Space-time communication system

• US 20080098068A1
• Filed: 05/20/2004
• Published: 04/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Ebata, Tomoichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,945,614 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19682 Graphic User Interface [GUI] presenting system data to the user, e.g. information on a screen helping a user interacting with an alarm system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

A technique for performing message communications while assigning a space and respective time periods or time points at present, in past and in future is disclosed. A space-time object intercepts a message. Alternatively, this object per se executes the processing for immediately transmitting a message to a target object under management with relevancy thereto, for retaining the message by a future time point assigned, or for preparing and sending a message for searching logs in the past, thereby to realize the space-time communications.

Claims

1. A space-time communication system having a control device operative to send a message toward at least one of target subjects existing within a geographical space, wherein said control device performs:

receiving a space, a future time point and a message assignment;

using said space and said future time point to specify a constituent space at a future time;

specifying a target subject which is estimated to exist in the future-time space; and

sending said message to the subject thus specified.

2. The space-time communication system according to claim 1, wherein said future-time space is arranged by limiting said space by a time period of from a present time point to said future time point.

3. The space-time communication system according to claim 1, wherein more than one future time is arranged of from a start future time point to an end future time point, and wherein said future-time space is arranged by limiting said space by said more than one future time.

4. The space-time communication system according to claim 1, wherein said future-time space is arranged by limiting said space by more than one of said future time point.

9. The space-time communication system according to claim 1, wherein during specifying said subject, said control device performs:

sending information assigning said future-time space to said subject;

examining whether said subject per se belongs to said future-time space; and

when estimated to belong thereto, notifying said control device of such belonging estimation, and wherein

said control device is responsive to the notice to perform said specifying.

10. The space-time communication system according to claim 9, wherein said control device specifies said subject being presently belonging to a space containing the space indicated by said future-time space or specifies from a movement vector of said subject in past said subject which will possibly belong to said future-time space, and then sends information assigning said future-time space to said subject with the possibility.

5. A space-time communication system having a control device operative to send a message toward at least one of target subjects existing within a geographical space, wherein said control device performs:

receiving a space, a past time point and a message assignment;

using said space and said past time point to specify a constituent space at a past time;

specifying a target subject which is judged to have been existed in the past-time space; and

sending said message to the subject specified.

6. The space-time communication system according to claim 5, wherein said past-time space is arranged by limiting said space by a time period of from the past time to a present time point.

7. The space-time communication system according to claim 5, wherein more than one past time is arranged of from a start past time point to an end past time point, and wherein said past-time space is arranged by limiting said space by said more than one past time.

8. The space-time communication system according to claim 5, wherein said past-time space is arranged by limiting said space by more than one of said past time point.

11. The space-time communication system according to claim 5, wherein during specifying said subject, said control device performs:

sending information assigning said past-time space to said subject;

examining whether said subject per se belonged to said past-time space; and

when estimated to having belonged thereto, notifying such fact to said control device, and wherein

said control device is responsive to the notice to perform said specifying.

12. The space-time communication system according to claim 11, wherein said control device specifies from position coordinates of said subject in past a subject of interest with its possibility to have belonged to said past-time space, and sends information assigning said past-time space to said subject with the possibility.

13. The space-time communication system according to claim 11, wherein said subject with the information assigning the past-time space being sent thereto uses this information assigning the past-time space to examine a present state or a past state of the subject and then returns an examination result to said control device.

14. A space-time communication system having a control device operative to send a message toward at least one of target subjects existing within a geographical space, said control device performing:

receiving a space, a time point or time period, and a message assignment;

using said space and said time point or time period to specify a constituent space of time; and

sending said message to more than one subject existing in the specified space-time, wherein

said subject with said message sent thereto determines whether this subject per se is a transmission destination of said message,

said subject with said message sent thereto which has determined it is the transmission destination returns to said control device a response in reply to said message.

15. The space-time communication system according to claim 14, further comprising:

a display device for displaying a land map indicative of a space making up said space-time, and displaying on said land map any one of types and quantity of subjects existing in said space-time along with a situation or state of each subject.

16. The space-time communication system according to claim 14, wherein said control device analyzes the specified information and sends a further message to said subject which has returned the information thereto.

17. The space-time communication system according to claim 15, wherein said control device displays on said land map said response as received from said subject existing in said space-time.

18. The space-time communication system according to claim 15, wherein said control device accepts designation of said space-time, time point or time period and causes said response received from said subject to be selectively displayed in accordance with said time point or time period thus designated.