LOCATION AND STATE INFORMATION PROVIDING/INQUIRING SYSTEM USING NEAR FIELD COMMUNICATION, LOG INFORMATION PROVIDING/INQUIRING SYSTEM AND METHOD, SERVICE SERVER AND CUSTOMER TERMINAL, LOCATION AND STATE PROVIDING/INQUIRING METHOD

• US 20130177006A1
• Filed: 07/27/2011
• Published: 07/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SK Telecom Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: SK Telecom Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Baek, Seung Yoon, Cho, Chae Hwan, Lee, Hye Min, Lee, Chang Seok, Kang, Suk Yon, Ihm, Jong Tae
• Granted Patent: US 9,100,782 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• 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 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A location and state information providing/inquiring system using WLAN/WPAN communication, log information providing/inquiring system, service server, customer terminal, location and state information providing/inquiring method, and log information providing/inquiring method are disclosed. System for providing/inquiring location and state information by using WLAN/WPAN communication includes: mobile terminal including WLAN/WPAN communication module for acquiring and transmitting identification information of one or more WLAN/WPAN communication modules of one or more adjacent other terminals; service server for storing identification information of subscriber terminals, receiving identification information of WLAN/WPAN communication modules from mobile terminal, and transmitting list of service subscribers; and positioning server for positioning subscriber terminals of service subscribers, and if one or more service subscribers are selected by mobile terminal based on list received from service server, transmitting location and state information of terminals corresponding to service subscribers selected to mobile terminal.

Claims

1-5. -5. (canceled)

6. A service server for providing location and state information of subscriber terminals, comprising:

a subscriber information storage unit for storing identification information of the subscriber terminals and identification information of one or more wireless local area network (WLAN)/wireless personal area network (WPAN) communication modules of the subscriber terminals;

an identification information receiving unit for receiving identification information of one or more WLAN/WPAN communication modules of one or more other terminals from a mobile terminal;

a subscriber information search unit for searching the subscriber information storage unit for subscribers matching with the identification information of the WLAN/WPAN communication modules received through the identification information receiving unit; and

a location information transmitting unit for interworking with a positioning server, inquiring location and state information of the subscribers searched, and transmitting the location and state information to the mobile terminal.

7. The service server of claim 6, further comprising a list transmitting unit for transmitting a list of the subscribers searched to the mobile terminal,

wherein the location information transmitting unit transmits location and state information of subscribers selected by the mobile terminal among the list to the mobile terminal.

8. The service server of claim 6, further comprising an authentication processing unit for authenticating the mobile terminal,

wherein the identification information receiving unit receives the identification information of the WLAN/WPAN communication modules from the mobile terminal authenticated by the authentication processing unit.

9. A service server for providing location and state information of subscriber terminals, comprising:

a subscriber information storage unit for storing identification information of subscriber terminals and identification information of one or more wireless local area network (WLAN)/wireless personal area network (WPAN) communication modules of the subscriber terminals;

a log information recording unit for recording log information of the subscriber terminals including access time point and location information in the event of access by the subscriber terminals;

an identification information receiving unit for receiving identification information of one or more WLAN/WPAN communication modules of one or more other terminals from a mobile terminal;

a subscriber information search unit for searching subscriber terminals corresponding to the identification information of the WLAN/WPAN communication modules of the other terminals received from the mobile terminal based on the log information recorded; and

a location information transmitting unit for interworking with a positioning server, inquiring location and state information of the subscribers searched, and transmitting the location and state information to the mobile terminal.

10. The service server of claim 9, further comprising a list transmitting unit for transmitting a list of the subscribers searched to the mobile terminal,

wherein the location information transmitting unit transmits location and state information of subscribers selected by the mobile terminal among the list to the mobile terminal.

11. The service server of claim 9, further comprising an authentication processing unit for authenticating the mobile terminal,

wherein the identification information receiving unit receives the identification information of the WLAN/WPAN communication modules of the other terminals from the mobile terminal authenticated by the authentication processing unit.

12. A service server for providing log information including access time point and location information of subscriber terminals, comprising:

a subscriber information storage unit for storing identification information of subscriber terminals and identification information of one or more wireless local area network (WLAN)/wireless personal area network (WPAN) communication modules of the subscriber terminals;

a log information recording unit for recording the log information of the subscriber terminals in the event of access by the subscriber terminals;

an identification information receiving unit for receiving identification information of one or more wireless local area network WLAN/WPAN communication modules of one or more other terminals from a mobile terminal;

a subscriber information search unit for searching the subscriber information storage unit for subscribers matching with the identification information of the WLAN/WPAN communication modules received through the identification information receiving unit; and

a log information update unit for interworking with a positioning server, inquiring locations of other terminals corresponding to the subscribers searched, and updating the log information.

13. The service server of claim 12, further comprising an update inquiring unit for inquiring of the other terminals corresponding to the subscribers searched by the subscriber information search unit, whether to update the log information,

wherein the log information update unit updates log information if an update request signal is received from the other terminals in response to the inquiry by the update inquiring unit.

14. The service server of claim 12, further comprising a location information transmitting unit for transmitting log information of the other terminals corresponding to the subscribers searched to the mobile terminal.

15. The service server of claim 12, further comprising an authentication processing unit for authenticating the mobile terminal,

wherein the identification information receiving unit receives the identification information of the WLAN/WPAN communication modules from the mobile terminal authenticated by the authentication processing unit.

16. A mobile terminal for positioning, comprising:

a wireless local area network (WLAN)/wireless personal area network (WPAN) communication unit for acquiring identification information of one or more WLAN/WPAN communication modules of one or more adjacent other terminals;

an on/off control unit for controlling an on/off of the WLAN/WPAN communication unit;

a request unit for transmitting the identification information of the WLAN/WPAN communication modules to a service server to inquire about service subscription/unsubscription and request location and state information of the adjacent other terminals that are service subscribers; and

a user interface unit for receiving location and state information of the adjacent other terminals from the service server and displaying the location and state information on a screen.

17. The mobile terminal of claim 16, further comprising:

a list receiving unit for receiving a list of service subscribers corresponding to the location and state information of the adjacent other terminals from the service server; and

a subscriber selecting unit for selecting one or more service subscribers from the list of service subscribers,

wherein the user interface unit receives the location and state information of the service subscribers selected and displays the location and state information on the screen.

18. The mobile terminal of claim 16, wherein the WLAN/WPAN communication unit acquires Media Access Control (MAC) addresses of the WLAN/WPAN communication modules of the adjacent other terminals.

19. The mobile terminal of claim 16, further comprising:

a positioning unit for positioning a current location; and

a location transmitting unit for transmitting a value of the current location positioned by the positioning unit to the service server.

20. A mobile terminal for positioning, comprising:

a wireless local area network (WLAN)/wireless personal area network (WPAN) communication unit for acquiring identification information of one or more WLAN/WPAN communication modules of one or more adjacent other terminals;

a request unit for transmitting the identification information of the WLAN/WPAN communication modules to a service server to request location and state information of the adjacent other terminals based on log information; and

a user interface unit for receiving location and state information of the adjacent other terminals based on the log information from the service server and displaying the location and state information on a screen.

21. The mobile terminal of claim 20, further comprising:

a list receiving unit for receiving a list of service subscribers corresponding to the location and state information of the adjacent other terminals from the service server; and

a subscriber selecting unit for selecting one or more service subscribers from the list of service subscribers,

wherein the user interface unit receives location and state information of the service subscribers selected and displays the location and state information on the screen.

22. The mobile terminal of claim 20, further comprising an on/off control unit for controlling an on/off of the WLAN/WPAN communication unit.

23. The mobile terminal of claim 20, further comprising:

a positioning unit for positioning a current location; and

a location transmitting unit for transmitting a value of the current location positioned by the positioning unit to the service server.

24. A mobile terminal capable of inquiring log information of other terminals, comprising:

a wireless local area network (WLAN)/wireless personal area network (WPAN) communication unit for acquiring identification information of one or more WLAN/WPAN communication modules of one or more adjacent other terminals;

an on/off control unit for controlling an on/off of the WLAN/WPAN communication unit;

a request unit for transmitting the identification information of the WLAN/WPAN communication modules to a service server to request an update of log information of the adjacent other terminals; and

a user interface unit for receiving log information of the adjacent other terminals from the service server and displaying the log information on a screen.

25. The mobile terminal of claim 24, further comprising:

a list receiving unit for receiving a list of subscribers corresponding to the identification information of the WLAN/WPAN communication modules from the service server; and

a subscriber selecting unit for selecting one or more service subscribers from the list of subscribers,

wherein the user interface unit receives log information of the adjacent other terminals corresponding to the service subscribers selected and displays the log information on the screen.

26. A method for providing location and state information of subscriber terminals, comprising:

storing identification information of the subscriber terminals and identification information of one or more wireless local area network (WLAN)/wireless personal area network (WPAN) communication modules of the subscriber terminals;

receiving identification information of one or more WLAN/WPAN communication modules of one or more other terminals from a mobile terminal;

searching the identification information of the subscriber terminals for subscribers matching with the identification information of the WLAN/WPAN communication modules; and

interworking with a positioning server, inquiring location and state information of the subscribers searched, and transmitting the location and state information to the mobile terminal.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

transmitting a list of the subscribers searched to the mobile terminal; and

receiving a subscriber selection signal from the mobile terminal in response to the list transmitted.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising authenticating the mobile terminal,

wherein the process of receiving the identification information receives the identification information of the WLAN/WPAN communication modules from the mobile terminal authenticated.

29. A method for inquiring location and state information of other terminals, comprising:

using a wireless local area network (WLAN)/wireless personal area network (WPAN) communication module to acquire identification information of one or more WLAN/WPAN communication modules of one or more adjacent other terminals;

transmitting the identification information of the WLAN/WPAN communication modules to a service server to inquire about service subscription/unsubscription and request location and state information of the adjacent other terminals that are service subscribers; and

receiving location and state information of the adjacent other terminals from the service server and displaying the location and state information on a screen.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

receiving a list of subscribers corresponding to the identification information of the WLAN/WPAN communication modules from the service server; and

selecting one or more subscribers from the list of subscribers,

wherein the process of displaying receives location and state information of the subscribers selected and displays the location and state information on the screen.

31. A method for providing location and state information of subscriber terminals, comprising:

storing identification information of the subscriber terminals and identification information of one or more wireless local area network (WLAN)/wireless personal area network (WPAN) communication modules of the subscriber terminals;

recording log information of the subscriber terminals including access time point and location information in the event of access by the subscriber terminals;

receiving identification information of one or more WLAN/WPAN communication modules of one or more other terminals from a mobile terminal;

searching subscriber terminals corresponding to the identification information of the WLAN/WPAN communication modules based on the log information recorded; and

interworking with a positioning server, inquiring location and state information of the subscribers searched, and transmitting the location and state information to the mobile terminal.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

transmitting a list of the subscribers searched to the mobile terminal; and

receiving a subscriber selection signal from the mobile terminal in response to the list transmitted.

33. A method for inquiring location and state information of other terminals, comprising:

using a wireless local area network (WLAN)/wireless personal area network (WPAN) communication module to acquire identification information of one or more WLAN/WPAN communication modules of one or more adjacent other terminals;

transmitting the identification information of the WLAN/WPAN communication modules to a service server to request location and state information of the adjacent other terminals based on log information; and

receiving location and state information of the adjacent other terminals based on the log information from the service server and displaying the location and state information on a screen.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

receiving a list of subscribers corresponding to the identification information of the adjacent other terminals from the service server; and

selecting one or more subscribers from the list of subscribers,

wherein the process of displaying receives location and state information of the subscribers selected and displays the location and state information on the screen.

35. A method for providing log information of other terminals, comprising:

storing identification information of subscriber terminals and identification information of one or more wireless local area network (WLAN)/wireless personal area network (WPAN) communication modules of the subscriber terminals;

recording log information of the subscriber terminals in the event of access by the subscriber terminals;

receiving identification information of one or more WLAN/WPAN communication modules of one or more other terminals from a mobile terminal;

searching for the subscriber terminals matching with the identification information of the WLAN/WPAN communication modules received; and

interworking with a positioning server and updating the log information of the subscriber terminals if the log information of the subscriber terminals is different from locations of the other terminals.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising inquiring of the other terminals corresponding to the subscriber terminals whether to update the log information,

wherein the log information is updated if an update request signal is received from the other terminals.

37. A method for inquiring log information of other terminals, comprising:

using a wireless local area network (WLAN)/wireless personal area network (WPAN) communication module to acquire identification information of one or more WLAN/WPAN communication modules of one or more adjacent other terminals;

transmitting the identification information of the WLAN/WPAN communication modules to a service server to request an update of log information of the adjacent other terminals; and

receiving updated log information of the adjacent other terminals from the service server and displaying the updated log information on a screen.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

receiving a list of subscribers corresponding to the identification information of the WLAN/WPAN communication modules from the service server; and

selecting one or more subscribers from the list of subscribers,

wherein the process of displaying receives updated log information corresponding to the subscribers selected and displays the updated log information on the screen.