Positioning apparatus and positioning method

• US 8,165,794 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2009
• Issued: 04/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
• Inventors: Hirano, Keiichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hellner, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): MAWARI, REDHWAN K
• Application Number:
  US12/654,252
• Publication Number:
  US 20100100316A1
• Time in Patent Office: 861 Days
• Field of Search: 701/202, 701/207, 701/209, 701/213, 701/214, 340/995.25, 340/995.24
• 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 method includes performing a first positioning by carrying out information communication with an external part of an positioning apparatus to obtain a first information indicating a position of an object to which the method is applied, displaying a first map representing the position of the object indicated by the first information, performing a second positioning by carrying out information communication with an external part of the positioning apparatus before displaying the first map to obtain a second information indicating the position of the object more precisely than the first information, and displaying a second map representing the position of the positioning apparatus indicated by the second information without responding to another instruction from the user of the positioning after the displaying the first map.

Claims

1. A positioning method comprising:

performing a first positioning by carrying out information communication with an external part of an positioning apparatus to obtain a first information indicating a position of an object to which said method is applied;

displaying a first map representing said position of said object indicated by said first information;

performing a second positioning by carrying out information communication with an external part of said positioning apparatus before displaying said first map to obtain a second information indicating said position of said object more precisely than said first information; and

displaying a second map representing said position of said positioning apparatus indicated by said second information without responding to another instruction from said user of said positioning after said displaying said first map.

2. The positioning method according to claim 1, further comprising:

displaying said position of said object indicated by said second information after displaying said position of said object indicated by said first information.

3. The positioning method according to claim 2, wherein said position of said object indicated by said second information is displayed without responding to a request for displaying said position of said object indicated by said second information.

4. The positioning method according to claim 1, wherein said second positioning is performed in parallel with said first positioning.

5. The positioning method according to claim 1, wherein said first positioning and said second positioning are started almost concurrently.

6. The positioning method according to claim 1, wherein said second positioning is started after said first positioning is started.

7. The positioning method according to claim 1, wherein said position of said positioning apparatus indicated by said first information comprises a map indicating said position of said object by using said first information.

8. The positioning method according to claim 2, wherein said position of said positioning apparatus indicated by said first information comprises a map indicating said position of said object by using said first information, and said position of said positioning apparatus indicated by said second information comprises another map indicating said position of said object by using said second information.

9. The positioning method according to claim 8, further comprising:

obtaining a map information for displaying said position of said positioning apparatus indicated by said second information, before displaying said position of said positioning apparatus indicated by said first information.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a display displaying a first map representing a position of said apparatus obtained as a result of

a first positioning, and further displaying a second map representing said position of said apparatus obtained as a result of a second positioning, said second positioning being performed to obtain said position of said apparatus more precisely than said first positioning,

wherein said display displays the second map representing said position of said apparatus obtained as a result of said second positioning without responding to a request for displaying said position of said apparatus obtained as a result of said second positioning.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said display displays said position of said apparatus obtained as a result of said second positioning after said display displays said position of said apparatus obtained as a result of said first positioning.

12. A positioning method comprising:

performing a first positioning by carrying out information communication with an external part of an positioning apparatus to obtain a first information indicating a position of an object to which said method is applied;

displaying a first map representing said position of said object indicated by said first information;

performing a second positioning by carrying out information communication with an external part of said positioning apparatus before displaying said first map to obtain a second information indicating said position of said object, and

displaying a second map representing said position of said positioning apparatus indicated by said second information without responding to another instruction from said user of said positioning after said displaying said first map.