POSITIONING DEVICE, POSITIONING METHOD AND STORAGE MEDIUM

• US 20110175772A1
• Filed: 12/17/2010
• Published: 07/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Sambongi, Masao
• Application Number:
  US12/971,344
• Publication Number:
  US 20110175772A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.3
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/258 relating to the satellite constellation, e.g. almanac, ephemeris data, lists of satellites in view
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/49 whereby the further system is an inertial position system, e.g. loosely-coupled

Abstract

When a positioning request is made, position measurement using a positioning satellite is executed, and when the position measurement is executed, positioning result data is obtained as position data responded to the positioning request. On the other hand, when the position measurement using the positioning satellite is not executed, position measurement result data based on the measurement of a moving direction and a moving amount is obtained as position data responded to the positioning request.

Claims

1. A positioning device comprising:

a receiver for receiving a signal from a positioning satellite;

first positioning means for performing position measurement on the basis of a signal of the positioning satellite received through the receiver;

second positioning means for measuring a moving direction and a moving amount and accumulating a moving vector comprising the moving direction and the moving amount to perform relative position measurement;

an operating unit for accepting an operation input from an external; and

a measurement controller for making the second positioning means execute position measurement continually and making the first positioning means execute position measurement under a predetermined condition, wherein the measurement controller makes the first positioning means execute the position measurement when a positioning request is made through the operating unit, and the measurement controller obtains positioning result data of the first positioning means as position data responded to the positioning request when position measurement of the first positioning means is performed, and obtains positioning result data of the second positioning means as position data responded to the positioning request when position measurement of the first positioning means is not performed.

2. The positioning device according to claim 1, wherein the operating unit contains a power supply operating unit that turns on/off partial power supply, and the positioning request is generated by a power-on operation of the power supply operating unit.

3. The positioning device according to claim 2, wherein when position measurement is not, executed by the first positioning means from a power-on operation of the power supply operating unit till a next power-off operation, the measurement controller obtains positioning result data of the second positioning means as position data responded to the positioning request.

4. The positioning device according to claim 1, further comprising a motion detector for detecting presence or absence of a motion, wherein the measurement controller makes the second positioning means execute the position measurement continuously during a period when it is determined on the basis of a detection of the motion detector that the positioning device is not under a stationary state, and makes the second positioning means stop the position measurement when it is determined on the basis of a detection of the motion detector that the positioning device is under a stationary state.

5. A positioning method for performing position measurement by using a receiver for receiving a signal from a positioning satellite, first positioning means that can perform position measurement on the basis of a signal of the positioning satellite received through the receiver, and second positioning means that can measure a moving direction and a moving amount and accumulate a moving vector comprising the moving direction and the moving amount to perform relative position measurement comprising:

a first measurement control step for making the first positioning means execute position measurement in response to a positioning request;

a second measurement control step for making the second positioning means execute position measurement continually; and

a position data obtaining step for obtaining measurement result data of the first measurement control step as position data responded to the positioning request when position measurement in the first measurement control step is performed and obtaining measurement result data of the second measurement control step as position data responded to the positioning request when position measurement in the first measurement control step is not performed.

6. A storage medium readable by a computer that controls a receiver for receiving a signal from a positioning satellite, first positioning means that can perform position measurement on the basis of a signal of the positioning satellite received through the receiver, and second positioning means that can measure a moving direction and a moving amount and accumulate a moving vector comprising the moving direction and the moving amount to perform relative position measurement, the storage medium storing a program making the computer execute:

a first measurement control function of making the first positioning means execute position measurement in response to a positioning request;

a second measurement control function of making the second positioning means execute position measurement continually; and

a position data obtaining function of obtaining measurement result data of the first measurement control function as position data responded to the positioning request when position measurement in the first measurement control function is performed and obtaining measurement result data of the second measurement control function as position data responded to the positioning request when position measurement in the first measurement control function is not performed.