Navigation signal transmitting apparatus, location information providing apparatus, method for transmitting navigation signal, and method for providing location information

• US 9,553,631 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2011
• Issued: 01/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GNSS Technologies Inc.
• Original Assignee: GNSS Technologies Inc.
• Inventors: Torimoto, Hideyuki, Ishii, Makoto, Asako, Masahiro, Okano, Kazuki, Matsuzawa, Yuzo, Takahashi, Yoichi
• Primary Examiner(s): McGue, Frank J
• Application Number:
  US13/823,749
• Publication Number:
  US 20130279543A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,967 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.48
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/11 wherein the cooperating elements are pseudolites or satellite radio beacon positioning system signal repeaters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/48 by combining or switching between position solutions derived from the satellite radio beacon positioning system and position solutions derived from a further system
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/69 Spread spectrum techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services

Abstract

A navigation signal transmitting apparatus and a location information providing apparatus are provided for reducing time of positioning with a positioning signal from an indoor positioning transmitter. When an information providing server recognizes a transmitter ID of a transmitter from a mobile phone, the server makes reference refers to database associated with the transmitter ID, and reads SVG map information associated with the ID (including information for displaying a map and information of a correspondence relation between the transmitter ID and the location of the transmitter on the map). When the server transmits data of the SVG map information to a base station, the base station wirelessly emits the data of the SVG map information. When the mobile phone detects arrival of the data, the mobile phone can obtain the location of the transmitter from the data in accordance with a browsing operation of a user of the phone.

Claims

1. A navigation signal transmitting apparatus, installed in a facility on a ground, comprising:

a transmission antenna for transmitting a navigation signal to a mobile terminal capable of performing positioning by receiving spectrum spread satellite positioning signals from a plurality of positioning satellites;

a storage for storing identification information for specifying said navigation signal transmitting apparatus among a plurality of navigation signal transmitting apparatuses installed in said facility, and resource identification information for specifying a location of an external device on a network to obtain map information indicative of inside of said facility;

a message generator for generating a message signal of said identification information and said resource identification information to be included in said navigation signal;

a modulator for generating said navigation signal by modulating said message signal through a modulation process including a spectrum spread process based on the same type of a spread code as that of each of said satellite positioning signals, said spread code being allotted to said navigation signal transmitting apparatus in advance; and

a transmitter for transmitting said navigation signal from said transmission antenna,

wherein said transmitter is configured to further transmit an indoor map and a conversion table used by said mobile terminal for resolving a location,

wherein the identification information of each said navigation signal transmitting apparatus and the location of the navigation signal transmitting apparatus are interrelated by an ID on the indoor map at the conversion table, and

wherein a map information including the identification information is displayed on a monitor of the mobile terminal.

2. The navigation signal transmitting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said navigation signal has a signal format compatible with a signal format of said satellite positioning signal.

3. The navigation signal transmitting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said message generator is configured to generate the message signal including said identification information, in accordance with a signal format having the shortest signal repeating cycle among a plurality of signal formats compatible with the signal format of said satellite positioning signal.

4. The navigation signal transmitting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conversion table further comprises information for identifying a code used for the spectrum spread modulation.

5. A location information providing apparatus capable of performing positioning by receiving spectrum spread satellite positioning signals from a plurality of positioning satellites, and providing location information using a plurality of navigation signals, which are spread spectrum signals from a plurality of navigation signal transmitting apparatuses installed in a facility on a ground and which respectively include pieces of identification information for specifying said navigation signal transmitting apparatuses in said facility, comprising:

a receiver for receiving said spread spectrum signals;

a communication circuit for communicating with an external device on a network;

a memory for storing a plurality of patterns of spread codes for said navigation signals, said spread codes being of the same type as those for said satellite positioning signals;

demodulators provided in parallel for identifying and demodulating said plurality of navigation signals by performing correlation processes for said plurality of patterns of said spread codes in parallel;

an extractor for obtaining resource identification information for specifying a location of said external device on said network from the navigation signal from a predetermined one of said navigation signal transmitting apparatuses, and extracting said identification information from one of said plurality of navigation signals identified, when said navigation signals have been successfully identified and demodulated; and

a map rendering processor for obtaining, from said external device using said communication circuit based on said resource identification information, map information for displaying a map of inside of said facility and correspondence information indicating a correspondence relation between said identification information and the location of said navigation signal transmitting apparatus in said facility, and generating an image signal for displaying an map image indicating a location of said navigation signal transmitting apparatus, from which said identification information has been received, on the map of the inside of said facility.

6. The location information providing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said navigation signal has a signal format compatible with a signal format of said satellite positioning signal.

7. The location information providing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said map information is data of a SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) format, and said correspondence information is described as data of said SVG format.

8. The location information providing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein when obtaining said map information from said external device, said extractor is also configured to obtain satellite orbit data for said positioning satellites from said external device,

said location information providing apparatus further comprising an outdoor positioning circuit for performing positioning using said satellite orbit data obtained from said external device, when performing positioning by receiving said satellite positioning signals from said plurality of positioning satellites.

9. The location information providing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

said correspondence information collectively includes correspondence relations between locations of said plurality of navigation signal transmitting apparatuses included in said map information and the plurality of pieces of identification information, and

said demodulators are configured to perform said correlation processes using a selected one of said spread codes based on said correspondence information.

10. The location information providing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the location information providing apparatus is further configured to resolve the location using the correspondence information after the map information is downloaded.

11. The location information providing apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the corresponding information includes information for identifying a code used for the spectrum spread modulation, and

wherein identifying and demodulating said plurality of navigation signals include identifying said plurality of navigation signals based on the information for identifying a code.

12. A method for transmitting a navigation signal from a facility on a ground, comprising

preparing identification information for specifying the navigation signal transmitting apparatus among a plurality of navigation signal transmitting apparatuses installed in said facility, and resource identification information for specifying a location of an external device on a network to obtain map information indicative of inside of said facility;

generating a message signal of said identification information and said resource identification information to be included in said navigation signal;

generating said navigation signal by modulating said message signal through a modulation process including a spectrum spread process based on the same type of a spread code as that of each of said satellite positioning signals, said spread code being allotted to said navigation signal transmitting apparatus in advance; and

transmitting said navigation signal from the transmission antenna to a mobile terminal capable of performing positioning by receiving spectrum spread satellite positioning signals from a plurality of positioning satellites; and

transmitting an indoor map and a conversion table used by said mobile terminal for resolving a location,

wherein the identification information of each said navigation signal transmitting apparatus and the location of the navigation signal transmitting apparatus are interrelated by an ID on the indoor map at the conversion table, and

wherein a map information including the identification information is displayed on a monitor of the mobile terminal.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein said navigation signal has a signal format compatible with a signal format of said satellite positioning signal.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein said generating said message signal includes generating the message signal including said identification information, in accordance with a signal format having the shortest signal repeating cycle among a plurality of signal formats compatible with the signal format of said satellite positioning signal.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the conversion table further comprises information for identifying a code used for the spectrum spread modulation.

16. A method, which allows for positioning by receiving spectrum spread satellite positioning signals from a plurality of positioning satellites, for providing location information using a plurality of navigation signals, which are spread spectrum signals from a plurality of navigation signal transmitting apparatuses installed in a facility on a ground and which respectively include pieces of identification information for specifying said navigation signal transmitting apparatuses in said facility, comprising

receiving said spread spectrum signals;

communicating with an external device on a network;

storing a plurality of patterns of spread codes for said navigation signals, said spread codes being of the same type as those for said satellite positioning signals;

identifying and demodulating said plurality of navigation signals by performing correlation processes for said plurality of patterns of said spread codes in parallel;

obtaining resource identification information for specifying a location of said external device on said network from the navigation signal from a predetermined one of said navigation signal transmitting apparatuses, and extracting said identification information from one of said plurality of navigation signals identified, when said navigation signals have been successfully identified and demodulated; and

obtaining, from said external device based on said resource identification information, map information for displaying a map of inside of said facility and correspondence information indicating a correspondence relation between said identification information and the location of said navigation signal transmitting apparatus in said facility, and generating an image signal for displaying an map image indicating a location of said navigation signal transmitting apparatus, from which said identification information has been received, on the map of the inside of said facility.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein said navigation signal has a signal format compatible with a signal format of said satellite positioning signal.

18. Tice method according to claim 17, wherein said map information is data of a SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) format, and said correspondence information is described as data of said SVG format.

19. The method according to claim 18,

wherein when obtaining said map information from said external device, said extracting includes also obtaining satellite orbit data for said positioning satellites from said external device,

the method further comprising performing positioning using said satellite orbit data obtained from said external device, when performing positioning by receiving said satellite positioning signals from said plurality of positioning satellites.

20. The method according to claim 17, wherein

said correspondence information collectively includes correspondence relations between locations of said plurality of navigation signal transmitting apparatuses included in said map information and the plurality of pieces of identification information, and

said demodulating includes the step of performing said correlation processes using a selected one of said spread codes based on said correspondence information.