Positioning apparatus, positioning method and storage medium for positioning of pedestrian by autonomous navigation

A positioning apparatus comprising:

• an autonomous navigation sensor which is held by a walking body and which performs detection regarding walking movement and direction;
• a satellite positioning section which performs positioning by receiving a signal from a positioning satellite;
• a step length calculating section which performs measurement regarding walking movement based on output from the autonomous navigation sensor while the walking body moves between two points where positioning is performed by the satellite positioning section, and which calculates a step length of the walking body based on position data of the two points and the measurement result regarding the walking movement;
• a step length data storage section which stores step length data representing the step length calculated by the step length calculating section;
• and
• an autonomous navigation positioning section which calculates a movement direction for each step based on the output of the autonomous navigation sensor, calculates a movement distance for each step based on the output of the autonomous navigation sensor and the step length data, and performs positioning based on the calculated movement direction and the calculated movement distance;
• wherein the step length calculating section includes a displacement angle calculating section which calculates for each step a displacement angle of the movement direction caused by a difference in stepping direction between a left foot and a right foot based on the output of the autonomous navigation sensor;
• and
• wherein the step length calculating section calculates the step length for each step along a path as movement along a path bent in a zigzag shape according to the displacement angle, between the two points.

A positioning method to perform positioning of a walking body using an autonomous navigation sensor which is held by the walking body and which performs detection regarding walking movement and direction, and a step length data storage section which stores step length data representing a step length of the walking body, the method comprising:

• calculating a movement distance of the walking body based on output of the autonomous navigation sensor and the step length data;
• and
• calculating a movement direction based on the output of the autonomous navigation sensor;
• wherein calculating the movement direction comprises calculating the movement direction for each step based on the output of the autonomous navigation sensor;
• wherein calculating the movement distance comprises calculating for each step a displacement angle of the movement direction caused by a difference in stepping direction between a left foot and a right foot based on the output of the autonomous navigation sensor;
• and
• wherein calculating the movement distance comprises correcting a value of the step length data so that the step length is larger as the displacement angle becomes larger to calculate a movement distance for each step.

A positioning method to perform positioning of a walking body by autonomous navigation using an autonomous navigation sensor which is held by the walking body and which performs detection regarding walking movement and direction, and a satellite positioning section which performs positioning by receiving a signal from a positioning satellite, the method comprising:

• calculating a step length, which comprises performing measurement regarding walking movement based on output from the autonomous navigation sensor while the walking body moves between two points where positioning is performed by the satellite positioning section, and calculating a step length of the walking body based on position data of the two points and a measurement result regarding the walking movement;
• storing in a storage section step length data representing the calculated step length;
• and
• performing autonomous navigation positioning, which comprises calculating a movement direction for each step based on the output of the autonomous navigation sensor, calculating a movement distance for each step based on the output of the autonomous navigation sensor and the step length data, and performing positioning based on the calculated movement direction and the calculated movement distance;
• wherein calculating the step length comprises calculating for each step a displacement angle of the movement direction caused by a difference in stepping direction between a left foot and a right foot based on the output of the autonomous navigation sensor;
• and
• wherein calculating the step length comprises calculating the step length for each step along a path as movement along a path bent in a zigzag shape according to the displacement angle, between the two points.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program to control a computer connected to an autonomous navigation sensor which is configured to be held by a walking body and which performs detection regarding walking movement and direction, and a step length data storage section which stores step length data representing a step length of the walking body, the program controlling the computer to perform functions comprising:

• calculating a movement distance of the walking body based on output of the autonomous navigation sensor and the step length data;
• and
• calculating a movement direction based on the output of the autonomous navigation sensor;
• wherein calculating the movement direction comprises calculating the movement direction for each step based on the output of the autonomous navigation sensor;
• wherein calculating the movement distance comprises calculating for each step a displacement angle of the movement direction caused by a difference in stepping direction between a left foot and a right foot based on the output of the autonomous navigation sensor;
• and
• wherein calculating the movement distance comprises correcting a value of the step length data so that the step length is larger as the displacement angle becomes larger to calculate a movement distance for each step.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program to control a computer connected to an autonomous navigation sensor which is configured to be held by a walking body and which performs detection regarding walking movement and direction, and a satellite positioning section which performs positioning by receiving a signal from a positioning satellite, the program controlling the computer to perform functions comprising:

• calculating a step length, which comprises performing measurement regarding walking movement based on output from the autonomous navigation sensor while the walking body moves between two points where positioning is performed by the satellite positioning section, and calculating a step length of the walking body based on position data of the two points and a measurement result regarding the walking movement;
• storing in a storage section step length data representing the calculated step length;
• and
• performing autonomous navigation positioning, which comprises calculating a movement direction for each step based on the output of the autonomous navigation sensor, calculating a movement distance for each step based on the output of the autonomous navigation sensor and the step length data, and performing positioning based on the calculated movement direction and the calculated movement distance;
• wherein calculating the step length comprises calculating for each step a displacement angle of the movement direction caused by a difference in stepping direction between a left foot and a right foot based on the output of the autonomous navigation sensor;
• and
• wherein calculating the step length comprises calculating the step length for each step along a path as movement along a path bent in a zigzag shape according to the displacement angle, between the two points.