Portable terminal and information provision system utilizing the portable terminal

• US 20040189489A1
• Filed: 07/25/2003
• Published: 09/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maxell, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Terui, Koichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,084,757 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/901
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/005 including pedestrian guidance indicator
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/164 Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles

Abstract

A portable terminal comprising a transmission part that transmits to information provision equipment or a server, a signal indicating presence at a prescribed location, presence of a communications counterparty at a prescribed location, a reception part that receives from the information provision equipment or the server, a signal indicating the position of a moving body, a moving body is approaching or is present at the prescribed location, an alarm part that issues an alarm using the moving body in position signal received at the reception part, indicating the moving body is approaching or is present at the prescribed location, a light detection part detecting the degree of brightness, a part deciding whether or not to transmit a present in prescribed location signal that decides, using the brightness as detected by the light detection part, whether or not to send a present in prescribed location signal from the transmission part.

Claims

1. A portable terminal comprising

a transmission part that transmits to information provision equipment or a server, a signal indicating presence at a prescribed location, indicating presence of a communications counterparty at a prescribed location,

a reception part that receives from said information provision equipment or said server, a signal indicating the position of a moving body indicating that a moving body is approaching or is present at said prescribed location,

an alarm part that issues an alarm using the moving body in position signal received at said reception part, to indicate that said moving body is approaching or is present at said prescribed location,

a light detection part that detects the degree of brightness,

a part that decides whether or not to transmit a present in prescribed location signal that decides, using the brightness as detected by said light detection part, whether or not to send a present in prescribed location signal from said transmission part.

2. A portable terminal according to claim 1 wherein said transmit decision part transmits a present in prescribed location signal from said transmission part when the level of brightness detected by said light detection part is below a fixed level.

3. A portable terminal according to claim 2 wherein said fixed level can be set.

4. A portable terminal according to claim 1 wherein said light detection part can be detached from the main body of the portable terminal.

5. A portable terminal comprising

a transmission part that transmits to information provision equipment or a server, a signal indicating presence at a prescribed location, indicating presence of a communications counterparty at a prescribed location,

a reception part that receives from said information provision equipment or said server, a signal indicating the position of a moving body indicating that a moving body is approaching or is present at a prescribed location,

an alarm part that issues an alarm using the moving body in position signal received at said reception part, to indicate that said moving body is approaching or is present at said prescribed location,

wherein if said reception part receives a specified presence signal from a specified portable terminal informing that the specified terminal is present or in close proximity to said prescribed location, said transmission part does not transmit said present in prescribed location signal.

6. An information provision system comprising a first portable terminal, a second portable terminal that moves together with a moving body, information provision equipment and a server wherein

said information provision equipment notifies said server that said first portable terminal is near said information provision equipment when said first portable terminal is near said information provision equipment, and

said server uses the current position of said information provision equipment and information on danger affecting said current position to notify said second portable terminal that said first portable terminal is in a region of danger.