Terminal unit, position display method, information providing system, and information providing method

• US 20010024957A1
• Filed: 05/16/2001
• Published: 09/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kawamoto, Yoji
• Granted Patent: US 6,907,255 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.6
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services

Abstract

A radiocommunication system including a portable terminal, a base station and a server. The portable terminal transmits a destination to the server and further sends the ID number (CS ID) of the base station coupled through a radio link to the portable terminal. The server has a table representative of a corresponding relationship between the ID number of the base station and the standing position of the base station and retrieves the position corresponding to the ID number thereof as the present position of the portable terminal from the table. Further, the server transmits map data corresponding to the present position of the portable terminal to the portable terminal.

Claims

1. A terminal unit comprising:

detection means for detecting a signal to be used for determination of a present position;

transmission means for transmitting said signal detected by said detection means to an external processing unit to determine the present position;

reception means for receiving position information on the present position, determined in said external processing unit; and

output means for combining said position information, said reception means receives, with map information and for outputting the combination result.

2. A terminal unit as defined in

claim 1

, wherein said reception means receives said map information from said external processing unit.

3. A terminal unit as defined in

claim 1

, further comprising azimuth detection means for detecting an azimuth.

4. A terminal unit as defined in

claim 1

, wherein said transmission means and said reception means are connected through a base station on a radiocommunication line to said external processing unit.

5. A terminal unit as defined in

claim 4

, wherein said detection means detects an identification number of said base station as said signal for the determination of the present position.

6. A terminal unit as defined in

claim 1

, wherein said transmission means and said reception means are connected through a base station on a radio telephone line to said external processing unit.

7. A terminal unit as defined in

claim 1

, wherein said detection means detects a radio wave from a satellite as said signal for the determination of the present position.

8. A terminal unit as defined in

claim 1

, wherein said detection means detects a radio wave from a beacon, which transmits traffic information, as said signal for the determination of the present position.

9. A position display method comprising:

a detection step of detecting a signal for determining a present position;

a transmission step of transmitting said signal detected through said detection step to an external processing unit/which determines the present position;

a reception step of receiving position information on the present position, determined in said external processing unit; and

an output step of combining the position information, said reception step receives, with map information to output the combination result.

10. A terminal unit comprising:

position detection means for detecting a present position;

transmission means for transmitting the present position detected by said position detection means to an external processing unit;

reception means for receiving map information including the present position from said external processing unit; and

output means for combining said map information received by said reception means with said position information detected by said position detection means and for outputting the combination result.

11. A position display method comprising:

a position detection step of detecting a present position;

a transmission step of transmitting the present position detected through said position detection step to an external processing unit;

a reception step of receiving map information including the present position from said external processing unit; and

an output step of combining the map information received through said reception step with position information detected through said position detection step and for outputting the combination result.

12. A terminal unit comprising:

input means for performing input of destination information;

transmission means for transmitting said destination information inputted through said input means to an external processing unit to calculate position information on a destination;

reception means for receiving said position information on said destination calculated in said external processing unit; and

output means for combining said position information received by said reception means with map information and for outputting the combination result.

13. A position display method comprising:

an input step for performing input of destination information;

a transmission step of transmitting said destination information inputted through said input step to an external processing unit which calculates position information on a destination;

a reception step of receiving said position information on said destination calculated in said external processing unit; and

an output step of combining said position information received through said reception step with map information to output the combination result.

14. A terminal unit comprising:

detection means for detecting a signal for determining a present position;

input means for performing input of destination information;

transmission means for transmitting the present position determining signal detected by said detection means and said destination information inputted through said input means to an external processing unit which determines present position information and destination position information;

reception means for receiving said present position information and said destination position information determined in said external processing unit; and

output means for combining said present position information and said destination position information received by said reception means with map information and for outputting the combination result.

15. A terminal unit as defined in

claim 14

, wherein said output means combines a present position and a destination position received by said reception means with map information with a scale allowing simultaneous output of said present position and said destination position and outputs the combination result.

16. A terminal unit as defined in

claim 14

, wherein said said destination position information includes a direction of said destination position from the present position.

17. A position display method comprising:

a detection step of detecting a signal for determining a present position;

an input step of performing input of destination information;

a transmission step of transmitting the present position determining signal detected through said detection step and said destination information inputted through said input step to an external processing unit which determines present position information and destination position information;

a reception step of receiving said present position information and said destination position information determined in said external processing unit; and

an output step of combining said present position information and said destination position information obtained through said reception step with map information to output the combination result.

18. An information providing system comprising:

reception means for receiving a signal indicative of a present position of a terminal unit connected through a communication line thereto;

determination means for determining the present position of said terminal unit on the basis of said signal said reception means receives; and

transmission means for transmitting the present position determined by said determination means to said terminal unit.

19. An information providing system as defined in

claim 18

, further comprising map selection means for selecting map information on the basis of the present position of said terminal unit determined by said determination means so that said transmission means adds said map information selected by said map selection means to present position information to transmit them to said terminal unit.

20. An information providing method comprising:

a reception step of receiving a signal indicative of a present position of a terminal unit connected via a communication line thereto;

a determination step of determining the present position of said terminal unit on the basis of said signal obtained through said reception step; and

a transmission step of transmitting the present position determined through said determination step to said terminal unit.