JP2002056490A - Pedestrian searching method and system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To display map information including the position of a person to be searched and the position and the direction of a searcher on a portable terminal of the searcher, and thereby to serve the information to search for the person to be searched. SOLUTION: This method is characterized by transmitting position information of the portable terminal carried by the person to be searched and position information and direction information of the portable terminal carried by the searcher to a pedestrian searching server, receiving each position information and the direction information by the pedestrian searching server, forming the map information for showing the position of the person to be searched and the position and the direction of the searcher, transmitting the map information to the portable terminal of the searcher, and displaying the map for showing the position of the person to be searched and the position and the direction of the searcher on the portable terminal of the searcher.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a portable telephone, a PHS
(Personal Handy-phone System) Terminal, PDA (Personal Handy-phone System)
al Digital Assistants: a pedestrian search method and system for searching for a pedestrian using a “portable terminal” such as a portable information communication terminal.

[0002] In the present specification, a pedestrian who is searched for grasping a location or the like is referred to as a searcher, and a pedestrian who searches for a searcher and determines a location is referred to as a searcher.

[0003]

2. Description of the Related Art In a portable terminal, for example, a technique of measuring a received electric field strength of a radio wave transmitted from each of a plurality of radio base stations and estimating a distance from each radio base station to detect a current position has been put to practical use. ing. In addition, portable terminals and GPS (Glo
It is also possible to detect the current position of the portable terminal using radio waves from GPS satellites in combination with a receiver.

[0004] By utilizing the position detection function of such a portable terminal, it is possible to search for the position of a person to be searched for having the function. For example, a system in which the location information of a search target is grasped by transmitting the position information from a portable terminal owned by the search target to a pedestrian search server and displaying the position of the mobile terminal on a map on a display screen. Is being developed.

[0005]

However, in the conventional pedestrian search system, a pedestrian search server having a map database is required to process the position information of the portable terminal and display it on a map on a display screen. Was needed. Moreover, the pedestrian search server is not one that allows the searcher to carry out a search while possessing the pedestrian search server, and thus requires an operator separately from the searcher. In other words, in order to search for a person to be searched, the searcher contacts the operator of the pedestrian search server, informs the position of the person to be searched displayed on the screen of the pedestrian search server, and uses the information based on the information. First, the search target is searched for. The same applies to a case where a plurality of searchers search for a searchee. Therefore, the search efficiency is extremely poor, and the explanatory power of the operator is also a factor that greatly affects the search efficiency.

There is also a method in which the positions of both the person to be searched and the searcher are displayed on a pedestrian search server, and the operator sequentially notifies the searcher of the positional relationship between the two to use the searcher. However, since the pedestrian search server does not display the respective directions of the searched person and the searcher, it is not easy for the operator to explain the positional relationship between the searched person and the searcher to the searcher, and the searcher is difficult to perform. I couldn't reach the investigator. This is especially true when the position accuracy displayed on the pedestrian search server is poor.

The present invention provides a pedestrian search method which displays map information including the position of a searcher and the position and orientation of the searcher on a portable terminal of the searcher and can be used for searching for the searcher. The purpose is to provide a system.

[0008]

A pedestrian searching method according to the present invention (Claim 1) is characterized in that the position information of the portable terminal possessed by the searcher, the position information and the orientation of the portable terminal possessed by the searcher are provided. The pedestrian search server transmits the information to the pedestrian search server, receives the position information and the direction information, creates map information indicating the position of the searchee and the position and direction of the searcher, and creates The information is transmitted to the terminal, and a map showing the position of the searchee and the position and direction of the searcher is displayed on the portable terminal of the searcher. Thus, the searcher can easily grasp the positional relationship between the searcher and the search target, and can efficiently search for the search target.

Here, the position information of the portable terminal of the searchee and the position information and the direction information of the searcher's portable terminal are notified to the pedestrian search server by any of the following methods. The first method is to call the portable terminal of the searched person from the portable terminal of the searcher to acquire the position information, and to use the portable terminal of the searcher to obtain the position information and the azimuth information and the portable information of the searched person. The position information of the mobile terminal is transmitted to the pedestrian search server (claim 2).

In the second method, the portable terminal of the searcher transmits the position information and the azimuth information to the pedestrian search server, and the pedestrian search server calls the portable terminal of the searched person to obtain the position information. Acquire (claim 3).

[0011] The map displayed on the searcher's portable terminal may display the direction of the searcher or the position of the searchee as up (Claim 4), or the pedestrian search server may display the map based on the searcher's position. The route to the position of the searcher is calculated and included in the map information, and the direction of the searcher or the position of the searcher is set to the searcher's portable terminal. A route is displayed (claim 5).

Further, the portable terminal detects radio wave information from the radio base station and transmits the radio wave information to the pedestrian search server instead of the position information described in claims 1 to 3, and the pedestrian search server transmits the radio wave information to the pedestrian search server. There may be a base station database that associates the positions of the base stations, and the respective positions of the portable terminal of the searcher and the portable terminal of the searched person may be calculated from the radio wave information and the wireless base station data. 6).

[0013] The pedestrian search system of the present invention (Claim 7)
Is a first portable terminal carried by the searched person and transmitting the position information detected by the position detecting means, the position information carried by the searcher and detected by the position detecting means and the direction detected by the direction detecting means. A second portable terminal for transmitting information and displaying the received map information, receiving each position information and direction information, and creating map information indicating the position of the searcher and the position and direction of the searcher; A pedestrian search server for transmitting to the second portable terminal, wherein the second portable terminal displays a map showing the position of the person to be searched and the position and direction of the searcher. .

Further, the first portable terminal and the second portable terminal are provided with radio wave information detecting means for detecting radio wave information from a radio base station instead of the position detecting means, and transmitting the radio wave information. The pedestrian search server has a base station database that associates the radio wave information with the position of the wireless base station, and searches for the portable terminal of the searcher and the portable terminal of the searched person from the radio wave information and the wireless base station data. Each position may be calculated (claim 8). Also, at this time, the searcher's mobile terminal calls the searcher's mobile terminal,
The radio wave information detecting means of the searcher's portable terminal may identify a radio wave transmitted from the searcher's portable terminal, and detect and display the received electric field strength (claim 9).

[0015]

FIG. 1 shows a basic configuration example of a pedestrian search system according to the present invention. In the figure, a mobile terminal of a searcher (hereinafter, referred to as a “searcher terminal”) 1 and a mobile terminal of a searcher (hereinafter, a “searcher terminal”) 2 are mobile communication networks 3 including wireless base stations and the like. The configuration is such that mutual communication with the pedestrian search server 4 is performed via the. Pedestrian search server 4
Has a map database 401.

In the following description, the position detected by the searcher terminal 1 and the position and direction (azimuth) detected by the searcher terminal 2 are determined by the position of the searcher having the searcher terminal and the position of the searcher. It shall be treated as position and orientation. For example, assuming a state where the searcher terminal 2 is operated by holding a mobile phone in hand or watching a display, the back direction or the upper direction of the mobile phone is set as the direction of the searcher.

(First Embodiment: Claims 1, 2, 5,
7) FIG. 2 shows a first embodiment of the pedestrian search system of the present invention. In the figure, a searchee terminal 1 and a searcher terminal 2 are communication units 1 that communicate with a pedestrian search server 4.
0, a position detecting unit 11 for detecting the position of the portable terminal (the searched person and the searcher), an azimuth detecting unit 12 for detecting the direction of the portable terminal (the searched person and the searcher), and displaying the map information as an image. Display unit 13, input unit 1 for inputting a telephone number, etc.
4. It comprises a control unit 15 for controlling the operation of each unit.
Although the searcher terminal 1 and the searcher terminal 2 have the same structure, the direction detection unit 12 of the searcher terminal 1 is used.
Is an optional function.

Here, the position detector 11 measures, for example, the received electric field strength from a plurality of radio base stations and estimates the distance from each radio base station to specify the current position. The method can be realized by using an existing technology such as a method of setting the position of the wireless base station indicating the current position as a current position, or a method of specifying the current position using a GPS receiver.

The azimuth detecting unit 12 can be realized by using an existing technique for measuring the terrestrial magnetism with a magnetic azimuth sensor to detect the direction (azimuth) of the portable terminal. Note that a gyro sensor may be incorporated to remove the influence of camera shake and disturbance, and the gyro sensor may detect vibration and rotation to correct the output signal of the magnetic azimuth sensor.

The pedestrian search server 4 communicates with the portable terminal, the data search unit 41 searches the map database 401, and calculates a route from the current position of the searcher to the position of the searcher. It comprises a route calculation unit 42, a map processing unit 43 for processing map information displayed on the portable terminal, and a control unit 44 for controlling the operation of each unit.

Hereinafter, the processing procedure of the present embodiment will be described with reference to the processing flow shown in FIGS. The searcher terminal 2 calls the searchee terminal 1 (connection request).
Is performed, the searched person terminal 1 detects the position with the position detecting unit 11 and transmits the position to the searched person terminal 2. When the searcher terminal 2 acquires the position information of the searchee terminal 1, the searcher terminal 2 is temporarily disconnected. Next, the searcher terminal 2 makes a call to the pedestrian search server 4, and transmits the position information and the azimuth information of the searcher terminal 2 and the previously obtained position information of the searched person terminal 1.

When the pedestrian search server 4 receives the position information of the searchee terminal 1 and the position information and the direction information of the searcher terminal 2, the pedestrian search server 4 sends the map database 40 from the data search unit 41.
Search for 1. Next, the route calculation unit 42 calculates a route from the current position of the searcher to the position of the search target, and the map processing unit 43 processes map information including the position of the search target and the position and direction of the searcher. , To the searcher terminal 2 via the communication unit 40. The display unit 13 of the searcher terminal 2 displays this map information. The searcher looks at this display and searches while checking the position of the searchee and the position and direction of the searcher.

The searcher operates the searcher terminal 2 and repeats the above processing, whereby the positional relationship with the searcher can be displayed each time, and the searcher can be reliably reached. .

Also, while the map information is being displayed on the searcher terminal 2, the position and orientation of the searcher terminal 2 are re-measured and transmitted to the pedestrian search server 4, and the pedestrian search server 4 updates the map information. And the map information being displayed on the searcher terminal 2 may be updated. At this time, the searchee terminal 1
Is stored in the searcher terminal 2 and transmitted to the pedestrian search server 4 together with the re-measured position information and azimuth information, or the pedestrian search server 4 stores the information and is re-measured from the searcher terminal 2. Only the position information and the azimuth information may be transmitted.

Further, by acquiring the direction information of the searchee terminal 1 and putting it on the map information, the searcher can easily find the direction in which the searcher moves and search easily.
Alternatively, the pedestrian search server 4 may compare the position information of the searchee terminal 1 obtained by the searcher terminal 2 repeating the operation in FIG. 3 and add the moving direction of the searcher to the map information.

In the processing procedure of FIG. 3, the searcher terminal 2
Is an example in which position information (and azimuth information) of the searched person terminal 1 is acquired and transmitted together with the position information and azimuth information of the own terminal to the pedestrian search server 4 (claim 2).
On the other hand, the searcher terminal 2 sends the telephone number and the like of the searchee terminal 1 together with the position information and direction information to the pedestrian search server
And the pedestrian search server 4 may call the sought person terminal 1 to acquire the position information (and the azimuth information) (claim 3).

FIGS. 4 and 5 show display examples on the searcher terminal 2. FIG. The display example of FIG. 4 shows the current position of the searcher and the searcher, the position of the searcher, and the position of the searcher on a detailed map in which the direction of the searcher (searcher terminal 2) is upward. Is displayed. Therefore,
According to the position and direction of the searcher, the direction of the map is shown in Figs. 4 (a), (b),
It changes like (c).

From the display of FIG. 4A, it can be seen that the searcher is facing in the opposite direction to the searchee, and changes his or her direction to the searcher. Here, the operation shown in FIG. 3 is performed or the display changes to the display shown in FIG. Then, the user starts walking along the displayed route to the searched person, changes the direction when the vehicle reaches the intersection, and performs the operation in FIG. 3 or changes to the display in FIG. In this way, it is possible to proceed in the direction of the sought person while always checking the position of the sought person and the position and orientation of the sought person. In addition, when the direction (moving direction) of the searched person is also displayed, the searcher can find the searched person in advance.

In the display example of FIG. 5, the current position and direction of the searcher and the current position of the searcher are displayed on a detailed map with the searcher facing upward. This shows the route to the location. Therefore, although the direction of the map does not change according to the direction of the searcher, it changes as shown in FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 5C according to the position of the searcher.
The direction of the searcher is indicated by an arrow.

From the display of FIG. 5 (a), it can be seen that the searcher is facing in the opposite direction to the search target, and changes his or her direction to the search target. Here, the display of FIG. 5B is changed by performing the operation of FIG. 3 or by the automatic updating process. Then, the user starts walking along the displayed route to the searched person, changes the direction when the vehicle reaches the intersection, and performs the operation in FIG. 3 or changes to the display in FIG. 5C by the automatic updating process. In this way, it is possible to proceed in the direction of the sought person while always checking the position of the sought person and the position and orientation of the sought person.

The displayed map shows only the position and orientation of the searcher and the position of the searcher, and the pedestrian search server 4 calculates the route from the searcher's position to the searcher's position. The display on the searcher terminal may be omitted (claim 4).

(Second Embodiment: Claims 1, 2, 6,
7, 8) FIG. 6 shows a second embodiment of the pedestrian search system of the present invention. In this embodiment, the portable terminal detects radio wave information from the wireless base station instead of the position information, transmits the radio wave information to the pedestrian search server 4, and detects the position on the pedestrian search server 4 side. It is characterized by.

In FIG. 6, a searcher terminal 1 and a searcher terminal 2 are provided with a communication unit 10, an azimuth detection unit 12, a display unit 13, a control unit 15, and a position detection unit as in the first embodiment. Is provided with a radio wave information detector 16. The azimuth detecting unit 12 of the searched person terminal 1 is an arbitrary function.

The pedestrian search server 4 includes a communication unit 40, a data search unit 41, and a route calculation unit 4 similar to those of the first embodiment.
2. In addition to the map processing unit 43 and the control unit 44, a base station database 402 connected to the data search unit 41 and a position calculation unit 45 connected to the control unit 44 are provided. The base station database 402 holds radio wave information (base station ID) and position data of wireless base stations. The position calculation unit 45 calculates the positions of the searcher terminal 1 and the searcher terminal 2 using the radio wave information notified from the portable terminal and the position data of the wireless base station.

The processing procedure of this embodiment will be described below with reference to the processing flow shown in FIGS. The searcher terminal 2 calls the searchee terminal 1 (connection request).
Is performed, the searchee terminal 1 detects the radio wave information received by the radio wave information detection unit 16 and transmits the radio wave information to the searcher terminal 2. When the searcher terminal 2 acquires the radio wave information of the searchee terminal 1, the searcher terminal 2 is temporarily disconnected. Next, the searcher terminal 2 makes a call to the pedestrian search server 4, and transmits the radio wave information and the azimuth information of the searcher terminal 2 and the radio wave information of the searched person terminal 1 acquired earlier.

When the pedestrian search server 4 receives the radio wave information of the searchee terminal 1 and the radio wave information and the direction information of the searcher terminal 2, the pedestrian search server 4 sends the base station database 4 from the data search unit 41.
02, and the position calculation unit 45 calculates the positions of the searcher terminal 1 and the searcher terminal 2 from the position data of the wireless base station corresponding to the radio wave information. Next, the data search unit 41 searches the map database 401, the route calculation unit 42 calculates a route from the current position of the searcher to the position of the searchee, and the map processing unit 43 determines the position and orientation of the searcher. The map information including the position of the searchee is processed and transmitted to the searcher terminal 2 via the communication unit 40. The display unit 13 of the searcher terminal 2 displays this map information and performs a search while confirming the position of the searchee and the position and direction of the searcher.

Also in the second embodiment, the searcher terminal 2 transmits the telephone number and the like of the searchee terminal 1 to the pedestrian search server 4 together with the radio wave information and the azimuth information. A call may be made to the searchee terminal 1 to acquire the radio wave information (claim 3).

(Third Embodiment: Claim 9) In the configuration of the second embodiment, the searcher terminal 1 and the searcher terminal 2 communicate with each other via a radio base station. 1
When the searcher terminal 2 approaches, the radio wave information transmitted from the searchee terminal 1 can be directly detected by the radio wave information detector 16 of the searcher terminal 2.

Therefore, as shown in FIG.
Makes a call to the searcher terminal 1 when it approaches the searcher terminal 1, and monitors the radio wave information transmitted by the searcher terminal 1 by the radio wave information detector 16 of the searcher terminal 2. Here, the radio wave information transmitted by the searchee terminal 1 is identified by the terminal ID, and the received electric field strength is measured and displayed. The searcher performs the same operation again while moving, and if the displayed received electric field strength is strong, it is confirmed that the searcher is approaching the search target. In this way, by searching for the direction in which the displayed received electric field strength is strong, it is possible to approach the search target.

[0040]

As described above, according to the present invention, the position information of the searchee, the position information and the direction information of the searcher are transmitted to the pedestrian search server, and the map information created there is used by the searcher to carry the information. It can be displayed on a type terminal. This makes it possible to automate the provision of search information to the searcher, so that there is no need for the intervention of an operator as in the conventional system, and the searchee can be efficiently searched for. In particular, when a search is performed by a plurality of persons, the search efficiency can be improved by employing the method and system of the present invention.

Further, by using the azimuth information obtained from the portable terminal capable of detecting the position and the direction of the searcher, the map information based on the azimuth the searcher is facing is displayed, so that the searcher can obtain the map information. It is possible to easily grasp the positional relationship between the current position and the direction and the searched person, and to surely proceed in the direction of the searched person.

Further, the position of the portable terminal can be detected on the pedestrian search server side by detecting the radio wave information from the wireless base station and transferring the information to the pedestrian search server. Furthermore, by directly monitoring the radio wave information transmitted from the searcher's portable terminal with the searcher's portable terminal, the searcher can be approached by relying on the radio wave intensity.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a basic configuration example of a pedestrian search system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a first embodiment of the pedestrian search system of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a processing flow of the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a display example (part 1) of map information.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a display example (part 2) of map information.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a second embodiment of the pedestrian search system of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a view showing a processing flow of the second embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a processing flow of the third embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Searcher's portable terminal (searcher's terminal) 2 Searcher's portable terminal (searcher's terminal) 3 Mobile communication network 4 Pedestrian search server 10 Communication unit 11 Position detection unit 12 Direction detection unit 13 Display unit 14 Input unit 15 Control unit 16 Radio wave information detection unit 40 Communication unit 41 Data search unit 42 Route calculation unit 43 Map processing unit 44 Control unit 45 Position calculation unit 401 Map database 402 Base station database

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) G06F 17/30 170 G06F 17/30 170C 5K067 G08G 1/09 G08G 1/09 H 1/0969 1/0969 G09B 29/00 G09B 29/00 Z A 29/10 29/10 A H04Q 7/34 H04B 7/26 106A 7/38 H04Q 7/04 DF term (reference) 2C032 HB25 HC11 HD03 2F029 AA07 AB05 AB07 AB13 AC02 AC14 5B075 ND20 PQ02 PQ69 UU13 UU16 5H180 AA21 BB04 FF05 FF13 FF23 FF24 FF27 FF33 5J062 AA03 BB05 CC07 CC14 FF04 FF06 HH07 5K067 AA21 BB04 BB36 EE02 EE10 EE16 FF03 FF23 HJ11 JJ

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. Walking the position information of a portable terminal possessed by a pedestrian (searchee), and the position information and orientation information of a portable terminal possessed by a pedestrian (searcher) searching for the searched person. To the searcher search server, the pedestrian search server receives the position information and the azimuth information, creates map information indicating the position of the searchee and the position and orientation of the searcher, A pedestrian search method, comprising: transmitting a map to a portable terminal; and displaying, on the portable terminal of the searcher, a map indicating the position of the searchee and the position and direction of the searcher. 2. The pedestrian search method according to claim 1, wherein the searcher's mobile terminal calls the searcher's mobile terminal to obtain positional information thereof, and the searcher's mobile terminal. Transmitting the position information and the azimuth information and the position information of the portable terminal of the search target person to a pedestrian search server. 3. The pedestrian search method according to claim 1, wherein the position information and the direction information of the searcher are transmitted from the portable terminal to the pedestrian search server, and the pedestrian search server performs the search. A method for searching for a pedestrian, comprising: calling a portable terminal of a pedestrian; 4. The pedestrian search method according to claim 1, wherein the map displayed on the portable terminal of the searcher displays the direction of the searcher or the position of the searchee on the top. Characteristic pedestrian search method. 5. The pedestrian search method according to claim 1, wherein the pedestrian search server calculates a route from the position of the searcher to the position of the search target and includes the calculated route in the map information. The map displayed on the searcher's portable terminal is characterized by displaying a route from the position of the searcher to the position of the searcher with the direction of the searcher or the position of the searcher being upward. Pedestrian search method. 6. The pedestrian search method according to claim 1, wherein the portable terminal detects radio wave information from a wireless base station instead of position information and transmits the information to the pedestrian search server. The pedestrian search server has a base station database that associates the radio wave information with the position of the wireless base station, and uses the radio wave information and the wireless base station data to search for the portable terminal of the searcher and the search target. A pedestrian search method comprising calculating each position of a portable terminal. 7. A first portable terminal carried by the pedestrian (searchee) and transmitting the position information detected by the position detecting means, and a pedestrian (searcher) searching for the searchee. A second portable terminal that transmits the position information detected by the position detecting means and the direction information detected by the direction detecting means, and displays the received map information; and receives the position information and the direction information, A pedestrian search server that creates map information indicating the position of the searcher and the position and direction of the searcher and transmits the map information to the second portable terminal; A pedestrian search system characterized by displaying a map showing the position of a pedestrian and the position and direction of the searcher. 8. The pedestrian search system according to claim 7, wherein the first portable terminal and the second portable terminal are:
In place of the position detecting means, a radio wave information detecting means for detecting radio wave information from a radio base station is provided, and the radio wave information is transmitted. The pedestrian search server comprises: And a base station database for associating the radio wave information and the radio base station data with each other to calculate respective positions of the portable terminal of the searcher and the portable terminal of the searched person. Person search system. 9. The pedestrian search system according to claim 8, wherein the searcher's portable terminal calls the searcher's portable terminal, and the searcher's portable terminal uses radio wave information detection means to detect the searcher's portable terminal. A pedestrian search system characterized by identifying radio waves transmitted from a portable terminal of a sought person, detecting and displaying the received electric field strength.