Position detecting system and position detecting server

• US 7,746,275 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2007
• Issued: 06/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Sajikawa, Yasuyuki, Nagino, Hideki
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, DAO LINDA
• Application Number:
  US11/892,513
• Publication Number:
  US 20070290855A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,041 Days
• Field of Search: 342/450, 342/453, 342463-465, 340/539.13, 340/572.1, 340/686.1
• US Class Current: 342/465
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A position detecting system includes an RFID terminal configured to transmit an identification information signal by radio; a plurality of receiving devices configured to receive the identification information signal; and a position detecting server configured to receive a reception notification of the identification information signal from each of the receiving device and configured to estimate a position of the RFID terminal. The RFID terminal includes a part configured to perform radio transmission of a plurality of identification information signals having different radio strengths. The position detecting server includes a part configured to integrate the reception notifications of the identification information signals having different radio strengths and configured to estimate the position of the RFID terminal.

Claims

1. A position detecting system, comprising:

an RFID terminal configured to transmit an identification information signal by radio;

a plurality of receiving devices configured to receive the identification information signal; and

a position detecting server configured to receive a reception notification of the identification information signal from each of the receiving devices;

wherein the RFID terminal includes a part configured to perform radio transmission of a plurality of identification information signals having different radio strengths, at designated time intervals;

the receiving devices are configured to report, when receiving each identification information signal, the reception notification of the received identification information signal to the position detecting server; and

the position detecting server includes a part configured to calculate the center of gravity of positions of receiving devices reporting the reception notifications, of each time interval,

configured to determine that the RFID terminal has performed the radio transmission of a predetermined one of the identification information signals at a current time interval, depending on the number of receiving devices reporting the reception notifications of the predetermined identification information signal, and

configured to estimate a position of the RFID terminal based on a calculation result of the center of gravity of the current time interval where a weighting factor is applied and a calculation result of the center of gravity of a previous time interval.

2. A position detecting system, comprising:

an RFID terminal configured to transmit an identification information signal by radio;

a plurality of receiving devices configured to receive the identification information signal; and

a position detecting server configured to receive a reception notification of the identification information signal from each of the receiving devices;

wherein the RFID terminal includes a part configured to perform radio transmission of a plurality of identification information signals having different radio frequencies, at designated time intervals;

the receiving devices are configured to report, when receiving each identification information signal, the reception notification of the received identification information signal to the position detecting server; and

the position detecting server includes a part configured to calculate the center of gravity of positions of receiving devices reporting the reception notifications, of each time interval,

configured to determine that the RFID terminal has performed the radio transmission of a predetermined one of the identification information signals at a current time interval, depending on the number of receiving devices reporting the reception notifications of the predetermined identification information signal, and

configured to estimate a position of the RFID terminal based on a calculation result of the center of gravity of the current time interval where a weighting factor is applied and a calculation result of the center of gravity of a previous time interval.

3. A position detecting server of a position detecting system, in which position detecting system an identification information signal transferred by radio from an RFID terminal is received by a plurality of receivers, and a reception notification of the identification information signal from each of the receivers is received by the position detecting server, wherein the RFID terminal includes a part configured to perform radio transmission of a plurality of identification information signals having different radio strengths, at designated time intervals, and the receivers are configured to report, when receiving each identification information signal, the reception notification of the received identification information signal to the position detecting server, the position detecting server comprising:

a part configured to calculate the center of gravity of positions of receiving devices reporting the reception notifications, of each time interval,

configured to determine that the RFID terminal has performed the radio transmission of a predetermined one of the identification information signals at a current time interval, depending on the number of receivers reporting the reception notifications of the predetermined identification information signal, and

configured to estimate a position of the RFID terminal based on a calculation result of the center of gravity of the current time interval where a weighting factor is applied and a calculation result of the center of gravity of a previous time interval.

4. The position detecting server as claimed in claim 3,

wherein, by the RFID terminal, ID information is coded, the coded ID information is modulated, attenuation to the identification information signal is switched;

and

each of the receivers receives and decodes the identification information signal, and transmits the reception notification to the position detecting server.

5. The position detecting server as claimed in claim 3,

wherein the RFID terminal includes

a first modulating part configured to modulate coded ID information and output a first identification information signal having a relatively high radio strength,

a second modulating part configured to modulate the coded ID information and output a second identification information signal having a relatively low radio strength, and

a selecting part configured to select one of the first modulating part and the second modulating part so as to supply the coded ID information;

wherein the coded ID information from the RFID terminal is demodulated so that the first identification information signal or the second identification information signal is received.

6. A position detecting server of a position detecting system, in which position detecting system an identification information signal transferred by radio from an RFID terminal is received by a plurality of receivers, and a reception notification of the identification information signal from each of the receivers is received by the position detecting server, wherein the RFID terminal includes a part configured to perform radio transmission of a plurality of identification information signals having different frequencies, at designated time intervals, and the receivers are configured to report, when receiving each identification information signal, the reception notification of the received identification information signal to the position detecting server, the position detecting server comprising:

a part configured to calculate the center of gravity of positions of receiving devices reporting the reception notifications, of each time interval,

configured to determine that the RFID terminal has performed the radio transmission of a predetermined one of the identification information signals at a current time interval, depending on the number of receivers reporting the reception notifications of the predetermined identification information signal, and

configured to estimate a position of the RFID terminal based on a calculation result of the center of gravity of the current time interval where a weighting factor is applied and a calculation result of the center of gravity of a previous time interval.

7. The position detecting server as claimed in claim 6,

wherein the RFID terminal includes

a first modulating part configured to modulate coded ID information and output a first frequency identification information signal,

a second modulating part configured to modulate the coded ID information and output a second frequency identification information signal, and

a selecting part configured to select one of the first modulating part and the second modulating part so as to supply the coded ID information;

wherein the coded ID information from the RFID terminal is demodulated so that the first frequency identification information signal or the second frequency identification information signal is received.