Data delivery apparatus, data delivery system, server, data delivery method, communication device, and electronic apparatus

• US 20050085242A1
• Filed: 12/06/2004
• Published: 04/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Nishizawa, Sadaomi
• Application Number:
  US11/003,350
• Publication Number:
  US 20050085242A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.100
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/123 indicating the position of vehicles, e.g. scheduled vehicles; Managing passenger vehicles circulating according to a fixed timetable, e.g. buses, trains, tramstransmission of navigation instructions to vehicles G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

Location data of communication devices (other communication devices) each of which is located in the specification location (an area which a user desires) and each of which is capable of offering information (of a congestion situation, a road surface situation and the like) therein is transferred to a communication device requesting data in the specification location. Since the communication device requesting data can select the communication devices among the other communication devices each located in the specification location by referring to the location data transferred thereto from the other communication devices, it can obtain the data in the specification location from the selected communication devices. Since the communication device requesting data can arbitrarily select the communication devices among the other communication devices each located in the specification location, it is possible to grasp a time when the data in the specification location is obtained.

Claims

1. A server, comprising:

reception means for receiving data, to which communication devices are connected through a mobile communication network;

first storage means for storing therein data related to map data;

location data acquisition means for acquiring data of locations where the communication devices are located;

second storage means for storing therein the location data acquired by the location data acquisition means so as for the location data to be set in correspondence to the communication devices;

retrieval means for retrieving the communication device located in a specification location for which a desired location is specified among the communication devices in correspondence to which the location data is stored in the second storage means so as to be set;

location data generation means for generating data of the location of the communication device which is located in the specification location and which is selected through the retrieval by the retrieval means; and

transmission means for transmitting the data related to the location data generated by the location data generation means and/or the map data stored in the first storage means to the communication device requesting the data in the specification location, the communication devices being connected to the transmission means through the mobile communication network.

2. The server according to claim 1, further comprising:

composition means for composing the location data of the communication device which is located in the specification location and which is selected through the retrieval by the retrieval means with the map data stored in the first storage means.

3. The server according to claim 2, further comprising:

instruction data generation means for generating instruction data to instruct one or two or more communication devices selected among the communication devices to offer the data in the specification location.

4. A data delivery system for transmitting/receiving data through a mobile communication network, comprising:

a first communication device including data acquisition means for acquiring at least one of image data and audio data, transmission means connected to the mobile communication network for transmitting the data acquired by the data acquisition means, and control means for controlling the data acquisition means in accordance with an instruction to transmit the data;

a second communication device including specification means for specifying a desired specification location based on data related to a map, reception means connected to the mobile communication network for receiving location data of the first communication device located in the specification location specified by the specification means, and transmission means connected to the mobile communication network for transmitting instruction data generated by the specification means; and

a server including retrieval means for retrieving the first communication device located in the specification location specified by the specification means of the second communication device, location data generation means for generating location data of the first communication device retrieved by the retrieval means, and transmission means connected to the mobile communication network for transmitting the location data generated by the location data generation means to the second communication device.

5. The data delivery system according to claim 4,

Wherein the second communication device further includes selection means for selecting the one or two or more first communication devices among the first communication devices each located in the specification location, and reception means connected to the mobile communication network for receiving data in the specification location acquired by the data acquisition means of each of the first communication devices selected by the selection means,

the server further includes instruction data generation means for generating the instruction data to instruct the first communication devices selected by the selection means of the second communication device to offer data in the specification location, and

the transmission means of the server transmits the instruction data generated in the instruction data generation means to the first communication devices.

6. The data delivery system according to claim 5,

wherein the first communication device received the instruction data controls the data acquisition means of the first communication devices based on the instruction data.

7. A data delivery method of exchanging data between communication devices and a server through a mobile communication network, comprising:

storing acquired location data of second communication devices so as for the acquired location data to be set in correspondence to the second communication devices;

retrieving the second communication device located in a specification area having a desired location specified therein among the second communication devices in correspondence to which the location data is stored so as to be set; and

transmitting the location data of the retrieved second communication device located in the specification location to a first communication device requesting data in the specification location.

8. The data delivery method according to claim 7,

wherein, after the location data of the second communication device located in the specification location is transmitted to the first communication device requesting the data in the specification location, the first communication device selects the second communication device located in the specification location based on the location data;

and

the first communication device receives the data in the specification location transmitted from the selected second communication device.

9. A data delivery method of exchanging data between communication on devices and a server through a mobile communication network, comprising:

specifying a, desired specification location by a first communication device requesting data based on data related to a map;

after the server retrieves the communication device located in the specification location, transmitting the retrieval results to the first communication device by the server, and selecting a second communication device located in the specification location by the first communication device based on the received retrieval results; and

receiving data in the specification location transmitted from the selected second communication device by the first communication device.

10. A data delivery method of exchanging data between communication devices and a server through a mobile communication network, comprising:

when a first communication device requesting data in a specification location selects a communication device able to offer the data in the specification location, transmitting data related to the specification location to the first communication device by the second communication device selected by the first communication device.

11. An electronic apparatus, comprising:

information request means including specification means for specifying a desired specification location based on data related to a map, selection means for selecting one or two or more first communication devices among the first communication devices each located in the specification location, first reception means for receiving data in the specification location transmitted from the first communication devices selected by the selection means, the first reception means being connected to at least one of a server and the first communication devices through a mobile communication network, and second reception means for, after the server retrieves the first communication devices each located in the specification location, receiving location data of the first communication devices each located in the specification location specified by the specification means based on the retrieval results; and

information offer means including data acquisition means for acquiring data from at least one of image pickup means for capturing an image of a subject and audio input means for inputting an audio, transmission means for transmitting data in the specification location acquired by the data acquisition means to a second communication device, the transmission means being connected to at least one of the server and the second communication device through the mobile communication network, and control means for, when receiving transmission instruction data to instruct the transmission means to transmit the data in the specification location from the server, setting a destination,of the data in the specification location based on the transmission instruction data in at least one of the server and the second communication device.

12. A communication device, comprising:

transmission means for transmitting data, the transmission means being connected to at least one of a server and other communication devices through a mobile communication network;

specification means for specifying a desired specification location based on data related to a map; and

reception means for, after the server retrieves the other communication devices each located in the specification location, receiving location data of the other communication devices each located in the specification location specified by the specification means based on the retrieval results.

13. The communication device according to claim 12, further comprising:

selection means for selecting the one or two or more other communication devices among the other communication devices each located in the specification location,

wherein the reception means receives data in the specification location transmitted from the other communication devices selected by the selection means.

14. A data delivery apparatus, comprising:

data acquisition means for acquiring data from at least one of image pickup means for capturing an image of a subject in a specification location and audio input means for inputting a voice;

transmission means for transmitting the data in the specification location acquired by the data acquisition means to at least one of a server and other communication devices through a mobile communication network; and

control means for, when receiving transmission instruction data to instruct the transmission means to transmit the data in the specification means from the server, setting a destination of the data in the specification means based on the transmission instruction data in at least one of the server and the other communication devices.

15. The data delivery apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising:

installation means for installing a main body of the data delivery apparatus in a vehicle.

16. The data delivery apparatus according to claim 15,

wherein the installation means includes first detection means for detecting installation of the main body of the data delivery apparatus.

17. The data delivery apparatus according to claim 16,

Wherein, when the first detection means detects that the main body of the data delivery apparatus is installed in the installation means, the data acquisition means is set in a data request mode of requesting the data.

18. The data delivery apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising:

second detection means for detecting an accident associate with the vehicle, in at least one of the installation means and the main body of the data delivery apparatus.

19. The data delivery apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising:

recording means for recording therein image data acquired by the data acquisition means, the recording means being detachably mounted to the main body of the data delivery apparatus,

wherein, when the data acquisition means is disposed so as to be directed to a front direction of the vehicle, and the second detection means detects data associated with the accident, the recording means records therein the image data.

20. The data delivery apparatus according to claim 15,

wherein the installation means includes electric power supply means for supplying an electric power to the main body of the data delivery apparatus.