Position management system, position management apparatus, position management method, and non-transitory computer-readable information recording medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10028103-B2
Application number	US-201615151627-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 11, 2016
Priority date	May 13, 2015
Publication date	Jul 17, 2018
Grant date	Jul 17, 2018

Abstract

A position management system manages position information of a second apparatus which carries out wireless communications with a first apparatus that is installed indoors. The position management system determines radio field intensity of radio waves of the wireless communications that are received from the first apparatus when movement of the second apparatus is detected, acquires first position information that indicates a position of the second apparatus estimated based on the determined radio field intensity of the radio waves, and stores the acquired first position information associated with time information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A position management system which manages position information of a second apparatus that carries out wireless communications with a first apparatus installed indoors, the position management system comprising: at least one processor that is configured to: determine radio field intensity of radio waves of the wireless communications received from the first apparatus when movement of the second apparatus is detected, acquire first position information that indicates a position of the second apparatus estimated based on the determined radio field intensity of the radio waves, and cause the acquired first position information to be stored and associated with time information, and an Indoor Messaging System (IMES) transmission apparatus that transmits latitude and longitude information in conformity to an IMES standard, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: cause the position management system to receive second information that includes the latitude and longitude information from the IMES transmission apparatus if the movement of the second apparatus is detected, cause the first position information and the second position information to be stored and associated with time information, cause the position management system to transmit the first position information and the second position information to a terminal apparatus in response to a request from the terminal apparatus connected with the position management system via a network, and display a position based on the first position information or the second position information on the terminal apparatus, and cause the position management system to transmit the first position information, the second position information, first error information that indicates an error in the first position information and second error information that indicates an error in the second position information to the terminal apparatus, and display the position based on the first position information or the second position information and also an error based on the first error information or the second error information on the terminal apparatus.

2. The position management system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the at least one processor is further configured to:
estimate the position of the second apparatus based on a previously generated radio field intensity distance attenuation model and the determined radio field intensity of the radio waves, and acquire the first position information.

3. The position management system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the at least one processor is further configured to:
cause the first position to be stored in an external storage area connected to the position management system via a network.

4. The position management system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the radio waves of the wireless communications received from the first apparatus are radio waves in conformity to a standard of ZigBee, Bluetooth, RFID, or infrared rays.

5. The position management system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the at least one processor is further configured to:
cause the position management system to transmit the first position information to a terminal apparatus in response to a request from the terminal apparatus connected with the position management system via a network, and display a position based on the first position information on the terminal apparatus.

6. The position management system as claimed in claim 5 , wherein
the at least one processor is further configured to:
cause the position management system to transmit the first position information as well as error information that indicates an error in the first position information to the terminal apparatus, and display the position based on the first position information as well as an error based on the error information on the terminal apparatus.

7. The position management system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the at least one processor is further configured to:
cause the position management system to stop reception of the radio waves of the wireless communications if movement of the second apparatus is not detected for a predetermined period of time.

8. The position management system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the at least one processor is further configured to:
cause the position management system to stop reception of the second information if movement of the second apparatus is not detected for a predetermined period of time.

9. The position management system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the second apparatus is a wireless tag physically associated with a predetermined article.

10. The position management system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the at least one processor is further configured to:
cause the second apparatus to enter a working state, in which power is supplied to the second apparatus when movement of the second apparatus is detected,
determine the radio field intensity of radio waves of the wireless communications transmitted from the first apparatus when the second apparatus enters the working state,
acquire the first position information that indicates a position of the second apparatus estimated based on the determined radio field intensity of the radio waves,
cause the acquired first position information to be stored and associated with the time information, and
cause the second apparatus to enter a standby state, in which a power supply amount is less than that in the working state, when movement of the second apparatus is not detected for a predetermined period of time after the second apparatus enters the working state.

11. The position management system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the at least one processor is further configured to:
determine whether previously stored first position information and currently acquired first position information satisfy a predetermined relationship,
cause the currently acquired position information to be stored and associated with the time information, if the at least one processor determines that the previously stored first position information and the currently acquired first position information satisfy the predetermined relationship, and
update the previously stored first position information with the currently acquired first position information, if the at least one processor determines that the previously stored first position information and the currently acquired first position information satisfy the predetermined relationship.

12. The position management system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein
the at least one processor is further configured to:
delete the previously stored first position information if the currently acquired first position information is not acquired for a predetermined period time.

13. The position management system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein
the predetermined relationship is a relationship in which a distance between a position indicated by the previously stored first position information and a position indicated by the currently acquired first position information falls within a predetermined range.

14. The position management system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein
the predetermined relationship is a relationship in which a distance between a position indicated by the previously stored first position information and a position indicated by the currently acquired first position information is greater than or equal to a predetermined distance.

15. A position management apparatus which manages position information of a second apparatus that carries out wireless communications with a first apparatus installed indoors, the info

Assignees

• Nakagawa Kenichi
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nakagawa Kenichi

Classifications

• H04W64/006

  with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination · CPC title

• H04W4/80

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title

• H04W4/33

  for indoor environments, e.g. buildings · CPC title

• H04W4/30 Primary

  Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes · CPC title

• H04W4/029 Primary

  Location-based management or tracking services · CPC title