TW201710705A - In-door positioning system and in-door positioning method comprising an identification module, a first positioning module, a bridging module, and a control module - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention is an in-door positioning system and an in-door positioning method. The in-door positioning system comprises an identification module, a first positioning module, a bridging module, and a control module. The identification module is provided at the object, and broadcasts an identification message. The first positioning module is fixedly provided at certain place indoor, and forms a first detection zone for receiving the identification message in the first detection zone. The bridging module receives the identification message from the first positioning module. The control module uses a transceiver unit to receive the identification message from the bridging module, and positions location of the object in accordance with the identification message by management unit. The invention can determine in-door location of the object through the system. Besides the system, the invention further provides an in-door positioning method.

Description

Indoor positioning system and indoor positioning method

The invention relates to the technical field of positioning, in particular to an indoor positioning system and an indoor positioning method for determining one object static or dynamic indoors.

Traditional positioning systems, such as the Global Positioning System (GPS), receive signals from at least three GPS satellites (called three-point positioning) of 24 GPS satellites in space by a GPS chip. The position and altitude of the GPS chip are located to complete the positioning.

The GPS chip can indeed perform accurate positioning, but requires a large amount of computing power (such as using a high-calculation and high-energy processor) to perform the aforementioned precise positioning; however, high energy consumption can accelerate the consumption of, for example, the battery of the portable device, resulting in The endurance of the carrying device is reduced.

For example, in recent years, the most important technical bottleneck of the popular wearing device is the battery life. Therefore, how to reduce power loss becomes very important.

In addition, the global positioning system is mainly used in outdoor spaces, but can also be applied indoors. However, in indoor positioning applications, because the GPS chip is affected by environmental factors (such as being blocked by buildings, etc.), the accuracy of indoor positioning is significantly worse than the accuracy of outdoor positioning.

In order to solve the problem of indoor positioning, the prior art further extends the RFID chip using radio frequency identification (RFID) for indoor positioning; however, the RFID chip is only one-way transmission, and cannot perform bidirectional transmission and control, in other words, The application field of the RFID chip is limited. Moreover, in the wearing device, the RFID chip is not a necessary device, and if the radio frequency identification technology is to be used, the RFID chip needs to be additionally installed, which is very inconvenient for application.

In view of this, the present invention provides an indoor positioning system and an indoor positioning method to solve the lack of the prior art.

A first object of the present invention is to provide an indoor positioning system, including an identification module, a first positioning module, a bridge module, and a control module. The control module receives the first positioning module via the bridge module and the first positioning module. Identifying an identification message of the module to achieve indoor positioning.

A second object of the present invention provides the indoor positioning system, wherein the first positioning module is fixedly disposed at an indoor position to form a detection area for detecting the identification message at the position in the room, The purpose of locating the identification module is achieved.

A third object of the present invention is to provide the indoor positioning system, wherein the identification module, the first positioning module and the bridge module comply with a wired communication specification and/or a wireless communication specification to achieve rapid deployment and low power consumption. efficacy.

A fourth object of the present invention provides the aforementioned indoor positioning system, wherein the type of the identification module can be displayed as a bracelet, a watch, an accessory, a identification card, a pin, a foot ring or a jewelry for attaching to a human body or an object ( The following are collectively referred to as objects).

A fifth object of the present invention provides the indoor positioning system, wherein a plurality of detection modules form a plurality of detection areas, and if the detection areas simultaneously receive the identification information, the control module is based on the identification information in the detection The signal strength of the area is measured to determine which of the detection areas or overlapping areas of the detection areas of the identification module are adjacent to the identification module.

A sixth object of the present invention provides the indoor positioning system, wherein the bridge module can collect the identification message transmitted by the positioning module, and further transmit the identification message to the control module, so that the control module can reach the object to confirm the object. The purpose of the indoor location.

The seventh object of the present invention provides the indoor positioning system, wherein the control module can operate the first positioning module through the bridge module, or the control module can operate through the bridge module and the first positioning module. The identification module.

An eighth object of the present invention provides the indoor positioning system, wherein the identification module can transmit and be controlled in one direction or two directions, and in the one-way mode, the identification module can transmit the identification message; and, in the two-way mode, In addition to transmitting the identification message, the identification module can also receive a control signal from the control module to operate the identification module. For example, the control signal can operate the identification module to enable the identification module. The group produces changes in light, vibration, sound, or image.

A ninth object of the present invention provides the indoor positioning system, which can be embedded in a lamp, a light bulb, a light tube, an electronic device or an air conditioner, and the positioning module can adopt the original carrier. Power systems to reduce or eliminate the added cost and construction complexity of configuring power lines.

A tenth object of the present invention provides an indoor positioning method capable of determining the position of an object indoors.

To achieve the above and other objects, the present invention provides an indoor positioning system for positioning an object indoors. The indoor positioning system includes an identification module, a first positioning module, a bridge module, and a control module. The identification module is provided for the object. The identification module broadcasts an identification message by a broadcast unit. The first positioning module is fixedly disposed at one of the rooms. The first positioning module forms a first detection area, and the first positioning module transmits and receives the identification message in the first detection area. The bridge module receives the identification message from the first positioning module. The control module includes a transceiver unit and a management unit. The transceiver unit receives the identification message from the bridge module, and the management unit locates the location of the object according to the identification message.

To achieve the above and other objects, the present invention provides an indoor positioning method for positioning an object indoors, the object is provided with an identification module, and the indoor positioning method includes the step (a) the identification module utilizing the first communication The method of broadcasting an identification message; the step (b) the first positioning module forms a first detection area by using the second communication manner; the step (c) receiving the identification message and transmitting the identification signal in the first detection area; ((d) the bridge module forms a bridge region using the third communication method to receive the identification message from the first detection region; and step (e) the control module analyzes the identification message to determine the location of the object .

To achieve the above and other objects, the present invention is an indoor positioning method for positioning an object indoors, the object is provided with an identification module, and the indoor positioning method comprises the step (a1): the identification module utilizes the first communication The method of broadcasting an identification message; the step (b1) of the first positioning module forming a first detection area and the second positioning module by using the second communication mode to form a second detection area for receiving The identification message. The first detection area and the second detection area partially overlap or do not overlap. The step (c1) receives the identification message in the first detection area and the second detection area, and transmits the identification signal from the first detection area and at least one of the second detection areas. Step (d1) The bridge module forms a bridge area by using the third communication method to receive the identification message from the first detection area and the second detection area. Step (e1) The control module analyzes the identification message to determine the location of the object.

Compared with the prior art, the present invention provides an indoor positioning system and an indoor positioning method, by detecting a detection area formed by at least one positioning module in the room, to detect the identification information from the identification module, and let the remote end The control module can determine the location of the identification module, and can effectively monitor and manage.

In addition to allowing the control module to perform positioning, the identification module of the present invention can also be controlled by the control module. In other words, the positioning system can perform one-way and/or two-way positioning and control.

The positioning module of the present invention is embedded in an existing carrier (for example, a lamp, a light bulb, a lamp, an electronic device or an air conditioner, etc.), thereby reducing or eliminating the cost and construction complexity required for the route.

The identification information of the present invention may include, in addition to the positioning, the state of the carrier, such as a configuration configuration of an air conditioner.

The control module of the present invention sends a control signal, and in addition to operating the positioning module, the identification module can also be operated, for example, to activate/deactivate the functions of light, sound, display or vibration of the identification module.

In order to fully understand the objects, features and advantages of the present invention, the present invention will be described in detail by the following specific embodiments and the accompanying drawings.

Please refer to FIG. 1, which is a block diagram of an indoor positioning system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the indoor positioning system 10 positions a position of a human body 4 and an item 6 in the room 2. The human body 4 and the object 6 respectively indicate that the indoor positioning system 10 can position a moving object and a fixed object. In this embodiment, the indoor 2 is illustrated by a rectangular planar space.

The indoor positioning system 10 includes an identification module 12, a first positioning module 14, a bridge module 16, and a control module 18.

The identification module 12 is worn by the human body 4, and can move with the human body 4, and the identification module 12 is combined with the article 6, and the article 6 is fixed at a certain position in the room. The type of the identification module 12 of the human body 4 can be a bracelet, a watch, an accessory, a identification card, a foot ring, a pin or a jewelry. The identification module 12 includes a broadcast unit 122. The broadcast unit 122 may conform to a wireless fidelity (Wireless Fidelity), Bluetooth (Bluetooth), ZigBee (Zigbee) and communications operations of at least one person. The identification module 12 provides an identification message IDM and broadcasts the identification message IDM through the broadcast unit 122. The content of the identification message IDM may be a device identification code, a device status data, or the like. For example, the device identification code may be from a hardware serial number of the broadcast unit 122 or may be formed by programming; and the device status data may be obtained from an external device, for example, the external device is an electronic product, and the device status The information is the state of use of the electronic product. In another embodiment, the broadcast unit 122 can broadcast the identification message IDM or continuously broadcast the identification message IDM at intervals.

The first positioning module 14 is fixedly disposed at one of the indoors 2. The positioning module 14 can conform wireless fidelity (Wireless Fidelity), Bluetooth (Bluetooth), ZigBee (Zigbee) and communications operations of at least one person. In this embodiment, the first positioning module 14 can form a first detection area FDA by using a communication chip 142 having the foregoing agreement. The first detection area FDA forms the first detection area FDA centering on the communication chip 142. The communication chip 142 receives the identification message IDM in the first detection area FDA. The communication chip 142 transmits the identification message IDM. The first positioning module 14 can be embedded in a light fixture, a light bulb, a light tube, an electronic device or an air conditioning device, etc., to reduce or eliminate the configuration line cost and construction complexity.

The bridge module 16 receives the identification message IDM from the first positioning module 14. The bridge module 16 can conform to at least one of wireless fidelity, Bluetooth, ZigBee and mobile communication. The bridge module 16 can receive the identification message IDM using a communication chip 162 having the aforementioned protocol.

The control module 18 includes a transceiver unit 182 and a management unit 184. The third transceiver unit 182 can meet at least one of wireless fidelity, Bluetooth, ZigBee and mobile communication. The third transceiver unit 182 receives the identification message IDM from the bridge module 16. The management unit 184 locates the position of the human body 4 or the item 6 by the identification message IDM.

Please refer to FIG. 2, which is a block diagram of an indoor positioning system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the indoor positioning system 10' includes the identification module 12, the first positioning module 14, the bridge module 16, and the control module 18, as described in the first embodiment. Therefore, the description of the modules is as described above and will not be described here.

The second embodiment is different from the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, the first positioning module 14 , the bridge module 16 and the control module 18 can perform bidirectional communication. The control module 18 After the identification message IDM is determined to be from the first positioning module 14 , a control signal CS can be transmitted to the positioning module 14 via the bridge module 16 to control the positioning module 14 . For example, the control signal CS can control the luminaire and activate, adjust or turn off the bulb and the tube.

Please refer to FIG. 3, which is a block diagram of an indoor positioning system according to a third embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3 , the indoor positioning system 10 ′′ includes the identification module 12 , the first positioning module 14 , the bridge module 16 , and the control module 18 as described in the first embodiment. Therefore, the description of the modules is as described above and will not be described here.

The third embodiment is different from the part of the first embodiment. In the third embodiment, the identification module 12, the first positioning module 14, the bridge module 16 and the control module 18 can perform bidirectional communication. The control module 18 can transmit a control signal CS to the identification module 12 via the bridge module 16 and the first positioning module 14 after determining that the identification message IDM is from the first positioning module 14 . To control the identification module 12. For example, the control signal CS can operate the wrist of the human body 4 to perform functions such as vibration, sound, and flashing lights.

Please refer to FIG. 4, which is a block diagram of an indoor positioning system according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 4 , the indoor positioning system 10 ′′′ includes the identification module 12 , the first positioning module 14 , the bridge module 16 , and the control module 18 of the first embodiment. The second positioning module 20 is provided. The description of the identification module 12, the positioning module 14, the bridge module 16, and the control module 18 is as described above, and will not be described herein.

The second positioning module 20 is fixedly disposed at another location of the room 2 . The second positioning module 20 forms a second detection area SDA. The second positioning module 20 transmits and receives the identification message IDM in the second detection area SDA. For example, the fourth transceiver unit 202 can conform to the wireless fidelity. At least one of Bluetooth, ZigBee and Mobile Communications. In this embodiment, the second positioning module 20 can form a second detection area SDA by using a communication chip 202 having the foregoing protocol. The fourth transceiver unit 202 can receive the identification message IDM in the second detection area SDA. The fourth transceiver unit 202 transmits the identification message IDM to the bridge module 16 .

The first detection area FDA of the second positioning module 20 and the second detection area SDA of the second positioning module 20 may be independent or there may be overlapping areas. In the present embodiment, the overlapping area OLA is taken as an example. In the separate parts, the contents described in the first embodiment and the second embodiment can be referred to.

In the overlapping area OLA, the identification module 12 is located at a portion where the first detection area FDA overlaps with the second detection area SDA. Therefore, the control module 18 receives the signal strength of the identification message IDM according to the positioning module 14 and the second positioning module 20 to determine the position of the identification module 12.

Referring to FIG. 5, it is a schematic flowchart of an indoor positioning method according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. In Figure 5, the indoor positioning method is used to position an object indoors. Wherein, the object is provided with an identification module. The step of the indoor positioning method starts in step S51, and the identification module broadcasts an identification message by using the first communication method. The first communication method conforms to at least one of a wireless communication specification and a wired communication specification.

In step S52, the first positioning module forms a first detection area by using the second communication mode. The second communication mode conforms to at least one of a wireless communication specification and a wired communication specification.

Step S53, receiving the identification message and transmitting the identification signal in the first detection area.

In step S54, the bridge module forms a bridge area by using the third communication method to receive the identification message from the first detection area. The third communication method conforms to at least one of a wireless communication specification and a wired communication specification.

In step S55, the control module analyzes the identification message to determine the location of the object.

It should be noted that step S55 further includes a manner in which the control module transmits a control signal. The control module can transmit the control signal to the identification module by using the third communication mode, the second communication mode and the first communication mode, or the control module can use the third communication mode The second communication mode transmits the control signal to the first positioning module.

Please refer to FIG. 6, which is a schematic flowchart of an indoor positioning method according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. In Figure 6, the indoor positioning method is used to position an object indoors. Wherein, the object is provided with an identification module. The step of the indoor positioning method starts at step S61, and the identification module broadcasts an identification message by using the first communication method.

In the step S62, the first positioning module forms a first detection area and the second positioning module by using the second communication mode to form a second detection area for receiving the identification information, where the first positioning module A detection area and the second detection area partially overlap or do not overlap.

Step S63: The identification information is received in the first detection area and the second detection area, and the identification signal is transmitted from the first detection area and transmitted from the second detection area.

In step S64, the bridge module forms a bridge area by using the third communication manner to receive the identification message from the first detection area and the second detection area. The third communication method conforms to at least one of a wireless communication specification and a wired communication specification.

In step S65, the control module analyzes the identification message to determine the location of the object. For example, the control module can determine the object is located in the first detection by comparing the signal strength of the identification information in the first detection area with the signal strength of the identification information in the second detection area. Area or the second detection area.

It should be noted that the step S65 may further include the manner in which the control module determines that the object is in the first detection area or the second detection area, and the control module transmits a control signal. For example, the object is determined to be located in the second detection area, and the control module can control the control signal by using the third communication mode, the second communication mode of the second positioning module, and the first communication mode. The control module can transmit the control signal to the second positioning module by using the third communication mode and the second communication mode. In other words, if the object is located in the first detection area, the control signal is transmitted to the first positioning module, or the control signal is further transmitted to the identification module through the first positioning module. group.

The invention has been described above in terms of the preferred embodiments, and it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. It should be noted that variations and permutations equivalent to those of the embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the scope of the patent application.

2‧‧‧ indoor
4‧‧‧Users
6‧‧‧ objects
10, 10', 10'', 10''' ‧ ‧ indoor positioning system
12‧‧‧ Identification module
122‧‧‧Broadcasting unit
14‧‧‧ Positioning Module
142, 162, 202‧‧‧ communication chips
16‧‧‧Bridge module
18‧‧‧Control Module
182‧‧‧ transceiver unit
184‧‧‧Management Unit
20‧‧‧Second positioning module
IDM‧‧‧identification message
FDA‧‧‧First Detection Area
SDA‧‧‧Second detection area
CS‧‧‧Control signal
OLA‧‧ overlapping area
S51-S55‧‧‧ method steps
S61-S65‧‧‧ method steps

1 is a block diagram showing an indoor positioning system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a block diagram showing an indoor positioning system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 3 is a block diagram showing an indoor positioning system according to a third embodiment of the present invention. 4 is a block diagram showing an indoor positioning system according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a schematic flow chart of an indoor positioning method according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a schematic flow chart of an indoor positioning method according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

S51-S55‧‧‧ method steps

Claims (12)

An indoor positioning system for positioning an object in a room, the indoor positioning system comprising: an identification module for being disposed on the object, the identification module broadcasting an identification message by a broadcasting unit; the first positioning module, The first positioning module forms a first detection area, and the first positioning module transmits and receives the identification message in the first detection area; the bridge module receives the same from the first detection module. The identification message of a positioning module; and the control module has a transceiver unit and a management unit, the transceiver unit receives the identification message from the bridge module, and the management unit locates the position of the object according to the identification message. The indoor positioning system of claim 1, wherein the broadcast unit, the first positioning module, and the bridge module conform to at least one of a wireless communication specification and a wired communication specification. The indoor localization system of the application of paragraph 2 patentable scope, wherein the wireless communication standard as wireless fidelity (Wireless Fidelity), Bluetooth (the Bluetooth), Zigbee (Zigbee) communication with the at least one action. The indoor positioning system of claim 1, wherein the control module generates a control signal according to the identification message, and the control signal is transmitted to the first positioning module via the bridge module to control the first The positioning module or the control signal is transmitted to the identification module via the bridge module and the first positioning module to control the identification module. The indoor positioning system of claim 1, further comprising a second positioning module fixedly disposed at another location in the room, the second positioning module forming a second detection area, where The second positioning module sends and receives the identification message in the second detection area. The indoor positioning system of claim 5, wherein the identification module is located in an area overlapping the first detection area and the second detection area, and the control module is configured according to the first positioning module The second positioning module separately receives the signal strength of the identification message to determine whether the identification module is close to the first positioning module or the second positioning module. The indoor positioning system of claim 1, wherein the identification module is in the form of a wristband, a watch, an accessory, a identification card, a pin, a foot ring or a jewelry. The indoor positioning system of claim 1, wherein the positioning module is embedded in a light fixture, a light bulb, a light tube, an electronic device or an air conditioning device. An indoor positioning method for positioning an object indoors, the object is provided with an identification module, and the indoor positioning method comprises: (a) the identification module broadcasts an identification message by using a first communication method; (b) first The positioning module forms a first detection area by using the second communication method; (c) receiving the identification message and transmitting the identification signal in the first detection area; (d) the bridge module forms a bridge area by using the third communication method Receiving the identification message from the first detection area; and (e) the control module analyzing the identification message to determine the location of the object. The indoor positioning system of claim 9, wherein after the step (e), a control signal is transmitted to the identification by the third communication mode, the second communication mode, and the first communication mode. The module transmits the control signal to the first positioning module by using the third communication mode and the second communication mode. An indoor positioning method is for positioning an object indoors, the object is provided with an identification module, and the indoor positioning method comprises: (f) the identification module broadcasts an identification message by using a first communication method; (g) first The positioning module uses the second communication method to form a first detection area and the second positioning module uses the second communication method to form a second detection area for receiving the identification message, wherein the first detection area is The second detection area is partially overlapped or not overlapped; (h) receiving the identification message in the first detection area and the second detection area, and transmitting from the first detection area and from the second detection area At least one of the measurement areas transmits the identification signal; (i) the bridge module forms a bridge area by using the third communication method to receive the identification message from the first detection area and the second detection area; (j) The control module analyzes the identification message to determine the location of the object. The indoor positioning method of claim 11, wherein in the step (j), the control module further compares the signal strength of the identification information of the first detection area with the second detection area The signal strength of the message is identified to determine the location of the object.