Positioning system, positioning terminal, information provision device, positioning method, control program for positioning system, and computer-readable recording medium for recording control program for positioning system

• US 20060038717A1
• Filed: 08/19/2005
• Published: 02/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Uozumi, Hiroshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,292,184 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.420
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/05 providing aiding data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/09 providing processing capability normally carried out by the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/25 involving aiding data received from a cooperating element, e.g. assisted GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0036 of measured values, i.e. measurement on mobile and position calculation on base station

Abstract

A positioning system that uses a positioning terminal, an information provision device, and a communication network. The information provision device is configured to perform position calculations for the positioning terminal only when the results of position calculations can be considered to be successful. Thus, a load on the information provision device can be reduced.

Claims

1. A positioning system comprising:

a positioning terminal being configured to perform positioning using position information satellites;

an information provision device being configured to provide positioning aiding information to said positioning terminal; and

a communication network being configured to allow said positioning terminal to communicate with said information provision device,

said positioning terminal having,

a positioning aiding information transmission requesting unit being configured to requests said information provision device transmit positioning aiding information through said communication network,

a positioning aiding information receiving unit being configured to receive said positioning aiding information transmitted by said information provision device through said communication network,

a positioning basic information obtaining unit being configured to acquire said position information satellites and to obtain said positioning basic information from positioning-related signals transmitted by the position information satellites,

a terminal side position calculating unit being configured to calculate a position of the positioning terminal based on said positioning aiding information and said positioning basic information,

a positioning basic information transmitting unit being configured to transmit said positioning basic information to the information provision device through said communication network,

a positioning success or failure information generating unit being configured to generate positioning success or failure information indicating whether said terminal side position calculating unit has successfully calculated the position of the positioning terminal or not, and

a positioning success or failure information transmitting unit being configured to transmit said positioning success or failure information to the information provision device through the communication network, and

said information provision device having,

a positioning aiding information obtaining unit being configured to obtain said positioning aiding information,

a positioning aiding information transmitting unit being configured to transmit said positioning aiding information to the positioning terminal through said communication network,

a positioning basic information receiving unit being configured to receive positioning basic information transmitted by said positioning terminal through said communication network,

a positioning success or failure information receiving unit being configured to receive said positioning success or failure information transmitted by said positioning terminal through said communication network,

an information provision device side position calculating unit being configured to calculate the position of said positioning terminal based on said positioning aiding information and the positioning basic information, and

a positioning execution go or no-go determining unit being configured to determine whether said information provision device side position calculating unit performs position calculations for said positioning terminal based on said positioning success or failure information or not.

2. The positioning system according to claim 1, wherein

said positioning terminal includes,

a terminal side satellite selecting unit that selects said position information satellites used by said terminal side position calculating unit for position calculation of said positioning terminal from said position information satellites acquired by said positioning basic information obtaining unit,

a selection result information generating unit that generates selection result information indicating said position information satellites selected by said terminal side satellite selecting unit, and

a selection result information transmitting unit that transmits said selection result information to said information provision device through said communication network, and

the information provision device has,

a selection result information receiving unit that receives said selection result information transmitted by said positioning terminal through said communication network, and

an information provision device side satellite selecting unit that selects said position information satellites used by said information provision device side position calculating unit for position calculations of said positioning terminal based on said selection result information.

3. The positioning system according to claim 2, wherein

said terminal side satellite selecting unit of said positioning terminal calculates PDOP based on an arrangement of said position information satellites acquired by said positioning basic information obtaining unit and selects said position information satellites used by said terminal side position calculating unit for position calculation of said positioning terminal to minimize the PDOP.

4. A positioning terminal being configured to acquire positioning aiding information from an information provision device through a communication network and to perform positioning utilizing position information satellites, the terminal comprising:

a positioning aiding information transmission requesting unit being configured to request the information provision device to transmit positioning aiding information through the communication network;

a positioning aiding information receiving unit being configured to receive the positioning aiding information transmitted by the information provision device through the communication network;

a positioning basic information obtaining unit being configured to acquire the position information satellites and obtains positioning basic information from positioning-related signals transmitted by the position information satellites;

a terminal side position calculating unit being configured to calculate a position of the positioning terminal based on the positioning aiding information and the positioning basic information;

a positioning basic information transmitting unit being configured to transmit the positioning basic information to the information provision device through the communication network;

a positioning success or failure information generating unit being configured to generate positioning success or failure information indicating whether said terminal side position calculating unit has successfully calculated the position of the positioning terminal or not; and

a positioning success or failure information transmitting unit being configured to transmit the positioning success or failure information to the information provision device through the communication network.

5. An information provision device being configured to provide positioning aiding information to a positioning terminal to perform positioning utilizing position information satellites through a communication network, the device comprising:

a positioning aiding information obtaining unit being configured to obtain the positioning aiding information;

a positioning aiding information transmitting unit being configured to transmit the positioning aiding information to the positioning terminal through the communication network;

a positioning basic information receiving unit being configured to receive the positioning basic information transmitted by the positioning terminal through the communication network;

a positioning success or failure information receiving unit being configured to receive the positioning success or failure information transmitted by the positioning terminal through the communication network;

an information provision device side position calculating unit being configured to calculate a position of the positioning terminal based on the positioning aiding information and the positioning basic information; and

a positioning execution go or no-go determining unit being configured to determine whether the information provision device side position calculating unit performs position calculation of the positioning terminal based on the positioning success or failure information or not.

6. A positioning method comprising:

using a positioning terminal to perform positioning utilizing position information satellites, an information provision device to provide positioning aiding information to said positioning terminal, and a communication network for said positioning terminal to communicate with said information provision device;

requesting said information provision device to transmit positioning aiding information through said communication network by a positioning aiding information transmission requesting unit of said positioning terminal;

receiving said positioning aiding information transmitted by said information provision device through said communication network by a positioning aiding information receiving unit of said positioning terminal;

acquiring said position information satellites and obtaining positioning basic information from positioning-related signals transmitted by said position information satellites by a positioning basic information obtaining unit of said positioning terminal;

calculating a position of said positioning terminal based on said positioning aiding information and said positioning basic information by a terminal side position calculating unit of said positioning terminal;

transmitting said positioning basic information to said information provision device through said communication network by a positioning basic information transmitting unit of said positioning terminal;

generating positioning success or failure information indicating whether said terminal side position calculating unit has successfully calculated said position of said positioning terminal or not by a positioning success or failure information generating unit of said positioning terminal;

transmitting said positioning success or failure information to said information provision device through said communication network by a positioning success or failure information transmitting unit of said positioning terminal;

obtaining said positioning aiding information by a positioning aiding information obtaining unit of said information provision device;

transmitting said positioning aiding information to said positioning terminal through said communication network by a positioning aiding information transmitting unit of said information provision device;

receiving said positioning basic information transmitted by said positioning terminal through said communication network by a positioning basic information receiving unit of said information provision device;

receiving said positioning success or failure information transmitted by said positioning terminal through said communication network by a positioning success or failure information receiving unit of said information provision device;

calculating said position of said positioning terminal based on said positioning aiding information and said positioning basic information by an information provision device side position calculating unit of said information provision device; and

determining whether said information provision device side position calculating unit performs position calculation of said positioning terminal based on said positioning success or failure information or not by a positioning execution go or no-go determining unit of said information provision device.

7. A control program for a positioning system having a positioning terminal being configured to perform positioning utilizing position information satellites, an information provision device being configured to provide positioning aiding information to the positioning terminal, and a communication network for the positioning terminal to communicate with the information provision device, the program comprising:

code for requesting a positioning aiding information transmission requesting unit of the positioning terminal to request the information provision device to transmit positioning aiding information through the communication network;

code for requesting a positioning aiding information receiving unit of the positioning terminal to receive the positioning aiding information transmitted by the information provision device through the communication network;

code for requesting a positioning basic information obtaining unit of the positioning terminal to acquires the position information satellites and to obtain positioning basic information from positioning-related signals transmitted by the position information satellites;

code for requesting a terminal side position calculating unit of the positioning terminal to calculate a position of the positioning terminal based on the positioning aiding information and the positioning basic information;

code for requesting a positioning basic information transmitting unit of the positioning terminal to transmit the positioning basic information to the information provision device through the communication network;

code for requesting a positioning success or failure information generating unit of the positioning terminal to generate positioning success or failure information indicating whether the terminal side position calculating unit has successfully calculated the position of the positioning terminal or not;

code for requesting a positioning success or failure information transmitting unit of the positioning terminal to transmit the positioning success or failure information to the information provision device through the communication network;

code for requesting a positioning aiding information obtaining unit of the information provision device to obtain the positioning aiding information;

code for requesting a positioning aiding information transmitting unit of the information provision device to transmit the positioning aiding information to the positioning terminal through the communication network;

code for requesting a positioning basic information receiving unit of the information provision device to receive the positioning basic information transmitted by the positioning terminal through the communication network;

code for requesting a positioning success or failure information receiving unit of the information provision device to receive the positioning success or failure information transmitted by the positioning terminal through the communication network;

code for requesting an information provision device side position calculating unit of the information provision device to calculate the position of the positioning terminal based on the positioning aiding information and the positioning basic information; and

code for requesting a positioning execution go or no-go determining unit of the information provision device to determine whether the information provision device side position calculating unit performs position calculation of the positioning terminal or not based on the positioning success or failure information.

8. A computer-readable recording medium for recording a control program according to claim 7.