Telephone device

• US 20030078054A1
• Filed: 09/12/2002
• Published: 04/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Okuda, Shizue
• Granted Patent: US 7,920,871 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3805 with built-in auxiliary receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver

Abstract

A telephone device which enables a user to consciously send a determined present position to a device in the surrounding area is provided. A portable telephone device 10 sends position determination information acquired by a GPS unit including a GPS antenna 31 and/or a portable telephone signal position determination processing unit including a portable telephone communication antenna 21, to another portable telephone device 50 as a desired communicating party via a base station by using a data communication function in accordance with a decision operation of a POS button 17a. Another portable telephone device 50 displays a map image of the vicinity of the received position determination information on an LCD display unit 52 by using an embedded digital map display application or the like, and also displays a present position point 53 of the portable telephone device 10 on the map image.

Claims

1. A telephone device for sending and receiving at least an audio signal to and from a desired communicating party via a base station, the telephone device comprising:

present position determination means for determining a present position and thus acquiring position determination information;

position determination information sending means for sending the position determination information acquired by the present position determination means;

user interface means for allowing a user to decide transmission of the position determination information using at least the position determination information sending means; and

control means for controlling at least the position determination information sending means on the basis of the decision by the user interface means.

2. The telephone device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the present position determination means acquires position determination information of the present position by calculation using the Global Positioning System and/or calculation using a base station signal of a portable telephone.

3. The telephone device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the position determination information sending means sends the position determination information to the communicating party by data communication and/or local radio communication.

4. The telephone device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control means causes the position determination information sending means to send the position determination information only when transmission of the position determination information is decided by the user interface means.

5. The telephone device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user interface means allows the user to also decide position determination of the present position using the present position determination means.

6. The telephone device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the control means causes the present position determination means to determine the present position only when position determination of the present position is decided by the user interface means.

7. The telephone device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the present position determination means constantly determines the present position and thus acquires the position determination information.

8. The telephone device as claimed in claim 7, wherein in accordance with a decision operation by the user using the user interface means, the position determination information sending means is caused to send the position determination information acquired by the present position determination information.

9. The telephone device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user interface means is a button.

10. The telephone device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the telephone device is a portable telephone device.

11. A telephone device capable of sending and receiving at least an audio signal to and from a desired communicating party via a base station, and connecting to a network and transmitting a text, audio and/or video information to and from an information provider side and/or another terminal device, the telephone device comprising:

present position determination means for determining a present position and thus acquiring position determination information;

user interface means for allowing a user to decide determination of the present position using at least the present position determination means; and

control means for controlling at least the present position determination means on the basis of the decision by the user interface means.

12. The telephone device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the control means causes search of information on the information provider side connected to the network on the basis of the position determination information acquired by the present position determination means in accordance with the decision by the user interface means.

13. The telephone device as claimed in claim 12, wherein if the user interface means is operated during search of information for which an area or a place is to be selected, from the information provider side connected to the network, the control means causes selection of information of an area or a place corresponding to the present position.

14. The telephone device as claimed in claim 11, further comprising position determination information sending means for sending the position determination information acquired by the present position determination means, wherein the control means causes sending of the position determination information of the telephone device itself to another terminal device connected to the network on the basis of the decision by the user interface means.

15. The telephone device as claimed in claim 14, wherein when said another terminal device has a map display function, the position determination information of the telephone device itself is displayed on the map by the map display function.

16. The telephone device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the position determination information sending means is caused to send the position determination information handled as an emergency signal in said another terminal device, on the basis of the decision by the user interface means.

17. The telephone device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the position determination information sending means sends the position determination information of the telephone device itself by data communication and/or local radio communication.

18. The telephone device as claimed in claim 17, wherein when the user interface means is operated, the control means causes the position determination information sending means to send the position determination information of the telephone device itself to another terminal device existing in the surrounding area by using the local radio communication.