Radio communication terminal unit and method of transmitting location information

• US 20030027582A1
• Filed: 07/02/2002
• Published: 02/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd. (Xiaomi Corp.)
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Hayashida, Atsushi
• Granted Patent: US 6,963,749 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/09 providing processing capability normally carried out by the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/252 Employing an initial estimate of location in generating assistance data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0236 Assistance data, e.g. base station almanac
• 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 8/08 Mobility data transfer

Abstract

A cellular phone unit receives GPS satellite information of GPS satellites and base station information of base stations. It extracts the GPS satellite information and the base station information that meet transmission conditions, which are provided by a location information server, out of the obtained GPS satellite information and base station information. Those extracted information are sent to the location information server. Based on the receiving from the location information server a transmission condition in terms of the condition of accurate specifying of the location of cellular phone unit by the location information server, the cellular phone unit can extract proper GPS satellite information and base station information and send the extracted information to the location information server.

Claims

1. A radio communication terminal unit comprising:

location information acquisition means which gets location information; and

control means which operates on telephone radio communication means to send the obtained location information to a location information server,

wherein the control means extracts location information that meets a transmission condition, which is sent from the location information server and received by the telephone radio communication means, out of the location information obtained by the location information acquisition means, and operates on the telephone radio communication means to send the extracted location information to the location information server.

2. The radio communication terminal unit as in claim 1, wherein:

the location information server processes statistically transmission conditions which have been sent to the radio communication terminal unit in the past and location information which has been sent from the radio communication terminal unit in the past and sends a transmission condition derived from the statistical process result to the radio communication terminal unit; and

the control means extracts location information that meets the transmission condition, which is derived from the statistical process result, sent from the location information server and received by the telephone radio communication means, out of the location information obtained by the location information acquisition means.

3. The radio communication terminal unit as in claim 1, wherein:

the location information acquisition means gets location information in terms of GPS satellite information of GPS satellites and base station information of base stations; and

the control means extracts GPS satellite information based on the transmission condition in terms of the fitness of elevation angle and azimuth of GPS satellites, which is sent from the location information server and received by the telephone radio communication means, out of the GPS satellite information obtained by the location information acquisition means and extracts base station information based on the transmission condition in terms of the fitness of azimuth of base stations, which is sent from the location information server and received by the telephone radio communication means, out of the base station information obtained by the location information acquisition means.

4. The radio communication terminal unit as in claim 1, wherein:

the location information acquisition means gets location information in terms of GPS satellite information of GPS satellites and base station information of base stations; and

the control means extracts GPS satellite information based on the transmission condition in terms of the threshold values of receiving power level and phase difference variation of received GPS satellite signals, which is sent from the location information server and received by the telephone radio communication means, out of the GPS satellite information obtained by the location information acquisition means and extracts base station information based on the transmission condition in terms of the threshold values of signal-to-noise ratio and phase difference variation of received base station signals, which is sent from the location information server and received by the telephone radio communication means, out of the base station information obtained by the location information acquisition means.

5. A computer program which is run by a radio communication terminal unit to carry out steps of:

getting location information;

extracting location information that meets a transmission condition, which is sent from a location information server to telephone radio communication means, out of the obtained location information; and

sending the extracted location information from the telephone radio communication means to the location information server.

6. A method of transmitting location information for a radio communication terminal unit, the method comprising steps of:

getting location information;

extracting location information that meets a transmission condition, which is sent from a location information server and received by telephone radio communication means, out of the obtained location information; and

sending the extracted location information from the telephone radio communication means to the location information server.

7. A radio communication terminal unit comprising:

location information acquisition means which gets location information;

control means which operates on telephone radio communication means to send the obtained location information to a location information server; and

operation means which is operated by a user of the terminal unit,

wherein the control means extracts location information that meets a transmission condition, which is set by the user on the operation means, out of the location information obtained by the location information acquisition means, and operates on the telephone radio communication means to send the extracted location information to the location information server.

8. A computer program which is run by a radio communication terminal unit to carry out steps of:

getting location information;

extracting location information that meets a transmission condition, which is set by the user of terminal unit, out of the obtained location information; and

sending the extracted location information from telephone radio communication means to a location information server.

9. A method of transmitting location information for a radio communication terminal unit, the method comprising steps of:

getting location information;

extracting location information that meets a transmission condition, which is set by the user of terminal unit, out of the obtained location information; and

sending the extracted location information from telephone radio communication means to a location information server.

10. A radio communication terminal unit comprising:

location information acquisition means which gets location information;

control means which operates to point the location of the terminal unit based on the obtained location information; and

operation means which is operated by a user of terminal unit,

wherein the control means extracts location information that meets a transmission condition, which is set by a user on the operation means, out of the location information obtained by the location information acquisition means, and specifies the location of the terminal unit based on the extracted location information.

11. A radio communication terminal unit comprising:

location information acquisition means which gets location information; and

control means which operates on telephone radio communication means to send the obtained location information to a location information server,

wherein the control means extracts location information that meets a prescribed transmission condition out of the location information obtained by the location information acquisition means, and operates on the telephone radio communication means to send the extracted location information to the location information server.

12. The radio communication terminal unit as in claim 11, wherein:

the location information acquisition means gets location information in terms of GPS satellite information of GPS satellites; and

the control means extracts GPS satellite information based on the transmission condition in terms of a threshold value of receiving power level or phase difference variation of received GPS satellite signals, which is sent from the location information server and received by the telephone radio communication means, out of the GPS satellite information obtained by the location information acquisition means.

13. The radio communication terminal unit as in claim 11, wherein:

the location information acquisition means gets location information in terms of base station information of base stations; and

the control means extracts base station information based on the transmission condition in terms of the threshold value of signal-to-noise ratio or phase difference variation of received base station signals, which is sent from the location information server and received by the telephone radio communication means, out of the base station information obtained by the location information acquisition means.

14. A method of transmitting location information for a radio communication terminal unit, the method comprising steps of:

getting location information;

extracting location information that meets a prescribed transmission condition, out of the obtained location information; and

sending the extracted location information from telephone radio communication means to a location information server.

15. The method of transmitting location information as in claim 14, wherein the transmission condition is defined by at least one of signal receiving power, signal-to-noise ratio and variation in signal phase difference.