Positioning device, control method of positioning device, control program of positioning device, and computer readable recording medium recording control program of positioning device

• US 7,835,862 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2006
• Issued: 11/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Mizuochi, Shunichi
• Primary Examiner(s): MANCHO, RONNIE M
• Application Number:
  US11/438,263
• Publication Number:
  US 20060271294A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,638 Days
• Field of Search: 701/207, 701/301, 701/213, 701/216, 701/217, 701/220, 701/208, 701/209, 701/214, 340/995.13, 340/357.15, 340/357.06, 340/357.13, 455/456.1
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/396 Determining accuracy or reliability of position or pseudorange measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position

Abstract

A positioning device includes: altitude information storing means; satellite signal receiving means; three-dimensional coordinate information generating means; positioning condition information generating means for generating positioning condition information indicating positioning condition when the three-dimensional coordinate information has been generated; reliability allowable range judging means for judging whether reliability of three-dimensional altitude information included in the three-dimensional coordinate information is within a predetermined reliability allowable range or not based on the positioning condition information; altitude information renewing means for renewing the altitude information by using the three-dimensional altitude information based on judging result of the reliability allowable range judging means; two-dimensional coordinate information generating; and positioning method deciding means for deciding whether to use the three-dimensional coordinate information generating means or to use the two-dimensional coordinate information generating means based on judging result of the renewal time evaluating means.

Claims

1. A switch control method for a positioning method, the switch control method comprising:

performing three-dimensional positioning that calculates position coordinates on a ground using satellite signals from positioning satellites;

renewing first altitude information stored in a storage section using first altitude information and second altitude information that is included in the position coordinates calculated by the three-dimensional positioning; and

switching the positioning method from the three-dimensional positioning method to a two-dimensional positioning method when the number of times that the first altitude information is renewed has reached a predetermined number.

2. The method according to claim 1,

the renewing of the first altitude information including renewing the first altitude information by making a weight of the first altitude information heavier as compared with the second altitude information as the number of times that the first altitude information is renewed increases.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining a positioning condition when the three-dimensional positioning method is performed;

judging whether reliability of the second altitude information is within a predetermined allowable range or not based on the positioning condition; and

allowing a gain stored in a gain storage section to remain unchanged when the reliability of the second altitude information is not within the allowable range, and increasing the gain when the reliability of the second altitude information is within the allowable range, each time the first altitude information is renewed until the number of times that the first altitude information is renewed reaches the predetermined number,

the renewing of the first altitude information including renewing the first altitude information by making a weight of the first altitude information heavier as compared with the second altitude information as the gain increases.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the renewing of the first altitude information includes calculating a renewal altitude between the first altitude information and the second altitude information using the gain, and renewing the first altitude information with the calculated renewal altitude.

5. A positioning device comprising:

an altitude information storage section that stores first altitude information;

a satellite signal receiving section that receives satellite signals from positioning satellites;

a positioning section that calculates position coordinates;

a three-dimensional positioning control section that causes the positioning section to perform three-dimensional positioning that calculates position coordinates on a ground using the satellite signals;

an altitude information renewing section that renews the first altitude information stored in the altitude information storage section using the first altitude information and second altitude information that is included in the position coordinates calculated by the three-dimensional positioning control section; and

a two-dimensional positioning control section that causes the positioning section to perform two-dimensional positioning that calculates position coordinates using the satellite signals and the first altitude information when the number of times that the first altitude information is renewed has reached a predetermined number.