LOCATION INFORMATION DETERMINATION SYSTEM

• US 20160202343A1
• Filed: 12/02/2015
• Published: 07/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: OKUTSU, Akihiko
• Granted Patent: US 10,175,338 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/14 using ultrasonic, sonic, or infrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/16 using difference in transit time between electrical and acoustic signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02585 at least one of the measurements being a non-radio measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/18 using ultrasonic, sonic, or infrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/30 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

A terminal device includes a reception unit configured to receive first and second electromagnetic waves and first and second sound waves; and a processor configured to determine first and second frequencies respectively indicating transmission frequencies of the first and second sound waves based on the first and second electromagnetic waves, and determine first and second beacons from which the first and second sound waves are transmitted, based on the determined first and second frequencies, wherein the processor determines a location of the terminal device based on the determined first and second beacons.

Claims

1. A terminal device, comprising:

a reception unit configured to receive first and second electromagnetic waves and first and second sound waves; and

a processor configured to determine first and second frequencies respectively indicating transmission frequencies of the first and second sound waves based on the first and second electromagnetic waves, and determine first and second beacons from which the first and second sound waves are transmitted, based on the determined first and second frequencies, wherein

the processor determines a location of the terminal device based on the determined first and second beacons.

2. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein

the first electromagnetic wave includes information of the first frequency, and

the second electromagnetic wave includes information of the second frequency.

3. The terminal device according to claim 2, wherein

the first electromagnetic wave further includes first location information which indicates a location of the first beacon, and

the second electromagnetic wave further includes second location information which indicates a location of the second beacon.

4. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein

the first electromagnetic wave includes first location information which indicates a location of the first beacon,

the second electromagnetic wave includes second location information which indicates a location of the second beacon, and

the processor is configured to determine the first and second frequencies based on the first and second location information.

5. The terminal device according to claim 2, wherein

the reception unit further receives third and fourth electromagnetic waves and third and fourth sound waves, the third and fourth electromagnetic waves including information of third and fourth frequencies, respectively, the third and fourth frequencies indicating transmission frequencies of the third and fourth sound waves, respectively,

the processor determines the third and fourth frequencies respectively, based on the third and fourth electromagnetic waves, and determines third and fourth beacons from which the third and fourth sound waves are transmitted, based on the third and fourth frequencies,

the processor selects three beacons most proximate to the terminal device among the first, the second, the third, and the fourth beacons, and determines the location of the terminal device based on the selected three beacons.

6. The terminal device according to claim 2, wherein

the processor calculates a distance between the first beacon and the terminal device when a time difference between the reception time of the first electromagnetic wave and the reception time of the first sound wave is smaller than a threshold, and does not calculate the distance between the first beacon and the terminal device when the time difference is equal to or higher than the threshold, and

the processor calculates a distance between the second beacon and the terminal device when a time difference between reception time of the second electromagnetic wave and reception time of the second sound wave is smaller than a threshold, and not to calculate the distance between the second beacon and the terminal device when the time difference is equal to or higher than the threshold.

7. The terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a table presenting correspondence among frequencies of the first and second electromagnetic waves, the first and second frequencies, and first and second location information indicating locations of the first and second beacons, wherein

the first electromagnetic wave and the second electromagnetic wave are of different frequencies,

the processor determines the first beacon from the table, based on the frequency of the first electromagnetic wave and the first frequency, and

the processor determines the second beacon from the table, based on the frequency of the second electromagnetic wave and the second frequency.

8. The terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a table presenting correspondence among the first and second frequencies, first and second identification information to determine the first and second beacons, respectively, and first and second location information indicating locations of the first and second beacons, wherein

the first electromagnetic wave includes the first identification information,

the second electromagnetic wave indicates the second identification information,

the processor determines the first beacon from the table, based on the first identification information and the first frequency, and

the processor determines the second beacon from the table, based on the second identification information and the second frequency.

9. A beacon, comprising:

a transmission unit configured to transmit an electromagnetic wave and a sound wave, wherein

the sound wave is of a frequency which is different from a frequency of a sound wave transmitted by another beacon.

10. A location information determination system, comprising:

first and second beacons each configured to transmit an electromagnetic wave and a sound wave; and

a terminal device configured to receive the electromagnetic wave and the radio wave, wherein

the first beacon comprises a first transmission unit configured to transmit a first electromagnetic wave and a first sound wave of a first frequency,

the second beacon comprises a second transmission unit configured to transmit a second electromagnetic wave and a second sound wave of a second frequency,

the terminal device includes a processor configured to determine the first and second frequencies respectively indicating transmission frequencies of the first and second sound waves based on the first and second electromagnetic waves, and determine the first and second beacons from which the first and second sound waves are transmitted, based on the determined first and second frequencies, and

the processor determines a location of the terminal device based on the determined first and second beacons.