Positioning device, method of controlling positioning device, positioning control program, and computer-readable recording medium having positioning control program recorded thereon

• US 7,720,602 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2007
• Issued: 05/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Kurata, Tomoyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Figueroa; Jaime
• Application Number:
  US11/711,649
• Publication Number:
  US 20070260397A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,175 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/207, 701/213, 701/216, 701/217, 701/220, 701/221, 701/200, 701/202, 701/209, 180/282, 342/357.14, 342/358, 340/995.19
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/28 with correlation of data from several navigational instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/40 Correcting position, velocity or attitude
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/49 whereby the further system is an inertial position system, e.g. loosely-coupled

Abstract

A positioning device includes a moving amount determination section which determines a moving amount of the device in a period between a preceding positioning time and a present positioning time; a moving amount evaluation section which determines whether or not the moving amount is within a predetermined allowable moving range; a positioning section which locates a position of the device based on a satellite signal which is a signal from a positioning satellite; an average position calculation section which calculates an average position by averaging a preceding located position and a present located position when the moving amount evaluation section has determined that the moving amount is within the predetermined allowable moving range; and a position output section which outputs the average position.

Claims

1. A positioning device comprising:

an acceleration sensor;

a gyrosensor;

a moving amount determination section that successively calculates a moving vector in a period between a proceeding positioning time and a present positioning time based on values output from the acceleration sensor and the gyrosensor, and determines a distance between a base point of a first moving vector and an end point of a last moving vector when sequentially connecting the calculated moving vectors to be a moving amount of the device in a period between the preceding positioning time and the present positioning time;

a moving amount evaluation section that determines whether or not the moving amount is within a predetermined allowable moving range;

a positioning section that locates a position of the device based on a satellite signal which is a signal from a positioning satellite; and

a position output section that outputs a preceding located position when the moving amount evaluation section has determined that the moving amount is within the predetermined allowable moving range.

3. The positioning device as defined in claim 1, wherein the position output section outputs a present located position when the moving amount evaluation section has determined that the moving amount is outside the predetermined allowable moving range.

2. A positioning device comprising:

an acceleration sensor;

a gyrosensor;

a moving amount determination section that successively calculates a moving vector in a period between a proceeding positioning time and a present positioning time based on values output from the acceleration sensor and the gyrosensor, and determines a distance between a base point of a first moving vector and an end point of a last moving vector when sequentially connecting the calculated moving vectors to be a moving amount of the device in a period between the preceding positioning time and the present positioning time;

a moving amount evaluation section that determines whether or not the moving amount is within a predetermined allowable moving range;

a positioning section that locates a position of the device based on a satellite signal which is a signal from a positioning satellite;

an average position calculation section that calculates an average position by averaging a preceding located position and a present located position when the moving amount evaluation section has determined that the moving amount is within the predetermined allowable moving range; and

a position output section that outputs the average position.

4. The positioning device as defined in claim 2, wherein the position output section outputs a present located position when the moving amount evaluation section has determined that the moving amount is outside the predetermined allowable moving range.

5. A method of controlling a positioning device comprising:

a moving amount determination step of successively calculating a moving vector in a period between a preceding positioning time and a present positioning time based on values output from an acceleration sensor and a gyrosensor, and determining a distance between a base point of a first moving vector and an end point of a last moving vector when sequentially connecting the calculated moving vectors to be a moving amount in a period between the preceding positioning time and the present positioning time;

a moving amount evaluation step of determining whether or not the moving amount is within a predetermined allowable moving range;

a positioning step of locating a present position based on a satellite signal which is a signal from a positioning satellite; and

a position output step of outputting a preceding located position when the moving amount has been determined to be within the predetermined allowable moving range in the moving amount evaluation step.

7. The method of controlling a positioning device as defined in claim 5, wherein the present located position is output in the position output step when the moving amount has been determined to be outside the predetermined allowable moving range in the moving amount evaluation step.

6. A method of controlling a positioning device comprising:

a moving amount determination step of successively calculating a moving vector in a period between a preceding positioning time and a present positioning time based on values output from an acceleration sensor and a gyrosensor, and determining a distance between a base point of a first moving vector and an end point of a last moving vector when sequentially connecting the calculated moving vectors to be a moving amount in a period between the preceding positioning time and the present positioning time;

a moving amount evaluation step of determining whether or not the moving amount is within a predetermined allowable moving range;

a positioning step of locating a present position based on a satellite signal which is a signal from a positioning satellite;

an average position calculation step of calculating an average position by averaging a preceding located position and a present located position when the moving amount has been determined to be within the predetermined allowable moving range in the moving amount evaluation step; and

a position output step of outputting the average position.

8. The method of controlling a positioning device as defined in claim 6, wherein the present located position is output in the position output step when the moving amount has been determined to be outside the predetermined allowable moving range in the moving amount evaluation step.

9. A positioning control program causing a computer which includes an acceleration sensor and a gyrosensor to execute:

a moving amount determination step of successively calculating a moving vector in a period between a preceding positioning time and a present positioning time based on values output from the acceleration sensor and the gyrosensor, and determining a distance between a base point of a first moving vector and an end point of a last moving vector when sequentially connecting the calculated moving vectors to be a moving amount of the computer in a period between the preceding positioning time and the present positioning time;

a moving amount evaluation step of determining whether or not the moving amount is within a predetermined allowable moving range;

a positioning step of locating a position of the computer based on a satellite signal which is a signal from a positioning satellite; and

a position output step of outputting a preceding located position when the moving amount has been determined to be within the predetermined allowable moving range in the moving amount evaluation step.

10. A positioning control program causing a computer which includes an acceleration sensor and a gyrosensor to execute:

a moving amount determination step of successively calculating a moving vector in a period between a preceding positioning time and a present positioning time based on values output from the acceleration sensor and the gyrosensor, and determining a distance between a base point of a first moving vector and an end point of a last moving vector when sequentially connecting the calculated moving vectors to be a moving amount of the computer in a period between the preceding positioning time and the present positioning time;

a moving amount evaluation step of determining whether or not the moving amount is within a predetermined allowable moving range;

a positioning step of locating a position of the computer based on a satellite signal which is a signal from a positioning satellite;

an average position calculation step of calculating an average position by averaging a preceding located position and a present located position when the moving amount has been determined to be within the predetermined allowable moving range in the moving amount evaluation step; and

a position output step of outputting the average position.

11. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a positioning control program, the positioning control program causing a computer which includes an acceleration sensor and a gyrosensor to execute:

a moving amount determination step of successively calculating a moving vector in a period between a preceding positioning time and a present positioning time based on values output from the acceleration sensor and the gyrosensor, and determining a distance between a base point of a first moving vector and an end point of a last moving vector when sequentially connecting the calculated moving vectors to be a moving amount of the computer in a period between the preceding positioning time and the present positioning time;

a moving amount evaluation step of determining whether or not the moving amount is within a predetermined allowable moving range;

a positioning step of locating a position of the computer based on a satellite signal which is a signal from a positioning satellite; and

a position output step of outputting a preceding located position when the moving amount has been determined to be within the predetermined allowable moving range in the moving amount evaluation step.

12. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a positioning control program, the positioning control program causing a computer which includes an acceleration sensor and a gyrosensor to execute:

a moving amount determination step of successively calculating a moving vector in a period between a preceding positioning time and a present positioning time based on values output from the acceleration sensor and the gyrosensor, and determining a distance between a base point of a first moving vector and an end point of a last moving vector when sequentially connecting the calculated moving vectors to be a moving amount of the computer in a period between the preceding positioning time and the present positioning time;

a moving amount evaluation step of determining whether or not the moving amount is within a predetermined allowable moving range;

a positioning step of locating a position of the computer based on a satellite signal which is a signal from a positioning satellite;

an average position calculation step of calculating an average position by averaging a preceding located position and a present located position when the moving amount has been determined to be within the predetermined allowable moving range in the moving amount evaluation step; and

a position output step of outputting the average position.