Method of and system for providing position information
First Claim
1. In a position information providing system comprising a portable communications device capable of transmitting by radio communication position information representing the position of the device, and a position information providing device capable of receiving the position information transmitted from the portable communications device and transmitting the position information to one or a plurality of terminal communications units, a position information providing method characterized in that the method comprises the steps of:
- preparing by the portable communications device a list required for checking whether it is approved to provide the position information for said one or plurality of terminal communications units in response to an information input manipulation by the user, causing the portable communications device to transmit data as to the prepared list as converted to a radio signal to the position information providing device and causing the position information providing device to receive the list data and register the list data, and causing the position information providing device to check whether provision of the position information for the terminal communications unit is approved based on the registered list data, in response to a position information request command from the terminal communications unit and to transmit the position information as to the portable communications device to the terminal communications unit only when provision of the position information is found approved.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In the position information providing system of the invention, portable telephones A and B are connectable to a service center. The telephone A has a GPS processing circuit 21 for measuring the position of its own and a control circuit 10. The circuit 10 prepares position information based on the measurements obtained by the circuit 21, also prepares a list comprising the numbers of a plurality of telephones in response to an input manipulation by the user, and transmits the prepared list data to the center. When an information request signal is supplied from the telephone B to the center, the server transmits the position information as to the telephone A to the telephone B only when the number of the telephone B is not included in the list data. Thus, the system realized is adapted to reliably protect the privacy of the person carrying the telephone A.
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Citations
33 Claims
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1. In a position information providing system comprising a portable communications device capable of transmitting by radio communication position information representing the position of the device, and a position information providing device capable of receiving the position information transmitted from the portable communications device and transmitting the position information to one or a plurality of terminal communications units, a position information providing method characterized in that the method comprises the steps of:
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preparing by the portable communications device a list required for checking whether it is approved to provide the position information for said one or plurality of terminal communications units in response to an information input manipulation by the user, causing the portable communications device to transmit data as to the prepared list as converted to a radio signal to the position information providing device and causing the position information providing device to receive the list data and register the list data, and causing the position information providing device to check whether provision of the position information for the terminal communications unit is approved based on the registered list data, in response to a position information request command from the terminal communications unit and to transmit the position information as to the portable communications device to the terminal communications unit only when provision of the position information is found approved.
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2. In a position information providing system comprising a portable communications device capable of measuring position information representing the position of the device based on position data received from a plurality of position reference stations arranged on a satellite and/or the ground and transmitting the position information by radio communication, and a position information providing device capable of receiving and holding the position information transmitted from the portable communications device and transmitting the position information to one or a plurality of terminal communications units, a position information providing method characterized in that the method comprises the steps of:
causing the portable communications device to discontinue the position information measuring operation in response to a position measurement discontinuing manipulation by the user or upon arrival of a position measurement discontinuing time set by the user, and p1 causing the position information providing device to check, in response to a position information request command from the terminal communications unit, whether the position information as to the portable communications device is held by the position information providing device during a specified period of time before the reception of the command until the reception and to transmit the position information to the terminal communications unit only when the position information is found to be held during the specified period.
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3. A position information providing system comprising a portable communications device capable of transmitting by radio communication position information representing the position of the device, and a position information providing device capable of receiving the position information transmitted from the portable communications device and transmitting the position information to one or a plurality of terminal communications units, the portable communications device comprising:
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means for preparing a list required for checking whether it is approved to provide the position information for said one or plurality of terminal communications units in response to an information input manipulation by the user, and transmitting means for converting data as to the prepared list to a radio signal and transmitting the radio signal to the position information providing device, the position information providing device comprising;
means for receiving the list data from the portable communications device, list register means for registering the list data, information processing means for registering the received list data in the list register means, means for checking whether provision of the position information for the terminal communications unit is approved based on the list data registered in the list register means, in response to a position information request command from the terminal communications unit, and means for transmitting the position information as to the portable communications device to the terminal communications unit only when provision of the position information is found approved. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A position information providing system comprising a portable communications device capable of transmitting by radio communication position information representing the position of the device, and a position information providing device capable of receiving the position information transmitted from the portable communications device and transmitting the position information to one or a plurality of terminal communications units, the portable communications device comprising:
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means for receiving position data from a plurality of position reference stations arranged on a satellite and/or the ground, position measuring means for measuring the position information based on the position data received, transmitting means for converting the measured position information to a radio signal and transmitting the radio signal to the position information providing device, and control means for discontinuing the information measuring operation of the position measuring means in response to a position measurement discontinuing manipulation by the user, the position information providing device comprising;
means for receiving a position signal from the portable communications device, means for storing the position information as to the portable communications device, information processing means for performing the operation of storing the received position information in the storing means, checking means operable in response to a position information request command from the terminal communications unit to check whether the position information as to the portable communications device is stored in the storing means during a specified period of time before the reception of the command until the reception, and means for transmitting the position information to the terminal unit only when the position information as to the portable communications device is stored during the specified period of time. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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11. A position information providing system comprising a portable communications device capable of transmitting by radio communication position information representing the position of the device, and a position information providing device capable of receiving the position information transmitted from the portable communications device and transmitting the position information to one or a plurality of terminal communications units, the portable communications device comprising:
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means for receiving position data from a plurality of position reference stations arranged on a satellite and/or the ground, position measuring means for measuring the position information based on the position data received, time setting means for setting a position measurement discontinuing time input by the user, time detecting means for detecting arrival of the position measurement discontinuing time set by the time setting means, transmitting means for converting the measured position information to a radio signal and transmitting the radio signal to the position information providing device, and control means for discontinuing the information measuring operation of the position measuring means upon the time detecting means detecting arrival of the position measurement discontinuing time, the position information providing device comprising;
means for receiving the position information from the portable communications device, means for storing the position information as to the portable communications device, information processing means for performing the operation of storing the received position information in the storing means, checking means operable in response to a position information request command from the terminal communications unit to check whether the position information as to the portable communications device is stored in the storing means during a specified period of time before the reception of the command until the reception, and means for transmitting the position information to the terminal unit only when the position information as to the portable communications device is stored during the specified period of time. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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15. A portable communications device capable of transmitting by radio communication position information representing the position of the device to one or a plurality of terminal communications units via a position information providing device, the portable communications device comprising:
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means for preparing a list required for checking whether it is approved to provide the position information for said one or plurality of terminal communications units in response to an information input manipulation by the user, and transmitting means for converting data as to the prepared list to a radio signal and transmitting the radio signal to the position information providing device.
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16. A portable communications device capable of transmitting by radio communication position information representing the position of the device to one or a plurality of terminal communications units via a position information providing device, the portable communications device comprising:
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means for receiving position data from a plurality of position reference stations arranged on a satellite and/or the ground, position measuring means for measuring the position information based on the position data received, transmitting means for converting the measured position information to a radio signal and transmitting the radio signal to the position information providing device, and control means for discontinuing the information measuring operation of the position measuring means in response to a position measurement discontinuing manipulation by the user.
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17. A portable communications device capable of transmitting by radio communication position information representing the position of the device to one or a plurality of terminal communications units via a position information providing device, the portable communications device comprising:
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means for receiving position data from a plurality of position reference stations arranged on a satellite and/or the ground, position measuring means for measuring the position information based on the position data received, time setting means for setting a position measurement discontinuing time input by the user, time detecting means for detecting arrival of the position measurement discontinuing time set by the time setting means, transmitting means for converting the measured position information to a radio signal and transmitting the radio signal to the position information providing device, and control means for discontinuing the information measuring operation of the position measuring means upon the time detecting means detecting arrival of the position measurement discontinuing time.
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18. A position information providing device capable of receiving from a portable communications device position information representing the position of the portable device and transmitting the position information to one or a plurality of terminal communications units, the position information providing device comprising:
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means for receiving list data transmitted from the portable communications device, list register means for registering the list data, information processing means for registering the received list data in the list register means, means for checking whether provision of the position information for the terminal communications unit is approved based on the list data registered in the list register means, in response to a position information request command from the terminal communications unit, and means for transmitting the position information as to the portable communications device to the terminal communications unit only when provision of the position information is found approved.
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19. A position information providing device capable of receiving from a portable communications device position information representing the position of the portable device and transmitting the position information to one or a plurality of terminal communications units, the position information providing device being characterized in that the providing device comprises:
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means for receiving the position information from the portable communications device, means for storing the position information as to the portable communications device, information processing means for performing the operation of storing the received position information in the storing means, checking means operable in response to a position information request command from the terminal communications unit to check whether the position information as to the portable communications device is stored in the storing means during a specified period of time before the reception of the command until the reception, and means for transmitting the position information to the terminal unit only when the position information as to the portable communications device is stored during the specified period of time.
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20. In a portable communications device capable of transmitting position information representing the position of the device to one or a plurality of terminal communications units by radio communication, a position information providing method characterized in that the method comprises the steps of:
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preparing a list required for checking whether it is approved to provide the position information for said one or plurality of terminal communications units in response to an information input manipulation by the user and registering the data on the list, and checking whether provision of the position information for the terminal communications unit is approved based on the registered list data, in response to a position information request command from the terminal communications unit and transmitting the position information as converted to a radio signal to the terminal communications unit only when provision of the position information is found approved.
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21. In a portable communications device capable of measuring and holding position information representing the position of the device based on position data received from a plurality of position reference stations on a satellite and/or the ground and transmitting the position information to one or a plurality of terminal communications units by radio communication, a position information providing method characterized in that the method comprises the steps of:
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discontinuing the position information measuring operation in response to a position measurement discontinuing manipulation by the user or upon arrival of a position measurement discontinuing time set by the user, and checking, in response to a position information request command from the terminal communications unit, whether the position information as to the portable communications device is held during a specified period of time before the reception of the command until the reception and transmitting the position information as converted to a radio signal to the terminal communications unit only when the position information is found to be stored during the specified period.
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22. A portable communications device capable of transmitting position information representing the position of the device to one or a plurality of terminal communications units by radio communication, the portable communications device comprising:
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means for preparing a list required for checking whether it is approved to provide the position information for said one or plurality of terminal communications units in response to an information input manipulation by the user, list register means for registering the data on the list, information processing means for registering the prepared list data in the list register means, means for checking whether provision of the position information for the terminal communications unit is approved based on the list data registered in the list register means, in response to a position information request command from the terminal communications unit, and means for transmitting the position information as converted to a radio signal to the terminal communications unit only when provision of the position information is found approved. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 31, 32)
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29. A portable communications device capable of transmitting position information representing the position of the device to one or a plurality of terminal communications units by radio communication, the portable communications device comprising:
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means for receiving position data from a plurality of position reference stations arranged on a satellite and/or the ground, position measuring means for measuring the position information based on the position data received, means for storing the position information, information processing means for performing the operation of storing the measured position information in the storing means, control means for discontinuing the information measuring operation of the position measuring means in response to a position measurement discontinuing manipulation by the user, checking means operable in response to a position information request command from the terminal communications unit to check whether the position information is stored in the storing means during a specified period of time before the reception of the command until the reception, and means for transmitting the position information as converted to a radio signal to the terminal communications unit only when the position information is stored during the specified period of time.
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30. A portable communications device capable of transmitting position information representing the position of the device to one or a plurality of terminal communications units by radio communication, the portable communications device comprising:
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means for receiving position data from a plurality of position reference stations arranged on a satellite and/or the ground, position measuring means for measuring the position information based on the position data received, means for storing the position information, information processing means for performing the operation of storing the measured position information in the storing means, time setting means for setting a position measurement discontinuing time input by the user, time detecting means for detecting arrival of the position measurement discontinuing time set by the time setting means, control means for discontinuing the information measuring operation of the position measuring means upon the time detecting means detecting arrival of the position measurement discontinuing time, checking means operable in response to a position information request command from the terminal communications unit to check whether the position information is stored in the storing means during a specified period of time before the reception of the command until the reception, and means for transmitting the position information as converted to a radio signal to the terminal communications unit only when the position information is stored during the specified period of time. - View Dependent Claims (33)
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Specification