Positioning device, mobile terminal, positioning method, and positioning program

• US 7,068,217 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2005
• Issued: 06/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Michio
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, DAO LINDA
• Application Number:
  US11/040,997
• Publication Number:
  US 20050184905A1
• Time in Patent Office: 522 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.01, 342/357.06, 342/357.12, 342/357.08, 342/357.15, 342/357.13, 701/207, 701/213, 701/215
• US Class Current: 342/357.31
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/252 Employing an initial estimate of location in generating assistance data

Abstract

A device and method are provided to reduce the time required for positioning by a GPS without allowing specific parties to occupy a communication channel. An initial location acquisition unit specifies a location of a broadcasting station based on a terrestrial digital broadcasting from the broadcasting station to set the location of the broadcasting station as an initial location for positioning in a positioning unit, and the positioning unit determines a present location by receiving a radio wave from a GPS satellite.

Claims

1. A positioning device comprising:

a positioning unit for positioning a present location by receiving a radio wave from a satellite;

a communication unit for acquiring a public broadcast communication and for determining a broadcast frequency of the public broadcast communication; and

an initial location setting unit for determining an originating location of the public broadcast communication corresponding to the broadcast frequency and for setting an initial location of the positioning device as the originating location to be used for the positioning

wherein the positioning unit calculates the present location based on the initial location and the radio wave.

2. The positioning device according to claim 1, wherein the initial location setting unit comprises:

a first memory for storing information acquired by the communication unit;

a second memory for storing a result of the positioning performed by the positioning unit;

a comparison unit for comparing information acquired by the communication unit in a previous positioning with information acquired by the communication unit in a current positioning; and

an estimation unit for estimating a distance between a current positioning location and a previous positioning location based on a result of the comparison,

the previous positioning location being used as an initial location to be used for the current positioning in the case where the distance between the current positioning location and the previous positioning location is in a predetermined range.

3. The positioning device according to claim 2, wherein the estimation unit uses at least one of:

IDs of receivable broadcasting stations;

number of the receivable broadcasting stations;

field intensities of received radio waves; and

received frequencies,

for the estimation of the distance between the current positioning location and the previous positioning location.

4. The positioning device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the public broadcast communication comprises at least one of:

analog radio broadcasting;

digital radio broadcasting;

analog TV broadcasting;

digital TV broadcasting; and

a road traffic information communication.

5. The positioning device according to claim 4, wherein the digital TV broadcasting comprises terrestrial digital broadcasting.

6. The positioning device according to claim 1, further comprising a correlation table wherein the broadcasting frequency is correlated with at least one of location information of a broadcasting station and location information of a relay station of the broadcasting station.

7. The positioning device according to claim 6, wherein the initial location setting unit sets the initial location to be used for the positioning based on a result of reference to the correlation table.

8. A mobile terminal comprising:

a positioning unit for positioning a present location by receiving a radio wave from a satellite;

a communication unit for acquiring information indicating a broadcast frequency of a public broadcast communication;

an initial location setting unit for determining an originating location corresponding to the broadcast frequency and for setting an initial location of the mobile terminal as the originating location to be used for the positioning; and

a display for displaying a result obtained by the positioning unit;

wherein the positioning unit calculates the present location based on the initial location and the radio wave.

9. A positioning method comprising:

a step of acquiring information indicating a broadcast frequency of a public broadcast communication;

a step of determining an originating location of the public broadcast communication corresponding to the broadcast frequency;

a step of setting an initial location as the originating location;

a step of receiving a radio wave from a satellite; and

a step of calculating a present location based on the received radio wave and the set initial location.

10. A positioning program comprising causing a computer to execute:

a step of acquiring information indicating a broadcast frequency of a public broadcast communication;

a step of determining an originating location of a public broadcast communication corresponding to the broadcast frequency;

a step of setting an initial location as the originating location;

a step of receiving a radio wave from a satellite; and

a step of calculating a present location based on the received radio wave and the set initial location.