External positioning adapter, communication method, indoor positioning device and method

Abstract

The present invention discloses an external positioning adapter, a communication method, an indoor positioning device and a method, wherein the external positioning adapter comprises: a near field communication unit, configured to receive the location information sent from a trigger, and send the location information and pre-configured identity information to a coding unit; a coding unit, configured to receive the location information and identity information sent by the near field communication unit, and perform coding processing to obtain the coding information matching the smart device and send it to the communication unit; a communication unit, configured to receive the coding information sent by the coding unit, and transmit it to the smart device through an adapter interface; an adapter interface, configured to connect the external positioning adapter to the smart device, and communicate with the smart device through the communication unit. The present application can provide a streamlined and effective positioning solution, which can not only realize accurate indoor positioning, but also achieve comprehensive optimization in terms of cost, accuracy and experience.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field related to indoor positioning, and in particular to an external positioning adapter, a communication method, an indoor positioning device and a method. Background Art

[0002] At present, with the development of smart medical care, the traditional medical industry will also face the problem of digitalization. The queuing problems and department guidance problems that were criticized in the past can be solved through digital means. For example: in traditional hospitals, although the payment windows are spread across all floors of the hospital, patients still often do not know which floor has the least queues, so patients can only try their luck or go to each floor to try, which will inevitably waste a lot of time. This is especially true for physical examination centers. Because they do not know the number of people queuing for each project, physical examination centers usually can only arrange a large number of guides to plan and guide, which is not only inefficient, but also increases the cost of physical examinations invisibly.

[0003] In addition, when patients are unfamiliar with the environment, they often do not know where they are on the map, making it difficult for them to conveniently go to the desired locations through route planning, such as the departments, cashier offices, closets or restrooms that patients often visit.

[0004] To address the above issues, a common method is to use the Bluetooth or WiFi module on the mobile phone, and then use the triangulation positioning algorithm for indoor positioning to display the location of the mobile phone indoors in real time. However, this method has great limitations. Since Bluetooth and WiFi signals belong to 2.4GHz, which is an open frequency band and many devices use this frequency band, they are seriously interfered with. In addition, its coverage range is large, the signal is unstable, and it is easily blocked by people and objects. The positioning accuracy of these methods is often not high, generally around 3 to 5 meters, which obviously cannot meet the above requirements.

[0005] Although RFID, UWB and other technologies have relatively high positioning accuracy, they all require special hardware devices to support them. There is no similar hardware integrated in our mobile phones, and it is not realistic to upgrade the mobile phones on the market. More importantly, if the mobile phone integrated module method is adopted, only universal modules can be integrated by mobile phone manufacturers, such as Bluetooth modules. On the one hand, this will cause information security problems, and on the other hand, it will make it difficult for hospitals or physical examination centers to add additional services.

[0006] Therefore, in the process of implementing the present application, the inventors found that the prior art has at least the following defects: there is currently a lack of quick and effective solutions for indoor positioning, and it is difficult to achieve comprehensive optimization in terms of cost, accuracy and experience. Summary of the invention

[0007] In view of this, the purpose of the present invention is to propose an external positioning adapter, a communication method, an indoor positioning device and method, which can provide a streamlined and effective positioning solution that can not only achieve accurate indoor positioning, but also achieve comprehensive optimization in cost, accuracy and experience.

[0008] Based on the above purpose, in a first aspect of the present application, an external positioning adapter is provided, comprising:

[0009] A near field communication unit, configured to receive location information sent from a trigger at a fixed location, and send the acquired location information and pre-configured identity information to the encoding unit;

[0010] an encoding unit, configured to receive the location information and identity information sent by the near field communication unit, and encode the location information and identity information to obtain encoding information matching the smart device and send the encoding information to the communication unit;

[0011] A communication unit, configured to receive the encoding information sent by the encoding unit and transmit it to the smart device through an adaptation interface;

[0012] The adapter interface is configured to connect the external positioning adapter to the smart device and communicate with the smart device through the communication unit.

[0013] Optionally, the adapter interface is an interface corresponding to the audio input interface.

[0014] Optionally, the near field communication unit uses a 125KHz frequency signal for communication.

[0015] Optionally, the external positioning adapter further includes at least one additional service unit configured to communicate with a matching service device through the near field communication unit according to the identity information and / or location information.

[0016] Optionally, the additional business unit is an electronic lock.

[0017] Optionally, the identity information is a pre-made fixed number or user-related information written by a flashing device.

[0018] Optionally, the external positioning adapter is implemented using a micro control unit; wherein the external positioning adapter is powered by a smart device connected to the adapter interface.

[0019] In a second aspect of the present application, a communication method of an external positioning adapter as described in any one of the above items is provided, comprising:

[0020] Writing identity information into the external positioning adapter in advance, and connecting the external positioning adapter to the smart device through the adapter interface;

[0021] According to the change of the position of the external positioning adapter, the position information sent by the trigger of the currently identifiable fixed position is obtained in real time;

[0022] Encoding the acquired location information and identity information to obtain coded information;

[0023] The coded information is sent to the smart device through the adapter interface.

[0024] In a third aspect of the present application, a smart device is provided, comprising a data communication unit communicatively connected to any of the external positioning adapters described above; the data communication unit is configured to receive encoded information sent by the external positioning adapter and decode it to obtain corresponding location information and identity information.

[0025] In a fourth aspect of the present application, a server is provided, which includes a map processing unit; the map processing unit is used to receive location information and identity information sent by the smart device, calculate the position corresponding to the location information in the indoor map, and send the updated indoor map to the corresponding smart device.

[0026] In a fifth aspect of the present application, an indoor positioning device is provided, comprising:

[0027] A trigger is configured to be set at a fixed position indoors and to send out location information corresponding to the fixed position;

[0028] an external positioning adapter configured to receive the location information sent by the trigger and send the location information and pre-configured identity information to a smart device that is communicatively connected to the external positioning adapter;

[0029] The smart device is configured to receive the location information and identity information sent by the external positioning adapter and send the information to a server connected to the smart device, obtain an indoor map from the server and display the received location information on the indoor map;

[0030] The server is configured to receive the location information and identity information sent by the smart device, and after updating the indoor map based on the received location information and identity information, send the indoor map to the user's smart device; wherein the indoor map contains the location information corresponding to the user.

[0031] Optionally, the device further comprises a display screen, which is connected to the server, and is configured to receive the indoor map sent by the server and display the received indoor map.

[0032] Optionally, the smart device is a mobile phone, the external positioning adapter is connected to the user's mobile phone via an audio input interface, and each user's mobile phone is communicatively connected to the server.

[0033] Optionally, the triggers are arranged at different positions indoors at intervals of 1.5 m to 2.5 m.

[0034] In a sixth aspect of the present application, an indoor positioning method is provided, which is applied to a smart device, comprising:

[0035] Pre-set multiple triggers at fixed locations indoors for sending fixed location information externally;

[0036] Obtaining an external positioning adapter pre-configured with user identity information and connecting the external positioning adapter to the user's smart device through an adapter interface;

[0037] According to the movement of the user's position, the position information of the trigger corresponding to the current user is obtained in real time through the external positioning adapter;

[0038] Request the server to obtain the current indoor map and display the received user location information on the indoor map.

[0039] Optionally, the method further includes:

[0040] Receiving a navigation request from a user; wherein the navigation request includes a starting location and an end location of the user;

[0041] generating a navigation route on an indoor map based on the navigation request;

[0042] Update the user location information and corresponding navigation route in the indoor map based on the change of the user location;

[0043] When the distance between the user position and the destination position is less than a preset distance threshold, a prompt instruction is issued to enable the device corresponding to the destination position to issue destination prompt information based on the prompt instruction.

[0044] In a seventh aspect of the present application, an indoor positioning method is provided, which is applied to a server, comprising:

[0045] Receive user location information sent by smart devices;

[0046] Based on the received user location information, the indoor map is updated in real time; wherein the indoor map includes the location information corresponding to the user;

[0047] The updated indoor map is sent to one or more smart devices corresponding to the users.

[0048] From the above, it can be seen that the external positioning adapter, communication method, indoor positioning device and method provided by the present invention, by designing an external positioning adapter that can be connected to a smart device using an adapter interface, can add corresponding functional modules without making any changes to the user's smart device. At the same time, the external positioning adapter can be customized for indoor units, so it has sufficient information security and corresponding increase, decrease and upgrade of functions. In addition, by connecting the external positioning adapter to a trigger set at a fixed position indoors and obtaining location information accordingly, not only accurate indoor positioning can be achieved, but also user location sharing can be achieved, so that users can understand the queue or location status of other users. Therefore, the present application can provide a streamlined and effective positioning solution that can not only achieve accurate indoor positioning, but also achieve comprehensive optimization in terms of cost, accuracy and experience. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0049] Figure 1 A structural block diagram of an embodiment of an external positioning adapter provided by the present invention;

[0050] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structural design of a microcontroller unit solution used in the external positioning adapter provided by the present invention;

[0051] Figure 3 A schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of an external positioning adapter provided by the present invention;

[0052] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the communication principle between the external positioning adapter, the trigger and the mobile phone provided by the present invention;

[0053] Figure 5 A flow chart of an embodiment of the communication method of the external positioning adapter provided by the present invention;

[0054] Figure 6 A structural block diagram of an embodiment of an indoor positioning device provided by the present invention;

[0055] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the distribution of positioning devices in a physical examination center or hospital provided by the present invention;

[0056] Figure 8 A flowchart of an embodiment of the indoor positioning method provided by the present invention applied to a smart terminal;

[0057] Fig. 9 A flowchart of an embodiment of the indoor positioning method provided by the present invention applied to a server;

[0058] Fig.10 A schematic diagram of a communication model between a mobile phone and a server provided by the present invention;

[0059] Fig.11 This is a communication timing diagram corresponding to the indoor positioning method provided by the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0060] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with specific embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0061] It should be noted that all expressions using "first" and "second" in the embodiments of the present invention are for distinguishing two non-identical entities with the same name or non-identical parameters. It can be seen that "first" and "second" are only for the convenience of expression and should not be understood as limitations on the embodiments of the present invention. The subsequent embodiments will not explain this one by one.

[0062] This application is based on the current problems with indoor positioning, especially when facing the problem of queuing in different departments in hospitals, it is necessary not only to know one's own location accurately, but also to know the queue status of other patients, so that reasonable planning can be made according to one's own medical treatment or physical examination arrangements, or patients can accurately find departments with fewer queues to improve efficiency. In addition, the current high-precision positioning not only requires special hardware equipment to support, but also makes it difficult to ensure information security and device expansion. Therefore, this application proposes an external positioning adapter that can be applied to existing conventional smart devices, and enables users to achieve accurate indoor positioning by pre-arranging a certain number of triggers at fixed positions indoors. Refer to the following embodiments for details.

[0063] Embodiment 1,

[0064] Reference Figure 1 As shown in FIG. 1 , it is a structural block diagram of an embodiment of an external positioning adapter provided by the present invention. As can be seen from the figure, the external positioning adapter 2 includes:

[0065] The near field communication unit 21 is configured to receive the location information sent from the trigger 1 at a fixed position, and send the acquired location information and pre-configured identity information to the encoding unit 22; optionally, the identity information is a pre-made fixed number or user-related information written by a flashing device. That is, the identity information can be a queue code similar to the queue code in a bank queue, and an external positioning adapter specifying the number is bound to the identity of the current user; or the user's name, case and other information can be written into the near field communication unit 21. It should be noted that the near field communication unit 21 has a near field communication module, which can communicate data with other near field communication devices. Optionally, the near field communication unit is implemented by RFID, NFC or UWB.

[0066] The encoding unit 22 is configured to receive the location information and identity information sent by the near-field communication unit 21, and encode the location information and identity information to obtain the encoded information matching the smart device 3 and send it to the communication unit 23; wherein, since the communication channel connected to the external positioning adapter in the existing smart device 3 has certain format requirements, it is necessary to process it through the encoding unit 22 to obtain a format that can be communicated and transmitted, for example, it needs to be converted into an audio signal for transmission through the mobile phone headphone interface.

[0067] The communication unit 23 is configured to receive the encoding information sent by the encoding unit 22 and transmit it to the smart device 3 through the adaptation interface 24;

[0068] The adapter interface 24 is configured to connect the external positioning adapter 2 to the smart device 3 and communicate with the smart device 3 through the communication unit 23. Optionally, the adapter interface is an interface corresponding to the audio input (Aux) interface. Figure 3 As shown, it is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the external positioning adapter provided by the present invention. As can be seen from the figure, when the adapter interface is an audio input interface, the external positioning adapter needs to be provided with a structure similar to the earphone insertion end to connect with smart devices such as mobile phones. Of course, other types of interfaces can also be used depending on the actual use environment, such as the charging interface of the device, etc.

[0069] Optionally, the smart device 3 includes but is not limited to terminal devices such as mobile phones and tablet computers.

[0070] Reference Figure 4 As shown, it is a schematic diagram of the communication principle between the external positioning adapter provided by the present invention, the trigger and the mobile phone. This embodiment is explained by taking a mobile phone and an RFID adapter as examples. As can be seen from the figure, the trigger usually includes an RFID layer and a position module, wherein the position module is used to record the actual coordinate position of the trigger, and the RFID layer is used to continuously send out the coordinate position recorded by the position module. The external positioning adapter includes at least an RFID layer, an A / D codec and a communication module; wherein the RFID layer, i.e., the near field communication unit 21, not only records the user's identity and other information, but also communicates with the RFID layer in the trigger to obtain the position information corresponding to the trigger, and then through the A / D codec, i.e., the encoding unit 22, after encoding processing, through the communication module, i.e., the communication unit 23, it is sent to the corresponding communication module for collection, and then the encoded information can be decoded to obtain the position information and user identity information, so as to realize accurate positioning of the user.

[0071] In some optional embodiments of the present application, the near field communication unit uses a 125KHz frequency signal for communication, which can avoid interference caused by existing common frequencies and improve positioning accuracy.

[0072] In some other optional embodiments of the present application, refer to Figure 1 As shown, the external positioning adapter also includes at least one additional service unit 25, which is configured to communicate with the supporting service device 5 through the near field communication unit 21 according to the identity information and / or location information. Among them, the specific functions in the additional service unit 25 can be adjusted and designed accordingly according to the implementation scenario, for example: the additional service unit is an electronic lock. In this way, the wardrobe, locker, etc. can be opened through the external positioning adapter. Or the additional service unit can also be used as the access control of special departments.

[0073] The external positioning adapter is implemented by a microcontroller unit (MCU); Figure 2 As shown, it is a schematic diagram of a structural design of the MCU solution adopted in the external positioning adapter provided by the present invention; it can be seen from the figure that the external positioning adapter also includes a power module, an EEPROM storage and an MCU chip, etc. Among them, the RFID chip (i.e., the near field communication unit) and the audio decoding chip (i.e., the encoding unit) are both communicatively connected to the MCU chip. And the external positioning adapter is powered by a smart device connected to the adapter interface. In this way, the external positioning adapter does not need to provide an additional power supply.

[0074] It can be seen from the above embodiments that the external positioning adapter described in the present application is designed to have a structure that can be connected to a smart device using an adapter interface, so that the corresponding functional modules can be added without making any changes to the user's smart device. At the same time, the external positioning adapter can be customized for indoor units, so it has sufficient information security and corresponding addition, reduction and upgrading of functions. In addition, by connecting the external positioning adapter to a trigger set at a fixed position indoors and obtaining location information accordingly, not only accurate indoor positioning can be achieved, but also user locations can be shared, so that users can understand the queue or location status of other users. Therefore, the present application can provide a streamlined and effective positioning solution that can not only achieve accurate indoor positioning, but also achieve comprehensive optimization in terms of cost, accuracy and experience.

[0075] Embodiment 2:

[0076] Reference Figure 5 FIG. 1 is a flow chart of an embodiment of the communication method of the external positioning adapter provided by the present invention. As can be seen from the figure, the communication method of the external positioning adapter includes:

[0077] Step S11, writing identity information into the external positioning adapter in advance, and connecting the external positioning adapter to the smart device through an adapter interface;

[0078] Step S12, acquiring in real time the position information sent by the trigger of the currently identifiable fixed position according to the change of the position of the external positioning adapter;

[0079] Step S13, encoding the acquired location information and identity information to obtain encoded information;

[0080] Step S14: sending the coded information to the smart device through an adapter interface.

[0081] In this way, by connecting the external positioning adapter to the smart device, there is no need to add additional signal sending equipment, and the corresponding location information can be sent and shared using the communication module in the existing smart device. Accurate indoor positioning can be achieved through triggers set at fixed positions, and no modification is required to the user's smart device, which is low-cost and has high information security.

[0082] Embodiment 3,

[0083] In some optional embodiments of the present application, a smart device is also provided, which includes a data communication unit that is communicatively connected to the external positioning adapter described in any one of the above-mentioned embodiment 2; the data communication unit is configured to receive the encoded information sent by the external positioning adapter and decode it to obtain corresponding location information and identity information.

[0084] Optionally, the data communication unit realizes the above functions by combining software matching the adapter and existing smart devices.

[0085] Embodiment 4:

[0086] In some optional embodiments of the present application, a server is also provided, which includes a map processing unit; the map processing unit is used to receive location information and identity information sent by the smart device, calculate the position corresponding to the location information in the indoor map, and send the updated indoor map to the corresponding smart device.

[0087] Embodiment 5,

[0088] Reference Figure 6 FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of an indoor positioning device provided by the present invention. As can be seen from the figure, the indoor positioning device includes:

[0089] Trigger 1 is configured to be set at a fixed position indoors and send out location information corresponding to the fixed position; optionally, the trigger is set at different positions indoors at intervals of 1.5m to 2.5m. For example, the intervals are 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 2.0, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, etc. In this way, accurate indoor positioning can be achieved using fewer triggers according to the needs of positioning accuracy.

[0090] The external positioning adapter 2 is configured to receive the location information sent by the trigger 1 and send the location information and pre-configured identity information to the smart device 3 that is communicatively connected to the external positioning adapter 2; wherein the external positioning adapter 2 is the external positioning adapter described in any of the above embodiments.

[0091] The smart device 3 is configured to receive the location information and identity information sent by the external positioning adapter and send it to the server connected to the smart device for communication, obtain the indoor map from the server 4 and display the received location information on the indoor map; wherein, the smart device 3 can be selected as the user's own smart device, without making any changes to the device hardware, and only the corresponding installation program or APP is required to achieve the corresponding communication connection with the external positioning adapter 2 and the server 4.

[0092] Optionally, the smart device is a mobile phone, the external positioning adapter 2 is connected to the user's mobile phone through an audio input interface, and each user's mobile phone is connected to the server 4. For example, the communication connection mode can be Bluetooth, WiFi or other communication modes.

[0093] The server 4 is configured to receive the location information and identity information sent by the smart device 3, and after updating the indoor map based on the received location information and identity information, send the indoor map to the smart devices of all users; wherein the indoor map contains the location information corresponding to all users.

[0094] In this way, the trigger 1 can be used to set the location information of a fixed position in the room, and then the location information can be sent to the user's smart device 3 through the external positioning adapter 2. Then, the communication connection between the smart device 3 and the server 4 can enable the user's smart device 3 to display the user's current accurate location. At the same time, the server can also be used to share the user's location information with other users. In this way, in some indoor places where queuing is required, such as physical examination centers, each user can choose a department with fewer people to queue up according to his or her physical examination needs. This can not only optimize the physical examination process and improve the utilization rate of department resources, but also save a lot of time for physical examination users.

[0095] In some other optional embodiments of the present application, the indoor positioning device further includes a display screen 6, which is connected to the server 4, and is configured to receive the indoor map sent by the server 4 and display the received indoor map. In this way, even individual users without smart devices or users who have just entered the indoor place can understand the current indoor situation through the online user location information displayed on the display screen 6, which is conducive to users to reasonably arrange their subsequent plans.

[0096] Reference Figure 7 As shown in the figure, it is a schematic diagram of the distribution of a positioning device in a physical examination center or hospital provided by the present invention. As can be seen from the figure, multiple triggers are evenly arranged outside each department of the physical examination center or hospital, and then when a user carries a mobile phone equipped with an external positioning adapter, he can obtain his current location information, and then send it to the communication server through the communication line of the mobile phone. Finally, the communication server displays the location information of all users on the display screen in the hall for relevant personnel to view.

[0097] Embodiment 6,

[0098] Reference Figure 8 FIG. 1 is a flow chart of an embodiment of an indoor positioning method provided by the present invention applied to a smart terminal. The indoor positioning method comprises:

[0099] Step S21, pre-setting a plurality of triggers at fixed positions indoors for sending fixed position information externally;

[0100] Step S22, obtaining an external positioning adapter pre-configured with user identity information and connecting the external positioning adapter to the user's smart device through an adapter interface;

[0101] Step S23, according to the movement of the user's position, the position information of the current user corresponding to the trigger is obtained in real time through the external positioning adapter;

[0102] Step S24: request the server to obtain the current indoor map and display the received user location information on the indoor map.

[0103] In this way, the user's accurate positioning can be achieved through the cooperation of the external positioning adapter and the trigger, and the positioning can be displayed in real time through the indoor map.

[0104] Further considering that the user has a need to go to a designated destination, the indoor positioning method further includes:

[0105] Step S25, receiving a navigation request from a user; wherein the navigation request includes a starting location and an end location of the user, and the user can select different starting locations and end locations;

[0106] Step S26, generating a navigation route on the indoor map based on the navigation request;

[0107] Step S27, updating the user location information and the corresponding navigation route in the indoor map based on the change of the user location;

[0108] Step S28, when the distance between the user position and the destination position is less than a preset distance threshold, a prompt instruction is issued to enable the device corresponding to the destination position to issue a destination prompt message based on the prompt instruction. The prompt instruction can be sent directly from the smart device to the device corresponding to the destination position, or the server can issue a prompt instruction to the device corresponding to the destination position based on the location information or prompt message sent by the smart device.

[0109] In this way, not only can the user navigate indoors, but the device corresponding to the end location can also send a prompt message to remind the user that he has reached the destination. For example, when the key location is a locker, the locker corresponding to the user can light up an indicator light or send a warning sound to remind the user, so that the user can quickly and accurately find the target location.

[0110] Embodiment 7,

[0111] Reference Fig. 9 FIG. 1 is a flow chart of an embodiment of an indoor positioning method provided by the present invention applied to a server. The indoor positioning method comprises:

[0112] Step S31, receiving user location information sent by the smart device;

[0113] Step S32, updating the indoor map in real time based on the received user location information; wherein the indoor map includes the location information corresponding to the user;

[0114] Step S33, the updated indoor map is sent to the smart devices corresponding to one or more users. The one or more users mentioned here means that the user can specify only one or more users to receive the map containing their location information, or send the location information of the current user to all users.

[0115] In this way, through the communication between the user's existing smart device and the server, not only can the user's location be updated in real time on the indoor map, but the current user's location can also be shared in real time on other users' smart devices, providing users with a better indoor positioning experience.

[0116] Embodiment 8,

[0117] Reference Fig.10 and Fig.11 As shown, taking a mobile phone as an example, Fig.10A schematic diagram of a communication model between a mobile phone and a server provided by the present invention; Fig.11 This is a communication timing diagram corresponding to the indoor positioning method provided by the present invention.

[0118] Depend on Fig.10 It can be seen that when a mobile phone connects to a server, it sends a request to the server to download a map. The server transmits the latest map to the mobile phone for update. After the mobile phone enters the trigger signal range, the mobile phone receives the location and user identity information of the external positioning adapter. The mobile phone then packages this information and transmits the location update information to the server. The server records this information and calculates the map coordinates. It then transmits this location and map to all connected mobile phones. The mobile phone marks the location of this external positioning adapter on the map.

[0119] Furthermore, when the user needs guidance to find the smart wardrobe, the communication server can send a message to the communication module corresponding to the user's wardrobe, so that the smart wardrobe lights up to guide the user, and the user then opens the electronic lock through the RFID of the adapter. Accurate guidance and additional service processing can be achieved, improving the user experience.

[0120] Depend on Fig.11 It can be seen that first, the user needs to bring the adapter and the mobile phone into the signal range of the trigger, and then trigger the trigger so that the adapter can receive the location information sent by the trigger. The adapter then converts the location information and user identity information into an audio signal (Audio) and sends it to the mobile phone. The decoding module in the mobile phone decodes and converts the location information and user identity information accordingly, and then transmits it to the server. The server sends the received location information to all mobile phones after location calculation and pushes it out on the display screen.

[0121] In some optional embodiments of the present application, a physical examination center or hospital is used as an indoor environment for illustration: first, 125KHz triggers are deployed at intervals of 1.5m to 2.5m in the corridors of the physical examination center or hospital; secondly, when the user goes to register for a medical consultation, he will receive an external positioning adapter bound to the user's identity. The user connects the adapter to the mobile phone, and then goes to the doctor. The adapter on the mobile phone is located through the trigger deployed in the corridor, and the location information and the identity information of the doctor are transmitted to the communication server in real time through the mobile phone; finally, the communication server displays the user's location on everyone's mobile phone, and uploads some statistical information processed by the background to the display screen in the lobby. More specifically, taking the physical examination center as an example, the specific process of implementing positioning and navigation is as follows:

[0122] (1) After a user registers, the health examination center binds the customer information to an external positioning adapter and gives the external positioning adapter and the registration form to the customer.

[0123] (2) The user inserts the external positioning adapter into the mobile phone through the audio input interface.

[0124] (3) The user opens the mobile app or official account of the physical examination center and enters the map module. The user can see the distribution information of all users who are using this device on the map, making it convenient to check which physical examination items are currently less crowded.

[0125] (4) The user can also select a location, such as a department, cashier's office, restroom, etc., and then click on navigation to navigate indoors and locate the user's location in real time.

[0126] (5) The user's coordinates will be transmitted to the communication server and displayed on the large display screen in the lobby through server-side processing. New users can easily view this information. At the same time, administrators can also use this information for big data analysis.

[0127] (6) The user's coordinate information will be broadcast to all mobile phones using this App through the communication server, and then the map distribution displayed for all users will be the same.

[0128] (7) When the user walks near the closet, the location information and the user's identity information will be sent to the communication server, and the communication server will guide the user to find his closet, such as when the indicator light on the closet lights up. Finally, the user can use an external positioning adapter to contact the electronic lock to open the closet.

[0129] It can be seen from the above embodiments that the external positioning adapter, communication method, indoor positioning device and method described in the present application have at least the following effects:

[0130] (1) By using an audio input interface, such as the audio input interface of a mobile phone, universality and compatibility can be ensured. Because most users' mobile phones have audio input interfaces, not only is the connection convenient and fast, plug-and-play, but it also avoids adding new hardware to mobile phones on the market, and only requires the installation of an App.

[0131] (2) Ensure the information security of the hospital or physical examination center. Each hospital and physical examination center can customize its own adapter to ensure the closedness of the device and avoid information leakage.

[0132] (3) The adapter does not need to be equipped with batteries and can be powered by the mobile phone audio input interface. Compared with traditional RFID active positioning devices, most of them adopt active mode, which not only requires additional batteries to be installed, but also easily causes energy waste.

[0133] (4) By connecting to smart devices such as mobile phones through an adapter, the positioning information can be transmitted to the server using the 4G and WiFi signals on the mobile phone, without the need to deploy such a transmitter separately. Based on the RFID positioning devices currently used in the industry, such as door cards and bracelets, since there is no network transmission module, a separate gateway needs to be set up to cooperate with these devices to send positioning information to the server. The present invention can use mobile phones to complete such functions, which reduces both cost and complexity.

[0134] (5) Using 125KHz RFID as the positioning method is less susceptible to interference, which greatly improves the positioning accuracy and ensures a positioning accuracy of about 1m. There will be no large jumps when using WiFi or Bluetooth positioning.

[0135] (6) The communication server in this device ensures the synchronization and real-time positioning of mobile phones in the positioning location. All mobile phones using the App can clearly see the number of people currently queuing or the distribution of people.

[0136] (7) The adapter is customized by indoor units such as hospitals, and additional services can be added as needed. For example, it can be combined with the electronic lock of the storage cabinet, or it can be combined with positioning information to guide users to find their own wardrobes. Compared with most physical examination centers in the past that gave patients a bracelet to open the wardrobe, this application can use the RFID on the adapter to unlock it, which is convenient. In addition, it can also be combined with the detection device of medical equipment to facilitate medical staff to register patient information and other operations, which not only improves efficiency. Moreover, compared with traditional devices such as physical examination bracelets, the use of mobile phones and adapters can transmit location information or the identity of the examinee to the server in real time, making it convenient for administrators to make statistics based on this information and support decision-making.

[0137] Those skilled in the art should understand that the discussion of any of the above embodiments is merely illustrative and is not intended to imply that the scope of the present disclosure (including the claims) is limited to these examples. Within the scope of the present invention, the above embodiments or technical features in different embodiments may be combined, the steps may be implemented in any order, and there are many other variations of the different aspects of the present invention as described above, which are not provided in detail for the sake of simplicity.

[0138] In addition, to simplify the description and discussion, and in order not to obscure the present invention, known power / ground connections to integrated circuit (IC) chips and other components may or may not be shown in the provided figures. In addition, the devices may be shown in the form of block diagrams to avoid obscuring the present invention, and this also takes into account the fact that the details of the implementation of these block diagram devices are highly dependent on the platform on which the present invention will be implemented (i.e., these details should be fully within the scope of understanding of those skilled in the art). Where specific details (e.g., circuits) are set forth to describe exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be implemented without these specific details or with variations in these specific details. Therefore, these descriptions should be considered illustrative rather than restrictive.

[0139] Although the invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments of the invention, many replacements, modifications and variations of these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing description. For example, other memory architectures (e.g., dynamic RAM (DRAM)) may use the embodiments discussed.

[0140] The embodiments of the present invention are intended to cover all such substitutions, modifications and variations that fall within the broad scope of the appended claims. Therefore, any omissions, modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An external positioning adapter, characterized in that: include: A near field communication unit, comprising a near field communication module, through which data communication is performed with a trigger at a fixed position, and configured to receive position information sent from the trigger at the fixed position, and to send the acquired position information and pre-configured identity information to the encoding unit, wherein the identity information is a pre-made fixed number or user-related information written by a flashing device; an encoding unit, configured to receive the location information and identity information sent by the near field communication unit, and encode the location information and identity information to obtain encoding information matching the smart device and send the encoding information to the communication unit; A communication unit, configured to receive the encoding information sent by the encoding unit and transmit it to the smart device through an adaptation interface; The adapter interface is configured to connect the external positioning adapter to the smart device and communicate with the smart device through the communication unit, and the external positioning adapter is implemented by a microcontroller unit; wherein the external positioning adapter is powered by the smart device connected to the adapter interface; At least one additional service unit is configured to communicate with the supporting service equipment through the near field communication unit according to the identity information and the location information.

2. The external positioning adapter according to claim 1, characterized in that: The adapter interface is an interface corresponding to the audio input interface.

3. The external positioning adapter according to claim 1, characterized in that: The near field communication unit uses a 125KHz frequency signal for communication.

4. The external positioning adapter according to claim 1, characterized in that: The additional business unit is an electronic lock.

5. A communication method of an external positioning adapter as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: include: Writing identity information into the external positioning adapter in advance, and connecting the external positioning adapter to the smart device through an adapter interface; According to the change of the position of the external positioning adapter, the position information sent by the trigger of the currently identifiable fixed position is obtained in real time; Encoding the acquired location information and identity information to obtain coded information; The coded information is sent to the smart device through the adapter interface.

6. A smart device, characterized in that: The smart device comprises a data communication unit which is communicatively connected to the external positioning adapter according to any one of claims 1 to 4; the data communication unit is configured to receive the coded information sent by the external positioning adapter and decode it to obtain the corresponding location information and identity information.

7. A server, characterized in that: The server includes a map processing unit; the map processing unit is used to receive the location information and identity information sent by the smart device according to claim 6, calculate the location information corresponding to the position in the indoor map, and send the updated indoor map to the corresponding smart device.

8. An indoor positioning device, characterized in that: include: A trigger is configured to be set at a fixed position indoors and to send out location information corresponding to the fixed position; The external positioning adapter according to any one of claims 1 to 4, configured to receive the location information sent by the trigger and send the location information and pre-configured identity information to a smart device that is communicatively connected to the external positioning adapter; The smart device is configured to receive the location information and identity information sent by the external positioning adapter and send the information to a server connected to the smart device, obtain an indoor map from the server and display the received location information on the indoor map; The server is configured to receive the location information and identity information sent by the smart device, and after updating the indoor map based on the received location information and identity information, send the indoor map to the user's smart device; wherein the indoor map contains the location information corresponding to the user.

9. The device according to claim 8, characterized in that It also includes a display screen, which is connected to the server and is configured to receive the indoor map sent by the server and display the received indoor map.

10. The device according to claim 8, characterized in that The smart device is a mobile phone, the external positioning adapter is connected to the user's mobile phone through an audio input interface, and each user's mobile phone is connected to the server for communication.

11. The device according to claim 8, characterized in that The triggers are arranged at different positions indoors at intervals of 1.5m to 2.5m.

12. An indoor positioning method, applied to the smart device according to claim 6, characterized in that: include: Pre-set multiple triggers at fixed locations indoors for sending fixed location information externally; Obtaining an external positioning adapter pre-configured with user identity information and connecting the external positioning adapter to the user's smart device through an adapter interface; According to the movement of the user's position, the position information of the trigger corresponding to the current user is obtained in real time through the external positioning adapter; Request the server to obtain the current indoor map and display the received user location information on the indoor map.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that Also includes: Receiving a navigation request from a user; wherein the navigation request includes a starting location and an end location of the user; generating a navigation route on an indoor map based on the navigation request; Update the user location information and corresponding navigation route in the indoor map based on the change of the user location; When the distance between the user position and the destination position is less than a preset distance threshold, a prompt instruction is issued to enable the device corresponding to the destination position to issue destination prompt information based on the prompt instruction.

14. An indoor positioning method, applied to the server according to claim 7, characterized in that: include: Receive user location information sent by smart devices; Based on the received user location information, the indoor map is updated in real time; wherein the indoor map includes the location information corresponding to the user; The updated indoor map is sent to one or more smart devices corresponding to the users.

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