Portable Telephone

• US 20080139169A1
• Filed: 11/10/2005
• Published: 06/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2004
• 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: Fujimoto, Masao
• Granted Patent: US 8,180,317 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0269 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the exact location of child or item using a navigation satellite system, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

Position information is communicated with improved reliability and accuracy. A standby state in step S1 is followed by step S2 where entry of an emergency call instruction is awaited. Upon entry of an emergency call instruction (Yes), a detailed positioning notification is carried out in step S3. In step S4 a dial callout is carried out and in step S5, it is determined whether or not there is an outgoing-call terminating instruction. If there is an outgoing-call terminating instruction, the process proceeds to step S10 and if not, it proceeds to step S6 where it is determined whether or not there is a response. If not (No), the process returns to step S5. If there is a response (Yes), a call is made in step S7, followed by step S8 where a simplified positioning notification is carried out (by which draft latitude/longitude information is transmitted to a call server). In step S9, a call terminate instruction is awaited. Upon a call terminate instruction (Yes), it is determined in step S10 whether or not there is another emergency call instruction. If there is another emergency call instruction, the process returns to step S4. In the absence of another emergency call instruction (No), it is determined in step S11 whether or not the detailed position notification has been completed (step S11). If not (No), the process returns to step S4, and if it has been (Yes), it proceeds to step S12 where the portable terminal enters into a standby state.

Claims

1. A portable terminal having a function for acquiring position information, comprising:

a control unit for exerting control such that, upon entry of an emergency call instruction, a detailed positioning/notifying operation is initiated independently of an outgoing call operation, wherein the detailed positioning/notifying operation is prohibited from being interrupted or terminated even after the end of the call until the detailed positioning/notifying operation is completed.

2. The portable terminal according to claim 1, wherein the control unit exerts control such that an emergency call operation is maintained until the detailed positioning/notifying operation is completed.

3. The portable terminal according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit exerts control such that, during the emergency call operation, the emergency call instruction is rendered valid.

4. The portable terminal according to claim 1, wherein the control unit exerts control such that a simplified positioning/notifying operation is carried out independently of the detailed positioning/notifying operation.

5. The portable terminal according to claim 1, wherein the control unit exerts control such that, in the detailed positioning/notifying operation, it is determined whether or not the current area is a GPS positioning-allowed area, and if it is determined to be a GPS positioning area, GPS positioning is initiated and a notification of a positioning result is given, whereas if it is determined not to be a GPS positioning area, a charge wave is outputted and a notification of position information based on an IC tag, if obtained, is given as a positioning result.

11. The portable terminal according to claim 5, wherein, upon entry of an emergency call instruction, a detailed positioning/notifying operation is initiated independently of an outgoing call operation, wherein the detailed positioning/notifying operation is maintained even if the portable terminal later gets out of range of a communications service area before completion of the detailed positioning notification.

12. An emergency call system comprising:

the portable terminal according to claim 1; and

an emergency call center for receiving an emergency call and position information based on an emergency call instruction entered on the portable terminal.

6. A portable terminal having a function for acquiring position information, comprising:

a control unit that exerts control such that, upon entry of an emergency call instruction, a detailed positioning/notifying operation is initiated independently of an outgoing call operation, wherein it is determined, during the detailed positioning/notifying operation, whether or not the current area is a GPS positioning-allowed area and, if it is determined to be a GPS positioning area, GPS positioning is initiated and a notification of a positioning result is given.

7. The portable terminal according to claim 6, wherein the control unit exerts control such that, if it is determined during the detailed positioning operation that the current area is not a GPS positioning area, a charge wave is outputted and a notification of position information based on an IC tag, if obtained, is given as a positioning result.

8. The portable terminal according to claim 7, wherein the control unit exerts control such that, if it is determined during the detailed positioning/notifying operation that the current area is not a GPS positioning area, and if no position information can be obtained from the IC tag, the detailed positioning/notifying operation is terminated.

9. The portable terminal according to claim 6, wherein the control unit exerts control such that a simplified positioning/notifying operation is carried out independently of the detailed positioning/notifying operation, and, upon completion of the simplified positioning/notifying operation, the detailed positioning/notifying operation is terminated.

10. The portable terminal according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein, when terminating the detailed positioning/notifying operation without giving a notification of a positioning result, a notice is given indicating that no notification of detailed position information has been given.

13. A method for making an emergency call using a portable terminal having a function for acquiring position information, the method comprising the steps of:

initiating a detailed positioning/notifying operation upon reception of an emergency call instruction;

carrying out an outgoing call operation; and

entering into a standby state on condition that the step of making the outgoing call operation has been completed and that the step of giving a notification of detailed positioning acquired by the detailed positioning/notifying operation has been carried out.

14. The emergency call method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of carrying out a simplified positioning/notifying operation independently of the detailed positioning/notifying operation, the simplified positioning/notifying operation providing position information having lower accuracy than the position information obtained by the detailed positioning/notifying operation.

15. A portable terminal having a function for acquiring position information, comprising a control unit that exerts control such that, upon entry of an emergency call instruction, a positioning/notifying operation is initiated independently of an outgoing call operation, and transition into a standby state is prohibited even after the end of the call until the positioning/notifying operation is completed.