Mobile Terminal, Communication Terminal, Location Notifying System Using Them, and Location Notifying Method

• US 20080090592A1
• Filed: 12/28/2005
• Published: 04/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Tsuchiya, Shinichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,046,004 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.6
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

The level of detail of position information about one'"'"'s own location is expressed in terms of a disclosure level when announcing one'"'"'s own location so as to prevent the supply of more information about oneself to the other party than is necessary. A mobile terminal 10 determines, based on a disclosure level L determined with respect to the specific other party, time band, or located area, and based on the provision of location information about the current location or map information that includes such location, generates location information or location display map information, which is transmitted to a communications terminal 50 of other party B, in accordance with the disclosure content specified by disclosure levels L02 to L05.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal having a communications function, comprising:

one'"'"'s own terminal position information acquiring means for acquiring position information about one'"'"'s own terminal;

disclosure level determination means for determining the disclosure level of the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal that is acquired by the one'"'"'s own terminal position information acquiring means; and

output means for outputting the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal based on the disclosure level determined by the disclosure level determination means to an other party'"'"'s terminal.

2. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein the output means outputs the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal based on the disclosure level determined by the disclosure level determination means to the other party'"'"'s terminal, using address information about a location.

3. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein the output means outputs the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal based on the disclosure level determined by the disclosure level determination means to the other party'"'"'s terminal, using location display map information about a location.

4. The mobile terminal according to claim 3, wherein the output means comprises map information storage means in which map information for acquiring the location display map information is stored.

5. The mobile terminal according to claim 3, further comprising map information acquiring means for acquiring map information from the outside, the map information including the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal acquired by the one'"'"'s own terminal position information acquiring means.

6. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein the output means outputs, as the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal based on the disclosure level determined by the disclosure level determination means, the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal that is acquired by the one'"'"'s own terminal position information acquiring means while attaching a disclosure level to the position information, the disclosure level being determined by the disclosure level determination means.

7. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, comprising:

other party'"'"'s terminal based disclosure level storage means for recording the disclosure levels of the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal in association with information about individual other party'"'"'s terminals to which the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal is disclosed,

wherein the disclosure level determination means determines the disclosure level of one'"'"'s own terminal in accordance with the recorded content of the other party'"'"'s terminal based disclosure level storage means.

8. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, comprising:

disclosure level setting means for registering the setting of the disclosure level of the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal,

wherein the disclosure level determination means determines the disclosure level of the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal in accordance with an input disclosure level registered by the disclosure level setting means.

9. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, comprising:

disclosure request reception means for receiving a disclosure request from the other party'"'"'s terminal for the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal,

wherein the disclosure level determination means determines the disclosure level of the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal in accordance with a requested disclosure level included in the disclosure request received by the disclosure request reception means.

10. The mobile terminal according to claim 9, comprising:

requested disclosure level confirming means for outputting a notification about the requested disclosure level included in the disclosure request received by the disclosure request reception means from the other party'"'"'s terminal.

11. The mobile terminal according to claim 10, wherein the disclosure level determination means determines the disclosure level of the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal in accordance with the requested disclosure level included in the disclosure request received by the disclosure request reception means, based on the confirmation of the requested disclosure level of which a notification is outputted by the requested disclosure level confirmation means.

12. The mobile terminal according to claim 10, comprising:

requested disclosure level changing means for changing the setting of the requested disclosure level based on the disapproval of the requested disclosure level outputted by the requested disclosure level confirmation means,

wherein the disclosure level determination means, when the setting of the requested disclosure level is changed by the requested disclosure level changing means, determines the disclosure level about the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal in accordance with the disclosure level whose setting has been changed.

13. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, comprising:

other party'"'"'s position information acquiring means for acquiring the position information of the other party'"'"'s terminal,

wherein the disclosure level determination means determines the disclosure level of the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal in accordance with the disclosure level of the position information about the other party'"'"'s terminal acquired by the other party'"'"'s position information acquiring means.

14. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, comprising:

disclosure information confirmation means for outputting a notification about the disclosure level determined by the disclosure level determination means, or the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal based on the disclosure level.

15. The mobile terminal according to claim 14, wherein the disclosure information confirmation means displays, as the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal based on the disclosure level determined by the disclosure level determination means, location address information or location display map information.

16. The mobile terminal according to claim 14, wherein the output means outputs the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal based on the disclosure level determined by the disclosure level determination means to the other party'"'"'s terminal based on the approval of the disclosure level of which a notification has been outputted by the disclosure information confirmation means, or the approval of the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal.

17. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, comprising:

history storage means for storing the history of disclosure levels concerning the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal based on the disclosure level outputted by the output means.

18. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein the disclosure level is a parameter for specifying the level of detail of position information about one'"'"'s own terminal, wherein the parameter includes the alternative of not outputting the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal to the other party'"'"'s terminal.

19. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal based on a disclosure level that is outputted by the output means to the other party'"'"'s terminal comprises position range information that includes at least within its position range the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal that is acquired by the one'"'"'s own terminal position information acquiring means, wherein the setting of the position range is variable depending on the disclosure level determined by the disclosure level determination means.

20. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein, when the output means outputs, as the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal based on the disclosure level that is outputted to the other party'"'"'s terminal, the location display map information about a location to the other party'"'"'s terminal, the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal acquired by the one'"'"'s own terminal position information acquiring means coincides with the central position information in the located region indicating a range of location of the one'"'"'s own terminal in the location display map information that is outputted from the output means to the other party'"'"'s terminal.

21. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein, when the output means outputs, as the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal based on the disclosure level that is outputted to the other party'"'"'s terminal, the location display map information about a location to the other party'"'"'s terminal, the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal acquired by the one'"'"'s own terminal position information acquiring means does not coincide with the central position information in a located region indicating a range of location of one'"'"'s own terminal in the location display map information outputted from the output means to the other party'"'"'s terminal.

27. The mobile terminal according to claim 21, comprising:

disclosure level change confirming means for outputting a notification about a change in the disclosure level whenever the disclosure level determined by the disclosure level determination means is changed by the movement of one'"'"'s own terminal.

22. A mobile terminal having a communications function, comprising:

one'"'"'s own terminal position information acquiring means for acquiring position information about one'"'"'s own terminal;

disclosure level determination means for determining the disclosure level of the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal in accordance with the located area of one'"'"'s own terminal based on the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal acquired by the one'"'"'s own terminal position information acquiring means; and

output means for outputting the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal based on the disclosure level determined by the disclosure level determination means to an other party'"'"'s terminal.

23. The mobile terminal according to claim 22, comprising:

area-based disclosure level storage means for recording the disclosure level of the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal in association with the located areas,

wherein the disclosure level determination means determines the disclosure level of the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal in accordance with the recorded content in the area-based disclosure level storage means.

24. The mobile terminal according to claim 22, comprising:

disclosure level setting means for registering the setting of the located area of one'"'"'s own terminal in accordance with a predetermined disclosure level,

wherein the disclosure level determination means, when the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal is within a located area that is registered by the disclosure level setting means, determines the predetermined disclosure level associated with the located area as the disclosure level of the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal.

25. The mobile terminal according to claim 24, wherein the predetermined disclosure level is such a disclosure level that the output means is permitted to output the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal to the other party'"'"'s terminal.

26. The mobile terminal according to claim 24, wherein the predetermined disclosure level is such a disclosure level that the output means is prohibited from outputting the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal to the other party'"'"'s terminal.

28. A mobile terminal having a communications function, comprising:

one'"'"'s own terminal position information acquiring means for acquiring position information about one'"'"'s own terminal;

disclosure level determination means for determining the disclosure level of the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal, which is acquired by the one'"'"'s own terminal position information acquiring means, depending on a time band; and

output means for outputting the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal based on the disclosure level determined by the disclosure level determination means to an other party'"'"'s terminal.

29. The mobile terminal according to claim 28, comprising:

time-band-based disclosure level storage means for recording the disclosure levels of the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal in association with time bands,

wherein the disclosure level determination means determines the disclosure level of the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal in accordance with the recorded content in the time-band-based disclosure level storage means based on the current time.

30. The mobile terminal according to claim 29, comprising:

disclosure level setting means for registering the setting of a time band associated with a predetermined disclosure level,

wherein the disclosure level determination means determines, when the time is within a time band registered by the disclosure level setting means, the predetermined disclosure level as the disclosure level of the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal.

31. The mobile terminal according to claim 30, wherein the predetermined disclosure level is such a disclosure level that the output means is permitted to output the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal to the other party'"'"'s terminal.

32. The mobile terminal according to claim 30, wherein the predetermined disclosure level is such a disclosure level that the output means is prohibited from outputting the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal to the other party'"'"'s terminal.

33. The mobile terminal according to claim 29, comprising:

disclosure level change confirming means for outputting a notification about a change in the disclosure level whenever the disclosure level, which is determined by the disclosure level determination means, is changed by the passage of time.

34. A mobile terminal having a communications function, comprising:

disclosure request reception means for receiving a disclosure request from the other party'"'"'s terminal for the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal

one'"'"'s own terminal position information acquiring means for acquiring position information about one'"'"'s own terminal based on the reception of a disclosure request from the disclosure request reception means;

disclosure level determination means for determining the disclosure level of the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal that is acquired by the one'"'"'s own terminal position information acquiring means; and

output means for outputting the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal based on the disclosure level determined by the disclosure level determination means to an other party'"'"'s terminal, the mobile terminal further comprising;

disclosure request judging means for determining whether or not the latest disclosure request received by the disclosure request reception means is a repeated disclosure request from the same other party'"'"'s terminal within a predetermined time interval; and

output control means,

wherein, based on the result of determination made by the disclosure request judging means, if the disclosure request is a repeated disclosure request from the same other party'"'"'s terminal within a predetermined time interval, the output control means causes the output means to output the same position information about one'"'"'s own terminal as the position information outputted to the other party'"'"'s terminal in response to the reception of the previous disclosure request, i.e., the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal based on the disclosure level that was generated by the one'"'"'s own terminal position information acquiring means and the disclosure level determination means based on the reception of the previous disclosure request, and wherein, if the disclosure request is not a repeated disclosure request from the same other party'"'"'s terminal within a predetermined time interval, the output control means causes the output means to output the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal based on the disclosure level generated by the one'"'"'s own terminal position information acquiring means and the disclosure level determination means based on the reception of the latest disclosure request.

35. A mobile terminal having a communications function, comprising:

disclosure request reception means for receiving a disclosure request from the other party'"'"'s terminal for the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal;

one'"'"'s own terminal position information acquiring means for acquiring position information about one'"'"'s own terminal based on the reception of a disclosure request by the disclosure request reception means;

disclosure level determination means for determining the disclosure level of the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal that is acquired by the one'"'"'s own terminal position information acquiring means;

output means for outputting the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal based on the disclosure level determined by the disclosure level determination means to an other party'"'"'s terminal, the mobile terminal further comprising;

position information judging means for determining whether or not the latest position information about one'"'"'s own terminal acquired by the one'"'"'s own terminal position information acquiring means based on the reception of the latest disclosure request by the disclosure request reception means and the previous position information about one'"'"'s own terminal acquired by the one'"'"'s own terminal position information acquiring means based on the reception of the previous disclosure request by the disclosure request reception means correspond to the same position in relation to the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal based on the disclosure level generated by the one'"'"'s own terminal position information acquiring means and the disclosure level determination means based on the reception of the previous disclosure request; and

output control means,

wherein, based on the result of determination made by the disclosure request judging means, if the latest position information and the previous position information correspond to the same position, the output control means causes the output-means to output the same position information as the position information outputted to the other party'"'"'s terminal in response to the reception of the previous disclosure request, i.e., the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal based on the disclosure level that was generated by the one'"'"'s own terminal position information acquiring means and the disclosure level determination means based on the reception of the previous disclosure request, and wherein, if the latest position information and the previous position information do not correspond to the same position, the output control means causes the output means to output the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal based on the disclosure level generated by the one'"'"'s own terminal position information acquiring means and the disclosure level determination means based on the reception of the latest disclosure request.

36. A mobile terminal having a communications function, comprising:

disclosure request reception means for receiving a disclosure request from the other party'"'"'s terminal for the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal;

one'"'"'s own terminal position information acquiring means for acquiring position information about one'"'"'s own terminal based on the reception of a disclosure request by the disclosure request reception means;

disclosure level determination means for determining the disclosure level of the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal that is acquired by the one'"'"'s own terminal position information acquiring means;

output means for outputting the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal based on the disclosure level determined by the disclosure level determination means to an other party'"'"'s terminal; and

allowing condition storage means for storing a preset allowing condition allowing the other party to change the disclosure level of the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal;

specific other party determination means for determining whether or not the other party of the other party'"'"'s terminal received by the disclosure request reception means satisfies the allowing condition stored in the allowing condition storage means,

wherein, the disclosure level determination means, if the specific other party determination means determines that the allowing condition is satisfied, determines the disclosure level according to the disclosure request received by the disclosure request reception means as the disclosure level of the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal.

37. The mobile terminal according to claim 36, wherein the allowing condition stored in the allowing condition storage means comprises a preset password.

38. A communications terminal capable of communicating with a mobile terminal having a communications function, comprising:

other party'"'"'s position information acquiring means for acquiring the position information about the mobile terminal based on a disclosure level supplied from the mobile terminal; and

other party'"'"'s terminal position identifying means for outputting a notification about the position information about the mobile terminal based on the disclosure level acquired by the other party'"'"'s position information acquiring means from the mobile terminal.

39. The communications terminal according to claim 38, wherein the other party'"'"'s position information acquiring means acquires, as the position information about the mobile terminal based on a disclosure level supplied from the mobile terminal, address information about a location or location display map information, and wherein the other party'"'"'s terminal position identifying means outputs a notification about the address information about the location or the location display map information acquired by the other party'"'"'s position information acquiring means from the mobile terminal.

40. The communications terminal according to claim 38, wherein the other party'"'"'s position information acquiring means acquires, as the position information about the mobile terminal based on a disclosure level supplied from the mobile terminal, position information about the mobile terminal to which a disclosure level is attached,

and wherein the other party'"'"'s terminal position identifying means outputs a notification about address information or location display map information about the located area of the mobile terminal based on the position information about the mobile terminal attached with the disclosure level that is acquired by the other party'"'"'s position information acquiring means.

41. The communications terminal according to claim 40, further comprising storage means in which map information for obtaining location display map information is stored.

42. The communications terminal according to claim 40, further comprising map information acquiring means for acquiring map information from the outside that includes the position information about the mobile terminal to which a disclosure level is attached that is acquired by the other party'"'"'s position information acquiring means.

43. The communications terminal according to claim 38, comprising:

disclosure request transmitting means for outputting a disclosure request to the mobile terminal for the disclosure of the position information about the mobile terminal,

wherein the other party'"'"'s position information acquiring means acquires, based on a disclosure request outputted by the disclosure request transmitting means to the mobile terminal, the position information about the mobile terminal based on a disclosure level supplied from the mobile terminal.

44. The communications terminal according to claim 43, comprising:

disclosure level designating means for designating the disclosure level of the position information about the mobile terminal as a requested disclosure level,

wherein the disclosure request transmitting means outputs a disclosure request to the mobile terminal that includes the requested disclosure level designated by the disclosure level designating means.

45. The communications terminal according to claim 40, wherein the other party'"'"'s terminal position identifying means, when outputting a notification about the location information or the location display map information about the mobile terminal, it does so at an accuracy level of the located area information in the location information or the location display map information in accordance with the disclosure level.

46. The communications terminal according to claim 38, comprising history storage means for storing the history of disclosure levels related to the position information about the mobile terminal based on the disclosure levels acquired by the other party'"'"'s position information acquiring means.

47. A location notifying system for causing a communications terminal to output a notification about the location of a mobile terminal with which the communications terminal can communicate, comprising:

mobile terminal position acquiring means for acquiring position information about the mobile terminal based on an instruction from either the mobile terminal or the communications terminal;

notified disclosure level determination means for determining, regarding the position information about the mobile terminal acquired by the mobile terminal position acquiring means, the disclosure level of the notification outputted by the communications terminal; and

notified position information generating means for generating notified position information about the mobile terminal, of which a notification is outputted by the communications terminal based, on the disclosure level determined by the notified disclosure level determination means.

48. The location notifying system according to claim 47, wherein the mobile terminal position acquiring means is provided by a base station whose communications area includes the located area of the mobile terminal.

49. The location notifying system according to claim 47, wherein the mobile terminal position acquiring means and the notified position information generating means are provided by a carrier or a provider located between the mobile terminal and the communications terminal.

50. A location notifying method comprising:

one'"'"'s own terminal position information acquiring step for acquiring position information about a mobile terminal having a communications function;

disclosure level determination step for determining the disclosure level of position information about one'"'"'s own terminal that is acquired in the one'"'"'s own terminal position information acquiring step; and

output step for outputting the position information about one'"'"'s own terminal based on disclosure level determined in the disclosure level determination step to an other party'"'"'s terminal.