Method and apparatus for assisting positional information service

• US 20020156646A1
• Filed: 02/26/2002
• Published: 10/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Shima, Kenichi, Teramachi, Seigo, Yamamoto, Hiroyuki, Tanibayashi, Yoichi, Chikamori, Mioko, Kaiwa, Masahiro, Kariya, Aki
• Granted Patent: US 7,983,947 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/10 between location register and external networks

Abstract

Service support gateway 1 is connected to network 2. Service provider 3 having ASP 31 and CP 32 provides a service relating to location of locating target person 4 by using network 2. Service supporting gateway 1 provides service provider 3 with a service of obtaining location information indicating the location of locating target person and a service of sending the location information to a specified destination.

Claims

1. A location information service supporting method comprising:

a location information obtaining service in which a location information service supporting gateway situated between a first network including a mobile network and a second network obtains a location information indicating the location of a locating target person via the first network and a mobile device accompanied with the locating target person so that a service provider provides a service relating to the location of the locating target person; and

a location information sending service in which the location information service supporting gateway sends the location information to a destination designated by the service provider via the first or the second network.

2. A location information service supporting method of claim 1,

wherein, in the location information sending service, the location information service supporting gateway sends the location information to the service provider.

3. A location information service supporting method of claim 1,

wherein the second network includes a mobile network, and

wherein, in the location information sending service, the location information service supporting gateway sends the location information to a destination designated by the service provider via this mobile network.

4. A location information service supporting method of claim 1,

wherein, on behalf of the service provider, the location information service supporting gateway certifies a locating target person or a person who receives a service.

5. A location information service supporting method of claim 1,

wherein, on behalf of the service provider, the location information service supporting gateway determines if locating a locating target person is possible.

6. A location information service supporting method of claim 1,

wherein, in the location information sending service, the location information service supporting gateway changes the format of the location information into a format suitable for a service that uses the location information, and sends to a destination designated by a service provider that provides this service.

7. A location information service supporting method of claim 1,

wherein, in the location information sending service, the location information service supporting gateway changes the format of the location information into a format suitable for a service that uses the location information, and sends to a service provider that provides this service.

8. A location information service supporting method of claim 1,

wherein the location information service supporting gateway collects a service charge for the location information obtaining service and the location information sending service from at least one of the service providers, the locating target person, or a target person of service by the service provider.

9. A location information service supporting method of claim 1,

wherein the location information service supporting gateway accumulates, for each of the service, the number of task processes incurred due to the provision of the service, and collects a service charge according to the number of the processes from at least one of the service providers that provide the service, the locating target person, or a target person of service by the service provider.

10. A location information service supporting method of claim 1,

wherein at least one of the location information service supporting gateway or a communication carrier that provides a wireless communication service to the mobile device collects a service charge for a service provided by the service provider on behalf of the service provider.

11. A location information service supporting method of claim 1,

wherein the location information service supporting gateway provides a mobile device accompanying the locating target person, collects advertisement fee from the advertiser and pays to the service provider the advertisement fee as all or a part of the service charge for the service provided by the service provider.

12. A location information service supporting method of claim 1,

wherein the location information obtaining service comprises:

a step for determining an appropriate locating method for a mobile device accompanied with the locating target person;

a step for ordering to locate the locating target person to a locating means which locates in a determined locating method; and

a step for obtaining the location information sent from the locating means in response to the ordering.

13. A location information service supporting method of claim 12,

wherein the location information service supporting gateway accumulates the number of task processes incurred due to the locating, collects a service charge according to the number of the task processes from at least one of the locating target persons or a target person of the service, and pays the service charge to the manager of the locating means.

14. A location information service supporting method of claim 12,

wherein at least one of the location information service supporting gateway or a communication carrier that provides a wireless communication service to the mobile device collects, on behalf of a manager of the locating means, a locating fee due to a location by the locating means.

15. A location information service supporting method of claim 1,

wherein the location information service supporting gateway carries out the location information obtaining service and the location information sending service on schedule determined in advance.

16. A location information service supporting method of claim 1,

wherein the location information service supporting gateway periodically carries out the location information obtaining service to acquire a moving direction and a moving speed of the locating target person, and, in the location information sending service, sends the moving direction and the moving speed together with the location information.

17. A location information service supporting method of claim 1,

wherein, in the location information sending service, the location information service supporting gateway checks the reaching of location information to a destination and sends an arrival notification to a mobile device of the locating target person.

19. A location information service supporting gateway of claim 18, further comprising:

a means for certifying a locating target person or a person who receives a service on behalf of the service provider.

20. A location information service supporting gateway of claim 18, further comprising:

a means for changing the format of the location information into a format suitable for a service that uses the location information.

21. A location information service supporting gateway of claim 18,

wherein the location information obtaining means determines an appropriate locating method suitable for a mobile device accompanied with the locating target person, and orders to locate the locating target person to a locating means that locates in the determined locating method.

22. A location information service supporting gateway of claim 18, further comprising:

an accumulating means for determining at least one of the amount of processes accumulated due to obtaining location information by the location information obtaining means or due to sending location information by the location information sending means; and

a collecting means for collecting a service charge according to the amount of accumulated processes from at least one of the service providers, the locating target person, an owner of the locating means, or a target person of the service.

18. A location information service supporting gateway situated between a first network including a mobile network and a second network comprising:

a location information obtaining means for obtaining a location information indicating the location of a locating target person via the first network and a mobile device accompanied with the locating target person so that a service provider provides a service relating to the location of the locating target person; and

a location information sending means for sending the location information to a destination designated by the service provider via the first or the second network.