmitted to the wireless communication device 2 using the circuit. When the wireless communication device 2 receives the wireless signal, the terminal wireless communication processing unit 22 sends the wireless signal back to the position estimation communication device 1. That is, bidirectional communication is started between the selected antenna element and the wireless communication device 2. The returned radio signal is received by all the antenna elements, that is, the three antenna elements, and is processed by all the radio circuits that are already operating synchronously in step S101.

In step S103, the propagation time TOF is measured using the time information at the time of transmission and reception output by the selected wireless circuit. Furthermore, in step S104, the distance R between the position estimation communication device 1 and the wireless communication device 2 is calculated using the propagation time TOF, and the process proceeds to step S107.

In parallel with each process of step S103 and step S104, in step S105, the phase difference Δφ of the received radio waves in the three one-dimensional array antennas (all antennas) is determined based on the phase information φ of the received radio waves output by all the radio circuits. is measured, and the process proceeds to step S106.

In step S106, the arrival angle θn (n=1, 2, 3) of the radio waves with respect to the antenna axes of the three one-dimensional array antennas is calculated based on the phase difference Δφ between the received radio waves of adjacent array antennas.

In step S107, the distance R calculated in step S104, the arrival angle θn (n=1, 2, 3) of the radio wave with respect to each antenna axis of the three one-dimensional array antennas calculated in step S106, and each antenna axis Calculate three estimation areas C12, C23, and C31 corresponding to each of the one-dimensional array antennas based on the angle φn (n=1, 2, 3), which is the installation angle in the local coordinate system of the position estimation communication device 1. do. Using the three estimation areas C12, C23, and C31, the position where the distance error is minimum is calculated, and the calculation result is output as the estimated position of the wireless communication device 2. After outputting the estimated position, in step S108, the process returns to step S102 and the above-described processes are repeated until the position estimation process receives an end instruction.
The above is an overview of the processing flow of the position estimation method according to the first embodiment.

<Comparison of the position estimation communication system according to the first embodiment and the conventional position estimation communication system>
An example of the position estimation communication system according to the first embodiment as a smart system is shown in FIG. 9 together with an example of a conventional position estimation communication system. FIG. 9A shows an example to which a conventional position estimation communication system is applied. In the conventional position estimation communication system, the position of the wireless communication device 2 is estimated using only the distance. As a typical method, trilateration method or multilateration method is used.

In a conventional position estimation communication system, as shown in FIG. 9(a), a plurality of wireless communication devices installed in a vehicle are used, such as a wireless communication device 1A, a wireless communication device 1B, and a wireless communication device 1C. A wireless communication device will be required. On the other hand, in the position estimation communication system 100 according to the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9(b), only one position estimation communication device 1 which also serves as a wireless communication device mounted on the vehicle is sufficient. Therefore, the position estimation communication system 100 according to the first embodiment is more advantageous than the conventional position estimation communication system in terms of layout freedom, cost, and shortening of measurement time.

FIG. 10 shows an example of applying the position estimation communication system 100 according to the first embodiment to RTLS together with an example of a conventional system. FIG. 10(a) shows the configuration of a conventional position estimation communication system. Conventional position estimation communication systems that use only distance to estimate position use a multilateral measurement method, similar to smart systems, so it is necessary to install multiple wireless communication devices in a place with good visibility, such as on the ceiling. Ta. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 10A, it was necessary to install a total of four wireless communication devices: a wireless communication device 1A, a wireless communication device 1B, a wireless communication device 1C, and a wireless communication device 1D.

On the other hand, in the position estimation communication system 100 according to the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. Since only one is required as long as the range can be covered by , it is more advantageous than conventional position estimation communication systems in terms of layout flexibility, cost, and shortening of measurement time.

<Characteristics and effects of the position estimation communication device 1 and the position estimation communication system 100 according to the first embodiment>
The position estimation communication system 100 according to the first embodiment estimates the position of the wireless communication device 2 with respect to the position estimation communication device 1 by performing bidirectional communication, and the position estimation communication device 1 transmits and receives radio waves. An antenna unit 3 that processes wireless signals transmitted and received as radio waves from the antenna unit 3, a wireless communication processing unit 4 that processes wireless signals transmitted and received as radio waves from the antenna unit 3, and a relative position of the wireless communication device 2 with respect to the position estimation communication device 1 from the information outputted by the wireless communication processing unit 4. It is composed of a position estimating section 5 for estimating the position. The antenna section 3 has a configuration in which a plurality of antenna elements for transmitting and receiving radio waves are arranged in a two-dimensional array on a plane such that the distance between adjacent antenna elements is 1/2 or less of the wavelength λ of the radio waves.

The wireless communication processing unit 4, which is one of the components of the position estimation communication device 1, collects phase information φ of radio waves received by each antenna element and the time of transmission and reception between the position estimation communication device 1 and the wireless communication device 2. A synchronization signal for synchronizing the operation timing of the first radio circuit 41, the second radio circuit 42, and the third radio circuit 43, which are a plurality of radio circuits that output information, and the operation timing of each radio circuit, especially the reception operation. It has a synchronization circuit 44 that outputs the phase information φ of the received radio waves in each antenna element at the same time. The position estimation unit 5 uses the phase information φ of the received radio waves to regard adjacent antenna elements as one-dimensional array antennas, calculates the arrival angle θ of the radio waves with respect to the antenna axis of the one-dimensional array antenna, and calculates the arrival angle θ of the radio waves at the time of transmission and reception. The distance R between the antenna element and the terminal antenna section 21 on the side of the wireless communication device 2 is calculated based on the time information, and the distance R between the antenna element and the terminal antenna section 21 on the side of the wireless communication device 2 is calculated, and the wireless communication is performed for the position estimation communication device 1 based on the arrival angle θ of the radio waves and the distance R with respect to the plurality of antenna axes. It is characterized by estimating the three-dimensional position of the communication device 2.

The antenna section 3 can be considered to be composed of a plurality of one-dimensional array antennas by arranging antenna elements in a two-dimensional array on a plane and selecting two adjacent antenna elements. In the antenna elements of a one-dimensional array antenna, there is a difference in the propagation distance of radio waves, so a delay occurs in the reception time of radio waves between the antenna elements. The wireless communication processing unit 4 measures and outputs phase information φ of the received radio waves and time information at the time of transmission and reception to determine this delay. Since the synchronization circuit 44 synchronizes all the radio circuits, it is possible to measure the phase information φ of the received radio waves for all the antenna elements constituting the antenna section 3 in one measurement.

The position estimating unit 5 calculates the arrival angle θ of the radio waves with respect to each antenna axis of the one-dimensional array antenna that constitutes the antenna unit 3 based on the above-mentioned phase information φ of the received radio waves. The arrival path of the radio wave is a generatrix existing on the conical side surface S, with the one-dimensional array antenna position as the apex, the antenna axis of the one-dimensional array antenna as the rotation axis, and the conical apex T of the cone as twice the radio wave arrival angle θ. becomes. Further, the position estimating unit 5 calculates the distance R based on the time information at the time of transmission and reception with respect to the antenna element of the antenna unit 3. Since the arrival angle θ and the distance R of the radio waves can be determined at the same time, the area where the wireless communication device 2 is present can be determined by determining the distance between the generatrix of the conical side surface S and the distance between the position estimation communication device 1 and the wireless communication device 2. The distance can be limited to the circumference C of the conical bottom surface U of the conical body. That is, the circumference C of the conical bottom surface U represents an estimated area where the position of the wireless communication device 2 is estimated.

When the antenna section 3 is configured by a plurality of one-dimensional array antennas whose antenna axes have different angles with respect to the coordinate system of the position estimation communication device 1, the estimated area represented by the circumference C of the conical bottom surface U of the cone described above is , multiple regions are derived on the three-dimensional space. Therefore, it is possible to estimate the position of the wireless communication device 2 based on the estimated area represented by the circumference C of the plurality of conical bottom surfaces U.

In the position estimation communication device 1 and the position estimation communication system 100 according to the first embodiment, the antenna unit 3 has at least three or more antenna elements, and the mounting positions of the antenna elements on a plane are arranged in each part of a regular polygon. The two-dimensional array is arranged such that the antenna axes of the one-dimensional array antenna formed by two adjacent antenna elements forming the sides of the polygon are at an angle to each other. It is said that That is, since the distance between the antenna elements other than the adjacent antenna elements can be maintained greater than the distance between the adjacent antenna elements, the antenna configuration is less susceptible to influence from other antenna elements other than the adjacent antenna elements.

Furthermore, in the position estimation communication device 1 and the position estimation communication system 100 according to the first embodiment, it is possible to keep the size of the antenna section 3 small. As the antenna size becomes smaller, the distances between each antenna element and the wireless communication device 2 can be considered to be approximately the same if the communication distance is sufficiently long compared to the distance between antenna elements. Therefore, since the distance can be represented by the distance between one antenna element and the wireless communication device 2, there is an advantage that the number of communications for distance measurement can be reduced. Furthermore, since the antenna size is small, each component of the wireless communication processing unit 4 can be placed close to each other, making it easy to keep the wiring connecting the synchronous circuit 44 and the wireless circuit short and at equal distances. Therefore, there is an advantage that circuit mounting is easy.

In the position estimating communication device 1 and the position estimating communication system 100 according to the first embodiment, the position estimating unit 5 calculates the phase difference Δφ of received radio waves between adjacent antenna elements based on the phase information φ of the received radio waves. The phase difference measurement unit 51, the arrival angle calculation unit 52 that calculates the arrival angle θ of the radio wave with respect to the antenna axis of the one-dimensional array antenna from the phase difference Δφ of the received radio waves, and the time information at the time of transmission and reception output by the wireless communication processing unit 4. a propagation time calculation unit 53 that measures the propagation time TOF of radio waves between the position estimation communication device 1 and the wireless communication device 2 based on the propagation time, and a distance that calculates the distance between the position estimation communication device 1 and the wireless communication device 2 from the propagation time. The calculation unit 54 and the wireless communication device 2 calculate the angle of each one-dimensional array antenna axis with respect to the coordinate system of the position estimation communication device 1, and the radio wave arrival angle θ and distance R at each one-dimensional array antenna. It is characterized by comprising a three-dimensional position estimating section 55 that estimates the three-dimensional position with the minimum distance error as the position of the wireless communication device 2 based on the existing estimation area.

The arrival angle θ of the radio wave can be calculated based on the difference in communication distance between each antenna element of the one-dimensional array antenna and the wireless communication device 2. In the position estimation communication system 100, this distance difference is calculated from the phase difference Δφ of the received radio waves based on the phase information φ of the received radio waves. The synchronization circuit 44 of the position estimation communication system 100 synchronizes the first antenna element 31 and the second antenna, which are all the antenna elements constituting the antenna section 3, with respect to the same radio waveform in order to operate the radio circuits in synchronization accurately. The phase information φ of the received radio waves for the element 32 and the third antenna element 33 can be measured at once. In other words, since the phase difference Δφ of the received radio waves of any one-dimensional array antenna can be determined in one measurement, it is possible to simultaneously calculate the arrival angle θ of the radio waves with respect to the antenna axis of any one-dimensional array antenna. Become.

The distance between the position estimation communication device 1 and the wireless communication device 2 can be calculated from the propagation time TOF due to bidirectional communication. The propagation time calculation section 53 calculates the propagation time TOF from the time information at the time of transmission and reception outputted by the wireless communication processing section 4, and the distance calculation section 54 calculates the accurate distance by dividing the propagation time TOF by the speed of light c. be able to. Since the distance can be calculated during the wireless communication process, it is possible to calculate the arrival angle θ of the radio waves and the distance R between the position estimation communication device 1 and the wireless communication device 2 at the same time.

The three-dimensional position estimating unit 55 calculates the circumferential area of the conical base of the cone with respect to each antenna axis based on the phase difference Δφ and distance R of the received radio waves calculated from the measurement results, and calculates the circumferential area of the conical base of the cone with respect to each antenna axis, and obtains the phase information φ and the distance R of the received radio waves. Based on the distance R, the position where the distance error is minimum is calculated as the estimated position of the wireless communication device 2. Here, each antenna element of the antenna section 3 is arranged close to each other. For example, when performing wireless communication using radio waves in the 8 GHz band using the UWB communication method, the distance between antenna elements is set to 2 cm or less. Therefore, if the distance between the position estimation communication device 1 and the wireless communication device 2 is sufficiently large, the difference in distance between individual antenna elements is small, so it is possible to use the distance regarding either antenna element as a representative value. can. Therefore, the phase information φ of the received radio waves necessary for position estimation, that is, the phase difference Δφ of the received radio waves and the distance R, can be measured at the same time in one wireless communication, making it easy to estimate the position of the wireless communication device 2. .

<Effects of Embodiment 1>
As described above, according to the position estimation communication device 1 and the position estimation communication system 100 according to the first embodiment, a two-dimensional array antenna is configured using a plurality of antenna elements, and two antenna elements forming the two-dimensional array antenna The phase difference Δφ and propagation time TOF of the received radio waves are measured with respect to the antenna axes of the plurality of one-dimensional array antennas formed, and the arrival angle θ of the radio wave from the radio communication device whose position is to be estimated and the radio communication device The distance R to the wireless communication device is calculated and the position of the wireless communication device is estimated based on the arrival angle θ of the radio wave and the distance R. This has the effect that the position of can be easily estimated. In addition, since the phase information φ of the received radio waves for all antenna elements is simultaneously measured using a synchronization circuit that synchronizes the wireless communication processing unit, the phase difference Δφ of the received radio waves with respect to the antenna axis consisting of all adjacent antenna elements is can be processed by one measurement, which has the effect of significantly shortening the processing time for positioning.

Embodiment 2.
FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the configuration of a position estimation communication device 1a and a position estimation communication system 100a according to the second embodiment.

<Configuration of position estimation communication system 100a according to Embodiment 2>
The position estimation communication system 100a includes a position estimation communication device 1a and a wireless communication device 2. The position estimation communication device 1a includes an antenna section 3a, a wireless communication processing section 4a, and a position estimation section 5a.

As in the first embodiment, the wireless communication device 2 includes a terminal antenna section 21 and a terminal wireless communication processing section 22. The wireless communication device 2 receives radio waves emitted from the position estimation communication device 1 by the terminal antenna unit 21, performs reception processing on the radio waves in the terminal wireless communication processing unit 22, generates a transmission signal, and transmits the radio waves to the terminal antenna unit 21. The reply process is carried out via

<Configuration of position estimation communication device 1a according to Embodiment 2>
As shown in FIG. 11, the antenna unit 3a in the position estimation communication device 1a according to the second embodiment is constructed by pattern-mounting two antenna elements, a first antenna element 31 and a second antenna element 32, on a substrate. configured. Note that the antenna section 3a shown in FIG. 11 is an example of the minimum configuration of the antenna section.

The antenna elements are arranged so that the distance D between the two antenna elements is equal to or less than 1/2 of the wavelength λ of radio waves in the UWB communication system. The two antenna elements can function as a one-dimensional array antenna 12B. Note that bidirectional communication for the purpose of positioning is performed with the wireless communication device 2 via each antenna element.

The wireless communication processing unit 4a in the position estimation communication device 1a according to the second embodiment includes a first wireless circuit 41 and a second wireless circuit, which are two wireless circuits corresponding to the first antenna element 31 and the second antenna element 32, respectively. 42, and a synchronization circuit 44 that synchronizes the two radio circuits.

When transmitting radio waves, the radio communication processing unit 4a selects one of the two radio circuits and transmits the radio waves from the antenna element corresponding to the selected radio circuit to the radio communication device 2. Sent. Furthermore, when receiving a radio wave, the radio communication processing unit 4a outputs a synchronization signal from the synchronization circuit 44, synchronizes the two radio circuits, and processes the radio wave waveform received by the corresponding antenna element.

When receiving radio waves, the wireless communication processing unit 4a outputs the phase of the radio waveform accurately at the same timing as phase information φ of the received radio waves. That is, the wireless communication processing unit 4a simultaneously outputs phases φn (n=1, 2) corresponding to each of the first antenna element 31 and the second antenna element 32. Furthermore, when transmitting radio waves, the wireless communication processing unit 4a outputs the transmission time and reception time regarding any antenna element as time information at the time of transmission and reception.

The position estimation unit 5a in the position estimation communication device 1a according to the second embodiment includes a rotation mechanism unit 56 that rotates the antenna unit 3a, and phase information φ of received radio waves output by the first radio circuit 41 and the second radio circuit 42. Based on this, a phase difference measurement unit 51 measures the phase difference Δφ between the received radio waves in the two antenna elements constituting the one-dimensional array antenna 12B, and a phase difference measurement unit 51 that measures the phase difference Δφ between the received radio waves with respect to the antenna axis of the one-dimensional array antenna 12B. Calculate the propagation time TOF for the round trip of the radio wave using the arrival angle calculation unit 52 that calculates the arrival angle θ of the radio wave and the time information at the time of transmission and reception output by either the first radio circuit 41 or the second radio circuit 42 A distance calculation unit 54 that calculates the distance R between the position estimation communication device 1a and the wireless communication device 2 based on the propagation time TOF, and a rotation angle ω output from the rotation mechanism unit 56. Then, based on the arrival angle θ of the radio wave and the distance R with respect to the rotated antenna axis, the estimated area where the wireless communication device 2 exists is calculated one after another, and the three-dimensional position where the distance error calculated based on the estimated area is minimized is found. The three-dimensional position estimation unit 55 estimates the position of the wireless communication device 2.

Similar to the position estimation communication device 1 according to the first embodiment described above, the arrival angle calculation unit 52 calculates the arrival angle θ of the radio wave using equation (1) and equation (2), as explained in FIG. do. The propagation time calculation section 53 calculates the propagation time TOF using equation (3), and the distance calculation section 54 calculates the distance R using equation (4).

<Operation principle of position estimation communication device 1a and position estimation communication system 100a according to Embodiment 2>
A position estimation method by the position estimation unit 5a in the second embodiment will be explained using FIGS. 4, 5, and 12. The antenna section 3a in the second embodiment basically has a one-dimensional array antenna 12B in which two antenna elements, a first antenna element 31 and a second antenna element 32, are mounted. Therefore, according to the operating principle explained using FIGS. 4 and 5 in Embodiment 1, the arrival angle θ of the radio wave from the wireless communication device 2 and the distance R between the position estimation communication device 1a and the wireless communication device 2 are determined. can be measured respectively. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, the wireless communication device 2 is located in the area of the circumference C on the conical bottom surface U of a cone where the arrival angle θ of the radio wave is 1/2 of the apex angle and the distance R is the generatrix length. Presumed.

FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating how a three-dimensional position is estimated by one one-dimensional array antenna 12B as in the second embodiment. FIG. 12 shows how the position estimation is performed while rotating the antenna section 3a using the rotation mechanism section 56, which is one of the characteristic configurations of the position estimation communication device 1a according to the second embodiment. The rotation mechanism unit 56 continuously rotates the antenna unit 3a and outputs a rotation angle ω at each time when position estimation is performed through communication. In FIG. 12, the position of the antenna section 3a at past time t0 is indicated as antenna section 3a_t0, and the position of antenna section 3a at current time t1 is indicated as antenna section 3a_t1.

FIG. 12 shows an estimated area at past time t0 consisting of the circumferential area of the conical base based on the measurement results obtained by measuring the arrival angle θ and distance R of radio waves at time t0 (past time) and time t1 (current time). It is a diagram illustrating how the estimated area C12_t1 of C12_t0 and the current time t1 is derived. The estimated area is calculated as a continuous time-series estimated area as the antenna section 3a rotates. Using the estimated area C12_t1 at the current time t1 and the estimated area C12_t0 at the past time t0, the position where the distance error is minimum is estimated as the three-dimensional position of the wireless communication device 2.

By rotating the antenna section 3a using the rotation mechanism section 56, the one-dimensional array antenna 12B can be regarded as a two-dimensional array antenna, so that accurate position estimation is possible for the stationary wireless communication device 2. . Furthermore, even when the wireless communication device 2 is moving, if the time interval for position estimation is sufficiently short compared to the moving speed of the wireless communication device 2, the position estimation error is suppressed to a small value. Is possible.

In the position estimation communication device 1a according to the second embodiment, since there is only one set of one-dimensional array antenna 12B, only one set of the arrival angle θ and distance R of the radio waves is output.

<Processing flow of position estimation method according to Embodiment 2>
An overview of the processing flow of the position estimation method according to the second embodiment will be explained using the flowchart shown in FIG. 13.

When the position estimation communication device 1a according to the second embodiment starts position estimation, the wireless communication processing unit 4a is activated in step S201. At this time, the synchronization circuit 44 outputs a synchronization signal, the first radio circuit 41 and the second radio circuit 42 input the synchronization signals, and synchronization processing is started. Simultaneously with the synchronization process, the rotation mechanism section 56 starts rotating the one-dimensional array antenna 12B that constitutes the antenna section 3a.

From step S103 to step S106, the arrival angle θ and distance R of the radio waves are calculated, similar to the flowchart shown in FIG. 8, which is the processing flow of the position estimation method according to the first embodiment. Steps S103 to S106 are the same as described in Embodiment 1, so the description will be omitted.

In step S207, the arrival angle θ and distance R of the radio waves, the past value of the rotation angle ω of the antenna axis output by the rotation mechanism unit 56, that is, the rotation angle ω_t0 at the past time t0, and the current value, that is, the current time Based on the rotation angle ω_t1 at t1, the estimated area of the wireless communication device 2 is calculated and stored as time series data. Then, using the estimated area C12_t0 at the past time t0 and the estimated area C12_t1 at the current time t1, the position where the distance error is minimum is output as the three-dimensional position of the wireless communication device 2. Thereafter, in step S108, the process returns to step S102 and each process is repeated until the position estimation process receives an end instruction.
The above is an overview of the processing flow of the position estimation method according to the second embodiment.

<Characteristics and effects of the position estimation communication device 1a and the position estimation communication system 100a according to the second embodiment>
In the position estimation communication device 1a and the position estimation communication system 100a according to the second embodiment, the antenna section 3a is a one-dimensional array antenna 12B that has two or more antenna elements and has all antenna elements arranged on a linear axis. It is characterized by being composed of. In the second embodiment, the number of antenna elements is two in the minimum configuration. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the size of the antenna section 3a and the wireless communication processing section 4a.

In the position estimation communication device 1a and the position estimation communication system 100a according to the second embodiment, the position estimation unit 5 includes a rotation mechanism unit 56 that rotates the antenna unit 3a and phase information of received radio waves output by the wireless communication processing unit 4a. A phase difference measurement unit 51 that calculates a phase difference Δφ between received radio waves between adjacent antenna elements based on φ, and a one-dimensional array antenna 12B that is composed of two adjacent antenna elements based on the phase difference Δφ between received radio waves. An angle of arrival calculation unit 52 that calculates the arrival angle θ of the radio waves with respect to the antenna axis of A propagation time calculation unit 53 that measures the propagation time TOF, a distance calculation unit 54 that calculates the distance R between the position estimation communication device 1a and the wireless communication device 2 based on the propagation time TOF, and the phase information φ of the received radio wave. The existence of the wireless communication device 2 is determined based on the rotation angle ω in the coordinate system of the position estimation communication device 1a under the control of the rotation mechanism unit 56 at the time of measurement, and the arrival angle θ and distance R of the radio waves at the one-dimensional array antenna 12B. Three-dimensional position estimation in which the three-dimensional position with the minimum distance error is estimated as the position of the wireless communication device 2 by sequentially calculating the estimated area for the current time t1 and the estimated area C12_t0 at the past time t0. It is characterized by being comprised of a section 55.

When the rotation mechanism section 56 rotates the antenna section 3a, the antenna axis of the one-dimensional array antenna 12B of the antenna section 3a also rotates. In FIG. 12, the position of the antenna section 3a at past time t0 is indicated as antenna section 3a_t0, and the position of antenna section 3a at current time t1 is indicated as antenna section 3a_t1.

The wireless communication processing unit 4a, which is one of the components of the position estimation communication device 1a, sequentially outputs phase information φ of the received radio waves at the rotation angle ωn and time information at the time of transmission and reception. That is, by acquiring data in time series, it appears that phase information φ of received radio waves by a plurality of antenna axes having a rotation angle ωn and time information at the time of transmission and reception are acquired. The phase difference measurement unit 51 and the angle of arrival calculation unit 52 calculate the angle of arrival θn based on the phase information φ of the received radio waves. The propagation time calculation section 53 and the distance calculation section 54 also calculate the distance Rn based on the time information at the time of transmission and reception.

The three-dimensional position estimation unit 55 sequentially calculates the circumferential area of the conical base of the cone as an estimation area using the rotation angle ωn of the continuous one-dimensional array antenna 12B, the arrival angle θn of the radio wave, and the distance Rn, Using the estimated area of the current time and the estimated area of the past time, the position with the minimum distance error is determined as the estimated position of the wireless communication device 2. In the second embodiment, the antenna is apparently composed of a plurality of one-dimensional array antennas 12B, and if the measurement sampling is sufficiently fast compared to the moving speed of the object, the position can be estimated with high accuracy. becomes possible.

<Effects of Embodiment 2>
As described above, according to the position estimation communication device 1a and the position estimation communication system 100a according to the second embodiment, the antenna section is composed of a one-dimensional array antenna in which at least two antenna elements are arranged on a linear axis. Since the minimum number of antenna elements required for this purpose is two, it is possible to downsize the antenna section and the wireless communication processing section, which makes it possible to downsize the position estimation communication device and the position estimation communication system. It has a certain effect.

In Embodiments 1 and 2, the wireless communication method is already installed as a standard in the information terminal, taking into account the miniaturization of the antenna and the future use of information terminals such as smartphones as the wireless communication device 2. Alternatively, it is desirable to adopt high frequency wireless specifications that are being standardized, such as the UWB communication system.

In Embodiments 1 and 2, the number of antenna elements mounted in the antenna section 3 and the shape of the array antenna are determined as shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. The present invention is not limited to array antenna configurations.

The above describes the configuration in which the functions of each component of the position estimation communication devices 1 and 1a and the position estimation communication systems 100 and 100a according to Embodiments 1 and 2 are realized by either hardware, software, etc. . However, the present invention is not limited to this, and some of the components of the position estimation communication devices 1 and 1a and the position estimation communication systems 100 and 100a according to Embodiments 1 and 2 may be realized by dedicated hardware, and The configuration may be such that some of the components are realized by software or the like.

For example, as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the functions of some components are realized by a processing circuit 150 as dedicated hardware, and some other components are implemented by a processing circuit as a processor 151. 150 can realize its functions by reading and executing a program for causing a computer or the like to execute the position estimation communication method according to the first and second embodiments stored in the memory 152.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 15, the setting data used by each functional unit of the position estimation communication devices 1 and 1a and the position estimation communication systems 100 and 100a according to the first and second embodiments is part of the software, that is, A program 154 for causing a computer or the like to execute the position estimation method according to Embodiments 1 and 2 may be installed in the memory 152 from a recording medium 153 in which the program 154 is stored.

As described above, the position estimation communication devices 1 and 1a and the position estimation communication systems 100 and 100a according to Embodiments 1 and 2 can realize the above-mentioned functions using hardware, software, etc., or a combination thereof. Can be done.

<Summary of aspects of the present application>
Hereinafter, various aspects of the present application will be collectively described as supplementary notes.

(Additional note 1)
an antenna section in which a plurality of antenna elements for transmitting and receiving radio waves are arranged in an array such that the distance between them is 1/2 or less of the wavelength of the radio waves;
One antenna element is provided corresponding to each of the plurality of antenna elements, and the plurality of antenna elements are used to perform two-way communication using the radio waves with an external wireless communication device, and reception by the plurality of antenna elements is performed. a plurality of radio circuits that output phase information of radio waves and time information at the time of transmission and reception between the plurality of antenna elements and the radio communication device; a synchronization circuit that outputs a synchronization signal that synchronizes the operation of the plurality of radio circuits; , and outputs phase information of the received radio waves in the plurality of antenna elements and time information at the time of the transmission and reception;
a position estimation unit that estimates the position of the wireless communication device based on the phase information of the received radio wave and the time information at the time of transmission and reception;
A position estimation communication device comprising:

(Additional note 2)
The position estimation unit uses the phase information of the received radio waves to calculate the arrival angle of the radio waves with respect to the antenna axis of the one-dimensional array antenna constituted by the two adjacent antenna elements, and calculates the time information at the time of the transmission and reception. Supplementary note 1, characterized in that the distance between the antenna element and the wireless communication device is calculated using the method, and the three-dimensional position of the wireless communication device is estimated based on the arrival angle of the radio wave and the distance. The position estimation communication device described.

(Additional note 3)
According to appendix 1 or 2, the antenna section has three antenna elements, and the three antenna elements are arranged at respective vertices of an equilateral triangle to form a two-dimensional array. location estimation communication device.

(Additional note 4)
According to appendix 1 or 2, the antenna section has n antenna elements, and the n antenna elements are arranged at respective vertices of an n-gon to form a two-dimensional array. location estimation communication device.

(Appendix 5)
The position estimating unit is
a phase difference measurement unit that measures the phase difference of received radio waves between adjacent antenna elements using the phase information of the received radio waves;
an arrival angle calculation unit that calculates an arrival angle of the radio wave with respect to an antenna axis of a one-dimensional array antenna configured by the two adjacent antenna elements, using a phase difference of the received radio wave;
a propagation time measuring unit that measures the propagation time of the radio waves between the plurality of antenna elements and the wireless communication device based on the time information at the time of the transmission and reception outputted by the wireless communication processing unit;
a distance calculation unit that calculates the distance between the antenna element and the wireless communication device based on the propagation time of the radio wave;
Using an estimated area in which the wireless communication device exists, which is calculated based on the angle of each antenna axis of the plurality of one-dimensional array antennas with respect to the coordinate system, and the arrival angle and distance of the radio wave for each one-dimensional array antenna. a three-dimensional position estimation unit that estimates a three-dimensional position as the position of the wireless communication device;
The position estimation communication device according to supplementary note 2, comprising:

(Appendix 6)
The position estimating unit is
a rotation mechanism unit that rotates the antenna unit;
a phase difference measurement unit that measures a phase difference of received radio waves between adjacent antenna elements based on phase information of the received radio waves received by the antenna elements;
an arrival angle calculation unit that calculates an arrival angle of the radio wave with respect to the antenna axis of the one-dimensional array antenna using the phase difference of the received radio wave;
a propagation time measuring unit that measures the propagation time of the radio waves to and from the wireless communication device based on time information at the time of transmission and reception output by the wireless communication processing unit;
a distance calculation unit that calculates a distance to the wireless communication device using the propagation time of the radio waves;
an estimated area in which the wireless communication device exists based on the rotation angle controlled by the rotation mechanism unit at the time when the phase information of the received radio wave and the distance are obtained, the arrival angle of the radio wave at the one-dimensional array antenna, and the distance; a three-dimensional position estimating unit that sequentially calculates the three-dimensional position calculated based on the estimated area of the current time before and after the rotation of the antenna unit and the estimated area of the past time as the position of the wireless communication device. The position estimation communication device according to appendix 2, characterized in that:

(Appendix 7)
The position estimation communication device according to appendix 6, wherein the antenna section has two or more antenna elements and is configured as a one-dimensional array antenna in which all the antenna elements are arranged in a straight line.

(Appendix 8)
8. The position estimation communication device according to any one of appendices 1 to 7, wherein a communication method of the position estimation communication device and the wireless communication device is a UWB communication method.

(Appendix 9)
A position estimation communication system that estimates the position of the wireless communication device with respect to the position estimation communication device by performing two-way communication using radio waves between the position estimation communication device and the wireless communication device,
The position estimation communication device is the position estimation communication device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 7,
The wireless communication device includes:
a terminal antenna unit that performs bidirectional communication with the position estimation communication device using the radio waves;
a terminal wireless communication processing unit that processes the radio waves transmitted and received by the terminal antenna unit;
A location estimation communication system comprising:

(Appendix 10)
The position estimation communication system according to appendix 9, wherein the communication method of the position estimation communication device and the wireless communication device is a UWB communication method.

(Appendix 11)
11. The position estimation communication system according to appendix 9 or 10, wherein the wireless communication device is a mobile terminal.

(Appendix 12)
A position estimation method for estimating the position of the wireless communication device with respect to the position estimation communication device by performing two-way communication using radio waves between the position estimation communication device and the wireless communication device, the method comprising:
selecting one antenna element from a plurality of antenna elements of the position estimation communication device;
outputting a radio signal using radio waves from a radio circuit corresponding to the selected antenna element to the radio communication device;
receiving the wireless signal returned from the wireless communication device by a one-dimensional array antenna constituted by two of the plurality of antenna elements;
measuring the propagation time of the radio wave using time information at the time of transmission and reception outputted by the radio circuit;
calculating a distance between the position estimation communication device and the wireless communication device using the propagation time of the radio waves;
measuring the phase difference of the received radio waves at the one-dimensional array antenna based on the phase information of the received radio waves output by the radio circuit;
calculating an arrival angle of the radio waves based on the phase difference of the received radio waves;
estimating the position of the wireless communication device with respect to the position estimation communication device using the arrival angle of the radio wave and the distance;
A position estimation method comprising:

Although this disclosure describes various exemplary embodiments and examples, the various features, aspects, and functions described in one or more embodiments may differ from those of a particular embodiment. The invention is not limited to application, and can be applied to the embodiments alone or in various combinations.

Accordingly, countless variations not illustrated are envisioned within the scope of the technology disclosed herein. For example, this includes cases where at least one component is modified, added, or omitted, and cases where at least one component is extracted and combined with components of other embodiments.

Reference Signs List 1, 1a position estimation communication device, 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 2 wireless communication device, 3, 3a antenna unit, 4, 4a wireless communication processing unit, 5, 5a position estimation unit, 12A one-dimensional first array antenna, 12B one-dimensional array antenna, 23A one-dimensional second array antenna, 31A one-dimensional third array antenna, 21 terminal antenna section, 22 terminal wireless communication processing section, 31 first antenna element, 32 second antenna element, 33 third antenna element, 41 first radio circuit, 42 second radio circuit, 43 third radio circuit, 44 synchronization circuit, 51 phase difference measurement section, 52 angle of arrival calculation section, 53 propagation time calculation section, 54 distance calculation section, 55 three-dimensional Position estimation section, 56 Rotation mechanism section, 100, 100a Position estimation communication system, 150 Processing circuit, 151 Processor, 152 Memory, 153 Recording medium, 154 Program, C Circumference, S Conical side surface, T Conical apex, U Conical bottom surface, C12, C23, C31 Estimated area

Claims (11)

A plurality of antenna elements that transmit and receive radio waves are arranged at each vertex of a regular polygon, and arranged in an array so that the distance between two adjacent antenna elements is 1/2 or less of the wavelength of the radio waves. an antenna section,
One antenna element is provided corresponding to each of the plurality of antenna elements, and the plurality of antenna elements are used to perform two-way communication using the radio waves with an external wireless communication device, and reception by the plurality of antenna elements is performed. a plurality of radio circuits that output phase information of radio waves and time information at the time of transmission and reception between the plurality of antenna elements and the radio communication device; a synchronization circuit that outputs a synchronization signal that synchronizes the operation of the plurality of radio circuits; , and outputs phase information of the received radio waves in the plurality of antenna elements and time information at the time of the transmission and reception;
Using the phase information of the received radio wave, calculate the arrival angle of the radio wave with respect to the antenna axis of the one-dimensional array antenna constituted by the two adjacent antenna elements, and use the time information at the time of transmission and reception to calculate the angle of arrival of the radio wave between the antenna elements. a position estimation unit that calculates a distance to the wireless communication device and estimates a three-dimensional position of the wireless communication device based on the arrival angle of the radio wave and the distance;
The position estimating unit is
a phase difference measurement unit that measures the phase difference of received radio waves between adjacent antenna elements using the phase information of the received radio waves;
an arrival angle calculation unit that calculates an arrival angle of the radio wave with respect to an antenna axis of a one-dimensional array antenna configured by the two adjacent antenna elements, using a phase difference of the received radio wave;
a propagation time measuring unit that measures the propagation time of the radio waves between the plurality of antenna elements and the wireless communication device based on the time information at the time of the transmission and reception outputted by the wireless communication processing unit;
a distance calculation unit that calculates the distance between the antenna element and the wireless communication device based on the propagation time of the radio wave;
Based on the angle of the antenna axis of each of the plurality of one-dimensional array antennas with respect to the coordinate system, and the arrival angle and distance of the radio wave for each one-dimensional array antenna, one point on the antenna axis is set as the apex of the cone, and the radio wave is As an estimated area where the radio communication device exists, an area on the circle on the conical base of the cone where the arrival angle is 1/2 of the apex angle and the generatrix length of the cone with the antenna axis as the rotation axis is the distance. The three-dimensional position of the wireless communication device is determined by calculating the estimated area for each of the one-dimensional array antennas and calculating a three-dimensional spatial coordinate position that minimizes the distance error from the plurality of estimated areas. a three-dimensional position estimator for estimating;
A position estimation communication device comprising: an antenna section in which a plurality of antenna elements for transmitting and receiving radio waves are arranged in an array such that the distance between them is 1/2 or less of the wavelength of the radio waves;
One antenna element is provided corresponding to each of the plurality of antenna elements, and the plurality of antenna elements are used to perform two-way communication using the radio waves with an external wireless communication device, and reception by the plurality of antenna elements is performed. a plurality of radio circuits that output phase information of radio waves and time information at the time of transmission and reception between the plurality of antenna elements and the radio communication device; a synchronization circuit that outputs a synchronization signal that synchronizes the operation of the plurality of radio circuits; , and outputs phase information of the received radio waves in the plurality of antenna elements and time information at the time of the transmission and reception;
Using the phase information of the received radio wave, calculate the arrival angle of the radio wave with respect to the antenna axis of the one-dimensional array antenna constituted by the two adjacent antenna elements, and use the time information at the time of transmission and reception to calculate the angle of arrival of the radio wave between the antenna elements. a position estimation unit that calculates a distance to the wireless communication device and estimates a three-dimensional position of the wireless communication device based on the arrival angle of the radio wave and the distance;
The position estimating unit is
a rotation mechanism unit that rotates the antenna unit;
a phase difference measurement unit that measures a phase difference of received radio waves between adjacent antenna elements based on phase information of the received radio waves received by the antenna elements;
an arrival angle calculation unit that calculates an arrival angle of the radio wave with respect to the antenna axis of the one-dimensional array antenna using the phase difference of the received radio wave;
a propagation time measuring unit that measures the propagation time of the radio waves to and from the wireless communication device based on time information at the time of transmission and reception output by the wireless communication processing unit;
a distance calculation unit that calculates a distance to the wireless communication device using the propagation time of the radio waves;
A point on the antenna axis is determined based on the rotation angle controlled by the rotation mechanism at the time when the phase information of the received radio wave and the distance are obtained, the arrival angle of the radio wave at the one-dimensional array antenna, and the distance. The apex of the cone is the apex of the cone, the angle of arrival of the radio wave is 1/2 of the apex angle, and the length of the generatrix of the cone with the antenna axis as the rotation axis is the distance above. is sequentially calculated as an estimated area in which the radio communication device exists, and a three-dimensional spatial coordinate position where the distance error from the two estimated areas at different times before and after the rotation of the antenna section is minimum is estimated as the three-dimensional position of the wireless communication device. a three-dimensional position estimation unit;
A position estimation communication device comprising: 3. The antenna unit has three antenna elements, and the three antenna elements are arranged at respective vertices of an equilateral triangle to form a two-dimensional array. The position estimation communication device described. 3. The antenna section has n antenna elements, and the n antenna elements are arranged at respective vertices of an n-gon to form a two-dimensional array. The position estimation communication device described. 3. The position estimation communication device according to claim 2, wherein the antenna section has two or more antenna elements and is configured as a one-dimensional array antenna in which all the antenna elements are arranged in a straight line. The position estimation communication device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a communication method of the position estimation communication device and the wireless communication device is a UWB communication method. A position estimation communication system that estimates the position of the wireless communication device with respect to the position estimation communication device by performing two-way communication using radio waves between the position estimation communication device and the wireless communication device,
The position estimation communication device is the position estimation communication device according to any one of claims 1, 2, and 5,
The wireless communication device includes:
a terminal antenna unit that performs bidirectional communication with the position estimation communication device using the radio waves;
a terminal wireless communication processing unit that processes the radio waves transmitted and received by the terminal antenna unit;
A position estimation communication system comprising: 8. The position estimation communication system according to claim 7, wherein a communication method of the position estimation communication device and the wireless communication device is a UWB communication method. 8. The position estimation communication system according to claim 7, wherein the wireless communication device is a mobile terminal. A position estimation method for estimating the position of the wireless communication device with respect to the position estimation communication device by performing two-way communication using radio waves between the position estimation communication device and the wireless communication device, the method comprising:
A plurality of antenna elements that transmit and receive radio waves are arranged at each vertex of a regular polygon, and arranged in an array so that the distance between two adjacent antenna elements is 1/2 or less of the wavelength of the radio waves. selecting one antenna element from the plurality of antenna elements of the position estimation communication device;
outputting a radio signal using radio waves from a radio circuit corresponding to the selected antenna element to the radio communication device;
receiving the wireless signal returned from the wireless communication device by a one-dimensional array antenna constituted by two of the plurality of antenna elements;
measuring the propagation time of the radio wave using time information at the time of transmission and reception outputted by the radio circuit;
calculating a distance between the position estimation communication device and the wireless communication device using the propagation time of the radio waves;
measuring the phase difference of the received radio waves at the one-dimensional array antenna based on the phase information of the received radio waves output by the radio circuit;
calculating an arrival angle of the radio waves based on the phase difference of the received radio waves;
Based on the angle of the antenna axis of each of the plurality of one-dimensional array antennas with respect to the coordinate system, and the arrival angle and distance of the radio wave for each one-dimensional array antenna, one point on the antenna axis is set as the apex of the cone, and the radio wave is As an estimated area where the radio communication device exists, an area on the circle on the conical base of the cone where the arrival angle is 1/2 of the apex angle and the generatrix length of the cone with the antenna axis as the rotation axis is the distance. The three-dimensional position of the wireless communication device is determined by calculating the estimated area for each of the one-dimensional array antennas and calculating a three-dimensional spatial coordinate position that minimizes the distance error from the plurality of estimated areas. a step of estimating;
A position estimation method comprising: A position estimation method for estimating the position of the wireless communication device with respect to the position estimation communication device by performing two-way communication using radio waves between the position estimation communication device and the wireless communication device, the method comprising:
rotating a one-dimensional array antenna formed by two adjacent antenna elements of the position estimation communication device;
measuring a phase difference of received radio waves between the two adjacent antenna elements based on phase information of the received radio waves received by the one-dimensional array antenna of the position estimation communication device;
calculating the arrival angle of the radio waves with respect to the antenna axis of the one-dimensional array antenna using the phase difference of the received radio waves;
measuring the propagation time of the radio waves to and from the wireless communication device based on time information at the time of transmission and reception;
calculating the distance to the wireless communication device using the propagation time of the radio waves;
Based on the rotation angle of the one-dimensional array antenna at the time when the phase information of the received radio wave and the distance were obtained, the arrival angle of the radio wave at the one-dimensional array antenna, and the distance, a point on the antenna axis is shaped into a cone. The wireless communication device sets the point on the circumference of the conical base of the cone where the apex is 1/2 of the apex angle and the antenna axis is the axis of rotation, and the generatrix length of the cone is the distance. The existing estimated areas are sequentially calculated, and the three-dimensional spatial coordinate position where the distance error from the two estimated areas at different times before and after the rotation of the one-dimensional array antenna is minimized is estimated as the three-dimensional position of the wireless communication device. the step of
A position estimation method comprising:

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