Positioning apparatus and positioning method

• US 7,657,371 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2006
• Issued: 02/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Electronics Corporation (Renesas Electronics Corporation)
• Inventors: Hirano, Keiichi
• Primary Examiner(s): To; Tuan C
• Assistant Examiner(s): MAWARI, REDHWAN K
• Application Number:
  US11/372,203
• Publication Number:
  US 20060206260A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,425 Days
• Field of Search: 701/202, 701/207, 701/209, 701/213, 701/214, 340/995.1, 340/0.25
• US Class Current: 701/207
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0263 by combining or switching between positions derived from two or more separate positioning systems

Abstract

A positioning apparatus having short sensory time for executing the high precision positioning of the user on a map. The positioning apparatus includes: a first positioning unit for obtaining a first position information which represents the position of the positioning apparatus itself measured by carrying out a low precision positioning; a displaying unit for displaying the first position information; and a second positioning unit for obtaining the second position information which represents the position of the positioning apparatus itself measured by carrying out a high precision positioning. The high precision positioning is executed in parallel with the low precision positioning. The displaying unit updates a screen based on the second position information.

Claims

1. A positioning apparatus comprising:

a first positioning unit configured to perform a first positioning by carrying out information communication with an external part of said positioning apparatus to obtain a first information indicating a position of said positioning apparatus;

a second positioning unit configured to perform a second positioning by carrying out information communication with an external part of said positioning apparatus to obtain a second information indicating said position of said positioning apparatus more precisely than said first information;

a controller coupled to said first positioning unit configured to instruct said first positioning unit to perform said first positioning in response to an instruction from a user of said positioning apparatus; and

a display configured to display a first map representing said position of said positioning apparatus indicated by said first information,

wherein said controller is further coupled to said second positioning unit and is configured to instruct said second positioning unit to perform said second positioning before said display displays said first map, and

wherein said display is configured to display a second map representing said position with a corrected preciseness of said positioning apparatus indicated by said second information without responding to another instruction from said user of said positioning apparatus after said display displays said first map.

2. The positioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said controller configured to instruct substantially concurrently said first and second positioning units to perform said first positioning and said second positioning, respectively.

3. The positioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first and second positioning units are configured to perform said first and second positionings in parallel.

4. The positioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said controller configured to instruct said second positioning unit to perform said second positioning after said controller instructs said first positioning unit to perform said first positioning.

5. The positioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said controller configured to obtain a map information for displaying said second map, before said display displays said first map.