Positioning apparatus and positioning method

• US 20060206260A1
• Filed: 03/10/2006
• Published: 09/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Electronics Corporation (Renesas Electronics Corporation)
• Inventors: Hirano, Keiichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,657,371 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/207
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0263 by combining or switching between positions derived from two or more separate positioning systems

Abstract

A positioning apparatus having short sensory time for executing the high precision positioning of the user on a map. The positioning apparatus includes: a first positioning unit for obtaining a first position information which represents the position of the positioning apparatus itself measured by carrying out a low precision positioning; a displaying unit for displaying the first position information; and a second positioning unit for obtaining the second position information which represents the position of the positioning apparatus itself measured by carrying out a high precision positioning. The high precision positioning is executed in parallel with the low precision positioning. The displaying unit updates a screen based on the second position information.

Claims

1. A positioning apparatus comprising:

a first positioning unit configured to obtain a first position information which represents a position of the positioning apparatus itself measured by carrying out a first positioning in a low precision;

a displaying unit configured to display said first position information; and

a second positioning unit configured to obtain a second position information which represents said position of the positioning apparatus itself measured by carrying out a second positioning in a precision higher than said low precision in parallel with said first positioning and the display of said first position information by said displaying unit,

wherein said displaying unit updates a screen based on said second position information.

2. The positioning apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said first positioning unit obtains said first position information in a course of obtaining said second position information carried out by said second positioning unit.

3. The positioning apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said displaying unit displays said position of the positioning apparatus on a map based on said first position information and updates said position of the positioning apparatus on said map based on said second position information.

4. The positioning apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein said displaying unit further updates a display of said map.

5. The positioning apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

a storing unit configured to store map information in which said map is represented.

6. The positioning apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein said storing unit obtains said map information from an external node via a communication line, and

said second positioning unit obtains said second position information in parallel with the obtainment of said map information by said storing unit.

7. A mobile information terminal comprising:

a first positioning unit configured to obtain a first position information which represents a position of the positioning apparatus itself measured by carrying out a first positioning in a low precision;

a displaying unit configured to display said first position information; and

a second positioning unit configured to obtain a second position information which represents said position of the positioning apparatus itself measured by carrying out a second positioning in a precision higher than said low precision in parallel with said first positioning and the display of said first position information by said displaying unit,

wherein said displaying unit updates a screen based on said second position information.

8. A positioning method comprising the steps of:

(a) obtaining a first position information which represents a self position measured by carrying out a first positioning in a low precision;

(b) displaying said first position information;

(c) obtaining a second position information which represents said self position measured by carrying out a second positioning in a precision higher than said low precision in parallel with said first positioning and said displaying; and

(d) updating a screen based on said second position information.

9. The positioning method according to claim 8,

wherein said step (a) includes the step of:

(a1) obtaining a position information obtained in a course of obtaining said second position information and has lower precision than said second position information as said first position information.

10. The positioning method according to claim 8,

wherein said step (b) includes the step of:

(b1) displaying said self position on a map, and

said step (d) includes the step of;

(d1) updating said self position on said map based on said second position information.

11. The positioning method according to claim 10, wherein said step (d1) comprises the step of:

(d11) updating a display of said map based on said second position information.

12. The positioning method according to claim 10, wherein said step (b) further includes the step of:

(b2) obtaining map information in which said map is represented from an external node via a communication line before said step (b1), and

said step (c) includes the step of;

obtaining said second position information in parallel with the obtainment of said map information in said step (b2).

13. The positioning method according to claim 12,

wherein said step (b) includes the step of:

(b3) obtaining associated information involved in a vicinity of said self position; and

(b4) displaying said associated information on said map with said self position, and

said step (c) includes the step of;

(c2) obtaining said second position information in parallel with said first positioning, said steps (a), (b1), (b2) and (b3).