Selection method, positioning device and program

• US 10,120,081 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2016
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Gobara, Naoki, Aoki, Naganobu
• Primary Examiner(s): Gregory, Bernarr E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mull, Fred H
• Application Number:
  US15/010,035
• Publication Number:
  US 20160223680A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,012 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/05 providing aiding data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/28 Satellite selection
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/33 Multimode operation in different systems which transmit time stamped messages, e.g. GPS/GLONASS
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/423 by combining or switching between position solutions derived from different satellite radio beacon positioning systems

Abstract

A method of selecting a satellite positioning system which is used in positioning by a positioning device capable of performing positioning based on a plurality of satellite positioning systems includes acquiring given support information which is referred to in selecting a satellite positioning system, and selecting a satellite positioning system which is used in positioning from the plurality of satellite positioning systems, on the basis of the support information.

Claims

1. A method for causing a processor to execute computer-readable instructions stored in a memory provided in a positioning device, the method comprising executing the computer-readable instructions on the processor the steps of:

acquiring support information from an external device, the support information including;

identification information of a plurality of satellite positioning systems used by the external device; and

identification information of at least some of a plurality of satellites captured by each of the plurality of satellite positioning systems used by the external device;

detecting a battery level of a battery in the positioning device, the battery supplying power to the positioning device;

selecting at least one of the plurality of satellite positioning systems based on the battery level and the support information;

receiving satellite signals from the some of the plurality of satellites associated with the selected at least one of the plurality of satellite positioning systems; and

setting an order of priority for selecting one or a combination of two of the plurality of satellite positioning systems,

wherein when the battery level is equal to or more than a threshold, a highest rank in the order of the priority is a largest number of the plurality of satellites captured by the one or the combination of two of the plurality of satellite positioning systems, and

the processor is configured to select at least one of the plurality of satellite positioning systems corresponding to the highest rank.

2. The selection method according to claim 1,

wherein the support information further includes information of a location at which the positioning device is located, and

each of the plurality of satellite positioning systems corresponds a specific region so that one of the plurality of satellite positioning systems corresponding the location of the positioning device is selected in the selecting.

3. The selection method according to claim 1,

setting an order of priority for selecting one or a combination of two of the plurality of satellite positioning systems,

wherein when the battery level is less than a threshold, a highest rank in the order of the priority is a largest number of the plurality of satellites associated with only one of the plurality of satellite positioning systems and the largest number is more than a predetermined number, and

the processor is configured to select only one of the plurality of satellite positioning systems corresponding to the highest rank.

4. The selection method according to claim 1,

wherein the support information further includes:

a number of the plurality of satellites captured by each of the plurality of satellite positioning systems used by the external device; and

orbit information of the some of the plurality of satellites captured by each of the plurality of satellite positioning systems used by the external device.

5. A positioning device comprising:

a memory that is configured to store computer-readable instructions and data corresponding to a plurality of satellite positioning systems;

a receiver that is configured to receive a locational signal from at least one of a plurality of satellites so as to determine a location of the positioning device;

a battery that is configured to supply power to the positioning device; and

a processor that is configured to execute the computer-readable instructions so as to;

acquire support information from an external device, the support information including;

identification information of the plurality of satellite positioning systems used by the positioning device; and

identification information of at least some of the plurality of satellites captured by each of the plurality of satellite positioning systems used by the external device;

detect a battery level of a battery in the positioning device, the battery supplying power to the positioning device;

select at least one of the plurality of satellite positioning systems based on the battery level and the support information; and

receive satellite signals from the some of the plurality of satellites associated with the selected at least one of the plurality of satellite positioning systems,

wherein the processor is configured to set an order of priority for selecting one or a combination of two of the plurality of satellite positioning systems,

when the battery level is equal to or more than a threshold, a highest rank in the order of the priority is a largest number of the plurality of satellites captured by the one or the combination of two of the plurality of satellite positioning systems, and

the processor is configured to select at least one of the plurality of satellite positioning systems corresponding to the highest rank.

6. The positioning device according to claim 5,

wherein the support information further includes information of the location of the positioning device, and

each of the plurality of satellite positioning systems corresponds a specific region so that one of the plurality of satellite positioning systems corresponding the location of the positioning device is selected in the selecting.

7. The positioning device according to claim 5,

wherein the processor is configured to set an order of priority for selecting one or a combination of two of the plurality of satellite positioning systems,

when the battery level is less than a threshold, a highest rank in the order of the priority is a largest number of the plurality of satellites associated with only one of the plurality of satellite positioning systems and the largest number is more than a predetermined number, and

the processor is configured to select only one of the plurality of satellite positioning systems corresponding to the highest rank.

8. The positioning device according to claim 5,

wherein the support information further includes:

a number of the plurality of satellites captured by each of the plurality of satellite positioning systems used by the external device; and

orbit information of the some of the plurality of satellites captured by each of the plurality of satellite positioning systems used by the external device.

9. A computer program product embodying computer-readable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium for causing a computer to execute the computer-readable instructions on a processor so as to perform the steps of:

acquiring support information from an external device, the support information including;

identification information of a plurality of satellite positioning systems used by the external device; and

identification information of at least some of a plurality of satellites captured by each of the plurality of satellite positioning systems used by the external device;

detecting a battery level of a battery in the positioning device, the battery supplying power to the positioning device;

selecting at least one of the plurality of satellite positioning systems based on the battery level and the support information;

receiving satellite signals from the some of the plurality of satellites associated with the selected at least one of the plurality of satellite positioning systems; and

setting an order of priority for selecting one or a combination of two of the plurality of satellite positioning systems by causing the computer to execute the computer-readable instructions on the processor,

wherein when the battery level is equal to or more than a threshold, a highest rank in the order of the priority is a largest number of the plurality of satellites captured by the one or the combination of two of the plurality of satellite positioning systems, and

the processor is configured to select at least one of the plurality of satellite positioning systems corresponding to the highest rank.

10. The computer program product according to claim 9,

wherein the support information further includes information of a location at which the positioning device is located, and

each of the plurality of satellite positioning systems corresponds a specific region so that one of the plurality of satellite positioning systems corresponding the location of the positioning device is selected in the selecting.

11. The computer program product according to claim 9, further including:

setting an order of priority for selecting one or a combination of two of the plurality of satellite positioning systems by causing the computer to execute the computer-readable instructions on the processor,

wherein when the battery level is less than a threshold, a highest rank in the order of the priority is a largest number of the plurality of satellites associated with only one of the plurality of satellite positioning systems and the largest number is more than a predetermined number, and

the processor is configured to select only one of the plurality of satellite positioning systems corresponding to the highest rank.

12. The computer program product according to claim 9,

wherein the support information further includes:

a number of the plurality of satellites captured by each of the plurality of satellite positioning systems used by the external device; and

orbit information of the some of the plurality of satellites captured by each of the plurality of satellite positioning systems used by the external device.