DE102015107555A1 - Positioning a user terminal by combining information determined by the user terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

User terminal (100) for determining a position of a user (102) in a location area (104), wherein the user terminal (100) has a first determination device (200) for determining reference position information indicative of at least one reference position of the user Terminal (100) in the location area (104), a second determination means (202) for determining approximate position change information indicative of a change of a position of the user terminal (100) in the location area (104), a third detection means ( 204) for determining additional position information after the change of the position of the user terminal (100) in the location area (104), and evaluation means (206) for detecting the position of the user terminal (100) by determining an approximate position based on the reference position information and the approximate position change information tion, and by subsequently determining a more precise position based on the determined approximate position and the additional position information.

Description

The invention relates to a user terminal, an arrangement and a method for determining the position of a user terminal in a residence area, in particular in a building, as well as a computer-readable storage medium and a program element.

Modern GPS (Global Positioning System) technologies enable worldwide localization and navigation through dedicated devices as well as mobile phones or tablets equipped with appropriate software and corresponding GPS modules. However, in the indoor environment of buildings and other common areas of a user terminal, the radio-based GPS does not function or does not work well enough, making such in-flight navigation solutions impossible or at least unreliable, even though there are many applications for them - in shopping centers, public buildings, hotels or hospitals ,

There are different approaches using Wi-Fi and other wireless technologies that either work with proximity or runtime measurements, but are all relatively expensive and, for the most part, not very accurate.

In addition, location methods based on surge waves are known, which evaluate the proximity of a sound receiver to a transmitter.

• – Es müssen im Gebäude viele funkbasierte Beacons installiert werden, um eine echte Navigation zu ermöglichen.
• – Es bestehen hohe Anforderungen an die Genauigkeit von Laufzeitmessungen im Fall von WLAN Laufzeitmessungen.
• – Es kann bei schallbasierten Verfahren Ungenauigkeiten durch Störschall geben.
• – Es kann bei funkbasierten Verfahren Ungenauigkeiten durch Reflexionen der Funkwellen geben.

All of the described technologies have one or more of the following disadvantages:

• - Many wireless beacons need to be installed in the building to allow true navigation.
• - There are high demands on the accuracy of runtime measurements in the case of WLAN runtime measurements.
• - There may be inaccuracies due to background noise in sound-based methods.
• - There may be inaccuracies in radio-based methods due to reflections of the radio waves.

It is therefore still difficult to perform accurate positioning of user terminals in buildings or similar areas of residence of a user terminal with reasonable effort.

It is an object of the present invention, in buildings or similar areas of residence of a user terminal to perform an accurate positioning of user terminals with reasonable effort.

This object is achieved by a user terminal, an arrangement and a method for determining the position of a user terminal in a location area, by a computer-readable storage medium and by a program element with the features according to the independent patent claims.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a user terminal (for example, a portable electronic device) for detecting a position of a user (in particular, a user who operates the user terminal and thus is in the same position as the user User terminal) in a location area (in particular a delimited area which is, for example, mapped or whose location plan is in the form of data), the user terminal having a first determination device (for example a processor or a part of a processor, the may be set up according to program technology) for determining reference position information which is indicative of at least one reference position of the user terminal in the location area (for example for a position of the user terminal at a first time or at an initial time), a second determination device ( to the An example processor or portion of a processor that may be configured programmatically) for determining approximate (ie, having an uncertainty within an uncertainty range that may be due to a measurement process and / or accuracy constraint of hardware components of the user terminal) position change information (In particular, information indicative of the movement of the user with the user terminal from the reference position to another position, in particular speed and / or acceleration and / or direction information) indicative of a change in a position of the user Terminal in the location area, a third detection means (for example, a processor or a part of a processor, which may be configured according to program) for determining additional position information after the change of the position of the Nu tzer terminal in the location area (ie at the other position or at a position further changed with respect to the other position) and an evaluation device (for example, a processor or a part of a processor, which can be configured according to program technology, wherein the evaluation device and the detection means as a common processor or as separate processors) for determining the position (ie the other position or the further changed position, in particular a current position) of the user terminal in the Location area (in particular, after a measuring process for obtaining the position change information and / or the time of detecting the additional position information) by determining an approximate position (ie, having an uncertainty within an uncertainty range, which may be due to the inaccuracy of the approximate position change information only) position (ie the approximate current position) based on the reference position information and the approximate position change information, and subsequently determining a more precise (ie, less inaccurate than the previously determined approximate position) position (ie, the more precise other position or the more precise one changed position, in particular the more precise current position) based on the determined approximate position and the additional position information.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an arrangement for determining a position of a user of a user terminal in a location area, the arrangement comprising the user terminal having the above-described features and an information providing facility (ie, one located in the location area) Means, which may be consulted by each user terminal to orient in the location area) arranged to provide the reference position information and / or to provide auxiliary information for determining the additional position information to the user terminal.

According to yet another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a method (in particular implemented by means of a user terminal and / or a processor provided separately from the user terminal) for determining a position of a user of a user terminal in a location area is provided Method is determined reference position information that is indicative of at least one reference position of the user terminal in the location area (in particular at a first time), approximately position change information is detected indicative of a change in position of the user terminal in the location area (in particular the first time at a later second time), additional position information about the determined approximate position change information is determined (in particular at the second time or at one compared to the second time peak) at a later, third, time point at which the user terminal may still be at the position at or near this second position), and the position of the user terminal in the location area by determining an approximate position based on the reference position information and the location approximate position change information, and is determined by subsequently determining a more precise position based on the determined approximate position and the additional position information. The individual determination processes can be carried out wholly or partially locally on the user terminal and / or in whole or in part by a processor resource allocated to the location area and / or entirely or partially by a processor resource provided by a communication network, whereby results of the location area and / or or communication network performed determination or investigation the user terminal can be communicated.

In a computer-readable storage medium according to an embodiment of the present invention, a user terminal positioning program is stored in a location area which executes program when executed by one or more processors (the user terminal and / or at least one communicable controller) is, controls or performs the method steps described above.

A program element (computer program element) according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention for determining the position of a user terminal in a location area has (or performs) the above-described method steps when it is executed by one or more processors (of the user terminal and / or at least one control device which can be coupled with it in a communicable manner). For example, the program element may be an app that can be downloaded from the user terminal via a communication network and then executed thereon. The program element may have individual sub-elements that are executed on different processors.

Embodiments of the present invention can be realized both by means of a computer program, that is to say a software, and by means of one or more special electrical circuits, that is to say in hardware, or in any hybrid form, that is to say by means of software components and hardware components. In particular, in one embodiment of the invention, the software may be used, at least in part, as an app, i. as a downloadable and then installable software application, be designed for the user terminal.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a position determination in a location area (such as a building or a building complex) of a user terminal takes place in that first a reference or starting position of the user terminal in the location area is determined. For this purpose, the hardware components and / or components of the location area provided in a user terminal (for example a mobile telephone) can be used anyway and the associated first determination can be carried out with simple software. If the position of the user terminal in the location area changes as a result of a movement of the user with his user terminal (for example starting from the reference position), hardware components already provided in the user terminal can be used for this purpose using simple software the change of position to collect indicative information. However, the hardware components included in conventional user terminals are often insufficient to detect the change in position with the utmost accuracy. However, such components can be used to approximate the change in position. While in available user terminals their hardware components can only detect positional changes with limited accuracy, other hardware components (in particular a camera) contained in conventional user terminals are able to determine a current position with high accuracy, as far as the approximate position is known previously , The knowledge of the approximate information, however, is advantageous for the more accurate position determination of the said hardware components, since otherwise the data space would be too large to enable accurate position detection in a short time or with moderate processor load. The evaluation device thus initially uses the reference position and the approximate position change information (for example movement direction-related speed and / or acceleration information) to determine (in particular by integrating once or twice) the approximate position of the user terminal after the position has changed from the reference position , As a result, the actual position of the user terminal after the change in position can be spatially limited so much that the more accurate position determination can subsequently be carried out in a short time and with little computational effort. Clearly, the data space of possible actual positions can be so greatly reduced by the preceding approximate position determination that a subsequent more exact position determination can be carried out quickly and with lower requirements in terms of memory and / or processor resources. Overall, the hardware and software engineering effort of determining position is extremely low and can be easily performed with conventional user terminals such as mobile phones or tablet PCs.

In the following, preferred developments of the user terminal, the arrangement, the method, the computer-readable storage medium and the program element will be described.

According to one exemplary embodiment, the first determination device can be set up to determine the reference position information by means of a sound wave-based determination of position information, in particular by means of a transit time measurement of sound waves and / or by means of a data extraction from sound waves. Such sound waves can be emitted from sound transmitters (for example using beacons) of the location area from one or more positions, and the user terminal can be detected by a microphone, wherein a determination of the respective positions is made possible by transit time measurements. Alternatively, the user terminal can also emit sound waves that are detected by microphones of the residence area, wherein in turn a position determination of the user terminal is made possible by transit time measurements and the determined position of the user terminal can be transmitted. It is also possible to encode the reference position information in sound waves so that the user terminal can determine its reference position (for example, at an entrance of the location area) by decoding or extracting it from the sound waves.

According to another embodiment, the first determination device can be set up to determine the reference position information by means of a determination of position information based on electromagnetic waves (for example radio waves), in particular by means of a transit time measurement of electromagnetic waves and / or a data extraction from electromagnetic waves. This can be done in a similar manner as described above for sound waves by means of electromagnetic emitter and / or receiver of the user terminal and / or the residence area. It is also possible, for example by WLAN or Bluetooth, to transmit certain reference positions (for example at an entrance of a shopping center as a residence area) to the user terminal wirelessly. It is also possible to encode the reference position information in electromagnetic waves so that the user terminal can determine its reference position by decoding or extracting it from the electromagnetic waves.

According to yet another embodiment, the first determining means may be arranged to determine the reference position information by means of detecting a code indicative of the reference position in the receiving area. Such a code may be a bar code, for example a one-dimensional bar code (such as a bar code) or a two-dimensional bar code (such as a QR code). For example, at the entrance of a shopping center, a QR code may be attached, which a user of a user terminal (for example a smartphone) can scan and derive therefrom the reference position.

According to a further embodiment, the first determination device can be set up to determine the reference position information by means of a global positioning system (GPS) detection in an entrance area of the location area. If GPS with sufficient accuracy is still available at the entrance of a building (for example a shopping center or the like as a residence area), the reference position at the building entrance can be determined via GPS. Many user terminals such as mobile phones are equipped with a GPS module.

According to an embodiment, the second determination means may be configured to determine the approximate position change information using an acceleration sensor of the user terminal. Such an acceleration sensor is included as standard in many user terminals such as smartphones and can be synergistically used for the position determination. By integrating the acceleration twice, location information can be obtained. However, the accuracy of the acceleration measurement is limited, but this can be compensated by the third determination.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the second determination device may be configured to determine the approximate position change information using a compass (in particular in combination with the use of an acceleration sensor) of the user terminal. Such a compass is included in many user terminals such as smartphones by default and can be used synergistically for the position determination. Direction information regarding the movement of the user terminal can be obtained by the compass. However, the accuracy of the compass measurement is limited, but this can be compensated by the third determination.

According to one exemplary embodiment, the evaluation device can be set up to determine the approximate position by adding paths (for example determined by the acceleration sensor and the compass) from the user terminal starting from the reference position to a reference position determined by the first determination device. By a simple solution of an equation of motion of the user terminal, the approximate position change information, thus with little processor-technical effort, can thus be determined.

According to an embodiment, the third determination means may be arranged to determine the additional position information by detecting image information at a current position in the location area by an image capturing means of the user terminal. For example, by means of a camera already provided in many user terminals (for example smartphones) at least one image and / or at least one video can be recorded at the current position of the user terminal. So this is usually possible without hardware technical overhead. If the position of the user terminal is already approximately known, the exact position of the user terminal can be determined from the image, for example by matching the image with a location plan of the location area. However, without knowledge of the approximate position, this would only be associated with a high expenditure of time and computational effort, or possibly not even possible, since in a complex residence area (for example a hospital or a shopping center) extremely many residence positions are possible, which makes the determination of the current position alone would make a captured image difficult or impossible. However, if the position has already been limited by the determination of the approximate position, then the image information can be used to determine the actual position in or near a defined accuracy range.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the third determination device may be configured to determine the additional position information based on pattern recognition in the detected image information. For example, by automatic image processing, alignment lines of a captured image (e.g., in corridors of the location area) may be determined and compared to a predetermined location map in the location area to determine the exact location.

According to one exemplary embodiment, the third determination device may be configured to determine the additional position information based on a comparison of the detected image information with previously known information about the location region. For example, markers can be used with predetermined shape and / size be attached to different positions of the residence area, for example on the floor and / or the walls. By recording the image information, knowing the approximate location by means of a marker identified on the image information by means of image recognition, it is possible to identify where the user terminal is located exactly.

According to one exemplary embodiment, the evaluation device may be set up as an approximately position to determine a spatial area in the location area in which the user terminal is or was located taking into account a reliability range of the approximate position change information. The third determination device may then be limited to determining the additional spatial information (if the position of the user terminal has not changed between the determination of the position change information and the additional position information) or based on the determined spatial region (if the position of the user Terminal has changed between the determination of the position change information and the additional position information).

According to one exemplary embodiment, the evaluation device may be set up to perform a pre-refinement of the determined approximate position before determining the more precise position by delimiting the approximate position by taking into account previously known information regarding the location area. For example, the approximate position around an average may have a circular uncertainty range, for example. However, if the location plan is known in a building or complex of buildings (for example the position of walls between which corridors and spaces are delineated, the area of uncertainty can be further refined if, for example, areas of the circle indicating the area of uncertainty pass through walls. However, since a user can only move with his user terminal in a corridor or a room, but not through walls, this can reduce the area of inaccuracy prior to further refinement by adding the additional position information, thus excluding virtually impossible areas of uncertainty increases the accuracy and reduces the computing time in determining the more accurate position.

In one embodiment, the user terminal may include a service provider configured to provide the user terminal with a location-based service based on the determined location. Based on the determined current position of the user terminal, important or interesting information can be provided accurately for the user. For example, if a user walks past a restaurant through a mall, the user may be informed by a pop-up message that the restaurant is currently offering special offers or discounts.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the user terminal may have a navigation device that is set up to navigate the user terminal in the location area based on positions determined at different points in time. For example, a user may specify a destination in a location area (eg, a hospital, hotel, or mall) and then may be directed to the destination by audible and / or visual displays or outputs using the determined location information. This is advantageously also possible according to an exemplary starting example of the invention if a user is located in a building in which navigation by means of GPS is not possible. The possibility of navigation, which is opened according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, makes the provision of complex arrangements of signs in buildings or building complexes such as hospitals or hotels completely or partially dispensable.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the reference position information may be indicative of the at least one reference position of the user terminal at at least a first time (for example, an origin for determining the position, such as a time of entering the location area), wherein the determined position of the user terminal is refers to another second time that is later in time than the first time. The second time may relate to the determination of the additional position information or an end of the period of the determination of the position change information.

According to one embodiment, the user terminal may be a portable (i.e., user-carried) device, particularly a mobile device or a tablet PC. However, the user terminal is not limited to these applications. Such devices often contain hardware components that can be shared synergistically for position determination in an arrangement according to the invention.

According to one embodiment, in the location area, a position determination of the user terminal by the Global Positioning System (GPS) may not be in compliance a predetermined accuracy criterion possible or at least temporarily impossible. This is the case when the residence area is a building or complex of buildings. Since there GPS is not possible, not reliable, or not sufficiently accurate, a navigation gap can be closed by embodiments of the invention, while a user is located with his user terminal in a building or complex of buildings.

According to one embodiment, the residence area may be or include a building or building complex, in particular selected from the group consisting of a shopping center, a public facility, a hotel and a hospital. Since GPS radio signals often can not penetrate sufficiently into such buildings due to low signal strengths or the occurrence of reflections, the position determination of a user terminal by means of sound waves is particularly advantageous in such an environment.

According to one embodiment, the determination of the position can be done exclusively by the user terminal. In other words, a special adaptation of the location area is then unnecessary in order to still allow the user terminal to determine its position in the same. In particular, it is possible to perform the position determination using conventional user terminals, which are equipped only with a corresponding software application.

According to an embodiment, the user terminal may include recognizing means for recognizing the presence or absence of the possibility of determining the position of the user terminal by the Global Positioning System (GPS). The recognizer may be further configured to initiate the position determination of the user terminal by the global positioning system in the case of detecting the presence of the user terminal by means of the above-described detection processes in case of detecting the nonexistence. If the user terminal includes a GPS module for positioning by the Global Positioning System (GPS) and recognizes the GPS module that positioning using GPS is currently not possible or not with sufficient accuracy (for example, because the user is using the User terminal in a building in which the GPS radio waves do not penetrate in sufficient strength to allow a reliable position determination by means of GPS), the recognizer (for example a processor of the user terminal) can recognize this fact and the operation of the Switch user terminal to position determination using the above discovery processes. It is also possible that the recognition device recognizes that the position determination by means of GPS is possible again at a later time (for example because the user together with the user terminal has left the building). The recognition device can then switch the operation of the user terminal back to position determination by means of GPS.

The arrangement may also include the residence area, in particular a building, as part of the arrangement. The arrangement may in particular comprise a communication network, further in particular formed by a plurality of communicably coupled nodes, wherein a user terminal may represent such a node and the arrangement may comprise one or more further nodes.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the following figures.

1 shows an arrangement for determining the position of a user terminal in a building according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

2 shows a user terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

3 and 4 show image data taken by a user terminal as a basis for determining additional position information according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

The same or similar components in different figures are provided with the same reference numerals.

Before embodiments shown in the figures are explained, some aspects of embodiments of the invention will be explained in more detail.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a location-based services (LBS) method is provided for use in buildings, building complexes, and the like (e.g., in tunnels or means of transportation, e.g., subway). An exemplary embodiment can be implemented, for example, by means of a corresponding software application on a conventional mobile phone, without this having additional Hardware must have. One aspect according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention is to be able to determine a precise position information of the user terminal only by means of the user terminal, without the need for additional hardware extensions of the user terminal are required.

• (1) Das Nutzer-Endgerät kann hierbei zunächst über die Möglichkeit verfügen, an einem oder mehreren bestimmten Ankerpunkten (zum Beispiel ein Gebäudeeingang, ein Aufzug, etc.) die Position (auch Referenzposition genannt) zum Beispiel über schall- oder funkbasierte Beacons, einen an der Wand angebrachten QR-Code, GPS in der Nähe des Gebäude-Eingangs, etc. zu ermitteln. Diese Positionsermittlung an einem oder wenigen Ankerpunkten ermöglicht allerdings noch keine Navigation im Gebäude.
• (2) Das Nutzer-Endgerät kann ferner über einen Kompass und Beschleunigungssensoren verfügen. Sowohl Kompass als auch Beschleunigungssensoren funktionieren auch im Gebäude, sind allerdings in der Genauigkeit beschränkt. Dennoch lässt sich aus der Beschleunigung die Geschwindigkeit und aus dieser in Kombination mit der Bewegungsrichtung (ermittelt mittels des Kompasses) näherungsweise die jeweils aktuelle Position ermitteln, indem die errechneten zurückgelegten Wege zu der in (1) ermittelten Referenzposition addiert werden.
• (3) Das Nutzer-Endgerät kann darüber hinaus über eine Kamera verfügen, die insbesondere den Bereich vor dem Benutzer erfassen kann. Im Fall eines Mobiltelefons kann dies zum Beispiel die Hauptkamera sein, die in der Regel nach schräg unten zeigt, während das Nutzer-Endgerät für Navigationszwecke benutzt wird. Aus dem von der Kamera erfassten Bild können ggf. mittels einer Methode der Bildverarbeitung (zum Beispiel einer Hough-Transformation oder ähnlicher bekannter Technologien) Linien oder andere Strukturmerkmale extrahiert werden, bevor das Bild mit einem im Nutzer-Endgerät vorhandenen Gebäudeplan verglichen wird (dies ist jedoch optional).
• (4) Basierend auf der mittels (1) und (2) ermittelten ungefähren Position ist es dem Nutzer-Endgerät (zum Beispiel einem Handy) möglich, durch Vergleich des Fotos bzw. der im Foto erkennbaren Linien mit dem gespeicherten Gebäudeplan die tatsächliche genaue Position zu ermitteln.
• (5) Die Kamera alleine könnte die Position nicht mit mäßigem Prozessoraufwand und in kurzer Zeit ermitteln, da es in großen Gebäuden zu viele ähnliche optische Situationen gibt. Erst die Kombination des Kamerabilds mit der vorher bekannten ungefähren Position macht die Ermittlung der genauen Position mit geringem rechentechnischen Aufwand und somit in kurzer Verarbeitungszeit möglich.
• (6) Alternativ oder ergänzend zu den architektonisch vorgegebenen Linien im Foto können ggf. auch Markierungen auf dem Boden genutzt werden

A position detection system according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention may be implemented on any mobile phone without the need for additional hardware.

• (1) In this case, the user terminal can first of all have the possibility at one or more specific anchor points (for example a building entrance, an elevator, etc.) of the position (also referred to as the reference position), for example via sound or radio-based beacons wall-mounted QR code, GPS near the building entrance, etc. to determine. However, this position determination at one or a few anchor points does not yet allow navigation in the building.
• (2) The user terminal may further have a compass and acceleration sensors. Both compass and acceleration sensors work in the building, but are limited in accuracy. Nevertheless, the speed can be determined from the acceleration and from this in combination with the direction of movement (determined by means of the compass) approximately the current position by adding the calculated distances traveled to the reference position determined in (1).
• (3) The user terminal may also have a camera that can detect the area in front of the user in particular. In the case of a mobile phone, for example, this may be the main camera, which generally points obliquely down while the user terminal is used for navigation purposes. From the image captured by the camera, lines or other features may be extracted by means of a method of image processing (for example, a Hough transform or similar known technologies) before the image is compared with a building plan present in the user terminal (this is however optional).
• (4) Based on the approximate position determined by (1) and (2), it is possible for the user terminal (for example, a mobile phone) to compare the photos or the lines recognizable in the photograph with the stored floor plan, the actual exact position to investigate.
• (5) The camera alone could not detect the position with a moderate amount of processor overhead and in a short time because there are too many similar optical situations in large buildings. Only the combination of the camera image with the previously known approximate position makes it possible to determine the exact position with little computational effort and thus in a short processing time.
• (6) Alternatively or in addition to the architecturally prescribed lines in the photo, markings on the floor may also be used

1 shows an arrangement 150 for determining the position of a user terminal 100 in a building as an example of a residence area 104 according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

This in 1 The scenario shown refers to a user 102 a trained here as a smartphone user terminal 100 is located in the entrance area of a shopping center, which is the residence area 104 forms. The residence area 104 is through walls 114 , Inside rooms 116 and in between delineated corridors 118 Are defined. An appropriate location plan of the residence area 104 who has the positions and sizes of the walls 114 , Inside rooms 116 and gears 118 contains, is available in electronic form and may be the user terminal 100 via a communication network (for example, a mobile network or the Internet). Outside the residence area 104 is the position determination of the user terminal 100 possible by GPS. Appropriate satellites 152 are schematic in 1 and are due to absorption or reflection phenomena, etc., not able to position the user terminal 100 within the building of the residence area 104 contribute sufficiently reliably. If the user 102 with his user terminal 100 through an entrance 154 of the residence area 104 moved through (ie when entering the residence area 104 ), represents the user terminal 100 automatically from position determination by means of GPS to position determination in the manner described in more detail below, and vice versa (ie when leaving the residence area 104 will be switched back to position determination via GPS). This switching may be based on detection logic of the user terminal 100 be carried out, which can determine based on an attempted receiving GPS signals, whether position detection by means of GPS currently possible or not possible (in particular with sufficient accuracy is possible or not possible).

In the 1 illustrated arrangement 150 for determining a position of the user 102 of the user terminal 100 in the residence area 104 (in the manner described below) and outside the residence area 104 (for example by means of GPS) points next to the user terminal 100 also the residence area 104 and in particular one in the residence area 104 arranged information providing device 106 . 110 . 112 on. This serves to provide reference position information to the user terminal 100 ,

The information providing device 106 . 110 . 112 thus makes it possible in the way of providing reference position information, the user terminal 100 at an initial time (for example when entering the residence area 104 by passing through a respective input 154 in an entrance area 108 of the residence area 104 ) to provide the information at which position the user terminal 101 and its user 102 is at the start or reference time. For this purpose, the information providing device 106 . 110 . 112 one (or more) formed for example as a QR code code 106 in the recording area 104 that the user has 102 by means of his user terminal 100 (a smartphone, which usually includes hardware and software for scanning and evaluating such QR codes) may use the current reference position of the user terminal 100 to investigate. Alternatively or additionally, the information providing device 106 . 110 . 112 a plurality of speakers 110 as beacons that can emit certain sound signals (for example, masked by music or speech) that are a speaker of the user terminal 100 can receive. By evaluating transit time measurements of the individual sound waves, the user terminal can 100 thus at known positions of the speakers 110 and determine its reference position with known characteristics of the emitted sound signals. Furthermore, the information providing device 106 . 110 . 112 marker 112 with specific shape and size, which are located at different locations of the residence area 104 are attached, in the example shown in the corridors 118 , By taking image information through a camera of the user terminal 100 can be single markers 112 be detected, which may also serve a reference position of the user terminal 100 to investigate.

Alternatively or additionally, determining an initial or reference position of the user terminal 100 also independent of hardware in the area of the residence area 104 take place, for example, by a last determined by GPS position of the user terminal 100 before entering the building of the residence area 104 ,

The residence area 104 moreover has a control device 160 (For example, a server computer or a processor), which is a storage device 164 for storing data (for example containing the electronic location plan of the residence area 104 ) having. Furthermore, with the control device 160 a communication interface 162 operatively connected via which the control device 160 by means of a communication network (for example the Internet or a mobile radio network) with communication partner devices, for example the user terminal 100 , can communicate and exchange data.

2 shows a detailed representation of the user terminal 100 according to 1 , The user terminal 100 serves to determine a current position of the user terminal 100 with leading user 102 in the residence area 104 ,

For this purpose, the user terminal 100 a first determination device 200 for determining reference position information indicative of the reference position of the user terminal 100 at a certain time, for example when entering the residence area 104 through a respective entrance 154 , is. As described above, the information providing device 106 . 110 . 112 of the residence area 104 Optionally contribute to this. A microphone 222 the user terminal 100 is used to receive sound waves, for example to be able to determine a reference position in the manner described above, by the speakers 110 of the residence area 104 emitted sound waves are detected and evaluated. Also includes the user terminal 100 a speaker 224 with which, for example, during a navigation application a user 102 of the user terminal 100 by means of acoustic outputs to a destination in the residence area 104 can be directed. The speaker 224 However, it can also be used to send out sound signals coming from in 1 not shown microphones of the residence area 104 can be detected to a reference position of the user terminal by means of an acoustic transit time measurement 100 to determine. These then on the part of the residence area 104 Determined reference position can via communication interfaces 162 . 230 from the residence area 104 to the user terminal 100 transmitted to the first investigator 200 to get redirected. Furthermore, it is by means of an image recording device 212 , for example a camera, of the user terminal 100 possible, the code 106 (such as a QR code) at certain anchor points of the residence area 104 to scan and evaluate to a coded therein reference position of the respective code 106 and thus the user terminal 100 at the time of scanning. Alternatively, the user terminal 100 the reference position but also without contribution of the residence area 104 determine, for example by means of GPS at a respective input 154 , The user terminal 100 contains a GPS module 220 with which the user terminal 100 can determine such a position by means of GPS, provided the user 102 of the user terminal 100 is outside a building or in the entrance area of the building.

Furthermore, the user terminal has 100 a second determination device 202 for determining approximate position change information indicative of a change in position due to movement of the user terminal 100 with his users 102 from the reference position to another position at a later time in the residence area 104 is. The second determining device 202 More precisely, the approximate position change information is set using an acceleration sensor 208 of the user terminal 100 to determine the acceleration information during the movement of the user terminal 100 detected from the reference position to the current position. The second determining device 202 is also set up to determine the approximate position change information also from a compass 210 of the user terminal 100 detected directional information of the movement, starting from the reference position to flow into the later position.

An evaluation device 206 of the user terminal 100 is for determining at first a changed as a result of the movement relative to the reference position, approximate position of the user terminal 100 based on the first determination means 200 determined reference position information and by means of the second detection means 202 determined approximate position change information set up. More precisely, the evaluation device determines 206 the approximate position, using sensor data obtained by means of the acceleration sensor 208 and the compass 210 be evaluated, evaluated. This evaluation is done in a way that of the user terminal 100 starting from the reference position traveled partial paths to the means of the first detection means 200 determined reference position vectorially (ie taking into account one or more changing directions of movement of the user terminal 100 ) are added. In this case, an error range of the determined approximate position is not inconsiderable, which is due to the limited detection accuracy of the acceleration sensor 208 and compass 210 a commercial user terminal 100 , which is due to a software app for carrying out the method according to the invention, is due.

To get from the approximate position a refined, more precise or more accurate current position of the user terminal 100 at a later time later than the starting time is in the user terminal 100 a third determination device 204 provided for determining additional position information. After determining the approximate position is the approximate location of the user terminal 100 in the residence area 104 known. Due to the error range (for example, a circular or otherwise shaped area around a most probable position, the radius of the circle or the extent of the otherwise-shaped area being the measurement inaccuracy of the approximate position change information by the acceleration sensor 208 and the compass 210 However, a more accurate position determination should be carried out.

However, an additional measurement of additional data for improving the accuracy of the position determination at the current time may optionally be preceded by a pre-refinement procedure: The evaluation device 206 Namely, it may be arranged to perform a pre-refinement of the determined approximate position prior to the determination of the more precise position by determining the approximate position by taking into account prior information regarding the location area 104 is limited. As mentioned above, the site plan is the location of interiors 116 , Gears 118 , Walls 114 , etc., of the residence area 104 in electronic form in the storage device 164 of the residence area 104 present. Such map information may be provided to the user terminal 100 via a communication network (for example the Internet or a mobile radio network) and in a storage device 232 of the user terminal 100 get saved. Knows the user terminal 100 the location plan of the residence area 104 Thus, based on this knowledge, it can narrow the range of uncertainty by providing areas of this uncertainty area in which the user terminal 100 and the user 102 can not be located (for example in walls 114 or in particular, for users 102 inaccessible interiors 116 inside the building), are excluded as impossible positions of residence.

With the determination of the approximate position and the optional refinement, the data space can thus be actually possible positions of the user terminal 100 be significantly reduced.

A third determination device 204 may be for determining additional position information by detecting image information at a current position of the user terminal 100 in the residence area 104 by means of the image recording device 212 of the user terminal 100 be furnished. More specifically, a camera or can use multiple cameras as an image capture device 212 the trained as a smartphone user terminal 100 Pictures or videos at the current location of the user terminal 100 and thus the user 102 take up. The third investigator 204 can determine the additional position information based on a pattern recognition in the detected image information. For this purpose, one of the image pickup device 212 recorded and in 3 shown raw picture 300 be analyzed by methods of pattern recognition or image processing, thereby, for example, edges 402 to identify, as in an in 4 shown modified image 400 shown. Is the means of the third determination device 204 determined image information including the result of the pattern recognition with previously known information about the residence area 104 according to the stored location plan compared, so the additional position information can be obtained. In this regard, it should be noted that the determination of the actual position of the user terminal 100 with high accuracy by the image pickup device 112 not or only with a very high time and data processing effort could be determined, if not already the (preferably already pre-refined) approximate position of the user terminal 100 would be known. This is because in a complex residence area 104 - like a shopping center or a hospital - very many aisles 118 , Walls 114 and interiors 116 are present, so that the pattern recognition of all possible positions would be linked to a high computational effort. By the data space in terms of possible actual positions but by the approximate position determination by determining the opposite to a total extent of the residence area 104 has already been significantly reduced to a much smaller uncertainty range, the means of the image recording device 112 captured image information only within the (optionally already pre-refined) inaccuracy are already analyzed, if the position of the user terminal 100 between the recording of the data for determining the approximate position change information and the recording of the data for determining the additional position information has not changed. Should, however, the position of the user terminal 100 between the recording of the data for determining the approximate position change information and the recording of the data for determining the additional position information further changed (for example, because the user 102 has continued in the meantime), so the approximate position including error range for the determination of the further changed current position is still helpful, especially if by means of the second determining means 202 Further approximate position change information was determined with respect to said intermediate time.

Thus, in the manner described by means of the evaluation device 206 a more precise position determined by refining the determined approximate position by means of the additional position information.

As in 2 shown points the user terminal 100 furthermore a navigation device 216 on which to navigate the user's terminal 100 within the residence area 104 is established based on determined at different times positions. In other words, in the manner described above, the position of the user terminal 100 be determined several times and with knowledge of the determined respective position of the user 102 of the user terminal 100 to a desired destination within the residence area 104 be guided. This can be done by an audible and / or visual output to the user terminal 100 What the speaker does for 224 or an optical display device 226 (For example, an LCD display) can be used.

In addition, the user terminal points 100 a service delivery facility 214 which is set up, the user terminal 100 provide a location-based service based on the particular location. For example, a patient may be considered a user 102 who passes through a hospital as a residence area 104 moves, for example, when he passes by a doctor's room in which a the user 102 doctor just has office hours that for the user 102 Physician in the doctor's room for a meeting is now available.

In 2 It is further shown that the user terminal 100 has further components. An input device 228 , for example a touch screen, of the user terminal 100 allows the user 102 the input of control commands to the user terminal 100 , Further, in the user terminal 100 Hardware for implementing mobile calls implemented (not shown). A power supply, for example a rechargeable battery, is also in the user terminal 100 provided (not shown). The storage device 232 For example, an electronic mass storage device based on semiconductor devices that is communicable with a processor 218 is formed, in which the individual detection devices 200 . 202 . 204 as well as the evaluation device 206 , etc. as logical sections or components of the processor 218 are integrated.

In addition, it should be noted that "having" does not exclude other elements or steps, and "a" or "an" does not exclude a multitude. It should also be appreciated that features or steps described with reference to any of the above embodiments may also be used in combination with other features or steps of other embodiments described above. Reference signs in the claims are not to be considered as limiting.

Claims (23)

User terminal ( 100 ) for determining a position of a user ( 102 ) of the user terminal ( 100 ) in a residence area ( 104 ), the user terminal ( 100 ) comprises: a first determination device ( 200 ) for determining reference position information that is indicative of at least one reference position of the user terminal ( 100 ) in the residence area ( 104 ); a second determination device ( 202 ) for determining approximate position change information that is indicative of a change in a position of the user terminal ( 100 ) in the residence area ( 104 ); a third determination device ( 204 ) for determining additional position information after the change of the position of the user terminal ( 100 ) in the residence area ( 104 ); and an evaluation device ( 206 ) for determining the position of the user terminal ( 100 ) in the residence area ( 102 by: determining an approximate position based on the reference position information and the approximate position change information, and subsequently determining a more precise position by refining the determined approximate position using the additional position information. User terminal ( 100 ) according to claim 1, wherein the first determination device ( 200 ) is arranged to determine the reference position information by means of at least one of a group, which consists of: - a sound wave-based determination of reference position information, in particular by means of a transit time measurement of sound waves and / or a data extraction from sound waves; - Determining based on electromagnetic waves determination of reference position information, in particular by means of a transit time measurement of electromagnetic waves and / or a data extraction from electromagnetic waves; A detection of a code indicative of the reference position ( 106 ) in the recording area ( 104 ), in particular a barcode, further in particular a one-dimensional barcode or a two-dimensional barcode; A detection by means of the Global Positioning System (GPS), in particular in an entrance area ( 108 ) of the residence area ( 104 ). User terminal ( 100 ) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second determining device ( 202 ) is arranged, the approximate position change information using an acceleration sensor ( 208 ) of the user terminal ( 100 ) to investigate. User terminal ( 100 ) according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the second determination device ( 202 ), the approximate position change information using a compass ( 210 ) of the user terminal ( 100 ) to investigate. User terminal ( 100 ) according to claims 3 and 4, wherein the evaluation device ( 206 ) is arranged to determine the approximate position by means of the acceleration sensor ( 208 ) and the compass ( 210 ), from the user terminal ( 100 ) by means of the first investigation facility ( 200 ) are added. User terminal ( 100 ) according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the third determining device ( 204 ) for determining the additional position information by detecting image information at a current position in the location area (FIG. 104 ) by means of an image recording device ( 212 ) of the user terminal ( 100 ) is set up. User terminal ( 100 ) according to claim 6, wherein the third determination device ( 204 ) is arranged to determine the additional position information based on pattern recognition in the detected image information. User terminal ( 100 ) according to claim 6 or 7, wherein said third detection means ( 204 ) for determining the additional position information based on a comparison of the detected image information with previously known information about the residence area ( 104 ) is set up. User terminal ( 100 ) according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the evaluation device ( 206 ) is arranged, when determining the position to increase an accuracy of the approximate position by means of the additional position information. User terminal ( 100 ) according to one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the evaluation device ( 206 ) is arranged as an approximate position a space area in the residence area ( 104 ), in which the user terminal ( 100 ) is or has been located in consideration of a reliability range of the approximate position change information; and the third determination device ( 204 ) is arranged to determine the additional position information limited to or based on the determined space area. User terminal ( 100 ) according to one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the evaluation device ( 206 ) is set up to perform a pre-refinement of the determined approximate position before the determination of the more precise position by determining the approximate position by taking into account previously known information regarding the residence area ( 104 ) is limited. User terminal ( 100 ) according to one of claims 1 to 11, comprising a service providing device ( 214 ), which is set up, the user terminal ( 100 ) to provide a location based service based on the particular location. User terminal ( 100 ) according to one of claims 1 to 12, comprising a navigation device ( 216 ) used to navigate the user terminal ( 100 ) in the residence area ( 104 ) is set up based on positions determined at different times. User terminal ( 100 ) according to one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the reference position information indicative of the at least one reference position of the user terminal ( 100 ) is at least a first time, wherein the determined position of the user terminal ( 100 ) refers to a second time that is later in time than the at least one first time. User terminal ( 100 ) according to one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the user terminal ( 100 ) is a portable device, in particular a mobile device or a tablet PC. Arrangement ( 150 ) for determining a position of a user ( 102 ) of a user terminal ( 100 ) in a residence area ( 104 ), the arrangement ( 150 ): the user terminal ( 100 ) according to any one of claims 1 to 15; one in the residence area ( 104 ) arranged or to be arranged ( 106 . 110 . 112 ) for providing the reference position information and / or for providing auxiliary information for determining the additional position information to the user terminal ( 100 ) is set up. Arrangement ( 150 ) according to claim 16, further comprising the residence area ( 104 ). Method for determining a position of a user ( 102 ) of a user terminal ( 100 ) in a residence area ( 104 ), the method comprising: determining reference position information indicative of at least one reference position of the user terminal ( 100 ) in the residence area ( 104 ); Determining approximate position change information that is indicative of a change in a position of the user terminal ( 100 ) in the residence area ( 104 ); Determining an approximate position based on the reference position information and the approximate position change information; Determining additional position information after the change of the position of the user terminal ( 100 ) in the residence area ( 104 ); Determining a more precise position by refining the determined approximate position using the additional position information. Method according to claim 18, wherein in the residence area ( 104 ) a position determination of the user terminal ( 100 ) is not possible or at least temporarily impossible by the Global Positioning System (GPS) while maintaining a predetermined accuracy criterion. Method according to claim 18 or 19, wherein the residence area ( 104 ) comprises a building or a building complex, in particular selected from the group consisting of a shopping center, a public facility, a hotel and a hospital. Method according to one of the claims 18 to 20, wherein the determining is carried out exclusively by the user terminal ( 100 ) he follows. Computer-readable storage medium in which a program for determining a position of a user ( 102 ) of a user terminal ( 100 ) in a residence area ( 104 ), which program, if it is from one or more processors ( 218 . 160 ) is executed, the method according to any one of claims 18 to 21 performs or controls. Program element for determining a position of a user ( 102 ) of a user terminal ( 100 ) in a residence area ( 104 ), which program element, if it is from one or more processors ( 218 . 160 ) is executed, the method according to any one of claims 18 to 21 performs or controls.

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