Location-specific support system and location-specific support method

Abstract

To identify a position from information on a landscape which is seen by a person.SOLUTION: In a position identification support system that generates data for identifying a position, a storage device stores a 3D city model including an attribute of an object. An arithmetic unit comprises: a reception unit for receiving an input from a user; a retrieval key generation unit for identifying a retrieval word for retrieving the 3D city model; and a screen generation unit for outputting screen data for displaying the position. The reception unit receives an input of representation of a landscape, the retrieval key generation unit identifies the retrieval word for retrieving the 3D city model from the representation of the received landscape, the reception unit retrieves the 3D city model using the identified retrieval word to acquire information for narrowing the positions from the representation of the received landscape, and the screen generation unit outputs the screen data for displaying the information for narrowing the positions.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a position identification support system that generates information for identifying a position from the expression of a landscape.

Background Art

[0002] Today, by using GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System), one can know one's own position. However, in urban areas (for example, between structural buildings), it may not be possible to receive radio waves from the required number of artificial satellites for positioning calculations, and the position may not be identifiable by GNSS. For this reason, there is a need to identify a position using information on the landscape visible to the user. For example, even when the reporter is not familiar with the local geography, such as at a destination or a travel destination, and does not know the address or the name of a landmark, it is desired to accurately identify the position in the event of a traffic accident or an emergency.

[0003] As background art in this technical field, there is the following prior art. Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-133283) discloses a navigation device including voice recognition means for inputting voice and outputting various instruction signals, information search means for searching information data from an information recording medium according to a search instruction signal input from the voice recognition means, and voice output means for outputting the search result by voice. The information search means includes a search genre discrimination section for discriminating a signal indicating a search genre from the input search instruction signal, a search direction discrimination section for discriminating a search instruction signal indicating a search direction, a search range setting section for setting a search range, and a search section for searching the information data according to the discriminated search genre, search direction, and search range (see Claim 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Conventionally, information regarding a location (such as an address, the name of a landmark, positioning information by GPS, etc.) is input into a system, and the corresponding location is searched for from a map information system. However, when the informant or the commander is not familiar with the geography of the site (for example, does not know the address, does not know the name of the landmark), it becomes difficult to perform a search using landmarks. In such a case, information on the landscape visible to the user (for example, "a building with a red pointed roof can be seen", "near a store with a blue sign") is effective for specifying the location, but such information is not registered in the map information system.

[0006] Also, even when the name of the landmark is known, if information indicating that the landmark "can be seen" can also be used, the location can be further narrowed down.

[0007] Also, in the background art described above, in a navigation device, map data can be searched using words such as "left" and "right" of the speaker. However, it is a method of providing variations in the expression method of the destination in a situation where the position information of the speaker is known in advance, and it is not a technology that can be used in a situation where the reference position is unknown.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to realize a position specifying support system that specifies a position from information on the landscape seen by a person.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0009] A typical example of the invention disclosed in the present application is as follows. That is, a position specifying support system that generates data for specifying a position, comprising an arithmetic device that executes predetermined processing, and a storage device accessible by the arithmetic device, wherein the storage device stores a 3D city model including object attributes and map datastores a reception unit that receives an input from a user by the arithmetic unit, a search key generation unit that identifies a search term for the arithmetic unit to search for the 3D city model, and a screen generation unit that outputs screen data for the arithmetic unit to display a position, and the reception unit receives an input of a landscape expression from the user, and the search key generation unit identifies a search term for searching the 3D city model from the received landscape expression, and the reception unit searches the 3D city model using the identified search term and obtains object information for narrowing down a position from the received landscape expression, and when it is determined that the user and the object are in a nearby relationship from the received landscape expression, a concentric circle centered on the position of the object is obtained, and the screen generation unit the A position identification support system characterized by outputting screen data for superimposing and displaying on a map.

Effects of the Invention

[0010] According to one aspect of the present invention, a position can be specified from information on a landscape seen by a person. Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will be clarified by the description of the following embodiments.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

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[0012] First, an overview of the embodiments of the present invention will be described. The location identification support system according to this embodiment searches for an object from a 3D city model representing a landmark using information on the attributes (shape, color, etc.) of the landmark (for example, "a building with a pointed roof can be seen", "near a store with a red signboard", etc.). Then, an area corresponding to the type of recognition such as "visible" or "near" for the searched object is superimposed and displayed on the map. When a plurality of keywords are input, the accuracy of location identification is improved by superimposing and displaying a plurality of areas on the map.

[0013] FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are diagrams showing a solution concept by the location identification support system according to this embodiment.

[0014] FIG. 1 shows a solution for providing a location identification support service to an individual. In the solution shown in FIG. 1, the user inputs information on the landscape seen by the user (for example, "near a building with a pointed roof", "a red iron tower can be seen") into the user terminal 20 connected to the location identification support server 10, thereby displaying the user's own location on the map. For example, when browsing a map on the Internet and the user's location information cannot be obtained by GNSS, by using the location identification support service according to this embodiment, the user's own location can be displayed on the map, and the location can be identified even when the user is unfamiliar with the local geography.

[0015] Figure 2 shows a solution for providing a location identification support service to people or organizations that need to identify the location of others. In the solution shown in Figure 2, the user listens to information about the scenery visible to others (for example, "near a building with a pointed roof", "a red iron tower can be seen") and inputs it into the user terminal 20 connected to the location identification support server 10, thereby displaying the location where the other person is on the map. In the command rooms of the fire department and police department that receive emergency reports, the location of the reporter is narrowed down by conveying the address, the name of the landmark, etc. from the reporter to the commander. However, when the reporter is unfamiliar with the local geography, the commander listens to information about the landmark visible to the reporter to narrow down the location. However, such a method depends on the on-site knowledge and skills of the communication commander. Therefore, with the location identification support service of this embodiment, the location of the reporter can be displayed on the map, and the location of the incident can be quickly identified for emergency reports.

[0016] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the logical configuration of the location identification support system of this embodiment.

[0017] The location identification support system of this embodiment is composed of a location identification support server 10 and a user terminal 20, and the location identification support server 10 and the user terminal 20 are connected via a network.

[0018] The location identification support server 10 includes a search request reception unit 11, a search key generation unit 12, a target object search unit 13, a target area extraction unit 14, and a screen generation unit 19, and stores a term dictionary 15, a 3D city model 16, visible location information 17, and map information 18.

[0019] The search request reception unit 11 receives a search request transmitted from the user terminal 20, controls the processing by each functional unit of the location identification support server 10, and returns the processing result by each functional unit to the terminal. The search key generation unit 12 refers to the term dictionary 15 and generates a search query from the input content received by the search request reception unit 11. The target object search unit 13 refers to the 3D city model 16 and searches for the object for which the search is requested. The target area extraction unit 14 refers to the visible location information 17 and outputs information on the locations where the object can be visually recognized. The screen generation unit 19 generates display data to be displayed on the user terminal 20.

[0020] The term dictionary 15 is a database that classifies the text input for location identification and is referred to for specifying the search method. Its details will be described with reference to FIG. 5. The 3D city model 16 is a database in which information on objects (such as buildings, roads, etc.) is recorded. Its details will be described with reference to FIG. 6. The visible location information 17 is data on objects that can be visually recognized for each mesh at regular intervals. Its details will be described with reference to FIG. 7. The map information 18 is information on the map of the area that supports location identification.

[0021] The user terminal 20 is composed of a computer having a processor (CPU), a memory, an auxiliary storage device, a communication interface, an input interface, and an output interface, and provides a search request input function 21 and a screen display function 22. For example, the search request input function 21 and the screen display function 22 may be provided by a web browser executed by the user terminal 20 or by a dedicated application program executed by the user terminal 20.

[0022] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the physical configuration of the location identification support server 10 of the present embodiment.

[0023] The location-specific support server 10 is composed of a computer having a processor (CPU) 1, a memory 2, an auxiliary storage device 3, and a communication interface 4. The location-specific support server 10 may have an input interface 5 and an output interface 6.

[0024] The processor 1 is an arithmetic unit that executes programs stored in the memory 2. By the processor 1 executing various programs, the functions of each functional unit of the location-specific support server 10 (for example, a search request reception unit 11, a search key generation unit 12, a target object search unit 13, a target area extraction unit 14, a screen generation unit 19, etc.) are realized. Note that a part of the processing performed by the processor 1 when executing a program may be executed by another arithmetic unit (for example, hardware such as an ASIC or FPGA).

[0025] The memory 2 includes a ROM which is a non-volatile memory element and a RAM which is a volatile memory element. The ROM stores invariant programs (for example, BIOS), etc. The RAM is a high-speed and volatile memory element such as a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), and temporarily stores programs executed by the processor 1 and data used during program execution.

[0026] The auxiliary storage device 3 is, for example, a large-capacity and non-volatile storage device such as a magnetic storage device (HDD) or a flash memory (SSD). Also, the auxiliary storage device 3 stores data (for example, a term dictionary 15, a 3D city model 16, visible location information 17, map information 18, etc.) used by the processor 1 during program execution, and programs executed by the processor 1. That is, the programs are read from the auxiliary storage device 3, loaded into the memory 2, and executed by the processor 1 to realize the respective functions of the location-specific support server 10.

[0027] The communication interface 4 is a network interface device that controls communication with other devices (for example, the user terminal 20) according to a predetermined protocol.

[0028] The input interface 5 is an interface to which input devices such as the keyboard 7 and the mouse 8 are connected and which receives inputs from the operator. The output interface 6 is an interface to which output devices such as the display device 9 and a printer (not shown) are connected and which outputs the execution result of the program in a form visible to the operator.

[0029] The program executed by the processor 1 is provided to the location determination support server 10 via a removable medium (such as a CD-ROM or a flash memory) or a network and stored in the nonvolatile auxiliary storage device 3 which is a non-temporary storage medium. For this reason, the location determination support server 10 preferably has an interface for reading data from the removable medium.

[0030] The location determination support server 10 is a computer system configured physically on one computer or on a plurality of computers configured logically or physically, and may operate on a virtual computer constructed on a plurality of physical computer resources. For example, the search request reception unit 11, the search key generation unit 12, the target object search unit 13, the target area extraction unit 14, and the screen generation unit 19 may each operate on a separate physical or logical computer, or a plurality of them may be combined and operate on one physical or logical computer.

[0031] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the term dictionary 15. The term dictionary 15 classifies the text input for position specification and is referred to for specifying a search method. The term dictionary 15 includes data on terms, types, derivative expressions, and search methods. The type is the classification of the term, and there are attribute names, keywords, and recognition types. The attribute name indicates that the term is recorded as an attribute (such as shape, color) of an object in the 3D city model 16. The keyword indicates that the term is recorded as a keyword of an object in the 3D city model 16. The keyword is the type, use, characteristics, etc. of the object. The recognition type indicates that a target area designation method is determined due to the term. The derivative expression is used to replace the description in the term column of the entry if the term input for position specification is recorded in the derivative expression. The search method is information for the target object search unit 13 to create a search query related to the term, and the search conditions of the object are recorded.

[0032] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the 3D city model 16. The 3D city model 16 includes data on the name, keyword, and attributes (such as shape, color) for each object. Each data is described in the form of data name = value. The value is the term registered in the terms of the term dictionary 15. The 3D city model 16 may hierarchically store information by XML or the like.

[0033] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a configuration example of visible location information 17. The visible location information 17 is data of an object visible for each mesh at regular intervals, and includes a location ID, latitude, longitude, viewpoint height, and data of the visible object. The location ID is unique identification information of a location divided into meshes at regular intervals. The latitude and longitude are the positions of a location (for example, one central point) within the mesh. The viewpoint height is the viewpoint height at the time of landscape simulation from the mesh. The visible object is identification information of an object within the range visible from the mesh by the landscape simulation from the mesh. When using the visible location information 17, when obtaining the visible area, it is not necessary to execute a three-dimensional simulation each time, so the amount of calculation is reduced and the visible area can be obtained quickly.

[0034] FIG. 8 is a flowchart of the process executed by the location identification support server 10, and FIG. 9 is a sequence diagram of the process executed by the location identification support server 10.

[0035] First, the search request reception unit 11 determines whether there is an input of "end" (101). If the user operates the "end" button, this process ends. On the other hand, if the "end" button is not operated, the search request reception unit 11 determines whether there is an input of "search" (102). If the user does not operate the "search" button, the process returns to step 101. On the other hand, when the "search" button is operated, a search request is transmitted from the user terminal 20 to the location identification support server 10.

[0036] Then, the search request receiving unit 11 receives a search request transmitted from the user terminal 20 (103). For example, a user inputs information about a landscape that a person is visually observing as text (free words such as keywords, attribute names, recognition types, etc.) into the search term input field 1011 on the search result screen displayed on the user terminal 20. As the attribute name, a derivative expression registered in the term dictionary 15 is used. The recognition type is a word indicating the relationship between the user and the object, such as "visible", "near", "direction", etc. Specifically, the user may input the landscape as a sentence like "A red iron tower is visible" or input the landscape by listing words like "iron tower red visible". The user may input text using a keyboard or a touch panel, or may input text by voice recognition of the user's utterance.

[0037] Alternatively, a list of predetermined keywords and attribute names may be displayed for the user to select. As the keywords, the keywords registered in the 3D city model 16 may be used, and as the attribute names, the words registered in the term dictionary 15 may be used.

[0038] Also, when an input of the current location is received, a function of drawing a region indicating "direction" described later becomes available. The input of the current location can be done in ways such as selecting a point on the map, inputting latitude and longitude, inputting an address, inputting a nearby structure (for example, a kilometer post on a road, a management number of a utility pole).

[0039] Next, the search key generation unit 12 performs morphological analysis on the text input as a search request and extracts information to be used as keys (104). For example, when the user inputs "A red iron tower is visible", the words "red", "iron tower", and "visible" are extracted.

[0040] Next, the search key generation unit 12 acquires the term and recognition type of the word from the term dictionary 15 and generates an object search query (105). For example, "a red iron tower can be seen" input by the user is tagged as red: attribute name, iron tower: keyword, can be seen: recognition type, and a search method corresponding to the word is acquired. Then, a search query is generated to search using the word tagged with the keyword and the word tagged with the attribute name (keyword = iron tower, RGB range of red). By referring to the term dictionary 15, the blurring of the words input as free words can be aggregated, and the search method (field for searching the 3D city model 16) of the 3D city model 16 can be determined.

[0041] Next, the target object search unit 13 searches the 3D city model 16 using the generated object search query and acquires a list of target objects that meet the search conditions (106). For example, an object that contains an iron tower in the keyword of the 3D city model 16 and whose RGB range is red (255:0:0 to 200:50:50) is extracted.

[0042] After that, the search request reception unit 11 starts processing each object in the acquired target object list (107) and extracts the target area for each recognition type.

[0043] If the recognition type = "nearby" is extracted from the input text, it is determined that the method for specifying the target area is "vicinity", and a circle centered on the target object is acquired (109). The acquired circle may be one (for example, a circle with a radius of 20 m) or multiple (for example, concentric circles with radii of 10 m, 50 m, and 100 m).

[0044] If the recognition type = "visible" is extracted from the input text, it is determined that the method for specifying the target area is "visible", and the target area extraction unit 14 acquires the visible area of the object (110). For example, referring to the visible location information 17, the location ID where the identification information of the object extracted in step 106 is visible is extracted, and the meshes of the extracted location IDs are connected to form a visible area. Also, by simulation in the virtual three-dimensional space, the range where the object is not hidden by the ground or other objects may be used as the visible area of the object. By performing the simulation in the three-dimensional space each time, the visible location information 17 becomes unnecessary, and the amount of data prepared at the start of system operation can be reduced.

[0045] If the recognition type = "direction" is extracted from the input text, it is determined that the method for specifying the target area is "direction", and an area in the shape of an oblong or ellipse with a predetermined width between the current location and the target object is acquired (111). Note that if the current location is not input to the search request reception unit 11, the target area based on the direction cannot be acquired.

[0046] When the process of acquiring the target area for all objects is completed (112), the screen generation unit 19 generates screen data for displaying the acquired target area overlaid on the map (113). For example, the search request reception unit 11 acquires map data including the target object list and the target area (circle, visible range, range indicating direction) from the map information 18 and sends it to the screen generation unit 19. The screen generation unit 19 superimposes the information on the target area acquired from the search request reception unit 11 and the map information 18 to generate the screen data. When a plurality of target areas are acquired, it is preferable to display them so that the degree of overlap of the target areas can be understood.

[0047] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a search result screen displayed on the user terminal 20.

[0048] In the search result screen shown in FIG. 10, a search term input field 1011, a search button 1012, and an end button 1013 are provided in the upper right, a search term display area 1020 is provided in the middle right, a 3D city model display area 1030 is provided in the lower right, and a map display area 1040 is provided on the left side.

[0049] In the search term input field 1011, the term input as a search request to the user terminal 20 by keyboard input or voice recognition results is textually displayed. By the operation of the user's search button 1012, the text displayed in the search term input field 1011 is displayed in the search term display area 1020. In the search term display area 1020, the terms used for the search of the 3D city model 16 are highlighted. On the left side of the search term, a mark that is superimposed on the map in the map display area 1040 corresponding to the search term is displayed. In the 3D city model display area 1030, an image seen from a specified point on the map using the data obtained from the 3D city model 16 is displayed. In the map display area 1040, a map with the area specified by the search superimposed is displayed.

[0050] When the user inputs a search term and operates the search button 1012, the input search term is transmitted to the location identification support server 10, one line of search conditions is additionally displayed in the search term display area 1020, and the display of the area specified by the search conditions is additionally displayed in the map display area 1040. Also, when the user operates the end button 1013, the search term display area 1020 is cleared, the area superimposed in the map display area 1040 is erased, and only the map is displayed.

[0051] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing another example of the search result screen displayed on the user terminal 20, and is the search result screen when there is an input of the current location.

[0052] In the search result screen shown in FIG. 11, a search term input field 1011, a search button 1012, and an end button 1013 are provided in the upper right, a search term display area 1020 is provided in the middle right, a 3D city model display area 1030 is provided in the lower right, and a map display area 1040 is provided on the left side. The search term input field 1011, the search button 1012, the end button 1013, and the search term display area 1020 are the same as those in the search result screen shown in FIG. 10. In the 3D city model display area 1030, an image seen from a specified point on the map and the current location are displayed using data obtained from the 3D city model 16. In the map display area 1040, a map with the area specified by the search superimposed and the current location are displayed. When the current location is input, the area can be specified by the direction, and the area related to the direction is superimposed and displayed on the map.

[0053] As described above, according to the position identification support system of this embodiment, the position can be identified from the information of the landscape seen by a person. In particular, by utilizing the 3D city model 16 that is being developed, the position can be quickly identified using the information of the landscape that a person can see.

[0054] Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes various modifications and equivalent configurations within the scope of the appended claims. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail for easy understanding of the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those having all the configurations described. Also, a part of the configuration of one embodiment may be replaced with the configuration of another embodiment. Also, the configuration of another embodiment may be added to the configuration of one embodiment. Also, for a part of the configuration of each embodiment, addition, deletion, or replacement with other configurations may be made.

[0055] In addition, each of the above-described configurations, functions, processing units, processing means, etc. may be realized in hardware, for example, by designing a part or all of them with an integrated circuit, or may be realized in software by a processor interpreting and executing a program for realizing each function.

[0056] Information such as programs, tables, and files that implement each function can be stored in a storage device such as a memory, a hard disk, an SSD (Solid State Drive), or a recording medium such as an IC card, an SD card, or a DVD.

[0057] In addition, the control lines and information lines show those considered necessary for explanation, and do not necessarily show all the control lines and information lines required for implementation. In practice, it can be considered that almost all components are interconnected.

Explanation of Signs

[0058] 1 Processor 2 Memory 3 Auxiliary storage device 4 Communication interface 5 Input interface 6 Output interface 7 Keyboard 8 Mouse 9 Display device 10 Location-specific support server 11 Search request reception unit 12 Search key generation unit 13 Target object search unit 14 Target area extraction unit 15 Term dictionary 16 3D city model 17 Visible location information 18 Map information 19 Screen generation unit 20 User terminal 21 Search request input function 22 Screen display function

Claims

1. A location identification support system for generating data for identifying a location, comprising: an arithmetic unit that executes a predetermined process, and a storage device accessible by the arithmetic unit; the storage device stores a 3D city model including object attributes and map data; a reception unit that receives an input from a user by the arithmetic unit; a search key generation unit that specifies a search term for searching the 3D city model by the arithmetic unit; a screen generation unit that outputs screen data for displaying a location by the arithmetic unit, the reception unit receives an input of a landscape expression from a user; the search key generation unit specifies a search term for searching the 3D city model from the received landscape expression; the reception unit, searches the 3D city model using the specified search term and obtains object information for narrowing down the location from the received landscape expression; when it is determined that the user and the object are in a nearby relationship from the received landscape expression, obtains a concentric circle centered on the location of the object; the screen generation unit outputs screen data for superimposing and displaying the obtained concentric circle on the map. A location identification support system characterized by this.

2. The location identification support system according to claim 1, wherein when the arithmetic unit further determines that the user and the object are in a visible relationship from the received landscape expression, the arithmetic unit has a target area extraction unit that obtains an area where the object can be visually recognized; the screen generation unit outputs screen data for superimposing and displaying the area where the obtained object can be visually recognized on the map. A location identification support system characterized by this.

3. The location identification support system according to claim 2, wherein the storage device stores visible point information including information on positions where objects included in the 3D city model can be visually recognized; the target area extraction unit refers to the visible point information using the specified object as a key and obtains an area where the object can be visually recognized. A location identification support system characterized by this.

4. The location identification support system according to claim 2, The object area extraction unit is characterized in that it calculates whether the visibility of the specified object is obstructed by other objects using the 3D city model, and acquires an area where the object can be visually recognized, in a position identification support system. **Claim 5**: A position identification support method in which a position identification support system generates data for identifying a plurality of positions, The position identification support system is composed of a computer having an arithmetic unit that executes predetermined processing and a storage device accessible by the arithmetic unit, The storage device stores a 3D city model including object attributes and map data, The position identification support method is as follows: The arithmetic unit receives an input of a landscape expression from a user, The arithmetic unit specifies a search term for searching the 3D city model from the received landscape expression, The arithmetic unit searches the 3D city model using the specified search term and acquires object information for narrowing down the position from the received landscape expression, When it is determined that the user and the object are in a nearby relationship from the received landscape expression, the arithmetic unit acquires concentric circles centered on the position of the object, The arithmetic unit generates and outputs screen data for displaying the acquired concentric circles superimposed on the map, which is a characteristic of the position identification support method. **Claim 6**: The position identification support method according to claim 5, When it is determined that the user and the object are in a visible relationship from the received landscape expression, the arithmetic unit further acquires an area where the object can be visually recognized, The arithmetic unit outputs screen data for displaying the acquired area where the object can be visually recognized superimposed on the map, which is a characteristic of the position identification support method. **Claim 7**: The position identification support method according to claim 6, The storage device stores visible point information including information on positions where objects included in the 3D city model can be visually recognized, The position identification support method is as follows: The arithmetic unit refers to the visible point information using the specified object as a key and acquires an area where the object can be visually recognized, which is a characteristic of the position identification support method. **Claim 8**: The position identification support method according to claim 6, The position identification support method is characterized in that the arithmetic device calculates whether the visibility of the specified object is obstructed by other objects by using the 3D city model, and acquires a visible area of the object.

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