Positioning system

Abstract

The invention provides a positioning system. The objective of the invention is to grasp the positional relationship between a rocking body and a target. A positioning system is provided with: a first module for acquiring information for calculating the positional relationship between a first rocking body and a target; a second module that acquires information for calculating a positional relationship between the first rocking body and the target with higher precision than the first module; and a first calculation device. When a first communication device provided in the second module and a second communication device attached to the target do not exist in a range in which direct communication is possible, the first calculation device calculates the positional relationship between the first rocking body and the target using the information acquired by the first module. When the first communication device and the second communication device are within a range in which direct communication is possible, the first calculation device calculates the positional relationship between the first rocking body and the target using information acquired by the second module and including specific information relating to the position of the target received by the first communication device from the second communication device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a positioning system. Background Art

[0002] Patent document 1 discloses a position measuring device for measuring the position of a vehicle. The position measuring device disclosed in Patent document 1 performs a first control related to the reception of first information for measuring the position of a vehicle transmitted from an artificial satellite. In addition, the position measuring device performs a second control related to the reception of second information for measuring the position of the vehicle transmitted from a sensor. Furthermore, the position measuring device determines whether to perform at least one of the first control and the second control based on the reception status of the first information and the second information.

[0003] Patent document 2 discloses a positioning method. The positioning method disclosed in Patent document 2 includes obtaining a first positioning result by positioning a moving body using a first positioning algorithm based on positioning data collected using at least one first sensor. In addition, the positioning method includes obtaining a second positioning result by positioning the moving body using a second positioning algorithm based on positioning data collected using at least one second sensor. In addition, the positioning method includes determining whether the current state of the moving body satisfies a preset switching condition in the process of taking one of the first positioning result and the second positioning result as the determined positioning result. Furthermore, the positioning method includes taking the other of the first positioning result and the second positioning result as the determined positioning result when it is determined that the current state of the moving body satisfies the preset switching condition.

[0004] Patent document 3 discloses a posture detection device for detecting posture changes of a two-wheeled vehicle based on GPS signals. The posture detection device disclosed in Patent document 3 includes a first GPS receiver disposed at a first position on the vehicle and a second GPS receiver disposed at a second position lower than the first position. In addition, the posture detection device obtains first position information based on the GPS signal detected by the first GPS receiver, and obtains second position information based on the GPS signal detected by the second GPS receiver. In addition, the posture detection device detects the direction of travel of the vehicle, and detects posture changes of the vehicle based on the first and second position information and the direction of travel of the vehicle.

[0005] Patent document 4 discloses a multipath detection device, which detects whether a multipath wave is included in each carrier wave transmitted from each GPS satellite and received by each GPS antenna in a mobile body provided with a plurality of GPS antennas while fixing the relative positions between the GPS antennas. The multipath detection device disclosed in Patent document 4 inputs information on the carrier phase representing the distance between each GPS satellite and each GPS antenna in terms of the number of carrier waves, and calculates the difference in carrier phase between the GPS antennas and the same GPS satellite using a CPU based on the input carrier phase information.

[0006] The multipath detection device inputs the calculated carrier phase difference between the GPS antennas and the LOS (Line Of Sight) vector indicating the direction from the specific GPS antenna to the specific GPS satellite determined by an arbitrary method, and uses the CPU to calculate the baseline length indicating the distance between the GPS antennas as the observed baseline length based on the input carrier phase difference and the input LOS vector. The multipath detection device uses the CPU to compare the known baseline length indicating the distance between the GPS antennas calculated in advance with the observed baseline length calculated by the baseline length calculation unit, and when the observed baseline length differs from the known baseline length by more than a predetermined threshold, it is determined that each carrier used in the calculation of the observed baseline length includes a multipath wave.

[0007] Prior art literature

[0008] Patent Literature

[0009] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2022-145143

[0010] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2022-013929

[0011] Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-207831

[0012] Patent Document 4: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-298443 Summary of the invention

[0013] An object of the present disclosure is to grasp the positional relationship between a shaking body and a target.

[0014] The positioning system involved in the present disclosure has:

[0015] a first module for obtaining information for calculating the positional relationship between the first oscillating body and the target; a second module for obtaining information for calculating the positional relationship between the first oscillating body and the target with higher accuracy than the first module; and a first computing device,

[0016] The second module includes a first communication device,

[0017] The first communication device is configured to be able to communicate directly with a second communication device installed in the target,

[0018] The first computing device:

[0019] When the first communication device and the second communication device are not within a range where direct communication is possible, the positional relationship between the first swinging body and the target is calculated using the information acquired by the first module,

[0020] When the first communication device and the second communication device are within a range where direct communication is possible, the positional relationship between the first swinging body and the target is calculated using information obtained by the second module and including specific information associated with the position of the target received by the first communication device from the second communication device.

[0021] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to grasp the positional relationship between the shaking body and the target. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 It is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a positioning system.

[0023] Figure 2 This is a diagram showing an example of changes in the positions of each antenna and a predetermined point when a ship and a power plant shake.

[0024] Figure 3 It is a diagram showing the positional relationship between a first predetermined point on the ship and a second predetermined point on the power plant.

[0025] Figure 4 This is a block diagram schematically showing an example of the functional configuration of the first computing device and the second computing device constituting the positioning system.

[0026] Figure 5 This is a flowchart of information processing executed by the control unit in the first computing device.

[0027] (Explanation of symbols)

[0028] 1: Positioning system; 10: Ship; 100: First computing device; 101: Control unit; 102: Acquisition unit; 103: Communication unit; 210: First antenna; 220: Second antenna; 230: Third antenna; 30: Power station; 300: Second computing device; 301: Control unit; 302: Acquisition unit; 303: Communication unit; 410: Fourth antenna; 420: Fifth antenna; 430: Sixth antenna. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] Assume that a swinging body moves. In this case, there may be a target around the swinging body. Therefore, in order for the swinging body to move safely, it is necessary to grasp the positional relationship between the moving body and the target.

[0030] In the case where the rocking body is located near the target, it is necessary to grasp the positional relationship with higher accuracy to ensure safety compared to the case where the rocking body is located far from the target. On the other hand, it is assumed that in the case where the rocking body is located far from the target, it is not necessary to grasp the positional relationship with high accuracy compared to the case where the rocking body is located near the target. In addition, in order to always grasp the positional relationship with high accuracy, high-performance calculations must be performed, so it is assumed that the load associated with the computing device increases. Therefore, it is assumed that it is not necessary to always calculate the positional relationship between the rocking body and the target with high accuracy.

[0031] The positioning system involved in the present disclosure is a system having a first module and a second module. Here, the first module is a module for obtaining information for calculating the positional relationship between a shaking body (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "the first shaking body") and a target. In addition, the second module is a module for obtaining information for calculating the positional relationship between the first shaking body and the target with higher accuracy than the first module. In addition, the second module has a first communication device. The first communication device is configured to be able to communicate directly with a second communication device installed on the target.

[0032] In the positioning system, when the first communication device is not within the range where direct communication with the second communication device is possible, the first computing device calculates the positional relationship between the first swinging body and the target using information obtained by the first module. In addition, there is a case where the first communication device is within the range where direct communication with the second communication device is possible. In this case, the first computing device calculates the positional relationship between the first swinging body and the target using information obtained by the second module and including specific information associated with the position of the target received by the first communication device from the second communication device.

[0033] As described above, the first computing device uses the information obtained by the first module and the information obtained by the second module separately, depending on whether the first communication device exists in the range that can directly communicate with the second communication device. Thus, in the case where the first communication device does not exist in the range that can directly communicate with the second communication device, that is, when the first swinging body and the target are at a long distance, the positional relationship between the first swinging body and the target is calculated using the information obtained by the first module. On the other hand, in the case where the first communication device exists in the range that can directly communicate with the second communication device, that is, when the first swinging body and the target are at a close distance, the positional relationship between the first swinging body and the target is calculated using the information obtained by the second module. Therefore, in the case where the first swinging body and the target are at a close distance, the method is switched to calculate the positional relationship between the first swinging body and the target with higher accuracy than in the case where the first swinging body and the target are at a long distance. In this way, the positional relationship between the first swinging body and the target can be grasped while reducing the load related to the first computing device.

[0034] The specific embodiments of the present disclosure are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the hardware configuration, module configuration, functional configuration, etc. described in each embodiment are not intended to limit the technical scope of the disclosure to these.

[0035] <First Embodiment>

[0036] (System Overview)

[0037] according to Figure 1 , describing the positioning system 1 in this embodiment. Figure 1 1 is a diagram showing a schematic structure of a positioning system 1. The positioning system 1 is configured to include a first computing device 100, a first antenna 210, a second antenna 220, and a third antenna 230, and a second computing device 300, a fourth antenna 410, a fifth antenna 420, and a sixth antenna 430. In the positioning system 1, the first antenna 210, the second antenna 220, and the third antenna 230 are connected to the first computing device 100. In addition, in the positioning system 1, the fourth antenna 410, the fifth antenna 420, and the sixth antenna 430 are connected to the second computing device 300.

[0038] In addition, the first computing device 100 and the second computing device 300 are configured to be able to communicate in close proximity. The first computing device 100 and the second computing device 300 communicate directly, for example, via Wi-Fi (registered trademark). In addition, the first computing device 100 and the second computing device 300 can also communicate directly, for example, via Bluetooth (Bluetooh (registered trademark)). In this way, even when the first computing device 100 and the second computing device 300 are at sea and cannot use a telephone communication network such as a mobile phone, the first computing device 100 and the second computing device 300 can communicate via a wireless LAN. In this case, when the first computing device 100 and the second computing device 300 are within the communication circle, the first computing device 100 and the second computing device 300 directly start communicating.

[0039] In addition, the first computing device 100 and the second computing device 300 can perform wide area communication through satellite communication via a communication satellite even when the first computing device 100 and the second computing device 300 cannot communicate directly through Wi-Fi. In addition, the first computing device 100 and the second computing device 300 can also be configured to communicate through wide area communication such as VHF communication or a telephone communication network such as a mobile phone when they cannot communicate directly through Wi-Fi, in addition to satellite communication.

[0040] Here, it is assumed that when the first computing device 100 and the second computing device 300 communicate via Wi-Fi direct communication, communication delay occurs. In addition, it is assumed that when the first computing device 100 and the second computing device 300 communicate via Wi-Fi direct communication, the communication volume is small when the satellite communication is performed. Therefore, it is assumed that when the first computing device 100 and the second computing device 300 communicate via satellite communication, the communication volume is small compared to the case of direct communication.

[0041] (antenna)

[0042] The first antenna 210, the second antenna 220, and the third antenna 230 are positioning antennas installed on the ship 10. The first antenna 210, the second antenna 220, and the third antenna 230 are, for example, GNSS positioning antennas. The current positions of the first antenna 210, the second antenna 220, and the third antenna 230 can be measured using the first antenna 210, the second antenna 220, and the third antenna 230. The current positions measured using the first antenna 210, the second antenna 220, and the third antenna 230 are, for example, the latitude, longitude, and altitude of each.

[0043] The fourth antenna 410, the fifth antenna 420, and the sixth antenna 430 are positioning antennas installed in the power plant 30. The fourth antenna 410, the fifth antenna 420, and the sixth antenna 430 are also, for example, GNSS positioning antennas. The current positions of the fourth antenna 410, the fifth antenna 420, and the sixth antenna 430 can be measured using the fourth antenna 410, the fifth antenna 420, and the sixth antenna 430. The current positions measured by the fourth antenna 410, the fifth antenna 420, and the sixth antenna 430 are also, for example, the latitude, longitude, and altitude of each.

[0044] In the present embodiment, the first antenna 210, the second antenna 220, and the third antenna 230 are mounted on the upper surface of the ship 10. In addition, the fourth antenna 410, the fifth antenna 420, and the sixth antenna 430 are mounted on the upper surface of the power station 30. Thus, it is possible to suppress the first antenna 210, the second antenna 220, the third antenna 230, and the fourth antenna 410, the fifth antenna 420, and the sixth antenna 430 from failing to receive radio waves from GNSS satellites. In addition, the first antenna 210, the second antenna 220, and the third antenna 230 may not necessarily be mounted horizontally on the ship 10. In addition, the fourth antenna 410, the fifth antenna 420, and the sixth antenna 430 may not necessarily be mounted horizontally on the power station 30.

[0045] Here, the ship 10 is a ship, so it is shaken by the influence of wind and waves on the sea. In addition, in this embodiment, the power station 30 is a floating offshore wind power station. Therefore, the power station 30 is shaken by the influence of wind and waves on the sea.

[0046] Figure 2 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of changes in the positions of each antenna and a predetermined point when the ship 10 and the power plant 30 are shaken. Figure 2 , the current position of the first antenna 210, the current position of the second antenna 220, and the current position of the third antenna 230 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "the first position", "the second position", and "the third position", respectively) are shown to change due to the shaking of the ship 10. Figure 2 In FIG. 1 , the first antenna 210, the second antenna 220, the third antenna 230, the first vector (described later), the second vector (described later), and the first reference vector (described later) are depicted by solid lines when the ship 10 is not shaking. Figure 2 In FIG. 1 , the first antenna 210, the second antenna 220, the third antenna 230, the first vector, the second vector, and the first reference vector are depicted by dotted lines when the ship 10 is in a shaking state. Figure 2 As shown, the first position, the second position, the third position, and the first predetermined point change due to the rocking of the ship 10 .

[0047] In addition, if Figure 2 As shown, the current position of the 4th antenna 410 (4th position), the current position of the 5th antenna 420 (5th position), the current position of the 6th antenna 430 (6th position), the 3rd vector (described later), the 4th vector (described later), and the 2nd reference vector (described later) also change due to the shaking of the power station 30.

[0048] (Second computing device)

[0049] The second operation device 300 is a device that obtains the current positions of the fourth antenna 410, the fifth antenna 420, and the sixth antenna 430 in the power plant 30. The second operation device 300 obtains the current position (the fourth position) of the fourth antenna 410 measured by the fourth antenna 410 from the fourth antenna 410. In addition, the second operation device 300 obtains the current position (the fifth position) of the fifth antenna 420 measured by the fifth antenna 420 from the fifth antenna 420. In addition, the second operation device 300 obtains the current position (the sixth position) of the sixth antenna 430 measured by the sixth antenna 430 from the sixth antenna 430. Furthermore, the second operation device 300 transmits specific information including the fourth position, the fifth position, and the sixth position to the first operation device 100 by communicating with the first operation device 100.

[0050] (First computing device)

[0051] The first computing device 100 is a device for calculating the position (latitude, longitude, and altitude) of a first predetermined point in the ship 10. Here, the first predetermined point is an arbitrary point in the ship 10. The first predetermined point is, for example, a point on the surface of the ship 10. In addition, the first predetermined point may be, for example, a point inside the ship 10, such as the center of gravity or the center of buoyancy. In addition, the ship 10 may move around the power station 30 as it moves on the sea.

[0052] The first computing device 100 obtains the current position (first position) of the first antenna 210 measured by the first antenna 210 from the first antenna 210. In addition, the first computing device 100 obtains the current position (second position) of the second antenna 220 measured by the second antenna 220 from the second antenna 220. In addition, the first computing device 100 obtains the current position (third position) of the third antenna 230 measured by the third antenna 230 from the third antenna 230.

[0053] The first computing device 100 calculates a first vector and a second vector. Here, the first vector is a vector from the first position to the second position. In addition, the second vector is a vector from the first position to the third position. Furthermore, the first computing device 100 calculates the current posture of the ship 10 at the first position using the first vector and the second vector. Specifically, the first computing device 100 calculates the roll, pitch, and yaw at the first position.

[0054] Here, a first reference vector is predetermined for a first predetermined point in the ship 10. The first reference vector is a vector from the first antenna 210 to the first predetermined point in the predetermined posture of the ship 10. Here, the predetermined posture is, for example, a posture at a time point when the ship 10 is not shaking. That is, the predetermined posture is a posture when the roll, pitch, and yaw of the first position are 0. The first computing device 100 corrects the first reference vector based on the current posture of the ship 10 at the first position (including the current posture of the roll, pitch, and yaw of the first position). Furthermore, the first computing device 100 calculates the position of the first predetermined point using the corrected first reference vector and the first position.

[0055] In addition, the first computing device 100 receives specific information from the second computing device 300 by communicating with the second computing device 300. The first computing device 100 calculates the position of the second predetermined point in the power plant 30 from the fourth position, the fifth position, and the sixth position in the same manner as the position of the first predetermined point is calculated from the first position, the second position, and the third position. Here, the second predetermined point is an arbitrary point in the power plant 30. The second predetermined point is, for example, a point on the surface of the power plant 30. In addition, the second predetermined point may be, for example, a point inside the power plant 30 such as the center of gravity or the center of buoyancy.

[0056] Specifically, the first operation device 100 calculates the third vector and the fourth vector, and calculates the current posture of the power plant 30 at the fourth position. Here, the third vector is a vector from the fourth position to the fifth position. In addition, the fourth vector is a vector from the fourth position to the sixth position. In addition, a second reference vector is predetermined for the second predetermined point in the power plant 30. The second reference vector is a vector from the fourth antenna 410 to the second predetermined point in the predetermined posture of the power plant 30. Here, the predetermined posture is, for example, the posture at a time point when the power plant 30 is not shaking. The first operation device 100 corrects the second reference vector based on the current posture of the power plant 30 at the fourth position, and calculates the position of the second predetermined point. Details of the method by which the first operation device 100 corrects the first reference vector (the second reference vector) and the method for calculating the position of the first predetermined point (the second predetermined point) will be described later.

[0057] Figure 31 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the first predetermined point in the ship 10 and the second predetermined point in the power plant 30. Figure 3 , there are shown the position of the first predetermined point calculated based on the first position, the second position, and the third position obtained by the first antenna 210, the second antenna 220, and the third antenna 230, and the position of the second predetermined point calculated based on the fourth position, the fifth position, and the sixth position obtained by the fourth antenna 410, the fifth antenna 420, and the sixth antenna 430. The first computing device 100 calculates the positional relationship between the first predetermined point and the second predetermined point based on the calculated position of the first predetermined point and the position of the second predetermined point.

[0058] Here, the positional relationship between the first predetermined point and the second predetermined point includes, for example, the distance between the first predetermined point and the second predetermined point and the azimuth based on the first predetermined point. In addition, the positional relationship between the first predetermined point and the second predetermined point may also be the relative distance to the second predetermined point based on the first predetermined point. In addition, the positional relationship between the first predetermined point and the second predetermined point may also include the relative speed with the second predetermined point based on the first predetermined point. In this case, the first computing device 100 calculates the relative speed between the first predetermined point and the second predetermined point by calculating the time shift of the relative distance between the first predetermined point and the second predetermined point. In addition, the positional relationship between the first predetermined point and the second predetermined point may also include the relative distance, azimuth, and relative speed based on the second predetermined point.

[0059] On the other hand, in order to receive specific information from the second computing device 300, the first computing device 100 needs to communicate with the second computing device 300. Therefore, the first computing device 100 receives specific information when communicating directly with the second computing device 300. However, when the ship 10 is located outside the range where the first computing device 100 and the second computing device 300 can communicate directly, the first computing device 100 cannot communicate directly with the second computing device 300. Therefore, when the first computing device 100 and the second computing device 300 cannot communicate directly, the positional relationship between the first predetermined point and the second predetermined point cannot be calculated by referring to the specific information.

[0060] On the other hand, the first computing device 100 and the second computing device 300 can communicate via satellite communication. Therefore, the first computing device 100 receives the position of the power station 30 from the second computing device 300 via satellite communication. Here, the position of the power station 30 is obtained from the fourth antenna 410, the fifth antenna 420, and the sixth antenna 430 or other antennas installed in the power station 30. In addition, the second computing device 300 transmits the position of the power station 30 to the first computing device 100 via satellite communication.

[0061] Furthermore, when the first computing device 100 and the second computing device 300 cannot communicate, the first computing device 100 refers to the position of the power plant 30 received by satellite communication and calculates the positional relationship between them. Specifically, the first computing device 100 obtains at least one position (the first position, the second position, or the third position) measured by the first antenna 210, the second antenna 220, and the third antenna 230 as the current position of the ship 10. In addition, the first computing device 100 may obtain the current position of the ship 10 from an antenna other than the first antenna 210, the second antenna 220, and the third antenna 230. In addition, the first computing device 100 refers to the current position of the ship 10 and the position of the power plant 30 received by satellite communication, and calculates the positional relationship between the ship 10 and the power plant 30.

[0062] At this time, if the first computing device 100 can perform precise positioning by PPP (Precise Point Positioning), the current position of the ship 10 measured by GNSS positioning can be corrected by this method. In addition, if the first computing device 100 can perform precise positioning by RTK (Real-Time Kinematic), the current position of the ship 10 measured by GNSS positioning can be corrected by this method.

[0063] Here, as described above, the information received from the second computing device 300 is assumed to have a delay and a small capacity compared to the case where the first computing device 100 and the second computing device 300 communicate directly. However, the ship 10 and the power plant 30 are located at positions farther away than the case where the first computing device 100 and the second computing device 300 communicate directly. Therefore, even if the positional relationship cannot be calculated with high accuracy due to the delay and small capacity of the information on the position of the power plant 30, the impact on safety is small compared to the case where the ship 10 and the power plant 30 are located close to each other.

[0064] In this way, the first computing device 100 calculates the positional relationship between the ship 10 and the power station 30 using satellite communication until the first computing device 100 can communicate with the second computing device 300. When the first computing device 100 can communicate with the second computing device 300 because the ship 10 approaches the power station 30, the first computing device 100 calculates the positional relationship between the first predetermined point and the second predetermined point that changes due to the shaking, referring to the first position, the second position, the third position, the fourth position, the fifth position, and the sixth position. In this way, the first computing device 100 switches between the method of calculating the positional relationship with low accuracy and the method of calculating the positional relationship with high accuracy according to the position with respect to the power station 30.

[0065] Thus, the ship 10 can initially approach the power station 30 by referring to the position of the power station 30 received by satellite communication. In addition, when the ship 10 is sufficiently close to the power station 30, it can further approach the power station 30 by referring to the positions of the predetermined points (the first predetermined point and the second predetermined point) that change due to the shaking. Here, when the first predetermined point is a point on the surface of the ship 10 and the second predetermined point is a point on the surface of the power station 30, the distance between the surface of the ship 10 and the surface of the power station 30 can be calculated. Thus, safety can be ensured when the ship 10 moves around the power station 30.

[0066] The first computing device 100 is configured as a computer including a processor 110, a main storage unit 120, an auxiliary storage unit 130, and a communication interface (communication I / F) 140. The processor 110 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor). The main storage unit 120 is, for example, a RAM (Random Access Memory). The auxiliary storage unit 130 is, for example, a ROM (Read Only Memory). In addition, the auxiliary storage unit 130 is, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or a disk recording medium such as a CD-ROM, a DVD disk, or a Blu-ray disk. In addition, the auxiliary storage unit 130 may also be a removable medium (removable storage medium). Here, as a removable medium, for example, a USB memory or an SD card is exemplified.

[0067] In the first computing device 100, an operating system (OS), various programs, and various information tables are stored in the auxiliary storage unit 130. In addition, in the first computing device 100, the processor 110 loads the program stored in the auxiliary storage unit 130 into the main storage unit 120 and executes it, so that various functions as described later can be realized. However, part or all of the functions in the first computing device 100 can also be realized by a hardware circuit such as an ASIC or FPGA. In addition, the first computing device 100 does not necessarily need to be realized by a single physical structure, and can also be composed of multiple computers that cooperate with each other. In addition, the second computing device 300 is also configured to include a computer in the same way as the first computing device 100.

[0068] (Functional Structure)

[0069] Next, according to Figure 4 , the functional structures of the first computing device 100 and the second computing device 300 constituting the positioning system 1 are described. Figure 4This is a block diagram schematically showing an example of the functional configuration of the first computing device 100 and the second computing device 300 constituting the positioning system 1 .

[0070] (Second computing device)

[0071] The second computing device 300 is configured to include a control unit 301, an acquisition unit 302, and a communication unit 303. The control unit 301 has a function of performing a computing process for controlling the second computing device 300. The control unit 301 can be implemented by a processor in the second computing device 300. The acquisition unit 302 has a function of acquiring the current positions of the fourth antenna 410, the fifth antenna 420, and the sixth antenna 430. The acquisition unit 302 can be implemented by an interface for connecting the second computing device 300 and each antenna. The communication unit 303 has a function of communicating with the first computing device 100. The communication unit 303 can be implemented by a communication I / F in the second computing device 300.

[0072] The control unit 301 uses the acquisition unit 302 to acquire the current positions (the fourth position, the fifth position, and the sixth position) of the fourth antenna 410, the fifth antenna 420, and the sixth antenna 430. The control unit 301 uses the communication unit 303 to transmit specific information including the fourth position, the fifth position, and the sixth position to the first computing device 100.

[0073] Furthermore, the control unit 301 uses the acquisition unit 302 to acquire the current position of at least one of the fourth antenna 410, the fifth antenna 420, and the sixth antenna 430 as the current position of the power station 30. Furthermore, the control unit 301 transmits the current position of the power station 30 to the first computing device 100 by using the satellite communication of the communication unit 303.

[0074] (First computing device)

[0075] The first computing device 100 is configured to include a control unit 101, an acquisition unit 102, and a communication unit 103. The control unit 101 has a function of performing a computing process for controlling the first computing device 100. The control unit 101 can be implemented by a processor 110 in the first computing device 100. The acquisition unit 102 has a function of acquiring the current positions of the first antenna 210, the second antenna 220, and the third antenna 230. The acquisition unit 102 can be implemented by an interface for connecting the first computing device 100 and each antenna.

[0076] The communication unit 103 has a function of communicating with the second computing device 300. The communication unit 103 can be implemented by the communication I / F 140 in the first computing device 100. Here, the first computing device 100 directly communicates with the second computing device 300 using the communication unit 103. In addition, the second computing device 300 performs satellite communication with the second computing device 300 using the communication unit 103.

[0077] The control unit 101 uses the acquisition unit 102 to acquire the current positions (first position, second position, and third position) of the first antenna 210, the second antenna 220, and the third antenna 230. The control unit 101 calculates the first vector using the first position and the second position. In addition, the control unit 101 calculates the second vector using the first position and the third position. In this embodiment, the latitude, longitude, and altitude are used as a coordinate system to set each component in the first vector and the second vector.

[0078] When the control unit 101 can directly communicate with the second computing device 300 using the communication unit 103, the control unit 101 starts direct communication with the second computing device 300. For example, the control unit 101 determines whether the Wi-Fi radio wave from the second computing device 300 is received via the communication unit 103. Furthermore, when the Wi-Fi radio wave from the second computing device 300 is received, the control unit 101 starts communication with the second computing device 300. After starting direct communication with the second computing device 300, the control unit 101 receives specific information from the second computing device 300 in real time.

[0079] The control unit 101 calculates the roll, pitch, and yaw of the first position by using the first vector and the second vector, and calculates the current posture of the ship 10 at the first position. Here, in the present embodiment, the latitude, longitude, and altitude are used as a coordinate system, and the roll, pitch, and yaw of the first position are determined by the angles of the axis in the latitude direction, the axis in the longitude direction, and the axis in the altitude direction with the first position as a reference (origin). In addition, the control unit 101 can correct the first reference vector based on the calculated current posture of the ship 10 at the first position.

[0080] Here, it is assumed that the current posture of the ship 10 at the first position is represented by the roll of the roll angle r, the pitch of the pitch angle p, and the yaw of the yaw angle h. The first reference vector (x', y', z') after correction is represented by the following formula using the rotation matrix about the roll angle r, the pitch angle p, and the yaw angle h and the first reference vector (x, y, z) before correction. Here, the first reference vector is determined by the coordinate system determined by the latitude, longitude, and altitude.

[0081]

Mathematical formula 1

[0082] (Formula 1)

[0083]

[0084] The corrected first reference vector (x', y', z') becomes a vector from the first position to the current first predetermined point with latitude, longitude, and altitude as the coordinate system. Therefore, the control unit 101 calculates the current position of the first predetermined point by adding the components of the coordinates of the first position to the components of the corrected first reference vector (x', y', z').

[0085] The control unit 101 receives specific information including the fourth position, the fifth position, and the sixth position from the second computing device 300 by direct communication using the communication unit 103. The control unit 101 calculates the third vector using the fourth position and the fifth position. In addition, the control unit 101 calculates the fourth vector using the fourth position and the sixth position.

[0086] The control unit 101 calculates the current posture of the power plant 30 at the fourth position using the third vector and the fourth vector. Furthermore, the control unit 101 corrects the second reference vector based on the calculated current posture of the power plant 30 at the fourth position. Furthermore, the control unit 101 calculates the current position of the second predetermined point by adding the components of the coordinates of the fourth position to the components of the corrected second reference vector. Here, the control unit 101 grasps the second reference vector, which is the vector from the fourth antenna 410 to the second predetermined point in the predetermined posture of the power plant 30, as a given vector. In addition, the control unit 101 may receive the second reference vector from the second computing device 300 when receiving the specific information. In addition, the method of calculating the current position of the second predetermined point using the fourth position, the fifth position, and the sixth position is the same as the method of calculating the current position of the first predetermined point using the first position, the second position, and the third position (described above), so the description is omitted.

[0087] In addition, in the present embodiment, the control unit 101 calculates the positional relationship between the first predetermined point and the second predetermined point to calculate the positional relationship between the ship 10 and the power station 30. However, the control unit 101 may calculate the positional relationship between the ship 10 and the power station 30 by calculating the positional relationship between the first predetermined point and the power station 30 received through satellite communication.

[0088] In addition, when the first computing device 100 cannot communicate directly with the second computing device 300, the control unit 101 calculates the positional relationship between the ship 10 and the power station 30 with reference to the position of the power station 30 received by satellite communication using the communication unit 103. In addition, in the present embodiment, the control unit 101 calculates the positional relationship between the ship 10 and the power station 30 with reference to the position of the power station 30 received by satellite communication, but the positional relationship between the ship 10 and the power station 30 may be calculated with reference to the position of the power station 30 stored in advance.

[0089] (flow chart)

[0090] Next, in the positioning system 1, according to Figure 5 , describing the information processing performed by the control unit 101 in the first computing device 100. Figure 5 2 is a flowchart of information processing executed by the control unit 101 in the first computing device 100 . Figure 5 The information processing shown is a process for calculating the positional relationship between the ship 10 and the power plant 30 . Figure 5 The information processing shown is repeatedly executed at predetermined intervals.

[0091] exist Figure 5 In the information processing shown, first, in S101, it is determined whether the first computing device 100 and the second computing device 300 can communicate directly. When the first computing device 100 and the second computing device 300 can communicate directly, the control unit 101 can receive specific information from the second computing device 300. Therefore, the control unit 101 can calculate the positional relationship between the first predetermined point and the second predetermined point with reference to the first position, the second position, the third position, the fourth position, the fifth position, and the sixth position. Therefore, in the case of an affirmative determination in S101, the specific information received from the second computing device 300 is obtained in S102. Next, in S103, the first position, the second position, and the third position are obtained from the first antenna 210, the second antenna 220, and the third antenna 230. In addition, in S103, the fourth position, the fifth position, and the sixth position are obtained from the specific information. Next, in S104, the first and second vectors are calculated using the first, second, and third positions. Also, in S104, the third and fourth vectors are calculated using the fourth, fifth, and sixth positions.

[0092] Next, in S105, the posture (first posture) of the ship 10 at the first position is calculated using the first vector and the second vector. In addition, in S105, the posture (second posture) of the power plant 30 at the fourth position is calculated using the third vector and the fourth vector. Next, in S106, the first reference vector is corrected using the posture of the ship 10 at the first position. In addition, in S106, the second reference vector is corrected using the posture of the power plant 30 at the fourth position.

[0093] Next, in S107, the position of the first predetermined point is calculated using the corrected first vector and the first position. In addition, in S107, the position of the second predetermined point is calculated using the corrected second vector and the fourth position. Next, in S108, the positional relationship between the first predetermined point and the second predetermined point calculated in S107 is calculated. Then, Figure 5 The shown processing ends temporarily.

[0094] In addition, if the determination in S101 is negative, the specific information cannot be obtained. Therefore, in S109, the first position is obtained from the first antenna 210. Next, in S110, the positional relationship between the ship 10 and the power station 30 is calculated with reference to the first position and the position of the power station 30 received by satellite communication. Then, Figure 5 The shown processing ends temporarily.

[0095] As described above, when the first computing device 100 and the second computing device 300 cannot communicate directly, the first computing device 100 refers to the first position and the position of the power plant 30 received by satellite communication to calculate the positional relationship between the ship 10 and the power plant 30. In addition, when the first computing device 100 and the second computing device 300 can communicate directly, the first computing device 100 refers to the first position, the second position, the third position, the fourth position, the fifth position, and the sixth position to calculate the positional relationship between the first predetermined point and the second predetermined point.

[0096] In this way, when the ship 10 approaches the power station 30, the first computing device 100 initially refers to the position obtained by the antenna installed on the ship 10 and the position of the power station 30 received by satellite communication, and calculates the positional relationship between the ship 10 and the power station 30. Furthermore, when the ship 10 is present in the range in which the first computing device 100 and the second computing device 300 can directly communicate, the first computing device 100 refers to the first position, the second position, the third position, the fourth position, the fifth position, and the sixth position, and calculates the positional relationship between the first predetermined point and the second predetermined point. In this way, the positional relationship between the ship 10 and the power station 30 can be grasped without depending on the position of the ship 10.

[0097] (Variant 1)

[0098] In the present embodiment, the coordinate system used for the (first and second) reference vectors is a coordinate system determined by latitude, longitude, and altitude. However, the coordinate system used for the reference vector may be a coordinate system other than the coordinate system determined by latitude, longitude, and altitude. For example, it may be a coordinate system of the traveling direction of the ship 10, the lateral direction of the ship 10, and the upper direction of the ship 10. In addition, for example, it may be a coordinate system of the front direction of the power station 30, the lateral direction of the power station 30, and the upper direction of the power station 30. In addition, the coordinate system used in the posture of the ship 10 (power station 30) may be a coordinate system different from the coordinate system determined by latitude, longitude, and altitude. In this case, the first computing device 100 calculates the positions of the (first and second) predetermined points by appropriately performing coordinate transformation.

[0099] (Variant 2)

[0100] The floating body (mobile body) may also be an object floating in the air, such as an airplane or a drone. In addition, the vehicle shakes while driving due to vibration or acceleration (front and rear, or lateral acceleration) generated while driving. In addition, the current position of these objects changes due to movement. In addition, buildings also shake due to earthquakes or wind, etc. Therefore, for example, when calculating the positional relationship between an airplane (drone) or a vehicle and a building, the above embodiment can also be applied.

[0101] (Variant 3)

[0102] In this embodiment, the first computing device 100 is directly connected to the first antenna 210, the second antenna 220, and the third antenna 230. In addition, the second computing device 300 is directly connected to the fourth antenna 410, the fifth antenna 420, and the sixth antenna 430. However, the connection method with the antenna may not be limited to such an example. In another example, the first computing device 100 (the second computing device 300) may be indirectly connected to at least one of the first antenna 210, the second antenna 220, and the third antenna 230 (the fourth antenna 410, the fifth antenna 420, and the sixth antenna 430) via one or more external computers such as a relay device.

[0103] (Variant 4)

[0104] In addition, the first computing device 100 can also obtain the posture of the ship 10 using the inertial measurement unit when it is unable to obtain the current position of at least one of the first antenna 210, the second antenna 220, and the third antenna 230. Here, the inertial measurement unit is installed on the ship 10. In addition, the first computing device 100 obtains the current position of the antenna that can obtain the current position among the first antenna 210, the second antenna 220, or the third antenna 230, and corrects the first reference vector from the antenna to the first predetermined point based on the current posture of the ship 10 at the current position of the antenna. In addition, the first computing device 100 can also obtain the current position of the inertial measurement unit and correct the reference vector from the inertial measurement unit to the predetermined point. As a result, even if all three antennas in the ship 10 cannot obtain the current position, the correct position of the first predetermined point can be grasped.

[0105] In addition, even when the second computing device 300 cannot obtain the current position of at least one of the fourth antenna 410, the fifth antenna 420, and the sixth antenna 430, the posture of the power plant 30 can be obtained using the inertial measurement unit. Furthermore, the second computing device 300 transmits specific information including the current position of the fourth antenna 410, the fifth antenna 420, or the sixth antenna 430, which can obtain the current position, and the posture of the power plant 30 to the first computing device 100. Thus, even in a situation where all three antennas in the power plant 30 cannot obtain the current position, the correct position of the second predetermined point can be grasped.

[0106] (Variant 5)

[0107] In this embodiment, the first computing device 100 calculates the position of the second predetermined point using the fourth position, the fifth position, and the sixth position. Thus, even when the second computing device 300 does not have the function of calculating the position of the second predetermined point, the first computing device 100 can be used to calculate the position of the second predetermined point and calculate the positional relationship between the first predetermined point and the second predetermined point. On the other hand, in this variation, the second computing device 300 calculates the position of the second predetermined point using the fourth position, the fifth position, and the sixth position. In this case, after calculating the position of the second predetermined point using the fourth position, the fifth position, and the sixth position, the second computing device 300 sends specific information including the position to the first computing device 100. The first computing device 100 that receives the position of the second predetermined point calculates the positional relationship between the first predetermined point and the second predetermined point using the calculated position of the first predetermined point and the received position of the second predetermined point. In this way, the first computing device 100 and the second computing device 300 each calculate the position of the predetermined point, so that the load on the first computing device 100 for calculating the position of the predetermined point can be reduced. Therefore, the positional relationship between the ship 10 and the power plant 30 can be accurately grasped while shortening the calculation time of the position of the predetermined point.

[0108] (Variant 6)

[0109] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the second computing device 300 transmits the current position of the power plant 30 to the first computing device 100 via satellite communication. However, the information transmitted from the second computing device 300 to the first computing device 100 via satellite communication may include information other than the current position of the power plant 30. The information transmitted from the second computing device 300 to the first computing device 100 via satellite communication may include, for example, the positions of the fourth antenna 410, the fifth antenna 420, and the sixth antenna 430. In this case, the first computing device 100 may calculate the position of the second predetermined point in the power plant 30 by the above method. Even in this case, when the first computing device 100 cannot communicate directly with the second computing device 300, the position of the second predetermined point can be calculated using the information on the positions of the antennas of the power plant 30.

[0110] The information about the positions of the antennas of the power plant 30 received by the first computing device 100 via satellite communication may be delayed. However, in this case, since there is a considerable distance between the ship 10 and the power plant 30, the impact on safety is expected to be small.

[0111] <Other Implementation Methods>

[0112] The above-mentioned embodiment is only an example, and the present disclosure can be implemented with appropriate changes within the scope of the gist thereof. In addition, the processes and units described in the present disclosure can be implemented in combination as long as no technical contradiction occurs.

[0113] In addition, a process described as being performed by one device may be shared and executed by multiple devices. Alternatively, a process described as being performed by different devices may be executed by one device. In a computer system, it is possible to flexibly change what hardware structure (server structure) is used to implement each function.

[0114] The present disclosure can also be implemented by supplying a computer program that implements the functions described in the above embodiments to a computer, and one or more processors of the computer read out and execute the program. Such a computer program can be provided to the computer via a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium that can be connected to the system bus of the computer, or it can be provided to the computer via a network. Non-temporary computer-readable storage media include, for example, any type of disk (floppy disk (floppy (registered trademark) disk), or hard disk drive (HDD)), optical disk (CD-ROM, DVD disk, or Blu-ray disk, etc.), read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), EPROM, EEPROM, magnetic card, flash memory, or any type of medium suitable for storing electronic commands, such as an optical card.

Claims

1. A positioning system comprising: a first module for obtaining information for calculating the positional relationship between the first oscillating body and the target; a second module for obtaining information for calculating the positional relationship between the first oscillating body and the target with higher accuracy than the first module; and a first computing device, The second module includes a first communication device, The first communication device is configured to be able to communicate directly with a second communication device installed in the target, The first computing device: When the first communication device and the second communication device are not within a range where direct communication is possible, the positional relationship between the first swinging body and the target is calculated using the information acquired by the first module, When the first communication device and the second communication device are within a range where direct communication is possible, the positional relationship between the first swinging body and the target is calculated using information obtained by the second module and including specific information associated with the position of the target received by the first communication device from the second communication device.

2. The positioning system according to claim 1, wherein: The second module includes a first positioning antenna, a second positioning antenna, and a third positioning antenna. When the first communication device and the second communication device are present in a range where direct communication is possible, calculating the positional relationship between the first swinging body and the target includes: acquiring a first position measured by the first positioning antenna, a second position measured by the second positioning antenna, and a third position measured by the third positioning antenna; calculating a current posture of the first swinging body at the first position based on the acquired first vector from the first position to the second position and the acquired second vector from the first position to the third position; Correcting a first reference vector from the first positioning antenna to a first predetermined point in a predetermined posture of the first swinging body according to the calculated current posture of the first swinging body at the first position; calculating the position of the first predetermined point in the current posture of the first swinging body by adding the corrected first reference vector to the first position; and The current positional relationship between the first predetermined point and the object is calculated with reference to the specific information.

3. The positioning system according to claim 2, wherein: The goal is to shake the body, The target includes a fourth positioning antenna, a fifth positioning antenna, and a sixth positioning antenna. The specific information includes a fourth position measured by the fourth positioning antenna, a fifth position measured by the fifth positioning antenna, and a sixth position measured by the sixth positioning antenna. When the first communication device and the second communication device are within a range where direct communication is possible, calculating the positional relationship between the first swinging body and the target further includes: referring to the specific information, and calculating a current posture of the target at the fourth position based on a third vector from the fourth position to the fifth position and a fourth vector from the fourth position to the sixth position; Correcting a second reference vector from the fourth positioning antenna to a second predetermined point in a predetermined posture of the target based on the calculated current posture of the target at the fourth position; calculating the position of the second predetermined point in the current posture of the target by adding the corrected second reference vector to the fourth position; and The current positional relationship between the first predetermined point and the second predetermined point is calculated with reference to the position of the first predetermined point and the position of the second predetermined point.

4. The positioning system according to claim 2, wherein: The goal is to shake the body, The target includes a fourth positioning antenna, a fifth positioning antenna, a sixth positioning antenna, and a second computing device. The second computing device is configured to execute: obtaining a fourth position measured by the fourth positioning antenna, a fifth position measured by the fifth positioning antenna, and a sixth position measured by the sixth positioning antenna; calculating a current posture of the target at the fourth position based on the acquired third vector from the fourth position to the fifth position and the acquired fourth vector from the fourth position to the sixth position; Correcting a second reference vector from the fourth positioning antenna to a second predetermined point in a predetermined posture of the target based on the calculated current posture of the target at the fourth position; as well as By adding the corrected second reference vector to the fourth position, the position of the second predetermined point in the current posture of the target is calculated, The specific information includes the position of the second predetermined point calculated by the second computing device, When the first communication device and the second communication device are present in a range where direct communication is possible, calculating the positional relationship between the first swinging body and the target includes: The current positional relationship between the first predetermined point and the second predetermined point is calculated with reference to the position of the first predetermined point and the position of the second predetermined point included in the specific information.

5. The positioning system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The first communication device and the second communication device perform direct communication via a wireless LAN.

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