Portable terminal, travel path recording method and program storage medium

• US 20090271111A1
• Filed: 01/27/2009
• Published: 10/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Saotome, Makoto, Takanashi, Takako
• Granted Patent: US 8,825,363 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/006 Pedometers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver

Abstract

A portable terminal includes: a position obtaining section that obtains a piece of position information of a current position of the portable terminal; a power control section that controls turning on and off of power before and after the piece of position information is obtained by the position obtaining section, respectively; and a motion sensor that detects a movement of the portable terminal. The portable terminal further includes: a storage section that stores a history of the pieces of position information; and a recording section that records, into the storage section, a piece of position information newly obtained by the position obtaining section activated by the power control section, only when a movement is detected by the motion sensor.

Claims

1. A portable terminal comprising:

a position obtaining section that obtains a piece of position information of a current position of the portable terminal;

a power control section that controls turning on and off of power before and after the piece of position information is obtained by the position obtaining section, respectively;

a motion sensor that detects a movement of the portable terminal;

a storage section that stores a history of the pieces of position information; and

a recording section that records, into the storage section, a piece of position information newly obtained by the position obtaining section activated by the power control section, only when a movement is detected by the motion sensor.

2. The portable terminal according to claim 1, further comprising a map display section that displays a map in which a travel path is formed by linking positions represented by the respective pieces of position information stored in the storage section.

3. The portable terminal according to claim 1, wherein the power control section controls activation and deactivation of each function, and controls power supply to the position obtaining section such that the position obtaining section is not constantly activated and activated only when a piece of position information is obtained.

4. The portable terminal according to claim 1, wherein in response to detection of a movement by the motion sensor, the recording section causes the power control section to activate the position obtaining section so that the position obtaining section obtains a piece of position information representing the current position and to deactivate the position obtaining section after the piece of position information representing the current position is obtained by the position obtaining section,

the portable terminal further comprises a distance calculation section that refers to the latest position information stored in the storage section, and calculates a travel distance between the position represented by the latest piece of position information and the current position, and

the recording section records the piece of position information representing the current position obtained by the position obtaining section into the storage section, only when the travel distance calculated by the distance calculation section is equal to or longer than a predetermined distance.

5. The portable terminal according to claim 1, wherein the recording section causes the position obtaining section to obtain a new piece of position information at predetermined time intervals, and the recording section records the obtained new piece of position information into the storage section when a movement is detected by the motion sensor.

6. The portable terminal according to claim 1, wherein a series of processes including power-on, acquisition of position information, power-off, storage of the position information and display is carried out at predetermined time intervals, but the series of processes is not carried when a movement is not detected by the motion sensor within the time interval.

7. The portable terminal according to claim 1, wherein the motion sensor is a pedometer that detects acceleration of the portable terminal, thereby measuring the number of steps of a user carrying the portable terminal.

8. The portable terminal according to claim 1, further comprising a map display section that displays a map in which a travel path is formed by linking positions represented by pieces of position information stored in the storage section.

9. A method of recording a travel path of a portable terminal including a motion sensor that detects a movement, a position obtaining section that obtains a piece of position information representing a current position, a power control section that controls the position obtaining section, and a storage section that stores a history of pieces of position information, the method comprising:

detecting a movement of the portable terminal with the motion sensor;

obtaining a piece of position information of the current position of the portable terminal, by causing the power control section to activate the position obtaining section every time a movement of the portable terminal is detected in the detecting; and

recording a piece of position information newly obtained in the obtaining into the storage section.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

displaying a map in which a travel path is formed by linking positions represented by the respective pieces of position information stored in the storage section.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the obtaining is a process for obtaining, in response to detection of a movement by the motion sensor, a piece of position information representing the current position, in which the obtaining section is activated only at the time of the obtaining, and

the recording comprises:

calculating a travel distance between a position represented by the latest position information and the current position by referring to the latest position information stored in the storage section, and recording the position information representing the current position obtained in the obtaining into the storage section only when the travel distance calculated in the calculating is equal to or longer than a predetermined distance.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the obtaining is a process for obtaining a new piece of position information at predetermined time intervals, and the position obtaining section is activated only at the time of the obtaining, and

the recording is a process for recording the new piece of position information obtained in the obtaining when a movement is detected by the motion sensor.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein the motion sensor is a pedometer that detects acceleration of the portable terminal, thereby measuring the number of steps of a user carrying the portable terminal.

14. A storage medium that stores a program for recording a travel path of a portable terminal including a motion sensor that detects a movement, a position obtaining section that obtains a piece of position information representing a current position, a power control section that controls the position obtaining section, and a storage section that stores a history of pieces of position information, the program causing a computer to execute:

detecting a movement of the portable terminal with the motion sensor;

obtaining a piece of position information of the current position of the portable terminal, by causing the power control section to activate the position obtaining section every time a movement of the portable terminal is detected in the detecting; and

recording a piece of position information newly obtained in the obtaining into the storage section.

15. The storage medium according to claim 14, wherein the program causes the computer to further execute:

displaying a map in which a travel path is formed by linking positions represented by the respective pieces of position information stored in the storage section.

16. The storage medium according to claim 14, wherein the obtaining is a process for obtaining, in response to detection of a movement by the motion sensor, a piece of position information representing the current position, in which the obtaining section is activated only at the time of the obtaining, and

the recording comprises:

calculating a travel distance between a position represented by the latest position information and the current position by referring to the latest position information stored in the storage section, and recording the position information representing the current position obtained in the obtaining into the storage section only when the travel distance calculated in the calculating is equal to or longer than a predetermined distance.

17. The storage medium according to claim 14, wherein the obtaining is a process for obtaining a new piece of position information at predetermined time intervals, and the position obtaining section is activated only at the time of the obtaining, and

the recording is a process for recording the new piece of position information obtained in the obtaining when a movement is detected by the motion sensor.

18. The storage medium according to claim 14, wherein the motion sensor is a pedometer that detects acceleration of the portable terminal, thereby measuring the number of steps of a user carrying the portable terminal.