Mobile communication terminal and position information using method

• US 20060079248A1
• Filed: 09/30/2005
• Published: 04/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Otsuka, Takayuki, Murata, Katsutoshi, Menjo, Hiroyuki
• Application Number:
  US11/238,966
• Publication Number:
  US 20060079248A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.100
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/05 providing aiding data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/12 wherein the cooperating elements are telecommunication base stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/25 involving aiding data received from a cooperating element, e.g. assisted GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/48 by combining or switching between position solutions derived from the satellite radio beacon positioning system and position solutions derived from a further system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a cell phone capable of using base station position information and GPS position information more appropriately. This cell phone 10 is provided with a first position acquirer 12 for acquiring first position information of cell phone 10 calculated using a position of at least one base station under which the cell phone 10 is placed, a second position acquirer 13 for acquiring second position information of cell phone 10, using the global positioning system, an accuracy comparator 14 for making a comparison between respective accuracies of the first position information and the second position information, and a position information using part 15 for selectively using the first position information or the second position information in accordance with the result of the comparison; the position information using part 15 first uses the first position information, irrespective of the result of the comparison made by the accuracy comparator 14, and thereafter uses position information with higher accuracy out of the first position information and the second position information in accordance with the result of the comparison made by the accuracy comparator 14.

Claims

1. A mobile communication terminal comprising:

first position acquiring means for acquiring first position information of the mobile communication terminal calculated using a position of at least one base station under which the mobile communication terminal is placed;

second position acquiring means for acquiring second position information of the mobile communication terminal, using the global positioning system;

accuracy comparing means for making a comparison between respective accuracies of the first position information and the second position information; and

position information using means for selectively using the first position information or the second position information in accordance with a result of the comparison;

wherein the position information using means first uses the first position information, irrespective of the result of the comparison made by the accuracy comparing means, and, thereafter,

uses position information with higher accuracy out of the first position information and the second position information in accordance with the result of the comparison made by the accuracy comparing means.

2. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein each of the first position information and the second position information contains error information indicating a horizontal error, and

wherein the accuracy comparing means makes the comparison between the accuracies on the basis of the error information contained in each of the first position information and the second position information.

3. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein when a horizontal error of the first position information indicated by error information contained in the first position information is within a predetermined error,

the second position acquiring means does not acquire the second position information.

4. The mobile communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein when the base station used in calculation of the first position information is a specific base station, the first position information contains information about said specific base station, and

wherein the second position acquiring means does not acquire the second position information.

5. A position information using method comprising:

a step wherein first position acquiring means acquires first position information of a mobile communication terminal calculated using a position of at least one base station under which the mobile communication terminal is placed;

a step wherein second position acquiring means acquires second position information of the mobile communication terminal, using the global positioning system;

a step wherein accuracy comparing means makes a comparison between respective accuracies of the first position information and the second position information;

a step wherein position information using means selectively uses the first position information or the second position information in accordance with a result of the comparison; and

a step wherein the position information using means first uses the first position information, irrespective of the result of the comparison made by the accuracy comparing means, and, thereafter,

uses position information with higher accuracy out of the first position information and the second position information in accordance with the result of the comparison made by the accuracy comparing means.