Mobile unit, server and method of providing information
First Claim
1. A mobile unit that is capable of communication using a plurality of communication subsystems, characterized in that it comprises:
- determination means that determines usability of the plurality of communication subsystems at the current location of said mobile unit;
selection means that selects a communication subsystem whereby the current location can be measured with the greatest accuracy, of the communication subsystems that are determined as usable by said determination means; and
transmission means that infers said current location using the communication subsystem selected by said selection means and transmits the result of determination of said usability by said determination means, together with information indicating said current location, using the communication subsystem selected by said selection means.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A mobile unit 10 according to the present invention is capable of communication using a plurality of communication subsystems. Usability determination section 13 determines usability of the plurality of communication subsystems at the current location of the mobile unit 10 based on the electrical field intensity of a wireless LAN and the electrical field intensity of a mobile unit telephone network. A communication subsystem selection section 14 selects a communication subsystem whereby the current location can be measured with highest accuracy, of the communication subsystems that are determined as being usable. For example, if the mobile telephone subsystem is selected, the mobile telephone network communication section 15 infers the current location of the mobile unit 10 and transmits the result of determination of usability, together with information indicating the current location, to the address of an information provision server 20. After this, the mobile unit 10 looks up the result of determination of usability from a plurality of mobile units that is stored in the information provision server 20.
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Citations
7 Claims
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1. A mobile unit that is capable of communication using a plurality of communication subsystems, characterized in that it comprises:
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determination means that determines usability of the plurality of communication subsystems at the current location of said mobile unit;
selection means that selects a communication subsystem whereby the current location can be measured with the greatest accuracy, of the communication subsystems that are determined as usable by said determination means; and
transmission means that infers said current location using the communication subsystem selected by said selection means and transmits the result of determination of said usability by said determination means, together with information indicating said current location, using the communication subsystem selected by said selection means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method of information provision characterized in that,
a mobile unit that is capable of communication using a plurality of communication subsystems comprises: -
a determination step of determining usability of the plurality of communication subsystems at the current location of said mobile unit;
a selection step of selecting a communication subsystem whereby the current location can be most accurately measured, of the communication subsystems determined as usable in said determination step; and
a transmission step of inferring said current location using the communication subsystem selected in said selection step and transmitting the result of determination of said usability in said determination step, together with information indicating said current location, using the communication subsystem selected in said selection step, and a server comprises;
a reception step for receiving the determination result of said usability transmitted in said transmission step, together with information indicating said current location;
a storage step of storing in storage means in updateable fashion as geographical information the result of determination of said usability received in said reception step, in correspondence with information indicating said current location;
a communication subsystem specification step of specifying a communication subsystem that can be used at said current location or at a location designated by said mobile unit, by looking up the geographical information stored in said storage means; and
a notification step of notifying said mobile unit of a usable communication subsystem specified in said communication subsystem specification step, in response to a request from the mobile unit.
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7. A method of information provision characterized in that,
a mobile unit that is capable of communication using a plurality of communication subsystems comprises: -
a determination step of determining usability of the plurality of communication subsystems at the current location of said mobile unit;
a selection step of selecting a communication subsystem whereby the current location can be most accurately measured, of the communication subsystems determined as usable in said determination step; and
a transmission step of inferring said current location using the communication subsystem selected in said selection step and transmitting the result of determination of said usability in said determination step, together with information indicating said current location, using the communication subsystem selected in said selection step, and a server comprises;
a reception step for receiving the determination result of said usability transmitted in said transmission step, together with information indicating said current location;
a region specification step of specifying a geographical region to which the current location belongs, based on the information indicating said current location received in said reception step;
a storage step of storing in storage means in updateable fashion as frequency-of-use information the number of times per unit time that the result of determination of usability has been received in said reception step, in correspondence with the usable communication subsystem indicated by said determination result and the geographical region specified in said region specification step;
a frequency specification step of specifying the frequency-of-use of the each communication subsystem in the geographical region to which said current location or the location designated by said mobile unit belongs, by looking up the frequency-of-use information stored in said storage means; and
a notification step of notifying said mobile unit of the frequency-of-use specified in said frequency specification step, in response to a request from the mobile unit.
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Specification