Information processing device and information processing program

Abstract

To provide an information processing device and an information processing program that can identify a location of a terminal even when obstacles are present.SOLUTION: An information processing device includes a processor, and when there is a first terminal whose location information cannot be specified from among a plurality of terminals that can communicate with an own device using ultra-wideband communication, the processor identifies location information of the first terminal by using location information of the own device and a distance between the own device and the first terminal measured by ultra-wideband communication, location information of at least two second terminals that can communicate with the first terminal, and a distance between the first terminal and the second terminal measured by ultra-wideband communication.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and an information processing program.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a positioning system for positioning the current position of a wireless terminal device in a system in which a plurality of wireless terminal devices construct a network with each other. Each of the plurality of wireless terminal devices has a plurality of positioning means for knowing the current position of its own terminal, and means for correcting and complementing the positioning result of the positioning means of its own terminal using the positioning results of the positioning means of each wireless terminal device in the vicinity of its own terminal.

[0003] Patent Document 2 describes a location management system for managing the location of a person under management who possesses a mobile terminal equipped with a wireless tag, GPS receiving function and mobile communication function, comprising: a management center that grasps the location of the mobile terminal; a tag reader installed in a management area that detects the wireless tag of the mobile terminal present in the management area and transmits the detection result as detected tag information to the management center, wherein the management center comprises: a GPS information acquisition unit that acquires GPS information obtained from the mobile terminal by the GPS receiving function; a GPS positioning unit that determines GPS positioning information representing the location of the mobile terminal based on the GPS information; a reader location storage unit that stores reader location information indicating the installation location of the tag reader; and the detected tag information A location management system is disclosed, characterized in that it comprises: a tag positioning unit that determines tag position information representing the location of the mobile terminal having the detected wireless tag based on the report and the reader position information; a map storage unit that stores map information; a location display unit that outputs a map image showing the location of the mobile terminal represented by the GPS positioning information and the tag position information on a map based on the map information; and a display information adjustment unit that, in a predetermined display adjustment period that includes the tag positioning period during which the wireless tag is detected by the tag reader, selects the tag position information obtained during the tag positioning period as the location of the mobile terminal to be displayed on the map image, prioritizing it over the GPS positioning information obtained during the display adjustment period.

[0004] Patent Document 3 discloses a wireless network system comprising a first wireless node having a first positioning means and a second wireless node having a second positioning means with a narrower positioning range than the first positioning means, characterized in that the first wireless node, whose position is unknown, is positioned based on the distance measurement result by the first positioning means with respect to the first wireless node, whose position is known, and the second wireless node, whose position is unknown, is positioned based on the distance measurement result by the second positioning means with respect to the first wireless node, whose position is known or has been positioned and also has the second positioning means. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2006-343161 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2008-112257 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2006-003187 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] A technology has been disclosed that uses GPS (Global Positioning System) and BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) to correct the location of a device acquired by GPS using BLE.

[0007] However, if obstacles or other factors prevent GPS location acquisition, there is no location information to use as a basis for correction, making it impossible to determine the device's location.

[0008] The present invention aims to provide an information processing device and an information processing program that can identify the location of a terminal even when obstacles or other obstacles are present. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The information processing device of the first embodiment has a processor, and if there is a first terminal among a plurality of terminals that can communicate with the device using ultra-wideband communication, the processor determines the location information of the first terminal using the location information of the device, the distance between the device and the first terminal measured by ultra-wideband communication, the location information of at least two second terminals that can communicate with the first terminal, and the distance between the first terminal and the second terminals measured by ultra-wideband communication.

[0010] In the second embodiment of the information processing device, the processor further outputs a density within a predetermined range from itself using location information of multiple terminals, in the information processing device according to the first embodiment.

[0011] The third embodiment of the information processing apparatus is an information processing apparatus according to the second embodiment, wherein the processor shortens the communication frequency when the density is above a predetermined threshold or below a predetermined threshold.

[0012] The fourth embodiment of the information processing apparatus is an information processing apparatus according to the third embodiment, wherein the processor causes the user to select a condition for shortening the communication frequency.

[0013] The fifth embodiment of the information processing device is an information processing device relating to any one of the second to fourth embodiments, in which the processor gives a notification if the density is above a predetermined threshold or below a predetermined threshold.

[0014] The sixth embodiment of the information processing device is an information processing device according to any one of the first to fifth embodiments, in which the processor further derives and outputs an area density, which is the density in a predetermined area based on the device itself, using the location information of multiple terminals.

[0015] The information processing device of the seventh embodiment is an information processing device according to the sixth embodiment, in which the processor outputs a display corresponding to the area density superimposed on the map.

[0016] The information processing device of the eighth embodiment is an information processing device according to any one embodiment of the first to seventh embodiments, wherein if there is a terminal whose location information cannot be determined and there is a third terminal that can communicate with the first terminal, the processor further determines the location information of the third terminal using the location information of the determined first terminal.

[0017] The information processing apparatus according to the ninth aspect is the information processing apparatus according to the eighth aspect, wherein the processor specifies the position information of the third terminal by using the position information of a device communicable with at least three third terminals among the first terminal, the second terminal, and the self-device, and the distance between the third terminal and the device measured by ultra-wideband communication.

[0018] The information processing apparatus according to the tenth aspect is the information processing apparatus according to any one of the first to ninth aspects, wherein when there is no terminal within a predetermined range from the self-device, the processor increases the communication frequency.

[0019] When there is a first terminal, which is a terminal whose position information cannot be specified, among a plurality of terminals communicable with the self-device using ultra-wideband communication, the information processing program according to the eleventh aspect causes a computer to execute a process of specifying the position information of the first terminal by using the position information of the self-device, the distance between the self-device and the first terminal measured by ultra-wideband communication, the position information of at least two second terminals communicable with the first terminal, and the distance between the first terminal and the second terminal measured by ultra-wideband communication.

Advantages of the Invention

[0020] According to the information processing apparatus according to the first aspect and the information processing program according to the eleventh aspect, the position of the terminal can be specified even when there are obstacles or the like.

[0021] According to the information processing apparatus according to the second aspect, the density of the surroundings can be recognized with the self-device as a reference point.

[0022] According to the information processing apparatus according to the third aspect, when there is a change in the density of the surroundings with the self-device as a reference point, the change can be recognized.

[0023] According to the information processing apparatus according to the fourth aspect, a change in density desired by the user can be recognized.

[0024] According to the information processing apparatus according to the fifth aspect, it can be recognized that a preset density has been reached.

[0025] According to the sixth embodiment of the information processing device, the density of the surrounding area relative to the device itself can be recognized for each location.

[0026] According to the information processing device of the seventh embodiment, it is possible to recognize locations with high density or low density by comparing them with the current location.

[0027] According to the information processing device of the eighth embodiment, the amount of information that can be applied when identifying location information can be increased.

[0028] According to the information processing device of the ninth embodiment, it is possible to select information that increases the accuracy of the process for identifying location information.

[0029] According to the tenth embodiment of the information processing device, power consumption in the device can be reduced compared to the case where the communication frequency is constant. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0030] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of an information processing system according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing device according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the information processing device according to this embodiment. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of terminal information according to this embodiment. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of the arrangement of an information processing device and a terminal used to explain the correction of the terminal's location information according to this embodiment. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of the arrangement of an information processing device and a terminal used to explain the correction of the position information of the information processing device according to this embodiment. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of a density map according to this embodiment. [Figure 8] This is a flowchart showing an example of the information processing flow according to this embodiment. [Figure 9]This flowchart shows an example of the location information acquisition process flow according to this embodiment. [Figure 10] This flowchart shows an example of the density map presentation process according to this embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0031] Hereinafter, examples of embodiments for implementing this disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the information processing system 1 according to this embodiment.

[0032] As an example, as shown in Figure 1, the information processing system 1 is composed of a GPS (Global Positioning System) satellite 2, an information processing device 10 as its own device, and a plurality of terminals 100.

[0033] GPS satellite 2 is a device equipped with a GPS system that determines the location information of the information processing device 10 and the terminal 100, and transmits the determined location information to the information processing device 10 and the terminal 100, respectively.

[0034] The information processing device 10 acquires its own position information, which is determined by GPS satellite 2. The information processing device 10 communicates with terminal 100 using ultra-wideband (UWB) wireless communication and measures the distance between the information processing device 10 and terminal 100 (hereinafter referred to as "inter-terminal distance") using the communication time in the ultra-wideband wireless communication.

[0035] The information processing device 10 transmits the acquired location information and the measured distance between terminals (hereinafter referred to as "terminal information") to terminal 100 using ultra-wideband wireless communication, and receives terminal information related to terminal 100 from terminal 100. Here, the information processing device 10 transmits the received terminal information related to one terminal 100 to other terminals 100 along with the terminal information related to the information processing device 10. In addition, the information processing device 10 receives terminal information related to other terminals 100 along with the terminal information related to one terminal 100 from one terminal 100.

[0036] Terminal 100 acquires its own location information, which is determined by GPS satellite 2, similar to the information processing device 10, and receives terminal information related to the information processing device 10 and terminal 100 using ultra-wideband wireless communication. Terminal 100 also measures the distance between itself, the information processing device 10, and terminal 100 using the communication time in ultra-wideband wireless communication. Terminal 100 transmits the received terminal information, along with its own terminal information, to the information processing device 10 and other terminals 100 using ultra-wideband wireless communication.

[0037] In other words, the terminal information transmitted and received by the information processing device 10 and the terminal 100 includes the acquired location information, the measured distance between terminals, and terminal information relating to other terminals 100 received by each information processing device 10 and terminal 100. The information processing device 10 receives terminal information relating to one terminal 100 along with terminal information relating to other terminals 100. Therefore, even if there are other terminals 100 that cannot directly perform ultra-wideband wireless communication, terminal information relating to other terminals 100 can be indirectly obtained through one terminal 100.

[0038] In this embodiment, the information processing device 10 and the terminal 100 are described as separate devices. However, this is not limited to this. The information processing device 10 and the terminal 100 may be the same device, or the information processing device 10 may be mounted on the terminal 100. Furthermore, the terminal 100 may be any device as long as it is capable of acquiring location information and is capable of ultra-wideband wireless communication with the information processing device 10 and other terminals 100.

[0039] Next, the hardware configuration of the information processing device 10 will be described with reference to Figure 2.

[0040] As an example, as shown in Figure 2, the information processing device 10 according to this embodiment is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, storage 14, input unit 15, monitor 16, communication interface (communication I / F) 17, and GPS device 18. Each of the CPU 11, ROM 12, RAM 13, storage 14, input unit 15, monitor 16, communication I / F 17, and GPS device 18 is interconnected by a bus 19.

[0041] The CPU 11 oversees and controls the entire information processing unit 10. The ROM 12 stores various programs and data. The RAM 13 is memory used as a work area when various programs are executed. The CPU 11 performs the process of determining the location of the terminal 100 by loading the programs stored in the ROM 12 into the RAM 13 and executing them.

[0042] Storage 14 may include, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), or flash memory. Various programs may also be stored in storage 14.

[0043] The input unit 15 consists of a touch panel and buttons that accept character input and setting selections. The monitor 16 displays characters and images. The communication interface 17 uses ultra-wideband wireless communication to send and receive data with the terminal 100.

[0044] The GPS device 18 is a device that receives position information of the information processing device 10, which has been positioned by multiple GPS satellites 2. The GPS device 18 includes an antenna (not shown) that receives position information from the GPS satellites 2.

[0045] Next, the functional configuration of the information processing device 10 will be described with reference to Figure 3. Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the information processing device 10 according to this embodiment.

[0046] As an example, as shown in Figure 3, the information processing device 10 includes a communication unit 21, a distance derivation unit 22, a location information acquisition unit 23, a matching unit 24, a storage unit 25, a correction unit 26, a density derivation unit 27, a presentation unit 28, a notification unit 29, and a setting unit 30. The CPU 11 executes an information processing program, causing the communication unit 21, distance derivation unit 22, location information acquisition unit 23, matching unit 24, storage unit 25, correction unit 26, density derivation unit 27, presentation unit 28, notification unit 29, and setting unit 30 to function.

[0047] The communication unit 21 communicates with the terminal 100 using ultra-wideband wireless communication and sends and receives terminal information. Here, the communication unit 21 communicates with the terminal 100 at a communication frequency corresponding to the polling interval set by the setting unit 30, which will be described later.

[0048] The distance derivation unit 22 derives the terminal-to-terminal distance (TOA: Time of Arrival) from terminal 100 using the arrival time of the communication radio waves transmitted by ultra-wideband wireless communication.

[0049] The location information acquisition unit 23 acquires location information of the information processing device 10 using the GPS device 18.

[0050] The matching unit 24 compares the location information acquired by the location information acquisition unit 23 with the map information and sets a flag (hereinafter referred to as the "location confirmation flag") indicating whether or not the location of the information processing device 10 has been confirmed, according to the matching result. If the location of the information processing device 10 is indoors (cannot be confirmed), the matching unit 24 sets the location confirmation flag "0" in the terminal information, and if its own location is outdoors (can be confirmed), it sets the location confirmation flag "1" in the terminal information.

[0051] The storage unit 25 stores terminal information. As an example, as shown in Figure 4, the storage unit 25 stores, for each terminal 100, a user ID, terminal-to-terminal distance, a location confirmation flag, and location information as terminal information. Here, the user ID is information used to identify the information processing device 10 and each terminal 100, and the terminal-to-terminal distance is the distance between each information processing device 10 and each terminal 100. The location confirmation flag is a flag indicating that the location of the information processing device 10 and each terminal 100 has been confirmed, and the location information is information indicating the location of the information processing device 10 and the terminal 100.

[0052] The terminal distances shown in Figure 4 indicate, for example, that if user ID is "A", the distance between user ID "A" and user ID "B" is 10m, the distance between user ID "A" and user ID "C" is 15m, and the distance between user ID "A" and user ID "D" is 10m. In the following explanation, user ID "A" will be referred to as the information processing device 10, terminal 100 related to user ID "B" will be referred to as terminal 100B, terminal 100 related to user ID "C" will be referred to as terminal 100C, and terminal 100 related to user ID "D" will be referred to as terminal 100D.

[0053] Specifically, the storage unit 25 stores the location information acquired by the location information acquisition unit 23, the distance to terminal 100 derived by the distance derivation unit 22, and the location confirmation flag as terminal information related to the information processing device 10. The storage unit 25 also stores the location information of terminal 100, the terminal-to-terminal distance between terminals 100, and the location confirmation flag received by the communication unit 21 as terminal information related to terminal 100.

[0054] The correction unit 26 corrects the location information in terminal information where the location confirmation flag is "0" and sets the location confirmation flag to "1".

[0055] For example, if the position determination flag in the terminal information related to the information processing device 10 is "0", the correction unit 26 applies the position information and the distance between terminals in the stored terminal information to tripoint positioning to correct the position information of the information processing device 10. The corrected position information of the information processing device 10 is expressed by the following formula.

[0056] [Number]

[0057] [Number]

[0058] [Number]

[0059] [Number]

[0060] Here, x n is the x - coordinate of the position of the terminal 100 in the rectangular coordinate system, N is the radius of curvature of the east - west (meridian) line, φ is the latitude of the terminal 100, λ is the longitude of the terminal 100, and y n is the y - coordinate of the position of the terminal 100 in the rectangular coordinate system. Also, a is the equatorial radius, e is the eccentricity of the earth, x is the x - coordinate of the position of the information processing device 10 in the rectangular coordinate system, y is the y - coordinate of the position of the information processing device 10 in the rectangular coordinate system, and r n is the distance between the information processing device 10 and the terminal 100.

[0061] The correction unit 26 derives the position of the information processing device 10 by three - point positioning using the above - mentioned formulas (1) to (4). For example, when the position determination flag of the information processing device 10 is "0", the correction unit 26 applies the three pieces of terminal information such as the acquired terminal 100B, terminal 100C, and terminal 100D to the above - mentioned formulas (1) to (4) to derive and correct the position information of the information processing device 10. Here, the correction unit 26 corrects the position information related to the information processing device 10 using the terminal information for which the position determination flag is "1".

[0062] Furthermore, if the correction unit 26 finds that there is terminal information to be corrected in the terminal information relating to terminal 100 where the position determination flag is "0", it derives the relative orientation between the information processing device 10 and the terminal 100 to be corrected. The correction unit 26 then performs the correction using the relative orientation and the terminal distance relating to the terminal 100 to be corrected.

[0063] As an example, as shown in Figure 5, if the position confirmation flag for terminal 100C is "0", the correction unit 26 uses the position information of the information processing device 10 and terminal 100C to derive the relative direction, which is the direction in which terminal 100C is located relative to the information processing device 10. The correction unit 26 uses the derived relative direction, the terminal-to-terminal distance between terminal 100C and the information processing device 10, the terminal-to-terminal distance between terminal 100C and terminal 100B, and the terminal-to-terminal distance between terminal 100C and terminal 100D to derive and correct the position information of terminal 100C.

[0064] In this embodiment, a method for correcting the position information of terminal 100C has been described using relative bearing and the distance between terminals with terminal 100C as the base point. However, the method is not limited to this. The position information may also be corrected by applying tripoint positioning to the position information of the information processing device 10, the terminal 100, and the distance between terminals.

[0065] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a method of correcting location information using terminal information directly acquired by the information processing device 10 has been described. However, it is not limited to this. Location information may also be corrected using terminal information acquired indirectly, or terminal information acquired indirectly may be corrected.

[0066] As an example, as shown in Figure 6, the correction unit 26 may use terminal information from terminals 100E to 100G, which has been indirectly acquired from terminal 100B via terminal 100D, to derive and correct the location information from terminal 100B to terminal 100D. For example, if the information processing device 10 and terminals 100B to 100D are located indoors, and terminals 100E to 100G are located outdoors, the correction unit 26 may use terminal information from terminals 100E to 100G, for which the location confirmation flag is "1", to correct the location information from terminal 100B to terminal 100D. The correction unit 26 may set the location confirmation flag for the corrected terminals 100B to 100D to "1", and use the terminal information from terminals 100B to 100D, for which the location confirmation flag is "1", to derive and correct the location information of the information processing device 10.

[0067] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a method of correcting location information using terminal information where the location confirmation flag is "1" has been described. However, it is not limited to this. Location information may also be corrected using terminal information where the location confirmation flag has become "1" through correction. For example, location information may be corrected using terminal information relating to the information processing device 10 and terminal 100 where the location confirmation flag is "1", and terminal information relating to terminal 100 where the location confirmation flag has become "1" through correction. Specifically, in Figure 6, if the location information of terminal 100B is corrected, the location information of terminal 100C may be corrected using terminal information relating to terminals 100B, 100E, and 100F, which are capable of communicating with terminal 100C.

[0068] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a configuration has been described in which the terminal 100 is located outdoors and its location information is determined by a GPS device 18. However, the system is not limited to this configuration. For example, the location may be determined by a beacon installed at a predetermined location indoors. For example, as shown in Figure 6, if a beacon 40 is installed indoors, the information processing device 10 and the terminal 100 may obtain location information from the beacon 40, which has its location information pre-set, to determine the location of the information processing device 10.

[0069] The density derivation unit 27 uses terminal information to derive the density of terminals 100 in a predetermined area around the information processing device 10, with the information processing device 10 as the starting point (hereinafter referred to as "peripheral density"). The density derivation unit 27 derives the density of terminals 100 for each predetermined area divided with the information processing device 10 as the starting point (hereinafter referred to as "area density").

[0070] The display unit 28 displays the density of the terminal 100 derived by the density derivation unit 27. Specifically, as shown in Figure 7 as an example, the display unit 28 displays the density of the terminal 100 by displaying a density display screen 50. The density display screen 50 displays a predetermined range 51 and a predetermined region 52 superimposed on a map, with the information processing device 10 as the starting point. The density display screen 50 displays the region 52 in such a way that the display differs depending on the region density derived by the density derivation unit 27.

[0071] The notification unit 29 notifies the user if the surrounding density derived by the density derivation unit 27 satisfies the alert condition. In this embodiment, the alert condition is described as being when the surrounding density exceeds a predetermined threshold. However, it is not limited to this. The alert condition may also be when the surrounding density falls below a predetermined threshold, etc. Furthermore, the alert condition in this embodiment may be selected by the user in advance, or it may be switched according to the user's instructions.

[0072] The setting unit 30 sets the polling interval for communicating with the terminal 100 according to the surrounding density. For example, if the surrounding density is greater than 0 and less than a predetermined threshold (the alert condition is not met), the setting unit 30 sets the polling interval to a predetermined interval (initial value) in "normal mode". Also, if there are no terminals 100 around the information processing device 10 (the surrounding density is 0), the setting unit 30 sets it to "power saving mode" and sets the polling interval to be longer than the predetermined interval (initial value). Also, if the surrounding density is above a predetermined threshold (the alert condition is met), the setting unit 30 sets it to "centralized monitoring mode" and sets the polling interval to be shorter than the predetermined interval (initial value).

[0073] Next, the operation of the information processing device 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 8 to 10. Figure 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the information processing flow according to this embodiment. The CPU 11 reads an information processing program from the ROM 12 or storage 14 and executes it, thereby executing the information processing shown in Figure 8. The information processing shown in Figure 8 is executed, for example, when an instruction to execute information processing is input.

[0074] In step S101, the CPU 11 sets an initial value for the polling interval.

[0075] In step S102, the CPU 11 requests terminal information from the terminal 100 using ultra-wideband wireless communication at a communication frequency corresponding to the set polling interval.

[0076] In step S103, the CPU 11 receives terminal information from terminal 100.

[0077] In step S104, the CPU 11 uses the arrival time obtained through communication with terminal 100 to derive the distance between terminals.

[0078] In step S105, the CPU 11 communicates within the communication range and determines whether it has received terminal information for all terminals 100. If it has received terminal information for all terminals 100 (step S105: YES), the CPU 11 proceeds to step S106. On the other hand, if it has not received terminal information for all terminals 100 (there is terminal information for terminals 100 that has not been received) (step S105: NO), the CPU 11 proceeds to step S102 and receives terminal information for the unreceived terminals 100.

[0079] In step S106, the CPU 11 executes the location information acquisition process. The location information acquisition process will be explained in detail in Figure 9, which will be described later.

[0080] In step S107, the CPU 11 determines whether the position determination flag for the information processing device 10 is 1. If the position determination flag for the information processing device 10 is 1 (step S107: YES), the CPU 11 proceeds to step S108. On the other hand, if the position determination flag for the information processing device 10 is not 1 (the position determination flag for the information processing device 10 is 0) (step S107: NO), the CPU 11 proceeds to step S109.

[0081] In step S108, the CPU 11 executes the density map presentation process. The density map presentation process will be explained in detail in Figure 10, which will be described later.

[0082] In step S109, the CPU 11 determines whether or not to terminate the process. If the process is to be terminated (step S109: YES), the CPU 11 terminates the process. On the other hand, if the process is not to be terminated (step S109: NO), the CPU 11 proceeds to step S102.

[0083] Next, the location information acquisition process according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 9. Figure 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the location information acquisition process according to this embodiment. The CPU 11 reads the location information acquisition process program from the ROM 12 or storage 14 and executes it, thereby executing the location information acquisition process shown in Figure 9. The location information acquisition process shown in Figure 9 is executed, for example, when an instruction to execute a process to acquire location information is input.

[0084] In step S201, the CPU 11 uses the GPS device 18 to acquire location information of the information processing device 10.

[0085] In step S202, the CPU 11 compares the acquired location information with the map information to determine whether the location of the information processing device 10 is outdoors or not. If the location of the information processing device 10 is outdoors (step S202: YES), the CPU 11 proceeds to step S203. On the other hand, if the location of the information processing device 10 is not outdoors (the location of the information processing device 10 is indoors) (step S202: NO), the CPU 11 proceeds to step S204.

[0086] In step S203, the CPU 11 sets the location confirmation flag "1" to the terminal information related to the information processing device 10.

[0087] In step S204, the CPU 11 sets the location confirmation flag "0" to the terminal information related to the information processing device 10.

[0088] In step S205, the CPU 11 determines whether the position determination flag for the information processing device 10 is 0 or not. If the position determination flag is 0 (step S205: YES), the CPU 11 proceeds to step S206. On the other hand, if the position determination flag is not 0 (the position determination flag is 1) (step S205: NO), the CPU 11 terminates the position information acquisition process.

[0089] In step S206, the CPU 11 determines whether there are three or more pieces of terminal information for the received terminal 100. If there are three or more pieces of terminal information (step S206: YES), the CPU 11 proceeds to step S207. On the other hand, if there are not three or more pieces of terminal information (there are fewer than three pieces of terminal information) (step S206: NO), the CPU 11 terminates the location information acquisition process.

[0090] In step S207, the CPU 11 determines whether there are three or more terminal information entries with a location confirmation flag of 1. If there are three or more terminal information entries with a location confirmation flag of 1 (step S207: YES), the CPU 11 proceeds to step S208. On the other hand, if there are not three or more terminal information entries with a location confirmation flag of 1 (i.e., there are fewer than three terminal information entries with a location confirmation flag of 1) (step S207: NO), the CPU 11 terminates the location information acquisition process.

[0091] In step S208, the CPU 11 obtains three pieces of terminal information for terminal 100 whose location determination flag is 1. Here, the CPU 11 obtains the terminal information in order of increasing distance from the information processing device 10.

[0092] In step S209, the CPU 11 corrects the location information of the information processing device 10 using the acquired terminal information. Here, the CPU 11 sets the location determination flag for the information processing device 10 to "1".

[0093] Next, the density map presentation process according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 10. Figure 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the density map presentation process according to this embodiment. The density map presentation process shown in Figure 10 is executed when the CPU 11 reads and executes the density map presentation process program from the ROM 12 or storage 14. The density map presentation process shown in Figure 10 is executed, for example, when an instruction is received to execute a process to present a density map.

[0094] In step S301, the CPU 11 determines whether or not terminal 100 exists within a predetermined range starting from the information processing device 10. If terminal 100 exists (step S301: YES), the CPU 11 proceeds to step S302. On the other hand, if terminal 100 does not exist (step S301: NO), the CPU 11 proceeds to step S309.

[0095] In step S302, the CPU 11 corrects the location information of the terminal 100 to be corrected, which has a location confirmation flag of "0", using the terminal information relating to the information processing device 10 and terminal 100, which have a location confirmation flag of "1".

[0096] In step S303, the CPU 11 derives the region density and the peripheral density.

[0097] In step S304, the CPU 11 overlays a display corresponding to the derived area density onto the map information.

[0098] In step S305, the CPU 11 determines whether the peripheral density is above a threshold. If the peripheral density is above the threshold (step S305: YES), the CPU 11 proceeds to step S306. On the other hand, if the peripheral density is not above the threshold (the peripheral density is below the threshold) (step S306: NO), the CPU 11 proceeds to step S308.

[0099] In step S306, the CPU 11 notifies the user that the surrounding density is above a threshold.

[0100] In step S307, the CPU 11 sets the polling interval to "centralized monitoring mode" and shortens the polling interval.

[0101] In step S308, the CPU 11 initializes the polling interval by setting it to "normal mode".

[0102] In step S309, the CPU 11 sets the polling interval to "power saving mode" and lengthens the polling interval.

[0103] As explained above, according to this embodiment, the location of the terminal can be determined even when obstacles or the like are present.

[0104] In the above embodiment, the information processing device 10 was described in a form that transmits terminal information relating to the terminal 100 and the terminal before correction. However, it is not limited to this. The information processing device 10 may also transmit terminal information relating to the information processing device 10 and the terminal 100 after correction.

[0105] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a method for deriving the distance between terminals using the arrival time of communication radio waves via ultra-wideband wireless communication was described. However, the invention is not limited to this. The distance between terminals may also be derived using the intensity of the communication radio waves. The distance between terminals based on the intensity of the communication radio waves is expressed by the following formula.

[0106]

number

[0107] Here, A is the signal strength of the communication radio waves when the distance between the antennas is 1m, and RSSI(r n ) is the strength of the received communication radio waves, and B is a constant representing the attenuation of the communication radio waves. In other words, equation (5) above shows that the distance increases as the strength of the received communication radio waves decreases.

[0108] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a configuration was described in which the region density, based on the information processing device 10, is displayed with a different display according to the density. However, the embodiment is not limited to this. The region density for each region may also be output as a numerical value.

[0109] Although the present invention has been described above using various embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the scope described in each embodiment. Various modifications or improvements can be made to each embodiment without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and such modified or improved forms are also included within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0110] In the above embodiment, the term "processor" refers to a processor in a broad sense, and includes, for example, general-purpose processors (e.g., CPU: Central Processing Unit) and dedicated processors (e.g., GPU: Graphics Processing Unit, ASIC: Application Specific Integrated Circuit, FPGA: Field Programmable Gate Array, programmable logic device, etc.).

[0111] Furthermore, the processor operations in each of the above embodiments may not be performed by a single processor, but may also be performed by multiple processors located in physically separate locations working together. Also, the order of the processor operations is not limited to the order described in each of the above embodiments, and may be changed as appropriate.

[0112] Furthermore, although this embodiment describes an configuration in which the information processing program is installed on storage, it is not limited to this. The information processing program according to this embodiment may be provided in a form recorded on a computer-readable storage medium. For example, the information processing program according to the present invention may be provided in a form recorded on an optical disc such as a CD (Compact Disc)-ROM or DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)-ROM. The information processing program according to the present invention may also be provided in a form recorded on a semiconductor memory such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory or a memory card. In addition, the information processing program according to this embodiment may be acquired from an external device via a communication line connected to a communication interface.

[0113] [Note] The following are preferred forms of this disclosure.

[0114] (((1))) It has a processor, and the processor is If, among multiple terminals that can communicate with the device using ultra-wideband communication, there is a first terminal whose location information cannot be determined, The location information of the device, the distance between the device and the first terminal measured by the ultra-wideband communication, and The location information of the first terminal is determined using the location information of at least two second terminals that can communicate with the first terminal, and the distance between the first terminal and the second terminals measured by the ultra-wideband communication. Information processing device.

[0115] (((2))) The aforementioned processor, Using the location information of the aforementioned multiple terminals, the density within a predetermined range from the device itself is further output. The information processing device described in (((1))).

[0116] (((3))) The aforementioned processor, If the density is above a predetermined threshold, or below a predetermined threshold, the communication frequency is shortened. The information processing device described in (((2))).

[0117] (((4))) The aforementioned processor, The user is given the option to select a condition that shortens the communication frequency. The information processing device described in (((3))).

[0118] (((5))) The aforementioned processor, If the density is above a predetermined threshold, or below a predetermined threshold, a notification will be issued. An information processing device described in any one of (((2))) to (((4))).

[0119] (((6))) The aforementioned processor, Using the location information of the aforementioned multiple terminals, the region density, which is the density in a predetermined area based on the device itself, is further derived. An information processing device described in any one of (((1))) through (((5))).

[0120] (((7))) The aforementioned processor, The display corresponding to the aforementioned area density is superimposed on the map and output. The information processing device described in (((6))).

[0121] (((8))) The aforementioned processor, If the location information of a terminal cannot be determined, and there is a third terminal that can communicate with the first terminal, the location information of the third terminal is further determined using the location information of the first terminal that has been determined. An information processing device described in any one of (((1))) through (((7))).

[0122] (((9))) The aforementioned processor, The location information of the third terminal is determined using location information relating to at least three devices capable of communicating with the third terminal, among the first terminal, the second terminal, and the self-device, and the distance between the third terminal and the device measured by the ultra-wideband communication. The information processing device described in (((8))).

[0123] (((10))) The aforementioned processor, If the terminal is not located within a predetermined range from the aforementioned device, the communication frequency is increased. An information processing device described in any one of (((1))) through (((9))).

[0124] (((11))) If, among multiple terminals that can communicate with the device using ultra-wideband communication, there is a first terminal whose location information cannot be determined, The location information of the device, the distance between the device and the first terminal measured by the ultra-wideband communication, and The location information of the first terminal is determined using the location information of at least two second terminals that can communicate with the first terminal, and the distance between the first terminal and the second terminals measured by the ultra-wideband communication. An information processing program that causes a computer to perform a task.

[0125] The effects of the configuration described below are explained below.

[0126] According to the information processing device (((1))) and the information processing program (((11)))), the location of the terminal can be determined even if obstacles or other obstacles are present.

[0127] According to the information processing device (((2))), the density of the surrounding area can be recognized with the device itself as the reference point.

[0128] According to the information processing device (((3))), if there is a change in the density of the surrounding area with respect to the device itself, the device can recognize that change.

[0129] According to the information processing device (((4))), the user can recognize the change in density desired by the user.

[0130] According to the information processing device (((5))), it is possible to recognize that a preset density has been reached.

[0131] According to the information processing device (((6))), the density of the surrounding area relative to the device itself can be recognized at each location.

[0132] According to the information processing device (((7))), it is possible to recognize areas with high density or low density by comparing them with the current location.

[0133] According to the information processing device (((8))), the amount of information that can be applied when determining location information can be increased.

[0134] According to the information processing device (((9))), it is possible to select information that increases the accuracy of the process for identifying location information.

[0135] According to the information processing device (((10))), power consumption in the device can be reduced compared to the case where the communication frequency is constant. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0136] 1. Information Processing System 10 Information Processing Devices 11 CPU 12 ROM 13 RAM 14 Storage 15 Input section 16 monitors 17 Communication I / F 18 GPS device 19 bus 21 Communications Department 22 Distance derivation part 23 Location information acquisition section 24 Verification Unit 25 Memory section 26 Correction section 27 Density derivation part 28 Presentation section 29 Notification Department 30 Setting section 40 beacons 50 Density presentation screen 51 Range 52 areas Terminals 100, 100B, 100C, 100D, 100E, 100F, 100G

Claims

1. It has a processor, and the processor is If, among multiple terminals that can communicate with the device using ultra-wideband communication, there is a first terminal whose location information cannot be determined, the distance between the device and the first terminal is obtained using the location information of the device and the arrival time of the communication radio waves via ultra-wideband communication. If there are at least two second terminals that can communicate with the first terminal and whose location information can be determined, the distance between the first terminal and the second terminals is obtained using the location information of the second terminals and the arrival time of communication radio waves by ultra-wideband communication. The location information of the first terminal is determined using the location information of the self-device, the distance between the self-device and the first terminal, the location information of the second terminal, and the distance between the first terminal and the second terminal. Information processing device.

2. The aforementioned processor, Using the location information of the aforementioned multiple terminals, the density within a predetermined range from the device itself is further output. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned processor, If the density is above a predetermined threshold, or below a predetermined threshold, the communication frequency is shortened. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2.

4. The aforementioned processor, The user is given the option to select a condition that shortens the communication frequency. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3.

5. The aforementioned processor, If the density is above a predetermined threshold, or below a predetermined threshold, a notification will be issued. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2.

6. The aforementioned processor, Using the location information of the aforementioned multiple terminals, the region density, which is the density in a predetermined area based on the device itself, is further derived. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

7. The aforementioned processor, The display corresponding to the aforementioned area density is superimposed on the map and output. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6.

8. The aforementioned processor, If the location information of a terminal cannot be determined, and there is a third terminal that can communicate with the first terminal, the location information of the third terminal is further determined using the location information of the first terminal that has been determined. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

9. The aforementioned processor, The location information of the third terminal is determined using location information relating to at least three devices capable of communicating with the third terminal, among the first terminal, the second terminal, and the self-device, and the distance between the third terminal and the device measured by the ultra-wideband communication. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8.

10. The aforementioned processor, If the terminal is not located within a predetermined range from the aforementioned device, the communication frequency is increased. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

11. If, among multiple terminals that can communicate with the device using ultra-wideband communication, there is a first terminal whose location information cannot be determined, the distance between the device and the first terminal is obtained using the location information of the device and the arrival time of the communication radio waves via ultra-wideband communication. If there are at least two second terminals that can communicate with the first terminal and whose location information can be determined, the distance between the first terminal and the second terminals is obtained using the location information of the second terminals and the arrival time of communication radio waves by ultra-wideband communication. The location information of the first terminal is determined using the location information of the self-device, the distance between the self-device and the first terminal, the location information of the second terminal, and the distance between the first terminal and the second terminal. An information processing program that causes a computer to perform a task.