WO2002093426A1

WO2002093426A1 - Mobile information terminal, position measuring device, and position measuring system

Info

Publication number: WO2002093426A1
Application number: PCT/JP2001/007887
Authority: WO
Inventors: Yasutaka Urakawa
Original assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
Priority date: 2001-05-15
Filing date: 2001-09-11
Publication date: 2002-11-21
Also published as: WO2002093425A1

Abstract

A mobile telephone (1) receives the input of a visible mark and transmits the mark to a map data server (2). When this map data server (2) retrieves the present position by using the mark as a key and sends the map information on the periphery of the present position, the mobile telephone (1) receives the peripheral map information and displays the map.

Description

Description Handheld terminal, position detection device and position detection system

The present invention relates to a portable information terminal that displays a peripheral map of a current position, a position detection device that detects the current position of the portable information terminal, and a position detection system. Background art

Some portable information terminals such as conventional cellular phones have a GPS function.

Such a portable information terminal can detect the current position by receiving GPS information transmitted from a GPS satellite in the equatorial orbit.

In the case of portable information terminals such as PHS, the radio range of each base station is a narrow area of about 100 m, so that the area information of the base station to which the PHS is connected is used. The current position can be detected.

Since the conventional portable information terminal is configured as described above, when the area of the base station is narrow as in the PHS method, the current position can be detected relatively accurately. However, in the case of PDC mobile phones and mobile phones of the IMT200 system that will be put into practical use in the future, since each base station has a wide area of 10 to 30 Km, the area of the base station Even using information, it is difficult to identify the current location.

Therefore, in order to detect the current position, a portable information terminal must have a GPS function. However, when the GPS function is installed, it becomes difficult to reduce the size of the terminal, and there are problems such as restrictions on design, and an increase in manufacturing cost.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and has as its object to provide a portable information terminal capable of displaying a peripheral map of a current position without mounting a GPS function.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a position detecting device and a position detecting system capable of providing a peripheral map of a current position to a portable information terminal.

Disclosure of the invention

A portable information terminal according to the present invention comprises: input means for receiving an input of a visible mark; and transmission means for transmitting the mark received by the input means to a position detecting device. Then, when the current position is searched, and the surrounding map information of the current position is returned, the peripheral map is received and the map is displayed.

This has the effect that a map around the current location can be displayed without having a GPS function.

A portable information terminal according to the present invention is configured to receive input of a plurality of landmarks.

This has the effect of increasing the current position detection accuracy.

A portable information terminal according to the present invention receives an input of a relative positional relationship between a plurality of landmarks.

This has the effect of increasing the accuracy of detecting the current position. The portable information terminal according to the present invention is configured to reject input of a landmark other than the landmark candidate when the landmark candidate present in the service area is received from the base station currently communicating. .

This has the effect that the current position can be searched efficiently.

According to the portable information terminal of the present invention, when the receiving means receives the position information indicating the current position instead of receiving the peripheral map information of the current position from the position detecting device, the position information and the map data stored in advance are received. It displays the map around the current location based on the map.

As a result, there is an effect that the surrounding map of the current position can be displayed without receiving the surrounding map information having a large data amount.

The portable information terminal according to the present invention includes a transfer unit that, when the receiving unit receives the position information indicating the current position instead of receiving the surrounding map information of the current position from the position detecting device, transfers the position information to another device. This has the effect of notifying a third party of the current location of the user of the portable information terminal.

A position detecting device according to the present invention searches for a current position of a portable information terminal based on a mark received by a mark receiving means and an area information received by an area information receiving means, and stores surrounding map information of the current position in the portable information terminal. It is intended to be transmitted to an information terminal.

As a result, there is an effect that a peripheral map of the current position can be provided to the portable information terminal.

The position detecting device according to the present invention, when a landmark candidate with position information added thereto is stored in a database, compares the position information with the area information received by the area information receiving means, and compares the position information with the area information of the base station. range The search for the current position of the portable information terminal is carried out by narrowing down the landmark candidates within the area and comparing the narrowed-down landmark candidates with the landmarks received by the landmark receiving means.

This has the effect that the current position of the portable information terminal can be searched with high accuracy.

In the position detecting device according to the present invention, when the mark receiving means receives a relative positional relationship between a plurality of marks, the position of the map based on the surrounding map information is set according to the relative positional relationship. It is intended to be transmitted.

This makes it easier for the user to understand the map. The position detecting device according to the present invention is capable of responding to a request from a portable information terminal when a plurality of current positions are searched by a search unit. It is designed to transmit the surrounding map information of the current position sequentially.

This has the effect of reducing communication charges.

In a position detecting device according to the present invention, when a plurality of current positions are searched by a search means, peripheral map information of the plurality of current positions is collectively transmitted.

This has the effect that the current position can be determined efficiently.

The position detecting device according to the present invention, when the portable information terminal has the map data, transmits the position information indicating the current position instead of transmitting the surrounding map information of the current position searched by the search means. It is the one that was made.

This has the effect of reducing communication charges.

The position detecting device according to the present invention includes position information transmitting means for transmitting position information indicating a current position to another device designated by the portable information terminal. It is a thing.

This has the effect of notifying a third party of the current location of the user of the mobile information terminal.

A position detection system according to the present invention searches for a current position of a portable information terminal based on a mark and area information, and transmits peripheral map information of the current position to the portable information terminal.

In the position detection system according to the present invention, when a landmark candidate with position information added thereto is stored at an instantaneous pace, the position information is compared with the area information to be within the service area of the base station. The narrowing down of the landmark candidates is performed, and the current position of the portable information terminal is searched by comparing the narrowed-down landmark candidates with the received landmarks.

This has the effect that the current position of the portable information terminal can be searched with high accuracy. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a position detection system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the processing content of the position detection system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a mark input screen.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a landmark classification screen.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a store name screen.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a mark selected by a user. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the stored contents of the landmark data base 15. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing landmark candidates within the visual range. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing a display example of a map.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a mark input screen.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a display example of a map.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing a display example of a map.

FIG. 13 is a configuration diagram showing a position detection system according to Embodiment 8 of the present invention. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, in order to explain this invention in greater detail, the preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Embodiment 1

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a position detection system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, in which 1 is a mobile phone as a portable information terminal, 2 is a map data server as a position detection device, and 3 is a mobile phone. Base station currently communicating with 1

1 1 is a mark input unit (input means) for receiving an input of a visible mark, and 12 is a mark transmission unit (transmission means) for transmitting the mark received by the mark input unit 11 to the map data server 2. Is a mark receiving unit (mark receiving means) for receiving a mark visible from the mobile phone 1, and 14 is an area information receiving unit (area information receiving means) for receiving area information indicating the service area of the base station 3. is there.

15 is a landmark data base storing candidate landmarks to which position information is added, and 16 is the landmark data stored in landmark database 15 and received by the error information receiving unit 14 By comparing the obtained area information, the landmark candidates within the service area of the base station 3 are narrowed down, and the landmark candidates after the narrowing are compared with the landmark candidates. It is a search unit (search means) for searching the current position of the mobile phone 1 by comparing the mark received by the mark receiving unit 13.

17 is a map data pace storing map information, 18 is reading the surrounding map information of the current position searched by the search unit 16 from the map database 17, and transmitting the surrounding map information to the mobile phone 1. The map transmitting section (map transmitting means), 19 receives the surrounding map information from the map data server 2. The map receiving section (receiving means), 20 denotes the map transmitting section according to the surrounding map information received by the map receiving section 19. It is a map display section (display means) that displays a map.

Next, the operation will be described.

When the user of the mobile phone 1 desires to display a peripheral map of the current position, the user operates the landmark input unit 11 to input a visible landmark (step ST1).

That is, the mark input section 11 is operated to display a mark input screen as shown in FIG. 3 on the display, and a mark such as a building that the user can see is input (in the mark input screen of FIG. 3, However, the input of three landmarks is accepted, but the present invention is not limited to this, as long as the input of one or more landmarks is accepted).

Specifically, when the user selects "first landmark", a landmark classification as shown in Fig. 4 is displayed. For example, when the user selects a convenience store, a store name as shown in Fig. 5 is displayed. . Then, when the user selects an arbitrary store name, the convenience store of that store name becomes the first landmark.

FIG. 6 shows an example of a landmark selected by the user. In this example, three landmarks have been input.

In this way, after the user enters a landmark, the "Search" When "" is clicked, the landmark transmitting unit 12 transmits the landmark accepted by the landmark input unit 11 to the map data server 2 (step ST2).

The mark receiving unit 13 of the map data server 2 receives the mark transmitted from the mobile phone 1 (step ST 3) o

When the landmark receiving unit 13 receives the landmark, the area information receiving unit 14 of the map data overnight server 2 transmits the service area of the base station 3 with which the mobile phone 1 is currently communicating (for example, a radius of 10 Km). In order to confirm the area, the telephone number of the mobile phone 1 is transmitted to the base station management center or the like, and the area information indicating the service area of the base station 3 is received (step ST4).

When the error information receiving unit 14 receives the error information, the search unit 16 compares the area information with the location information (latitude / longitude information) stored in the landmark database 15 to provide the service of the base station 3. The target candidates within the area are narrowed down (step ST5).

That is, as shown in FIG. 7, the landmark database 15 stores not only landmark candidates within the range of the service area of the base station 3 but also many landmark candidates outside the range. Search for candidate landmarks within the service area of 3.

When the search unit 16 narrows down the landmark candidates, the search unit 16 searches the current position of the mobile phone 1 by comparing the narrowed-down landmark candidates with the landmarks received by the landmark receiving unit 13 (step ST6). ).

In this example, since three landmarks have been received, the current position of the mobile phone 1 is searched as follows.

First, among the landmark candidates within the service area of the base station 3, one or more landmark candidates that match the first landmark (Eleven Seven) are searched. Similarly, one or more landmark candidates that match the second landmark (Osaka Shihishi) are searched, and one or more landmark candidates that match the third landmark (Heisei Sierra) are searched. To search.

Next, among one or more landmark candidates for each landmark, a combination of landmark candidates whose mutual positions are within the visual range (for example, a radius of 20 Om) is searched (see FIG. 8). That is, an area in which Eleven Seven, Osaka Shiroshi and Heisei Shizura are within a radius of 20 Om is searched.

In this manner, when a combination of landmark candidates within the visual range is searched, the center point of each landmark candidate is calculated with reference to the position information of each searched landmark candidate, and the center point is identified as the current position. I do.

When the search unit 16 searches for the current position of the mobile phone 1, the map transmission unit 18 reads the surrounding map information of the current position from the map database 17 and transmits the surrounding map information to the mobile phone 1. (Step ST7).

The map receiving section 19 of the mobile phone 1 receives the peripheral map information transmitted from the map data server 2 (step ST8).

When the map receiving section 19 receives the peripheral map information, the map display section 20 of the mobile phone 1 displays the map on the display according to the peripheral map information as shown in FIG. 9 (step ST 9).

As is clear from the above, according to the first embodiment, the mobile phone 1 receives an input of a visible mark, transmits the mark to the map data server 2, and the map data server 2 recognizes the mark. When the current position is searched using the key and the surrounding map information of the current position is returned, the surrounding map information is received and the map is displayed, so the GPS function is not installed. This has the effect that a map around the current position can be displayed. Embodiment 2

In the first embodiment described above, the input of a plurality of landmarks is received. However, as shown in FIG. 10, the relative positional relationship between the plurality of landmarks ( (Position direction) may be received.

Thus, when searching for a combination of landmark candidates within the visual range, the map data overnight server 2 can search for a combination of landmark candidates with a relative positional relationship between a plurality of landmarks. This has the effect of increasing the current position detection accuracy. Embodiment 3.

In Embodiment 1 described above, the input of a plurality of landmarks is shown. However, when a landmark candidate existing in the service area is received from the base station 3 currently in communication, a mark other than the landmark candidate is received. You may reject the input.

As a result, the input of a mark that cannot be searched by the map data server 2 is refused, so that the present position can be efficiently searched. Embodiment 4.

In Embodiment 2 described above, an example is described in which the input of the relative positional relationship between a plurality of landmarks is received. However, the mark receiving unit 13 receives the relative positional relationship between the plurality of landmarks. In this case, when the map transmitting section 18 transmits the peripheral map information to the mobile phone 1, the map direction may be set based on the peripheral map information in accordance with the relative positional relationship and then transmitted.

That is, if the relative positional relationship between the plurality of landmarks is known, the direction in which the user is facing can be known, and the map based on the surrounding map information is set so that the upper side of the display of the mobile phone 1 is in the direction in which the user is facing. Set the direction and send.

As a result, the user can easily understand the map. Embodiment 5

In the first embodiment, the case where only one combination of landmark candidates within the visual range is searched is described. However, depending on the input contents of the landmark, two or more combinations of landmark candidates within the visual range are searched. May be o

When two or more combinations of landmark candidates are searched, a plurality of current positions are searched, so that the map transmission unit 18 reads out two or more map information around the current position.

When two or more pieces of peripheral map information at the current position are read, the map transmitting unit 18 transmits only one piece of arbitrary peripheral map information to the mobile phone 1 among the two or more pieces of peripheral map information.

Then, when the user clicks “Next Screen” on the map screen shown in Fig. 11 (the map screen based on the received surrounding map information), only one other surrounding map information is displayed on the mobile phone 1. Send to

As a result, the map display section 20 of the mobile phone 1 displays a map screen different from the map screen of FIG. 11 (see FIG. 12).

The user compares the map screen shown in FIG. 11 with the map screen shown in FIG. 12 and determines a map suitable for the current position. Embodiment 6

In the fifth embodiment, the case where two or more neighboring map information of the current position are read out and the surrounding map information of the current position is sequentially transmitted in response to a request from the mobile phone 1 has been described. The surrounding map information may be transmitted together.

As a result, every time the map screen is switched, it is necessary to receive the surrounding map information. Since there is no need, there is an effect that the current position can be determined efficiently. Embodiment 7

In Embodiment 1 described above, the map transmission unit 18 of the map data server 2 transmits the surrounding map information of the current position to the mobile phone 1. However, when the mobile phone 1 has the map data, Instead of transmitting the peripheral map information of the current position, position information indicating the current position (for example, the latitude and longitude information of the center point of each landmark candidate within the visual range) may be transmitted.

In this case, the map display unit 20 of the mobile phone 1 displays a map around the current position based on the position information indicating the current position and the map data stored in advance.

As described above, when transmitting the location information indicating the current location instead of transmitting the surrounding map information of the current location, the amount of transmission data is greatly reduced, and thus the effect of reducing the communication fee is achieved. . Embodiment 0.

FIG. 13 is a configuration diagram showing a position detection system according to Embodiment 8 of the present invention. In the figure, the same reference numerals as in FIG. 1 denote the same or corresponding parts, and a description thereof will be omitted.

When the map receiving unit 19 receives position information indicating the current position from the map data server 2 instead of the surrounding map information from the map data server 2, the position information is transmitted to the force navigation system (other devices). The position information transfer unit (transfer means) to be transferred to 22 is a power navigation system for displaying the current position of the user of the mobile phone 1 according to the position information.

Next, the operation will be described. When the map receiving unit 19 receives the position information indicating the current position from the map data server 2, the position information transfer unit 21 of the mobile phone 1 transfers the position information to the force-navigation system 22.

For example, if the force navigation system 22 has an e-mail function, the location information transfer section 21 will have [ichi] in the e-mail title and [ido: XX hour: YY minute: ZZ second] in the e-mail body. And [keido: XX hour: YY minute: ZZ second] to transfer the position information to the force navigation system 22.

When the title of the received mail is [ichi], the car navigation system 22 [ido: XX hours: YY minutes: ZZ seconds] and [keido: XX hours: YY minutes: ZZ seconds] By analyzing the information, the current position of the user of the mobile phone 1 is ascertained.

Then, the force navigation system 22 displays the current position of the user of the mobile phone 1 on a display.

As a result, there is an effect that the user of the mobile phone 1 can notify the user of the force navigation system 22 of his / her current position.

Here, the transfer of the location information to the power navigation system 22 has been described, but it may be transferred to a portable terminal or the like having a map display function, or a management for managing the delivery of taxis and trucks. It may be transferred to a server or the like.

In the eighth embodiment, the position information is transmitted by e-mail. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the position information may be transmitted using a language such as HTML or XML used on the Web. You may. Embodiment 9.

In the eighth embodiment, the location information transfer unit 21 of the mobile phone 1 Although the receiving unit 19 receives the position information indicating the current position from the map data server 2 and transfers the position information to the force navigation system 22, the landmark transmitting unit 1 of the mobile phone 1 has been described. 2 transmits the landmark to the map data server 2, the information indicating the destination of the location information is transmitted to the map data server 2, so that the map transmission section 18 constituting the location information transmission means can transmit the location information. May be transmitted to the force navigation system 22 or the like. Industrial applicability

As described above, the portable information terminal according to the present invention is suitable for displaying a peripheral map of the current position without having the GPS function.

Further, the position detection device and the position detection system according to the present invention are suitable for providing a portable information terminal with a peripheral map of the current position without complicating the configuration.

Claims

The scope of the claims

1. Input means for receiving an input of a visible mark, transmitting means for transmitting the mark received by the input means to a position detecting device, and the position detecting device fixing the mark to the current position to determine the current position. When a search is performed and the peripheral map information of the current position is returned, there are provided receiving means for receiving the peripheral map information, and display means for displaying a map according to the peripheral map information received by the receiving means. Mobile information terminal.

2. The portable information terminal according to claim 1, wherein the input means receives an input of a plurality of landmarks.

3. The portable information terminal according to claim 2, wherein the input means receives an input of a relative positional relationship between the plurality of landmarks.

4. The input device according to claim 1, wherein the input means rejects input of a landmark other than the landmark candidate when the landmark candidate present in the service area is received from the base station with which communication is currently being performed. The portable information terminal described in the section.

5. When the receiving means receives the position information indicating the current position instead of receiving the surrounding map information of the current position from the position detecting device, the display means, based on the position information and the previously stored map data, 2. The portable information terminal according to claim 1, wherein a peripheral map of a current position is displayed.

6. When the receiving means receives position information indicating the current position instead of receiving the surrounding map information of the current position from the position detecting device, the position information is transmitted to another device. 2. The portable information terminal according to claim 1, further comprising a transfer unit for transferring the information to the portable information terminal.

7. Mark receiving means for receiving a mark visible from the portable information terminal, area information receiving means for receiving service information of a base station with which the portable information terminal is currently communicating, and reception by the mark receiving means. Searching means for searching the current position of the portable information terminal based on the landmarks thus obtained and the area information received by the area information receiving means; A position detecting device comprising: a map transmitting unit that transmits the information to an information terminal.

8. If the landmark candidate with the location information is stored in the database, the search means compares the location information with the error report received by the error information receiving means, and determines whether the location information is within the service area of the base station. A search for the current position of the portable information terminal by collating the landmark candidates in the above, and comparing the landmark candidates after the narrowing with the landmarks received by the landmark receiving means. The position detecting device according to the item.

9. If the landmark receiving means has received the relative positional relationship between the plurality of landmarks, the map transmitting means sets the direction of the map based on the surrounding map information according to the relative positional relationship. 8. The position detecting device according to claim 7, wherein the position is transmitted.

10. The map transmitting means, when a plurality of current positions are searched by the searching means, sequentially transmits map information around the current position in response to a request from the portable information terminal. Item 8. The position detecting device according to Item 7.

11. The position detecting device according to claim 7, wherein the map transmitting means collectively transmits peripheral map information of the plurality of current positions when the plurality of current positions are searched by the searching means. apparatus.

1 2. The map transmitting means, when the portable information terminal has the map data, transmits the position information indicating the current position instead of transmitting the surrounding map information of the current position searched by the searching means. The position detecting device according to claim 7, wherein

13. The position detecting device according to claim 7, further comprising position information transmitting means for transmitting position information indicating a current position to another device designated by the portable information terminal.

14. When the portable information terminal receives the input of a visible mark and transmits the mark, the position detecting device receives the mark and the portable information terminal receives the mark of the base station with which communication is currently being performed. Receiving the area information indicating the service area, searching for the current position of the portable information terminal based on the landmark and the area information, transmitting surrounding map information of the current position to the portable information terminal, Is a position detection system that displays a map according to the surrounding map information of the current position.

15. If the position detection device stores a landmark candidate with position information added to the data base, the position detection device compares the position information with the area information and compares the position information with the landmark information within the service area of the base station. Search for the current location of the mobile information terminal by comparing the landmark candidates and the received landmarks 15. The position detection system according to claim 14, wherein: