Positioning system, positioning apparatus, positioning information providing apparatus, positioning method, control program for positioning system, and computer readable recording medium having recorded therein control program for positioning system

A positioning information providing apparatus that provides a positioning apparatus that performs positioning utilizing positional information satellites with positioning information that the positioning apparatus uses in order to generate an initial position information indicating a general position of the positioning apparatus through a communication network and a base station mediating communication, the positioning information providing apparatus comprising:

• an orbit information acquiring section on a positioning information providing apparatus side acquiring orbit information indicating orbits of the positional information satellites;
• a reference-point-information storing unit on a positioning information providing apparatus side storing reference point information indicating coordinates of a reference point serving as a reference to calculate the initial position information;
• a satellite-direction-information generating section generating satellite direction information indicating elevation angles and azimuth angles of the positional information satellites at the reference point on the basis of the orbit information and the reference point information;
• a time information generating section generating time information indicting time when the positioning information providing apparatus generates the satellite direction information and satellite distance information;
• and
• a positioning information transmitting section transmitting the positioning information to the positioning apparatus in response to a request from the positioning apparatus.

A positioning apparatus that performs positioning utilizing positional information satellites, the positioning apparatus comprising:

• an orbit information acquiring section on a positioning apparatus side being configured to acquire orbit information;
• a reference-point-information storing unit on a positioning apparatus side storing the reference point information;
• a positioning information acquiring section being configured to acquire satellite direction information and time information from the positioning information satellite through a communication network;
• a satellite distance information generating unit being configured to generate satellite distance information indicating distances between a reference point and the positional information satellites on the basis of said reference point information and said satellite direction information;
• a satellite-general-position-information generating section being configured to generate satellite general position information indicating general positions of the positional information satellites at the time when the satellite direction is generated on the basis of said reference point information and said satellite direction information;
• a satellite-present-position-information generating section being configured to generate satellite-present-position- information indicating positions of the positional information satellites at a point when the positioning apparatus performs positioning on the basis of said orbit information;
• and
• an initial-position-information generating section being configured to generate initial position information on the basis of said reference point information, said satellite general position information, and said satellite present position information.

A positioning method comprising:

• Acquiring orbit information indicating orbits of the positional information satellites on a positioning information providing apparatus side S4 an orbit information acquiring section on said positioning information providing apparatus side of a positioning information providing apparatus, providing a positioning apparatus being configured to perform positioning utilizing positional information satellites with positioning information being used by send positioning apparatus to generate initial position information indicating a general position of said positioning apparatus through a communication network and a base station being configured to mediate communication;
• storing reference point information indicating coordinates of a reference point serving as a reference to calculate said initial position information indicating a general position of said positioning apparatus on said positioning information providing apparatus side by a reference-point-information storing unit on said positioning information providing apparatus side of said positioning information providing apparatus;
• a generating satellite direction information indicating elevation angles and azimuth angles of said positional information satellites at a reference point on the basis of said orbit information and said reference point information a satellite-direction-information generating section of said positioning information providing apparatus;
• generating time information indicating time when said positioning information providing apparatus generates said satellite direction information by a time information generating section of said positioning information providing apparatus;
• transmitting step said positioning information to said positioning apparatus in response to a request from said positioning apparatus by a positioning information transmitting section of said positioning information providing apparatus;
• acquiring orbit information on said positioning apparatus side by an orbit information acquiring section on said positioning apparatus side of said positioning apparatus;
• storing reference point information on said positioning apparatus side by a reference-point-information storing unit on said positioning apparatus side of said positioning apparatus;
• acquiring step said satellite direction information and said time information from said positioning information providing apparatus through said communication network by a positioning information acquiring section of said positioning apparatus;
• a satellite distance information generating step in which a satellite distance information generating unit of the positioning apparatus generates satellite distance information, which indicates distances between the reference point and the positional information satellites, on the basis of the reference point information and the satellite direction information;
• generating satellite distance information indicating distances between said reference point and said positional information satellites on the basis of said reference point information and said satellite direction information by a satellite-general-position-information generating section of the positioning apparatus;
• generating satellite general position information indicating general position of said positional information satellites at the time when the satellite direction is generated on the basis of said reference point information and said satellite direction information by a satellite-present-position-information generating section of said positioning apparatus;
• and
• generating satellite-present- position- information indicating position of said positional information satellites at a point when said positioning apparatus performs positioning on the basis of said orbit information by an initial-position-information generating section of said positioning apparatus.