Wireless communication device, positioning system, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To reduce the risk of malfunction, unauthorized use, or the like while making use of a feature of facilitating construction of a geofence of sound waves in a positioning system that transmits identification information by sound waves and radio waves.SOLUTION: A wireless communication apparatus includes: a sound wave receiving unit that receives a sound wave representing first identification information; a first acquisition unit that acquires the first identification information from the sound wave; a radio wave receiving unit that receives a radio wave representing second identification information; a second acquisition unit that acquires the second identification information from the radio wave; and a determination unit that determines third identification information based on the first identification information and the second identification information. The determination unit determines the third identification information when the first identification information is acquired after acquiring the second identification information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a wireless communication device, a positioning system, an information processing method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art There is a positioning system in which an information terminal acquires location information of the information terminal based on identification information acquired from sound waves, radio waves, or the like output by an output device.

[0003] For example, a location information transmission system is known that transmits location information using a location information transmission device having a means for outputting sound waves representing first identification information and a means for transmitting radio waves representing second identification information (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In a positioning system that transmits identification information via radio waves, a complex system (e.g., three-point measurement) must be constructed to form a detailed geofence (area for positioning), which raises the problem of the expensive positioning system. On the other hand, in a positioning system that transmits identification information via sound waves, a geofence can be constructed relatively easily by, for example, controlling the volume, the directional characteristics of the speaker, or walls. However, when transmitting identification information via sound waves, there is a risk of malfunction or unauthorized use, for example, if the sound waves containing the identification information are recorded using a recording device and played back in another location.

[0005] In the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, the first identification information represented by sound waves and the second identification information represented by radio waves are used separately, and while taking advantage of the feature that it is easy to construct a sound wave geofence, it is not possible to reduce the risk of malfunction or fraudulent use, for example.

[0006] One embodiment of the present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and in a positioning system that transmits identification information using sound waves and radio waves, it takes advantage of the advantage that it is easy to construct a sound wave geofence, while reducing the risk of malfunction or fraudulent use. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problem, a wireless communication device according to one embodiment of the present invention has an acoustic wave receiving unit that receives acoustic waves representing first identification information, a first acquisition unit that acquires the first identification information from the acoustic waves, a radio wave receiving unit that receives radio waves representing second identification information, a second acquisition unit that acquires the second identification information from the radio waves, and a determination unit that determines third identification information based on the first identification information and the second identification information, wherein the determination unit determines the third identification information when it acquires the first identification information after acquiring the second identification information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to one embodiment of the present invention, in a positioning system that transmits identification information using sound waves and radio waves, it is possible to take advantage of the advantage that it is easy to construct a sound wave geofence while reducing the risk of malfunction or fraudulent use. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a system configuration of a positioning system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of an area formed by an output device according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating another example of an area formed by an output device according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a sound wave representing first identification information according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of a sound wave representing first identification information according to an embodiment. [Figure 6]FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a wireless communication device according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of an output device according to an embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating another example of a hardware configuration of an output device according to an embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a computer according to an embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a wireless communication device and a server device according to an embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of an output device according to an embodiment. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing for acquiring identification information according to the first embodiment. [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for determining third identification information according to the first embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of correspondence information according to the second embodiment. [Figure 15] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for determining third identification information according to the second embodiment. [Figure 16] 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for determining third identification information according to the third embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a sound wave receiving area according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 18] 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for setting a sound wave receiving area according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of processing of a positioning system according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0011] <System configuration> 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a system configuration of a positioning system according to an embodiment. The positioning system 1 includes, for example, one or more output devices 100 and a wireless communication device 10. Preferably, the positioning system 1 includes a server device 110 that can communicate with the wireless communication device 10 via a communication network N such as the Internet or a LAN (Local Area Network). Note that the server device 110 may also be able to communicate with the output device 100 via the communication network N.

[0012] (output device) The output device 100 is a device having a sound wave output unit that outputs sound waves representing identification information (hereinafter referred to as first identification information) that identifies the sound waves, and a radio wave output unit that outputs identification information (hereinafter referred to as second identification information) that is unique to each output device 100.

[0013] 2 is a diagram showing an example of an area formed by an output device according to an embodiment. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the output device 100 outputs sound waves representing the first identification information within a sound wave receiving area 201 centered around the output device 100. Preferably, the radius of the sound wave receiving area 201 can be changed by, for example, the volume of the sound waves output by the output device 100.

[0014] 2, the transmitter 100 outputs radio waves representing the second identification information within a radio wave receiving area 202, which is wider than a sound wave receiving area 201 and is centered around the transmitter 100. For example, the transmitter 100 transmits the radio waves representing the second identification information using short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or Bluetooth Low Energy (hereinafter referred to as BLE). However, the transmitter 100 may transmit the radio waves representing the second identification information using other wireless communication methods other than short-range wireless communication, such as LPWA (Low Power Wide Area).

[0015] 3 is a diagram showing another example of an area formed by a transmitter 100 according to an embodiment. This diagram shows an example of a sound wave receiving area 201 formed by the transmitter 100 in a commercial facility 300 or the like having multiple shelves 301a to 301d. In the example of FIG. 3, the sound waves output by the transmitter 100 are blocked (or attenuated) by two shelves 301b and 301c, and the sound wave receiving area 201 is limited to the passage between the two shelves 301b and 301c. On the other hand, the radio waves output by the transmitter 100 spread beyond the passage between the two shelves 301b and 301c due to, for example, reflection, transmission, etc.

[0016] Thus, the sound wave receiving area 201 has the advantage that a geofence (any area surrounded by a virtual boundary) can be constructed relatively easily by, for example, volume, directional characteristics of a speaker, or a wall, etc. On the other hand, when the first identification information is transmitted by sound waves, there is a risk of malfunction or unauthorized use, for example, if the sound waves including the first identification information are recorded by a recording device and played back in another location.

[0017] 4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating an example of sound waves representing first identification information according to an embodiment. FIG. 4A shows an example of the frequency spectrum of sound waves representing first identification information. The transmitter 100 can represent the first identification information by, for example, combining on and off (whether or not sound waves are output) of multiple frequencies. In the example of FIG. 4A, sound waves 401 to 410 of multiple frequencies represent 10-bit first identification information by representing on sound waves as a digital value "1" and off sound waves as a digital value "0."

[0018] However, when a device receiving the sound waves (for example, the wireless communication device 10) moves, the Doppler effect occurs, and sound waves 401 to 410 of multiple frequencies may be frequency shifted, as shown in Fig. 4(B), which may cause the wireless communication device 10 to be unable to correctly acquire the first identification information from the received sound waves.

[0019] The wireless communication device 10, for example, performs FFT (fast Fourier transform) analysis on the received sound waves to obtain a frequency spectrum as shown in FIG. 4A. The wireless communication device 10 also determines that bit 3 represented by sound wave 404 is "1" by obtaining the sound pressure level of frequency band B3 corresponding to sound wave 403. However, as shown in FIG. 4B, when a frequency shift occurs, the sound pressure level of frequency band B3 decreases, and bit 3 represented by sound wave 404 may be determined to be "0" even if it is actually "1." For example, in the example of FIG. 4B, even if the transmitter 100 outputs the first identification information "1111111111," the wireless communication device 10 or the like may erroneously determine the first identification information to be "0000000000."

[0020] To solve this problem, for example, as shown in FIG. 5(A), there is a method of widening the frequency band B2 for detecting the sound wave 502. In the example of FIG. 5(A), the frequency band for determining the presence or absence of multiple sound waves 501 to 505 is widened twice as wide as in the example of FIG. 4(A). This method allows the wireless communication device 10 or the like to correctly acquire the first identification information "11111" represented by the sound wave even when a frequency shift occurs, as shown in FIG. 5(B). However, this method has the problem of halving the amount of data that can be transmitted at one time, from 10 bits to 5 bits.

[0021] (wireless communication devices) The wireless communication device 10 is, for example, an information terminal such as a smartphone, tablet terminal, or wearable terminal used by a user, and can communicate with the server device 110 by connecting to a communication network N via wireless communication. The wireless communication device 10 acquires first identification information represented by sound waves picked up by a microphone provided in the wireless communication device 10, for example, by executing an application program (hereinafter referred to as an app) corresponding to the positioning system 1. The wireless communication device 10 also acquires second identification information from radio waves received by a short-range communication circuit or the like provided in the wireless communication device 10.

[0022] Furthermore, the wireless communication device 10 according to the present embodiment determines third identification information corresponding to the sound wave receiving area 201 based on the acquired first identification information and second identification information. Preferably, the wireless communication device 10 determines the third identification information when it acquires the first identification information after acquiring the second identification information.

[0023] As one example, the wireless communication device 10 may create third identification information by combining the first identification information and the second identification information. As another example, the wireless communication device 10 may determine the third identification information using pre-stored correspondence information that associates a combination of the first identification information and the second identification information with the third identification information. As a result, in the positioning system 1 according to this embodiment, even if, for example, sound waves including the first identification information are recorded by a recording device and then played back in another location, malfunctions or unauthorized use can be prevented.

[0024] Thus, according to this embodiment, in the positioning system 1 that transmits identification information using sound waves and radio waves, it is possible to take advantage of the advantage that it is easy to construct a sound wave geofence while reducing the risk of malfunction or fraudulent use.

[0025] 5, when the number of bits of the first identification information is reduced by widening the frequency band for detecting the multiple sound waves 501-505, the conventional technology has a problem that the number of geofences that can be identified by the first identification information is reduced. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, geofences can be identified using third identification information based on the first identification information and the second identification information. Therefore, even when the number of bits of the first identification information is reduced, it is possible to identify more geofences than the number of first identification information by using the third identification information determined by a combination with the second identification information.

[0026] (Server device) The server device 110 is, for example, an information processing device having a computer configuration or a system including multiple computers, and is capable of communicating with the wireless communication device 10 via the communication network N. The server device 110 stores, for example, location information or content data corresponding to the third identification information in a storage unit or the like in advance, and provides the location information or content data corresponding to the third identification information in response to a request from the wireless communication device 10.

[0027] The location information provided by server device 110 may include, for example, coordinate information of the area (geofence) corresponding to the third identification information, the area name, etc. Furthermore, the content provided by server device 110 may include, for example, information on the store or the like corresponding to the third identification information, images, map information, guide route information, etc. However, in this embodiment, the location information or content data provided by server device 110 may be any data.

[0028] With the above configuration, the wireless communication device 10 determines third identification information using the acquired first identification information and second identification information in the sound wave receiving area 201, for example, as shown in Fig. 2, and transmits the determined third identification information to the server device 110. Furthermore, the wireless communication device 10 can display a display screen that displays, for example, map information, route information, facility information, event information, or the like at the current location, based on the location information or content data received from the server device 110.

[0029] 1 is an example. For example, the wireless communication device 10 may store location information or content data corresponding to the third identification information in a storage unit or the like, and display information about the current location without relying on the server device 110.

[0030] The server device 110 may have a function of communicating with the transmitter 100 via the communication network N and controlling the first identification information represented by the sound waves output by the transmitter 100, the volume of the sound waves, etc. Furthermore, the wireless communication device 10 is not limited to a general-purpose information terminal, and may be a dedicated terminal device that executes predetermined firmware.

[0031] <Hardware configuration> Next, an example of the hardware configuration of each device included in the positioning system 1 will be described.

[0032] (Hardware configuration of wireless communication devices) Here, a hardware configuration will be described for the case where the wireless communication device 10 is a general-purpose information terminal such as a smartphone.

[0033] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a wireless communication device according to an embodiment. As shown in Fig. 6, the wireless communication device 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 601, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 602, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 603, a storage device 604, a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) sensor 605, an image sensor I / F (Interface) 606, a sensor 607, a media I / F 609, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiving unit 610, and the like.

[0034] Of these, the CPU 601 controls the overall operation of the wireless communication device 10 by executing a predetermined program. The ROM 302 stores programs used to start up the CPU 601, such as an IPL (Initial Program Loader). The RAM 603 is used as a work area for the CPU 601. The storage device 604 is realized by, for example, an SSD (Solid State Drive), a flash ROM, or the like, and is a large-capacity non-volatile storage device that stores an OS (Operating System), programs such as applications, various data, and the like.

[0035] The CMOS sensor 605 is a type of built-in imaging means that captures an image of a subject (mainly a self-portrait) under the control of the CPU 601 to obtain image data. Note that the wireless communication device 10 may have an imaging means such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) sensor instead of the CMOS sensor 605. The imaging element I / F 606 is a circuit that controls the driving of the CMOS sensor 605. The sensor 607 is one of various sensors, such as an electronic magnetic compass or gyrocompass that detects geomagnetism, and an acceleration sensor. The media I / F 609 controls the reading and writing (storage) of data from or to a recording medium 608, such as a flash memory. The GPS receiver 610 receives GPS signals from GPS satellites.

[0036] The wireless communication device 10 also includes a long-distance communication circuit 611, an antenna 611a of the long-distance communication circuit 611, a CMOS sensor 612, an image sensor I / F 613, a microphone 614, a speaker 615, an audio input / output I / F 616, a display 617, an external device connection I / F 618, a short-distance communication circuit 619, an antenna 619a of the short-distance communication circuit 619, and a touch panel 620.

[0037] Of these, the long-distance communication circuit 611 is a circuit that communicates with other devices via, for example, the communication network N. The CMOS sensor 612 is a type of built-in imaging means that captures an image of a subject and obtains image data under the control of the CPU 601. The image sensor I / F 613 is a circuit that controls the driving of the CMOS sensor 612. The microphone 614 is a built-in device that converts sound waves into sound signals. The speaker 615 is a built-in device that converts sound signals into physical vibrations and generates sound waves. The sound input / output I / F 616 is a circuit or the like that processes the input and output of sound signals under the control of the CPU 601.

[0038] The display 617 is a type of display means such as a liquid crystal display or organic electroluminescence (EL) display that displays an image of a subject, various icons, etc. The external device connection I / F 618 is an interface for connecting various external devices. The short-range communication circuit 619 performs short-range wireless communication using the same wireless communication method as the output device 100, such as Bluetooth or BLE. The touch panel 620 is a type of input means that allows a user to operate the wireless communication device 10 by pressing the display 617.

[0039] The wireless communication device 10 also includes a bus line 621. The bus line 621 includes an address bus, a data bus, various control signals, and the like for electrically connecting the components such as the CPU 601 shown in FIG.

[0040] 6 is an example of the hardware configuration of the wireless communication device 10. For example, the wireless communication device 10 does not necessarily have to include the CMOS sensors 605 and 612, the image sensor I / Fs 606 and 613, the sensor 607, the GPS receiving unit 610, the speaker 615, etc.

[0041] (Hardware configuration of output device) 7 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an output device according to an embodiment. The output device 100 includes, for example, a CPU 701, a memory 702, a storage device 703, a short-range communication circuit 704, a sound wave generating circuit 705, a sound output I / F 706, a speaker 707, a long-range communication circuit 708, and a bus 709.

[0042] The CPU 701 is a computing device (processor) that reads programs and data stored in, for example, a storage device 703 onto the memory 702 and executes processing to realize each function of the output device 100. The memory 702 includes, for example, a RAM used as a work area for the CPU 701 and a ROM that stores programs for starting up the authentication device 120. The storage device 703 is a non-volatile large-capacity storage device that stores an OS, applications, various data, and the like, and is realized by, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD.

[0043] The short-range communication circuit 704 performs short-range wireless communication using the same wireless communication method as the wireless communication device 10, such as BLE. The sound wave generation circuit 705 is a circuit, IC (Integrated Circuit), or device for generating sound waves (sound wave data) including first identification information. Note that the sound waves representing the first identification information may be generated by a program executed by the CPU 701. In this case, the transmitter 100 may not have the sound wave generation circuit 705.

[0044] The sound output I / F 706 is a circuit, IC, device, or the like that outputs a sound wave signal representing the first identification information to a speaker, and includes an amplifier that amplifies the sound wave signal. The speaker 707 converts the sound wave signal output by the sound output I / F 706 into sound waves and outputs the converted sound waves. The long-distance communication circuit 708 connects the transmitter 100 to a communication network N, for example, via wireless communication or wired communication, and executes communication processing to communicate with the server device 110, etc. The bus 709 is commonly connected to the above components and transmits, for example, address signals, data signals, and various control signals.

[0045] 8, the transmitter 100 may be configured by combining a sonic wave output device 801 and a radio wave output device 802. In the example of FIG. 8, the transmitter 100 includes the sonic wave output device 801 and the radio wave output device 802.

[0046] The sonic wave output device 801 includes, for example, a CPU 701a, a memory 702a, a storage device 703a, a sonic wave generating circuit 705a, a sound output I / F 706a, a speaker 707a, a long-distance communication circuit 708a, and a bus 709a. Note that the above components are similar to the CPU 701, memory 702, storage device 703, sonic wave generating circuit 705, sound output I / F 706, speaker 707, long-distance communication circuit 708, and bus 709 described in FIG. 7, and therefore description thereof will be omitted here.

[0047] The radio wave output device 802 includes, for example, a CPU 701b, a memory 702b, a storage device 703b, a short-range communication circuit 704b, a long-range communication circuit 708b, and a bus 709b. Note that the above components are similar to, for example, the CPU 701, the memory 702, the storage device 703, the short-range communication circuit 704, the long-range communication circuit 708, and the bus 709 described in Fig. 7, and therefore description thereof will be omitted here.

[0048] (Server hardware configuration) The server device 110 has, for example, the hardware configuration of a computer 900 as shown in Fig. 9. Alternatively, the server device 110 is configured by a plurality of computers 900.

[0049] 9 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a computer according to an embodiment. The computer 900 includes, for example, a CPU 901, a ROM 902, a RAM 903, a hard disk (HD) 904, an HDD controller 905, a display 906, an external device connection I / F 907, a network I / F 908, a keyboard 909, a pointing device 910, a DVD-RW (Digital Versatile Disk Rewritable) drive 912, a media I / F 914, and a bus line 915.

[0050] Of these, the CPU 901 controls the overall operation of the computer 900. The ROM 902 stores programs used to start up the CPU 901, such as an IPL. The RAM 903 is used as a work area for the CPU 901. The HD 904 stores various data such as programs. The HDD controller 905 controls the reading and writing of various data from and to the HD 904 under the control of the CPU 901.

[0051] The display 906 displays various types of information such as a cursor, menus, windows, characters, or images. The external device connection I / F 907 is an interface for connecting various types of external devices. The network I / F 908 is an interface for data communication using the communication network N.

[0052] The keyboard 909 is a type of input means equipped with multiple keys for inputting characters, numbers, various instructions, etc. The pointing device 910 is a type of input means for selecting and executing various instructions, selecting a processing target, moving a cursor, etc. The DVD-RW drive 912 controls reading and writing of various data from a DVD-RW 911, which is an example of a removable recording medium. Note that the DVD-RW 911 is not limited to a DVD-RW, and may be other recording media. The media I / F 914 controls reading and writing (storing) of data from a medium 913 such as a flash memory. The bus line 915 includes an address bus, a data bus, various control signals, etc. for electrically connecting the above components.

[0053] <Functional configuration> Next, the functional configuration of each device according to this embodiment will be described. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a wireless communication device and a server device according to an embodiment.

[0054] (Functional configuration of wireless communication devices) The wireless communication device 10, for example, realizes a sound wave receiving unit 1001, a first acquisition unit 1002, a radio wave receiving unit 1003, a second acquisition unit 1004, a determination unit 1005, a content acquisition unit 1006, a communication unit 1007, a storage unit 1008, and a display control unit 1009 by the CPU 601 executing a predetermined program. Note that at least a part of the above functional configurations may be configured by hardware.

[0055] The sonic wave receiving unit 1001 executes a sonic wave receiving process to receive (acquire) a sonic wave representing the first identification information output by the output device 100. For example, the sonic wave receiving unit 1001 acquires sonic waves around the wireless communication device 10 using the microphone 614, the sound input / output I / F 616, etc., converts the acquired sonic waves into sonic wave data in a predetermined format, and stores the converted data in the storage unit 1008.

[0056] The first acquisition unit 1002 executes a first acquisition process to acquire first identification information from the sound waves received by the sound wave receiving unit 1001. For example, the first acquisition unit 1002 performs FFT (fast Fourier transform) analysis on the sound wave data stored in the storage unit 1008 by the sound wave receiving unit 1001 to acquire a frequency spectrum as shown in Fig. 5(A). Furthermore, the first acquisition unit 1002 acquires first identification information from the acquired frequency spectrum by determining whether sound waves 501 to 505 of multiple frequencies are on or off.

[0057] The radio wave receiving unit 1003 executes a radio wave receiving process to receive radio waves representing the second identification information output by the transmitter 100. For example, the radio wave receiving unit 1003 receives a beacon broadcast by the transmitter 100 via short-range wireless communication such as BLE using the short-range communication circuit 619.

[0058] The second acquisition unit 1004 executes a second acquisition process to acquire second identification information from the radio waves received by the radio wave receiving unit 1003. For example, the second acquisition unit 1004 acquires the second identification information included in the received data output by the short-range communication circuit 619.

[0059] The determination unit 1005 executes a determination process for determining third identification information based on the first identification information acquired by the first acquisition unit 1002 and the second identification information acquired by the second acquisition unit 1004. As an example, the determination unit 1005 may create third identification information by dividing the third identification information into upper and lower levels and assigning the first identification information to the upper level and the second identification information to the lower level. As another example, the determination unit 1005 may store in advance in the storage unit 1008 or the like correspondence information that associates a combination of the first identification information and the second identification information with the third identification information, and obtain third identification information corresponding to the first identification information and the second identification information from this correspondence information.

[0060] The content acquisition unit 1006 executes a content acquisition process to acquire location information, content data, or the like corresponding to the third identification information determined by the determination unit 1005. The communication unit 1007 executes a communication process to connect the wireless communication device 10 to the communication network N using, for example, the long-distance communication circuit 611 and communicate with the server device 110.

[0061] For example, content acquisition unit 1006 transmits a data acquisition request including the third identification information to server device 110 via communication unit 1007, and acquires location information or content data corresponding to the third identification information transmitted by server device 110. Alternatively, content acquisition unit 1006 may store location information or content data corresponding to the third identification information in storage unit 1008 in advance, and acquire the location information or content data corresponding to the third identification information from storage unit 1008.

[0062] The storage unit 1008 is realized by, for example, a program executed by the CPU 601 and the storage device 604, and stores various information, data, programs, etc., such as the correspondence information or sound wave data described above. Note that the storage unit 1008 can be commonly accessed from each functional configuration of the wireless communication device 10.

[0063] The display control unit 1009 displays a display screen that displays, for example, map information, route information, facility information, event information, etc. at the current location based on the location information or content data acquired by the content acquisition unit 1006.

[0064] (Functional configuration of server device) The server device 110 implements a communication unit 1011, a content providing unit 1012, a location information management unit 1013, a storage unit 1014, etc. by executing a predetermined program on the CPU 901, for example. Note that at least a part of the above functional configurations may be implemented by hardware.

[0065] The communication unit 1011 connects the server device 110 to the communication network N using the network I / F 908, for example, and executes communication processing for communicating with other devices.

[0066] In response to a request from the wireless communication device 10, the content providing unit 1012 provides the wireless communication device 10 with location information or content data corresponding to the third identification information. For example, the server device 110 stores in advance the location information or content data corresponding to the third identification information in the storage unit 1014. Furthermore, upon receiving a data provision request including the third identification information from the wireless communication device 10, the content providing unit 1012 reads out the location information or content data corresponding to the third identification information from the storage unit 1014 and returns it to the wireless communication device 10.

[0067] The location information management unit 1013 stores and manages information (e.g., location coordinates, area name, etc.) of the area (geofence) corresponding to the third identification information in the storage unit 1014. The content providing unit 1012 may provide the location information corresponding to the third identification information managed by the location information management unit 1013 to the wireless communication device 10.

[0068] In addition, the location information management unit 1013 may perform a location information management process in which the communication unit 1011 adds a timestamp to the device ID that identifies the wireless communication device 10 and the third identification information that are included in the data acquisition request received from the wireless communication device 10 and stores them in the memory unit 1014.

[0069] The storage unit 1014 is realized by, for example, a program executed by the CPU 901, the HD 904, the HDD controller 905, etc., and stores the above-mentioned position information corresponding to the third identification information, content data, etc.

[0070] 10 is an example. For example, at least a part of the functional configuration of the server device 110 may be included in the wireless communication device 10.

[0071] (Functional configuration of output device) Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of an output device according to an embodiment. Here, as an example, the following description will be given assuming that the output device 100 has the hardware configuration shown in Fig. 7, but the output device 100 may also have the hardware configuration shown in Fig. 8 to achieve the following functional configuration.

[0072] The transmitter 100, for example, executes a predetermined program on the CPU 701 to implement a radio wave output unit 1101, a sound wave generation unit 1102, a sound wave output unit 1103, a first setting unit 1104, a second setting unit 1105, a storage unit 1106, and a communication unit 1107. At least a part of the above functional configurations may be implemented by hardware.

[0073] The radio wave output unit 1101 executes radio wave output processing to output radio waves representing the second identification information. For example, the radio wave output unit 1101 broadcasts the second identification information using, for example, a BLE advertising packet using the short-range communication circuit 704.

[0074] The sound wave generating unit 1102 executes a sound wave generating process for generating sound wave data of sound waves representing the first identification information, for example, using the sound wave generating circuit 705 or the like, or by software processing. Note that the output device 100 may not have the sound wave generating unit 1102, and may output sound waves representing the first identification information, for example, using sound wave data received by the communication unit 1107 from the server device 110, or sound wave data pre-stored in the storage unit 1106, etc.

[0075] The sound wave output unit 1103 executes a sound wave output process to output sound waves representing the first identification information, for example, using the sound output I / F 706 and the speaker 707. For example, the sound wave output unit 1103 reproduces sound wave data generated by the sound wave generation unit 1102 or sound wave data stored in the storage unit 1106, and outputs sound waves representing the first identification information.

[0076] The first setting unit 1104 executes a first setting process to change the data (value) of the first identification information represented by the sound waves output by the sound wave output unit 1103, for example, in accordance with control information received by the communication unit 1107 from the server device 110, or autonomously. The second setting unit 1105 executes a second setting process to change the setting of the volume of the sound waves output by the sound wave output unit 1103, for example, in accordance with control information received by the communication unit 1107 from the server device 110, or autonomously.

[0077] The storage unit 1106 is realized by the program executed by the CPU 701, the memory 702, the storage device 703, etc., and stores, for example, sound wave data generated by the sound wave generating circuit 705 or sound wave data received by the communication unit 1107 from the server device 110. The storage unit 1106 also stores other data, information, programs, etc. The communication unit 1107 executes communication processing to communicate with other devices such as the server device 110, for example, using the long-distance communication circuit 708.

[0078] 11 is an example. For example, the transmitter 100 may not have the sound wave generating unit 1102 or the communication unit 1107. The first setting unit 1104 and the second setting unit 1105 may be integrated into one setting unit.

[0079] <Processing flow> Next, the process flow of the information processing method according to this embodiment will be described by exemplifying a number of embodiments.

[0080] [First embodiment] (Identification information acquisition process) Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of an identification information acquisition process according to the first embodiment. This process shows an example of a process in which the wireless communication device 10 acquires first identification information and second identification information. As an example, the wireless communication device 10 executes the process of Fig. 12(A) and the process of Fig. 12(B) in parallel. As another example, the wireless communication device 10 may execute the process of Fig. 12(B) after executing the process of Fig. 12(A).

[0081] In step S1201 of FIG. 12A, the radio wave receiving unit 1003 of the wireless communication device 10 receives radio waves using the short-range communication circuit 704, and the second obtaining unit 1004 obtains the identification information from the received radio waves.

[0082] In step S1202, if the second obtaining unit 1004 can obtain the identification information, the process proceeds to step S1203. On the other hand, if the second obtaining unit 1004 cannot obtain the identification information, the process ends.

[0083] In step S1203, the second acquisition unit 1004 stores the acquired identification information as second identification information.

[0084] In step S1211 of FIG. 12B, the sound wave receiving unit 1001 receives (collects) sound waves around the wireless communication device 10 using the microphone 614 and the sound input / output I / F 616.

[0085] In step S1212, the sound wave receiving unit 1001 converts the received sound waves into data to create sound wave data.

[0086] In step S1213, the first acquisition unit 1002 acquires identification information by analyzing the sound wave data digitized by the sound wave receiving unit 1001. For example, the first acquisition unit 1002 performs FFT analysis on the audio data to acquire a frequency spectrum as shown in Fig. 5(A), and acquires identification information by determining the presence or absence of each of the sound waves 501 to 505 of multiple frequencies.

[0087] If the identification information is acquired in step S1214, the first acquisition unit 1002 shifts the process to step S1215. On the other hand, if the identification information is not acquired, the first acquisition unit 1002 shifts the process to step S1216.

[0088] In step S1215, the first acquisition unit 1002 stores the acquired identification information as first identification information.

[0089] In step S1216, the determining unit 1005 executes, as an example, a process of determining third identification information as shown in FIG.

[0090] (Third identification information determination process) Fig. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the process of determining the third identification information according to the first embodiment. This process shows an example of the process of determining the third identification information executed by the determination unit 1005 of the wireless communication device 10 in step S1216 of Fig. 12.

[0091] In step S1301, the determining unit 1005 determines whether the second acquiring unit 1004 has acquired second identification information. For example, the determining unit 1005 determines whether the second acquiring unit 1004 has stored second identification information within a predetermined time. If the second identification information has been acquired, the determining unit 1005 shifts the process to step S1302. On the other hand, if the second identification information has not been acquired, the determining unit 1005 stops the process of determining third identification information.

[0092] When proceeding to step S1302, the determination unit 1005 acquires the first identification information acquired by the first acquisition unit 1002 in the processing of Figure 12(B) and the second identification information acquired by the second acquisition unit 1004 in the processing of Figure 12(A).

[0093] In step S1303, the determination unit 1005 determines the third identification information using the acquired first identification information and second identification information. As an example, the determination unit 1005 creates the third identification information by dividing the third identification information into upper and lower levels and assigning the first identification information to the upper level and the second identification information to the lower level. For example, if the first identification information is "1" and the second identification information is "5", the determination unit 1005 sets the third identification information to "15".

[0094] As another example, the determination unit 1005 determines the third identification information using correspondence information that has been stored in advance and that associates a combination of the first identification information and the second identification information with the third identification information, as shown in the second embodiment.

[0095] [Second embodiment] The wireless communication device 10 according to the second embodiment stores, for example, correspondence information (identification information list) 1400 as shown in Fig. 14 in the storage unit 1008 or the like. Fig. 14 is a diagram showing an example of correspondence information according to the second embodiment. As shown in Fig. 14, the correspondence information 1400 stores in advance third identification information corresponding to a combination of first identification information and second identification information.

[0096] Fig. 15 is a flowchart showing an example of the process of determining third identification information according to the second embodiment. This process shows another example of the process of determining third identification information executed by the determination unit 1005 of the wireless communication device 10 in step S1216 of Fig. 12(B), for example.

[0097] In step S1501, the determining unit 1005 determines whether the second acquiring unit 1004 has acquired second identification information. For example, the determining unit 1005 determines whether the second acquiring unit 1004 has stored second identification information within a predetermined time. If the second identification information has been acquired, the determining unit 1005 shifts the process to step S1502. On the other hand, if the second identification information has not been acquired, the determining unit 1005 stops the process of determining third identification information.

[0098] When proceeding to step S1502, the determination unit 1005 acquires the first identification information acquired by the first acquisition unit 1002 in the processing of Figure 12 (B) and the second identification information acquired by the second acquisition unit 1004 in the processing of Figure 12 (A).

[0099] In step S1503, the determining unit 1005 determines whether the combination of the acquired first identification information and second identification information is stored in correspondence information 1400, for example, as shown in FIG. 14. If the combination of the acquired first identification information and second identification information is stored in correspondence information 1400, the determining unit 1005 proceeds to step S1504. On the other hand, if the combination of the acquired first identification information and second identification information is not stored in correspondence information 1400, the determining unit 1005 cancels the process of determining the third identification information.

[0100] In step S1504, the determining unit 1005 determines third identification information using the acquired combination of the first identification information and the second identification information and the correspondence information 1400. For example, the determining unit 1005 acquires third identification information corresponding to the combination of the first identification information and the second identification information from the correspondence information 1400 as shown in FIG.

[0101] By the above process, the wireless communication device 10 can easily determine the third identification information based on, for example, the correspondence information 1400 shown in Fig. 14. Furthermore, according to the second embodiment, for example, when the wireless communication device 10 acquires the first identification information of the output device 100 after acquiring the second identification information from another output device close to the output device 100, it is possible to prevent the wireless communication device 10 from creating an incorrect third identification information.

[0102] [Third embodiment] Fig. 16 is a flowchart showing an example of the process of determining third identification information according to the third embodiment. This process shows another example of the process of determining third identification information executed by the determination unit 1005 of the wireless communication device 10 in step S1216 of Fig. 12(B), for example. Note that detailed description of the process similar to the process of determining third identification information according to the second embodiment described in Fig. 15 will be omitted here.

[0103] In step S1601, the determining unit 1005 determines whether the second acquisition unit 1004 has acquired the second identification information. If the second identification information has been acquired, the determining unit 1005 proceeds to step S1602. On the other hand, if the second identification information has not been acquired, the determining unit 1005 stops the process of determining the third identification information.

[0104] In step S1602, the determining unit 1005 determines whether or not the specified time is being counted. If the specified time is not being counted, the determining unit 1005 causes the process to proceed to step S1603. On the other hand, if the specified time is being counted, the determining unit 1005 causes the process to proceed to step S1604. Here, the specified time is, for example, a time limit (for example, several seconds to several tens of seconds) that is specified in advance for determining that the wireless communication device 10 is within the radio wave reception area 202 but outside the sound wave reception area 201 in FIG. 2.

[0105] In step S1603, the determination unit 1005 starts counting a predetermined designated time.

[0106] When proceeding to step S1604, the determination unit 1005 acquires the first identification information acquired by the first acquisition unit 1002 in the processing of Figure 12 (B) and the second identification information acquired by the second acquisition unit 1004 in the processing of Figure 12 (A).

[0107] In step S1605, the determining unit 1005 determines whether or not first identification information is present when the first obtaining unit 1002 has acquired it in the process of FIG. 12(B). For example, in the process of FIG. 12(B), if the determining unit 1005 has executed the process of step S1215, it determines that first identification information is present, and if the determining unit 1005 has not executed the process of step S1215, it determines that first identification information is absent. If first identification information is present, the determining unit 1005 shifts the process to step S1606. On the other hand, if first identification information is absent, the determining unit 1005 shifts the process to step S1606.

[0108] In step S1606, the determining unit 1005 determines third identification information using the first identification information and the second identification information. For example, as described in the second embodiment, the determining unit 1005 acquires third identification information corresponding to the combination of the first identification information and the second identification information from the correspondence information 1400.

[0109] On the other hand, when the process proceeds from step S1605 to step S1608, the determining unit 1005 determines whether the specified time described above in step S1602 has elapsed. If the specified time has elapsed, the determining unit 1005 proceeds to step S1609. On the other hand, if the specified time has not elapsed, the process in FIG. 16 ends, and the process of acquiring identification information described in FIGS. 12(A) and 12(B) is executed again.

[0110] In step S1609, the determining unit 1005 determines third identification information using the second identification information. For example, the determining unit 1005 may use the second identification information as the third identification information as is, or may create the third identification information by combining predetermined identification information with the second identification information. Alternatively, the determining unit 1005 may determine the third identification information using other correspondence information that associates the second identification information with the third identification information and is stored.

[0111] According to the first to third embodiments, the wireless communication device 10 acquires the second identification information and then determines the third identification information when it acquires the first identification information. Therefore, the wireless communication device 10 can identify whether it is within the range of the sound wave reception area 201 in FIG. 2 or within the radio wave reception area 202 outside the range of the sound wave reception area 201.

[0112] [Fourth embodiment] In the fourth embodiment, a description will be given of changing the size of the area in which the third identification information can be acquired. The transmitter 100 has a first setting unit 1104 that changes the data (value) of the first identification information represented by the sound wave output from the sound wave output unit 1103. This allows the transmitter 100 to change the first identification information, for example, depending on the time period or in response to control information from the server device 110 or the like.

[0113] The transmitter 100 also has a second setting unit 1105 that changes the volume of the sound waves output by the sound wave output unit 1103. This allows the transmitter 100 to change the volume of the sound waves representing the first identification information, for example, depending on the time of day or in response to control information from the server device 110. This allows the transmitter 100 to change the sound wave receiving area 201 in which the sound waves representing the first identification information can be received, and also change the size of the area in which the third identification information can be acquired.

[0114] For example, assume that a sound wave receiving area 201 from which the first identification information can be acquired has been formed as shown in Fig. 2. In this state, the second setting unit 1105 can reduce the volume of the sound waves representing the first identification information, thereby making it possible to reduce the area from which the third identification information can be acquired, as shown in sound wave receiving area 201a in Fig. 17.

[0115] Furthermore, the output device 100 can change the volume of the sound waves representing the first identification information according to the data set in the first identification information, for example, by storing a volume setting value in advance for each data (value) of the first identification information.

[0116] (Sound wave reception area setting process) FIG. 18A is a flowchart showing an example of a process for setting a sound wave receiving area according to the fourth embodiment.

[0117] In step S1801, for example, the communication unit 1107 of the transmitter 100 receives control information including a request to change the volume of the sound wave representing the first identification information, and the second setting unit 1105 accepts the request to set the volume.

[0118] In step S1802, the second setting unit 1105 sets the volume of the sound waves output by the sound wave output unit 1103 to the volume specified in the volume setting request.

[0119] By the above process, for example, the server device 110 or the like can remotely change the size of the area in the transmitter 100 where the third identification information can be acquired.

[0120] FIG. 18B is a flowchart showing an example of a process for setting a sound wave receiving area according to the fourth embodiment.

[0121] In step S1811, for example, the communication unit 1107 of the transmitter 100 receives control information including a request to set the first identification information, and the first setting unit 1104 accepts the request to set the first identification information.

[0122] In step S1812, the second setting unit 1105 acquires, from the storage unit 1106 or the like, the volume corresponding to the data of the first identification information accepted in the request to set the first identification information.

[0123] In step S1813, the first setting unit 1104 changes the first identification information by setting the specified data to the first identification information.

[0124] In step S1814, the second setting unit 1105 sets the volume of the sound waves output by the sound wave output unit 1103 to the volume corresponding to the first identification information.

[0125] In this way, according to the positioning system 1 according to the fourth embodiment, it is possible to easily change the area in which the third identification information can be acquired.

[0126] <Positioning system processing> 19 is a sequence diagram showing an example of processing of a positioning system according to an embodiment. This processing shows an example of an outline of processing of the positioning system 1 including the wireless communication device 10 according to the first to third embodiments.

[0127] In step S1901, it is assumed that a user carrying the wireless communication device 10 approaches the transmitter 100 and enters, for example, the radio wave receiving area 202 in FIG.

[0128] As a result, in step S1902, the radio wave receiving unit 1003 of the wireless communication device 10 receives the sound waves representing the second identification information output by the transmitter 100. On the other hand, in step S1903, the sound waves representing the first identification information output by the transmitter 100 are outside the sound wave receiving area 201 and therefore do not reach the wireless communication device 10.

[0129] In step S1903, the second acquisition unit 1004 of the wireless communication device 10 acquires second identification information from the radio waves received by the radio wave receiving unit 1003 and stores the acquired second identification information. Note that the processing of steps S1902 and S1904 corresponds to, for example, the processing described in FIG. 12(A).

[0130] In step S1905, it is assumed that the user carrying the wireless communication device 10 approaches the output device 100 further and enters, for example, the sound wave receiving area 201 in FIG.

[0131] As a result, in step S1906, the sound wave receiving unit 1001 of the wireless communication device 10 receives the sound wave representing the first identification information output by the transmitter 100.

[0132] In step S1907, the first acquisition unit 1002 of the wireless communication device 10 acquires first identification information from the sound waves received by the sound wave receiving unit 1001, and stores the acquired first identification information. Note that the processes of steps S1906 and S1907 correspond to, for example, the processes of steps S1211 to S1215 in FIG. 12(B).

[0133] In step S1908, the determination unit 1005 of the wireless communication device 10 executes the process of determining the third identification information, for example, as described with reference to FIG. 13, FIG. 15, or FIG.

[0134] In step S1909, the content acquisition unit 1006 of the wireless communication device 10 transmits a data acquisition request including the third identification information and a device ID for identifying the wireless communication device 10 to the server device 110 via, for example, the communication unit 1007. Note that the device ID may be an application ID for identifying an application executed by the wireless communication device 10.

[0135] In step S1910, the location information management unit 1013 of the server device 110 stores the third identification information and the device ID (or application ID) included in the data acquisition request in the storage unit 1014 or the like. By the processing of step S1910, the positioning system 1 can manage the location information of the wireless communication device 10 (or application) using multiple transmitters 100 installed in different locations. Note that the processing of step S1910 is optional and not essential.

[0136] In step S1911, the content providing unit 1012 of the server device 110 transmits data such as location information or content data corresponding to the third identification information included in the data acquisition request to the requesting wireless communication device 10. Here, the data provided by the content providing unit 1012 may be, for example, coordinate information of the area where the wireless communication device 10 is located, area name, floor name, sales area name, department name, etc. Furthermore, the data provided by the content providing unit 1012 may be map information, floor information, store information, sales area information, etc. around the current location, or route information, etc., indicating a route to a destination.

[0137] In step S1912, the display control unit 1009 of the wireless communication device 10 displays a display screen corresponding to the current area (e.g., map information, facility information, floor information, store information, route information, etc.) on a display unit such as the display 617 based on the data received from the server device 110.

[0138] Through the above processing, the positioning system 1 can provide the wireless communication device 10 with content corresponding to the area in which the wireless communication device 10 is located in a timely manner, and can also manage the history of the location information of the wireless communication device 10.

[0139] 19 is an example, and various applications and modifications are possible. For example, the positioning system 1 may perform entry / exit management, attendance management, facility usage management, etc. of users using the wireless communication device 10 based on the location information history of the wireless communication device 10 (or app). The positioning system 1 may also perform customer management, heat map creation, etc. in a store, etc. Furthermore, the positioning system 1 may perform location management, absence management, etc. of facility users in a medical facility, nursing home, etc.

[0140] As described above, according to each embodiment of the present invention, in a positioning system that transmits identification information using sound waves and radio waves, it is possible to take advantage of the advantage that it is easy to construct a sound wave geofence, while reducing the risk of malfunction or fraudulent use.

[0141] In addition, in this embodiment, the wireless communication device 10 determines the third identification information when it acquires the first identification information after acquiring the second identification information, thereby unifying the detection timing of the third identification information. In this embodiment, it is desirable to determine the third identification information when it acquires the first identification information, because changing the first identification information makes it possible to change the third identification information and change the content to be distributed to users within the area.

[0142] Furthermore, if the wireless communication device 10 according to the present embodiment cannot acquire the first identification information after a specified time has elapsed after acquiring the second identification information, it determines the third identification information based on the second identification information. This makes it possible to determine whether the wireless communication device 10 is in an area where it can receive the sound waves and radio waves output by the transmitter 100, or an area where it can only receive radio waves.

[0143] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the third identification information can be determined by acquiring the third identification information corresponding to the combination of the first identification information and the second identification information from the correspondence information 1400. In this way, by registering the combination of the first identification information and the second identification information in the correspondence information 1400 in advance, it is possible to reduce problems caused by erroneous recognition of the identification information.

[0144] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the volume of the sound wave representing the first identification information can be changed, so that the size of the geofence in which the third identification information can be acquired can be flexibly changed.

[0145] <Supplementary information> Each function of each embodiment described above can be realized by one or more processing circuits. Here, the term "processing circuit" in this specification includes a processor programmed to perform each function by software, such as a processor implemented by an electronic circuit, as well as devices such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), and conventional circuit modules designed to perform each of the functions described above.

[0146] Additionally, the devices described in the examples are merely illustrative of one of multiple computing environments for implementing the embodiments disclosed herein. In one embodiment, server device 110 includes multiple computing devices, such as a server cluster. The multiple computing devices are configured to communicate with each other via any type of communication link, including a network, shared memory, etc., and perform the processes disclosed herein. Similarly, output device 100 may include multiple computing devices configured to communicate with each other.

[0147] Furthermore, the server device 110 and the wireless communication device 10 can be configured to share the disclosed processing steps in various combinations. For example, a process performed by a given unit can be performed by the server device 110. Similarly, the function of a given unit can be performed by the wireless communication device 10. Furthermore, the elements of the server device 110, the wireless communication device 10, and the output device 100 can be integrated into a single device or separated into multiple devices. [Explanation of symbols]

[0148] 1. Positioning System 10. Wireless communication devices 100 Output Device 110 Server device 801 Sonic Output Device 802 Radio wave output device 1001 ultrasonic receiver 1002 First Acquisition Section 1003 Radio wave receiving unit 1004 Second Acquisition Unit 1005 Decision Section 1006 Content Acquisition Department 1101 Radio wave output unit 1103 Sound wave output unit 1400 Compatibility Information 1012 Contents Provider 1014 Storage section 1104 First setting section 1105 Second Setting Section [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0149] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-156799

Claims

1. a sound wave receiving unit that receives sound waves representing the first identification information; a first acquisition unit that acquires the first identification information from the sound wave; a radio wave receiving unit that receives radio waves representing the second identification information; a second acquisition unit that acquires the second identification information from the radio wave; a determination unit that determines third identification information based on the first identification information and the second identification information; and The wireless communication device, wherein the determination unit determines the third identification information when the first identification information is acquired after the second identification information is acquired.

2. The wireless communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the determination unit creates the third identification information by combining the first identification information and the second identification information.

3. 2. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines the third identification information using correspondence information that is pre-stored in association with a combination of the first identification information and the second identification information and the third identification information.

4. The wireless communication device according to claim 3 , wherein the determination unit cancels determination of the third identification information when a combination of the first identification information and the second identification information is not stored in the correspondence information.

5. 5. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines the third identification information using the second identification information when the first identification information cannot be obtained within a predetermined time after obtaining the second identification information.

6. The wireless communication device according to claim 1 , further comprising a content acquisition unit that acquires location information or content data corresponding to the third identification information by using the third identification information.

7. a communication unit that communicates with a server device that manages location information or content data corresponding to the third identification information; the content acquisition unit transmits the third identification information to the server device, and acquires location information or content data corresponding to the third identification information from the server device.

7. The wireless communication device according to claim 6.

8. A wireless communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 7; an output device having a sound wave output unit that outputs sound waves representing the first identification information and a radio wave output unit that outputs radio waves representing the second identification information; a positioning system, including

9. The output device is a sound wave output device having a sound wave output unit that outputs a sound wave representing the first identification information; a radio wave output device that outputs radio waves representing the second identification information; The positioning system of claim 8 , comprising:

10. the positioning system includes a server device capable of communicating with the wireless communication device; The server device a storage unit that stores location information or content data corresponding to the third identification information; a content providing unit that provides the wireless communication device with the location information or content data corresponding to the third identification information in response to a request from the wireless communication device; 10. The positioning system according to claim 8 or 9, comprising:

11. The output device is a first setting unit that changes the setting of the first identification information; a second setting unit that changes the volume setting of the sound wave; 11. The positioning system according to claim 8, wherein:

12. The positioning system according to claim 11 , wherein the second setting unit changes the volume of the sound waves for each piece of data set in the first identification information.

13. The positioning system according to claim 8 , wherein the size of an area in which the third identification information can be acquired is set based on the volume of the sound wave.

14. The positioning system according to claim 8 , wherein the sound wave output unit outputs sound waves representing the first identification information by a combination of on and off of sound waves of a plurality of frequencies.

15. The positioning system according to claim 8 , wherein the radio wave output unit transmits the radio wave representing the second identification information by short-range wireless communication.

16. Wireless communication devices, receiving acoustic waves representing a first identification; A process of acquiring the first identification information from the sound wave; receiving radio waves representing second identification information; A process of acquiring the second identification information from the radio wave; a determination process of determining third identification information based on the first identification information and the second identification information; Run The information processing method, wherein the determination process determines the third identification information when the first identification information is acquired after the second identification information is acquired.

17. For wireless communication devices, receiving acoustic waves representing a first identification; A process of acquiring the first identification information from the sound wave; receiving radio waves representing second identification information; A process of acquiring the second identification information from the radio wave; a determination process of determining third identification information based on the first identification information and the second identification information; Execute The determination process determines the third identification information when the first identification information is acquired after the second identification information is acquired.

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