Positioning system, positioning method, and positioning server

• US 7,379,744 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2004
• Issued: 05/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maxell, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Tamaki, Tsuyoshi, Yano, Takashi, Tamaki, Satoshi, Tanaka, Ryouichi
• Primary Examiner(s): RAMPURIA, SHARAD K
• Application Number:
  US11/017,135
• Publication Number:
  US 20050143092A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,253 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-457, 455/5, 455/422.1, 455/404.2, 455423-425, 455 6711- 6716, 455446-447, 342/451, 342/126, 342/387, 342463-465
• US Class Current: 455/456.5
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

To provide a positioning system, a positioning method, and a positioning server, which are capable of improving accuracy in detection of a position. In a positioning system, three or more access points connected to a terminal station by wireless communication are connected to a positioning server through a network, the access points transmit, to the positioning server, information regarding times of having received a signal transmitted from any one of the access points or the terminal station, and the positioning server measures a position of the terminal station based on the information regarding the times, the information having been received from the access points. In the positioning system, the access points select a communication method for maximizing a strength of the signal received from the terminal station and receive the signal from the terminal station, and the positioning server measures the position of the terminal station based on the information regarding the times, the information having been received from the access points.

Claims

1. A positioning system, comprising:

a terminal station;

a positioning server; and

three or more access points that are each connected to the terminal station by wireless communication and each connected to the positioning server through a network, wherein one of the access points transmits a plurality of measurement signals to the terminal station and the other access points,

each of the other access points receives the plurality of measurement signals in a plurality of receiving conditions, the plurality of receiving conditions being different from each other,

the terminal station transmits to the other access points a plurality of positioning measurement signal replies,

each of the other access points receives the plurality of positioning measurement signal replies in the plurality of receiving conditions, creates timing information based on points of time of receiving the measurement signals in the plurality of receiving conditions, points of time of receiving the positioning measurement signal replies in the receiving conditions and the plurality of receiving conditions, and transmits the created timing information to the positioning server, and the positioning server calculates a position of the terminal station based on the timing information,

wherein the plurality of receiving conditions are selected from at least one of different directivities of antennas for receiving the signals at the other access points, different polarizations of the signals received by the other access points, and different frequencies of the signals received by the other access points.

2. The positioning system according to claim 1, wherein

the positioning server calculates the position of the terminal station based on combinations of pieces of timing information regarding points of time of receiving the measurement signals in one of the plurality of receiving conditions and points of time of receiving the measurement signal replies in one of the plurality of conditions and selects, from calculated results, a result having a least error.

3. The positioning system according to claim 1, wherein the other access points select a receiving condition among the plurality of receiving conditions, and receive the signals from the terminal station in the selected receiving condition, the selected receiving condition maximizing strengths of the signals.

4. The positioning system according to claim 1, wherein the access points select a receiving condition among the plurality of receiving conditions every predetermined number of times a signal is received from the terminal station.

10. The positioning system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of receiving conditions use different transmission powers for receiving the signals at the access points, respectively.

5. A positioning method, which is used in a positioning system that includes a terminal station and three or more access points that are each connected to the terminal station by wireless communication and which is used to measure a position of the terminal station based on information regarding points of time of receiving signals transmitted to the access points from the terminal station or one of the access points,

the positioning method, comprising:

a first step of transmitting, by one of the access points, a plurality of measurement signals to the terminal station and the other access points;

a second step of receiving, by the other access points, the plurality of measurement signals in a plurality of receiving conditions, the plurality of receiving conditions being different from each other;

a third step of transmitting, by the terminal station, a plurality of positioning measurement signal replies;

a fourth step of receiving, by each of the other access points, the plurality of replies to the measurement signals in the plurality of receiving conditions;

a fifth step of creating, by each of the other access points, timing information based on points of time of receiving the measurement signals in the receiving conditions, points of time of receiving the positioning measurement signal replies in the plurality of receiving conditions and the plurality of receiving conditions;

a sixth step of transmitting, by the other access points, the created timing information to the positioning server; and

a seventh step of calculating, by the positioning server, a position of the terminal station based on the timing information,

wherein the plurality of receiving conditions are selected from at least one of different directivities of antennas for receiving the signals at the other access points, different polarizations of the signals received by the other access points, and different frequencies of the signals received by the other access points.

6. The positioning method according to claim 5, wherein the seventh step includes the steps of calculating a position of the terminal station based on combinations of pieces of the timing information regarding points of time of receiving the measurement signals in one of the plurality of receiving conditions and points of times of receiving the measurement signal replies in one of the plurality of receiving conditions;

and

selecting, from calculated results, a result having a least error.

7. The positioning method according to claim 5, wherein the fourth step includes the steps of:

selecting a receiving condition among the plurality of receiving conditions; and

receiving the signals from the terminal station, the selected receiving condition maximizing strengths of the signals received from the terminal station.

8. The positioning method according to claim 5, wherein the fourth step includes the step of selecting a different receiving condition among the plurality of receiving conditions every predetermined number of times a signal is received from the terminal station.

11. The positioning method according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of receiving conditions use different transmission powers for receiving the signals at the access points, respectively.

9. A positioning server, which is connected to three or more access points each connected to a terminal station by wireless communication, wherein the positioning server receives from the access points timing information regarding points of time of receiving signals by the access points in a plurality of receiving conditions, and measures a position of the terminal station based on the timing information regarding points of time of receiving the signals, the plurality of receiving conditions being different from each other,

the positioning server, comprising:

a position measurement unit for calculating a position of the terminal station based on combinations of pieces of the timing information regarding points of time of receiving the measurement signals; and

a selecting unit for selecting, from calculated results, a result having a least error,

wherein the plurality of receiving conditions are selected from at least one of different directivities of antennas for receiving the signals at the other access points, different polarizations of the signals received by the access points, and different frequencies of the signals received by the other access points.

12. The positioning server according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of receiving conditions use different transmission powers for receiving the signals at the access points, respectively.