POSITIONING DEVICE, POSITIONING METHOD, PROGRAM, AND RECORDING MEDIUM

• US 20120245885A1
• Filed: 02/15/2012
• Published: 09/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: KIMISHIMA, Masato
• Granted Patent: US 9,110,150 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/138
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0264 at least one of the systems being a non-radio wave positioning system

Abstract

There is provided a positioning device including a geomagnetism detection section which detects geomagnetism, an acquisition section which acquires a matching area obtained by checking values of a total magnetic intensity and a magnetic dip of the geomagnetism detected by the geomagnetism detection section against geomagnetic information including values of a total magnetic intensity and a magnetic dip which are associated with an absolute position, and an identification section which identifies a current location based on the area acquired by the acquisition section.

Claims

1. A positioning device comprising:

a geomagnetism detection section which detects geomagnetism;

an acquisition section which acquires a matching area obtained by checking values of a total magnetic intensity and a magnetic dip of the geomagnetism detected by the geomagnetism detection section against geomagnetic information including values of a total magnetic intensity and a magnetic dip which are associated with an absolute position; and

an identification section which identifies a current location based on the area acquired by the acquisition section.

2. The positioning device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a positioning section which measures a current location based on information different from the geomagnetism,

wherein the acquisition section acquires the area when the positioning section is incapable of measuring a position.

3. The positioning device according to claim 2,

wherein, when a plurality of areas are acquired by the acquisition section, the identification section identifies the current location based on a position that is measured last by the positioning section.

4. The positioning device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a radio communication section which establishes a connection with a wireless communication network; and

a storage section which stores information of a communication range of the wireless communication network,

wherein the positioning section measures a current location based on position information of a base station of the wireless communication network, and

wherein the identification section narrows down the current location by excluding the communication range from the area acquired by the acquisition section.

5. The positioning device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a pressure detection section which detects pressure; and

an altitude calculation section which calculates an altitude based on the pressure detected by the pressure detection section,

wherein the identification section narrows down the current location using information obtained by checking the altitude calculated by the altitude calculation section against altitude information associated with the absolute position.

6. The positioning device according to claim 3,

wherein the identification section sets, as the current location, an area which is near to a position measured last by the positioning section from among the plurality of areas.

7. The positioning device according to claim 1,

wherein the geomagnetism detection section has a geomagnetic sensor and an acceleration sensor, identifies an azimuth based on gravitational acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor, and calculates the magnetic dip.

8. A positioning method comprising:

detecting geomagnetism;

acquiring a matching area by checking detected values of a total magnetic intensity and a magnetic dip of the detected geomagnetism against geomagnetic information including values of a total magnetic intensity and a magnetic dip which are associated with an absolute position; and

identifies a current location based on the acquired area.

9. A program for causing a computer to function as a positioning device including

a geomagnetism detection section which detects geomagnetism,

an acquisition section which acquires a matching area obtained by checking values of a total magnetic intensity and a magnetic dip of the geomagnetism detected by the geomagnetism detection section against geomagnetic information including values of a total magnetic intensity and a magnetic dip which are associated with an absolute position, and

an identification section which identifies a current location based on the area acquired by the acquisition section.

10. A computer-readable recording medium which records therein a program for causing a computer to function as a positioning device including

a geomagnetism detection section which detects geomagnetism,

an acquisition section which acquires a matching area obtained by checking values of a total magnetic intensity and a magnetic dip of the geomagnetism detected by the geomagnetism detection section against geomagnetic information including values of a total magnetic intensity and a magnetic dip which are associated with an absolute position, and

an identification section which identifies a current location based on the area acquired by the acquisition section.