Portable terminal apparatus and the positional information communication method using it

• US 20010050631A1
• Filed: 06/05/2001
• Published: 12/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Increment P Corporation (Pioneer Corporation), Pioneer Corporation
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Inventors: Takenaga, Takashi
• Granted Patent: US 6,563,459 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.31
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0072 Transmission between mobile stations, e.g. anti-collision systems

Abstract

A portable terminal apparatus which can communicate one'"'"'s current location on a map to the party on the other end of a cellular phone line with a little amount of transmitting data is provided. In the apparatus, a positional information acquiring device acquires positional information. Then, a transmitting device transmits the acquired positional information to other portable terminal apparatuses. Further, a receiving device receives the positional information transmitted from other portable terminal apparatuses. Then, a map data acquiring device acquires the map data in a predetermined range including the location shown by the received positional information. A displaying device displays the map data together with a mark that indicates the position shown by the received positional information.

Claims

1. A portable terminal apparatus comprising:

a positional information acquiring device for acquiring positional information;

a transmitting device for transmitting the acquired positional information to other portable terminal apparatuses;

a receiving device for receiving the positional information transmitted from other portable terminal apparatuses;

a map data acquiring device for acquiring the map data in a predetermined range including the location shown by the received positional information; and

a displaying device for displaying the map data together with a mark that indicates the position shown by the received positional information.

2. The portable terminal apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein the positional information acquiring device includes a GPS apparatus which obtains positional information of the portable terminal apparatus based on a wave from a satellite.

3. The portable terminal apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein the positional information acquiring device includes a positional information input unit used by a user to enter the positional information.

4. The portable terminal apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein

the portable terminal apparatus is provided as a cellular phone set and

the transmitting device comprises a transmission instruction input unit for a user to enter transmission instructions during a call and a transmission unit to transmit the positional information when the transmission instruction is entered.

5. The portable terminal apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein

the portable terminal apparatus is provided as a cellular phone set and

the transmitting device comprises an attaching device to attach the positional information to a message to be transmitted to other cellular phones and a transmission unit to transmit the positional information together with the message.

6. The portable terminal apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein the map data acquiring device comprises a map data storing device that stores acquired map data and a map data acquiring device for acquiring map data in a predetermined range from the map data storing device based on the positional information.

7. The portable terminal apparatus according to

claim 6

, wherein the map data storing device is a memory removable to the portable terminal apparatus.

8. The portable terminal apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein the map data acquiring device comprises a transmitting device for transmitting the positional information to the site that provides map data via the internet and an acquiring device for acquiring map data in a predetermined range from the site that provides the map information.

9. A positional information communication method for communicating positional information between a portable terminal apparatus equipped with a GPS apparatus on a transmission side and another portable terminal apparatus on a reception side, the method comprising the processes of:

acquiring positional information that shows the current location of the portable terminal apparatus using the GPS apparatus;

transmitting the positional information to the terminal apparatus on the reception side from the terminal apparatus on the transmission side;

receiving the positional information in the terminal apparatus on the reception side;

acquiring map data in a predetermined range including the location shown by the positional information; and

displaying the map data acquired together with a mark that indicates the location shown by the positional information.