Positioning System

Abstract

To improve the accuracy of position determination.SOLUTION: A position determination system 1 comprises: at least four communication instruments 10A-10C, 20A-20C for acquiring the distance to a portable terminal 3; a position determination unit 31 for determining the position of the portable terminal 3 from the distances acquired by the at least four communication instruments 10A-10C, 20A-20D; a region determination unit 32 for determining, from the position of the portable terminal 3 determined by the position determination unit 31, in which region of a plurality of regions set in the surroundings or the interior of a vehicle the portable terminal 3 is located; and a selection unit 33 for selecting three distances from the distances acquired by the at least four communication instruments 10A-10C, 20A-20D, in accordance with the region in which the portable terminal 3 is determined to be located by the region determination unit 32. The position determination unit 31 determines the position of the portable terminal 3 from the three distances selected by the selection unit 33.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to position determination systems. [Background technology]

[0002] A conventional position determination system performs wireless communication between multiple communication devices installed in a vehicle and a portable terminal carried by a user, and determines the position of the portable terminal relative to the vehicle by triangulation using the propagation time or signal strength of radio waves. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a position determination system that determines the position of a portable terminal using three communication devices installed in different positions on the vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2019-523866 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above-described position determination system, the accuracy of position determination may be reduced depending on the position of the mobile terminal relative to the vehicle.

[0005] The present disclosure aims to improve the accuracy of position determination in a position determination system that determines the position of a mobile terminal. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure provides a position determination system including at least four communication devices provided in a vehicle, each of which acquires a distance to a mobile device located in the vicinity of the vehicle or within the vehicle cabin through wireless communication with the mobile device; a position determination unit which determines a position of the mobile device from the distances acquired by each of the at least four communication devices; an area determination unit which determines in which of a plurality of areas set in the vicinity of the vehicle or within the vehicle cabin the mobile device is located based on the position of the mobile device determined by the position determination unit; and a selection unit which selects three distances from the distances acquired by each of the at least four communication devices according to the area in which the mobile device is located determined by the area determination unit, and the position determination unit determines the position of the mobile device from the three distances selected by the selection unit.

[0007] According to this configuration, the accuracy of position determination can be improved by selecting appropriate three distances from at least four distances obtained by at least four communication devices depending on which area the mobile terminal is located in as set for the vehicle, and determining the position of the mobile terminal. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present disclosure, the accuracy of determining the location of a mobile terminal can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a position determination system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a top view of the vehicle according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a side view of the vehicle according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing regions according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a selection table according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart of a position determination process according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

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

[0011] Referring to FIG. 1, a position determination system 1 determines the position of a smartphone 3 located in the vicinity of (i.e., outside) or inside a vehicle 2 (shown in FIG. 2). The position determination system 1 is mounted on the vehicle 2. The position determination system 1 includes three first communication devices 10A to 10C, four second communication devices 20A to 20D, and a control device 30. The first communication devices 10A to 10C of the present embodiment are an example of a communication device according to the present disclosure. The second communication devices 20A to 20D of the present embodiment are an example of a communication device according to the present disclosure. The smartphone 3 of the present embodiment is an example of a mobile terminal according to the present disclosure. The mobile terminal according to the present disclosure is not limited to the smartphone 3 of the present embodiment and may be, for example, a tablet terminal or a wearable terminal.

[0012] In the following description, the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle 2, i.e., the vehicle length direction, may be referred to as the X direction, the left-to-right direction of the vehicle 2, i.e., the vehicle width direction, may be referred to as the Y direction, and the up-to-down direction of the vehicle 2, i.e., the vehicle height direction, may be referred to as the Z direction.

[0013] In the following description, when there is no need to particularly distinguish between the three first communication devices 10A to 10C, one of them may be simply referred to as the "first communication device 10." In the following description, when there is no need to particularly distinguish between the four second communication devices 20A to 20D, one of them may be simply referred to as the "second communication device 20." Furthermore, in the following description, when there is no need to particularly distinguish between the first communication device 10 and the second communication device 20, one of them may be simply referred to as the "communication device."

[0014] The communication device is a wireless communication device that performs wireless communication with the smartphone 3. The communication device performs UWB (Ultra Wide Band) communication with the smartphone 3.

[0015] The communication device obtains the distance between itself and the smartphone 3 by wirelessly communicating with the smartphone 3. When the communication device receives a request signal from the smartphone 3, it transmits a response signal to the smartphone 3. When the smartphone 3 receives the response signal from the communication device, it calculates the time Δt1 from when it transmits the request signal to when it receives the response signal. The smartphone 3 transmits information about the time Δt1 to the communication device. The communication device calculates the time Δt2 from when it receives the request signal to when it transmits the response signal. The communication device calculates the propagation time of the signal between the communication device and the smartphone 3 from the time Δt1 and the time Δt2. The communication device calculates and obtains the distance from the communication device to the smartphone 3 by multiplying the propagation time by the speed of the signal.

[0016] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the first communication device 10 is disposed in the cabin of the vehicle 2. In this embodiment, the first communication devices 10A and 10B are attached to a pair of front pillars RFP and LFP of the vehicle 2, respectively. The pair of front pillars RFP and LFP are disposed between a windshield WS, which is a non-metallic member such as glass, disposed at the front of the cabin, and a side window SW, which is a non-metallic member such as glass, disposed at the side of the cabin. In this embodiment, the first communication device 10C is attached to a rear window RW, which is a non-metallic member such as glass, disposed at the rear of the cabin. The first communication device 10C may be attached to a peripheral member (not shown) made of resin and disposed around the rear window RW. In other words, the first communication device 10C may be attached to a peripheral member disposed surrounding the rear window RW.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 2, the first communication devices 10A to 10C are arranged at different positions from one another when the vehicle 2 is viewed along the Z direction. In other words, one of the first communication devices 10A to 10C is arranged at a different position from the other first communication devices 10 in either the X direction or the Y direction. In other words, the first communication devices 10A to 10C are arranged at positions where they do not overlap when the vehicle 2 is viewed along the Z direction. In other words, the first communication devices 10A to 10C are arranged at intervals from one another when the vehicle 2 is viewed along the Z direction. The first communication devices 10A to 10C are arranged so that a triangle (shown by two-dot chain lines in FIG. 2) is formed by three straight lines connecting the first communication devices 10A to 10C when the vehicle 2 is viewed along the Z direction. In other words, the first communication devices 10A to 10C are not arranged on the same straight line.

[0018] The first communication device 10A and the first communication device 10B are arranged at the same position in the X direction. The first communication devices 10A, 10B and the first communication device 10C are arranged at different positions in the X direction. In other words, the first communication devices 10A, 10B and the first communication device 10C are arranged at different positions when the vehicle 2 is viewed along the Y direction.

[0019] The first communication devices 10A to 10C are arranged at different positions in the Y direction. In other words, the first communication devices 10A to 10C are arranged at different positions when the vehicle 2 is viewed along the X direction. The first communication devices 10A and 10B are arranged symmetrically with respect to a vehicle body center line CL extending in the X direction. The first communication device 10C is arranged on the vehicle body center line CL. The arrangement of the first communication devices 10A to 10C may be changed depending on the structure of the vehicle interior. For example, the first communication device 10A and the first communication device 10B may be arranged asymmetrically with respect to the vehicle body center line CL, and the first communication device 10C may be arranged offset from the vehicle body center line CL.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 3, the first communication devices 10A to 10C are disposed at the same height. The first communication devices 10A to 10C are disposed at a position higher than a reference plane RP that passes through the lower end of the side window SW and is parallel to the horizontal plane. In detail, when the vehicle 2 is viewed along the Y direction, the reference plane RP is a plane that passes through the lower end of the portion of the side window SW that is exposed to the outside and is parallel to the horizontal plane. In other words, the reference plane RP is a plane that passes through the lower ends of the front pillars RFP and LFP and is parallel to the horizontal plane. The first communication devices 10A and 10B and the first communication device 10C may be disposed at different heights. The first communication devices 10A to 10C may be disposed at different heights from each other.

[0021] 2, the second communication device 20 is disposed outside the passenger compartment of the vehicle 2. In this embodiment, the second communication devices 20A and 20B are attached to a front bumper FB made of resin. In this embodiment, the second communication devices 20C and 20D are attached to a rear bumper RB made of resin.

[0022] 2, the second communication devices 20A to 20D are arranged at different positions from one another when the vehicle 2 is viewed along the Z direction. In other words, one second communication device 20 among the second communication devices 20A to 20D is arranged at a different position from the other second communication devices 20 in either the X direction or the Y direction. In further words, the second communication devices 20A to 20D are arranged at positions that do not overlap one another when the vehicle 2 is viewed along the Z direction. In other words, the second communication devices 20A to 20C are arranged at intervals from one another when the vehicle 2 is viewed along the Z direction.

[0023] The second communication device 20A and the second communication device 20B are arranged at the same position in the X direction. The second communication device 20C and the second communication device 20D are arranged at the same position in the X direction. The second communication devices 20A, 20B and the second communication devices 20C, 20D are arranged at different positions from each other in the X direction. In other words, the second communication devices 20A, 20B and the second communication devices 20C, 20D are arranged at different positions from each other when the vehicle 2 is viewed along the Y direction.

[0024] The second communication device 20A and the second communication device 20C are arranged at the same position in the Y direction. The second communication device 20B and the second communication device 20D are arranged at the same position in the Y direction. The second communication devices 20A, 20C and the second communication devices 20B, 20D are arranged at different positions in the Y direction. In other words, the second communication devices 20A, 20C and the second communication devices 20B, 20D are arranged at different positions when the vehicle 2 is viewed along the X direction. The second communication device 20A and the second communication device 20B are arranged symmetrically with respect to the vehicle body center line CL. The second communication device 20C and the second communication device 20D are arranged symmetrically with respect to the vehicle body center line CL. The second communication devices 20A to 20D may be arranged at different positions in the Y direction. In other words, the second communication devices 20A to 20D may be arranged at different positions when the vehicle 2 is viewed along the X direction.

[0025] 3, the second communication devices 20A to 20D are arranged at the same height. The second communication devices 20A to 20D may be arranged at different positions. The second communication devices 20A to 20D are arranged at a position lower than the reference plane RP.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 2, the first communication device 10 and the second communication device 20 are arranged at different positions when the vehicle 2 is viewed along the Z direction. In other words, the first communication device 10 and the second communication device 20 are arranged at positions that do not overlap when the vehicle 2 is viewed along the Z direction. In other words, the first communication device 10 and the second communication device 20 are arranged at a distance from each other when the vehicle 2 is viewed along the Z direction. The first communication device 10C and the second communication devices 20C and 20D are arranged at approximately the same position in the X direction. The first communication device 10A and the second communication devices 20A and 20C are arranged at approximately the same position in the Y direction. The first communication device 10B and the second communication devices 20B and 20D are arranged at approximately the same position in the Y direction.

[0027] 3, the first communication device 10 and the second communication device 20 are placed at different heights. Specifically, the second communication device 20 is placed at a lower position than the first communication device 10 in the Z direction.

[0028] 1, the control device 30 is electrically connected to the first communication devices 10A to 10C and the second communication devices 20A to 20D. The control device 30 receives input of distances L1A to L1C between the first communication devices 10A to 10C and the smartphone 3 from each of the first communication devices 10A to 10C. The control device 30 receives input of distances L2A to L2D between the second communication devices 20A to 20D and the smartphone 3 from each of the second communication devices 20A to 20D.

[0029] The control device 30 is an ECU (Electronic Control Unit). The control device 30 is composed of hardware such as a computer and input / output circuits, and software implemented in the computer. The control device 30 includes a position determination unit 31, an area determination unit 32, and a selection unit 33.

[0030] The position determination unit 31 determines the position of the smartphone 3. The position determination unit 31 receives as input the distances L1A to L1C from the first communication devices 10A to 10C to the smartphone 3 and the distances L2A to L2D from the second communication devices 20A to 20D to the smartphone 3. The position determination unit 31 determines the position of the smartphone 3 by trilateration using three of the distances L1A to L1C and L2A to L2D, and outputs the determined position.

[0031] When the selection unit 33 has not selected three distances described below, the position determination unit 31 determines a tentative position of the smartphone 3 using any three distances among the distances L1A to L1C and L2A to L2D (in this embodiment, the three shortest to third shortest distances among the distances L1A to L1C and L2A to L2D). In determining the tentative position of the smartphone 3, the planar position of the smartphone 3 is determined. On the other hand, after the selection unit 33 has selected three distances, the position determination unit 31 determines the position of the smartphone 3 using the three distances. In determining the position of the smartphone 3, the spatial position of the smartphone 3 is determined.

[0032] In order to determine the spatial position of the smartphone 3, that is, its position in the X, Y, and Z directions, theoretically it is necessary to perform position calculations using four distances obtained by four communication devices that are not on the same plane. When trilateration is performed using three distances obtained by three communication devices, two possible positions are determined as the position of the smartphone 3, but by deciding in advance to adopt one of these positions, the spatial position of the smartphone 3 can be determined using the three communication devices.

[0033] The position of the smartphone 3 determined by the position determination unit 31 is input to the area determination unit 32. The area determination unit 32 determines the area to which the smartphone 3 belongs based on the position of the smartphone 3 and outputs the area. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the area determination unit 32 sets areas A1 to A6 around the vehicle 2 and inside the vehicle cabin, and determines to which of the areas A1 to A6 the smartphone 3 belongs based on the position of the smartphone 3. For clarity, only area A6 is shown in FIG. 4 with hatching.

[0034] When the selection unit 33 has not selected three distances described below, the area determination unit 32 determines a tentative area to which the smartphone 3 belongs from the tentative position of the smartphone 3 determined by the position determination unit 31. On the other hand, after the selection unit 33 has selected three distances, the area determination unit 32 determines the area to which the smartphone 3 belongs from the position of the smartphone 3 determined by the position determination unit 31 using the three distances.

[0035] Areas A1 to A5 are set around the vehicle 2, and area A6 is set inside the cabin of the vehicle 2. Area A1 is an area located in front of the vehicle 2. Area A2 is an area located on the right side of the vehicle 2. Area A3 is an area located on the right rear side of the vehicle 2. Area A4 is an area located on the left rear side of the vehicle 2. Area A5 is an area located on the left side of the vehicle 2. Area A6 is an area located inside the cabin of the vehicle 2. The setting of the areas is not limited to this. The areas may be set according to the number and arrangement of the communication devices.

[0036] The area to which the smartphone 3 belongs, determined by the area determination unit 32, is input to the selection unit 33. The selection unit 33 selects and outputs three distances to be used in the position determination by the position determination unit 31, depending on the area to which the smartphone 3 belongs. Specifically, the selection unit 33 selects the three distances to be used in the position determination in accordance with a selection table T shown in FIG. 5. The selection table T is stored in a storage unit (not shown) of the control device 30.

[0037] The selection table T indicates the priority order in which the selection unit 33 selects three distances to be used in position determination when the area to which the smartphone 3 belongs is given. In Fig. 5, the distance is followed by a symbol in parentheses indicating the communication device that acquires the distance (for example, if the distance is L1A, the symbol 10A indicates the first communication device 10A).

[0038] The selection unit 33 selects three distances according to the priorities set for the areas A1 to A6. The selection unit 33 basically selects the three distances set for priority 1. The distances set for priorities 2 to 5 are backups in case any of the three distances set for priority 1 cannot be used. If any of the selected three distances cannot be used due to a communication problem or malfunction of the communication device, the selection unit 33 selects the distance with the highest priority among the unselected distances in place of the unavailable distance.

[0039] Referring to selection table T, three distances are set for each of areas A1 to A6 as priority 1. For each of areas A1 to A5, priorities 2 to 5 are set in addition to priority 1. On the other hand, only priority 1 is set for area A6.

[0040] The three distances of priority 1 include at least one distance acquired by the first communication device 10. Furthermore, the three distances of priority 1 are selected such that, when the vehicle 2 is viewed along the Z direction, the lines connecting the three communication devices that acquire the three distances of priority 1 form a triangle. In other words, when the vehicle 2 is viewed along the Z direction, the three communication devices that acquire the three distances of priority 1 are not arranged on the same line. In yet another way, when the vehicle 2 is viewed along the Z direction, the three communication devices that acquire the three distances of priority 1 include at least two communication devices that are arranged at different positions from each other in the X direction and at least two communication devices that are arranged at different positions from each other in the Y direction.

[0041] In the priorities 2 to 5 of the areas A1 to A5, the priority of the distance acquired by the first communication device 10 installed inside the vehicle cabin is higher than the priority of the distance acquired by the second communication device 20. By setting the priorities 2 to 5 of the areas A1 to A5 in this way, the first communication device 10, which is installed inside the vehicle cabin and has a lower risk of failure than the second communication device 20 installed outside the vehicle cabin, is preferentially selected, thereby improving the operational stability of the position determination system 1.

[0042] FIG. 6 is a flowchart of the position determination process executed by the position determination system 1.

[0043] 6, the position determination system 1 starts a position determination process when the control device 30 detects the approach of a user. The control device 30 performs BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) (Bluetooth is a registered trademark) communication with the smartphone 3, and detects the approach of the user when the RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. When the control device 30 detects the approach of the user, it transmits a trigger signal to the smartphone 3. When the smartphone 3 receives the trigger signal, it periodically transmits a request signal to the communication device. The control device 30 may detect the approach of the user to the vehicle 2 using an ultrasonic sensor, millimeter-wave radar, or the like.

[0044] In step S1, the first communication device 10 performs UWB communication with the smartphone 3 and acquires distances L1A to L1C between the first communication device 10 and the smartphone 3. Also in step S1, the second communication device 20 performs UWB communication with the smartphone 3 and acquires distances L2A to L2D between the second communication device 20 and the smartphone 3.

[0045] In step S2, the position determination unit 31 determines a tentative position of the smartphone 3 using the three shortest distances among the distances L1A to L1C and L2A to L2D. In step S2, the position determination unit 31 determines the planar position of the smartphone 3, not the spatial position of the smartphone 3. In other words, in step S2, the position of the smartphone 3 is determined in the X direction and the Y direction. In step S2, the three distances used to determine the position of the smartphone 3 are not limited to the three shortest distances among the distances L1A to L1C and L2A to L2D. The position determination unit 31 may use any three of the distances L1A to L1C and L2A to L2D.

[0046] In step S3, the area determination unit 32 determines a provisional area to which the smartphone 3 belongs, based on the position of the smartphone 3 determined by the position determination unit 31. Specifically, the area determination unit 32 determines to which of the preset areas A1 to A6 the smartphone 3 belongs, based on the position of the smartphone 3 in the X direction and the Y direction.

[0047] In step S4, the selection unit 33 selects three distances depending on the area to which the smartphone 3 belongs. Specifically, the selection unit 33 selects three distances to be used for position determination in step S5, which will be described later, depending on the area to which the smartphone 3 belongs, in accordance with the selection table T shown in Fig. 5.

[0048] In step S5, the position determination unit 31 determines and updates the position of the smartphone 3 using the three distances selected in step S4. That is, the position determination in step S5 differs from the position determination in step S2 in that it is performed using the three distances selected by the selection unit 33. Also, the position determination in step S5 differs from the position determination in step S2 in that it determines the positions of the smartphone 3 in the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction. The control device 30 locks and unlocks the doors of the vehicle 2 by referring to the position of the smartphone 3 determined in step S5.

[0049] In step S6, the area determination unit 32 determines the area to which the smartphone 3 belongs from the position of the smartphone 3 determined by the position determination unit 31 in step S5, and updates the area.

[0050] In step S7, the control device 30 determines whether or not the engine (not shown) of the vehicle 2 has started. If the control device 30 determines that the engine of the vehicle 2 has started, the position determination system 1 ends the position determination process. If the control device 30 determines that the engine of the vehicle 2 has not started, the process proceeds to step S8.

[0051] In step S8, the first communication device 10 performs UWB communication with the smartphone 3, and acquires and updates information on distances L1A to L1C between the first communication device 10 and the smartphone 3. Also in step S8, the second communication device 20 performs UWB communication with the smartphone 3, and acquires and updates information on distances L2A to L2D between the second communication device 20 and the smartphone 3. Thereafter, the position determination process proceeds to step S4.

[0052] The position determination system 1 of this embodiment has the following functions.

[0053] The position determination system 1 can improve the accuracy of position determination by selecting three distances to be used for position determination depending on the region to which the smartphone 3 belongs. For example, when the smartphone 3 is located in the position shown in FIG. 4, determining the position of the smartphone 3 using the first to third shortest distances L1A, L2A, and L2C among the distances L1A to L1C and L2A to L2D may result in a decrease in the accuracy of the position determination. In particular, the first communication device 10A and the second communication devices 20A and 20C, which acquire the distances L1A, L2A, and L2C, are located at approximately the same position in the Y direction, which may result in a decrease in the accuracy of the position determination. In contrast, in the position determination system of this embodiment, when the smartphone 3 is located in the position shown in FIG. 4, the distances L1B, L2A, and L2C are used to determine the position of the smartphone 3. Since the first communication device 10B, which acquires the distance L1B, and the second communication devices 20A and 20C, which acquire the distances L2A and L2C, are located at different positions in the Y direction, the accuracy of position determination can be improved compared to when the position of the smartphone 3 is determined using the first to third shortest distances among the distances L1A to L1C and L2A to L2D.

[0054] If the three communication devices that acquire the three distances used in the position determination are placed at the same height, the accuracy of the position determination may decrease. In contrast, in this embodiment, the first communication device 10 and the second communication device 20 are placed at different positions in the Z direction of the vehicle 2, and the selector 33 selects the three distances to be used in the position determination so that at least one of the distances is the distance acquired by the first communication device 10. This improves the accuracy of the position determination compared to when the three communication devices that acquire the three distances to be used in the position determination are placed at the same height.

[0055] If the first communication device 10 is surrounded by metal parts such as the body of the vehicle 2 in the horizontal direction, when the first communication device 10 communicates with a smartphone 3 located outside the vehicle cabin, the UWB radio waves may be blocked by the body, which may reduce the accuracy of the position determination. In contrast, in this embodiment, the first communication devices 10A and 10B are provided on a pair of left and right front pillars RFP and LFP of the vehicle 2, respectively, and the first communication device 10C is provided on the rear window RW of the vehicle 2 or on a peripheral member (not shown) located around the rear window RW. As a result, when the first communication devices 10A and 10B communicate with a smartphone 3 located outside the vehicle cabin, the UWB radio waves can pass through non-metallic members such as the windshield WS or side windows SW, thereby reducing the influence of metal parts of the vehicle body on the accuracy of the position determination. Similarly, when the first communication device 10C communicates with a smartphone 3 located outside the vehicle cabin, the UWB radio waves can pass through non-metallic members such as the rear window RW, which reduces the influence of metal parts such as the body of the vehicle 2. This allows for improved accuracy in determining the position compared to when the first communication device 10 is surrounded by metal parts such as the body of the vehicle 2 in the horizontal direction.

[0056] When determining the position of the smartphone 3 located inside the vehicle cabin using the three distances L1A to L1C acquired by the first communication devices 10A to 10C, the accuracy of the position determination may decrease if the first communication devices 10A to 10C are arranged in the same position in the X direction or the Y direction. In contrast, in this embodiment, the first communication devices 10A, 10B and the first communication device 10C are arranged in different positions from each other in the X direction, and the first communication devices 10A to 10C are arranged in different positions from each other in the Y direction. Therefore, the accuracy of the position determination can be improved compared to when the first communication devices 10A to 10C are arranged in the same position in the X direction or the Y direction.

[0057] When determining the position of the smartphone 3 located inside the vehicle cabin using the three distances L1A to L1C acquired by the first communication devices 10A to 10C, the accuracy of the position determination may decrease if the first communication devices 10A to 10C are arranged on the same straight line. The first communication devices 10A to 10C are arranged so that the lines connecting the first communication devices 10A to 10C form a triangle when the vehicle 2 is viewed along the Z direction. This improves the accuracy of the position determination compared to when the three first communication devices 10 are arranged on the same straight line.

[0058] Although specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention.

[0059] The position determination system 1 may include at least four communication devices. The number and arrangement of the first communication devices 10 included in the at least four communication devices are not limited. The number and arrangement of the second communication devices 20 included in the at least four communication devices are not limited.

[0060] The number of first communication devices 10 is not limited to three. The number of first communication devices 10 may be four or more. In this case, it is preferable that the four or more first communication devices 10 include three first communication devices 10 that are arranged at different positions from each other when the vehicle 2 is viewed along the Z direction. It is preferable that at least two of the three first communication devices 10 are arranged at different positions from each other in the X direction. It is preferable that at least two of the three first communication devices 10 are arranged at different positions from each other in the Y direction. Furthermore, it is preferable that the four or more first communication devices 10 include three first communication devices 10 that form a triangle with lines connecting each other when the vehicle 2 is viewed along the Z direction.

[0061] The number of second communication devices 20 is not limited to four. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 1. Positioning system 2 vehicles 3. Smartphones (mobile devices) 10, 10A~10C First communication device (communication device) 20, 20A to 20D Second communication device (communication device) 30 Control device 31 Position determination section 32 Area determination section 33 Selection section

Claims

1. At least four communication devices are provided in the vehicle, and each of the communication devices acquires a distance to a mobile terminal located in the vicinity of the vehicle or inside the vehicle through wireless communication with the mobile terminal; a location determination unit that selects any three distances from the distances acquired by the at least four communication devices and determines a provisional location of the mobile terminal; an area determination unit that determines in which area of ​​a plurality of areas set around the vehicle or within the vehicle interior the mobile terminal is located, based on the provisional position of the mobile terminal determined by the position determination unit; a selection unit that selects three distances from the distances acquired by the at least four communication devices according to the area in which the portable terminal is located determined by the area determination unit; Equipped with The position determination unit determines the position of the mobile terminal from the three distances selected by the selection unit.

2. The at least four communication devices include: at least three first communication devices provided in a passenger compartment of the vehicle, each of which acquires a distance from the mobile terminal; a plurality of second communication devices provided outside the vehicle cabin, each of which acquires a distance from the mobile terminal; The position determining system of claim 1 , comprising:

3. the at least three first communication devices are provided at positions different from the positions of the plurality of second communication devices in a vehicle height direction; The position determination system according to claim 2 , wherein the selection unit selects the three distances so that at least one of the distances acquired by the at least three first communication devices is included.

4. the at least three first communication devices include three first communication devices arranged at different positions from each other when viewed along a vehicle height direction, at least two of the three first communication devices are disposed at different positions in a vehicle width direction, 4. The position determination system according to claim 2, wherein at least two of the three first communication devices are arranged at different positions in the vehicle length direction.

5. The position determination system according to claim 4 , wherein three straight lines connecting the three first communication devices form a triangle when viewed along the vehicle height direction.

6. The position determination system according to claim 2 , wherein the at least three first communication devices are provided at a position higher than a lower edge of a side window of the vehicle.

7. two first communication devices of the at least three first communication devices are respectively provided on a pair of front pillars of the vehicle; 7. The position determination system according to claim 2, wherein another one of the at least three first communicators is provided on a rear window or a peripheral member arranged around the rear window.

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